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Friday, February 25, 2011

MEDICATION CHALLENGE

Figuring out how to take your medication is a bit of a challenge. This may seem textbook to physicians, but matching up a symptom to an ‘actual feeling’ of a symptom, is another story.
I remember my doctor asking what my pain level was on a scale of 1-10. I replied that it wasn’t pain; it just felt like my legs were on fire. He told me that most people would identify that as #10 pain.
I took every medication the doctors told me to, well everything except for the anti-depressant. I am not sure why, but that was difficult for me to agree to. I didn’t know how it would help, it wasn’t like it would change the fact that I couldn’t walk. After a very discouraging day and long outburst of tears to my mother, she urged me to just try. On that day, I think I would have agreed to just about anything.
The doctor prescribed Lexapro.
I have to say that adding that anti-depressant was key for me. I believe it helped me to be calmer about my situation, leading to less stress emotionally and physically. I was also prescribed Amantadine (Symmetrel) to help with the fatigue. These medications helped me so much.
I have learned which medication helps me with which symptom. My most frequent combination seems to be Neurontin and Ultram to help alleviate my most frequent symptom, a burning sensation of my lower extremities.

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