Uric Acid, Yuck!

Isaiah 40:30-31

Even youths shall faint and be weary and selected young men shall feebly stumble and fall exhausted. But those who wait for the Lord who expect look for, and hope in Him shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up close to God as eagles mount up to the sun; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.

I thought Isaiah would be fitting for this morning’s update. I am resting this morning, for I am tired. Yesterday I had a long trip up to Seattle with one of my sister because my Sister In law had other obligations. I enjoyed this trip and the visiting that we had. We made it to UW Medical Center on Roosevelt an hour early, so we had lunch in the café in the building. I had a yummy salad that had lettuce, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, onions, chicken breast, and vinaigrette all tasty.

Dr. Gardner looked me over and we came up with a treatment plan for my high Uric acid levels. Apparently, my levels are extremely high heart attack high, so it is imperative that I get my levels down.

The plan, I am stopping my Imuran (Azathiprine) starting today. Because it can cause the uric acid levels to go even higher if I start the Colchicine and Allopurinol with it so I have to be off of Imuran for a week and then start the other two drugs. I have to get my levels check in a month. Uric acid takes a long time to leave the body, years in fact.

And the culprit isn’t food related; it is the high blood pressure medication that I had been taking for a long Hydrochlorizide or otherwise known as Htz. I am no longer taking this medication, and am on a better blood pressure medication that doesn’t cause this issue. I am warning other patients who are taking this medication to get their Uric Acid levels checked especially if they are taking this blood pressure.  I am going back in two months for another checkup. Another reason I am stopping the Imuran is because the Rituximab is doing its job and Dr. Gardner feels confident that I am ready to get rid of this toxic drug. Progress is being made.