This blog is about health, fitness, weight loss, beauty, and relaxation.

Thursday, February 02, 2012

All Medicines Are Poison

One of my doctors told me "all medicines are poison".  Well he is right.  They can do more harm than good if not used with great care.

I have managed to wean myself off two medications.  Neither by any means were the strongest dosage.


I found that the Zanaflex that was prescribed years ago for muscle spasms was not needed.  Maybe the last back surgery fixed the cause?  It was no problem going off the Zanaflex.  I was on a low dosage.

Lyrica was prescribed many years ago for burning, biting pains in my legs. Much like fire ants.  I had to reduce the Lyrica dosage down any time that I needed to take antihistamines or any medication that a side-effect was dizziness.... such as some antibiotics.  Forget about taking opiates with Lyrica.... their side-effects were intensified.  They even built up in my system after back surgery in 2008... so much so that I had to go back to the hospital.

The Lyrica was a problem to go off of and I really had not set out to go off of the medication.  It was to a point that I had to go to just one pill a day in order to take antihistamine and antibiotic.  I was taking the antihistamine because I had an allergic reaction to Flagyl.  I had taken the antibiotic before, but this time I had stinging, itchy hives!  The antibiotics (2 different ones) were for diverticulitis... and fortunately I did well with the other antibiotic.

By this time I have an appointment with a podiatrist because I had injured my foot a couple of months before and it was only getting worse.  The podiatrist wanted me to try the nasal anti-inflammatory spray Sprix.  We were hoping since this medication was delivered through the nasal passages that it would cause no side-effects.  With only one Lyrica I had horrible dizziness.. to point of being very off-balance... with the addition of the Sprix.  The spray made me sneeze and irritated my nasal passages and my stomach.  I tried to stick it out using the Sprix by stopping the one pill of Lyrica which I had only been on one a day for  4 or 5 days.  No... did not help so I had to stop the Sprix.

I decided since I had gone a couple of days without the Lyrica that I would try and quit it and see what happened.  I did not think I would make it.   I think I should have stayed on the one pill for a few more days.   I had anxiety and very little sleep for about two weeks.  My heart rate was 95 +... well over a 100 at times.
  
It has two and a half weeks since I stopped Lyrica.  I sometimes feel a little anxiety.  My heart rate has been down in the 70s.  I am actually feeling less pain in my joints.  I am feeling better.... better than I have in a long while.  I am sure I will feel even better in the weeks to come.

I am having allergies acting up now as Spring has decided to arrive early here.  I took an antihistamine yesterday and was very excited that I did not have the excessive dizziness and drowsiness I had combined with the other  medications.

This last year I have lost 8lbs or so.  I was doing well at losing the weight until my foot problem.  Frank had been walking with me and we walked two and a half mile several times a week.  Sometimes close to the three mile mark depending on what trail we took.

I had an MRI of my foot and it does show some inflammation and a neuroma.  The neuroma is not where my foot hurts.  Right now it is wait and see if it gets better on its on.  I go back in a few weeks to see the doctor if it is not better and get another steroid injection... the two I've had already have not helped.  He is talking of going through the top of the foot next time with the needle.

All Medicines Are Poison...  I do not recommend you quit your medications.  I do recommend you talk to your doctor about your medications.  Sometimes we take medications for so long that we forget why we are taking them or they plain do not work any more.

I am not saying that medicines do no good.  Just that we need to be careful and access our medicines.

I encourage you to keep print outs of your medications and surgeries.  It is very easy to do on the computer.  I made tables.  First column is name of medication and amount of MG.  Second column is dosage... how many pills or inhalations with how many times a day and the third column is the prescribing doctor's name.  Do not forget to list the over the counter medications you take.   At the top of the page I have my name, address and phone numbers.  I have my family doctor's name, business address and business phone numbers.  Then I list the medications I am allergic to.  I keep a folded copy with me in my wallet.  I also have a table with my surgeries... type of surgery, when and where it was performed and by whom.


I really do think life is going to better in the coming weeks without these medications.