Panafcort: Day One

So I saw the specialist on Thursday. And things didn’t go to well. Apart from me having to wait for over half an hour while I sweated, worried that I was about to be sick, I also had to sit in a crowded waiting room which included three screaming children.

I came close to standing up and telling reception that I had to wait outside; scared I was either going to throw up or pass out, when eventually I was seen to.

Anyway, that’s not what this post is about. Fast-forward to 20 minutes later, and I was so close to tears at the thought of taking Panafcort, or prednisone tablets. Or to put it another way – steroids.

My Aunty has Crohn’s and I remember her telling me to avoid any steroid medication if I could. So when the specialist said I’d be trialling it for a month and a half (give or take) I was not pleased.

I voiced my concerns and he told me that this was the best option for me right now. I’m not 100% convinced but if it stops the pain, the diarrhoea and anything else I’ve had to deal with, then I’m game. Sort of.

After I filled out my prescription, I went into to my car and I cried. I went home and I cried some more. Just looking at the bottle made me want to cry and I got a sleepless night on Thursday just thinking about taking it the next morning. The specialist said I was to take it immediately, starting the next day.

However, I called up my cardiologist first, just to make sure that the medication was ok for any heart problems that I have. Turns out it should be fine. The specialist told me this as well but because I’m such a worry wart, I had to make sure! I also think there was a part of me that was hoping that it wouldn’t be ok, and I wouldn’t have to take them.

Can you tell I was scared?

So Friday morning I took my first tablet after a big breakfast.

I had to get my brother to distract me, because I was so scared I felt like I was going to be sick after I took it. In my mind, I thought of Popeye and growing muscles and fat immediately and becoming all strong puffy. I imagined transforming from me to a marshmallow in seconds.

But that didn’t happen. In fact, I felt fine.

I even made it to work that afternoon.

By 9 o’clock we were closing the store, and I realised while my co-workers were beaten from the afternoon/nights work, I still had energy. On the way home, I was talking to my dad so fast he even voiced it aloud.

I felt hyperactive. Now, I don’t know if this was the panafcort. In fact, it probably wasn’t and in reality just my relief that I didn't go crazy or die after the first tablet.

I went to bed around 12am. However my earliest record of actually falling asleep wasn’t until 2am. And even then it was for 15 minutes thereabouts.

Throughout the night I tossed and turned and found it difficult to get to sleep. I was in and out of consciousness all night and I couldn’t tell you how much sleep I actually managed. I also had the weirdest dreams!

I was told by both my specialist and my chemist that insomnia may occur over the first few nights. I didn't realise it would happen after only one 25mg tablet.

Again, I keep thinking that maybe it wasn't the panafcort and that it was just me thinking that I wouldn’t get to sleep, and I was worried and stressed and that’s why I didn't get to sleep. But then who knows. I’m just trying to be as positive with this as I can.

Especially when at 3.30 am I had a Crohn’s (?), Steroid (?) attack. Then another at 8.30. I put the question marks there because I'm not sure whether it was my body reacting to the medication – which I read could happen when you first started taking them, or whether they’re not working yet and I just happened to have a mini Crohn’s attack.

Either way, after my second attack I had to change my bed sheets, so I'm not happy.

Today is Saturday, and I've taken my second dose this morning. I still weigh the same as I did yesterday morning (again, my irrational fear made me think I was going to gain 5 kilos overnight through water retention alone), I had another big breakfast and took my second tablet.

Like yesterday morning, I found the tablet dissolves really quickly and I felt sick with the after-taste of the tablet in my mouth – yuck! I'll have a tea or something ready for tomorrow morning.

So, there it was – day one. I'm already half way through day two and not much has changed. I do still feel like I have a lot of energy and I've been making sure I drink water like crazy. And seeing as it is summer here, I should be keeping hydrated anyway. I'm also finding it’s not so much physical energy, but mental – I feel like my brain is going at 100 miles per hour. But again, that could just be paranoia!

I'll let you know how my sleeping habits work out, and what other effects might occur during my course.