When It Rains

It is raining today, which I love. However, I do not like raining and pouring in the area of my health.

I have a UTI!

So now I am taking ciprofloxacin. When I added it to my medication list online yesterday, it came up with an interactions warning. Actually, it came up with several interaction warnings, but one concerned me: That class of medication can increase CNS activity. People with CNS disorders should probably avoid it.

Huh?

The website interaction checker said that medication can cause anxiety, hallucinations, restlessness, insomnia (!!!), seizures, paranoia.... I realize that it is a possibility and not a certainty, but I did get nervous when I saw insomnia and anxiety on list. I started to email my neurologist, but I took a step back mentally and thought it through. I searched for other people with MS using cipro, and there are many. And it is listed on the NMSS website as a common medication for UTIs, which occur frequently in people with MS. I decided that I could just stop taking the drug if I have a problem.

Speaking of insomnia, I still have it. But I think I am getting better? At least now I feel mentally tired in bed. I have been feeling physically tired but not mentally tired, just feeling awake. Now I am very tired all around. However, I took Ambien CR last night after trying on my own for an hour. It took 30 minutes to fall asleep with the medication, and I slept an hour, woke up, then went back to sleep for seven hours. Not bad. I was really tired getting up--definitely wanted to sleep more. Darn work.

Speaking of anxiety, I am tons better. I am accepting that I need to use sleeping medicine for now, and that I will keep giving myself chances to sleep on my own. And I will pursue the sleep study or appointment with sleep specialist. Yesterday I emailed back and forth with my nurse for a while, and she brought up the sleep study. I explained that I cannot make the appointment; I cannot even speak to anyone. There is only an answering machine for that clinic, and I already left a message with my info and my neurologists info. They should be faxing him. Alyssa did not think they had, and she said she would follow up. She is great.

I am also much less anxious because of my psychotherapy session on Saturday. It was very helpful.

In addition to the UTI, my right ear is bothering me again. It feels "off" and kind of sore. When I touch the skin or bone near my ear, it hurts. I am not pursuing treatment right now. I will give it some time. Maybe email my nurse.

In addition to the UTI and ear pain, my burning pain has been bad. Worse than ever, actually. And it has spread to new areas. It began to increase Saturday afternoon, and yesterday it was absolutely off the charts. I have had the burning pain previously on the fronts of my thighs, my hips, my buttocks, my back below my waist, my knees, my groin, and the bottom of my stomach. Yesterday I had it in those places PLUS my upper chest, arms (particularly the outside, ulnar nerve area), upper back mildly, and hands. It was so bad on my hands. The backs of my hands. This burning pain is back today, though blessedly a bit milder than yesterday. However, today it is on the tops of my feet, especially my right foot.

The burning pain is probably the worst MS symptom. Yesterday I was considering whether the burning pain or the fatigue is the worst. Tough call. But the burning pain gets to 9/10 pain, easily. It makes me want to die. Each minute is excruciating.

Yesterday I took my tramadol every four hours, and I took Vicodin in the evening. The Vicodin did not help. Tramadol helps for about two hours (bringing the pain down to an 8), but then it was right back up.

I wonder if I am more sick because I worked so hard Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. We were doing some work around the house, and although we had tons of help, I still pushed myself and did a lot. I absolutely wore myself out. I was shocked that I still could not sleep!

One good thing is that I have not had vertigo in a couple of days. I stopped taking amantadine on Saturday--maybe that was causing it. The reason I stopped that medication was because I wanted to make sure it was not causing my insomnia.