Zen and the Art of Medication Management
The nurse in the radiation unit warned me about the side effects of taking Tylenol #3: “Pain medications, called opioids (such as morphine, hydromorphone, oxycodone, and Tylenol #3), may cause constipation.
You cannot treat medication-related constipation by changing the type of food or liquid you eat and drink. Eating more fibre will not help and may make it worse.” She explained that there are two standard treatments for medication-induced constipation: the sennosides protocol and the PEG protocol.
I was pleased to inform her that I do not anticipate this particular issue. Once I resume Tagrisso, my targeted therapy pill, I expect my digestive system to reach a state of divine equilibrium. Since the primary side effect of Tagrisso is diarrhea—which I previously mastered at a Grade 3 level—taking it alongside Tylenol #3 should produce a perfect, Zen-like "Yin and Yang" of bowel movements. It’s not a medical complication; it’s a self-correcting ecosystem.
I was pleased to inform her that I do not anticipate this particular issue. Once I resume Tagrisso, my targeted therapy pill, I expect my digestive system to reach a state of divine equilibrium. Since the primary side effect of Tagrisso is diarrhea—which I previously mastered at a Grade 3 level—taking it alongside Tylenol #3 should produce a perfect, Zen-like "Yin and Yang" of bowel movements. It’s not a medical complication; it’s a self-correcting ecosystem.