This Could Be Interesting

I had to pick up a new prescription today.

One of the lasting side effects of the chemo is nerve damage, or neuropathies in fancy medical speak. I've been having issues, to varying degrees, with numbness and shooting pains in my hands and feet since my last taxol treatment, way back in the middle of July. The numbness has resolved itself, but unfortunately the shooting pains have not. Dr. Academic is sure they'll go away, eventually, but he can't give me an estimate on when "eventually" might be. I have faith that they will go away, though, so it's just a matter of suffering through them until that happy day comes along.

The problem with nerve damage is that temperature shifts can bring the pain out, and the fact that the weather keeps switching from above freezing to well below isn't helping matters any. It's just a simple fact: if my hands and feet get cold, well, out come the little pains that shoot down said appendages. I hadn't been expecting winter to be so bad that I would work my way up to a two vicodin a day habit, but I have. That I've started working out isn't helping matters any, either. Yesterday, I called in to chat with the nurse to see if there was anything else I could do for the neuropathies other than swallowing more narcotic pain killers than I would like. She said, yes, let's try neurontin, which originally was developed as an anti-convulsant for epileptics, but turns out to work fairly well on nerve pain. Or so they say.

I picked up the prescription today and I was reading through the possible side effects. I quoteth from the sheet that came with the bottle of prison jumpsuit-orange capsules:

Side effects that may occur while taking this medicine include tiredness, drowsiness, dizziness, tremor, back pain, dry mouth, constipation, increased appetite or an upset stomach. If they continue or are bothersome, check with your doctor. CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE if you experience decreased coordination, changes in vision (double or blurred vision), back and forth eye movements, flu-like symptoms, persistent sore throat or fever, swelling of ankles, mental or mood changes, memory loss, or trouble speaking. If you notice other effects not listed above contact your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Why am I again getting the feeling that the cure is worse than the disease?

Given this, the vicodin might actually be the better option.

Posted by Kathy at January 10, 2008 12:13 PM | TrackBack