Paracetamol Deaths Fall
According to this article on the BBC, smaller pack sizes for paracetamol has led to fewer deaths, many of which are suicides.. However the number of suicides on the railways continues to grow to such a level, that special measures had to be taken.
And yesterday, it would appear that someone jumped off the roof of Eastfield. Accident? I doubt it!
The trouble with suicides, is that we try to stop them, by limiting the methods, when it would be better to stop the reasons people feel they might take their own life.
As to pain-killers, I rarely take them! A couple of years ago, I did have some severe pain after the stroke and had to resort to paracetamol, codeine and later amitriptyline. But I haven’t had a pain-killer since late 2010, although I may have had a small glass of the Scottish all-purpose remedy.
Painkillers Can Make Headaches Worse
This has been said on the television this morning. There’s more here.
I used to suffer from bad migraines brought on by flashing lights and exercise, but since being diagnosed as a coeliac and going on a gluten-free diet, I don’t get them any more.
I haven’t taken a painkiller since C died, except when I was suffering two years ago from bad pain in my face due to a tooth and when I had the tooth out.
If I have a slight pain, I use a measure of Scottish falling down liquid, diluted with London tap water.
Good Riddance To That Tooth
I broke the tooth many years ago and a couple of dentists had tried to fill it, but it always caused me a certain amount of pain. I don’t remember how I broke it, but I think it might have been on a bread roll in a Michelin-starred restaurant in Italy. The only person, who could know is C, and she has been gone for over four years now.
After the stroke it got painful and no matter what I did, it was giving me pain. Since the stroke it seemed to have got worse and I often thought it smelt of something like rotten fish. It will be three weeks tomorrow, since I had the tooth finally removed in the Royal London.
Since then, I’ve been to dentists twice to have a look at it and one gave me some antibiotics. A few days or so a small piece of tooth came through the gum.
Yeserday though, another piece came out and it was about the size of a child’s front tooth. The gum bled a bit, but by the time I got to bed and after a whisky, it was OK.
I also slept very well and long and woke without any tooth pain. And that means also none in the left hand side of my face for the first time in a year.
Strangely, my left hand seems to be working better in the typing.
It’ll be interesting to see what my dentist says, when he reviews it all on Wednesday.
My only regret is that I’d had it out a year ago. Or even earlier.
The Scottish Toothache Cure
Since my tooth was taken out, I have been in quite a bit of pain. Today it is a lot better, as a splinter of the tooth has just appeared in my mouth. It probably sneaked out through the gum, by the side of another tooth.
I can’t take Ibuprofen and paracetamol has helped, but the only thing that has really dulled the pain has been a small Scotch and water. My father was the same and preferred it to any pain killer. But then if the eminent Hugh Pennington recommends it, it must be right.
Taking The Plunge
I have had a bad molar tooth on the left hand side of my jaw for many years. Various dentists had attempted to fill it, but since the stroke, it had always given me a sort of dull pain. Not too serious but annoying anyway. I remember I asked my dentist in Felixstowe to have a look at it about eighteen months ago. He thought it might be a root canal job.
My new dentist in London, looked at it a couple of weeks ago and said that if it was him, he’d have the tooth out. after all, I lost the one on the other side about thirty years ago and it doesn’t cause me any problem.
So we decided to do the dirty deed on Wednesday the 14th!
Well that was the intention, but because of problems with my Warfarin and different views about how to handle it, my dentist and I decided that perhaps it might be better to use the Emergency Dentist at either the Royal London or Guys.
To me it wasn’t a choice, as the Royal London is just four stops away on the Overground from Dalston Junction. Guys is South of the river and I didn’t have a posse handy. I also have a lot of respect for the hospital, as Vanessa Wright and her team, saved the life of my granddaughter, who was born with a severe hole in her diaphragm.
I got to the Emergency Dentist department at about one and after giving my details and outlining my story, I was with a dentist by two. I was then X-rayed and by three, they were preparing to take out the errant tooth.
In the end they were very mob-handed. A female Chinese student originally from Hong Kong and a more experienced one probably from near the hospital, did most of the work.
But it got difficult and the Senior Tutor helped by effectively cutting the tooth in half, so they could dig it out bit-by-bit. It finally was removed just after 17:15.
It wasn’t too painful and they didn’t use any stitches. It was probably one of the most serious operations I’ve ever had without a full anaesthetic. Although being stitched up after my mugging in Naples was probably a lot more painful.
I suspect, I self-hypnotised myself by concentrating on the student’s eyes.
I got home OK, walking after the train from Whitechapel to Dalston Junction.
I thought I needed some cash for the morning, so I walked round the corner to the little Sainsburys. However, I then found that I didn’t need the money after all, so I came home.
As I crossed the zebra crossing, an ambulance stopped and waved towards me. I thought they were just asking me to cross, so I did.
It was only when I got home, that I realised that they might have been worried about me, as I had a rather bloody face and I was dabbing it with a bloody tissue. I did phone 101 to tell the Police, in case the ambulance had reported a mugging or assault.
After the football, I couldn’t sleep and now I’m sitting here typing, as a doctor has told that to lie down, will start the bleeding in the pocket again.
At least I had a clean tea-towel, which I’m cutting into small squares to mop up the blood.
The only thing , I’ve eaten is a couple of bananas.
Hope For Pain Sufferers
Whilst in the university, I picked up a copy of their Research Intelligence newsletter.
It fell open on an article about how Dr. Goebel at the University, has developed a new way to combat chronic pain. It is described here.
How Am I Doing?
I’m going to see my Doctor at Addenbrooke’s tomorrow, so I thought I’d write down a few notes.
If I start with my body and move downwards from the top of my head, I can summarise it as follows.
I was suffering a sort of itch and a sensitive scalp, but that seems to have reduced and almost stopped since, I’ve started taking the Amitriptyline. I’m only on one 10 mg. tablet a day and I take that just before bed, so that it helps me sleep reasonably well.
My brain seems to think clearly and I’ve started programming again. I do think though, that some of my memory functions aren’t too good, in that I make a mental note to do something and then forget it a few minutes later. But the long-term memory is intact and I can remember funny tales from years back with ease.
My eyes now seem to be working better, in that I have no trouble seeing anything as I walk around. Although, obviously, I’m not driving or even cycling. I also find that I can’t see the ball when I try to play table tennis. But I can use binoculars to look at things like the moons of Jupiter, which is something I couldn’t do when I left the hospital.
I do seem to have gone a bit deaf, but then I was always going that way.
I still have pain in the left side of my face and it gets worse as the afternoon progresses towards evening. I suspect this is because the Amitriptyline I took the night before is wearing off. I find too, that typing on the computer gets more difficult from about three and my eyes are tired.
My mouth is a bit sore, as my teeth tend to catch the inside of my left cheek. It could be that I’m cutting a Wisdom tooth, but my dentist is a long way away in Felixstowe. In addition, my teeth never seem clean. I wish there was a walk-in dental hygienist!
My right arm is a hundred percent, but my left hand is still a little wayward and there is pain the wrist. I can though now wear my heavy Rolex again, which C left for me as her last Christmas present. It has the inscription “J Xmas 2007 and Forever C” and I feel undressed without it.
I do find trouble reading newspapers, as I find it difficult to separate the pages. I had thought this was due to the stroke, but my friend, John, at the football has the same problem and he’s a fit farmer, who’s about my age. He reckons it’s the papers and the ink they use! So perhaps it’s just old age again!
There is also pain in my left humerus in the old injury, where the bully broke my arm at school. Again it gets worse as the day progresses.
I have been working on my core strength and don’t seem to suffer any pain or reactions in my trunk at all.
I do however have a bit of a problem with a mixture of constipation and diarrhoea. That’s probably the best way to describe it, as sometimes I find going a strain and at other times it’s loose like it was for most of my life before I was diagnosed as a coeliac.
Incidentally, when I typed that last paragraph, I just typed diarrhoea right for the first time in my life!
My legs are fine, although I do suffer the odd cramp at night in my left shin and my varicose veins are getting worse. But compared to my parents’ ones, they are minor.
I’m eating well and I’m now just about the same weight as I was this time last year of about 58.5 kilos stripped.
One slight problem is that I always seem to feel a bit cold during the day. But as I said, I’m sleeping well and am very warm in bed.
As to getting around, I have no problems, that others don’t have like late or missing trains and taxis that take forever to come. But how many who are recovering from strokes, have travelling as far as Inverness, Edinburgh, Middlesbrough, Sheffield and Crewe without any special assistance? I can’t wait to get to my new house in London, from where I can really explore the country.
I’m also managing well with the Warfarin. But it’s a system that is so antiquated and ill-thought out, that something should be done to create a proper National Anticoagulation Service, possibly based on pharmacies and the Internet. But I’ve not missed a correct dose and save for the odd small nose bleeds, I’ve not had any trouble.
I also think I felt a bit better after last Wednesday when I had my three-monthly B12 injection.
So let’s face it!
I could be much worse.
I sleep well, get tired, cook everything I need, travel where I want, but just feel trapped living in the country with a bit of nagging pain.
I’m moving so the first problem will go and I hope that the pain will fade away with time.
It Would Appear It’s Nothing Serious
The doctor did a thorough job and used all the equipment in his back-room to give my sinuses a thorough check-over and it would appear it’s nothing more serious than neuralgia. I’m to have a CT Scan for a final check and go back to see him in six weeks.
So that isn’t too bad is it?
He also gave me some pain killers to take before I go to bed.
A Pain Diary
This is a set of notes to see if I can find the best strategy for controlling the pain.
Tuesday, 31st August
10:00 – The pain in my jaw, face and arm is bad. I’ll give it 7/10.
11:00 – The doctor gives me some 15 mg. codiene tablets and says to take one or two, three times a day. He says it won’t hurt if I mix them with paracetamol.
12:00 – I take two codiene and one paracetamol tablets.
13:00 – Lunch is one of Waitrose tiffins, which I feel helps my mouth.
14:00 – Pain is down to about 5/10 and I sleep for perhaps an hour.
17:00 – I’ve done quite a bit of typing this afternoon, so the left hand isn’t too bad. Pain still 5/10.
19:00 – Pain now about 6/10, so I’ve taken another two codiene.
20:00 – Supper was a tuna steak, peas and sauce followed by raspberries and yoghurt. It was surprisingly easy to eat and the fruit and yoghurt was very soothing. I should say that I still eat peas with my right hand, using the fork as a spoon. Pain is now about 4/10.
Wednesday 1st Setember
06:00 – I have just got up after a good night’s sleep or at least a very reasonable one. I didn’t take one of the sleeping pills either. Pain is about 3/10.
07:00 – Just taken one codiene and one paracetamol.
12:00 – On the way to Lingfield, I took two codiene and one paracetamol to keep the pain level to about 4/10.
17:00 – Supper was pasta in Carlucciuo’s with a still lemonade. Pain still about 4/10.
19:00 – On the train home to Whittlesford, I actually slept for twenty minutes or so, so the pain level was probably a bit less. I didn’t end up in Cambridge either!
21:00 – Just cook one codiene and one paracetamol before bed. I’m trying to keep the number I take each day to below the maximum, as that gives me a margin for if the pain gets worth. Pain is probably at a 3/10 level.
Thursday 2nd September
07:00 Woke up after a good night’s sleep. Pain in the face after a cup of tea. Perhaps 4/10.
08:00 – Took one codiene and one paracetamol.
11:00 – I went to see a physiotherapist, who used some electrical therapy on my arm and also said that some of problems there were because I don’t sit straight up.
15:00 – I’ve peeled a few potatoes for a fish pie and the cold water and the movement seems to hsve eased the pain in my wrist. The pain level is about 3/10.
22:00 – As with yesterday, I have a codiene and a paracetamol before going to bed. The pain level is about 3/10.
Friday 3rd September
07:00 – Slept well with no problems.
09:00 – Took one codiene and a paracetamol. Pain level about 4/10.
18:00 – Took one codiene and a paracetamol. Pain level about 4/10. Pain mainly in a tooth. Did find that a slice of Marian’s chocolate cake had a beneficial effect.
Saturday 4th September
07:00 My arm wasn’t good in the morning and I had a bit of trouble putting a shirt on as I couldn’t find the left arm-hole.
22:00 – I didn’t have too much pain all day and had perhaps one paracetamol, when I got up and one in the evening. Pain level about 4/10.
Sunday 5th September
07:00 – I woke up much better this morning after a lot of sleep. I took a paracetamol. The pain level was 3/10.
21:00 – Not much pain at 3/10 and I’ll probably take a paracetamol before I retire.
Monday 6th September
07:00 – I slept well with little pain. Perhaps about 5/10.
The Anonymous Widower 