It is back to the medical theme today. As regular followers know I am on a variety of medications for various things covering two chronic conditions. (Chronic means long lasting or no cure. People us it when they actually mean Acute, which means severe, short lived and curable. I know which is which). I have diabetes mellitis which is chronic and severe lower back pain which is also chronic.

Now my view is that Diabetes can kill me, and a painful back won't. So as I am fed up of all the tablets I am taking, I decided to stop taking the daily pain regime tablets for my lower back. That regime is a combination of Gabapentin and Venlafaxine. I stopped on Tuesday. Still taking all my diabetes meds of course.

Around midday on friday I suddenly (suddenly like I mean NO WARNING) I had a really bad head cold. Overnight friday it developed into full blown man flu. Of course, being diabetic, I cannot take anything for it, I just have to tough it out.

I happened to mention this to an online friend and she kind of told me off and told me to go and look up withdrawal. So I did, again. (I had already and thought I knew what to expect, just some mild dizziness) And what I found was that 2-3 days after stopping venlafaxine, I could expect to get severe flu symptoms, that would last 2 - 3 weeks, and would not be completely cleared for 2 - 3 months. WHAT!!!!!!

Guess what? 2.5 days after stopping the venlafaxine i developed severe flu like symptoms. I can't be having that, and the dizziness. So back on the venlafaxine.

My lesson learned? Listen to my Doctor!!!!!

And thanks VM to my internet friend, she know who she is.