[healthwork] grumble grumble grumble

[kaberett]

[Discusses gut problems in some detail, nausea, food issues.]

I found, yesterday, the magic words to make a doctor take me slightly more seriously that something is wrong even though my thyroid numbers are ~fine~, and it consisted of going into Rather More Detail about what I meant by "constipation" than I had previously. It turns out that "Bristol stool scale 1, manual release, for actual months" makes medical professionals a lot more concerned than I'd expected it to, given that it's just Been Like This For Months, I have been consistently complaining of gut symptoms that resolve on higher levothyroxine doses, and it's not like it hurts.

But! Now endocrinologist #1 (who is responsible for my testosterone scrip and offered to look at my thyroid numbers, but just... looked at the numbers... without taking a functional history... and declared me fine...) is being sent an update with my latest numbers and symptoms AND endocrinologist #2 (WHO IS IT?? A M YSTERY) is getting me referred to them, and in the meantime I am to drink two sachets of Laxido a day.

It is mildly orange-flavoured.

Nausea is a common side effect.

Neither of these is a Good Thing, from my perspective. I'm not especially bothered by vomiting but I am deeply averse to conditioning myself into Food Is Bad, e.g., via constant nausea or eating consistently causing me pain, because I've done that and it was Not Fun. Mild orange flavours (and ginger tea, and peppermint, and and and) tend to make me more nauseous, not less, which is deeply awkward given Culturally Accepted Nausea Remedies, and is especially deeply awkward in this case, and I have been given sixty sodding sachets of the stuff.

So.

Thus far I have discovered that it is less terrible if (1) I chill it, and (2) I mix in a cordial I don't actually hate the taste of. (I'm currently rotating them in the desperate hopes that I won't put myself off all of them, and should probably be adding in "drinking more cordial in between times" to further avoid that conditioning, I don't know, the intermittent punishment might be worse.)

This leaves, unfortunately, the problem of needing to take this (1) twice a day, (2) at least an hour after and an hour before any other oral medication, and (3) immediately before some food (because it helps with the nausea).

There is no particular reason any of you should remember this, but my current meds regime goes:

• at least half an hour before breakfast: levothyroxine, omeprazole, paracetamol
  
• at some point over the course of the morning, usually while brushing my teeth: mometasone nasal spray
  
• with breakfast (which ideally shouldn't contain significant calcium but I'm pretty much at "fuck that" at this point): fluoxetine, vitD, fexofenadine
  
• with lunch, at least four hours after breakfast: paracetamol, mefenamic acid, vitamin B
  
• with dinner, at least four hours after lunch: paracetamol, mefenamic acid, vitamin C
  
• at bedtime, ideally four hours after dinner and about 45 minutes before bed: paracetamol, amitriptyline

... where the mefenamic acid needs taking with food because it's an NSAID and stomach linings are big and clever, and paracetamol doses need taking at least four hours apart, and if I don't have food both immediately before and immediately after fluoxetine Everything Goes A Bit Wrong, and omeprazole and levothyroxine work best if taken on an empty stomach, and now TO THIS I need to add - preferably relatively evenly spaced throughout the day - two rounds of "mix up sachet of Laxido, stick it in the fridge to cool down, chug it, eat something" with... sufficient... separation... from all my other oral medication...

Thank The Gods I am not currently on oral antibiotics with additional food requirements, is all I have to say, and long may this continue.

Comments

[shanaqui]

I know you know all the other tricks for constipation so am sitting on the infodumpy part of my brain for that, but this is a practical offer: I had something that was not flavoured at all and was kind of like drinking really bland water, and was equally as good as Laxido for the purpose. If this would be an improvement for you and something you wish to pursue, I can find out what it was. I may even have a great deal of it left (it's either I have a great deal of it or none, depending on what we did with it while moving) and would be willing to mail you some so you can try it and know if it is worse or better as an experience, if you want. Let me know at any time if you would like me to do this!

(I had no side effects from it beyond "a fervent desire to chug it, because making water taste bland is an Achievement I don't wish to admire any longer".)

[kaberett]

Oooh, if it does show up and you'd Just Like Rid then yes please! And YES, it is REALLY BLAND SLIGHTLY SLIMY WATER with this astonishingly hideously unpleasant overlay of oRaNgE!

[shanaqui]

Found it! ...However, it is older than I thought and is past expiry date?! I don't know how critical the expiry date is on this stuff, but if you wanted to chance it or you want to just get one sachet to see if you can stomach it, I can still put some or all in the mail if you just give me your address. Let me know! PM or thebrightspark[at]gmail works.

[kaberett]

I am entirely unfussed about expiry dates and happy to take the lot off you! PM with address to follow.