Visit to the Neuro again…

Darren LongLeave a comment

Recently, I had an appointment with my Neurologist. I told her about the “main” problem with the current Oxtellar XR medication. Side-effects with new meds have always changed my life, but this isn’t the problem with this one…

Money.

I made a decision last year, for this year, to change the Medicare insurance to a different company.

Well, now the downfall… This new insurance company that I’m using is really screwing me with medication prices. The Oxtellar XR is “several hundred” per month.

So, I told the Neurologist to just change this to the twice-a-day version…..

I already paid the “large amount” for this month, so we’ll just have to wait a few weeks before beginning the new med. Most likely with some new side-effects. Ugh….

Neurologist

Darren LongLeave a comment

Went to my appointment today. We talked for awhile and I decided that the Oxtellar XR is working. She told me…

“If it’s working, and you’re feeling much better, then we don’t need to change anything…”

I agree!! I haven’t felt as good as I do now for almost… 10 years!?!

I go back in July.

Side Effects

Darren LongLeave a comment

This new Oxtellar XR has different side-effects that I am dealing with better, rather than the previous Depakote ER. All of the different medications that I’ve been on have always had their own side-effects, and of them in my life have changed me so much in so many ways.

Oxtellar XR has some differences as opposed to the previous. One of which is that it doesn’t seem to be quite a drowsy. With the Depakote ER, I would take the pills and become quite tired afterward. This new med is not making me tired at all.

Quite a change.

THIS is an interesting story….
A couple weeks ago, I got my second COVID vaccine shot. Those shots have side-effects that have to be dealt with for a short-time after receiving the shot. Well, you have to be in the understanding that a change in medication “also” takes time to grow into with those side-effects. For me, it has been dealing with both at the same time. It’s not easy, but still it had to be done.

Redoing This….

Darren LongLeave a comment

The Oxcarbazepine, that I just recently started, is no more. Taking this new medication with the Severe Side Effects at a frequency of Twice A Day is just not a mixture of my favorite things. What this means is having to deal with “morning” side-effects.

In my opinion, starting a day with side-effects is just… well… not a favorite thing of mine.

“It would be so wonderful if I could get an Extended Release version of this medication! This way I would only have to take it once a day. OH! And only take it at night.”

What happened? I found it. It’s a 24 hour version called Oxtellar XR. Contacted my doc and told her I want to take that instead of the Oxcarbazepine. She set me up, and this is what I have now.

Ok… I started the half-dosage of Oxtellar XR for nearly a week, and now I’ve just began taking the full amount last night. Today, I am feeling so much better. Wow! This increase, I believe, has really changed allot in the way of “thinking” and “speaking”. I finally can say that I feel more normal. I can easily admit that these past 5-6 months of medication changes have been a very bumpy path to take, but I can honestly say that I am finally feeling incredibly better. For once.

Have to wait and see if this is going to stay the same, and hope it will completely work for as long as I need it (forever?).

Strong Med

Darren LongLeave a comment

Okay… Last week, I was thinking that the work up to one single 600 mg pill (by increasing 150 mg per week) was taking long enough. I thought that was all. Uh, no… I’m only half-way.

Aw, shit.

Half-way? Another month? I started the next step up, but…. This body/brain is not going for that. I started with another 150 mg to go with a 600 mg. Uhhhhhhh….. That is just way too much. I am not feeling good. For about the first 2 hours, I am feeling WAY WAY too dizzy. My eyeballs are twitching.

….been there, felt that before….

I hate it. I’m going to just stay at the single 600 mg pill, for now. I’ll call my doctor and see where we can go with this.