Atypical TB : Medication and Side Effects

(July 2012)

                             

It has now been Three Full Years since i came Completely Off Antibiotics.

Some of the side effects vanished soon after the termination.

Some are still present and persistent as a result of the long term use

and Some have become irreversible.

During the first Six months the Side Effects were very Severe on all levels

from the pure Physical, to the Mental and Emotional as there was no area

that normal body functions had not been affected and thrown out of balance.

After that came a rather abrupt body adjustment

and it all felt kind of Normal ... within its new established ... Abnormality!

Side Effects during first 6 months and onwards while on Antibiotics

..........  . /.  .......... 

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Side Effects during first 6 months and onwards while on Antibiotics

* Extreme Lethargy, Fatigue, Frequent Confusion

* Diminished ability to perform daily Normal Co-ordination tasks,

  let alone anything requiring any Thinking or Planning process.

* Almost non Existent Reflexes

I could hardly keep my eyes open, my limbs were always Lead heavy

and keeping track of time and other spatial awareness was often

in disturbing disarray.

I could not trust myself to go out alone and after i was nearly hit by a car twice,
once in front of my terrified daughter and once while accompanied

by my husband, we had decided that i should never go out alone

until i had adjusted to the effects of the medications.

*Extreme and abrupt Hot and Cold Sessions

Several times a day there would be a sudden heating up of my body

as if my temperature was rising to fever heights and near suffocation levels

and then it would start reversing going down, down, down

until i would start to feel as if i were inside a Freezer.

No amount of clothes put on or taking off or outside temperature variations

made any difference to that process that usually lasted approximately 5-10 minutes

and then subsided until next time.

* Constant Sick feeling in the Stomach spreading throughout the body

* General Lack of Hunger, Appetite and Sense of Taste

* Development of Severe Food Intolerances

My Stomach felt constantly full and more often than not nauseated too.

This apparently i have read was the effect of Clarithromycin

I had to force myself to eat and i did it by the Clock as there was never

hunger, nor appetite or craving for anything, neither anything tasted

the way i remembered it used to but Nutrition was one of the Best Defences

of my Body against the Illness and despite the tremendous effort at each meal

i was not prepared to compromise the benefit.

I knew well that my body was not only fighting a Killer illness

                                 

but also highly Toxic Medications that had to be monitored carefully

month by month, to ascertain containment of toxic effects on Liver and Kidneys.

           So... Three Highly Nutritious Meals a Day

were the Medicine i Provided to my Body for its Fighting Battle.

Another side effect that started to develop pretty soon was severe Food Intolerances.

Many Foods that belonged to the category of causing Lung allergies or irritation

i voluntarily gave away, but there were many more that were

-as far as i knew- beneficial to the Lung and yet i would get unpleasant symptoms

after consumption, some even if in the smallest quantity.

Most important of them all was

*Lung Bleeding

Other symptoms were

* Feeling of Dull Pain and Fullness in the Liver area

* Nail like Pains in the Kidneys, and as a result

* Severe Fluid Retention and

* Strong, Nauseating Migraines,

only rarely ever occurring prior to commencement of Antibiotics

and usually during the naughty period of Christmas

when succumbing to the temptation of tasting some foods

still in the category of healthy but of a lesser grade health foods.

     
                       

(More details in a Diet Entry and link will be provided here when  published)

* Overgrowth of Malassezia Yeast Fungus

One of the most Torturing problems which started within days

of the commencement of Antibiotics and remained present throughout,

causing burning sensations on different parts of my body

as if burned by trillions of hot pins and creating highly painful

lesions in sensitive skin areas and especially in my private areas.

It has taken Over a Decade to Finally identify the Problem and deal with it

as described in my specifically dedicated Blog:

http://malasseziayeast-mypersonal-battle.blogspot.com.au/

Accumulation of Side Effects just before Terminating Medication

During a Nine Month period before the final decision to terminate medication

there were side effects that were indicating increasing cumulative effects

that were leading fast to a downward spiral with possible consequences

i was not prepared to sit passively and let happen. 

These were:

* Increasing Daily Bleeding with frequently scary large volumes

* Frequent -to almost daily- feeling of Fullness and Pain in the Liver area

* Frequently strong Waxy / Orangey Colour on Face  

  (not including the white of the eyes)

* General Feeling of Toxic Overload which i felt my body was progressively

  unable to process and cope with.

* Kidney Dysfunction as in Diminished Urine Output to just 1 teaspoon

  in a 24 hour period, despite the quantities of liquids consumed.

* Losing weight rapidly, from 52 - 53 Kg down to 43 - 45 Kg

  and progressively unable and severely restricted in consuming

  many nutritious foods and /or supplements.

My Personal Judgement was that my general condition was Deteriorating Fast

and i was not prepared to wait until either Liver or Kidneys gave up

and had to go for Kidney Dialysis or whatever was i heading to - fast

so i made the Scary Decision to Stop and give my body a chance

to recover from the Medication and see if it could handle the A -TB

on its Own – and if not... then at least it would be up to Destiny and

the Natural course of Progression of the Illness.

Side Effects Disappearing after Termination of Antibiotics

Even though my illness was steadily killing me

- or so i was told and have no doubt it was quite true -

i felt much worse upon commencement and throughout the duration

of being on medication.

The same feeling returned after the Termination

–even though i was secretly worried about the difference of appearance

versus reality, i.e. ' feeling good did not mean i was better'

and ' feeling bad did not mean i was getting worse '...

but WAS THIS TRUE???... 

Because in the end

* I was Neither Feeling Good

* Nor was i Getting Better, 

 and in fact the signs as described above, were that I WAS getting Worse!.... 
 (Losing Blood, Losing Weight, My Body was not working properly etc.)

Once I stopped medication i experienced

* Extreme Lightness

* Elation and Euphoria

* Increased Energy

* Clearing Effect

* Heat and Freezing changes disappeared

* Bleeding stopped for much Longer Periods often for Many Weeks apart

  (and only certain conditions gradually identified and avoided caused it to start)

* Became able to gradually add both Nutritious foods
  i had not been able to consume for a long time, as well as Health Supplements. 

* Liver Pains disappeared

* Kidney functions Improved dramatically

* My weight was brought back up to 48-49kg

  (hard to get it back to 52-53 as the loss of blood had caused loss of Calcium

  from bone mass)

(Note: having some leftover medications after i stopped, 
i tried to use for some bladder infections, one of them in particular,
as  more suited to the problem and noticed that within a day
lung bleeding returned and continued for the duration of the five day course 
and stopped immediately upon termination

– this repeated twice more... i consider more than a coincidence.

Side Effects Present and Persistent after Termination of Antibiotics

Generally speaking, due to the continuing presence of the Lung illness

and the passing of nearly a  full Decade, it would be honest and right to say

that Nothing has really gone back to what was known as ‘Normal’ before.

Just a General feeling of Improvement in Many areas

and many Drug caused Side effects are Certainly Gone

but this is counterbalanced by the natural progression and deterioration

of the A-TB and the malicious effects of the stress and all ills caused 

by the Malassezia Yeast Fungus -especailly during the past 2 1/2 years.

Malassezia Yeast Beast

I am now mainly still Battling and is the Direct Cause and Result of the Long Course
on Antibiotics and X-Rays, and may have to battle it on for as long as i live

hopefully only on the reduced levels i have finally managed to bring it down to

and control it - and which at this stage indicate constant meticulous maintenance.

Still hope for a Decisive Miracle but have learned it may arrive with other

unpleasant strings attached...

Side Effects Permanent and Irreversible after Termination of Antibiotics

* Malassezia Yeast

* High Sensitivity and Lack of Adjustment to Temperature Changes

  especially when in immediate contact with my body*

 (It seems there has been a permanent Alteration to the ‘Thermostatic Adjustment’ mechanism

  of my body caused by at least one of the Antibiotics i know.

* This Sensitivity, unless special measures taken, causes lung bleeds.

             

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