Health post (somewhat delayed)

I meant to post this about two weeks ago, but I kept getting sidetracked--plus my child is not the reliable naptaker she once was--but I will update on my dumb, random, annoying and not-completely-critical health crap.  But first:  I like this song.  The semi-creepy video is reminiscient of The Omega Man (in part because they were both filmed in an empty Los Angeles), and is slightly related to the song, I guess.




Anyway:  so my perspiration problems and weight gain (starting two years ago now! jeez) were caused by the very low dose (i.e. half the starter dose for people with depression) of an old tricyclic antidepressant I was taking for IBS.  After all my tests came back negative last year, I had no idea where to even start, but at some point I started searching (reliable) health websites for "excessive perspiration"...and came across something that I already knew from experience (infected sweat glands, awesome!), that antidepressants can cause it.  Given that I had also gained about 30 pounds since April 2013--another side effect of antidepressants, also written off as part of early perimenopause--I put two and two together.  Luckily I had a GI followup scheduled, and when I told my PA she was fairly convinced herself!  Unfortunately this meant changing medications--and my IBS was actually reasonably controlled by the old stuff.  The new stuff is a weird concept (daily powdered drink made of bovine immunoglobulins, seriously), and it works cumulatively--but before I started it, I had to step down from the antidepressant.  If you've never done this, it's awful.  Detox, basically, and for me it was hard even though I was on such a low dose to begin with.  (I will never willingly take antidepressants again.  Clearly they do not agree with me.) Along with the detox symptoms, my IBS was uncontrolled (other than emergency Imodium, and something I take for cramping) for weeks and weeks, until the new medication started to work.  I seem to recall it took about two months to see positive change, so that was THREE months needing to know where the bathroom was at all times.  (TMI.) Plus the detox.  Also, I didn't give it much credit at the time, but that antidepressant was helping me sleep--so insomnia on top of all of it!  It was pretty rough!  But as I said, the new medication has been working increasingly well (though it's not perfect), and I have lost about twelve pounds in the last six months.  (Currently stalled. Of course.)  The perspiration issues seemed to stop once I went off the old medicine, but coincidentally that was the second week of October. ;) I will say that we've had a few warmer days already, and I think I'm back to my usual hot-natured (but reasonably typical) self. I will be on the new medication for another four months or so, but this stuff is so new, they're not really sure how long the effects will last. A few years, at least (which hopefully makes it worth paying for name-brand meds!), but I won't know what the plan will be until my next appointment in July. 

Other ridiculous health drama...this one I'm not so cool about, because it is totally not fucking normal, even if it is not actually going to kill me, or even keep me from my daily activities. I've been fighting serious sinus irritation and bleeding for several years now--I dunno, maybe pregnancy messed up something? Not likely--and I thought the cause was Flonase. I switched to Nasocort, and while it didn't make things worse, it didn't help with the irritation. With the basically non-stop colds we had from September to March, I'd spent a minor amount of time with my finger in my nose--applying that water-based gel, then Aquaphor or even Carmex when the Ayr clearly didn't work. In mid-February I felt what seemed like erosion in the right side of my septum, near the front of my nose but not piercing territory. Weirded out, I made an appointment with my GP, who said it could happen to people in my situation--not just cokeheads!--and prescribed some antibiotic ointment and a Z-pack (I happened to have a sinus infection as well, fancy that). After a few weeks, it didn't seem to be improving--even after the colds FINALLY stopped--and in late March, I blew out something thick and flat. Apparently it was covering the extra hole I now possess in my fucking nose. Who knows how long it had been there, covered. So of course I freaked out--it is a seriously messed-up thing, and I don't know if being able to see it (if I hold my neck and mirror at very specific angles) is helpful or not.  Anyway, I managed to get an ENT appointment quite quickly. Still no word on exactly how it happened--probably a combination of things, since my culture came back with the usual stuff, and I PROMISE YOU, I did not pick my nose so hard I dug a freaking hole through CARTILAGE, oh my God this is insane--but I just finished three more weeks of antibiotics, and have a fairly strict Sinus Rinse/topical antibiotic regimen. That and the ENT's developed this awesome mentholyptus-style lubricating sinus spray. (So at least there's that.) I have to do all this for another six weeks, then I have a follow-up to see if my septum is healed enough for surgery to be a consideration. Apparently the surgery sucks as well, so who knows. I have learned, though, that my snoring has gotten worse (I have a whistle, but only I can hear it, so I'm not sure why--other than that I live with Mr. Light Sleeper). I'm less upset right now, but it is still So Not Cool, and I wish I could go back to last fall and see an ENT before the shit hit the fan. Oh wait, I spent all of September either in the bathroom or lying on the couch with the lights out. :( 

So anyway, that's basically what I was avoiding posting. Enjoy my teal deer! Now that it's over with, I can continue regaling my small audience with silly music observations, such as: why do they play so much Biggie during the '90s at Noon on the local alternative pop/eclectic radio station? And that said, it almost sounds quaint now--I mean, they hardly use Auto-Tune at all! Also, did you know there's a free Auto-Tune app? Dang, that means my mother could use Auto-Tune. I would actually pay for that!