take two hallucinogenic drugs and call me in the morning

I went back to the doctor today to get a new medicine.  I am apparently in the minority of people who are allergic to the one I was taking.  The doctor was concerned about the allergic reaction and decided that it would be prudent to put me on another drug to combat the wonderful rash and wheezing that one develops when allergic to a medication. I was all for that idea, as I was still itching like crazy. 

Crazy being the operative word of the day. 

I was so completely overcome by this allergy combatant that I was afraid my reaction was abnormal.  I managed to drag myself upright around eight-thirty this evening to call the pharmacist to see if I could be having another allergic reaction to the allergy medicine.  She assured me that my reaction was within the guidelines of “normal” for this medication. 

Normal?  It would seem to me that it would be more like…illegal.  I’ve never taken LSD or any other illegal drug before (can you even imagine me on illegal drugs?  Please!) but I am fairly certain that this “histamine blocker” is on par with almost anything you would find on the streets!  Histamine must be the part of you that keeps you sane and rational, because the minute they were blocking my histamine, I started having hallucinations and dreams that, if I was able to, I would have written down and would have probably made millions once Johnny Depp stared in the film adaptation.  Basically, I’ve been down that rabbit hole, and it is a scary, scary place! 

More than a full eight hours after having taken this “antihistamine” (if that’s what it really is), I am finally of a lucid enough state to write my blog.  And lucid is somewhat of a stretch.  My husband said I would be BUI—blogging under the influence.

I have come to the realization that this drug must have been around since the time of Edgar Allen Poe and Lewis Carroll, and they were both fans.   It is also completely obvious to me that when Poe wrote “the Raven” it was after taking my medicine. The worst part is that I’m supposed to take this medicine four times a day for the next week. I was unconscious through the second dose, and I’m almost afraid to take the next one.  My only reason for even considering it is that I would like to see how that bizarre dream I was having will end. 

But, alas…as soon as I was able to pull myself out of the bed and into a semi-conscious state, I realized that I still itched.  I don’t think this medicine really does anything to rid you of the itch.  I think it just makes you forget you have skin at all, let alone itchy skin.  But, despite my better judgment, I took my next dose as prescribed.  I expect the countdown to unconsciousness to start fairly rapidly. 

And because I know you would enjoy this…I’ve asked my husband to chronicle my exploits in “dreamland” for your reading pleasure!  He’ll be sure you’re kept up to speed if I do anything funny while under the influence. 

Until the next time…I’ll be having tea with the Hatter and the Hare!

Copyright © 2000-2018, Erica Lucke Dean. All rights reserved. Any retranscription or reproduction is prohibited and illegal.
Posted on May 18, 2010 .