August 15th. Let's see, yesterday we went to town for a couple of hours to pickup some supplies. Found a little more information on ways to help myself from the blogs on Cipro, so went to town to pickup another supplement, NAC or n-acetyle-l-cysteine. It's supposed to help preserve lean muscle tissue and protect the liver from toxic damage. There wasn't any information on dosages on the boards - take lots of it doesn't sound good to me, so I opted to go with just adding 1 pill a day to my regime, which I found at GNC (GNC NAC 600). Since this started, I resolved a life-change to better my diet. So went grocery shopping around the healthy isles, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables for salads. Was able to walk around 2 stores without my legs giving out on me. Exhausted by the end of the day though. Still have the muscle aches and joint pains in my legs (including my hips when I sleep).
As for today, little better. Stayed here all day. Made us a nice lunch and YES, cut some wood for shelving, although only 2 pieces when I used to build the whole shelf. Tired though, so I stop when I feel I need to rest. It'll take awhile but I'm making progress. I read on the different blogs of how it's taken people 3-6 months to get back to half-normal. Then they have relapses at times. I do hope I can break the mold and change how people see their recovery. I'm coming back at a pretty nice pace, considering how I couldn't walk around the house just a little less than 3 weeks ago. Still have a few dull pains in my legs after moving around. The arms seem OK. Amazing since I was sure I'd ruptured something in the left shoulder from that drug. Seems to be fine, even after cutting wood. We'll just see how things go. I'm just glad to be able to do something again!
Added new vitamins, not prescribed, just did research and added myself:
NAC 600mg - 1 pill day, mid-day (GNC was the only place I could find it)
Vitamin B-50 Complex Time-release - 1 pill day, mid-day (cheap at Target)
Vitamin D3 - 400iu - 1 pill day, mid-day
Decided to lower Magnesium by 1 pill day (I have chelated magnesium, 250mg, so now go to 3 pills a day.)
August 16th. Action day. Today I decided to write all this (having kept little notes of my progress). I feel REALLY good, surprisingly. First night's sleep only getting up once (due to lowering magnesium). My legs are getting back to normal. I didn't fidget for an hour before sleep to find my legs a spot and quiet them down (I couldn't hardly stand for the legs to stay in one spot, it was like they were super-sensitive to even the sheets on my bed, along with odd times of banding pain and shooting pain).
August 17th. The reaction of hydrocortisone is obvious. Side effects of the hydrocortisone are itching. This is the second time of coming off it with the same problems. I don’t think hydrocortisone or any cortisone actually helps from my experience and from what I’ve read, may actually be bad. It gives a false sense of helping, but may in fact be delaying healing. The second time wasn’t as rough as the first (had to take one valium that time), but did still experience muscle aches in my legs. My solution was to sit it out on the couch all day (because the next day was going to be a tough one), with hot packs to help ease some of the pain, and at bedtime I took one diphenhydramine (benedryl) to get me to sleep. That worked. Felt fine when I woke up the next day.
August 18th. Felt fine getting up. Lower legs, ankles and feet still feeling a little achy as I walk across the floor. Today I had a hard day ahead to another melodrama in my life, the water well tank had blown and was spewing water all over the yard. Lovely. I am the plumber so who you gonna call? Me. I’m afraid I have to look after myself first, tank second right now. I went out and cut the power, then drained everything I could get into tubs, buckets, you name it. That should hold us for a few days until I can fix it, although it is rather bad timing. So, 2 hour drive to Houston (my first time driving since this all started because we needed the truck), taking it as easy as possible. I have to travel like a health nut these days, packing my next round of vitamins, packets of emergen-c, packets of green tea mix, bars of powerbar to get me through and try and boost energy. It’s a little nuts but hey, at least I can carry a purse full. It does work, although I was still exhausted by the end of the day, at 2 pm, my lower legs hurting. I’ve about figured out that I’m getting better gradually, starting at the top and working down. A few days ago the pain was all the way down my legs, now the top doesn’t have the problems, just the lower legs, ankles, and feet. My socks are too tight and leave marks so I know it's the swelling (seems cipro and swelling go hand in hand). Decided to go without socks. It’s like all the vitamins are slowing leeching out the toxins (the only way to describe what seems to be happening). I wasn’t so tired from the driving, more from having to stand in the store picking out a million plumbing bits for the job I have to do. Standing hurts more than walking. I’m assuming that will go too in a little more time. I’m impatient, but sensible, giving my body the time it needs to heal with the proper support to do so, lots of rest in between everything I do. I read horror stories about what has happened to others and thank god I found a doc to work with me. I am also thankful I haven’t experienced the brain fog others have. I’ve needed my mind to find the solutions to this problem. Hopefully what I’ve learned will help others. There are some things people need to know about all the magnesium. It does give you a loose-stool. It’s part of the process in removing the toxins and does lessen as more toxins are taken out. It feels like years ago since this started, but in fact has only been 3 weeks, with 2 on the therapy. From the boards of horror with no one to turn, it is amazing progress, even to me. And again I have to emphasis that my case was mild, I only took five and a half days of pills, with no repeat dosings of cipro or any other drug from that family (for god’s sake don’t let them treat you with more of a different name of poison). If you’ve had more doses or more rounds of these drugs, your progress could very well be very slow or what I’ve written may not help you at all. I hope that’s not the case. I truly hope my experience can help others in coming back to their lives, or at least lessen the horrors these drugs can inflict. Now to rest my legs because tomorrow I have to get ready to change the tank.
August 19th. Discontinued the thyroid medication. Terrible swelling in my lower legs and ankles, couldn't stand socks as they were like rubber bands. It turns out Cipro may well have caused the thyroid to go haywire, as I've found other people with the same thing. Impossible to prove as I didn't have any reading before. The only symptoms were headaches, nothing more prior to this. Also have a headache today.
August 20th. Rough day. Changed water tank, wearing oversized rubber boots. Would like to wear the rubber boots all the time - they have great shock-resistance for my feet & ankles. Still having pain in my legs, aching joints. Swelling decreased a bit in my ankles and lower legs. Now taking melatonin to sleep better. Researched and added 1 Aloe Vera capsule to my routine. Aloe Vera has anti-inflammatory properties and also helps Vitamin C be better absorbed. Aloe also helps assist your body in building cartilage. I'm focusing on rebuilding my muscles, cartilage and joints right now as I believe most, if not all, of the Cipro has been successfully leached from my system. What is left behind is the micro-tears in the muscles, which is why I'm still in pain after moving about. I need to help my body to repair in order to get well. Also added glucosamine for the immediate pain.
August 21st. Better day with melatonin giving me a nice night. Dug out some new earth shoes and can now walk and stand without my heels hurting too much (nice rubber soles give good shock-resistance). Swelling in ankles gone down a little more, it will probably take a few more days. Better today though.