Last week my doctor told me if I'm still itching after the steroids that we have to consider the possibility that I'm reacting the the drug-eluting stents - either the metal or the medicine on the stents. I started having symptoms within days of the angioplasty, but some of it was chalked up to the hemorrhage and reabsorption. I now think that it's been the same thing all along.
I did some looking tonight and found some information regarding a study on this. I'm going to get this information to my doctor (I see her again on Tuesday) and see what she says. The best I've been able to determine on my own is that the medicine is eluted slowly over time into the body, but for how long I can't determine. Plus, if it's the metal I'm reacting to...what then? Do the stents need to come out? I'll need to talk to the doctor about all this. So many questions....
It's been debilitating. The itching, hives, rash, swelling and what I call the "restless leg feeling" all over my body. I can't function on any of the antihistamines I've been given so far...they either knock me out completely or, at the very least, make it so I can't drive...or shouldn't. I won't tell you how I popped the tire on my car taking my daughter to school last week....or how I almost drove into the back of my friend's car because I thought I put mine in park - and hadn't - and took my foot off the brake and was getting stuff out of the back and she's yelling "Stop! Stop! Stop!"... :hammer: Oops.