Not Sleepy At All

Neurontin Day 5

My hoped for dream of neurontin invoked sleep is dashed.  Maybe if I get my dosage increased I will get sleepy? Last night I took benedryl to help with sleep and headache pain and hives - it's a triple whammy type of drug.  Tonight I am trying to avoid extra sleep aids because I need to go to work. 

The neurontin is making me bright eyed and bushy tailed.  What happened to the "I can't stay awake five minutes" side effect I had when I took it in 2006?  I am disappointed - my body has betrayed me again!  I was counting on this so maybe I could get some really restful sleep.

I am getting pain in the region of my pancreas tonight, coming in spasms that are slowly starting to get closer together and worse and worse.  I had a little twinge or two yesterday, but today its more like getting shocked by a bad electrical cord.  I am taking two medications which can aggravate the pancreas - one is neurontin and the other is Januvia (for diabetes).  Hoping that I haven't irritated THAT organ because it is really ouchy when it gets grouchy.  Maybe it is like a bad knee, predicting bad weather.  I can see me now at the old folks home "Snowstorm coming in, the pancreas is kicking a fit!"

One good thing about the neurontin, besides its ability to help with my nerve pain, is that it seems to be causing urinary retention.  For most folks this would not be a desired side effect, but for me with my irradiated overactive neurogenic bladder it has been a relief!

The wacky eye problem seems to have resolved.  I am still nauseous after taking neurontin but much less than I was the first two days.  I am taking omeprazole (prilosec) 2x a day now, trying to get The Belly to behave better.  There seems to be no further improvement in nerve pain, and I have increased my potassium intake hoping to prevent further leg cramps.  I am still itchy and hivey especially since I have not taken any benedryl or vistaryl this evening.  My short term memory seems to be hiding somewhere I can't remember so if I type something twice just know I am impaired!

The Belly and The Picky Pancreas are trying to accelerate the timing of the spasms and the degree of pain.  I am hoping to just bear with it for awhile longer, else I will be heading to the ER to have it checked out.  My PCP has instructed me to not wait for a doctor appointment if I think it is the pancreas.   The spasms have gone from one every 15 minutes to one every two minutes at present.  I think I will go meditate on calm pancreas vibes and pat The Belly to appease it.

Neurontin Day 4

Finally Slept!

Less side effects (other than digestive issues and the wonky eyes) last night from the neurontin. I think my nerves in The Legs are on to me.  They have decided to send my legs into massive muscle cramps during the night, and also my feet.  I didn't realize your feet could curl downward and backward like that. It doesn't seem anatomically possible unless you are a professional contortionist with the circus but I have found out differently.  OUCH!

My friend on the trach got a new speaking valve yesterday and we were all overjoyed.  It is a very tiring way to speak but it is so empowering!  Hopefully this will help her with some of the anxiety and fear.  Think of yourself if you were in the same situation - you are dependent on others for EVERYTHING.  You don't even have the strength to lift your arms AND you can't speak.  What if something goes wrong when no one is in the room?  Scary.  Today I will go in this afternoon, but next week I will go in after work.  It is hard on me because of The Legs and The Headache and The Belly, but I tell myself "BUCK UP!"  thinking how hard it is on my friend when she feels too anxious and afraid.  But why oh why do hospitals (and I have worked in a lot of them) always have where I want to go way way way down at the end of several loooooooong corridors???  sigh.

The Headache is grumpy this morning, probably because of the neurontin and the fact that I benedrylled up last night so the hives wouldn't gang up and I could go to sleep.  It could also be that its just 3-4 days since it last decided to interfere in my life.  My fingers are tingling - maybe the neurontin is deciding to work on them - I have a touch of carpel tunnel in each wrist so maybe the meds are attacking that after working on the legs.  One big advantage so far - my feet feel warm.  Yeah!!! 

I can't be satisfied but I have to gripe - neurontin has decreased a lot of the minor pain but that just seems to have magnified the major pain.  What's up with that??  Can't my brain be happy to just have less pain?  I think my pain receptors are masochists.