I'm Getting Really Discouraged!

OK, some may say it's early days yet BUT I like fast results, what can I say?

What am I getting discouraged about you ask?

Well, having increased the pain med dosage last Thursday night, I had hoped for increased pain relief. Didn't happen. In fact yesterday -- day four on the higher dose -- was a particularly difficult day. I hadn't slept well the night before so my energy level was low. I didn't do much of anything but I did do my stretches. When I tried to do my 15 minutes on the exercise bicycle, all I could manage was six minutes -- six lousy minutes! The pain in my right hip and leg was absolutely unbearable and my physiotherapist has always told me that if pain ensues, I am to stop. So I stopped. By the way, my bicycle regimen has been halted at 15 minutes every other day until I can discuss the program further with my physiotherapist.

Now this experience suggested that the higher dose was not very effective so I decided to follow my doctor's instructions to further increase it if necessary (seemed to me like it was necessary). So I doubled the bedtime dosage last night.

I didn't have a very good night last night. I had difficulty getting to sleep; I woke twice (just as I usually do) and had difficulty getting back to sleep both times. When I woke for the day I felt very groggy. When I actually got up and mobile for the day, my right leg was behaving as though I had a pinched nerve -- that's a new phenomenon! I'm attempting to stretch it out but it is very painful. Meanwhile, my head is in an almost constant mildly spinning state. Sure hope that settles down.

As of today, I am taking double the dose of the new pain med that I was taking two days ago. I will allow a few more days' testing before passing judgement. But if things don't improve, I think I might be pulling the plug on this drug as well.