Medicine Rant

The amount of medicine I’m on, in my opinion, is ridiculous. I also know individuals who take much more, so I am lucky in many ways. But that doesn’t help me when I empty the medicine box section into my hand. Seven pills in the morning and seven pills at night have been my norm. I am now taking a new medicine three times a day, two pills each time. Add in all my PRNs and I feel like I’ve got a pharmacy in my stomach. Most of my morning pills are supposed to be taken on an empty stomach, which means I can “feel” the meds and water sloshing around until I eat.

Far worse than the actually taking of the pills is the side effects. You know, the stuff they mutter under their breath, super fast, in the commercials. Here are the side effects of TWO of my prescriptions that I take in the morning: weight gain,drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, tremors, dry mouth, constipation, diarrhea, headache, rebound headaches, muscle weakness, heat intolerance, irritability, insomnia, cough, decreased appetite, upset stomach, skin rash, increased menstrual cramps, loss of interest in sex, trouble having an orgasm, and lactation..yes you read that right. Lactation.

Several of those side effects cause an issue of their own from time to time, but drowsiness is the one I have to fight all day every day. I would already be tired from having to keeping up with a four, a three, and a two year old. All of whom are regressing thanks to the stress and changes to routine due to Covid-19. But adding on drowsiness from each pill that I take is overkill. I am exhausted all of the time. My eyesight gets blurry or I see double. I can feel myself nodding off at random times throughout the day. What’s all the more frustrating is that I started medicine for my ADHD which was finally starting to work before I added this new medicine.

This new medicine is one that other family members are familiar with. Which is helpful and definitely cements the idea that the fatigue is from the new medicine. I don’t want to be in the pain that I am currently in, muscle and skeletal pain, and this new medicine does wonders for the pain, but the fatigue is ruining my days. My playtime with the girls is cut short because I can’t stop yawning. I’m so tired that I cannot physically get up and run around with them. I can’t play hide and seek or tag. It’s gut wrenching to take my meds knowing that they will impact my time with them.

I do have the meds to thank for a few things though. I wouldn’t be able to function any better off of them. In fact, I’d be way worse off. Just having the clarity of mind to know that, to know that the alternative would be awful for my family, is why I owe the medicine so much. So I take my mountain of capsules on an empty stomach, and I set timers for my other meds, I keep track of refills and doctor’s appointments, and take every med exactly how it is prescribed everyday in order to be a better wife and mother for my family. I do all of this, because despite the side effects I really am better for the meds.

End of rant.