Nikki's Story:
July 21, 2023 by Nikki and Anne Heart
Although we wrote this post together, we have chosen to present the following story through Nikki’s experience.
Another journey, another drug
Nearly two years had gone by in search of a healthier and happier lifestyle.
Not progressing on the current prescription drug treatment plan, my counselor decided to add a new drug to my mix, Geodon.
Side effects began almost immediately after starting Geodon.
At first it was difficult to distinguish which drug was causing reactions, since I was now on four different medications.
Besides my irrational mood, loss of appetite, excessive mucus and cold like symptoms, the scariest reaction I had was my throat closing.
It started to become apparent that my reactions were being caused by Geodon.
With this recognition, I immediately contacted my counselor.
However, she insisted this was not from the Geodon.
I was told to stop taking another medication and continue to take the Geodon.
In fact, she increased the Geodon from 20 mg to 40 mg.
A week later, my throat closed again.
With my counselor now on vacation and out of the country, I made an appointment with my primary care physician.
After his evaluation of me, he stated I did not have swollen glands, any sign of a virus, nor where my symptoms those of a food allergy.
He did believe it was all a reaction from the Geodon.
To get another opinion, I decided to speak with my pharmacist.
He agreed with my primary care physcian that my symptoms were being caused by the Geodon.
With my counselor away, I could only leave a message for her and wait for her to reach out to me.
When she finally contacted me, she still insisted it wasn’t the Geodon.
Instead of withdrawing me from the Geodon, she insisted the best action would be to decrease back to the original 20 mg dosage.
At this point, I was so scared and confused and didn’t know who to trust.
Unfortunately, my counselor had me believing again this was the best course of action to take. So, I continued taking Geodon.
But my symptoms worsened.
Due to the excessive mucus, vomiting was a regular event for me.
After almost six months on Geodon, I finally convinced my counselor that it was doing more harm than good.
In January 2013, my counselor advised me to stop taking Geodon and immediately prescribed a new drug.
Being on prescription drugs since 2010, I was starting to question my treatment plan.
My counselor at the time had me so convinced that what I was being prescribed was the correct path for my wellness.
It still took years later to recognize it wasn’t.
So how can this happen?
How didn’t I recognize, nor my family, that I was on an incorrect treatment path for so long.
Easy. We trusted the medical professionals giving me advice.
For this journey, some of my side effects weren’t common for Geodon.
The individual drugs I was on indicated no reaction to each other.
So, what happened.
The reality of the situation is information regarding this exact combination and dosage is not available.
Was it the combination. I will never know.
I have become aware of the fact that I have a sensitivity to chemicals, additives, preservatives, etc.
Till this day, I have to convince any medical professional who provides treatment to me this is true.
I write my stories so I can give you the information you normally would not receive and may need.
My goal is to help you obtain the knowledge needed to live a happy and healthier lifestyle!
For you to find your correct path!
Note: All information in “Nikki’s Story” are based on detail journals covering seven years of Nikki’s life on prescription drugs.
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