Symptoms update: (all the) small things

No, its not the start of the song (Blink 182, 1999), but a collection of a few small differences that I've noticed in recent months. This is, therefore, a symptoms update post.

Bladder Medication

I had been finding that my bladder was beginning to annoy me a bit more, especially in the afternoons. I mentioned this when I went for my appointment in London at the National Hospital. It was suggested that we just increase my medication. When I went for my GP appointment afterwards we looked at the prescription I was on and the scope for increasing the dose.

It seems that I am already on the maximum dose for this medication, so we are trying out two different approaches. The first approach (I've not actually got round to trying yet) is that the medication is available in half doses, so the option is to take a half done in the morning and another in the evening.

The second approach (the one which I am trying first), which is simply to take the medication in the morning rather than in the evening before going to bed. I had read that one of the symptoms was that the medication might make you sleepy, so I had decided to take it at the end of the day. However, the thought is that the medication is wearing off before the 24 hours is up. By taking it in the morning I get the full day of benefit, and I'm asleep at night. This turns out to be effective. I'm not noticing the tiredness side effect, and the problem appears to have gone away.

Sleeping

I'm finding that it is slightly less comfortable to lay on my back with my legs straight than it is to lay on my side with my legs bent. I suspect that this is some residual spasticity in my legs. There's a part of me which wants to lay on my back and get a good long light stretch in my legs leaving them straight, whereas in practice I'm tending to roll onto my side and bend my legs to be more comfortable.

Stairs

When we stayed in the Lake District at Easter we were in a small cottage. The stairs were very steep to get upstairs, and included a corner. I noticed that it was more difficult to get up and down those stairs than it is to get up and down the stairs I usually encounter at home and work. Progress on the steep stairs was manageable, but slow. I had to make much more use of handrails and other hold-ables than normal, and carrying a cup of coffee upstairs was somewhat a challenge! Perhaps this a preview of what is coming later down the line.