Any one got funny stories of side effects and reactions to prescrition drugs?
I am on 6 different meds for a variety of issues, three of them just for blood pressure... That's in addition to the painkillers, Tramadol and Diclophenac.
I've been a prescription druggie for most of my adult life, and my medical file is a varied and interesting one for the Docs. I've nearly died five times and had a few accidents and injuries, the latest was tripping over a trailer drawbar and faceplanting the concrete, leading to stitches and a neat scar and either cracked or severely bruised ribs, (again...). I'm now called scarface the fall guy...
Over the years I've lost a few body parts, fortunately not ones critical for life.
I've experienced pretty much all the different painkillers, living on Pethedene for 12 months back in '80-'81, Fortrol and Morphine, etc. and most recently in hospital, Ketamine. This was an interesting drug, I halucinated on it consistently, and while in ICU in Auckland when my lungs decided to shut down after my accident where I broke my back.
My wife and family were at my bedside, scared stiff whether I was going to pull through, yet they couldn't stop laughing at the silly stuff I was coming out with! Even back in the ward, I'd find myself having a conversation with the nurses, only to wake up and find there were no nurses there!
Today I decided to go over all the meds I'm on to see what the side-effects were so I could isolate and stop worrying about symptoms that were caused by the meds and not by my own health issues. Needless to say, I found I''ve got an uphill battle against these side-effects, and I'm going to get a review from my GP to see if I can withdraw from any of them.
Of the six meds, five cause fatigue and tiredness, three cause weight gain, three can cause impotence and sexual dysfunction, one can casue prostate problems, two cause memory loss and lapse of concentration, one interferes with vision, one causes fluid retention, and two cause sweatiness.
I do tend to go to bed rather early and have some trouble with fatigue, I am having a real problem getting those extra 5kg off, I'm as absentminded as someone with Altzheimers and my poor wife is despairing at times how forgetful I can be.
My ankles swell with the fluid retention and I tend to sweat a lot at night, sometimes soaking my pillow.
I have an enlarged prostate requiring a med to prevent it restricting the very important tube... I get checked annually for any other problems and so far so good, my PSA level is normal.
Sex? It's going to take a lot more than a few pills to stop me...
I know many people have a variety of health issues so you might call this the "Med thread" for anyone wanting to let us in on some of their experiences.
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