Monday, June 23, 2008

More Medical News

Well, more medical news about me, anyway. I got a letter in the mail Saturday. Let's just say it said that I have a bacterial infection. No big deal. They gave me a prescription for some medication to help clear it up (in the mail!)

Now to me this is the weird part. I mean I have an infection - don't you think someone from this Doctor's office could have called me about this? I went to the Pharmacy to fill the prescription. The Pharmacist called my name and asked me if I knew anything about this medication and if my Doctor explained it to me. I said no, I got this in the mail. I didn't even talk to the Dr. I just got a letter. I could tell even the Pharmacist thought that was weird! He said ok, well you are going to take 4 pills all at once and you can't drink alcohol for 3 days after you take these. He said not even mouth wash or anything with alcohol in it. If you do, he said you could get violently ill. That is weird too.

So when I got home I took the pills. And let me tell you they were the most disgusting things I have ever taken. I've always had a hard time swallowing pills anyway, but these were the worst! Usually there is a coating and you can't taste anything - these obviously didn't have any kind of coating. They tasted so bitter and nasty I thought I was going to throw up just taking them. It was all I could do to get all 4 of them down!

So next, in light of my recent blood tests I've been reading up on things. And I read that different medications could cause false readings on them. So since I have to go get them redone in about 2 weeks I was curious if this medication would cause that. So I actually read the little info letter thing they give you with the medication. Somewhere in this letter it did say these pills could cause false reading on certain blood tests, and it specifically said liver enzyme tests. That's what I'm having redone.

Now I don't know how long this medication stays in your system. And how long it will effect the tests. Do you think I'm calling the Dr. to find out? Heck no! I'm going back up to this Pharmacy to ask the nice Pharmacist there to answer my questions. I'm pretty certain he will be more then happy to answer my questions. Unlike the Dr's office who will obviously barely give me the time of day!

Another thing I'm thinking is did this bacterial infection give me these false readings to begin with? I obviously had this infection at the time I got these blood tests. So now I'm hoping that was what caused my "liver enzymes to be slightly elevated."

It's like: I had an infection, blood test were abnormal, Dr. gives me medication, which could cause blood tests to be abnormal. See the vicious circle this could create? Do you think the Dr. is even thinking any of this? Heck no! It's like I have to be the one to figure all this out! That is what really bugs me!

2 comments:

  1. Hi Sue,
    Sounds like this could end up costing you more money. I just hope you have a good Dr and that these tests are necessary. I hope the Pharmacist can help you out some more. Take care! :-)

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  2. gosh that stinks

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