Weird reaction to medication...

[M GO BLUE!!!]

I had never had anything like this before and initially thought I was just having a bad day, but realized that it might be a reaction to medication for migraines.

I called work to let them know I would be a few minutes late. It took four tries to get the number right. First I dialed my old phone number, which I haven't dialed in a year and a half (when I moved and changed numbers.) I caught my error before it connected and got a laugh. I then called again and am not sure where I called (maybe my old number again, I haven't checked) but got some woman's voicemail. A third try had me again realize I was dialing my old home number... Finally I got it right on the fourth try.

I get on the train in the last car when I want to go straight to work, as the last car stops right at the exit that is to the building I work in. So what did I do? Naturally I went to the front of the train & got in the first car. I didn't even consider that I was at the wrong end of the train until I got to Wall Street. I was actually confused as hell when I stepped to the platform and realized I was at the front of the train.

Then the big one happened when I loaded the wrong playlist tonight at the radio station I work at. I honestly thought it was Tuesday. Three hours of programming ran from last week, with the wrong commercials. My boss is going to kill me. I might even get some time off... Dammit.

What is weird is that I felt completely normal. I was sure in making decisions. On the train if I was asked, I would have swore I was in the last car. I was sure it was Tuesday when I loaded the playlist, despite looking at Monday's schedule (when the guy who came in after me was two hours late) I was sure the first two times I was dialing the phone correctly... (until I noticed the wrong number the first time)

[Lathum]

are you taking more then 1 medication or do you think it is a side effect?

[M GO BLUE!!!]

I think it was just a side effect. Only med I have taken in some time.

[Lathum]

My dad is a pharmacist. If you want to PM me the name of the med and the dosage I can ask him about it

[EagleFan]

Did you take the blue acid?

Seriously though, I hope everything is okay. Please get this checked out. This could be something as simple as a reaction to meds or it could be the first signs of something much worse. I don't mean to sound negative but just to say that you should really look into this, especially if it happens more than just this one time.

[wade moore]

My opinion - go immediately to the doctor. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

Assuming this is medication is a big jump. This could be much more serious things than that.

[fantom1979]

Wow, thats some interesting side effects.

My worst one so far has been Chantix (quit smoking). When I was taking that I got a serious case of the "i dont give a shit". I didnt care if I went to work, or how I performed at work. I didnt care about anything that I enjoyed (sports, friends, video games). After about 5 weeks of that I had to get off of it.

[Swaggs]

I wouldn't casually write something like that off without an explanation. It may be a longshot, but that symptom sounds a bit like some of the after effects that my mother had shortly after she had a stroke.

Those symptoms, along with what may appear to be a migraine would have me worried. If I were you, I would get to a doctor ASAP.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

I wouldn't casually write something like that off without an explanation. It may be a longshot, but that symptom sounds a bit like some of the after effects that my mother had shortly after she had a stroke.

Those symptoms, along with what may appear to be a migraine would have me worried. If I were you, I would get to a doctor ASAP.

Stroke is exactly what I was thinking from similar experiences with both my grandmother and my father.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by wade moore

My opinion - go immediately to the doctor. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

Assuming this is medication is a big jump. This could be much more serious things than that.

+1

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by wade moore

Stroke is exactly what I was thinking from similar experiences with both my grandmother and my father.

What I was thinking as well. I've seen similar disorientations in a couple of people I knew that had a minor stroke. Don't listen to us though, go to a doctor's.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

The doctor can't do anything. That's why he gave me the meds to try out. He wants to do an MRI of my head, but radiology won't do it until I provide proof that the plate in my wrist isn't magnetic.

Oh, the fun I'm having getting this proof. The surgeon that did the operation moved upstate. The hospital says he took his records with him. I found him and he said the hospital has all the records. I put in an order from the hospital records for the post-op report. It should have taken one day. They said they could mail it to me or I could pick it up. Since I had to head out of town for a couple days I told them to mail it. Big mistake... I have received nothing from them. I called and was told "be patient." When I persisted on getting info on whether it had been sent I was informed an invoice had been sent to me 8/1. They charge 45 cents per sheet for the copy and need payment before shipping. I was told that since they had sent an invoice I cannot simply come down and pay. It all has to be done by mail. So today before I head to work they are getting a visit from a man who never received their invoice.

They tell me I can't do anything until I have that post-op report and a signed note from the surgeon stating that it is safe to do an MRI.

[terpkristin]

Originally Posted by M GO BLUE!!!

The doctor can't do anything. That's why he gave me the meds to try out. He wants to do an MRI of my head, but radiology won't do it until I provide proof that the plate in my wrist isn't magnetic.

Oh, the fun I'm having getting this proof. The surgeon that did the operation moved upstate. The hospital says he took his records with him. I found him and he said the hospital has all the records. I put in an order from the hospital records for the post-op report. It should have taken one day. They said they could mail it to me or I could pick it up. Since I had to head out of town for a couple days I told them to mail it. Big mistake... I have received nothing from them. I called and was told "be patient." When I persisted on getting info on whether it had been sent I was informed an invoice had been sent to me 8/1. They charge 45 cents per sheet for the copy and need payment before shipping. I was told that since they had sent an invoice I cannot simply come down and pay. It all has to be done by mail. So today before I head to work they are getting a visit from a man who never received their invoice.

They tell me I can't do anything until I have that post-op report and a signed note from the surgeon stating that it is safe to do an MRI.

Is there an operative report written by the doc at the time of surgery? With my ankle, I have an implant list, I could tell you exactly the size and material in my hardware...

But +1 on following up with the doc.

/tk

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

Is there an operative report written by the doc at the time of surgery? With my ankle, I have an implant list, I could tell you exactly the size and material in my hardware...

But +1 on following up with the doc.

/tk

I imagine you had your surgeries done at Hopkins (edit: I thought you used to be close to Baltimore?) or one of the big hospitals in the area. It's amazing how disorganized some smaller hospitals can be with medical records.

Anyway, back to the main point. +5 (or however many it is) on following up with your doc as soon as possible. I'd also try to see a good neurologist ASAP, if you haven't already.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

I imagine you had your surgeries done at Hopkins (edit: I thought you used to be close to Baltimore?) or one of the big hospitals in the area. It's amazing how disorganized some smaller hospitals can be with medical records.

Anyway, back to the main point. +5 (or however many it is) on following up with your doc as soon as possible. I'd also try to see a good neurologist ASAP, if you haven't already.

Surgery was done at St. Luke's in NYC.

I finally got the post-op report yesterday after going to the hospital (again) and making it clear that I had not received an invoice. They tried to charge $56 to give me the records... I got it down to $5 since I stressed I only needed the post-op report (2 pages)

I am finally seeing a neurologist (at Columbia-Presbyterian.) After more than three years of bouncing from doctor to doctor, this guy says to me "Why did it take you so long to come to a neurologist?" When I told him that the other doctors had said to exhaust other possibilities, he had quite an exasperated look and said "Well, the good news is we know that there is no malignancy." and confirmed that if there was I would not have headaches anymore.

When I see the doctor again I will be mentioning these episodes. Nothing like this has occurred since, or I would have been back...

[Eaglesfan27]

Good luck. From what I've heard, the neurology department as a whole has a good reputation at Columbia. I strongly considered going there for my psychiatry residency about 10 years ago and may have ended up there if my wife wasn't so set on returning to New Orleans.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

Thanks Eagles... and the rest of you guys.

It's been a frustrating few years with this headache.

Right now it's not too bad... about average. It still feels like a vise is on my temples. I feel like a wuss about it, but simply want to feel right. It is amazing how many doctors look at you like: It's a headache. Deal with it!

[saldana]

not that it would explain the confusion issue, but have any of your doctors ever mentioned this

Cluster headache - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

i am sure eagles would know alot more about it than me, but i have a friend that gets them and sometimes he seems like he is on another planet when they come on.

[Lathum]

M, you are lucky to be going to Columbia if their nuerology department is half as good as there cardiology. They saved my mother in laws life and because of them she will be getting a heart transplant soon instead of being gone.

You are in really good hands there.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

Sh*t.

I just got into looking up things related to teflon. Turns out there is a lot of talk of people getting sick from it and headaches are one of the main symptoms. I just threw out an old frying pan that was teflon, but stopped being non-stick a long time ago. Part of the teflon coating had come off too...

Now I am wondering if this could have had anything to do with the headaches.

I'm also wondering if I should return the non-stick pan I bought to replace it. It's not treflon, but some new thing that is supposed to be a ceramic coating that's made by Cuisinart.