God damn side effects
This is what I hate most about being sick - the drugs and the side effects that invariably go with them. Once again I have bronchitis. The doctor prescribes a 10 day course of Levaquin (a ridiculously strong antibiotic), a lovely bottle of guifinesin with codiene (the nastiest tasting cough syrup ever), and a four day course of the gross steroid Prednisone.
Let me just say, all baseball references aside, I HATE steroids. This is not the first time I doctor has prescribed them for me. It all started in October 2004 when I ignored a sinus infection. (Note: NEVER ignore a sinus infection.) In doing so, the infection moved down into my lungs giving me bronchitis, which I had never had before. So the doc gives me standard stuff - an antiobiotic and a decongestant with codeine. After being on the drugs for one day, I had to go back to the doctor. I was unable to sleep, I couldn't lay down, I felt like I was drowning. So I thought that I must be having a reaction to one of the medications I was taking - most likely the codeine. So I go to see the doctor and he tells me that I am not having a reaction - the bronchitis is worse than he thought. So he orders a chest x-ray to make sure that my lungs weren't filled with fluid and to make sure I didn't have pnuemonia. The x-rays came back clear. So he then prescribed a steroid and an inhaler, and he gave me a nebulizer treatment while I was in the office. No big deal. Like a good girl I take my medications and within about a week I am doing much better and I can get back to work.
So I have not had a sinus infection since then. Until now. I could feel something coming on early last week, but I tried to fight it. By Friday it was enought to force me to leave work early. Saturday I finally decided that I had to go to the doctor. At the very least I needed to get an antibiotic to clear up the infection. Well after I am seen by the doctor he tells me that I have bronchitis again. Back on the steroids. I can deal with the nauseau and the other side effects of the antibiotic, but the insomnia that comes along with the steroid is killing me.
It is 1:45 am. I have to get up for work by 6:45. And here I am writing because I can not fall asleep. This is ridiculous. I have tried all of my insomnia tricks that I have up my sleeve. I tried the full body relaxation technique where you consciously relax each muscle in your body one by one. I tried playing Norah Jones CD's - which usually relax me enough. I changed the sheets on my bed because cool clean sheets sometimes help. I have tried the breathing techniques. Nothing is working. I don't even feel tired, which is insane because I didn't really sleep last night either.
Now it is time for the fail safe maneuver. Don't laugh - it worked for years. Basically I have to lay on my back at the head of my bed, with my feet in the air, while meditating. It is the craziest looking thing, but after doing it for a half hour or so, I should drift off in peaceful slumber. Wish me luck....
Let me just say, all baseball references aside, I HATE steroids. This is not the first time I doctor has prescribed them for me. It all started in October 2004 when I ignored a sinus infection. (Note: NEVER ignore a sinus infection.) In doing so, the infection moved down into my lungs giving me bronchitis, which I had never had before. So the doc gives me standard stuff - an antiobiotic and a decongestant with codeine. After being on the drugs for one day, I had to go back to the doctor. I was unable to sleep, I couldn't lay down, I felt like I was drowning. So I thought that I must be having a reaction to one of the medications I was taking - most likely the codeine. So I go to see the doctor and he tells me that I am not having a reaction - the bronchitis is worse than he thought. So he orders a chest x-ray to make sure that my lungs weren't filled with fluid and to make sure I didn't have pnuemonia. The x-rays came back clear. So he then prescribed a steroid and an inhaler, and he gave me a nebulizer treatment while I was in the office. No big deal. Like a good girl I take my medications and within about a week I am doing much better and I can get back to work.
So I have not had a sinus infection since then. Until now. I could feel something coming on early last week, but I tried to fight it. By Friday it was enought to force me to leave work early. Saturday I finally decided that I had to go to the doctor. At the very least I needed to get an antibiotic to clear up the infection. Well after I am seen by the doctor he tells me that I have bronchitis again. Back on the steroids. I can deal with the nauseau and the other side effects of the antibiotic, but the insomnia that comes along with the steroid is killing me.
It is 1:45 am. I have to get up for work by 6:45. And here I am writing because I can not fall asleep. This is ridiculous. I have tried all of my insomnia tricks that I have up my sleeve. I tried the full body relaxation technique where you consciously relax each muscle in your body one by one. I tried playing Norah Jones CD's - which usually relax me enough. I changed the sheets on my bed because cool clean sheets sometimes help. I have tried the breathing techniques. Nothing is working. I don't even feel tired, which is insane because I didn't really sleep last night either.
Now it is time for the fail safe maneuver. Don't laugh - it worked for years. Basically I have to lay on my back at the head of my bed, with my feet in the air, while meditating. It is the craziest looking thing, but after doing it for a half hour or so, I should drift off in peaceful slumber. Wish me luck....
posted by Shannon @ 1:32 AM
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