Oversensitivity to medication side-effects

[tinselworm]

I'm new to the forums so please forgive me if this has been asked before. I did do a search, but couldn't quite find what I was looking for - please feel free to point me towards any relevant info if I'm repeating stuff that's been asked a hundred times.

For years, I've had trouble tolerating medication of any kind. I seem to be ridiculously sensitive to side effects of even the most innocuous of medication - even vitamin tablets. I've spoken to doctors about this hundreds of times, but they all say it's just my anxiety - because I'm anxious about it, I'll feel them more than usual. But it's the other way around; the side effects make me feel physially dreadful, which in turn makes me anxious. I always come away with the 'well, everyone *else* tolerates them...' lecture.

Since I can pretty much attribute everything else that's weird about me to my HMS - is this also a HMS thing? Is it common in us bendies to not tolerate medication very well?

If so - are there any ways to minimise it or cope better?

It's got to the point where it's become a real problem and I've ended up with a phobia of medication; I've put off having a wisdom tooth removed for a year because I was scared of what the anaesthetic would do and I'm failing to control my blood pressure because I really can't tolerate the drugs and get so anxious about it all.

If anyone has any input or ideas on this I'd be really grateful.

[sheppeyescapee]

I have a very strong reaction to medications, I am taking the strongest that my body will allow. Anything stronger and it knocks me back, sets off the autonomic problems (palpitations, stomach problems and so on). I cannot have anesthetics that have adrenaline in them because I react so strongly to it, this meant having 10 cartridges of the adrenaline free one and still it wore off way quicker than it should have. It is understandable to be anxious about it if you have had such strong reactions in the past to medications. Not sure what to suggest but wanted you to know you aren't alone

[tinselworm]

Thank you I know my anxiety around it doesn't help matters, but I wonder if it's an HMS thing that we do get more affected by meds than your average bear would. It'd be nice to know it wasn't all in my head, like the doctors keep telling me.

Yeah, tell me about the anaesthetics. I attempted to have my wisdom tooth pulled last week. I didn't dare have the adrenaline one because of my AF and PVCs, but 6 or 8 cartridges of the non-adrenaline one still didn't numb me enough to be able to have it done. Urgh. I'm going back tomorrow for another go, which I'm looking forward to about as much as a hole in the head

[Spireite]

I always seem to get a bad reaction or unusual side effects to any medication, so I won't take any except paracetomol. Local anaesthetic doesn't work and the pre-med I had years ago was like a huge caffeine hit. I'm not particularly anxious so that can't be blamed.

[slinkypusscat]

Hi Tinselworm, I'm with you on this one - I'm okay with one paracetemol but give me an adult dose and I'm anybody's!! I can't take anything with a hint of opiate, so no codeine type drugs or stronger painkillers, and can't tolerate any NSAIds such as diclofenac. My GP was pretty useless, just kept throwing me prescriptions "try this" "try that" but at almost £8 per medication I'm not too keen on sampling a couple of tablets and finding the side effects totally intolerable. I bought a handy pill cutter machine which means I can start any prescribed medication with 1/4 or 1/2 of one tablet to see how it goes, and the GP is now happy that I manage my own medication instead of sticking to the recommended dosages. I do take amitryptiline at night on occasions, but again at a baby dose about 1/3 of the prescribed minimum dosage. I've now decided that I would rather have the pain, and cope with TENS machine, hot/cold packs, acupuncture etc (or take to my bed if I really can't cope) as taking almost any medication just seems to barely blunt the pain but give me all sorts of other problems such as vomiting, dizziness, low BP, fainting or skin rashes!

[Spireite]

I had 1/4 minimum amitriptyline tablet which the GP said was sub-clinical and couldn't possibly do anything, but it knocked me for six and I slept for 20 hours solid and never saw daylight!