HI kay,
anyway you can print some of your posts here as documentation to bring with you to some of your visits?
as you say it is helpful to have the time to beable to double proof read, spell check etc....I wish you were better.
You are an awesome woman!
bizi

Thanks so much Bizi!

I do take notes, and have referred to posts here in them.... I don't want to miss anything, but I don't feel comfortable having her read posts in their entirety.

I see the new tdoc next week. She has a med/surg background, so that should help out. I hate seeing new providers and having to rehash everything. It's exhausting and a waste of energy.

I have diarrhea. Yuck. I guess it's better than being constipated though. I have to adjust my bowel meds again. It began before I adjusted the effexor (again) and zyprexa though.

I really doubt the H/A fevers are due to effexor w/d because I have stepped down much slower than I have in the past.

I am still manic, but less so now. Reducing the effexor and taking the zyprexa must be helping.

Waves, I forgot to mention that all my docs are aware that I've been smoking much more since I've been manic.

No more word from mdoc or pdoc offices.

Just wanted to update you guys...

I spoke to the pdoc. She's okay with reducing the zyprexa. My prolactin (think milk production) levels are good. She's not concerned about the mild neutropenia, but she read off all my other levels and they're all on the low side of normal. I think that's normal for me tho.

I called the mdoc. No call back.

That's it. I hope everyone has a nice Friday!

why are you reducing the zyprexa?
bizi

Dear Kay,

If you were up to it, you could call the manufacturer of Zyprexa to ask about the headaches. I had a friend who did that about a med and got some answers that satisfied her.
I hope that the pdoc has another plan in place for you after lowering the Zyprexa. I'm comfortable that at least she is keeping a close eye on you -- even though the office stinks about returning phone calls.

M.

Dear Kay

just wanted to say hi and wish you well. i am also concerned about dc/ing the Zyprexa but i kinda suspect your pdoc will give you something else... it's not like there aren't alternatives, there are a few good options out there.

take care

~ waves ~

Hi guys!

I'm definitely not d/cing the zyprexa, but I did go from 15--->10mg.
The reason for the reduced dose was because of the H/A. No plans to stop or reduce it anymore than that at the present.

I'm only on 37.5mg of effexor now, but the plan is to d/c that altogether. No plans to restart that unless I start to go the other way.

I am sleeping, but not as well since I reduced the zyprexa. I am not going back up because of the severity of the H/A I was having and it is better since I went down to 10mg. I haven't had any fevers over 100 in a couple of days (?) either.

I am still manic... doing way too much during the day... cooking/baking up a storm... etc....etc...etc.
I can't even remember all my various exploits. This has been going on for almost a month now. My body is broken.
I don't feel well, so tried to lay down. I may have stayed IN the bed for 15 minutes, but was tossing and turning repeatedly.
The only time I really have any insight into what's going on in my head is when I'm laying down. Otherwise, I'm just responding. Periods of agitation, too. Can't help it.
----

My BF is an RN. She is concerned about the painful swelling in the back of my head, the painful underarm lymph nodes, and the fact that my blood counts are on the lower side (plus the w/s pain and low grade temps that have been going on for over a year). She wants me to ask them to exclude lymphoma. Since I am already afraid of coming off as a hypochondriac, I will not be doing that!

I'm ready to hear the final word on that CAT scan and to update the mdoc to tell them that reducing the zyprexa seems to have reduced the H/A.
The office is very busy, and they are not good about returning calls or calling with test results unless it's something acute.
Phew... nothing acute... but would still like to know.

from previous experience...I got really really sick from being manic so long.
It even elevated my WBC on a spinal tap diagnosing me with menigitis. I was really sick and in the hospital away from home.
With all of your other challenges...could you take your best friend with you to the doctors appointment as moral support?
She has a point...you have been suffering for a long time, what about a pet scan? isn't that a full body scan?
maybe the headach is unrelated to the zyprexa?
Have you ever tried seroquel?
bizi

Dear Kay,
Your BF knows you very well.
Let her lead you and do some thinking for you.

M.

Bizi and Mari, Thank you

Bizi, I'm so sorry you had to go through meningitis and a spinal tap! I'm glad you don't have any lingering damage from the infection.

My BF does know me well, but she is a very anxious person. I think I'm driving her nuts because I've been so agitated lately.
I have considered asking her to come to an appointment, but she works during the day and has her own family to take care of. I don't want to ask her to take a personal or sick day for me (she just started a new job).
Although, I would probably come off as less of a hypochondriac if she was advocating for me.

I'm having my next infusion in Boston early next month. I may mention the lymphoma test to the MSRN who comes to check in- if one does. Last time, I didn't see or hear from one.

I do think that the zyprexa was at least contributing to my H/A. I'm glad it has let up. It was terrible.
-----

I'm still manic. Can't sit still AGAIN today....

I added email and postal addresses to my ical a few days ago. I was mad because they didn't sync onto my iphone, as they should have. I didn't think about adding them manually to the phone...
So I ended up erasing most of my contact numbers from my phone, then all of my ical contact info.
I had to reload my SIM contacts... ended up being a mess. I had to manually enter everything into both the iphone and ical. I found it hard to sit still long enough... so it was a bigger project, but it got done.
The funny thing is I ended up screwing this whole thing before- and forgot that it is a mistake to try to sync the contacts. Oh well.

I made stuffed cabbage Friday. Then pot roast Saturday. I made corned beef hash Sunday morning, then a big batch of spaghetti sauce and a few dozen cookies.
Then I ate about a half dozen cookies.
I'm over-eating, but I have diarrhea. Maybe it's the meds or mania.

I feel like I have holes to fill.... smoking and eating.... filling time....but it doesn't work. Damn, I wish something would slow me down during the day.
It is dangerous for me to be like this so long. I'm going to have a hard time when I come down, whenever that is. And, as Bizi mentioned, I'm at an increased risk of getting sick.

Pain, pain, pain. All the time. I'm overdoing it. I wish I could slow down.
----

We are going to overdraw our checking account AGAIN. Car insurance comes out automatically tomorrow, SSDI check doesn't come until the next day.
We are always struggling. We can never get ahead. Nothing in savings, living paycheck to paycheck. I bought a few small things- even the small things add up and can tip the balance.
During one of my recent episodes, I bought a new car. During another I bought a $600 mattress on flex pay.
Being manic sure doesn't help me stay on budget, but I'm not accustomed to being on a strict budget. I used to bring in a lot more money.
I manage the finances so much better when I'm balanced.

Then, we get to pay the IRS in monthly installments now. That's just fabulous, isn't it?!

We'll get by. I always find a way. But it is so anxiety inducing. It felt better when I was convinced I won the lottery.