I've waited several weeks (eight actually) to blog about this, but there has been one silver lining to my current round of medical issues. Weight Loss!!!!
Treatment for both Vulvodynia and Vestibulodynia includes tricyclic antidepressants - and not because one is depressed about one's illness (although it can very depressing). The tricyclics seem to help with the whole nerve and muscle malfunctioning that leads to both conditions.
Two years ago when I last had issues, I used amitriptyline - an old reliable standby. However, over time it became less effective and when I increased the dosage, I became ravenous. Blimphood would have quickly ensued if I'd continued at a higher dose. So this time around, we tried Imipramine. All of the tricyclics are notorious for causing increased appetite and weight gain - including Imipramine. However, an extremely small subset of patients can experience anorexia when taking Imipramine.
Anorexia is not loss of appetite. Instead, you're hungry but when you sit down to eat, you discover that after about three bites, you simply cannot emotionally continue to eat. Putting food in your mouth becomes almost impossible. Which is also distinct from Anorexia nervosa.
So, the Slat Rat's extreme drug sensitivity resulted in Imipramine induced anorexia. It seems to be quite uncommon - neither my gynecologist, urologist, nor psychiatrist have ever had a patient with Imipramine induced anorexia. Usually, the exact opposite occurs.
The anorexia only lasted for about two weeks. But that was enough to get me started. Over the past eight weeks, I've lost thirteen pounds - I lost the first seven in the first week. Which is a bit much - but I just couldn't eat. This makes up for a fifteen pound Remeron induced weight gain that occurred two years ago. I managed to lose six pounds but I could never get the other nine pounds. Well, I got those nine pounds and four more. I'm now at my old bike racing and ski racing weight. If I can't be a hard core jock anymore, at least I can look like one!
So, I managed to lose thirteen pounds and still have all the wine and beer I wanted. I could be rich if I could market this!
I may be now be skinny enought to pose for Niek! Although, I'd wear my Scooby Doo or Sponge Bob boxers instead of Victoria's Secret lingerie.
8:38:35 PM 
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