Lacy, What time zone are you in? Ah, yes switching "Old People" off of Drugs! Interesting! About six or so years ago my old PCP retired! I got his Little "Hostess Twinkies" for my PCP. First thing she saw and said I would have to do is go off the Ambiem!! I was to go on a "Safer" Drug for "Old People"! Non-habit forming Drug! And all the other BS! Without tapering off the Ambiem I'd been taking for quite a few years!
I was on a 5-day business trip the next week, within about two days I was having 24/7 headaches and other withdrawals and reactions to the new drug! I recognized part of what was going on and quit the new drug! By about the fourth day the headaches were getting but still not great. I emailed the new PCP and told her how I was feeling ! She told me to stop taking it which I already had!! Drove home with the help of some Ibuprofen! For the first time in my life I got pulled over for speeding by a County Sheriff and didn't argue with him! Just told him to write the ticket and let me get home!
Felt better the next day, matter of fact went skiing with my daughter and grandson! Felt Great. That night at some point I got out of bed and walked to the stairs and did a dive! Nobody can answer why except maybe I had a seizure or some kind of blackout. Anyway went all the way down and did a face plant on the tile floor! The stairway looked like a scene from a Dateline Murder show with blood everywhere!
At some point I looked in the mirror downstairs and saw blood all over me!
Went back to bed and my wife asked me about an hour later why I was fidgeting! I said I had fallen not knowing what had happened! Turned on the light and my pillow was red! Long story short went to the ER, they patched me up and sent me home! !0 days later I started having seizures! The called the paramedics and transported me to the hospital where I had one last seizure! It was the last thing I remembered for 7 days! They had not spotted the brain bleed in the ER! What's called a TBI, aka Traumatic Brain Injury!
That was when I learned to get in doctors faces! It's my body, and I'm in charge! I am not afraid of firing one if I don't think they have my best interest at hand instead of what the administration tells them.
I have an Old time Geriatric doctor now as my PCP. He and I talk over what I need, and we go from there! In our state we have certain regulations that must be followed. Like urine test every six months and cannot fill the script before 3 days before it is due!
Even with the Ambiem I still have issues if I am having an Episode of either Lyme or Fibromyalgia! Especially if I have pushed myself to hard!
I've learned over the last half of my life to understand what my body is telling me!
So there is my 1,000-word essay!! Don't suppose it's gotten any warmer where you are! We have a heat wave going on here 43 degrees!
My Momma Red Healer just came in my office to tell me it's time for me to go to bed!
Have a Good nights rest!
Sundance(RB)