(all information refers to me only
and can not be taken as general medical information for other
people suffering with Sickle Cell Anaemia, or any other medical
condition. Seek professional medical advice for your own problems)
This page is about medication that I take when at home, either
everyday as prescribed, or for pain when I may need it. Drugs
that are given to me in the ambulance and at hospital and are
also described on this page.
Medication in the home
Penicillin V 250mg twice
daily
|
Penicillin V, in general, is an antibiotic that is
given for a wide range of diseases and infections.
In Sickle Cell Anaemia is is used as a preventative
measure in fighting infections so that the patient
has a lesser chance of catching or developing an infection.
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|
Folic Acid 5mg once daily
|
Folic acid is important in Sickle Cell, as it develops
red blood cells. Other things needed to produce a good
supply of red blood cells are iron, and vitamin B12.
|
Analgesics (pain killers)
|
| Ibuprofen
tablets |
Taking these tablets with co-proxamol can be very helpful
if I have severe pains. These tablets have to be taken
with food otherwise they can give you stomach ulcers,
and give a very unsettled feeling in the stomach.
|
Co-proxamol 32.5/325mg
tablets
|
This drug is a mixture between dextropropoxyphene
and paracetamol and is a good, all-round analgesic.
I'd take one tablet if I had mild sickling or 2
tablets if the pain was severe. I usually take this
drug with ibuprofen for best results.
|
| Diclofenac tablets |
These tablets can be taken instead of ibuprofen.
For me ibuprofen works better, so I rarely take Diclofenac
but have them from past hospital visits.
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Medication given at hospital
|
Oxygen (not really a drug)
|
Oxygen in Sickle Cell Anaemia is essential in bringing
up the saturation level in patients. It is carried in
combination with haemoglobin in
the red blood cells and discharged from there into the
tissues.
|
|
Entinox (ambulance)
|
This gas is mixed with oxygen and is given as an analgesic.
It is fast-acting and is breathed in using an enclosed-type
face mask (with a rubber ring around the edges to minimise
wastage and others being affected).
|
| Morphine
(horrible side-effects) |
This drug is injected into veins at small dosages and
is used as an analgesic. It is helpful in small doses,
but I have found it to be ineffective against very severe
sickling pain. Morphine can be given via a PCA (patient
controlled analgesia) pump or a continuous infusion pump.
PCAs give a small dosage of morphine on demand and continuous
pumps give a constant small dosage continually.
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|
Pethidine
|
I do not have much experience with this drug to tell
you about it entirely, but it is in the same class as
morphine, but was discontinued with me a while back.
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Medazolam
|
Medazolam is a general anaesthetic used to induce sleep
and reduce pain when having a blood transfusion. This
is used because the local anaesthetic, and pressure to
the femoral vein and surrounding area, is very painful
when I go to have a blood transfusion. Usually between
5-7mls is given to sedate me.
Medazolam has to be administered in small doses until
the patient feels sleepy. However, I do find my whole
day seems a 'blur', for instance, I do everything in the
day before my transfusion, but have trouble remembering
what happened for following day. StRaNgE!
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My allergies
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Gentamicin
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Information will be added to this section...
(19 November 2001) |
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Cefataxime
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Maxolon
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