More... part2

Climbed by year and month

Climbed by year and month

After a couple of days my stomach and back muscles had calmed down from the throwing up and my jaw ache was back with avengeance. Time to do something about that me thinks. By now the new receptionists at my doctors surgery are remembering my name. This is not good.

Anyway, my GP has some drugs in the painkilling armoury that might help as paracetamol and codeine are just not doing the business: Tramadol. It was good. But like all good things there is a down side. Opiates and synthetic opioides bung you up something rotten, and since he'd not told me to go buy a bottle of lactulose, I spent a very uncomfortable evening, night and part the next day. Ouch... constipation and setons really do not go well together. To be fair it is not as bad as many of the opiates and perhaps I got hit rather heavily by the side effects. Least I now have something that does dull the pain from my jaw. I didn't really think of the jaw being a joint, unlike say a shoulder, despite it being one of the most complicated in the body.

On my GE (Gastroenterologist) visit I agreed to try Methotrexate (MTX) next. It's not a decision that was made lightly despite actually agreeing to it quite readily. I'd been doing some research, as you do, beforehand so it was not unexpected. The list of complications and side effects are considerable. The upside is it has been about for a good many years so it's management regime is well known and understood.

Even so. I'm petrified it'll make me ill like the Aza/6-MP did. And I want it to 'just work'. I'm to find out soon. Baseline blood tests have been done. More blood tests booked next week. So monday will be methotrexate day... Most people seem to take it last thing at night.

I'll have the bucket next to the bed.