As of now Dr. J thinks I have asthma. My lungs looked good on CT and there isn't any evidence of emphysema, but I did drop pretty quick during the methacholine challenge test. He has put me on Advair twice a day for the next three weeks at which time I will see him again. I took the first dose last night and a second this morning. Unfortunately Advair is a corticosteroid and we all know how much my body hates them. Today the lightning in my head and the shakiness came back from it's hiatus. But, I can take a deep breath again. And my peak flow meter hit 445--still below normal but up from my usual average of 400. I have yet to take the third dose tonight as the symptoms I am having are the "call your doctor" type. Tomorrow I will call Dr. J's office and find out if he wants me to keep taking it or what. Not sure what my other options will be as non-steroidal treatments aren't effective. :o(
Stupidly I put off asking for a percocet refill and now I am out. Of course today would be the day that my left SI joint has decided to scream at me. My skin in that area feels incredibly bruised too. Wearing jeans to the store tonight was so not fun. Honestly, the roxicet doesn't kick this pain. At least not the half of one I've taken. Maybe if I upped the dose it would which would be fine for the times that the pain gets this bad and then I can take it back down to the low dose I'm usually on. Or I'd be up for trying something completely new too. I've left two messages for my rheumy starting yesterday and no one has called me back. I need a family physician that can handle stuff like this. It's my fault for waiting this long, I know, it's just that I hate asking for pain meds. I really do. But damn I wish I would've called last week. The pain is bad this time. Real bad.
Showing posts with label Corticosteroid Side Effects. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Corticosteroid Side Effects. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Dust sucks
Truly, Central Oregon is horrible for dust. Given it's so dry (of course I say this as it is pouring down rain right now) dusting becomes more of a guideline than a rule. I dust and the next day it looks like I haven't run a rag over the area in about a month. With the upcoming move we've been pulling stuff out, going through it, and suffocating from the layers of crap we've stirred up. I swear, I haven't been this short of breath for a long time. Ryan's been hacking, the kids have been fighting runny noses, even the dogs have been sneezing. It is definitely not good to be breathing this junk in, not that we have a choice per se (it's been too cold to open the windows and doors, although I have here and there), but it's really bad for me. The weird weather hasn't helped either. Dampness and cold mixed with dry heat gets me hacking. I really am interested in hearing what the pulmonologist up in Portland has to say. While I don't relish the idea of being on an inhaler, I am ready to be able to breathe better one way or another.
I saw Dr. A's assistant last week and she was wonderful as well. I honestly can't say enough good things about Desert Orthopedics. Seriously, if you need an ortho call them. I have had nothing but wonderful experiences with them. They treat me like a human, they listen to me, they're honest with me, and they make you feel like you on part of the team--which you are (duh)--and that they're there to help you. Unfortunately I had some bad news. The first was that I could still keep having side effects from the SI joint injections for a few more weeks. While they symptoms have decreased, I am still having issues (more later). The second part was that as of now we've basically reached the end of the line treatment-wise for my problems. She did recommend trying an SI joint belt and put a call into Rebound for me. Now I just have to follow-through and get fitted for one. I meant to do it earlier this week, yet it flew by at amazing speed. Put it on my to-do-before-I-move list! I knew there weren't many treatment options for my SI joints. Dr. B at OHSU warned me of this from the get-go. Dr. A warned me as well. Being an optimist I had hoped to get relief somewhere along the line, but it isn't to be. :o( They did say they would continue my Percocet at least for a little while in case the new doctor doesn't want to prescribe it at first. That was like music to my ears. As much as I hate taking it, the cold damp weather has made it an absolute necessity. I have tried skipping a day here and there and it usually ends up making the pain worse the following day. I was told this is a "rebounding" issue--something like that--and not uncommon for folks w/chronic pain. Given my dosage is still low that's very good. Most folks build up a tolerance to painkillers and have to take more. I have no idea how long I'll be able to get away with taking 1/2 to 1 a day, but hopefully it will be for a long time. Or at least until something else I get on takes the pain away, or to a manageable level, and I can wean off the Percocet. I will keep wishing for that as long as there's that chance!
High blood pressure...it seems that although I am feeling better, I continue to have issues w/the elevated blood pressure. Anytime I do any type of exertion the left side of my head feels like it is going to split open. We are guessing it's from my blood pressure being wonky and hoping it goes away very soon. There is nothing worse than trying to do things quickly and feeling as if you are having a stroke. I guess if it keeps up I'll see a neuro up in Portland just to be safe. But really, I just don't want to know anymore. There's enough wrong with me to last a lifetime...and for about 12 people.
Medicine...off the Sulfasalazine again. Had breakthrough reflux, still am actually, so I stopped it. Hopefully the next rheumy I see can figure something else out that will work quickly and not cause problems. Or my GI doc can get my reflux issues sorted out. M.D. at the ortho's office gave me some samples of Zanaflex and a 'scrip for Trazadone to see if either one of those would help me sleep better. The Zanaflex made me sleepy but my brain kept running. I haven't filled the Trazadone yet, however I'm thinking of giving it a try. Would be nice to lay down and drift off to sleep instead of laying there for an hour or so running through the days events, or what needs to be done tomorrow, or what I forgot to do.
I saw Dr. A's assistant last week and she was wonderful as well. I honestly can't say enough good things about Desert Orthopedics. Seriously, if you need an ortho call them. I have had nothing but wonderful experiences with them. They treat me like a human, they listen to me, they're honest with me, and they make you feel like you on part of the team--which you are (duh)--and that they're there to help you. Unfortunately I had some bad news. The first was that I could still keep having side effects from the SI joint injections for a few more weeks. While they symptoms have decreased, I am still having issues (more later). The second part was that as of now we've basically reached the end of the line treatment-wise for my problems. She did recommend trying an SI joint belt and put a call into Rebound for me. Now I just have to follow-through and get fitted for one. I meant to do it earlier this week, yet it flew by at amazing speed. Put it on my to-do-before-I-move list! I knew there weren't many treatment options for my SI joints. Dr. B at OHSU warned me of this from the get-go. Dr. A warned me as well. Being an optimist I had hoped to get relief somewhere along the line, but it isn't to be. :o( They did say they would continue my Percocet at least for a little while in case the new doctor doesn't want to prescribe it at first. That was like music to my ears. As much as I hate taking it, the cold damp weather has made it an absolute necessity. I have tried skipping a day here and there and it usually ends up making the pain worse the following day. I was told this is a "rebounding" issue--something like that--and not uncommon for folks w/chronic pain. Given my dosage is still low that's very good. Most folks build up a tolerance to painkillers and have to take more. I have no idea how long I'll be able to get away with taking 1/2 to 1 a day, but hopefully it will be for a long time. Or at least until something else I get on takes the pain away, or to a manageable level, and I can wean off the Percocet. I will keep wishing for that as long as there's that chance!
High blood pressure...it seems that although I am feeling better, I continue to have issues w/the elevated blood pressure. Anytime I do any type of exertion the left side of my head feels like it is going to split open. We are guessing it's from my blood pressure being wonky and hoping it goes away very soon. There is nothing worse than trying to do things quickly and feeling as if you are having a stroke. I guess if it keeps up I'll see a neuro up in Portland just to be safe. But really, I just don't want to know anymore. There's enough wrong with me to last a lifetime...and for about 12 people.
Medicine...off the Sulfasalazine again. Had breakthrough reflux, still am actually, so I stopped it. Hopefully the next rheumy I see can figure something else out that will work quickly and not cause problems. Or my GI doc can get my reflux issues sorted out. M.D. at the ortho's office gave me some samples of Zanaflex and a 'scrip for Trazadone to see if either one of those would help me sleep better. The Zanaflex made me sleepy but my brain kept running. I haven't filled the Trazadone yet, however I'm thinking of giving it a try. Would be nice to lay down and drift off to sleep instead of laying there for an hour or so running through the days events, or what needs to be done tomorrow, or what I forgot to do.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Cortisone side effects
Silly me didn't think to truly research about the side effects of having two SI joint injections. So when I started having side effects I just thought I was going crazy.
Until today...when I saw Dr. B (my rheumy)...and he put two and two together for me. And I no longer felt crazy. Well except that I should've "known better." I've been having symptoms of elevated blood pressure and lo and behold, today my reading was 115 over 90. The poor nurse took it again as I usually have very low blood pressure (so low that nurses almost always take it twice, unless they've seen me before, and ask "is your blood pressure usually very low?"). She even pulled up my past readings before taking it again as she was sure I'd never had an elevated reading before. Granted, it's not sky high, yet for me it was unusual. Throw in the pounding heart, feelings of anxiety, head feeling "full" at the bast of my skull, etc. and so forth and a bit of edema and voila...my body is not liking the steroid. I had labs drawn on Sat. so that Dr. B could have those to check for today and they were all over the place. Elevated WBC and several other tests were elevated. At first he couldn't figure it out. Then it clicked...the steroids. Apparently this can happen and isn't surprising.
My rheumy said not to worry, that it would blow over, so I'm assuming it will--although I think I'll call my ortho tomorrow to be sure--but I just hope it blows over soon. My right leg feels all wonky and my right foot keeps swelling. I hate feeling anxious and "out of it" like I do. Again, nothing bad just enough to annoy me.
All of this and still no relief from the shots as of yet despite being on day 6 after having them done. Is that my luck or what? ;o) Good news is that my liver enzymes are continuing to hold at normal. At least part of my body is behaving.
Until today...when I saw Dr. B (my rheumy)...and he put two and two together for me. And I no longer felt crazy. Well except that I should've "known better." I've been having symptoms of elevated blood pressure and lo and behold, today my reading was 115 over 90. The poor nurse took it again as I usually have very low blood pressure (so low that nurses almost always take it twice, unless they've seen me before, and ask "is your blood pressure usually very low?"). She even pulled up my past readings before taking it again as she was sure I'd never had an elevated reading before. Granted, it's not sky high, yet for me it was unusual. Throw in the pounding heart, feelings of anxiety, head feeling "full" at the bast of my skull, etc. and so forth and a bit of edema and voila...my body is not liking the steroid. I had labs drawn on Sat. so that Dr. B could have those to check for today and they were all over the place. Elevated WBC and several other tests were elevated. At first he couldn't figure it out. Then it clicked...the steroids. Apparently this can happen and isn't surprising.
My rheumy said not to worry, that it would blow over, so I'm assuming it will--although I think I'll call my ortho tomorrow to be sure--but I just hope it blows over soon. My right leg feels all wonky and my right foot keeps swelling. I hate feeling anxious and "out of it" like I do. Again, nothing bad just enough to annoy me.
All of this and still no relief from the shots as of yet despite being on day 6 after having them done. Is that my luck or what? ;o) Good news is that my liver enzymes are continuing to hold at normal. At least part of my body is behaving.
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