Yesterday I took a SPECTACULAR tumble. I'd had a terrible night and was exhausted and completely emotionally drained from the news of the night before. Got the news my sister had died (long story, very sad, not for now).
I was walking Licorice, and she was pulling a bit because she needed a poop. Didn't lift my blasted left leg enough as usual, and went flying into the street, falling on the left side of my face, my left hand (trying to save myself), and my left knee.
Long story short, I have 10 stitches in a cut by my left eye, and 2 on my left knee, my left hand is pretty banged up, but nothing broken, and I cut the inside of my mouth and my left lip. A nice man helped me up, and remarked that the cut by my eye was pretty bad and would need stitches. I went home, and took my ice packs, and put Arnica on all the cuts and bangs that I could see at the time, and drove myself to the ER. I looked pretty rough because I had blood all over my face.
BUT..the Arnica helped SO much, that although I have already fading bruises under my eye and on my chin, my lip is still a bit swollen, and my hand is aching and sore, I apart from the band aids I there is almost no swelling and the bruises are almost gone.
I was so tired and sore yesterday I couldn't type much, so I didn't tell you about it.
Had I taken the Arnica with me and applied it at the ER the bruises would have been gone by this am.
Neither the nurses nor the doctor could believe that with that level of injury there was not a lot of bruising or swelling.
Question:
The doc gave me Bactrim. I haven't taken it because I would much rather not, but if I have to is it a safe one? I seem to remember it being mentioned as safe.
Happening too often lately - falling
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Hi Lesley,
I'm sorry to hear about your sister, and I'm sorry about your fall. I'm glad that the damage wasn't worse, though it was certainly bad enough.
You know, it just occurred to me that one of the side effects (or residual effects) of polio is often peripheral neuropathy. You should be taking Metanx. I'm kind of surprised that it isn't recommended as a routine treatment for anyone who has residual effects from polio, but I guess that no one ever thought of it — at least your doctors apparently never thought of it.
It may take a while to bring results, but IMO the active forms of the vitamins that are in Metanx will help to restore your reflexes and coordination in your affected leg, especially the knee, ankle and foot, and that will help to prevent falls in the future. It appears that the neuropathy is becoming worse over time, and it may be important to try to restore your reflexes and general nerve function before they deteriorate to the point where the damage is no longer reversible.
There are no guarantees that it will work of course, but I believe that it's certainly worth a try. I only wish that I had thought of this sooner, but I always thought of polio as a muscle issue, rather than a nerve issue.
Tex
I'm sorry to hear about your sister, and I'm sorry about your fall. I'm glad that the damage wasn't worse, though it was certainly bad enough.
You know, it just occurred to me that one of the side effects (or residual effects) of polio is often peripheral neuropathy. You should be taking Metanx. I'm kind of surprised that it isn't recommended as a routine treatment for anyone who has residual effects from polio, but I guess that no one ever thought of it — at least your doctors apparently never thought of it.
It may take a while to bring results, but IMO the active forms of the vitamins that are in Metanx will help to restore your reflexes and coordination in your affected leg, especially the knee, ankle and foot, and that will help to prevent falls in the future. It appears that the neuropathy is becoming worse over time, and it may be important to try to restore your reflexes and general nerve function before they deteriorate to the point where the damage is no longer reversible.
There are no guarantees that it will work of course, but I believe that it's certainly worth a try. I only wish that I had thought of this sooner, but I always thought of polio as a muscle issue, rather than a nerve issue.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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CaitiCakes
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Thu Jul 25, 2013 5:14 pm
- Location: Westerly, RI
Hey everyone, thanks for the hugs and the support. You cannot know how I appreciate it.
My sister - long and very sad story. She had some genuine health issues, but when things should have got better for her she couldn't handle it. She needed to be the center of pity attention, became addicted to pain killers, and severely anorexic, with crises every few months. She's been dying by inches for so many years, and made so many people unhappy.
She did terrible things to all of us.
As her older son said today - he is sure it will be a relief eventually, but right now he can't feel it. She was his mother, and took so much of his energy. It still hurts too much to feel relief. At least he is feeling it.
The younger one said he feels shut down and frozen because if he let it out it would hurt way too much, so he can't.
That's how I feel right now.
Joe and Tex: I have had 2 failed surgeries on my back for a bad disk problem, and have scar tissue sitting right on the sciatic nerve, or a branch of. Also I have piriformis syndrome.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piriformis_syndrome
Yes, I have pins and needles in my left foot, but it's nothing that a neurologist can affect, nor can meds. Believe me, we tried everything, and all I got was MASSIVE edema from the meds.
I did yoga for eleventy million years (at least that's what it seemed like). I practiced every day, 2x a week with a teacher and the other days on my own - rolling out of bed before work (and that was hard!
Now I do yoga stretches in the jacuzzi. Basically, the only thing that helps my back is being in the pool and the jacuzzi after. Now I can't do that for another 10 days till the stitches come out.
My balance is still getting worse even though I try to improve it.
Please tell me if Bactrim is a safe antibiotic if I need to take it or will it make everything worse?[/u][/b]
My sister - long and very sad story. She had some genuine health issues, but when things should have got better for her she couldn't handle it. She needed to be the center of pity attention, became addicted to pain killers, and severely anorexic, with crises every few months. She's been dying by inches for so many years, and made so many people unhappy.
She did terrible things to all of us.
As her older son said today - he is sure it will be a relief eventually, but right now he can't feel it. She was his mother, and took so much of his energy. It still hurts too much to feel relief. At least he is feeling it.
The younger one said he feels shut down and frozen because if he let it out it would hurt way too much, so he can't.
That's how I feel right now.
Joe and Tex: I have had 2 failed surgeries on my back for a bad disk problem, and have scar tissue sitting right on the sciatic nerve, or a branch of. Also I have piriformis syndrome.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piriformis_syndrome
Yes, I have pins and needles in my left foot, but it's nothing that a neurologist can affect, nor can meds. Believe me, we tried everything, and all I got was MASSIVE edema from the meds.
I did yoga for eleventy million years (at least that's what it seemed like). I practiced every day, 2x a week with a teacher and the other days on my own - rolling out of bed before work (and that was hard!
Now I do yoga stretches in the jacuzzi. Basically, the only thing that helps my back is being in the pool and the jacuzzi after. Now I can't do that for another 10 days till the stitches come out.
My balance is still getting worse even though I try to improve it.
Please tell me if Bactrim is a safe antibiotic if I need to take it or will it make everything worse?[/u][/b]
What an awful fall you've had, Lesley! I hope you recover quickly. I think I need some of that Arnica on hand that helped you. I've never heard of it, but it sounds great!
I hope your family can eventually deal with the loss of your sister. It sounds like her health took a toll on everyone.
Bactrim is a sulfa drug and I am unable to take it for that reason. I don't know how it affects MC besides being a sulfa drug.
Gloria
I hope your family can eventually deal with the loss of your sister. It sounds like her health took a toll on everyone.
Bactrim is a sulfa drug and I am unable to take it for that reason. I don't know how it affects MC besides being a sulfa drug.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
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UkuleleLady
- Gentoo Penguin
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- Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 4:45 pm
- Location: Texas
Lesley, I'm so sorry about the fall, and for your sister's passing. I hope you are on the mend very soon. If you don't take the bactrim, is there a safe antibiotic you can call the doctor for?
Best wishes,
Nancy
Best wishes,
Nancy
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~The Dalai Lama
Lesley,
As Gloria pointed out, Bactrim is a sulfonamide antibiotic. I'm not aware of any specific indications against it's use by MC patients otherwise, and I'm not aware of any member here who has previously used it, so that's why I didn't respond to your question the first time around. Basically, we simply don't know if it is safe to use, but we have no information to indicate that it is unsafe to use either, unless you are sensitive to sulfa drugs.
That's exactly why you need to be using Metanx. Metanx is an optimum blend of 3 B vitamins, in their active form. It's not a drug, though it's available by prescription only.
Several years ago, my balance was slowly going to hell in a handbasket, before I started taking Metanx. Now, my balance is normal.
Tex
As Gloria pointed out, Bactrim is a sulfonamide antibiotic. I'm not aware of any specific indications against it's use by MC patients otherwise, and I'm not aware of any member here who has previously used it, so that's why I didn't respond to your question the first time around. Basically, we simply don't know if it is safe to use, but we have no information to indicate that it is unsafe to use either, unless you are sensitive to sulfa drugs.
Lesley wrote:My balance is still getting worse even though I try to improve it.
That's exactly why you need to be using Metanx. Metanx is an optimum blend of 3 B vitamins, in their active form. It's not a drug, though it's available by prescription only.
Several years ago, my balance was slowly going to hell in a handbasket, before I started taking Metanx. Now, my balance is normal.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Gloria, Arnica is indeed magic. Everyone should have some at home. bruises are caused when capillaries or other blood vessels are broken and the liquid seeps out into the surrounding tissue causing swelling, which is what hurts. Generally it takes several days for the liquid to reabsorb, and during that time the bruise turns all the colors of the rainbow. Arnica speeds that process so that the bruise liquid is reabsorbed much faster. No swelling, very little pain.
Still, when I went out today I realized from peoples faces, how scary I look.
Tex, OK. One more thing to ask my doc. I need to compose that email.
Still, when I went out today I realized from peoples faces, how scary I look.
Tex, OK. One more thing to ask my doc. I need to compose that email.
Lesley, I'm so sorry for the loss of your sister. And I'm sorry that her sons have such a burden to bear, with the hurts of yesterday and the bereavement of today.
And you had such a fall! I'm glad you weren't more seriously hurt, what with falling into the street and all. Not that your cuts and bruises weren't bad, of course. I hope you heal well from those injuries, and that the stress doesn't make your MC worse.
Love,
Martha
And you had such a fall! I'm glad you weren't more seriously hurt, what with falling into the street and all. Not that your cuts and bruises weren't bad, of course. I hope you heal well from those injuries, and that the stress doesn't make your MC worse.
Love,
Martha
Martha