Low On Drugs

I am on Vicodin, which feels remarkably like being on Benadryl. Why, one might ask? Because my dysesthetic pain was absolutely awful at 5:30 this morning, and then it kept coming back. Horrible. Seriously horrible. I emailed Dr. Rick, who had me come see him this afternoon. He prescribed amitriptyline and Vicodin.

Amitriptyline is an old anti-depressant that apparently is not really used an an anti-depressant anymore. It can help some people with nerve pain. Hopefully me. And hopefully without bad side effects. I just read some about it online... looks like my dosage is pretty low, nowhere close to what would be prescribed for depression.

I am supposed to take Vicodin as needed. I questioned dependence, but Dr. Rick said I would not become addicted. He is thinking of this as a way to get through coming down off steroids. (Because I told him that the pain began the day after my first course of steroids, and now it has worsened and added new territory while coming off my second course of steroids.) Also that I am using it to take the edge off pain. I don't know. But I have been in a lot of pain, so I am willing to give it a go.

Blurred vision is listed as a side effect of both amitriptyline and Vicodin. I did laugh a bit at that. My vision still stinks from the steroids. Dizziness and sedation are also listed under both. So we'll see. I was dumb, because I took the amitriptyline with dinner instead of an hour before bed. Ugh. Need to improve at following directions. My thinking/judgment was maybe not the best today.

So although I have taken both meds, I think the sedating effect I feel right now is probably from the Vicodin. I do not think the ami is going to work that quickly. And I only took 10 mg. Vicodin is a classic drowsy-maker, right? More likely that is the culprit right now.

So that kind of stinks. I absolutely could not take this and go to work. Too tired and dizzy--my balance is worse. Maybe I'll try cutting the pill in half next time. I am not sure it even helped with the pain. Well, I guess it helped. Just not a whole lot.

And Dr. Rick is still stumped on my vision problem. He told me to take 10 mg of prednisone today and tomorrow, then done. So I will end up skipping two days of 20 mg, which is what I would have taken today. Probably will not make much of a difference, but hopefully my eyes bounce back soon. It has not really bothered me, because I know where I am going here in town. But at one point today, I was looking for a building, and struggling with reading names and seeing numbers was frustrating. I think the only reason I am tolerating it well is because I assume that it will get better soon.

Well, on to my daily data:

Sensory:

-Pins and needles: 8, mixed with the freezing/burning pain
-Tingles: 0
-Dysesthetic pain: 9, only because I hesitate to put a 10 on anything. But wow, it was take-your-breath-away pain. And some in my bottom lip. You know, even my clothes make this pain worse.
-Paresthesias: 0, don't remember any, but I mostly remember feeling pain.
-Numbness: 2, same as yesterday. Tongue numbness is so nutty.
-Vision: 4, same as yesterday I think--a bit worse?
-Nerve pain: 6
-Hearing: 1

Motor:
-Walking: 2
-Sore muscles: 1
-Fine motor: 3
-Weak muscles: 3
-Spasticity: 3, and I did not do my stretches. Forgot.

Cognitive:
-Processing: 2
-Memory: 0
-Attention: 1
-Confusion: 2

General:
-Fatigue: 5 not counting right now--drugged right now
-Balance: 4 (but 6 right now on the Vicodin, lol)
-Sleep: 5, almost 7 hours but got up several times. Couldn't go back to sleep after my roommate's alarm woke me at 5:30.
-Bladder: 0
-Proprioception: 2
-Swallowing: 0
-A: 6
-B: 6

Emotions: Kind of stressed and upset about the pain, but not terrible. No tears. ;)