Life has a way of throwing unexpected challenges at us, and the week before last was a testament to that for me. I've had ear problems for as long as I can remember—from ear infections as a child to almost complete hearing loss in my left ear as an adult. Over the years, I've undergone numerous procedures, including the insertion of ear tubes; I'm currently on my 8th set due to persistent middle ear infections caused by eustachian tube dysfunction.
Recently, I had a particularly troubling ear infection. The latest set of tubes had been accompanied by a residual fungal infection, and despite my ENT's best efforts, the prescribed Clotrimazole drops caused itchiness, redness, and swelling in my ear canal. So, my wonderful ENT decided to try a different approach with fluconazole, an oral medication. A couple of days into the 14-day course of fluconazole, I started experiencing some tummy troubles. Having had stomach issues with certain antibiotics before, I thought I could manage until the course was over. Little did I know, the medicine was breaking down in my body and wreaking havoc on my system.
Thursday morning started like any other day. I took my medication and headed to work, with a rumbling tummy that I hoped would settle. I barely made it to the restroom before passing through employee security. I was a tad late, but when nature calls, you have to answer. An hour into work, after several trips to the restroom, I began feeling weak. I informed my manager about my condition, and while explaining, I nearly passed out. I managed to pull myself together and called Terry to tell him I was heading home.
Despite resting on Thursday, I still felt off on Friday. I followed my usual routine, hoping I was just dealing with a bug. However, after taking my medication that morning, I was hit with a severe stomach ache, a massive headache, and even hallucinations similar to those caused by Ambien. I knew I had to leave work immediately. When I got home, Terry was ready to take me to the emergency room, but I insisted on trying to manage at home. I attempted to eat and rest, hoping the symptoms would subside. However, by the time it was night, and after another dose of fluconazole, my condition worsened. I realized it had to be the medication causing all this havoc.
Finally, after a rough night, I threw away the remaining medication to avoid any more accidental doses. Slowly but surely, I began to recover. I now understand that my liver disease makes me more susceptible to the adverse effects of medications like fluconazole. I have an ultrasound scheduled on the 17th which will hopefully ensure there’s no further damage than what we already knew I had.
A week later, I'm still experiencing some residual effects, but nothing as severe as before. I realize looking back that I put myself into a life threatening situation and I could have died. At one point, while sitting on the toilet, I was shivering because I was hot and cold and had chills. I had visions that I was dying but too stubborn to admit it at the time. This experience has taught me an invaluable lesson: always pay attention to what my body is trying to tell me.
Thank you for joining me on this journey of resilience and recovery. I’d love to hear your thoughts and any experiences you might have had with similar health scares. Your support and words of encouragement mean the world to me. If you find value in my story and would like to contribute in any way, I truly appreciate it. Here's to better health and always listening to our bodies! 🌟
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