Contraindications (Or My Meds Cause What Side Effects?)

Medicine in today's world is truly a wonderful thing.  Diseases that were once wiping out hundreds of people have been eradicated and viruses that were once considered a death sentence can now have their impact mitigated so that people can live normal lives.  Yes, science has come a long way and people are living longer, healthier lives.

Or longer, somewhat healthier lives.

Or, in some cases, longer, but not healthier lives.

Unfortunately, while there are many wonderful medical advancements in this world, many of these advancements come with some sort of downside.  It's a balancing game of outweighing the costs vs. benefits, and for the most part, taking the medicine or undergoing the procedure is of greater benefit than the risks of not taking the medicine or undergoing the procedure.  But while the overall benefits outweighs the risks, it doesn't mean that there aren't impacts of the medicine or the procedure that don't negatively impact the person.

Common complications of medications are side effects.  The fact is that each and every time a person puts something into their body, there is an impact.  Most of the times the impacts are good (or the positive impact outweighs the negative consequences).  For the most part, medicine would call side effects tolerable negative reactions to a treatment that helps treat/manage/cure a condition.  And--for the most part--they'd be right.

But those with chronic illness frequently tell the story as to how the side effects of some treatments outweighed the benefits of the medication.

The above meme is meant to be humorous, but unfortunately, there's quite a bit of truth behind it.

When I was first diagnosed with Fibromyalgia at the age of 15, I was provided with a prescription of Naproxen Sodium (which is now known as Aleve, and is available over the counter).  Nine months later, I underwent an Upper GI Series, they discovered an ulcer brought on by the medication, and that was the end of my experience with it.

The medication after that was Nortriptyline, a member of the class of Tricylcic Antidepressants.  It's an older drug, typically well tolerated, and this one lasted for a number of years.  Unfortunately, it stopped working.  I still haven't lost all the weight I gained while on it.

I can't do medications in the class of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), a class of antidepressants which contains Prozac, Effexor, Paxil, and others.  Unfortunately, I'm one of the people who experience an increase in suicidal thoughts while on those medications.  And yes, that sort of defeats the purpose.

I was on Gabapentin (Neurontin) for a while.  It's an anti-seizure medication which has also shown great impact on chronic pain conditions such as Fibromyalgia.  And yes, it helped the pain immensely.  It also negatively impacted my vision, and so no more Gabapentin for me.

My current medication list does contain medications that mitigates the side effects caused by other medications I take to control my conditions.  At this point in my life, my medication regime causes tolerable side effects.  I do recognize that there is a strong likelihood that that will change.  Either the side effects worsen or the medication stops working (or both), and then it's back to the drawing board to figure out how to manage things.

I also recognize that there may be a time in my life where I am on notoriously side effect ridden medications, such as chemo or Prednisone.  (I have been on Prednisone for short durations for asthma, and it's not fun.)

So how do I handle the issue?

• I'm up front with my medical team as to what side effects I find unacceptable and which side effects I'll tolerate.  
• I research the heck of out the medications/treatments that I'm on/undergoing and potential treatments.  I ask questions to the medical team.  If a new medication is suggested/recommended, I specifically ask "Are there any contraindications with my current medication list?"
• I track my side effects, particularly if I find them troublesome, to discuss with my medical team.
• And finally, as I've stated before in the blog, since it's my body, I make all final decisions.

Please do not take anything in this post as medical advice; this has been my own experience with particular medications, and you should discuss any medication concerns with your own medical team.

A link to the list of definitions of medical conditions I have in my medical chart