Just when things start to look up...
I moved house on Saturday and I love it, I have one house mate and one potential, both I like. On Saturday morning as I was getting excited about the move I noticed a blister on the back of my shin, it was a little sore so I covered it with a band aid and thought little of it – maybe it was from my jeans rubbing against it I thought (although this has never happened before). It seemed the only logical explanation so on I go with the packing and moving saga. After the excitement and stress of the move died down and I was left alone in my beautiful new home I had a nap. I woke up with a new blister a little below the first, at this stage I became worried, firstly thinking it was the dreaded Lamictal rash which means you have to stop the medication – one I think is actually working. Then my mind went into overdrive and started to diagnose me with all of the worst conditions known to mankind; telling myself this was stupid I then returned to the original thought that maybe my jeans had been cruel to me and off I trotted to F’s Christmas party; although I was sore all night I had fun.
Following F’s party I experienced a strange feeling of contentment, this continued throughout Sunday even today. Everything was going well, I enjoyed a party rather than cowering in a corner, Church was good and I even paid attention and did I mention I love my house! The contentment faded as I became troubled by the increasing pain of the blisters and not convinced by my jeans excuse. I rolled on down to the GP and... Stop Lamictal, get off Lamictal, stop it now, no actually wean off it, no stop it now, ummmm I don’t know, call your old psychiatrist but stop it now, no come off it 50mg every three days, that’s what my computer tells me but that’s just for normal discontinuation ummmmmm do that! He was of course a little subtler that that, but it was the general feel of the consultation.
A little about the Lamictal rash: It isn’t just a rash, if ignored it can develop into Stevens-Johnson Syndrome or Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, both potentially fatal diseases in which the skin detaches from other layers, welts and dies, airways become blocked and it’s just generally bad. The GP’s advice is not to be taken lightly but I think before reducing my dose tomorrow morning I will try to get advice from someone with more knowledge in the area. If the GP is wrong about the rash then I’m coming off a drug which has helped me, if he’s wrong about weaning off it rather than cold turkey then I could advance to one of the above conditions. Be it weaning or cold turkey I’m going to be feeling very sick for the next two weeks so don’t expect much in the way of posts, maybe the occasional ten word whinge!
To K. Merry Christmas. Lots of love, your body.
Oh that really sucks... Glad you love your new house though, and enjoyed a party too! If it's any consolation we can have med withdrawal whinges together. Hugs, B
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