Originally written on 10/25 To prevent malaria, I have been taking a drug called mefliquine. There are no negative physical side effects, but the pill has been known to cause depression, hallucinations, paranoia, and vivid dreams. I was TOLD that the vivid dreams are the only common side effect. I have experienced these, and they are often quite amusing. Ask me about them sometime. I would write about them here, but I might get censored for sounding like a crazy person.
I take the pill once a week, and I am supposed to take it with a meal. Yesterday I was supposed to take the pill, but forgot to do it until bed time. I did not have any food handy, and I didn't want to wait until morning (I have it in my head that I take the pill on Tuesday. Why switch to Wednesday?) so I took it with just a glass of water and went to sleep.
I woke up at three am with a funny swollen feeling in my nose. It felt very large. I went to my mirror, and noticed that my nose was indeed very large. It seemed about as big as a small melon. I was unsure what to do. I didn't have any ice. My mom had given me an entire pharmacy of medicine to bring on the trip, but I didn't think there was any swollen nose medicine. After a few minutes of thinking, I decided I was tired, so I went back to sleep after opening and drinking part of a bottle of water.
When I woke up in the morning, I immediately checked my nose. It was normal again! I was very confused about what had happened, but then I stopped to think (this time fully awake). If my nose had indeed been the size of a cantalope, how would I have been able to breathe through it? Also, how would I have even seen past it to see the reflection in the mirror? Clearly it was a dream. But no. The bottle of water that I had opened was still sitting on my bed side table. So it wasn't a dream, but it didn't happen. Wierd.
I guess I will never take those pills without food again...
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7 comments:
Uh, I think i caught you just as you posted this, kinda weird, and creepy, perhaps wreepy? Anyway, you said one side affect, hallucinations...perhaps you were hallucinating, which i find quite amusing and wish i had the pleasure of doing it myself, without taking prescription/illegal drugs. Also, i've never heard of the medication you are using, which i went to Haiti, it was either malarone, or something else with and A that was once weekly. And i'm sure nobody was hallucinating.
Haha, this is great. I love stories about malaria pills.
mefloquin is some crazy stuff...a friend in senegal was convinced that a man in his underwear had burst into her room during the middle of the night...she nearly threw herself from her second story window and all the while was screaming so loudly that she woke the whole building. good luck with that stuff!
I love it...you make me smile.
Uh, i'm commenting on the comments. Sarah, who I don't think I know, although i appologize if I do. Her story actually brings to mind when i was in Haiti, on weekly malaria meds. Anyway, I thought i saw someone coming in our bunk room in the middle of the night and stand over one of the other guys and just stand there as i stared at him for what seemed like 5 minutes. As i told everyone this the next day they thought i was crazy, and i started to think so myself, but it turns out ro-ro, the pastor did come in in the middle of the night, kinda creepy, but alas, i wasn't hallucinating.
Uh, i'm commenting on the comments. Sarah, who I don't think I know, although i appologize if I do. Her story actually brings to mind when i was in Haiti, on weekly malaria meds. Anyway, I thought i saw someone coming in our bunk room in the middle of the night and stand over one of the other guys and just stand there as i stared at him for what seemed like 5 minutes. As i told everyone this the next day they thought i was crazy, and i started to think so myself, but it turns out ro-ro, the pastor did come in in the middle of the night, kinda creepy, but alas, i wasn't hallucinating.
er, sorry for the repeat, my internet in DC is screwy as well....so you don't have to go to bangladesh to experience that.
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