I wrote a quick update this past Thursday on taking HCQ for my lupus. I noted the persistent low-grade nausea, the dizziness and the exhaustion. I also mentioned a worry that my depression was coming back.
Well, I seem to have gotten through the depression. I suspect I just got a little unbalanced, and it came back - as it tends to do - for a visit. I felt pretty solid over the weekend, and overall feel much better mentally now.
The dizziness, nausea and exhaustion haven't gone away. The dizziness has been fairly bad at times, leading me to wonder if I shouldn't start using the walker again. I don't want to, but I also don't want to fall.
Other side-effects are also apparent, including the "don't need the laxative any more" one that I'd rather not talk about much, but I find incredibly disturbing at times. I really don't recommend taking this stuff if you don't have to. It is not quite as bad as the prednisone, but it definitely is unpleasant.
Speaking of prednisone, the step down of dosage has made a difference. The memory dumps have almost entirely stopped. I did have a brutal memory/dream experience during a nap that surprised me (it involved a road I thought I knew with rock faces I'd never seen/noticed before and was really haunting and terrible), but it kind of felt like a last gasp of the last grasp the stuff has on me. I've also noticed a lack of mood swings in the last month or so, which is nice. Prednisone is a wonderfully useful drug that I hope to never ever have to take again.
Hubby-Eric has been working regularly, now. I have started to feed Inkwell the cat during some of his feeding times. Getting down the stairs is fine - getting up them again can be difficult at times. But overall I'm healthy enough to handle it.
I made my own breakfast the other morning, and nearly passed out as I finished. I am still very weak. Standing in the kitchen stirring a pot of oatmeal took more out of me than I like to admit. But it turned out good, although I had to rest on the couch for awhile before I could get back up the stairs.
Inkwell has been goofy. He has gotten brave enough to examine my lunches again, and has no compunction about telling me how awful my food choices are when he smells my veggie dish. He seems to know I'm healthier and has been trying to get me to chase him and play, which I try to do when I'm strong enough. He also insists on sleeping in my chair and refusing to move when I come into my room. I have to shoo him off, which he does not appreciate - although sometimes he decides to occupy my lap once I've sat down.
I still spend far too much time asleep. When I'm not asleep I'm often playing my video game and listening to podcasts. I'm entirely caught up on all the podcasts I got behind on, and have been looking for new ones that aren't too annoying. Unfortunately, I get really picky about what I like. There are some that are good but have really annoying ads, while others are just too long for my tastes (I prefer 15-45 minutes).
Overall, I'm still getting better, slowly but certainly. I guess that's all I can ask for now.
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