Pills, Pills, and More Pills (plus a bunch of other stuff)

 This photo represents the typical amount of pills that I take in a day. Included are my vitamins, acid reducer, and pancreatic enzymes. I also threw in something for headaches since I end up taking that on most days :/

My enzymes (specifically Zenpep 15 for any curious fellow CFers) are the bulk of this since I have to take them whenever I eat. How many I take depends on how much fat is in what I'm eating, but on average I do 2-4 with a meal or snack. The enzymes have improved a lot since I was a kid, at one point I was taking 7 with every meal. My acid reducer also helps increase the functionality of the enzymes as well as let me get through the day without crazy heartburn. TUMS were my best friends for several years, now omeprazole is.

Since my pancreas doesn't work properly to pull the nutrients out of my food I need to take additional vitamins so I can make sure that I'm getting enough. Low vitamin levels are pretty common in CF. There are some vitamin brands out there like AquADEK, that combine a bunch of them into one pill, but I've found that those come back to haunt me (and anyone around me) all day long so I prefer to take them individually.

In addition to pills I also have to use a nasal spray to help keep the inflammation in my sinuses down, a sinus rinse to keep them gunk free, and a saline solution that I inhale using a nebulizer to help loosen the mucus in my lungs. Oh and I almost forgot about my bronchodilator inhaler, I use this prior to running/exercise to help open up my airways (or if I'm just having a bad, wheezy, lung day).

I'm no stranger to antibiotics either, as soon as I know a respiratory infection has started I'm on the phone with my doc to get a round to help clear it up. I don't love the idea of taking antibiotics so often, but I do love being able to breathe.

I know this seems like a lot and slightly overwhelming, but keep in mind that I am on very few medications compared to most CFers out there. Maybe one day I'll have to give up an entire closet to my medicine cabinet, but for now a couple of baskets stashed in the kitchen and bathroom will do.


**I have tried using essential oils instead of antibiotics (my last employer sold them, so I got well versed in all that I needed to try), but I found that they didn't quite work like the miracle cure that they were being sold as. I do still use them, but more as a supplement to what I already do.