Re: [TMIC] Doctor Appointment

[Janice Nichols]

Some of life's lessons are truly painful!      In my case, I lost 6 lbs. in 2 
1/2 days - the  hard way!              Janice



From: Grace M. 
Sent: Monday, February 01, 2010 5:01 PM
To: tmic-list@eskimo.com 
Subject: Re: [TMIC] Doctor Appointment


    I too learned a meds lesson the hard way.  A year or two ago, I became 
concerned due to my daily Tegretol dose.  (1200 mgs per day for paroxysmal 
tonic spasms.)  So......I decided to cut back my dose on my own without input 
from my neuro.  Well, I made it to 800 mgs, or so I thought.  While at a doc 
appointment  (Not my neuro.) at a Pittsburgh hospital, they suddenly came back 
with a vengeance.  

    Now, if you've never had them, you can't possibly imagine what they're 
like.  In my case, one leg rises to nearly hip level and locks, with the  knee 
bent and the calf and splayed out foot pointing to the right. (Think male dog 
peeing.)  Right arms bends up under the chin with claw.  Head pulls to right 
shoulder.  Left leg goes stiff, left arm also stiff.  For many NMO patients, 
including myself, they don't just come once a day, or a few times a day, but 
several times per hour round the clock.  They can last for up to two full 
minutes and are excruciating.  Well, to make a long story short, they hit me in 
the waiting room and the staff thought I was seizing and panicked.  The next 
thing I knew, my rear end was slapped in a wheelchair and they were calling for 
emergency help.   I ended up in bed for several days while I slowly took my 
dose back up.   Now I'm on 1500 mgs per day, and there is NO WAY that I will 
ever pull a stunt like that again.   

    Gracie