Gabapentin

If you look this drug up on medsafe or whatever and look at the long list of side-effects I'm sure many people would be put off (I know of people who were put off). I mean, after talking to a few people who knew someone who'd taken this drug-every one of them told me they would never take it after seeing what effects it had on people.

I was determined to still give it a go-I mean if it has that affect on me then I can always stop taking it, but I HAD to give it a try-I was driving myself crazy with the pain and if this was an option then I was giving it a go.

Apparently it makes people loopy, they feel like they don't have their head on and say strange things don't know what they are doing and cant function-well all I can to that is "welcome to my world" I'm like that all the time, without meds-it's what the bang on the head did!

I have now been taking it for a week, building up the dosage daily and have been taking full dose for 3 going on 4 days. I am daring to hope that it is making a difference already! Although my foot still looks about the same and its still frozen if I touch it-it is not bothering me nearly so much, I can actually concentrate for some length in lectures without my foot consuming my thoughts. And the part of my thigh that had turned supersensitive-well I am happy to say I can actually were my trousers without always having to make sure the fabric is not touching. Boy this is exciting.

The only not quite exciting parts are that I have to take 2 capsules 3x day and I get one of the side effects.
The first lot that I take in the morning make me awful dizzy-like I cant stand upright dizzy, I sway in the breeze and cant hold my head up. Make study go into the too hard basket, I have been trying to write up notes and its funny how hard it is to get any work done. Its only if I eat as well though...if I dont eat then I don't get dizzy, I tried eating an hour after but then I still got dizzy but if I dont eat at all then I dont get dizzy (I just faint because I need to eat) After I have taken the next lot I am fine so this is rather strange. I'm hoping it goes away when I have got used to the drugs in my system.

On Monday I did a little whoopsee, I hadn't realised how dizzy I was and was going down the marble steps out of our lecture theatre and fell/fainted down a handful-all I can say is thank God it wasn't near the top and that there were students around who knew what to do!

Number 2 - pass the funky pre-med exam...

...(above the required percentile)..........................YAY I DID IT!

This is kinda weird as they say there is no pass or fail but if you got in the 0-25 percentile then basically you can't apply for dentistry, med lab sci or physio, you can apply for med but the reality is you wont get in.

I wanted to apply for physio and had to get over the 25 percentile in all three sections, I am so relieved that I did that and better!

There were 3 sections with lots of questions, you got a certain length of time for each and couldn't go back or forward if you ever had any spare time. Its a crazy test, I barely finished the first and last sections in time but I did complete the whole thing so that was better than some people who didn't.

The percentile ranks indicate my position relative to the other 2007 candidates (I think that means I performed above "this" percent of people who took the test)

Drum roll please.............................................(ok a bit dramatic but thats how I feel)

Section 1 - Logical reasoning and problem solving.............73

Section 2 - Understanding people.....................................96

Section 3 - Non-verbal reasoning......................................82

Overall ranking 87

.......I performed higher that 86 percent of people who took the test!?

Anyway I was over the moon when I found out and have since put in my application to physio!
Only 2 more hurdles to conquer on this road to Physio school-wish me luck.

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy-what is wrong with me?

So after all this injury stuff I'm finding that my body don't like pain. In fact it might just not like pain so much that my nerves have gone crazy in response to pain and for the rest of my life I'm going to have to just live with it.


Ever since a slip down a step I have had these weird things happening with my right foot and leg,
Extreme cold,
Colour change-a lot of the time this is extreme too especially when I cannot elevate it, a lovely purple/grey/blue foot and ankle is very appealing!
A feeling that it is so swollen it might just explode but no real visible swelling.
Loss of balance, I always seem to be falling over it.
Extreme hypersensitivity, I cant bear things touching it, sheets, socks above my ankles and anyone try touch it, the sensation becomes more intense!
My foot tends to look real shiny
And the rare occasions when it is warm it burns like hell, feels like I have it in a pot of boiling water.
Last but not least-INTENSE PAIN!!!!!

Before my hip surgery, RSD was put out there as a possible cause-because of my hip injury, not explained but basically used as an answer to the symptoms. I was told that having my hip fixed was the best thing to do and in the process hopefully my foot and leg symptoms would come right. I have to say that after surgery, my foot did seem to come right to some extent, not completely but the pain etc were certainly less.

Here I am almost 10 months out and after another little fall (you guessed it, involving the same foot) they are all back with a vengence. But now that my hip has been fixed everyone is being more cautious with the RSD label, maybe its circulation ( I know I have poor circulation but I'm sorry that doesn't create one-sided symptoms) something in your spine compressing on a nerve or something (this is potentially fixable but I don't know that I want to go there either) I don't know, all I want is some relief from the pain!

Just now I'm on a vasodilator (for the circulation problem) and so far all its really done is put me in danger of fainting everywhere since it lowers your blood pressure.
And I'm waiting for the ok from the health funding authority for a trial on Gabapentin. Apparently it works on the nerves in some funky way and hopefully the pain will get better. It remains to be seen if it will get subsidised and if I can tolerate it-I really hope I can. Time will tell.