When I cut off the end of my finger recently with a butcher knife many readers said they took my example to heart and vowed to change their ways when handling sharp knives. Well, you might as well learn from another recent and colossal blunder of mine.
First a very brief recap so the story makes sense to everyone.
Nine days ago when I went to the ER for what turned out to be epididymitis/orchitis they sent me home with the antibiotic Levofloxacin. That turned out to be contraindicated because of my neuropathy so they changed it to Cefdinir. Two days later when my symptoms worsened the ER doc called my urologist who said they should change my antibiotic once again, this time to Doxycycline. Which they did and I took it twice a day for roughly four days.
At least I thought I did.
As soon as you see the photo below you’ll probably guess what really happened.
This is Cefdinir on the left and Doxycycline on the right. The capsules are the same size and somewhat similar in color – especially when seen through the amber plastic of the prescription containers. Somehow I mixed them up by not paying enough attention so for 2 1/2 days (5 pills worth) I took the wrong antibiotic before I noticed my error and switched back to Doxycycline.
In a different situation that could have been a dangerous or even lethal mistake. I’m usually very careful about such things but this time I just screwed the pooch. I keep trying to tell myself that I’m not much dumber than the average Joe (or Jolene) and assuming that’s true it could happen to anyone.
I saw my Urologist yesterday and sheepishly admitted my error and apparently no serious damage was done besides possibly delaying my recovery. But let me tell you, that antibiotic cocktail really did a number on my gut flora. For about three days my intestines felt like someone had repeatedly run them through a pasta machine. And they’re still recovering.
Serves me right for making such a stupid mistake. And what should I expect from an airheaded blunder like that? After all, antibiotic literally means “against life”.
Ron
Back to birds tomorrow…
Ron, so glad you discovered your error. I can understand why you mixed up your pills. I take too many pills and have to be very careful if I get a prescription for something that doesn’t fit into my daily routine.
You certainly have been “through the wringer” lately. I suspect that you have not heard many people tell you that they’ve made this mistake because they are not brave enough to admit/share it.
Hope you get to feeling much better, real soon.
That’s me too, Alice. If it’s foreign to my routine I can easily screw it up. Thank you.
Poor Ron! Get well soon!!!
Thanks, Shelley.
WOW, a problem well worth reading about and absorbing! Glad you are on the mend and figured this out when you did.
I’m convinced the pills I take keep me alive longer than my (prescribed) ancestral heritage.
I’m glad you’re taking them and that you’re still here, Dick!
Glad you posted this. It draws attention to one of my pet peeves, one that might have cost me my life(I was given wrong RX because of similar names). I firmly believe ALL medications should have VERY DISTINCTIVE NAMES AND SHOULD HAVE STANDARDIZED SHAPES, SIZES AND COLORS….REGARDLESS OF THE COUNTRY THEY ARE MADE IN AND REGARDLESS OF THE MANUFACTURE….there are too many dangerously look alikes and sound alikes being prescribed. i am sure it costs patients money, proper comfort snd healing and may even cost lives!!!
Interesting point, Patty.
In my case, I didn’t the wrong (dangerous, might have caused seizures)meds, because THEY DIDN’T LOOK RIGHT!!!
THIS SHOUOD INCLUDE GENERICS, WHICH WOULD HAVECAN ADDITIONAL SIGN OR SYMBOL ON THEM (to differentiate them but naintsin identity)
Fingers crossed you are now on right track 😁
Thanks, Diana.
Geez! I will keep that in mind! I’m glad you figured everything out and there was no harm done.
Good!
I recently had to learn the same lesson with my thyroid. My doctor had changed my dose, and I literally couldn’t remember what the current dose was. Of course I refilled the wrong prescription. I discovered the error after only a few days, which wasn’t a serious problem. My takeaway from this experience is to put the bottle of pills I shouldn’t use somewhere away from where I keep the meds I take regularly. As for your gut, if you haven’t started probiotics, definitely do so. Apparently one should always take them during/after taking antibiotics. I also find it interesting that the antibiotics I’ve never heard of weren’t right, but the old standby was the one that would work.
I found that interesting too, Susan. Glad your incident didn’t have any serious repercussions.
You were prescribed the wrong (or at least not optimum) pills twice. Then you take the wrong pills. Perhaps a lot of the error lies elsewhere than with you. Glad it wasn’t too serious and that the last pills do the trick.
Me too, Lyle. Thank you.
GEEZ! Glad it wasn’t a worst case scenario! Find the older we get with more pills to take and “generics” that don’t have as much color variation it gets tougher to keep them straight. Try to have a place for ONLY what’s being used at the moment, pill minders, and lots of double checking. Glad all is well and, hopefully, original problem is getting handled!
“Try to have a place for ONLY what’s being used at the moment”
That’s what I tried to do, Judy. Problem was I put the wrong pill bottle in that place… Duh!
Go get some live culture yoghurt, no sugar. Eat 8 ounces morning, another at night. No alcohol for 72 hours. Should help your gut flora. As for the rest, whatever you were smoking, it’s got too much THC in it. 😉
Ha, I’ve recently been taking CBD oil for my neuropathy, Martha. No THC in it though. After all, this is Utah!
Sounds a lot like when I brushed my teeth with foot cream, well started to anyway. As Ed says, “…more and more it is best for me to concentrate on one task at a time…”, words to remember every day….now, what was it that I was supposed to remember? Glad you are pointed in the right direction and I feel for you with the extra days of that stuff, don’t forget your probiotics.
“Sounds a lot like when I brushed my teeth with foot cream”
Spit and sputter, Dave! Thanks for the smile at that visual.
I done similar. Only I ended up in the ER. I put my daily pills in a bottle to take on my way to work. Because I’d been traveling I had ALL my bottles in my purse but forgot that I did. That was in 2001. In October. I’d developed a fear of flying after the 9/11 incident but had to fly because of my niece’s christening. So I’m back in Denver where I lived then. ReAch into my purse and dump the bottle in my mouth. Took a swig of coke. As soon as I realized I tried to spit it all out (ewwww). I got to work and started feeling woozy. Told my manager what had happened. She called an ambulance.
Yeah. Medication mixups can be bad. Everyone thought I was suicidal. I was just careless.
Wow, that was a very close call, Arwen! Careless and medications definitely aren’t a good mix.
Not at all. The medication I took was Klonopin so it was a really big deal. I now have a pill case for traveling.
Easy mistake and part of being human. (Most of us would not have your courage to admit the mistake publicly) I am so glad you realized the error and are on the road to recovery. A good quality plain yogurt with live, active cultures should benefit your poor gut. Seems like you have had more than your fair share of medical issues lately. May be time for a lucky charm or extra care. We all love you and pray for your good health.
Thank you, Melanie. Please send that lucky charm my way!
Wow, close call Ron! As I get older I realize that more and more it is best for me to concentrate on one task at a time, and to wear my reading glasses. I could easily see myself making such a mistake. You are correct in that it could have been very bad. Glad you were able to get through this mixup Ron and thank you for the heads up!
Ed, I’d be up that proverbial creek without my reading glasses. They didn’t save my bacon in this situation though…
Yes Ron – be very careful – need at least ten more years of Feathered Photography 🙂
Everett Sanborn
Makes me tired just to think about that, Everett…
One of the dangers of ‘look-a-likes’. Thankfully you were not allergic…one extra pill could have had disastrous consequences. Hope the G.I. tract gets straight quickly…antibiotics are a blessing and a curse!
“antibiotics are a blessing and a curse”
Ain’t that the truth! And I feel the same way about Prednisone, though it isn’t an antibiotic. In many ways it’s a miracle drug but it can have some incredibly nasty side effects, especially when taken over the long haul.
It happens to the best of us! I am glad you are okay!
I dunno, Gail… Don’t think I remember hearing about others doing something similar, at least not very often. I’ve learned my lesson though!
One of those mistakes any of us could make. I hope you are recovering swiftly now. Jeremy and I are thinking of you…
BTW, I’m taking a birds in flight photography class this morning through a local Audubon chapter. Hope to pick up a few tips!
I hope you enjoy the class, Sharon. A class like that lives or dies based in the instructor in so many ways. I hope you have a good one and since it’s through Audubon I presume it has an ethical bent.
Ron: I really sympathize! Get older, get enough medications, lots of room for error4. On top of it all, in my case, Doxycycline itself almost killed me (by way of damaged kidneys). Best wishes! And thank you for your post most days – I look forward to it each morning.
Richard, I know someone who had an extremely bad reaction to Doxycycline too. Gotta be careful with antibiotics!
Oh Ron! I’m so sorry! Man, it has just not been your (several) day(s). Wishing you smooth sailing from here out.
Thanks, Marty. Nobody’s fault but my own…