On Sunday morning (March 2), I started taking a new medication called Radicava. It’s a once-daily drug that must be taken at least eight hours after a major meal – ideally first thing in the morning – followed by an hour of fasting. The cycle is you take it for 2 weeks, then you are off for two weeks, and then back on.

Day one went fine, but when I woke up Monday morning for my second dose, I noticed some throat issues. I took the medication at 5:30 AM and, over the next few hours, followed my usual routine of four other medications and a supplement before heading into the city. As the day went on, I developed persistent coughing, a runny nose, and difficulty swallowing. Amy checked in with our good friend Dr. Teplitz, who suggested using a saline nasal spray and taking Mucinex, which provided some relief. We also checked with Dr. Andrews who agreed.

Monday night was rough – I couldn’t lie down in bed due to breathing issues and constant coughing. I moved to the downstairs bedroom with an adjustable bed, hoping for a better night’s sleep, but only managed about two hours, thanks to the coughing, gagging, and nonstop runny nose. At some point, I figured I should invest in a tissue company like Kleenex – might as well get something out of it, right? (LOL!) In case you are wondering, Kimberly-Clark Corporation stock sell at about $145 these days … was up 2.5% that day … guess I helped!!

The next morning, after taking my medications, we decided to stay home and see our general doctor (Dr. Moskowitz), thinking I might have caught a cold. No flu, no COVID – so the next logical suspicion was a reaction to Radicava, given that its known side effects include coughing, a runny nose, and breathing issues.

That night, I once again opted for the adjustable bed and planned to stop Radicava in the morning. Strangely, things improved – I slept most of the night, my nasal issues subsided, and my coughing returned to its previous (still annoying but more manageable) state. I took all the medications and by noon, I was back at the gallery.

It’s bizarre how a new medication can throw your body into chaos for a couple of days and then suddenly things level out. But just when I thought I was in the clear, my throat issues returned the next day – unable to clear the extra saliva, more coughing, more gagging. The body sure has a funny way of handling change!