Thursday, November 16, 2006

Why I stuffed my mouth with Kleenex at 2:40 last night

I can't sleep.

That came first. I came off a med or two, started up some new ones, and I can't sleep. Okay, fine. The doctor said that might happen. Sure, it's uncomfortable when four o' clock rolls around and I'm still tossing and turning, but cool. Whatever, I'll just take a nap tomorrow.

It continues. Three nights later, my problems start. Not sleep deprivation. Not even headaches. Nope.

Saliva.

It's only 11:30 on Tuesday night. I'm awake, no surprises here. But holy shit, I'm swallowing an awful lot. Hold on, maybe I'm just being paranoid, maybe it's just because I'm lying here with nothing else to think about except swallowing. That's it.

Gulp.

It's 3:45 now, and what the hell? I can't stop swallowing! Okay, everyone swallows their spit. I've always done it...so why is it happening so often, or why am I noticing so much? Maybe a drink of water will help.

Ugh!

The stuff's only tasted worse at wellgroup waiting for a urine sample. And that's saying something. It's probably just the meds. I'll get used to it. I fall asleep sometime after 4:30.

I'm fine.

Until Wednesday night. It happens again, only it starts in at nine, not eleven. I haven't even crawled into bed yet. Again, swallow...swallow...swallow...swallow...swallow...swallow...swallow...that's all my brain is doing. Telling me to swallow. I try to focus on other things, anything!

4:15

...swallow...swallow...swallow...swallow...swallow...swallow...swallow...swallow...
Somewhere along the line I drift off. 8:30, Mom calls upstairs, time to get up. And swallow.

No!

This went away after sleeping yesterday! Well, as crime fighters everywhere (or maybe just Buzz Lightyear) bellow at evil-doers: "Not today!!" And so ,as Gogol Bordello would say: "Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!"

Twelve hours pass.

Still swallowing. And still not knowing if its the meds or I'm just crazy.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I should think it's a side effect. But then, the only med whose effects I'm personally acquainted with is Nyquil. But, yeah. Weird.

K. said...

Not weird, MADDENING!!!!

Anonymous said...

Aly says...

that's weird because that happened to me two nights ago and it happens every so often. I think it's because when you have nothing else to think about, you think about breathing and spit. It's weird, but it happens to me oh so often. It's probably one of the single most annoying things ever. I feel your pain. (or at least that one)

Anonymous said...

you have a computer...at least wander around on the internet..
whenever I have crazy moments, and i'm not completely commited to them (like i get with my auditory hallucinations..i chase them down to find out of they are real)
i just go online and do research on whats happening...
If you know that you're crazy..you can't be. righ?

Anonymous said...

^^^Melissa

Anonymous said...

hey don't feel bad. When my allergies get bad, I can spend weeks of sleepless nights sitting awake trying to get mucus from the back of my nasal passage to go down into my throat. That sucks, man.