I feel ilike I needed to share this. If I can get this warning out there, if someone’s finding read an extensive blog on QuikEze and the trouble I got myself into when I was eating a shitload of them. I was taking massive amounts of these every day for a long period of time. Today one of the doctors I saw read me my calcium levels, which had dropped since my last blood test a month ago, when I was in hospital and had tests there, they showed my calcium levels had been at such dangerous levels that I was on the verge of needing dialysis. I was so close to that outcome. I have also added this entry numerous times, so I won’t cover everything I have already detailed elsewhere, but I will say this — keep away from this antacid. The doctor said she had seen a couple of similar instances in the past; one patient developed pancreatitis. This is not the way to die. In hospital for a week I had a blood test and the reading was alarmingly high — it was a nine and the result warranted consideration of dialysis. Today my levels were 51 after a three-week recovery of good food, proper meds and plenty of water. I was not drinking alcohol or using drugs; I was straight edge. One thing that surprised me was being told I had been drinking too much water. This came as a shock — I was consuming close to ten liters a day and was warned I should drink no more than three. Who would believe water could cause issues? I truly thought I was doing myself a favor.
These levels were welcomed, and a weight was lifted from my shoulders — my ceasing of copious amounts of Quickeze, the lack of water, and my poor management of medications all contributed to the crisis. I have never tripped or hallucinated this hard in my life, and that’s a definite statement. I was severely dehydrated and utterly a mess; Mum and Dad didn’t think I was going to make it. Those factors pushed me into a psychotic state and I ended up causing all sorts of concern on the ward. I feel terrible for the distress I caused the staff — it was awful for everyone involved. I was pulling out my IVs and roaming around the ward, even having to shuffle about embarrassingly with my urine bag still attached. I eventually had my dose adjusted and you should be all right after that. I keep wondering why these drugs can be purchased off the shelf wherever I go; they shouldn’t be so freely available without a prescription. I can think of plenty of other medications that require scripts which perhaps could be sold more openly, but this one is dangerous. Quickeze should carry a clear warning — after all, it nearly killed me.
All my meds were half worked out and I was written referrals to a psychiatrist, a neurosurgeon and because my heartrate was up, I have to have to do a 24 hour recording of my rapid heartbeat, It seriously doesn’t end. Oh, and that concern I had over my kidneys and liver, well they were back to normal too. This happened over a week! Good news for today.
The nurse was excellent. In all my years I had never encountered a doctor so alert and attentive as this woman. She was brilliant — spending nearly an hour with me and methodically working through each of the many issues I’ve been facing, determined to get to the root of them. Much respect.
She asked me whether I drank, did drugs, or smoked. I said no, but added that I do vape. She basically told me that wasn’t the biggest of my problems, and suggested I didn’t want to give up something that eases my nerves given everything I already had going on. She downplayed the vape and made me feel I had enough other concerns, even implying I was meant to be dead by now anyway, so in the big scheme of things it wasn’t a major issue. I’ll worry about this later in life. Ten out of ten for this doctor, especially at such a daunting, dive-like hospital in Frankston. I’m going to need to start using my private health cover!