I went to the doctor this morning again, ears feeling like they had been stuffed much like a turkey at Thanksgiving, head feeling clogged like a toilet with too much paper in it, and coughing a new song which will never hit the top 40. After being checked by the doctor (cold hands and all) I was told the sinus infection just wasn’t clearing up so well and now I needed more medication. Those of you who have read some of my diabetes posts know that I take a variety of meds for that condition so adding to my medication stockpile I now have 3 more as of today. While temporary, two of the three are to be used until they are completely gone. One is a nasal spray and the other is an inhaler. I have no problem using those and they seemed to help me immediately. The tablet I am to take beginning Thursday morning as the doctor thought it would be best to let the generic Zithromax work a bit longer.

The tablet is the reason for this posting. Levaquin is some really tripped out tablet! It’s used for infections such as I have, that aren’t completely cured by the original medication given and is also used for anthrax. Yes, you did read that right. Anthrax. So I questioned why this was given to me. I was told it would help get rid of the rest of the bacteria in my system that is clogging up my interior parts.

The expense is one thing (over $160 of which my insurance covered all but $50), but the four sheets worth of information that came along with the medication just about floored me! The side effects are rather alarming and very lengthy. I will list them here so everyone knows: tendinitis, pancreatitis, liver damage, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, fever, weakness, itching, abdominal pain or tenderness, unusual tiredness, loss of appetite, light colored bowel movements, dark colored urine, seizures, hallucinations, feeling restless, tremors, anxiety, nervousness, confusion, trouble sleeping, depression, nightmares, feeling lightheaded, paranoia, suicidal thoughts or acts, hives, trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling of the lips/face/tongue, hoarseness, throat tightness, rapid heartbeat, fainting, yellowing of the skin or eyes, skin rash, diarrhea (which could signal a problem with your colitis), heart rhythm changes, changes in blood sugar (could be low or high), sensitivity to sunlight, and joint problems. But the manufacturer did list the most common side effects as being: dizziness, headache, constipation, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. Oh, joy! What have I gotten myself into???

After consulting the doctor’s office again and the pharmacist I was informed in the years they have dispensed this drug no one had complained to them about any side effects. Ok, so here I am, guinea pig #1 in this household ready to try this medication in an effort to get better since I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. I did check a lot of blogs and websites online about Levaquin. Some were very disturbing. Some just mentioned using the drug and not getting many side effects. I feel my chances of having a huge problem might be about 89/100. So I will try this new to me drug and hope it does what it’s supposed to do without messing up my body and what’s left of my poor head, brain included. Honestly, Levaquin has enough side effects that it should literally scare the sinus infection out of my body. If I was a sinus cavity bacteria my bags would be packed and I’d be running out the the body I was inhabiting as fast as I could slide, slip or wiggle.

Keep posted because I will be updating this post once I begin this medication and I will not lie to you about the side effects. If I feel any, they will be noted here. That’s the only way we can keep the drug companies honest enough. They make a lot of money from us and the truth about their drugs needs to be told.

Dianne stated in her book that she learned she was severely allergic to soy. She had almost died due to eating what she considered a healthy diet, which included soy. She began to gain weight, felt sick to her stomach, had nausea, diarrhea, and then almost died due to anaphylactic shock. All because she ate and drank a lot of soy products. She learned the hard way, but she wrote this book so others won’t have to learn as she did. Soy is not good for everyone.

No longer does Dianne take life for granted. She has to be very careful not to let soy ruin her life. Perhaps that is what the rest of us should also do. Cutting back on the amount of soy in your diet may help lessen problems in the future. Children are subjected to soy on a daily basis, even babies. Soy is in baby foods, soy milk, soy bars, cereals and more. We as parents have to be on the look out for dangerous things our children may eat or drink. Read labels when you are in the grocery store. If the label states soy or lecithin, and some vegetable oils in the first three ingredients, then the product has too much soy.

Soy is grown to be an emulsifier in foods. An emulsifier is a food additive that prevents separation of sauces or other processed foods. Soy is used widely in Asia, where it is fermented. The United States does not ferment the soy beans, leaving in the toxins. This may be part of the problem which Dianne suggests. More and more babies are being fed soy milk, resulting in health issues as they grow up. Studies indicate Mrs. Gregg may be right, but she may also be wrong. Would it really hurt to lessen the amount of soy in your diet? Read her book. The price is low enough so you can buy it, but it’s also well worth spending those few dollars to understand the dangers soy can have on your own health and that of your family.

To limit MSG intake it’s better to cook food from scratch and check the list of ingredients on packaging to make sure there is not a lot of MSG in the food. As always, it’s better to spend a few minutes to read the labels carefully before putting a product in the grocery cart!

Mom has been ordered by her doctor to watch her sodium intake. She’s become someone who checks package lists for certain ingredients, especially MSG. She’s lost weight since starting this, so maybe it really is a good idea to cut back on the amount of sodium she uses daily.