Here, I talk about medicines I take.Not medical point, something more.. realistic?
Now(Dec, 1st, 2012 - Now)
# of medicines: 1
Non-proprietary Name: Carbamazepine
Dosage: 3 times a day=500mg Morning 1tab(200mg) Afternoon 0.5tab(100mg) Night 1tab(200mg)
Reason of change: Since last change, started taking 3 times a day and it was working & successfully decreased number of seizure by forgetting to take a medicines. Though, morning - afternoon & afternoon - night, both had only about 6hrs between each times & I was feeling like it's too much for afternoon = 1tab(200mg). So, decreased afternoon = 0.5tab(100mg).
Until last change(Aug, 15th, 2012 - Nov, 30th, 2012)
# of medicines: 1
Non-proprietary Name: Carbamazepine
Dosage: 3 times a day = 600mg Morning 1tab(200mg) Afternoon 1tab(200mg) Night 1tab(200mg)
Reason of change: During travel, I sometimes forgot to take a medicine and considering seizure history, had more seizure by forgetting to take a medicines. Change has been made by increasing number of times to take a medicine a day to reduce the risk of seizure by forgetting a medicine.
When I left this travel(Dec, 8th, 2011 - Aug, 15th, 2012)
# of medicines: 1
Non-proprietary Name: Carbamazepine
Dosage: Twice a day = 600mg Morning 1.5tab (300mg) Night 1.5tab(300mg) <=Considering the fact that I find 500mg, not 200mg in Mexico, Guatemala & El Salvador.)
Reason of change: Considering seizure history, 2 medicines(Sodium Valproate & Phenobarbital) out of 3 I was taking, I couldn't see the reason why I'm taking those 2. Didn't feel like they are as effective as Carbamazepine for me so during my temporal stay in Japan, kept consulting with my doctor and reduced those 2 little by little and successfully reduced medicine by just takeing a Carbamazepine and not those 2. This change of course help me financially but more importantly, it made me so much easier to look for a medicines all over the world. Carbamazepine is easy to find anywhere but Sodium Valproate & Phenobarbital took some time depend on the country. Especially Phenobarbital, because most of the countries needed prescription to buy them so it was necessary to consult with a doctor only for prescription(In my case, in each countries, I had local friends who is a doctor so they wrote me a prescription so I didn't need to go to hospital or clinic to see a doctor just for prescription.), so this change, just taking a Carbamazepine, was a quite a relief for me.
When I started my travel(Apr, 24th, 2007 - RTW3.5 )
# of medicines: 3
1. Non-proprietary Name: Carbamazepine
Dosage: Twice a day = 400mg Morning 1tab() Night 1tab()
2. Non-proprietary Name: Sodium Valproate
Dosage: Twice a day = 1000mg Morning 2tab(400mg) Night 3tab(600mg)
3. Non-proprietary Name: Phenobarbital
Dosage: Once a day =30mg Night 1tab(30mg)
And, I used had a different, powder type of medicines. 2 of them. At first it was just 1 but later, added another one.
As you can see, despite the fact that I'm traveling, # of medicines I take has been reduced.
Reason of those reduction is, that thanks to those seizures I had during my travel, little by little, I'm starting to understand which medicines is working and which is not.
So, when I went back to Japan, every time, I talked with my doctor about medicines that I thought it hasn't been working for me. Then, reduce dosage of it little by little, for months.
I don't make a decision by myself. I don't reduce medicines by myself. Especially during travel. Even during travel, I keep contact with my doctor and consult.
Well, but in the end, I could reduce medicines, thanks to those seizures. Of course, it was best not to have any seizure at all..
Medicines