Initial Phase

The initial introduction of the cure to an infected host can be quite difficult if not taken within the initial 48 hours after exposure - and even then it can be hard on their bodies during the following week that it takes for the cure to take full effect.

The most commonly seen symptoms during this period include vomiting a tar-like substance and intense exhaustion.  Dextroluma from stages 1-3 may display increased violence during the first day of taking the cure, which may have to be injected initially while they are restrained.  Any aggression typically fades after the first day, and is replaced by extreme exhaustion.

For the next two weeks as the cure is taken at an increased frequency, these dextroluma require constant assistance, as they are typically too exhausted to even manage caring for themselves.  They require assistance with bathing, bathroom use, eating, drinking, and most importantly, taking a dose of the cure multiple times a day.  After the two weeks, the exhaustion typically fades and a dextroluma will be able to resume normal activities, although some who were in stage 3 when they began taking the cure have been known to take upwards of a month to finish this process.

Maintenance Phase

Once dextroluma have finished this initial phase, they can resume a normal life and activities from a medical perspective.  However, they must take a dose of the liquid cure twice a day to maintain its effects.  Most doctors recommend taking it right after waking up and right before going to sleep, as there has to be at least a few hours between each dose for actual efficacy.  Alternatively, patients can receive an intramuscular injection once per month from their doctor.

Many dextroluma who take the cure experience side effects from it.  Not all patients experience all side effects, and some may experience none at all - it simply varies according to unknown factors.  It is suspected that the stage of necrosis the patient was in before medication plays a role in this, as well as their own personal genetics and anatomy, but there is little conclusion on what causes some patients to experience worse side effects than others.

The most common side effects include dizziness, insomnia, itching, an increase in appetite, becoming disoriented, or paranoia.  Less commonly, side effects may include excessive sleepiness, a decrease in appetite, or continuing to vomit up a tar-like substance as is typically seen during the initial phase.

Cessation Phase

If, for some reason, a patient stops their doses of the cure - including if they have missed doses, there is a grace period to resume taking it.  However, if medication is resumed within a week - sometimes within two - usually the patient will experience only minor symptoms of necrosis recovering from the suppression of the cure (in accordance to the stage they were in when beginning the cure).  Typically, those in the later curable stages have a shorter grace period than those in the earlier curable stages.