Drugs, drugs and more drugs

Plavix is another blood thinning drug, often used in conjunction with aspirin. After being on Coumadin for two months, I was switched to Plavix and aspirin after having surgery. I stayed on that combination for three months (which is standard for people who have the surgery I had). A follow up MRI showed my dissection had healed and I was allowed to go off Plavix, but I must stay on baby aspirin for life.

Here's some info about Plavix:

http://www.drugs.com/cdi/plavix.html

Painkillers are another category of drugs that I became all too familiar with after my dissection. One of the odd things about carotid artery dissection is that it can cause tremendous pain — or no pain. There is a condition called Horner's Syndrome that is associated with carotid artery dissection. I had a classic case of Horner's Syndrome, which caused severe pain on the left side of my face and neck and — worst of all – behind my eye. The pain I experienced was as bad as labor contractions. One of the worst moments of this whole experience was when I had to convince a neurologist to give me something stronger than Tylenol for the pain. While he admitted there was "some pain" associated with Horner's Syndrome, he was skeptical that it warranted stronger drugs. Eventually I wrangled 20 Vicodin out of him. Then I got another, more sympathetic doctor, to give me other drugs (Percocet and Oxycontin) since the Vicodin made me sick. I hated being on the drugs but they gave me relief from that stabbing pain. Although it has addiction potential, I would recommend Oxycontin because, unlike Percocet, it took care of the pain without turning me into a drooling zombie.

To read more about Vicodin, Percocet and Oxycontin, look here:

http://www.drugs.com/cdi/vicodin.html

http://www.drugs.com/cdi/percocet.html

http://www.drugs.com/cdi/oxycontin-sustained-release-tablets.html

Xanax is an anti-anxiety drug which I had no experience with prior to having a stroke, but I am so glad my doctor prescribed it for me. It got me through the first few months of this ordeal. Like a lot of people who go through a traumatic health crisis, I got walloped with a major case of anxiety after I had the stroke and then again when I had surgery. The Xanax also helped me cope with another side effect of this experience: insomnia. Xanax is supposed to be highly addictive but I never took more than 2 a day and I did not have any problem going off it.

Here's more about Xanax:

http://www.drugs.com/cdi/xanax.html

The last thing I want to share about drugs is: be aware of drug interactions. If you are taking multiple drugs you need to check with a pharmacist to make sure there are no dangerous interactions. You should also find out about mild or annoying side effects of the drugs (such as constipation) so you know what to expect when they happen to you.  

Drugs

After I was diagnosed with carotid artery dissection, I was put on Coumadin (also known as warfarin) with a "Lovenox bridge". 

Lovenox is a drug you inject into your stomach twice a day that provides blood-thinning effects while the body adjusts to the Coumadin. I was terrified when I learned I would have to inject myself in the stomach, but was pleasantly surprised to learn it barely hurts at all. Here's some info about Lovenox:

http://www.drugs.com/lovenox.html

Coumadin (sometimes referred to as "rat poison") is a drug you take in pill form. When taking coumadin, you have to have your blood checked regularly to make sure you have the correct "INR" level regulating "thinness" or "thickness" of the blood. The foods you eat have a significant effect on how the body metabolizes Coumadin. It's easy and painless to get your blood checked, although slightly inconvenient since you have to go to a doctor's office or clinic to be tested. Learn more about Coumadin here:

http://www.drugs.com/mtm/coumadin.html