Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Update

Starting to feel very glad that the doctor gave me Thursday and Friday off. The headaches are starting to get worse and my gums are so swollen they feel like they're embossed around my teeth. For some odd reason the percocet, or as most people know it; oxycontin, isn't helping with the headaches at all. Oddly, if I take some ibuprofen that helps.

Sleeping is difficult for all these reasons, but more because often when I finally dose off, I wake choking on mucus. The amount that's working through my system is astounding. I also started using the gel for burns that Colleen gave me. It smells weird, but not as bad as she warned. More like Halloween makeup. My neck doesn't look burned, but it's starting to look 'woody' as my reading said it would. The earache has subsided somewhat though.

12 comments:

Colleen said...

Glad you're feeling a wee bit better. I don't know if you can do this, but we often recommend in our office taking two tylenol and two motrin together for pain. Sometimes rx pain meds can contribute to headaches rather than help them.

Glad you don't think the TNS smells so bad! Hope it helps. *hugs*

Guy said...

I was always told that taking the two together, two different nsaids, was very bad for your liver...?

mswas said...

Hey there, found you through the Pajiba "whatever" post. Sending good vibes your way.

Guy said...

Thanks! Always appreciated.

Olivia said...

Can you use those bulb things they make to suck mucus out of your baby's nose/throat on your mucus? I can't imagine how annoying it must be not to be able to clear it out. Thinking of you every day.

Guy said...

It's not a bad idea. I'm not sure it would work since it's too far back in my throat. It's coming from my sinuses mostly.

Thanks Livvy! <3

Sue said...

I get what the Doctor called "post nasal drip" after every cold, it is really sticky mucus that drips down the back of my throat. After trying several things the best solution is plain salt water sprayed up the nose with a special syringe. It might be worth asking about as they have already had you gargling with salt and baking soda.

Guy said...

Yeah, the description most often used to describe it is "ropey".

Never-ending is more like it. I think that would be useful, but honestly, I could work at clearing it out for an hour and it would still be coming.

mswas said...

How about a neti pot for the mucus? same idea as the saline spray.

Guy said...

Not sure what that is, but I'll look into it. The main problem is that it accumulates so fast. Like when you have the flu. I know when I do, I wonder how my body could possibly produce so much.

Thanks for the advice guys. Not too much longer now :)

alishia said...

Tylenol is not, I repeat, NOT, an NSAID. Frankly, in the grand scheme of things, it's fairly useless unless you are treating an elevated temp. Ibuprofen (my crutch and wonder drug) is hard on your stomach and kidneys but is not processed thru your liver. Taking both at the same time potentates each other making both more effective. As much as I'm sure you don't want to attempt more drugs, if your headaches get really bad, fiorcet is a good friend to have. It's not for all headaches but very good for tension headaches! And I suspect that it might benefit you a lot. Look it up, it's saved my life a few times, and might help you, too. It took me from projectile vomiting and wanting to blow my head off to nearly human in 45 minutes.
I don't mean to be so bossy. This is what happens when you have a nurse friend who also happens to be a real mess too!
And Coll is right, pain meds can cause headaches paradoxically, anything with Tylenol in it does it to me every once in a while so I now take less of it in my pain meds. Which suits me, because I am so not a fan of it for pain. Did you know, it is not an anti-inflammatory? Some nurse I am, I didn't know that until about 5 years ago. I just assumed it was. But it will give your advil a boost if taken together.
Ok I'm babbling now. I have an extraordinary talent for trivial and useless pharmaceutical info and you know you can text anytime! I still send you good thoughts daily, I have just been so beat that I don't get online much. I get home and collapse into bed.
Love you lots and lots *hugs*

Guy said...

Thanks for the great info Lish! Never hesitate to be bossy. It's one of your more endearing traits lol.

It's funny, but I knew Tylenol wasn't an NSAID, but for some reason my brain switched tracks on that one. Tylenol has never done anything for me when it comes to headaches, neither has Aleve.

I do specifically remember reading that taking Tylenol and Advil together was bad, though when I look it up, there's nothing that says that and a lot that says just what you said. I guess I'm guilty of what I complain other people do - take advice from one source and not do my own research.

I love ibuprofen, it's saved me so much pain over the years when others have failed. Especially with my back issues. I'll look into fiorcet, thanks!

Love ya!
Guy