cubacityclan's Journal

Well, it’s not the lithium...

October 6, 2007 - Saturday

3:56 PM - 
Current mood: annoyed

Well today is Saturday and I'm still all screwed up physically.  Mentally, emotionally I'm great!  : )  Except for being extremely ANNOYED  by the way my body is acting!  It's driving me nuts! 

I look like a freek!    (this picture is actually a REALLY good representation of what I look like!  I'm not kidding either!  I look like tourettes syndrom going seriously wrong!)

This past Wednesday night I went to the ER to get my Lithium level checked and see if there was anything they could do to stop my symptoms that I'm having.  I believe that they all started late Tuesday night & early Wednesday morning to my recollection.  So when I went to the ER here was the list of my symptoms I was experiencing...

Muscle weakness, tremmors all throughout my body, extreme startle response, extreme fine hand tremmor, lack of muscle coordination, wierd facial and eye twitching and movements, extreme diareah, seeing black spots, tightning in my throat, entire body twitching - like terettes syndrom gone wrong - its non stop, feeling lethargic, wierd toung movements, tingling / numbing sensations, feeling jittery, seeing flashing lights, occassionall slurred or imparied speech, limbs going numb, some blurred vision, occassional involentary crossing of the eyes, slightly off balance, some mental confusion, basically pretty much incapable or having extreme difficulty with functioning & daily activities of life.

Today is now Saturday and I am STILL experiencing ALL of these symptoms!

Yea...I know...the list is extreme and very unsettling!  Anyway, so Wednesday in the ER they drew my blood and took a peak (highest point) level.  My Lithium level came back at 1.2 (not toxic & within normal theraputic range).  So... then doc said since I was on an antibiotic that it could be affecting the blood test results.  So she said to go off of it and come back in two days and do a trough (lowest point) Lithium level.  So...I went off the cephelexin (antibiotic) and I went back last night to get the Lithium checked again.  This time I didn't go into the ER, just went through the lab and then went home to wait for my results.  The lady from the lab called to tell me my results...the level was 0.91 (again, within normal range - not toxic).  So from all that we finally decided that is was not my Lithium level - even though EVERY symptom that I'm having are symptoms of Lithium toxicity.  So next step...it must be the Adderall of the Requip that I started last Monday that is causing these serious adverse reactions.  So the last time I took the Adderall was at about 4pm Friday evening.  (it's effects are only supposed to last 6 hours - however amphetimines like Adderall can stay in your system for 2-3 days until it's completely metabolized and out of your body)  The last time I took the Requip was on Thursday night.  Requip lasts up to 12 hours and I'm not sure how long it takes to get completely out of your system.  According to the doctor and the pharmacy the symptoms that I'm having could be from either one, the adderall or the requip.  The symptoms I'm having are documented symptoms from both adderall and requip.  More likely it's the adderall though. 

So, now I guess I'm just waiting, and hoping that my symptoms will go away soon.  It's really really bothering me now.  My whole body hurts from the constant twitching and muscle movements.  And I've now got a terrible headace that only goes away with 600mg of ibprophen but comes right back when it's worn off. 

..

If this doesn't slow down or start showing improvement, I'm gona have to go back to the ER, cuz I don't know how much longer of this I can take!  Hopefully it will stop soon!

Life is just sooooo ironic sometimes.  I love the feeling that Adderall gave me!  It really helped me, Monday and Tuesday I was incredibly productive and very alert.  I was SO motivated!  No more daytime fatigue!  I was so happy!  Now look at me!  I had to stop the very thing that made me be EXACTLY the person I've wanted to be for years!    

....A little TOO ironic!

Just like Alanis Morrissette's Song lryics....

"Ironic"

An old man turned ninety-eight
He won the lottery and died the next day
It's a black fly in your Chardonnay
It's a death row pardon two minutes too late
And isn't it ironic... don't you think

It's like rain on your wedding day
It's a free ride when you've already paid
It's the good advice that you just didn't take
Who would've thought... it figures

Mr. Play It Safe was afraid to fly
He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids goodbye
He waited his whole damn life to take that flight
And as the plane crashed down he thought
"Well isn't this nice..."
And isn't it ironic... don't you think

It's like rain on your wedding day
It's a free ride when you've already paid
It's the good advice that you just didn't take
Who would've thought... it figures

Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
When you think everything's okay and everything's going right
And life has a funny way of helping you out when
You think everything's gone wrong and everything blows up
In your face

A traffic jam when you're already late
A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break
It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife
It's meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful wife
And isn't it ironic...don't you think
A little too ironic...and, yeah, I really do think...

It's like rain on your wedding day
It's a free ride when you've already paid
It's the good advice that you just didn't take
Who would've thought... it figures

Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
Life has a funny, funny way of helping you out
Helping you out

I've been singing this song since I was about 14 years old.  I have it on my profile... if you wana hear it.  The lyrics are so true, it's disgusting!

Well, I guess that's about it for now.  This blog has taken FOREVER for me to write since I can barely get my fingers to do what I want them to do, but I wanted to let you all know what's going on.  So, take care and I'll talk to ya all later!  Thanks for being my friend and for all your continuing support!

Love Always,  Twitchy Nikki!

Currently listening :
Ironic
By Alanis Morissette
Release date: 01 January, 1995