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Dear Reader,

Drugs are on my mind today. This week, my son is in his first pharmacology class at medical school. When he was telling me about studying how medicines work in the body, how they are metabolized, and how long they are effective, it hit close to home.

As I have been navigating my COVID symptoms, using both traditional over-the-counter medicines as well as various herbs, homeopathy, and supplements to seek relief (and sleep), it's been a big science experiment.

As a person with a sensitive body and brain, pretty much everything in my environment impacts me. And when I'm sick, I don't get to just take a pill and know it will do what it says. I am not a doctor and am not giving medical advice in this letter. I'm only sharing my experience.

That's why I often suggest that sensitive kids and adults talk with their doctors about starting with very low doses of medication. In fact, you can ask your doctor about starting with a very low dose, sometimes called a "subtherapeutic" dose, meaning an amount that might not have a noticeable effect on an average person. AND then, under your doctor's guidance, the dose can be titrated up to an effective level. The conversation starts like this: "I'm sure you have had patients who were very sensitive to medication. I'm one of those."

This week, I've been managing my symptoms on my own (so far). I took half of a nighttime severe cold and flu dose Sunday night, and it took away my ability to cough. Trust me, I NEEDED to cough so I could clear my lungs. So I took my doctor dad's advice:

I started experimenting with small amounts of specific medications that treated each of my symptoms. I have often used children's formulations of things like pain or allergy medicines because they come in smaller doses. That way, I can be more cautious about how much I take, and that is what I have been doing.

I am feeling a little better, and though I might still be coughing some (for another week or two, maybe), I will be there for our weekly drop-in in just one hour.

​October Drop-In with Alane: Thursdays for 10 minutes on Zoom, 9am PDT or Noon EDT​

Let me know how you navigate medicine for yourself or your children. Have you noticed a sensitivity that seems outside the norm? What are the hacks you have created for yourself?

For example, I like children's chewable or fast-melt allergy medications. Some popular adult meds (e.g., Claritin and Zyrtec) give me heart palpitations if I take a normal dose. Children's Allegra works great for me, and I like having a lower-dose option. When the package says take two, I often start with one, and usually it does the trick. The stories I could tell you...

Again, I'm not making recommendations, but sharing how I think about these things.

I look forward to chatting soon.

Warmly,
Alane

PS
​Did you see we're hosting a horse retreat for the Day of the Dead: Ancestors, Horses, and Healing Grief? If you're curious, drop me a line to find out more.

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Alane Freund, MS, MA​
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (Lic. #LMFT36077)
​P 415-203-6600 E alane@areyouhighlysensitive.com

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