I hate, hate, hate starting new meds. I try to hold a little pep rally to convince myself that this is a GOOD thing, this will undoubtedly HELP me, I'm going to FEEL better. I never feel pepped, though.

I've probably only had bad side effects (well, bad enough) with 10% of meds I've tried, maybe less, but it's enough to make me skittish whenever my doctor says, "let's try..."

Yes, I KNOW that only 3% have their brains explode and leak out their ears as compared to 2% on placebos. Yes, I KNOW that they have to list every conceivable side effect, even if I'm more likely to win the Powerball than to be the one that suffers the "very rare" side effect of cardiac arrest. And do they really need to tell me I should call my doctor right away if I notice "blindness"???

At least half of the possible side effects listed on the new med I started this morning are the same as MS symptoms I occasionally have. Combine that with being somewhat suggestible in this area, and it's going to be a long day. Plus I made the questionable decision to notify my husband that I started a new med, just in case I start acting odd. Really? If I START acting odd? *sigh

How soon might the side effects start? Ten minutes? Ten days? When do I know I'm safe? Two weeks? Two months? The answer is always, "Everybody's different". I knew that already.

So am I a freak? Is starting a new med this traumatic for anybody else? Or do people actually pop something new in their mouths, forget about it, and go on with their day? Meanwhile, despite my determination NOT to, I will spend the day wondering if my mouth feels dry, if I'm feeling even more anxious than usual, and if I'm experiencing bizarre behavior. I'm not a needle weenie anymore, but I guess I'm a pill weenie.