I Got Insomnia After Taking Medication, But My Doctor Had Another Concern
Me not having sex was all my Georgian doctor cared about
As a nomad, I have to change doctors whenever I travel to a new country. This autumn, I decided to deal with my implant, which required me to sit tightly in one place. And this place is Georgia.
I had previously lived here, and the most vexing aspect I have discovered is local men. They want to flirt with you whether it is appropriate or not.
This happened when I had to have a sinus lift, which is one of the most difficult dental surgeries.
My doctor was a Georgian named Georgiy, which is the most common male name in the country. Forty-something, overweight, half-bald, and cocky. In preparation for the surgery, he listed my recommendations:
- Keep your head straight
- No alcohol
- No solid food
- No housework
- No gym
- No swimming pool
- No sauna
- No sex
Then he decided to highlight the most important thing on the list:
“I know it’s hard. But no sex. I’m very sorry, but this is the most important right now.”
He literally forbade me from having sex, but deeply regretted it. Thank you, doctor, for taking an interest in my sexual life.
When we met again for the surgery, Georgiy reminded me of this very important thing. I also got a long list of medicines, some of which were antibiotics. Nothing special.
Three days after my surgery. Georgiy was concerned that I was taking too many painkillers. So he offered to send someone (maybe himself) to make me injections instead of pills. My refusal probably upset him a lot.
A week after the surgery. Still on painkillers, all I could eat were smoothies. I had a black eye and half of my face was swollen. I was getting checkups every week now.
Two weeks after the surgery. Georgiy decided that I was not getting better as fast as he thought I would. So he prescribed me another pack of the same antibiotics. I made another mistake besides picking this doctor.
I did not read the label on the medicine.
I have never been allergic to medicine, and I have never taken anything regularly. I had no idea what to expect.
My lack of sleep was something I did not understand at the time. When I woke up in the middle of the night, I could not go back to sleep. I believed it was because I was still recovering and not doing much physical activity since I was lying flat most of the time. Some nights it got better, but other nights it got worse.
I bought 5-HTP, a compound believed to increase serotonin levels, when I suspected something was not right. My doctor at home used to prescribe it, so this decision felt safe.
It didn’t work. For a few nights after taking it, I could not even fall asleep. Maybe 5-HTP was different in Georgia?
It was now time to read the medicine label. Headaches, insomnia, and anxiety were some of the side effects I saw.
Bingo.
I checked my activity app and discovered that my sleeping patterns had deteriorated following the second dose of antibiotics.
I was thinking about discussing my insomnia with Georgiy at my next checkup.
“Can I now get back to my exercises and restore my routine?” I started.
“You don’t need a gym, you already look great.” Was the answer. And then about you know what... I was so pissed off that I didn’t get to insomnia.
I needed a real doctor.
So I was looking for a GP in a foreign country and medication to help me sleep. I was shocked that I could buy a tranquilizer at the pharmacy without a prescription. They only asked, “Only one pack?”
Right. You must have regulars for this, then.
The tranquilizer knocked me out, and I saw a GP a few days later. To my relief, she approved my tranquilizer and assured me that it was safe to take long-term.
As a result, I feel better and can now talk about what could have been done differently.
- We do not know if there was any reason to use the antibiotics again. I had no fever or inflammation.
- According to the GP, the doctor should have prescribed me a different type of antibiotic to rule out any possible reactions.
- I should have gotten a second opinion after two weeks before starting the antibiotics again. It was too late for this after a month and several x-rays.
- My sleep should have returned after I stopped taking the antibiotics. So my insomnia could have been caused by something else.
So, for the time being, my health is a set of maybes; no one knows for sure. Next year, I will have at least two more dental surgeries. And as I am thinking about finding a new doctor, I see his angry face. I’m in Georgia, and it feels more like a blood feud here. Georgians are explosive, especially when it comes to someone else’s sexual life.
