Eighteen pills a day. Nine in the morning and nine at night. I’ve been told that the benefits are worth the risks but at times I am not so sure.
One is for muscle pain, it keeps me from feeling like I am covered in bruises. I take it morning and night.
One is for joint pain, it makes sure that I can move but it may eat through my stomach lining. I take it morning and night.
One is for my skin, it keeps my “butterfly” rash from being too severe. But it causes me to have severe acid reflux. I take it morning and night.
One is for blood pressure, it helps with my migraines and keeps my heart rate down. I take it morning and night.
One is for allergies, it also helps with migraines. I take it in the morning.
One is for muscle spasms, it helps me sleep and keeps my back from causing me immense pain. I take it at night.
One is for malaria, yes I know that I don’t have that but it helps suppress my immune system and if I ever go to Central America I’ll be covered. But it may cause me to go blind. I take it morning and night.
I take B12 to help with fatigue and heart health. I take it in the morning.
I take calcium because my medications increase my risk for bone loss. I take it morning and night.
I take a multivitamin for obvious reasons. I take it at night.
And the last one, I take morning and night, is for depression, because when you have to take all of these medications in order to live a somewhat normal life how could you not have issues with depression?
I’ve split them up so that I only take nine at a time to keep myself from gagging. Every time I take them I have to drink a huge glass of water or it feels like they are stuck in my throat. And I have to eat within an hour of taking them or I will be nauseous. I am lucky that I only have these because there are some Lupus patients that have to take twice as many and some with worse side effects than mine. Without these pills I cannot live. I would be stuck in bed in pain. I wouldn’t be able to take care of my family or myself. I never thought that in my life I would become so dependent on any medication but I have no other choice. For better or worse this is my life.