Continuing to Reduce the Medications

I hadn't planned to reduce anymore of my medications until after the holiday season, it can be such a stressfull time of year to be making drastic changes, but after much encouragement from many readers and I'm sure prayers too, I have decided to continue the process of dwindling down the amount I'm taking until I'm not taking any at all.

For the past three days I have successfully taken less clonazepam and neurotnin. I am now down to taking only ½ tablet of 0.5 mg of clonazepam per day from 1 tablet of 0.5 mg three times per day that I was taking in October. I have reduced neurotnin to ½ tablet of 400 mg per day from taking 1 tablet of 400 mg three times per day. I'm glad to report that my pain, numbness, tingling, and burning aren't any more intense than they were while taking 2400 mg of neurotnin daily. I think I'm actually having improvement in all those areas. Since I have a virus that possibly could be the flu, it is hard to tell right now, since pain is synomous with the flu.

As my body has adjusted to less clonazepam I have surprisingly been able to manage my anxiety better than I thought I could, while having a husband deployed. Below are a few variations to my life that are making a powerful difference in my successful reduction of clonazepam:

• many wonderful people praying for me
  
• TCM doctor treating me for these conditions through acupuncture, reflexotherapy, cupping, moxibustion, herbal foot bath, herbs, and ear acupoints. I have tried to get off clonazepam before without any success. With my extreme fatigue, I can't afford to be on a medication that causes such drowsiness. However, in the past when I would reduce the dosage, my nystagmus (jerking of my eyes…that fortunately isn't visible to others but makes me extremely sick with motion sickness and sometimes unable to drive) would flare.
  
• being able to talk with many wonderful friends on facebook, helps to keep my spirits lifted and eases my anxiety
  

I'm looking forward to posting by the beginning of the New Year, that I'm no longer taken any clonazepam or neurotnin. 2009 is turning out to be a good year for me, a good year indeed! J

Saving My Life and Tax Dollars Too

It's hard to believe that I'm still using as much medication as I am each day…not that I'm not succeeding with my plan to get off all the medication as possible. No, I'm very pleased with my success. Like the saying goes…it's all a matter of perspective. To me it seems like I'm taking nothing, but then when I think about my husband who really isn't on any prescription medication at all…I know I'm still taking a lot. Even so, he too realizes that I've come a long way and he is very proud of the little that I'm still on.

 How am I doing exactly? I have gone from needing thirty plus pills per day plus a weekly shot of interferon to taking three and half pills per night. The last few pills I feel confident that I can definitely relinquish once my husband is back from his current deployment. I'm hoping that I can stop taking them even before then, but since I take two pills of Cymbalta for depression and pain related to depression and one clonazepam pill nightly for anxiety; I'm not sure during a deployment is the best time for me to get off all medications of this type. I am proud that I have already cut the clonazepam from three pills daily to the one nightly. Already, I am making an improvement in my emotional well being or even this would seem impossible. For different reasons the holiday season, that should be a time of celebration, tends to be one that is stressful and depressing for many. With that thought, I will probably stay at the level of medication I'm currently on until after the New Year's.

 If I can maintain my health (although I'm hoping for improvement) without the medications that I have already taken myself off of, I will be making a huge difference in the overall effect of my life in the long term. A few of the medications have been known to cause problems with the heart, liver, and kidneys. It is required for me to have blood test semi-annually to monitor my liver due to these medications. My interferon (that until recently I had been taking for five years) among other warnings has the risk of hepatitis because the serem is made from donated blood. It appears that, although they try, it is impossible to be 100% certain that there isn't any hepatitis in the blood being used. This never really sat right with me. There was always that looming concern of…what if? What if the blood made to make this shot that I'm injecting into myself today is tainted? By no longer taking the interferon, I am saving tax dollars of over $900.00 per month. I am extremely fortunate that as a military spouse, my medical needs are met. However, I feel pride in knowing that not only am I saving my life by getting off of so many medications but I'm also making a small dent in tax money that is being spent.

Two of the bags that I have referred to as my personal pharmacy…glad to say these days are behind me.