All of last week I was having a MAJOR problem with my current medication. Without any known reason as of yet, I have been reacting to my regular dosage of medication very strangely - from severe loss of mental function, to added pain, nausea, lightheadedness, loss of strength, the inability to comprehend a conversation or utter a full sentence, feeling faint and weak, all the way to vomiting.
These kinds of episodes happen once every few months, but for whatever reason, I had an episode every single night for a week.
So, of course I wrote everything down and cut down my bedtime medication routine to less than HALF of what I normally take, but still experienced these episodes.
It is important to note that my current dosage has been the same for over 6 months, and the medications that I take are medications I have BEEN taking for several years - some have been in my routine for over a decade, some on and off for a decade, and a couple stronger medications have been daily routines for nearly five years.
These are not new medications.
These are not new dosages.
So why is my body reacting this way??
Legitimately fearing for my life, I wanted to speak to someone about these drastic changes.
Since I picked up brand new refills of three medications the SAME DAY as these new symptoms began, my first instinct was to speak to my pharmacist to make sure nothing was out of sorts with the medication itself.
Unfortunately, after my pills were inspected for any glaring abnormalities, I was met with suspicion and condescension. So I called a second pharmacist.... who actually treated me worse.
Now, of course, booking an appointment with my pain specialist would be ideal, but he is actually getting surgery himself and will be unavailable until January. I am sure that there is a fill-in, but it is frightening to bring up such a delicate topic with someone who does NOT know me or my history, and who could potentially treat me with the same patronizing attitude.
My next step was to call a local RN to ask about what my options might be. Could the medication be compromised? Could my liver be problematic? Could my kidneys be the problem? Has my condition changed?
Well, I went to the lab and had my liver panel checked, as is required once a month on my standing order of bloodwork, so now I wait for results.
In the meantime, if I get another episode, my next step is to potentially take a trip to Emergency, and then try to book an appointment with my doctor to discuss options.
Or maybe it was just a really weird week and these symptoms will disappear!! Wouldn't that be nice!!
The biggest lesson I have learned through this is that although I have had a very good relationship with my pharmacy and with my doctors, they are not, by any means, friends or even acquaintances. I am a patient. Only a patient. So, even though my complaint is that my current dose of medications seem to be too strong all-of-a-sudden, I can be flagged and thusly treated with suspicion. My reputation as a diligent and responsible patient can go out the window in a MOMENT because of an odd problem.
So the question is, do I risk the conversation with a brand new physician, or do I wait until I can see my specialist who has been dealing with my case for over 13 years? And what happens if something terrible should occur because of this problem while I wait?
The joys of managing health care as a chronically ill individual.