So, I'm something like the opposite of a drug-seeker. I am, in fact, a drug-avoider. I dodge medications whenever humanly possible. They scare me. I have an arrhythmia, I'm diabetic, and I have a history of gastric ulcer. Plus I'm on a beta blocker for the arrhythmia. As a result, I really do fear new medications.
A few months ago, I went to see an ENT for a miserable pain in my neck, jaw, and face. Being me, I'd waited for a couple of months before breaking down and going in. Hey, that $35 copay may seem like nothing to some, but to us, it's a hit. Especially after the avalanche of copays earlier this year. The ENT's expert opinion?
Anxiety. I have a bad case of nerves. And, considering the stress level, I could go along with that. Heck, I wanted to go along with it. He prescribed something called Metataxalone aka Skelaxin, and sent me on my way. I never took even one of those pills. I was too scared.
Fast forward a few months. The back pain, which I've had on and off since the move over a year ago (wowser "on" for months after the move, then a bit better, now brutal), finally drove me to see my PCP (or the doc standing in for her while she's out on maternity leave, actually). As I posted earlier today, the verdict is osteoarthritis/degenerative disc disease. Back pain aside, common symptoms are neck, jaw, and facial pain. Sound familiar?
Luckily, I still have a whole script for Skelaxin. And I just took one, because the pain tonight is amazing. It's not like the lower back/blown discs pain. No, this is a mixture of burning, strained, raw, grainy, pins-and-needles, and, as strange as it sounds, cold. If you ever went to college, you probably remember the back/neck ache that came from lousy posture and a head bent over a book for hours at a time. It's like that, but from mid-back through the base of my skull. Makes me want to scream.
I'll wander back in later and let you know how the pill did. The prescription NSAID (diclofenac) didn't do squat earlier today.
A few months ago, I went to see an ENT for a miserable pain in my neck, jaw, and face. Being me, I'd waited for a couple of months before breaking down and going in. Hey, that $35 copay may seem like nothing to some, but to us, it's a hit. Especially after the avalanche of copays earlier this year. The ENT's expert opinion?
Anxiety. I have a bad case of nerves. And, considering the stress level, I could go along with that. Heck, I wanted to go along with it. He prescribed something called Metataxalone aka Skelaxin, and sent me on my way. I never took even one of those pills. I was too scared.
Fast forward a few months. The back pain, which I've had on and off since the move over a year ago (wowser "on" for months after the move, then a bit better, now brutal), finally drove me to see my PCP (or the doc standing in for her while she's out on maternity leave, actually). As I posted earlier today, the verdict is osteoarthritis/degenerative disc disease. Back pain aside, common symptoms are neck, jaw, and facial pain. Sound familiar?
Luckily, I still have a whole script for Skelaxin. And I just took one, because the pain tonight is amazing. It's not like the lower back/blown discs pain. No, this is a mixture of burning, strained, raw, grainy, pins-and-needles, and, as strange as it sounds, cold. If you ever went to college, you probably remember the back/neck ache that came from lousy posture and a head bent over a book for hours at a time. It's like that, but from mid-back through the base of my skull. Makes me want to scream.
I'll wander back in later and let you know how the pill did. The prescription NSAID (diclofenac) didn't do squat earlier today.
