Help! How counter accidental narcotics?

Subject: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 30 Apr 03 - 06:43 PM

I'm trying to give a final and my dr. says I am having a very rare "delayed reaction" to my anesthetic - in plain Hungarian I am having the whirlies incredible from the Demerol they gave me yesterday - after being fine this morning. HELP! Anything easily available? I am afraid to drive anywhere but I have a snack bar... the exam isn't for another hour...

Subject: RE: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: Allan C.
Date: 30 Apr 03 - 06:48 PM

Give your doctor another call. I doubt, though, that there is anything that will counteract the effects within the allotted time.

Subject: RE: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 30 Apr 03 - 07:02 PM

Four shots of vodka and two cups of black coffee.

Subject: RE: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: Allan C.
Date: 30 Apr 03 - 07:05 PM

We want to cure her; not kill her, Greg.

Subject: RE: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 30 Apr 03 - 07:06 PM

Man - why isn't there a tea for this yet?

Subject: RE: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 30 Apr 03 - 07:08 PM

Get help. May be an allergic reaction as well.

~S~

Subject: RE: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: katlaughing
Date: 30 Apr 03 - 07:11 PM

Mrz, get hold of your doc and your prof..see if you can put the final off and how long it takes for the stuff to wear off, but make sure the doc is clear as to whether it is an allergic reaction or not. Just don't feck around with it, okay?!

Subject: RE: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Apr 03 - 07:13 PM

Cancel the final take a taxi home.

Subject: RE: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 30 Apr 03 - 07:15 PM

I have ride offers, yes. I don't know if I can legally delay the final... I've been running into trouble. I think I'll just lie down on the couch in the hallway until they are done...

Subject: RE: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: Ebbie
Date: 30 Apr 03 - 10:03 PM

After I had surgery last year, reacting to narcotics was my main problem. I too had the whirlies from morphine, perco something and vicodin. Vicodin was the worst- I almost literally couldn't tell which way was up even though I was in bed. That one even scared the RN- she told me to just let myself go to sleep, be knocked out, in other words. I did, and woke up almost 4 hours later...

No way could I have done any exams. I'll echo the others: Call your doctor.

Subject: RE: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: GUEST,Dreaded Guest
Date: 30 Apr 03 - 10:08 PM

Send me the Demerol for analysis.

Subject: RE: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: Peg
Date: 30 Apr 03 - 11:22 PM

Demerol is highly addictive; see if there's anything else they can give you!!
I am a wimp when it comes to drugs of ths sort; even too much codeine makes me ill.

Subject: RE: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 30 Apr 03 - 11:55 PM

Mmmmm... Demerol and codeine... 2 of my favourite fruits!

Or in the immortal words of The Sprawl...

"It's not like I'm using... it's just like my body has developed this massive drug deficiency."

,-)

Subject: RE: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: NicoleC
Date: 01 May 03 - 12:29 AM

Most colleges provide for medical contingencies. A note from the doc should do the trick, or the prof may let you retake the exam in a day or two. (Is it that you are the one giving the exam? Can another teacher take over?) People DO have medical emergencies; there has to be some sort of contingency plan.

I can think of stuff that might help in 6 or 7 or 12 hours -- but one? If you can delay your final, I suggest lots of water (the world's best diuretic), an enema, lots of sleep, no food unless you're really hungry (so your body can concentrate on eliminating the culprit) and you feel the need to eat, choose something easily digestable, like fruit juice. None of the above will hurt you and it might help.

Subject: RE: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: Pied Piper
Date: 01 May 03 - 05:33 AM

Bugger the exam look after your health.
PP

Subject: RE: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: MMario
Date: 01 May 03 - 08:27 AM

umh - guys? she said she was *giving* the exam....

But hopefully she will check in so we know she's all right.

Subject: RE: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: GUEST
Date: 01 May 03 - 09:18 AM

Why in god's name would someone with a potential lethal drug reaction, be writing to this forum for advice rather than seeking medical attention?

And this person is in a position of authority over others?

Subject: RE: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: steadigene
Date: 01 May 03 - 10:13 PM

I always seek medical help on a message board.

Subject: RE: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 May 03 - 10:26 PM

Anyone know if she is okay?

Subject: RE: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: Allan C.
Date: 02 May 03 - 12:05 AM

Since I currently live closeby, I phoned to offer a ride. Unfortunately, she must have been posting from someplace else because her sitter answered. I recieved a couple of PM's from her after that; but nothing since the exam.

Subject: RE: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: GUEST
Date: 02 May 03 - 01:02 AM

You were 36 hours late Allan.

The exam was canceled; she was fired, drank the vodka, died, and the family is sueing YOU, the Mudcat, the school, doctor and hospitol.

Subject: RE: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 May 03 - 01:25 AM

Thanks, Allan.

Subject: RE: Help! How counter accidental narcotics?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 04 May 03 - 04:37 PM

OK, I'm back up off my deathbed... First, of course, I called the Dr before posting; my opening sentence should have made that clear. What I was hoping was that you-all would know a remedy, now that I had my diagnosis.

It got interesting. After kind of collapsing trying to give the final (Allan, I was AT PVCC when I posted, and I'll tan Mario's hide for not telling me you called, this is the first I've heard of that), one of the other adjuncts took over for me and I lay on a couch that was temporarily outside the room, how fortuitous. It started pouring, so I ambled out into the lot to close my car windows, forgetting that I had left them closed, got very wet and cold and felt a LOT better. Apparently the instant antidote is a cold shower!

Thurs I got to see my shrink, who does more prescribing and also has known me a lot longer than the gastro guy - what I had was a repeat of my "orthostatic hypotension" reaction I had once way back in college to IVP dye. (For the normal among you, orthostatic hypotension means that if you stand up, boy do you want to lie down again, but if you stay lying down, you can feel fine.) Apparently the lowered dosage of my antidepressant had a lot to do with it, kind of making the Demerol create a withdrawal symptom, if you will. That also explains the cold shower thing - raising blood pressure internally by shunting it away from the skin.

(This is going to be annoying - I *like* narcotics, usually, and my only prior complaint with Demerol is that I tended to sleep through the fun.)

So the rest of that day I kind of stood in bed as much as possible, with minimal whirlies, then went to teach Fri am and again almost didn't make it back. Stayed in bed the rest of Friday, pawned off the twins, and on Sat had a 39 degree temperature and congestion, so I stayed in bed again. Today I had a 39 degree temp again but at least it feels more like a mild 'flu, so I will go teach tomorrow and see how that goes, despite my rule of thumb being no going out until your temp's been normal all day.

Thanks all for your concern, and for future reference - the cold shower is a wonderful remedy for the whirlies.