A Cure worse than the Condition

Last week on Monday I did something to irritate my lower back while in my yoga class.  The pain was nothing new.  I've had lumbar problems since 1993 and now osteoarthritis is making it worse.  It doesn't take much effort for me to mess it up.

After a week of not getting any better and losing sleep to boot, I finally called the doctor for an appointment.  Verifying that nothing new was wrong, just likely a twist too far, we discussed medications to make me feel better while I heal. 

They've given me flexeril before and I said 'no thanks' to that.  I could barely get out of bed while taking it.  So, my doctor prescribed a different, less potent, muscle relaxant.  She suggested I try ibuprofen again for pain, but that makes me very ill with stomach problems, so she prescribed an opioid instead. 

I took one of each pill yesterday afternoon and another dose at bedtime.  A dose this morning at 7 and another at noon.  By 12:30 I was sick.  Really sick.  No pain anymore, but feeling worse than I did without the meds.

The side effects listed for both meds include upset stomach, nausea, flushing, drowsiness.  There were more side effects, including headache, but luckily I only experienced the four I listed.  I was miserable.  I couldn't wait to get back in the bed.

I slept for three hours.  I've been up and down several times since waking and am afraid to take any more meds now that I have started to feel human again.  The patient information says that the symptoms may persist for a few days while my body gets used to the medication.

Well, I was in pain before and not able to move that easily, but at least I could move.  With the medication I felt like I had a bad case of the flu and I couldn't move because I couldn't stay awake.

The wonders of modern medicine make me wonder.  I think I'll go back to Tylenol and heat packs and let nature take its course.