(no subject)
I have Parkinsonism.
Not Parkinson's Disease.
But Parkinsonism.
I'm still trying to figure out what exactly the difference is, but que sera sera.
I've been treated tardive dyskinesia since like lmao forever ago but in reality like nine to ten years. My doctor at Shreveport Mental Health started to point out to me that I would lick my lips. I didn't really know what the fuck he was talking about and I just kinda ignored it.
As I've changed mental health places twice since then the doctors...the nurses...are still noticing the symptoms.
Tardive dyskinesia in my case at least presented itself after I was given an antipsychotic for my mental health issues. Do I know which antipsychotic it was? Nope. I've been one so many different ones, but I know that it's usually caused by first-generation atypicals.
I started to have tremors in my arm. I told my doctor about it. He told me it was tardive dystonia. He suggested another pill for it: cogentin. I didn't want to be yet another medication, but I somehow didn't mind taking yet another vitamin. So I started to take Vitamin E.
Fast forward to 2019. I'm moving slow as fuck. Having trouble getting out bed. Moving...in...slow...mo. My mom would mention it and I would be like: tis fine! Tis just a scratch!
But the nurse practitioner...She noticed a problem. One I had denied. One I didn't believe in. She immediately took me off of Ingrezza (a pill specifically for tardive dyskinesia) and put me on amantadine.
Great! I thought! Well, those issues are over amirite?
Nope.
They didn't get worse. The tremors in my arm were about the same and I can't see what's going on on my face so I wasn't too bothered.
But...my mind said...I'm on too many medications and I don't like it!
So I asked them if I could go off the amantadine.
THEM: (long pause) You still need to be on that for now.
ME: (confused but nonargumentative) Okay!
I was still on that red pill in the hospital. I didn't question it. Honestly, I didn't give a fuck. I just wanted to sleep.
But as I looked at my discharge papers I saw: Parkinsonism.
And it struck fear in my heart.
Not Parkinson's Disease.
But Parkinsonism.
I'm still trying to figure out what exactly the difference is, but que sera sera.
I've been treated tardive dyskinesia since like lmao forever ago but in reality like nine to ten years. My doctor at Shreveport Mental Health started to point out to me that I would lick my lips. I didn't really know what the fuck he was talking about and I just kinda ignored it.
As I've changed mental health places twice since then the doctors...the nurses...are still noticing the symptoms.
Tardive dyskinesia in my case at least presented itself after I was given an antipsychotic for my mental health issues. Do I know which antipsychotic it was? Nope. I've been one so many different ones, but I know that it's usually caused by first-generation atypicals.
I started to have tremors in my arm. I told my doctor about it. He told me it was tardive dystonia. He suggested another pill for it: cogentin. I didn't want to be yet another medication, but I somehow didn't mind taking yet another vitamin. So I started to take Vitamin E.
Fast forward to 2019. I'm moving slow as fuck. Having trouble getting out bed. Moving...in...slow...mo. My mom would mention it and I would be like: tis fine! Tis just a scratch!
But the nurse practitioner...She noticed a problem. One I had denied. One I didn't believe in. She immediately took me off of Ingrezza (a pill specifically for tardive dyskinesia) and put me on amantadine.
Great! I thought! Well, those issues are over amirite?
Nope.
They didn't get worse. The tremors in my arm were about the same and I can't see what's going on on my face so I wasn't too bothered.
But...my mind said...I'm on too many medications and I don't like it!
So I asked them if I could go off the amantadine.
THEM: (long pause) You still need to be on that for now.
ME: (confused but nonargumentative) Okay!
I was still on that red pill in the hospital. I didn't question it. Honestly, I didn't give a fuck. I just wanted to sleep.
But as I looked at my discharge papers I saw: Parkinsonism.
And it struck fear in my heart.