Two Am Wake-Up Call: Let Them Eat Cake

Two am is the peak time for acid production in the human body.

Two am is also the time I wake up nightly.

Coincidence?

Acid reflux is a side effect of prednisone also. I haven't experienced

the terrible burning sensation in the chest. What I do experience is the nastiest tast

ing "med-mouth" ever.

Med-mouth is my word. You won't find it in the texts.

My mouth tastes like chewed up pills when I wake up, the prednisone e

specially. I know, since

the prednisone pills like to dissolve before they get to my throat forcing me to taste them.

I can only imagine what my breath smells like.

This calls for an extra- special toothpaste.

I was prescription strength Prevadent 5000 from Colgate which increases salivary production (to keep my mouth moist) and has extra fluoride (to protect the enamel of my teeth against the acid reflux).

Right now, I'm out. I need to get another script.

This acid reflux is tricky. Since it doesn't bother me during the day I like to think it doesn't exist until 2 am, and that it poses no harm to my body.

It does. I need to take my prilosec more frequently. I generally take 20 mg at night, but when you have six others to take at night sometimes I overlook this one that I deem "optional."

The prednisone not only wakes me up at 2 am from acid reflux, but then it tells me to EAT or sleep is a forgotten memory.

Guess what time it is?

I'm up and eating. Honey nut cheerios have been a favorite for years, but prednisone hunger has a mind of its own.

Just ask Brynn about our vacation to Alabama where she caught me eating Red Velvet Cake at 2am and I offered her a slice like it was perfectly normal.

In my world, it is perfectly normal. I'm coming up on the four year anniversary of my diagnosis (4/5/06). In her world, it's not so normal to wake up in the middle of the night just to eat cake.