Pain Killers.

[Paul Laycock1]

I have been taking GABAPENTIN 300 MG LOCAL(S twice a day, one after breakfast and one at 5pm. Also ALPRAZOLAM 1 MG* Zolam?

These are taken for pain in my legs (deep vein thrombosis).

I spoke to my Father yesterday and he commented that a lot of what I was saying was very slurred and incoherent, I have noticed this myself.

I am 63. Could this be the drugs? Google isn’t much help when I looked.

[faraday]

Go to see a doctor now.

 

Do not postpone it. Go now.

[Pilotman]

Absolutely go and get checked out and scanned, NOW.  No it's not normal and google is no help.   Good luck  

[Paul Laycock1]

I should add I’m wheel chair bound and unable to get out of the house without out the help of two people lifting me down my stairs.

I don’t see the point in seeing a doctor who will only prescribe me more pills or say go to hospital.

[NCC1701A]

20 minutes ago, Paul Laycock1 said:

that a lot of what I was saying was very slurred and incoherent, I have noticed this myself.

could be a stroke. i would make the trip ASAP.

 

5 Warning Signs of Stroke

• Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg (especially on one side of the body).
• Sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech.
• Sudden vision problems in one or both eyes.
• Sudden difficulty walking or dizziness, loss of balance or problems with coordination.
• Severe headache with no known cause.

Edited July 20, 2019 by NCC1701A

[Paul Laycock1]

Stroke. My thoughts as well, I have already had two some years ago.

 

[Pilotman]

9 minutes ago, Paul Laycock1 said:

I should add I’m wheel chair bound and unable to get out of the house without out the help of two people lifting me down my stairs.

I don’t see the point in seeing a doctor who will only prescribe me more pills or say go to hospital.

Then why ask TV for advice if you are not going to take it into serious consideration?  Hospital can deal with your WC issue easily, but if you just want to keep guessing and not making the effort to seek medical help, then definitely good luck, you may well need it.   

[Pilotman]

Just now, Paul Laycock1 said:

Stroke. My thoughts as well, I have already had two some years ago.

 

how much warning do you need then???? 

[Paul Laycock1]

Thanks for the replies, my initial enquirey was more about the medication I have been prescribed. As I said Google was no help.

I didn’t intend to turn this into a poor Paul hard luck post.

[faraday]

Just now, Paul Laycock1 said:

Thanks for the replies, my initial enquirey was more about the medication I have been prescribed. As I said Google was no help.

I didn’t intend to turn this into a poor Paul hard luck post.

Could be, but.....go to the doctor.

[Sheryl]

ALPRAZOLAM  is not a pain killer. It is a tranquilizer in the same family as valium (and equally addictive) and does cause sedation. So could be the culprit (and I would seriously question why it was presecribed...)

 

However with a known blood clot it is imperative you rule out a stroke, quickly

 

Gabapentin is also an odd choice as it is for nerve pain.

 

In addition to a trip to the ER now, you need I think a change of doctor.

[Airbagwill]

"I don’t see the point in seeing a doctor who will only prescribe me more pills or say go to hospital."

 

then why ask for advice????

Also you don't even seem to understand what drugs you are on and why............

 

Get a doctor who can communicate to you.....this can be difficult in Thailand.

 

PS - why on earth are you not on the ground floor if you a wheel chair user?

[Paul Laycock1]

Sheryl,

 

Thanks for the reply, that clears up the drugs. Over the last few weeks I have been to three different hospitals my local Loengnoktha, then Mukdahan International who kept me there over night and did nothing so I checked out the last hospital I went to was Mukdahan Inter a private hospital. Each hospital just wants to give me cream for my legs.

 

My sister in law looks after me 24hours a day cooking, shopping, and changing my bandages on each leg. Don’t really know where to go now with doctors of a high proficiency and not just junior upstarts.

Thanks for the reply anyway.

[Paul Laycock1]

Airbag will,

 

I am on the ground floor but as with most houses and buildings stairs are involved for entry. If I tried to even get from the front door to my small patio I would crash flat on my face.

[cyril sneer]

probably the xanax (alprazolam)

 

people seriously thinking he's having a stroke?

[RichardColeman]

Didn't google it that well - slurred speech is on the list of common side effects

https://www.drugs.com/sfx/alprazolam-side-effects.html

Edited July 20, 2019 by RichardColeman

[watcharacters]

1 hour ago, Paul Laycock1 said:

Airbag will,

 

I am on the ground floor but as with most houses and buildings stairs are involved for entry. If I tried to even get from the front door to my small patio I would crash flat on my face.

 

Maybe time to consider moving to a more appropriate place for you.

 

 

 

[marcusarelus]

Where are you?  What town?  

[Paul Laycock1]

marcusarelus, I live in Loengnoktha.

[RJRS1301]

2 hours ago, Paul Laycock1 said:

Airbag will,

 

I am on the ground floor but as with most houses and buildings stairs are involved for entry. If I tried to even get from the front door to my small patio I would crash flat on my face.

Why not have a ramp installed for ease of access??

 

[Sheryl]

Sheryl,
 
Thanks for the reply, that clears up the drugs. Over the last few weeks I have been to three different hospitals my local Loengnoktha, then Mukdahan International who kept me there over night and did nothing so I checked out the last hospital I went to was Mukdahan Inter a private hospital. Each hospital just wants to give me cream for my legs.
 
My sister in law looks after me 24hours a day cooking, shopping, and changing my bandages on each leg. Don’t really know where to go now with doctors of a high proficiency and not just junior upstarts.
Thanks for the reply anyway.

Paul,

I am a bit confused. You said in the OP you have a Deep Vein Thrombosis. But what you describe here hardly sounds like it.

Was or was not a DVT diagnosed? It would have required an ultrasound of your leg veins and if positive you would have been given anticoagulant medication.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Sheryl]

P.S. you are a good 2 to 3 hours drive fron a good hospital. Best option in your area probably Ubon Ratchathani regional hospital. About 2 hr drive.

 

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

[Pilotman]

Sheryl, this OP is just not listening to you, or to anyone else.  Your advice is obviously sound and he should act, fast, but he just keeps coming up with excuses for not doing anything.   I would not be so cavalier with my own life.  

[SteveK]

Someone qualified to answer this:

 

Both your medications can cause the symptoms you describe. Combining both medications only makes it worse, and side effect of these kinds of drugs are more prominent with advancing age.

 

If you don't have any actual symptoms of a stroke, you DO NOT need to go to a hospital. You may need a comprehensive medicines review, PM me for advice. These posts saying you've had a stroke are quite frankly ridiculous. If that's the case, I have a stroke every night after my 4th beer.

 

The fact that you are on here typing and understanding everything suggests that you are just suffering from combined drug intoxication. If I posted on here that I found a mole that I have never seen before everyone would say "oh my god get it checked out ASAP, go to the hospital, it is a stage IV melanoma" etc etc, these people are not doctors but in most cases idiots just causing panic when they don't know what they are talking about.

Edited July 20, 2019 by SteveK

[Sheryl]

The reason for the concern re a stroke is because he stated he has a DVT.

Slurred speech in someone with a DVT is an altogether different magnitude of risk than in someone without a known blood clot in their leg.

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[SteveK]

6 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Slurred speech in someone with a DVT is an altogether different magnitude of risk than in someone without a known blood clot in their leg.
 

Only because previous DVT increases the risk of stroke, in this case any doctor worth their salt would notice immediately that he is taking two intoxicating drugs twice a day and is now completely lucid. 600mg of gabapentin would put me on the floor.

 

I'm sure there are plenty of people slurring their speech tonight in Pattaya, maybe all the ones with any kind of medical history should be advised to go to the hospital immediately?

Edited July 20, 2019 by SteveK

[Sheryl]

He indicated a CURRENT DVT not previous one. Very different matter.

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[SteveK]

1 minute ago, Sheryl said:

He indicated a CURRENT DVT not previous one. Very different matter.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

You don't know what you're talking about. If he had a current DVT he would not be posting on a forum! He would be in hospital being pumped full of tenecteplase.

Edited July 20, 2019 by SteveK

[sunnyboy2018]

5 hours ago, Sheryl said:

ALPRAZOLAM  is not a pain killer. It is a tranquilizer in the same family as valium (and equally addictive) and does cause sedation. So could be the culprit (and I would seriously question why it was presecribed...)

 

However with a known blood clot it is imperative you rule out a stroke, quickly

 

Gabapentin is also an odd choice as it is for nerve pain.

 

In addition to a trip to the ER now, you need I think a change of doctor.

I concur. Go to a good hospital or a real clinic.  Weaning yourself of Alprazolam will be very difficult. 

[SteveK]

56 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

Weaning yourself of Alprazolam will be very difficult. 

That depends on how long he has been taking it for. If he's only been on it a few weeks he almost certainly will be able to just stop it with no consequences. Gabapentin is also hard to stop if you've been taking it for a long time, but in the same vein, if he hasn't been on it long he should be fine. People should not be giving this guy advice if they don't even understand what these drugs are, it's quite frankly ridiculous.

 

Alprazolam is an anxiolytic. That means it reduces anxiety, it is NOT a tranquiliser.

 

Gabapentin is a drug which works on the nerves, primarily released as an anticonvulsant, but also is useful for pain caused by nerve damage and has anxiolytic activity. 

 

Both of these drugs can be intoxicating and cause slurred speech, even more so when taken together (especially at 600mg gabapentin which is a reasonably high dose).

 

Slurred speech is a symptom of stroke. But someone posting about it on a forum afterwards is not.

 

I would suggest that you see a doctor, when you get a chance, to get your meds reviewed, if you've actually had a stroke I will eat my wife's handbag collection. If you want professional advice for free from someone who has spent 15 years prescribing in geriatric wards in the UK and reviewing patients' medication, then send me a PM.

 

Edited July 20, 2019 by SteveK