Lesson Learned

Huh. Maybe you, like me, have taken your body and it’s intricate systems for granted. Maybe you, like me, believe that if you are prescribed a medication that the benefits outweigh the side effects. Maybe you, like me, trust that when your doctor says that side effects are usually mild and that your initial dose is very low to help your body adjust and he forsees no problems it implies that you are relieved of the duty to research the med yourself.

 

Last night I took the first dose of a prescription medication for a chronic condition. It is being used as a therapy adjunct to my current medications and is also being used off-label.  I swallowed half a tablet of this drug around 10:30 last night as I was headed for bed. I fell asleep shortly after burying my head in the pillow and had one of the deepest sleeps I’ve had in a long time. Then my world kind of fell apart for a couple of hours.

 

I woke up before my alarm, around 5 am, and smiled to myself. I like it when I wake up naturally and have a moment or two to stretch before rising. I took my time and got out of bed at 5:10 (still 5 minutes before my alarm) and headed for the bathroom. I’d gone about 5 steps when I was completely overwhelmed by a wave of vertigo and sat down hard in the hallway. I took a deep breath to steady myself and walked very unsteadily back to my bed to lay down for a couple of minutes. I woke about 30 minutes later with a trembling that began in my bones and radiated out to the rest of my body. Then nausea and lightheadedness took over.

 

I stumbled down the stairs, still stubbornly determined to go to work, and stopped off at the couch to lie down again for a moment or two. I woke when my mother asked me if I was ok. I tried to sit up but was still so dizzy that I had to lay down again.  Three hours later, a handful of short naps, a piece of dry toast and 4 glasses of water later, I felt a little better.  I then showered and continued to find myself improving a little at a time as I prepared to go to work.

 

The lesson is: do your own research on the meds you are prescribed, be an advocate for your own body and health, AND never, ever, ever, try a new medication in the middle of the work week.

Love to you all!