Okay, so since my hives are getting worse and worse and on my face now, I finally broke down and went to a free clinic in Costa Mesa. Let me start off saying how thankful I am for the fact that I work 15 minutes away from one of the only free clinics in Orange County. The doctors from Hoag Hospital, a great hospital, volunteer there. I was among some very poor people, and I am thankful that they had the opportunity to get good medical care. I need to give back in some way, volunteering, donating or fundraising later, but I digress.
After 2 hours of waiting I was seen by a very nice young man, Dr. Chen. He of course can't figure out what's wrong with me, but he prescribed me a steroid, Prednisone, to take in increasingly lower doses for 12 days. I really hope it works...I'll keep you posted.
After I took my first dose, I felt kinda weird. Dr. Chen only told me that there may be increaesed jitters as a side effect, so of course I hopped online to see what other side effects there are. Here's what I found...I cut some out so as not to scare my mom and highlighted my favorites...
Prednisone may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
headache
dizziness
difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
inappropriate happiness - This cracks me up!!!! Please let me know if I have more then the appropriate amount of happiness! :)
extreme changes in mood
changes in personality
extreme tiredness
weak muscles
irregular or absent menstrual periods
decreased sexual desire
heartburn
increased sweating
dizziness
difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
inappropriate happiness - This cracks me up!!!! Please let me know if I have more then the appropriate amount of happiness! :)
extreme changes in mood
changes in personality
extreme tiredness
weak muscles
irregular or absent menstrual periods
decreased sexual desire
heartburn
increased sweating
Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:
vision problems
eye pain, redness, or tearing
sore throat, fever, chills, cough, or other signs of infection
seizures
depression
loss of contact with reality
confusion
upset stomach
vomiting
lightheadedness
shortness of breath, especially during the night
swelling of the eyes, face, lips, tongue, throat, arms, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
rash
hives - oh really? Because I'm taking these to make them go away!!!!
itching
eye pain, redness, or tearing
sore throat, fever, chills, cough, or other signs of infection
seizures
depression
loss of contact with reality
confusion
upset stomach
vomiting
lightheadedness
shortness of breath, especially during the night
swelling of the eyes, face, lips, tongue, throat, arms, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
rash
hives - oh really? Because I'm taking these to make them go away!!!!
itching
Yeah, this is some serious stuff! I'm glad I'm only on it for 12 days...I believe these side effects are for long-term use. Anyways, let's hope there is progress. And watch out for me if you see me acting weird...I don't handle medicines too well.
Posts
3 validations: