Update: Serum Sickness

Beginning in April, 2011, I had a reaction to a drug - oral terbinafine. Terbinafine is marketed non-generically as Lamasil. I published some blogs describing a little bit about my body's response to terbinafine. Here is a link to one of those blog posts:
"Serum Sickness"

I am still being treated for the serum sickness; the treatment being low doses of prednisone. (If you read this, I prefer to not have any unsolicited advice unless the reader has specifically dealt with and overcome serum sickness.)

I was doing well and was down to 1 mg of prednisone until this past April (2012) when symptoms began to flare again. I thought (and still think) that I may have reacted to something (possibly tannins?) in some mangosteen juice that I had started drinking daily in March. In May I upped the prednisone to 7 milligrams to help curb the symptoms and thereafter titrated down to 4 milligrams.

Then, about three weeks ago, I had another flareup that hasn't yet calmed. My hands again hurt, along with some pain in my feet and ankles. But worse than the pain has been the fatigue; I can sleep and sleep and sleep. And my mind gets like putty. Unfortunately, the fatigue has affected my business and work; I've made quite a few blunders recently. I'm quite discouraged by that.

The recent three-weeks-ago flareup happened after I'd received news from a NY State Office of Professional Discipline Administrative Law Prosecutor updating me on the case NY state has issued regarding John Knapp, my ex-therapist on whom I filed a complaint in September, 2010, who later lied online about myself and others. One would think I'd be 'happy' with the news from the prosecutor, but I don't find much 'happiness' in any of that whole scenario. Anyway, that news and my emotional response to it may have put stressors on my immune system and hit it at my weak point...which is currently the serum sickness.

So, I'm going to make another appointment with the rheumatoid specialist whom I saw last year and who confirmed that my symptoms were indeed from serum sickness. At that time he said the longest serum sickness case he'd seen lasted 18 months.

A reader of toss & ripple has been in touch with me since last year. That reader also had a reaction after taking oral terbinafine. He knows others as well. All of us are continuing to struggle to regain wellness. Some had to go on disability. Prior to the oral terbinafine (which is a drug for nail fungus), all of us were in relative good or better health.

I'm currently back up to 9 milligrams of prednisone which helps keep the pain in my hands and feet from getting so bad that I can't function.

I'm hopeful that this will end. And...I really want the Knapp case wrapped up and look forward to end for that as well. I never imagined things would end up where they have regarding that. It was all so avoidable.

And, there is still much to be thankful for. Thankfulness is an ally.

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An added funny: I've been wearing gloves (for support and pain management) to bed some nights. I had to take them off during my sleep last night; I needed my hands to help me fly in my dream. ;D