So the last week has just been a shit show. Up, down, around and back. So I guess I last spoke about tapering off the devil aka Effexor or Venaflaxine.
150mg was the original dose, taper down to 75mg for the first seven days, day one being Thursday, March 27. Last Tuesday and Wednesday were the last of my self imposed 10 day taper off from the 14 day original timeline I was given by my doctor because the withdrawls could be as bad as initially getting on the drug. So this would make me at 37.5 mg for the last 5 days or according to what she wanted, but I wanted no part of, was the last 7.
Immediately when the tapering down began, my face started to look better, my legs were finally starting to heal after 5 full months, the hives were still present but not quite as bad and less swollen. While the hives were lessening and not nearly as swollen, I would still get them all the time, but interestingly my face that once made me look like a fucking junkie was starting to clear up and heal, as with the state of the sores on my shins. Victory. And my stupid doctor didn't/doesn't think it was medication induced. I call(ed) bullshit all along. Everything began when I started that shit in November and interesting tapering off, it was lessening. So I think with regards to the hives, my body was still producing them because likely, what I can only assume, my organs, primarily the first point of absorption, the liver and also likely my kidney and gall bladder, were screaming wondering what the fuck was going on chemically in my body, but not so much so that it was getting worse but rather easing off. Or so I had thought...
I woke up at 2 am Thursday, after waking up every 10 minutes and when I finally got out of bed, it felt like it should have been morning. So I got up and went to the bathroom and you would not believe what looked back at me in the mirror. My entire left side of my face was swollen, my right eyelid, full body hives, crawling up my neck into my scalp. So I was awake for the day drinking coffee and Benadryl and icing my face. Called in that mornin (I had kept it booked off bc I was originally supposed to see my dr but saw her the previous thurs and I just kept the day off bc I had a dentist appt, dog groomers, I just made a day of appointments) and my doctors office told me she had no time to see me but come in to see the nurse on staff. I said listen this isn't a joke any longer my health is rapidly declining, sure the hives and shit were decreasing but the swelling was ramping up (I think my body was screaming in response to why I was getting a lower dose now and was trying to combat fighting that withdrawl) and I told them my quality of life is at stake here. It's one thing to look like a junkie with sores on my face and having hives 24/7 but it's a whole different ball game when I'm waking up fucking disfigured.
So I went in and I broke down. Risks were far far outweighing the benefits and I said I'm done. Done with everything. This whole shit show has really left me with a sour taste in my mouth about the medical profession. Too easily do they dole out scripts but fuck, GPs know a broad area of practice. They don't know pharmacology or adverse reactions to shit. I was the one educating them on that. So I told my doc I refuse to wait to see my allergist in Newmarket only to be told that it wasn't food related and then i would have to get another appt with my GP, get the referal I so badly wanted and needed for the drug safety/allergy clinic at Sunnybrook hospital. I don't have time to fuck around. What if I have another episode, next time i might be sofuckkng lucky, you know?!? I need to know whatever component in this shit I'm affected by so in the future, I'm never ever given this shit again.
I'm so upset by everything and why it took me to begging them to take me serious. I've taken at least 50 pics and the writing is on the wall. It's like, "help me!!!"
So I called Sunnybrook Hospital's Drug Reaction Clinic (one of the best in the country I'm told) yesterday and they got my referral last thurs presumeanly faxed in after i left my doctors office and they're scheduling for end Of July so I won't likely get in until September but at least my foot is in the door. It's amazing that once I put my foot down at told my GP that I wasn't leaving without a referral to where I wanted, it was faxed the same day.. The same can't be said for the referral she was sending in to see a regular Joe Blow allergist, which took 6 days.
Hours later after the initial flare up.........
The boys before, taking them to the groomers last Thursday.
Looking after our friend's cat, Dixie, last week
Playing around last Sunday.
Now, a week later. Amazing the difference.
My petsitting boss's dog I looked after last night.
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| A gift from the friend that went to Arizona |
