Daily Update - Out of Commission

Well today is Saturday and I have Fibromyalgia pain all over my body and can barely walk and feel foggy and irritable.

I feel bad because I am sitting here on a beautiful day and am missing this time that could be spent outside... or even be spent upright.

Oh well... you can only do what you can do.

Update - Dizziness, Lightheadedness and Headache

It's been a little bit since my last update. It seems that everytime that I feel better, I don't for a little bit. It's not that I've been feeling too great, but I things have been hectic around the house lately.

Anyway, since my followup neurologist visit two weeks ago, he weaned me off of the Amitriptyline completely and increased my Verapamil to 360mg. I wa fine for the first few days and then last Tuesday, I experienced a spell of dizziness, lightheadedness and a headache at 4:00PM.

I didn't think too much about it and went home, took some Meclizine and a Fioicet and laid down for a bit.

Yesterday, I had another incident of dizziness and lightheadedness with headache at 1:15PM. I called my neurologist to tell him and to see if I was having a reaction to withdrawing from the Amitriptyline or from an increase in the verapamil. He called me back and said that it wasn't and that he wanted me to keep track of what was going on, including monitoring my blood pressure and to let him know if I am still experiencing these effects on Monday.

All three lasted until I fell asleep last night.

This morning, I had another occurrence at 8:30AM. I've been the same all day. Tonight my wife took my blood pressure and it was 120/96, so no low or high blood pressure.... hmm...

Well, I guess that's about it for now.

The Walking Dead, Part III

Back in August of this year, I wrote two posts under the titles, The Walking Dead  and The Walking Dead, Part II . In those posts, I was describing a feeling of brain fog and extreme fatigue. In Part II, a migraine was added to the mix and for the first time in a while, I was feeling down for the count.

Here I am a month later, with headaches mostly under control (except for today) and extreme fatigue. I don't know how I am going to make it through the day. To make things worse, I am coming off of a rough and late night (I wanted to go to bed at 8:00PM)

I have a doctor's appointment today at 3:30 with my practitioner and just wish that I could go home and sleep.

Well, as I've learned before, I just keep telling myself, "It's just one more hour. It's just one more hour."

Daily Update: Bloodwork, et al.

I guess that I should consider this a weekly update because I hadn't posted in a few days. Anyway, here's my update:

After the CT scan was OK on Monday, I recieved two prescriptions for my headaches, Maxalt for my migranes and Butalbital for my tension headaches. They also doubled my dose of Amitriptyline to 100mg, which from what what I've read and have heard from others with fibro, is normal.

Tuesday, I woke up fine. I was feeling good, no headaches, reasonable pain level. I went to work.

By the time that it was 8:30, I was progressively getting worse physically. I had anxiety. I couldn't sit still, had pain down my arms and legs and felt very foggy (like a typical fibro, flu-like flare).

I felt like I didn't feel right in my skin and just wanted to lay down. Finally, I decided that had to leave work. I decided to drive home and if I was going to make the 27 mile trip, I thought that I needed to leave right then before anything got worse.

I called my wife once I was on the interstate and asked her to please call me doctor and relay my symptoms to the Dr. At the time, I thought that I may be having a reaction to the increased dosage of my Amiltriptyline.

I also called the neurologist that I was referred to see if I could move up my appointment (the closest that they had was 9/10 @ 2:30pm). I told them that I was worried and need something/anything if they can find sometime sooner because my biggest concern was that I have to still go to work and can't function.

Five minutes later, I got a call back from my wife asking me to stop driving ( I was getting worse anyway). I pulled over into a shopping center and she and my oldest on came to get me and took me to an emergency visit with the doctor.

The doctor saw me and ran some blood tests. The regular ones came back with an elevated white blood cell count. They were still waiting on the West Nile Virus results. While there, I was still really feeling strange, like my skin didn't fit me right. I know that that sounds strange. I was borderline delusional, couldn't walk straight, etc.

I was sent home with my wife while she picked up my prescriptions. The doctor told me to stay home from work for the next few days. I was essentially on bed rest.

I am worried as this whole two weeks has been a progressive downhill slide. I am working from home today... just trying to get through to this weekend.

I've read that the dizzy/out of it foggy head feeling that I am experiencing is sometimes a symptom of general anxiety, although I have nothing to be anxious about except this headache... lol

Couple this with the fact that fibro is mixed in there and things get a little weird. Today is one of those days... One of those, one more hour days. Sometimes it seems like it's a "just 5 more minutes ay." I've got to make it through and then get some rest at home. Man, this is no way to live, but until I hear back from my Dr. I'm waiting... just one more hour.

Daily update: Headache and dizziness

This morning, I woke up without headache for the first time since I can't remember when. I took my antibiotics and ate breakfast. About an hour after I woke up, I started feeling a headache come on, took 500 mg of Naproxen and then took two migrain medicine pills (acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine).

It has now been approximately 2 hours since I woke and now I am dizzy and am experiencing some brain fog and aches and pains.. I took my 10mg of Maxalt and am laying down.

The headache covers the front of my forehead and left eye.

Daily update: Headache and cognitive issues

Today, I have had 2 doses of Malalt-Mlt 10mg. I took the first dose early this morning, followed by an Orbivan and the second one, with a Goody's headache powder at 3:30pm.

I have a headache in the middle of my forehead with numbness throughout my face and both arms.

I am very foggy to the point where I cannot think too clearly.

I also don;t understand... My headache was primarily on my left side above my eyes and now, it seems to have moved to th center of my forehead.

Daily Update: Headache and dizziness

Well, I thought that I was feeling a little better today, then I noticed that I had a migraine headache coming on and I looked in vain for the migraine medicine that the doctor had prescribed me. My headache started on the left side of my head, where I have ben having issues and then spread across the entirety of my forehead.

I then noticed a metallic taste in my mouth and an hour later, I still have the pain, amd laying down with a cool pack on my forehead. My wife went to the doctor's office (since I am dizzy and can't drive) to get some sample meds and to see if they can speak with the insurance company and schedule a CT scan.

Needless to say, this is thowing my body into weird fibro fits with miscellaneous pain here and there.

Daily Update: Dizziness

Well, today is my second day at full dosage (300mg) of Lyrica. I am also in the process of tapering of my Prednisone for my sinus infection.

In spite of getting a decent night's sleep (although my wife says that I tossed andd turned a lot last night), I am tired... really tired and lightheaded/dizzy today. In addition, my face feels numb.... a really weird sensation.

I looked up the side effects of what I believe to be the cause (my increase in Lyrica) and found the following information.

Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Lyrica:

Blurred vision; changes in sexual function; constipation; dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth; headache; increased appetite; light-headedness; tiredness; trouble concentrating; weakness; weight gain.

Having nine of the "common" side effects is a real bummer. Man, it seems like there are always trade offs. It'd be nice to just feel good and think clearly.