Afraid to take the tablets!
 

Hi there everyone! I was diagnosed with ACM I 4 years ago. My first symptom was Horners syndrome and headaches. I have had lots of symptoms develop, constant fatigue, tinnitus, dizziness, nausea and recently I started with agonising pain behind my eye like an ice-pick which then went down my face and into my jaw and even my teeth! I had to lie down after taking painkillers and wait until it subsided. I visited my GP who prescribed a codeine phosphate and paracetamol preparation to take with the ibuprofen that I usually take, as that alone was not controlling the pain. This seems to have done the trick and although I do still get the pain I can get it under control. However, I had an appointment with my neurologist yesterday and have been prescribed a cocktail of new drugs. Dacortin, a steroid at 30mgs daily. Manidon or Verapamil as it is also called, 160mgs daily, Pantoprazol 40mgs daily, (which is similar to Omeprazole I believe), and Zomig 5mgs a day. I had to have a ECG, which was fine, but when I asked why I needed it was told I had to have it before I commenced on my new medication. I am rather alarmed at all this as I have enough problems without having new side effects from the medication. I made it quite clear that the pain was under control at the present time, but there is a language barrier as I live in the Canary Islands and do not speak very good Spanish! (That is an understatement!) My partner was a nurse and has advised me to seek advice before commencing on this new regime. Surely any medication that requires a ECG to be taken before you can take it is not to be taken lightly! My partner says it seems like they are taking a sledge hammer to crack a nut and is most concerned. I would like to add that I am a 61 year old male with no previous medical history. I am overweight now due to the constant fatigue and not working. I am a smoker of over 40 years, sorry! I do have borderline high cholesterol and blood glucose levels but am not on any medication for that. In fact the only medication I do take is the painkillers as mentioned and Cymbalta, a anti-depressivant. Which I have been taking for the last 2 years now as it is very depressing having ACM I!
I would value any thoughts, comments, opinions on what I should do. :confused:

cm
 

hello , I sent you a PM .Also have you seen this video on Cymbalta . My NS wont even prescribe it to any of his patients
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3KdtaFmDTA0

Sorry to hear about you diagnoses!

I am not familiar with horners, nor some of the meds (probably have different names here in the States).

What I would start with is this, click the *drug* link at the top of the page and see if there seems to be any reason not to take any of them at the same time.

I would be concerned mostly about starting that many meds at once. How would you know, if you had side effects, which med they were from? And whether they were from an interaction, not just one med?

It could well be that the ECG is to rule out some health issue that might mean a different course of action, rather than exclude any of those meds or make them dangerous - but what do I know? Even if the latter is the case, good to know that and take the test.

My doc did an ECG just to see if that could be the underlying cause of my fatigue, since it was one of the few things I had not had ruled out.

One other thing - any chance someone can translate for you?

Good luck with all this!

:hug:

i think you should take your meds .
zomig is for headaches
pantoprazole is for reflux
verapamil is for bloodpressure
the doc knows what he is doing..the meds is for a specific thing . i could see it if they were all for the same thing . but , look them up they all have a purpose