Medications have a tendency not to agree with me. As a child back in the dark ages of the 1960s and 1970s, if I had strep or an ear infection, the local pediatrician would prescribe Penicillin, the miracle drug. At one point, I remember her saying that I had a sensitivity to it which I promptly ignored because I was a teenager. I don't think my mother remembers that either..
When I was sixteen, I went on a summer program to Madrid, Spain to study at the University of Madrid. We stayed in a university dorm (with a bar on the ground floor, a convent on the first floor, and a dining hall on the second floor which made the world's best paella once a week at minimum). One day I wasn't feeling well, napped all afternoon, attempted to eat dinner but wasn't hungry and went to bed early. I woke up in the middle of the night with a need to use the bathroom and ended up passing out in the hall outside the chaperone's room. The doctor was called, accused me of using drugs (my little bottle of sudafed was deemed suspect) and found I had a temperature of 105. Their modern medine (this was just post-Franco Spain) was shots of penicillin in my behind twice a day. Some how I survived that with no reactions.
(They were very helpful in taking care of me by leaving a nun in my room 24/7 so I was never alone. The nuns only spoke Spanish - I think they wanted to make sure I didn't take any more contraband sudafed. With a temperature of 105 I couldn't speak a word of Spanish if I tried. I was also given everything at room temperature - so as not to shock my body. And each aspirin table needed to be cut into 6 little pieces and swallowed individually with a sip of warm, flat soda so I would not choke. I did get better after a few days and we never figured out what it was. But I digress.)
I never seemed to get strep or ear infections or anything requiring antibiotics for years (maybe I was really a healthy person once.) Then in the 1990s I had dental infection and was prescribed penicillin which gave me a full body rash and hives. On a business trip... in Europe. I stopped taking the penicillin immediately and called my dentist when I was back in the US. So no more '-cillin' drugs for me.
Around 2001 I managed to ruin a perfect day of skiing with a tiny fall which resulted in a toboggan ride from some very nice ski patrol followed by crutches and knee surgery. A family friend, and former OR nurse, told me to take two of Vicodin that I had been prescribed the night after the surgery to ensure a good night's sleep. I was up all night. So no more Vicodin or Tylenol 3 for me - we think its the codeine that causes the problem.
Then with chemo, I was given Benadryl to prevent an allergic reaction to the infusion. I was allergic to the Benadryl which means I really can't take any antihistamines ever.
Last Friday, my rheumatologist prescribed me Plaquenil and Prednisone for my RA. I was up all night from the Prednisone and stopped taking it. When I tried it again on Monday morning, I ended up with a bright red face and rash. We decided I should stop the prednisone for now and stick with the Plaquenil. As the week progressed, my rash progressed. It now covers my face, neck, upper chest, around the side of my torso and my arm pit (which is really the pits.) The suspicion is I might be allergic to both.
Our next step is when my rash goes away - in a week or two (according to the doctor) - she will put me on something else for my RA. I hope I am not allergic to that as well.
Showing posts with label allergens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label allergens. Show all posts
New Medications Are Not Agreeing With Me
Friday I went to my new doctor, a rhuematologist to start treatment for my newly diagnosed Rheumatoid arthritis (early stage, non erosive). She put me on prednisone (2 tablets daily for 1 week, then 1 tablet daily for six weeks) to start working sooner and Plaquenil (2 tablets daily forever) for long term treatment to stabilize the RA.
I picked up my prescriptions in early afternoon and took both. I knew there was a risk that the prednisone would keep me up at night. It did. I barely slept which means I was a touch cranky and nearly fell asleep at the gym (but get points for getting my lazy butt there). I said no more prednisone until Sunday when I can take one tablet first thing in the morning and hopefully it will have worn off in time for me to go to bed. We slept late so I decided to put that off until Monday morning when upon arising at our normal weekday time I immediately took one prednisone. I did take Plaquenil on Saturday and Sunday.
By the time I took a shower, I decided that I must have gotten a sunburn when we ate lunch outside on Sunday as my face was feeling burnt. Upon closer examination my face was all red and bumpy so I figured some kind of reaction. I got to work and the three women who were there (who are mothers and therefore good a noticing and diagnosing little ailments instantly) said 'why is your face so red?'. Their diagnosis was I had a rash all over my face.
I called my rheumatologist's office immediately and ended up speaking with her nurse practitioner as the doctor doesn't work on Mondays. She thought I was having a reaction to the Plaquenil but I could tell she wanted me to head to an ER if it got worse. I am allergic to Benadryl so I couldn't just take one to help with the symptoms. I did tell her I had an appointment with my back pain doctor that after noon to talk about treatment for my newly diagnosed fibromyalgia and would mention it while I was there.
My pain doctor thought it was a reaction to the prednisone and not the Plaquenil but advised not taking either until I talked to my rheumatologist today. He also did not prescribe anything new for my fibromyalgia other than to increase my pain meds dose. I think he wants to get the RA under control so they can focus on one ailment before going on to the next ailment.
I felt pretty yucky yesterday afternoon and drank tons of water on the theory that I could wash it out of my system. I sat around for a while and then went to the gym which turned out to be a good thing as one of the trainers were there and gave me lots of advice for adapting my exercise program until the RA meds kick in.
Last night I went to bed early, and woke up every couple of hours. My face still feels weird but not as red and blotchy as yesterday. The true test will be when I get to work this morning on what today's verdict is from the mother's I work with.
I don't like these new meds. They are turning my world upside down. Who knew two little brown prescription bottles could change my life so much? I need to find something to work for the RA and then go on to the fibro. This will take months. Grr, grr, grr.
I picked up my prescriptions in early afternoon and took both. I knew there was a risk that the prednisone would keep me up at night. It did. I barely slept which means I was a touch cranky and nearly fell asleep at the gym (but get points for getting my lazy butt there). I said no more prednisone until Sunday when I can take one tablet first thing in the morning and hopefully it will have worn off in time for me to go to bed. We slept late so I decided to put that off until Monday morning when upon arising at our normal weekday time I immediately took one prednisone. I did take Plaquenil on Saturday and Sunday.
By the time I took a shower, I decided that I must have gotten a sunburn when we ate lunch outside on Sunday as my face was feeling burnt. Upon closer examination my face was all red and bumpy so I figured some kind of reaction. I got to work and the three women who were there (who are mothers and therefore good a noticing and diagnosing little ailments instantly) said 'why is your face so red?'. Their diagnosis was I had a rash all over my face.
I called my rheumatologist's office immediately and ended up speaking with her nurse practitioner as the doctor doesn't work on Mondays. She thought I was having a reaction to the Plaquenil but I could tell she wanted me to head to an ER if it got worse. I am allergic to Benadryl so I couldn't just take one to help with the symptoms. I did tell her I had an appointment with my back pain doctor that after noon to talk about treatment for my newly diagnosed fibromyalgia and would mention it while I was there.
My pain doctor thought it was a reaction to the prednisone and not the Plaquenil but advised not taking either until I talked to my rheumatologist today. He also did not prescribe anything new for my fibromyalgia other than to increase my pain meds dose. I think he wants to get the RA under control so they can focus on one ailment before going on to the next ailment.
I felt pretty yucky yesterday afternoon and drank tons of water on the theory that I could wash it out of my system. I sat around for a while and then went to the gym which turned out to be a good thing as one of the trainers were there and gave me lots of advice for adapting my exercise program until the RA meds kick in.
Last night I went to bed early, and woke up every couple of hours. My face still feels weird but not as red and blotchy as yesterday. The true test will be when I get to work this morning on what today's verdict is from the mother's I work with.
I don't like these new meds. They are turning my world upside down. Who knew two little brown prescription bottles could change my life so much? I need to find something to work for the RA and then go on to the fibro. This will take months. Grr, grr, grr.
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