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I mentioned in the comments of Sick For Hours (which turned into sick for days), I thought the fever could have been caused by a virus… it wasn't. It was a mild infection. A couple of days ago, I went to the doctor to have my left leg checked out. He prescribed Tylenol for the fever, which I was already taking, and amoxicillin for the infection. This is going to irritate some of you. The total cost of the visit including the amoxicillin was less than 500 pesos, less than $10.00 in US dollars.

I stopped taking the amoxicillin after one day because of one major side-effect. My left leg started swelling. It was much worse last night than it is now. Even now, the left leg looks like it belongs to the Hulk while the right leg looks like it belongs to Bruce Banner. The size difference is more than noticeable. I haven't taken any medication at all since midnight. I was letting the Tylenol wear off each time before taking more, if I still had a fever. I didn't at midnight and therefore that was it. I hate taking any kind of medication because it always interferes with something. I can't sleep when taking Tylenol. I slept 3 hours in 3 days, until late in the morning today when I finally slept for 5 hours.

The swelling is oh-so-slowly going down. Before I sleep tonight or tomorrow morning (depending on when the need arises), I'll be splashing some BENGAY over the painful spots and allowing the deep heat to speed the process. I only have three days to get my act together before running some errands on Saturday, including getting a much needed haircut.

Oops. I almost forgot to mention that I was drinking tons of water and only eating breakfast (and never finishing the meal) before today. Today, I ate breakfast and dinner. Awesome.

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goldcoaster on 2007-06-13 at 7:02 pm (Reply)

Sounds like you are allergic to penicillin.

I guess the $10 relates to the low average wage of the population?

RT Cunningham | Untwisted Vortex | Philippines on 2007-06-13 at 7:08 pm (Reply)

Allergic to "amoxicillin". I never had a problem with penicillin. I had shots of that in the military.

Yep, exactly related to the average wage.

hari on 2007-06-13 at 8:11 pm (Reply)

Hm… From personal experience I can say that the after-effects of high fever can be worse than the fever itself.

You feel well enough to get out of bed, but you're not well enough to do anything else which requires some effort of body or mind.

I hope the effects of the medication don't last long. Take care

Chris on 2007-06-13 at 8:56 pm (Reply)

Ouch, you have my sympathies there RT. I hate being ill.

Matthew Jabs on 2007-06-13 at 11:40 pm (Reply)

lol…Bruce Banner…what ever happened to that guy? Maybe one of us will have to write a post about him!

Glad you're feeling somewhat better. I am with RT on the "I hate taking any kind of medication" comment.

Granted, RT's condition may have been more serious therefore needing an antibiotic, however…doctors in the U.S. prescribe antibiotics way too often. If the condition is not serious, I like to let my body & it's natural antibodies fight it off naturally.

Also, overuse of antibiotics (as in the U.S.) leads to stronger & more resistant strains of bacteria.

RT Cunningham | Untwisted Vortex | Philippines on 2007-06-13 at 11:46 pm (Reply)

He's a character, silly. Bill Bixby played him on TV and he's dead.

Prior to this latest sickscapade (since 1997), I have taken no more than 10 tables of either acetaminophen or ibuprofen. The last time I had to take more was in 1997 when I came down with a bug which required a narcotic cough medicine as well as the barbiturate version of Naproxen. That combination knocked me out for about a week, and I was in the best health of my life.
2. hari on 2007-06-14 at 12:18 am (Reply)
  
  RT, regarding dosage of medicines required.
  
  It's not you who becomes more resistant to anti-biotics, it's the strain of virus which is targetted by it.
  
  My doctor said it didn't matter whether I had that medicine or not. The overuse of the medicine among the general populace makes that particular strain of virus strain immune to the anti-biotic.
  
  So everybody has to start taking stronger dosages of medicines to curtail the effect.
  
  Prior to this, I too was under that belief that it was the person who had taken too much medicines has become immune to its effects.
  2. Matthew Jabs on 2007-06-14 at 12:31 am (Reply)
    
    Yes…this is correct Hari.
    
    As RT, I prefer to let nature run it's course.
    2. hari on 2007-06-14 at 12:33 am (Reply)
      
      Or use alternate medicine. There are some excellent homeopathic medicines for most ailments, but so few skilled homeopathic physicians who can give the right dosage of the right medicines.
      
      Also in India, we have our own traditional Ayurveda and Siddha medicines which uses natural products like herbs and oils.
      2. Matthew Jabs on 2007-06-14 at 12:43 am (Reply)
        
        Good point Hari.
        
        When I say "naturally" all of what you just mentioned is included, since they're natural medicines.
        
        Let me define my anti-medicine stand as "against man made, chemical medicines".
    3. RT Cunningham | Untwisted Vortex | Philippines on 2007-06-14 at 12:43 am (Reply)
      
      If you've read some of my old articles (and you probably have, Hari), you'll know that I'm a big proponent of natural solutions. One of the oldest herbal remedies is Mediterranean Oregano. It kills internal as well as external fungi depending on how it's used.
      
      Another is something as simple as vinegar. Vinegar cures heartburn, cleans windows, and tastes good on salads.
      2. hari on 2007-06-14 at 12:48 am (Reply)
        
        Isn't lemon juice also an excellent cure for heartburn?
        
        It should work on the same principle. Strong lemon juice is just as acidic as vinegar and a lot pleasanter to swallow as well.
        
        Matthew Jabs on 2007-06-14 at 12:51 am (Reply)
        
        Lemon juice does work similarly, but organic apple cider vinegar (with the mother) works best.
        
        Also, my wife mixes a little of the vinegar with water and adds a teaspoon of honey, and she LOVES the drink.
        
        RT Cunningham | Untwisted Vortex | Philippines on 2007-06-14 at 12:52 am (Reply)
        
        Real lemon juice is probably great. Unfortunately, there's a lot of imitation masking as the real thing and it would be useless. You can't fake vinegar. Besides, it's only hard to take for about a minute.
        
        hari on 2007-06-14 at 12:58 am (Reply)
        
        I usually make lemon juice by buying real lemons, squeezing them out, adding a little water and sugar and then drinking it.
        
        So authenticity is not a problem for me
        
        Matthew Jabs on 2007-06-14 at 1:01 am (Reply)
        
        Hari…
        
        Be careful to buy lemons grown naturally without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides.
3. RT Cunningham | Untwisted Vortex | Philippines on 2007-06-14 at 12:27 am (Reply)
  
  That's absolutely right, Hari. This is the first time I ever used an antibiotic that wasn't forced on me by a military doctor.
  
  I prefer to let nature run its course unless I can't deal with the consequences. In this case, I had a lot more riding on getting well sooner than later. Silly me. I had no idea I would be allergic to amoxicillin. Luckily, I stopped taking it when I realized what was happening. I can get straight penicillin here, which I'm pretty sure I'm not allergic to, but there's no longer a need for it. (These are over-the-counter antibiotics here whereas in the U.S., a prescription is required.)
  2. hari on 2007-06-14 at 12:31 am (Reply)
    
    I think there are a lot of doctors who prescribe strong medicines even when there is no need for it. They end up with a situation where strong medicines are required at one stage because viruses become so resistant.
    
    Dangerous trend.
4. Matthew Jabs on 2007-06-14 at 12:32 am (Reply)
  
  PS…yeah, I figured it out. Bruce Banner is actually Dr. David Bruce Banner.
  
  Bill is the actor who played Bruce on The Incredible Hulk T.V. series. The Incredible Hulk ended in 1982, and Bill passed away in 1993.
  
  Did you know that his wife was a bisexual that had a relationship with Tammy Bruce, then killed herself?
  2. RT Cunningham | Untwisted Vortex | Philippines on 2007-06-14 at 12:56 am (Reply)
    
    You were never in to comics, I take it? David was added to the front for the TV series only because of the stigma of "Bruce" as a name favored by homosexual males.
    2. Matthew Jabs on 2007-06-14 at 12:58 am (Reply)
      
      lol…no I'm soooo not a comic book guy. However, some of my best friends are…weird, but actually a lot of my close friends are.
      
      I seem to attract the comic book liking type.

Comedy Plus on 2007-06-14 at 12:41 am (Reply)

Glad you are doing somewhat better RT. I too hate taking medication so could relate to your not taking it.

Wow, 10 bucks for an office visit and the medication. I understand why, but wow, that isn't very much. You could write a book on the difference between here and there. I guess you're kind of doing that with this blog. Have a great day RT and get well soon.

RT Cunningham | Untwisted Vortex | Philippines on 2007-06-14 at 12:50 am (Reply)

Thanks Comedy!
2. hari on 2007-06-14 at 1:01 am (Reply)
  
  Wow… the effects of RT not blogging for a day or two is electric. Look at the comments section now…
  2. Matthew Jabs on 2007-06-14 at 1:04 am (Reply)
    
    I stand behind what I have said for a long time, and also mentioned to Scott the other day in an email…UV is one of the best blogs on the net & is the best blog I have come across yet. The blogs on top of Technorati's rankings don't touch RT's UV for great content.

An American Living in the Philippines

Back in the Land of the Living