Doxycycline and me DON'T mix!!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have pneumonia. I got diagnosed with it (again!) last Wednesday, along with Sinusitis. How fun for me. I went in there with Ansel because he had a bizarre rash that they worried was because of Amoxycillin he was taking (turned out just to be a viral rash, thank heavens) and because I was feeling like death warmed over. Sure enough, Pneumonia again (had it just before Thanksgiving too). I made sure the doctor knew that I was breastfeeding and was careful to ask again, later, if the antibiotic she was prescribing was okay for breastfeeding. She assured me it was, and I went ahead and picked up my prescription and went home.

Fast forward to Friday night, (a couple hours after the Patty Cake episode and with the Wood kids at our house) I get ready for bed and take my 2nd dose of the day of Doxycycline (my antibiotic). So far I had taken 5 doses. The doctor suggested I take them with food and so far I had been really good about taking it with food. That night, though, the food and the pills were spread out by 45 minutes, but I really didn't think much of it because the doctor said it wasn't a big deal if that happened.

Fast forward 3 hours. I am fast asleep, but having really strange dreams about food hurting my stomach. I keep eating, but every food I try (in my dream) hurts my stomach. The pain gets worse and worse and worse, until all of a sudden I wake up. And guess what. . . yes, my stomach is hurting terribly. I feel like someone is burning a hole in it and it is spasming wildly. I think, to myself, that I must not have been close enough to eating when I took the medicine and so it was hurting my stomach, so I go take two tums and a glass of milk. That usually works for Ibuprofen or prenatal pills. Instead of helping, things get worse, my stomach starts foaming. I start to panic a bit, and go look at the label on the medicine bottle. As I read, it just gets worse. There on the label it says "DO NOT take if breastfeeding. Stop immediately and consult a doctor". . . . . . What?!?! I had specifically asked the doctor if it was okay and she had said yes!

I get online and look up Doxycycline on drugs.com and read. It says that it goes through breast milk and affects the nursing child, in fact pregnant women and children under the age of eight are NOT to take it unless it is an anthrax infection. SHEEESHZ, this isn't looking good. But why? ? ??. . . . .A little further down it says that it permanently stains forming teeth a yellow gray brown. Oh no!! What about Kaelan?!!!! Now I am MAD!!! Hopefully I didn't take it long enough, only 2 1/2 days out of the 14, so it won't stain Kaelan's teeth or harm him. Nothing about food versus nonfood. It says either is fine. There is no reaction listed like the one I am having. Great.

I call the advice nurse. Now, remember this is about 3am in the morning. The nurse on the phone says it is probably heart burn. . . . I don't think so, it doesn't feel like any heartburn I've ever had. He does say that it is weird that milk and tums didn't help. But, I take his advice and stay upright until it goes away. Only one problem. It doesn't go away. I am writhing in this horrible burning, clenching pain for 3 hours until exhaustion finally hits and I slip off into a fretful sleep. I wake up around 8am (2 hours later) still in considerable pain. Time to take action. Off I go to Urgent care. Meanwhile, Joe is at home with eight kids (our and the Wood's).

The doctor is very diligent, asks a million questions and comes up with a drug in toleration. I ask why it took so long to show up and he says that is normal. Basically it is like an allergic reaction in my stomach. He gives me a GI cocktail (he calls it) a mixture of Mylanta, barbiturates, and a nerve deadening medicine. It feels like snot in my mouth, foul. But at least I can't feel the clenching as badly. He marks off Doxycycline as a BIG no no for me in my medical chart. Now comes the hard part. I am to go on a clear liquids ONLY diet for 2 days, more- if it is still hurting by 2 days. I am also supposed to take it easy. Then I am to slowly progress to a BRAT diet (Bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) for a few days before resuming normal eating. "Wow", I say "That is a pretty big order, why?" Well, basically because it has damaged my stomach and it needs time to heal. "oh. Wow." I am stunned. He gives a prescription for peps id, which I am to take RELIGIOUSLY twice a day for two to three weeks, to help with the healing. Then, I am on my way home.

First thing I do, when I get home, is try a little apple juice (clear liquid - he said). My stomach rejects it violently. Water. . . . same thing. I am going to dehydrate quickly if my stomach keeps this up. He had said he was concerned that I would have a hard time staying hydrated, now I believe him. Over the course of the day the pain stays pretty constant, but I have energy, and unfortunately I feel hunger pains through it all, which actually make it worse. We go to the park with the kids (that helps keep my mind off of it). Aimee and Allen come over, THEY all have pizza and I am tortured with all the good smells. ME and my water on the couch. But, by the time I go to bed the pain is only there (noticeably) when I drink. Today has been much better. I am way beyond hungry though. Don't feel that kind of pain anymore, but anytime I try to lay on my side it feels like someone is trying to rip my stomach out. Hopefully by tomorrow I will be on my way to BRAT, and start taking my new antibiotic for my pneumonia. What I am really grumpy about, though, is the fact that I had to use all three of my sick days for my Healthy Living Challenge in one week. How fair is that?!?!?!?

Seriously though, of all the strange things that could happen? ?. . . . . .