My Ectopic Pregnancy

Hi, dear blog readers! I fully realize that I deserted my blog for a while...no good excuses, life just got in the way. I get overwhelmed easily, and this was just one more thing I "had" to do, so I needed a break.

I'm taking a break from the break to share some things going on with me and to talk about something new (new for me, that is) I'm trying for my headaches/migraines.

First, how cute is my little girl?! This is her at Christmas. She is such a blessing.

Hollis, 17 months

Second, and this is the bad news, I just had an ectopic pregnancy. My husband and I had been TTC (trying to conceive) baby #2 for eight or so months when it happened. My endometriosis caused it...apparently my only remaining fallopian tube (the other was removed when I had the ovarian cyst) is a hot mess. Thankfully, we caught it early.

Let me interrupt to say that I read the book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility, years ago and it has really helped me understand my body. Without that knowledge, I may not have even known I was pregnant and my fallopian tube could have ruptured. Let me also say that if you're TTC, Dollar Tree pregnancy tests are super accurate and the way to go...no need to spend tons of money on fancier ones.

I had bleeding from the start, so my husband and I never had the chance to get excited or get our hopes up. I thought it was miscarriage, but my doctor had me get blood tests done regularly just to be sure, and when my hcg levels went up a little, she had me come in right away for an ultrasound. If she hadn't been on top of things, my fallopian tube could have ruptured, which requires emergency surgery. I was given a shot of methotrexate which, surprise surprise, caused a massive migraine (plus cramping and exhaustion, but then again it did save my tube, and possibly my life). I have a follow-up appointment next week to talk about next steps.

Sweet baby feet

I bought this charm from Etsy to honor my baby. The footprints are the size of a 10-week fetus (my baby was around 5-6 weeks...I think 10 weeks is when the toes form). I believe that life starts at conception, so this was my way of honoring the sweet baby who is now in heaven with his or her paw-paw (my husband's dad), who passed away a few days before I got the positive pregnancy test. January was a tough month, to say the least.

Third update: Since I can't try to get pregnant again for another three months (or maybe more, if I can even try again...we'll see what the doctor says), I decided it's the perfect time to try something new for my headaches that I otherwise wouldn't be able to try! Turning a negative into a positive. :) A friend from church recommended Migrelief...she said it hasn't gotten rid of her migraines, but it has reduced the frequency and the pain level. There are two kinds, but it the ingredients are similar. She uses this one (MigreLief), but I bought this one by mistake, but I'm going to switch over to the brand she uses once I finish this bottle. (Side note: I just saw that Vitamin Shoppe's current web special could have saved me $11.00...excuse me for a moment while I go punch something). The kind my friend uses has a refund program if it doesn't work, but you have to buy three bottles and then send two back. I've tried magnesium and feverfew separately, but not together. I don't think I've tried riboflavin, the other ingredient.

Oh, and I can finally take Aleve again (it was a no-no for pregnancy and breastfeeding) for my headaches, woohoo! :) As for the migraines, I've been taking Fioricet as needed (even during pregnancy/breastfeeding) and am pretty happy with it as long as I limit how much I take.

I'll update again after I give the Migrelief/MigreLief a good try (at least three months, unless I have bad side effects). Peace and love to you!

Ovarian Cysts - trip to ER

This post is a little scattered because I have a really bad headache (surprise), so I apologize in advance if I jump around or don't make sense!

I went to the ER about 2 1/2 weeks ago because I thought I had appendicitis. Five hours and a CT scan later, I found out it was actually ovarian cysts.

It had all started the night before when I woke up with such bad cramps that I got out of bed and onto the floor and pretty much just rolled around in agony. Then I went to the bathroom and dry heaved because the pain was so bad. It was miserable. I took meds to knock me out, felt a little better the next day but had another "attack" that afternoon so I had my husband take me to the hospital.

The nurse gave me Toradol for the pain, which I used to take for migraine but it hasn't helped the last few times. It didn't help my cyst pain either. The CT scan was interesting. Because it was an abdominal one, I had to drink two bottles of nasty stuff not-so-disguised with lemonade flavor; it was gross but I didn't mind it much. Part of the scan was done with contrast and when they inserted the dye, it TOTALLY felt like I was peeing my pants. The tech warned me that would happen, and he said that he's only had one patient actually pee her pants, but then he added that "she was just crazy." LOL.

The pain was so bad that I missed classes and work (luckily I could work from home and spring break started at the end of that week) and even taking my dog out took a lot of effort because walking hurt and I had to hunch over a little. Luckily I could use my condo building's elevator. I couldn't even make it to see my gyno until three days later. She did an ultrasound and told me she would hate to be me and that I must be in a lot of pain. I wanted to hug her because she had real sympathy and compassion. She told me I couldn't exercise for at least two weeks and I'd need to see her in a month for another ultrasound. One of the cysts on my right ovary looks pretty bad and may need to be surgically removed, but I'll find out for sure at the followup.

I know this post doesn't have much to do with headaches, but it's medical related and it's definitely impacted my head. No exercise + lots of pain + lots of Aleve and Motrin + hormones acting up = migraine/headache increase. I'm ready to get past this cyst issue so I can focus on healing my head!

Home Sweet Home

Me, Jonathan & Ellie sticking her tongue out

As much as I love Christmas, I'm so happy the traveling aspect of it is over! Jonathan and I visited my parents for a day and a half and we had a wonderful time with them. The above photo is on their porch. They only live about 45 minutes away. After going home a few hours, we drove 2 1/2 hours to visit J's mom and her husband and stayed 4 nights, and then we drove 4 hours from there to J's dad's house and stayed 3 nights. It was our first big trip with Ellie and I was SO thankful that she slept in the car pretty much the entire time.

Being away from home for a week is stressful, and having to watch after Ellie made it even more so, as much as I love her. Surprisingly, I only had 1 headache during the trip. I was on my period (TMI, sorry) so I took Aleve the first 3 cycle days to try avoiding major cramps. Usually Aleve doesn't phase menstrual headaches/migraines, so the lack of headaches may have been because I didn't have school or work and was disconnected from technology and in the country. Plus I was able to walk Ellie every day and eat lots of good food!

A negative situation was that J's dad lives in a small house with no central air, and he smokes cigars in the house when it's cold outside without opening a window, so there's no circulation and the smoke is unbearable. Smoke has always bothered me, even before I started getting headaches, and the times I've stayed there in the past were days of constant pain. So this time, we got a cabin, and J's sister and brother-in-law stayed with me there while Jonathan stayed with his dad because he's old and needs someone there at all times. On Friday, J's birthday, his sis & BIL stayed with his dad so J could stay with me at the cabin, which was nice. Anyway, his dad was mad at us (except for J) for not staying with him in the house and particularly mad at me because he knew it was my decision. Eventually he got over it; in fact, one morning while we were at his house he waited for me to go walk the dog before lighting his cigar - though I was told that he mimicked me fussing at him for smoking inside while he smoked it, but I thought that was a little humorous.

I guess the whole thing just made me feel like J's family thinks I'm a snob for wanting to rent a cabin instead of staying with his dad, and I feel helpless trying to make them realize how awful cigarette/cigar smoke is to someone with headaches/migraines. I hate drama.

Of course now that I'm home, I woke up with a migraine this morning. I didn't drink last night so that's not it. It could be a letdown migraine from the stress of traveling/in-laws, the rainy weather today, or the city air. Who knows. I'm just happy I had a break the past week.

Here's hoping 2012 is a year for improved health for all of us! :)

No Botox (yet)

Injection image by TschiAe; modified by War on Headaches

Well, I assumed correctly. I called my insurance and they do cover Botox, only after I meet my deductible, and only 80% of the cost. I have a $1,000 deductible, so needless to say I will not be getting Botox injections anytime soon. I was really looking forward to trying it...at least as much as you can look forward to multiple shots in the head.

Now I'm only doing the following for my headaches:

• 5-HTP (no change yet)
• Mouth guard at night for TMJ (might as well not be on the list since it hasn't helped my head)
• Exercise
• Gatorade once a day - update: I'm down to the bottom of my Costco-size container of powder, so I don't think my electrolyte levels have an impact on my headaches
• Therapy about once a month 
• Drugs as needed: Aleve, Butalbital, Ketorolac
• Ice pack as needed

The list looks long, but basically I feel like I'm doing nothing, and I'm running out of ideas (that I can afford or attain legally). It's so frustrating. At the same time though, I'm still optimistic that things will get better, and I'm thankful that I've been able to drag myself to class, work and church even with the pain. Surely this headache thing will end some day, right?

Dog Sitting

Colt

I've been begging my husband for a dog, but we live in a condo and that's his excuse to say no. Plenty of our neighbors have dogs and we have a Greenway nearby, but...still no. Lucky for me, he LOOOOVES my sister and bro-in-law's dog, Colt. So much, in fact, that agrees to dogsit. At first we had to stay at their house because he didn't want a dog here, but the last two times Colt *was allowed* to stay here. Starting today, we're watching him for about 1 1/2 weeks!

This isn't news, but pets can be good for your health. We already went on a 45 minute walk today, 10 minutes of that running without stopping (huge for me). He's a sweet dog who stays calm unless you want to play, and then he gets all wild and energetic. I don't think I've ever met a dog who listens as well as he does, and I'm not just saying that because he's my "nephew." Maybe one day (when we go back to a house) I'll have a dog of my own.

Not related to Colt, but I haven't done a health update in a while, partly because my health has been weird. Of course I'm still having the headaches and a lot more migraines than I'd like. Luckily Aleve (for headaches) and Butalbital (for migraines) still help, as long as I limit my use. Which means the majority of the time I suffer through the head pain (it's not as hard to do since I'm not working full time anymore, but it still sucks). The thought of the meds not working in the future absolutely terrifies me, to the point of tears sometimes. I hate relying on drugs like that, but at the same time I'm thankful for them.

But here's the weird part (dudes will probably want to stop reading at this point). Twice over the last few months I had bad cramping incidences that weren't during my period. The first one woke me up at night and I went to the computer to research it but I couldn't figure out what it was. I finally was able to go to sleep once I got my heating pad. The second incident was a few weeks ago. It felt like I had menstrual cramps and they kept getting worse and worse over a few days until finally it was almost like I was in labor; it would come and go in waves and I'd almost have trouble breathing the pain was so intense. I made an appointment with my gyno because I was due for an annual visit, but the pain went away that day, until she did the exam and felt my ovaries, that is. Ouch. She said the left one, which hurt the worst, felt weird (I can't remember the exact word she used). She wouldn't do a consultation with me about the issue in addition to the exam, I guess because my insurance would want them to be two different appointments - lame, I know - so I didn't find out anything else.

When the pain went away, I assumed I had an ovarian cyst that ruptured. But then when I started my period yesterday the cramps were way worse than normal, and "normal" is bad for me. Last night I read about endometriosis, one of the conditions that came up in my earlier research, but reading the description and diagnosis options made me so nauseous my face turned green (seriously), so I had to stop.

Maybe all this is related to the progesterone I'm taking, who knows. I'll probably schedule an appointment with my gyno. In the meantime, if you think you might know what's wrong with me, I'm all ears. :)

GelStat Migraine

My busy semester is OVER! I'm so thankful that while taking 16 credit hours, working 10 hours a week and having chronic headaches and occasional migraines, I managed to earn a 3.8 GPA and I only missed ONE class due to a migraine! I really feel that this is God's plan for me and He's giving me the strength to do it.

Thank you, readers and friends, for being patient with my lack of blog posts. This summer I'll be working more but I only have one class, so I hope to be more active here. And my husband finally fixed my browser issues so I can now leave comments on your blogs again. :)

During the semester, my headaches have remained the same, but I haven't given up the fight. Here's what I'm trying:

• Butterbur: I tried this about 3 months and gave up because I noticed no improvements, and it was upsetting my stomach.
• TMJ mouth guard: I'm still seeing a TMJ specialist every few months, and we gradually decreased the time I'm required to wear my mouth guard. Now I only need to have it in at night (8-10 hrs). I don't think it's impacted my headaches but I do have a lot less jaw pain.
• Therapy: I'm still seeing a therapist about once every three weeks for stress, anxiety and pain management.
• GelStat Migraine: A friend of mine suggested it and I noticed they have a free trial (I just had to pay $3.99 shipping), so I figured I'd give it a whirl. The first dose I tried helped, but the second didn't, probably because I didn't catch the headache soon enough. Have any of you had success with GelStat?

Empty dose with my hand for size comparison. It actually tasted decent.







• Ice pack: My trusty ice pack has seen better days, so I got a new one. This one is from The Container Store. When I saw it online I assumed it would fit on my entire head, but when I went to buy it I realized it was more like the size of my hand. Does anyone know where you can get a head-size ice bag? 

Cute Retro Ice Bag

• Progesterone: My gyno upped my dose of progesterone (bioidentical hormone) and switched from the pill to cream, which I requested because I thought it might work better. It looks intimidating, but I don't inject it anywhere; instead, I put the specified dose on a tissue and rub it on my inner thighs (one of the many safe spots). The higher dose makes me really tired, but I only use it day 15 to the end of each cycle. It's still early to tell if it's helping.

Progesterone cream

• Drugs: The only drugs I take are Aleve for really bad headaches and Butalbital (Fioricet) for migraines. I'm trying to take as few meds as possible and prevent headaches through a healthy diet and exercise. I've always had this ambition, but now that I've gone through most of the standard migraine meds, I feel a renewed desire to get more serious about exercising. I hope it lasts!

I *heart* my neuro

As I write this post, I'm drinking homemade apple carrot juice. Thanks for the suggestion, Jessica! I added a little celery, splash of OJ, and honey too. And the apples are Pink Lady apples, fresh from the mountains. YUM. While I haven't noticed a change in headaches (yet), the juice is without a doubt clearing my face.

Last week I finally got to see my neurologist, who is back from maternity leave. She spent a lot of time with me and I feel really good about things! I had been keeping a list of things to ask her, and we went through them all together. My Twitter friend Gina suggested that I write down every health issue I've ever had, even minor ones, and share it with her to see if the list would trigger ideas or show that I might have an auto immune disease. My neuro looked it over, commented that a lot of the ailments are common for people who end up having migraines (such as colic which I had as a baby), and decided to have me do an infectious disease blood test. I'm still waiting on the results. My neuro also is going to contact my insurance to see if they'll cover Botox for me, but I'd be in complete shock if they do (at least any time soon).

Speaking of tests, I finished my hormone spit test and mailed in the tubes, so now I'm in waiting mode for that one too.

In the meantime, I've started a new non-pharma treatment, Butterbur, which may prevent/reduce migraines. I got the pills from Whole Foods and they contain feverfew too.

I'm still seeing a therapist, and I still am wearing my TMJ mouth guard, but I'm slowly tapering down the hours - right now I wear it 17 hours a day. It hasn't helped my headaches, but I do have less jaw pain in the mornings, so I'm probably going to wear it every night for the rest of my life.

For emergencies, I had my neuro write me a prescription for Butalbital (Fioricet), and as long as I take it as little as possible, it helps my migraines (if I take it too much my body gets used to it and it stops working, and plus it can cause rebound headaches). I can generally handle the almost-constant headaches, but if they get really bad I'll take two Aleve pills. I'm starting to feel ulcer-type pains again, so I'm trying to take as little Aleve as possible.

I'll keep all of you up to date on the results of all the above. Thanks for all your thoughts, suggestions, comments and prayers. :)

Summer Blogcation

I

Image by Storm Crypt on Flickr

I've decided to take a break from blogging this summer - let's call it a summer blogcation. My therapist told me to take a break long ago, but I didn't feel the need to. However, the other day my husband asked me to; not in a mean, demanding way, but in a "I care about you and think you should give yourself a break" kind of way. I finally caved and agreed. Here are my reasons:

• I need to reduce stress. Not that blogging is stressful - it's not; but it's one more thing I "have" to do. Plus my day job is more than 50% writing and I get tired of it.
• Headaches are ruling my life. I had two days in a row of no head pain last week, and it's the first time that's happened in months. All I think about is the pain, and I'm constantly trying to find ways to stop the pain. I spend a few hours a week doing research, reading other headache/migraine bloggers' posts and writing my own, and while it's not that much time, it is time I'm thinking about headaches and migraines. I need to take a break and focus on anything but that. Which brings me to my next reason...
• I'm going to replace the time I spend blogging and reading blogs with something stress-free and non-head-related. This could be painting, biking, cooking new recipes, shopping with friends, and spending more time with my husband. The options are endless!

Please know that I WILL be back, probably in August unless something drastic happens that I can't wait to blog about. I'll try to respond to comments to my blog, but I'm not anticipating many. Thank you for not only being a reader of my blog but for being a FRIEND. I hope you all have an amazing summer and improved health!

P.S. I hate to make this a long post, but I want to close some loops before I take my blogcation.

• Elimination Diet: It wasn't too helpful for me, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't help others; in fact, I know it's helped others. I have a few questionable foods that I'm going to test again later, but in general I've added back most foods and am no longer restricting my diet, at least not as it relates to migraine triggers. I just finished "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver and it has inspired me even more to stick to organic foods (as much as possible) and maybe even grow my own someday when I get out of this condo. I cannot recommend this book enough!!
• Occipital Nerve Block: Didn't work. At all. AND, apparently 5% of women have spotting and cramping from the steroids for about a month. Yes, I would fall into that category. I didn't see anything online about it and was getting concerned, but the doc filled me in during the follow up. So now it's online. Be warned.
• Drugs. I stopped the Zonisamide because of the daily stomach issues, and I decided to give up on preventatives (I've tried almost all of them, seriously). But my doc recommended Gabapentin (Neurontin) so I figured I'd try ONE more. So far the dizziness and drowsiness are killing me but I'm trying to stick with it. My stupid insurance denied coverage of Treximet so my doc said I could try Imitrex (generic; apparently my insurance doesn't even cover Imitrex; and it only covers four generic pills a month - jerks) along with 500 mg Naproxen. I just tried it today and it was so not the same. I still have Aleve, Butalbital and Toradol if I have migraines, but they're hit or miss. Other than that, I'm free of meds except for topical acne medicine.
• TMJ mouth guard: no luck for headaches yet although my jaw pain, which I only get when I grind my teeth at night, is better. I'm still wearing it 24/7 except for eating.

And no, I will not be on the sailboat in the picture during my time off from blogging. Sadness!

My (Awesome) Visit with the TMJ Specialist

My neurologist recommended me to a TMJ specialist because I clench my jaw and grind my teeth at night. The specialist was at an oral surgery clinic that is part of a larger hospital; it wasn't at the actual hospital but it was on the campus. Check out the spectacular building!

 

I was just as impressed with the doctor as I was the building - ok, more. I started with x-rays and after just a few minutes, the doctor brought them in and she clearly explained what everything was and said that everything looked normal. Then she did a physical exam and that's when she noticed the wear on my teeth, popping, and tenderness. She said that my TMJ isn't acute but it still could be causing some - probably not all, but some - of my headaches.

Here's our battle plan:

• Take Aleve twice a day (morning & night)
• Do a moist heat massage on the jaw and temporal areas once a day
• Diet modification (GREEEAAAAAT....)
• No gum, chewy candy
• No bagels, pizza crust, tough meats (cut meats into small pieces)
• Reduce sweets
• No big bites: cut apples, sandwiches, carrots, etc. into pieces
• Mouth guard

I've done all but the last one. I'm waiting on my insurance to approve the mouth guard, and if/once approved, I'll wear it 24/7. After 60 days I can stop the Aleve, then after a while I'll be able to stop the other steps and will eventually decrease the amount of time I wear the mouth guard until I'm wearing it nights only.

I love that I don't have any new drugs to take (I was afraid I'd have to try a muscle relaxer which I tried for grinding/clenching in the past), and I'm also happy that while the doctor didn't promise complete relief from my headaches, she thinks the frequency will reduce. And she has seen plenty of headache patients, so she knows what she's talking about. I mean, just look at that gorgeous building she works in! :)

MRI and other fun things

My MRI last week was interesting. Upon arriving to a top-notch hospital, I was completely thrown off when I discovered that the MRI was going to take place in the PARKING LOT in mobile units connected by wooden covered walkways. I went in one trailer for check-in, another to get the IV thing put in (so they could easily add the contrast) and another for the actual MRI. I thought it would take hours to do the neck and brain scan, with and without contrast, but it only took a little more than an hour. I also thought I'd have trouble holding still, but it wasn't bad at all. The hardest part was not falling asleep, because I tend to jerk when I wake up and didn't think that would work out to well.

I called Monday about my results and found out I had to fax an authorization form, which I did right away, so I'm still in waiting mode right now. Of course I'll write about my results, good or bad, as soon as I find out anything.

Since I haven't mentioned things I'm trying other than the elimination diet in a while, I thought I'd do a quick recap.

Meds: The only med I'm taking is Ropinirole for restless leg syndrome (which I don't think I have, but my neuro wanted me to try it due to my sleep study results). I hate it because it wakes me up at night and makes me feel like I'm going to throw up. I haven't yet, but every time I'm sure I'm going to. I take iron every so often, but other than that and some topical acne creams I'm not on anything else, which is nice. When I have headaches, I take 2 Aleves and pray that they work (they generally don't). If they're bad enough, I have Butalbital/Fioricet, and if they're unbearable I have Toradol, but I'm trying to stop relying on those.

Therapy: I'm also still seeing a therapist for stress and pain management. It's not expensive with my insurance, and it's awesome to have someone to talk to because I feel like I overburden my husband and mom with my problems.

Diet: The elimination diet is getting discouraging, not because it's hard to do (although it is) but because I'm having no relief in my headaches. I'm convinced they're hormone-related, but my hope is that I can still have fewer headaches by doing the diet, but I'm slowly losing that hope. Also, I've gotten sick three times this month, and the symptoms have been similar to my MSG symptoms (trust me, you don't want me to elaborate) but I, of course, didn't eat MSG. This diet might be making me aware of foods my stomach is sensitive to, so I've been writing them down.

Exercise: I'm still working out; maybe not four times a week but at least three most weeks.

I wish I had better results to share, but all my efforts don't seem to be getting me anywhere. I'm considering making some (additional) life changes to cut down my stress levels, but I'd rather not get into that now. Next month I meet with my neuro again and a TMJ specialist. Always something to look forward to. :\

New Game Plan!!!

My headaches are worse than ever. 20+ days a month now. AND I still have migraines! I can deal with the headaches, but the migraines will be the end of me. So, it's time for a new game plan. Enter Neuro #6. I've outline our plan of attack below:

• Sleep. My sleep study results showed I woke up 10 times an hour, and Neuro #6 read the results and said it was from leg movements (which I didn't notice at all). To fix this I'm taking a med that can help with Restless Legs Syndrome called Ropinirole HCL, or Requip. It may take multiple things to help my headaches, and getting a good night's sleep is definitely one of them! 

• Jaw. Related to sleep, I frequently grind and clench my teeth in my sleep. Sometimes my husband tells me or sometimes I know when I take that first bite of breakfast because my jaw is killing me. I tried a drugstore mouth guard but didn't notice a difference, so Neuro #6 referred me to a TMJ specialist. My dad has TMJ (it can be hereditary due to bone structure similarities), and it can be related to headaches, so this is a good move. My appointment is early next year.
  

• Migraine diet. This is one I asked about because I've been wanting to do it for a while. Sometime in January I'm planning to eliminate everything but rice from my diet. The new neuro said to do it two weeks and see if I notice a difference in my headaches; if not, I can go back to eating like normal. We agreed that if I did the gluten-free diet, I can do anything. It's only two weeks! 

• Biofeedback and meditation. The clinic I visited offers biofeedback; however, when I tried to schedule an appointment, they said they are "out of network" for my health insurance, so I need to do some research to find out how much it will cost. The Web site's undergoing maintenance but I'll look into it this week. Neuro #6 also recommended trying a mindfulness meditation class to learn stress reduction, but the ones she recommended are in the $300 range, so I'm going to hold off on that.
  

• MRI. And speaking of expensive, I almost forgot the most exciting part of the appointment! I FINALLY found a neuro who wants me to get an MRI! After nine years of headaches and migraines, someone wants to look at my head, the source of my pain. What a concept! :) I'm getting a brain and cervical spine MRI next month and it's ridiculous how much I'm looking forward to it. My husband doesn't understand why I want them to find something because he said it probably wouldn't be good, but I'm sure most of you who are reading this understand. If it's something fixable, I'll do whatever it takes. 

I'm thrilled that this new game plan isn't a long list of drugs. I made it clear that I've tried most of them and wasn't interesting in trying more. I'm still taking Butalbital and Toradol for migraines, and Aleve for headaches, but I try my best to avoid them when I can. 

P.S. - Love me some Philip Rivers! :) 

Image by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images.

Ulcer?

I mentioned in my last post that I think I have a stomach ulcer or ulcers. Every morning I wake up with a burning stomach which mostly goes away once I eat, and before dinnertime I start to get sharp, stabbing stomach pains. I tried a 14-day pack of Prilosec OTC and it didn't work, so I went to my internal medicine doctor. He said that I wasn't taking too much Aleve (I try to limit it to twice a week to prevent rebound headaches; plus if I take it too much it doesn't touch the headache), but he said it still might have caused an ulcer. My rescue med is Ketorolac (Toradol), and that's an NSAID as well but I have to limit it to twice a month. In my opinion it's probably stress, because I have a lot of non-headache things stressing me out, in addition to the daily headaches. The doctor didn't do an X-ray or anything but did listen to and feel my stomach and said there was inflammation.

He put me on 40 mg of Pantoprazole Sodium which I assume is the generic for Protonix, a gastroesophageal reflux med. It was only $10 (with my insurance) for a month's supply, which is awesome because I'm supposed to take it for 2-3 months. Then if my stomach isn't better, I'll have to go back to the doc.

A side effect is headaches, so does that mean it'll cancel out my current headaches? Let's go with that.

Counseling Session #2

Had my 2nd counseling session today, and my counselor did some guided imagery with me. I've done it once before online. You pretty much visualize a relaxing scene in order to take your mind off of your pain and lower your stress. The counselor also let me borrow a book, Creative Imagery, by William Fezler, Ph.D., which has a chapter on pain.

I've been super stressed lately for very good reasons, so I'm praying that this will help. I'm also trying really hard to work out more because exercise is vital to good health. Realistically, I'm always tired and headachey, which makes it hard to work out, but I've been doing a workout at least once or twice a week which is an improvement for me.

Oh and FYI, last month I had 24 headaches, and I haven't had a headache-free day since Oct. 15. I also had a horrible migraine last Friday night/Saturday but after three doses of Butalbital, I was well enough to party for Halloween! However, I went back to two Aleves today, and although my ulcer seems to be under control (if I even had one - maybe Prilosec is working), the Aleves didn't do a thing. This cycle has GOT to end.

Counseling

A co-worker of mine pointed me to an article in a benefits newsletter on headaches, and one of the things offered that I wasn't aware of is three free counseling sessions. I've been miserable lately - although hiding it well - and my headaches have been daily. Tonight it's a migraine (I also have a fever and upset stomach). Ugh.

Since I don't seem to handle stress well (I tense up, tightening my neck and shoulders, and keep it inside or cry), I decided to take advantage of the three free sessions. I'd rather not go into detail on the first session, but let's just say I cried on and off the entire time. In fact I'm tearing up just thinking about it. Stupid PMS.

My counselor recommended a work book on behavioral therapy, Mind over Mood, which I ordered from Amazon. She also said to do "rescue breathing" which I thought I was already doing, but I was doing it incorrectly. I was taking deep breaths through my mouth when stressed out, but you're actually supposed to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth and breathe with your diaphragm. If you breathe in through your mouth, you could get dizzy easier and cause yourself to hyperventilate.

The counselor also gave me a list of supplements that can increase serotonin naturally (5-HTP amino acid and SAM-e) and help me get deeper sleep (melatonin), but I'm sick of pills so those will be a last resort. I should note that she can't prescribe anything so she said to talk to a doctor before taking these.

One other update on my health - I think I have a stomach ulcer or ulcers. Every morning I wake up with a burning stomach which mostly goes away once I eat, and before dinnertime I start to get sharp, stabbing stomach pains. I'm taking Prilosec OTC for 14 days to see if that helps, and if not I'll see a doctor. Because of this I've stopped taking Aleve. If my headaches get bad enough, I still have Butalbital (which I will absolutely take tomorrow if I wake up feeling like I do now) which has acetaminophen and is not an ulcer-causing NSAID, to my knowledge.

If you're wondering why I haven't mentioned Tui Na massage lately, my husband refuses to let me see the acupuncturist who does that because he's still freaked out from the cupping (see earlier post). I'm trying to stand up for myself, but it is $50 a session and I don't make nearly as much as my husband, so I feel like I don't have the right to spend that kind of money when I don't know for sure that it'll work. Sometimes you have to pick your battles.

Book Review: 100 Questions & Answers About Migraine

I just finished another migraine book, "100 Questions & Answers About Migraine" by Katherine A. Henry, MD and Anthony P. Bossis, PhD. The questions were pretty basic - good for people seeking general information, but not benefitial for chronic sufferers. But there are some sections I found useful, such as dealing with the emotional effects of the pain and the questions on migraine and pregnancy.

Let me stop right here. Mom, if you are reading this, I am NOT having kids any time soon, although you make it clear that you prefer otherwise. :) Patience is a virtue.

So as I was saying, I learned a lot of facts from question #30, "What if I am taking migraine medication and then find out I am pregnant? Will this harm my unborn child?" Apparently I'm going to need to develop a plan with a doctor before I even consider trying to get pregnant, because you have to be really careful about what you take. I knew this, of course, but I didn't know that during the first two to three weeks of pregnancy - which could be before you even KNOW that you're pregnant - some medicines could cause the fetus to spontaneously abort. Also, during weeks three through 10, medications could have an impact on organ formation!

As I said, I'm not planning on getting pregnant any time soon, but now I know that when my husband and I do decide to start trying, I'm going to have to be really careful and pretty much put up with the pain. I'm getting good practice because recently I've suspected that I have a stomach ulcer or ulcers, so I've stopped taking Aleve which I usually take about twice a week and alternate with Butalbital (Fioricet). Luckily since I've stopped hormonal birth control, my headaches haven't been full-blown migraines like they used to be, so I'm better able to put up with the pain for the most part. Although it does wear on you when it's daily.

Anyways back to the book. It's a good introductory book to headaches/migraine and covers everything from treatment to doctor's visits to complementary and alternative medicine. Definitely a quick read if you're interested.

Allergy test

I met with an allergist last week to see if allergies were giving me headaches. I had awful allergies - ragweed, dogs, cats - as a kid, but I grew out of them (either that or they went away when I moved to the city). But I thought maybe they transformed into headaches instead. Crazy thought, but I at least wanted to rule it out.

So I got a scratch test (see image below). This is not me - I wanted to take a picture, but I wasn't allowed to move my arms so that would have been difficult.

(Phanie/Photo Researchers/NY Times)

The results were expected - allergic to ragweed and molds. Certainly not bad enough to cause headaches or even bother me much. I even had the doctor check for foods - tomatoes, chocolate and something else I forgot. No reaction, but I could still have intolerances. So my next plan is to do a food elimination diet to see if common migraine triggers affect me. I've checked out a ton of books from the library and hope to do some book reviews soon. I probably won't start the diet for a few weeks though because I just finished the gluten-free diet and I need a break from restricting my diet. That's a headache in and of itself!

A few more brief updates: acupuncture's going well. I've switched to private sessions with deep neck massage and they seem to be helping. I'm off all prescription medications (so no more Lyrica or Lexapro, woohoo!) except for when I have headaches; if they're bad enough I'll do rotations of Toradol (for REALLY bad migraines), Butalbital, 800 mg Ibuprofen and Aleve.

I'm also taking the following supplements:

• fish oil
• magnesium potassium
• B complex
• Iron (not for headaches but because I have low levels)

On a more personal note, my husband and I were talking the other night and I told him I was mad at God because he has the ability to heal my pain but he won't. I took it back right away and said that Christians shouldn't be exempt from pain. This is earth after all; the pain-free time is yet to come (heaven). But I still felt bad, and I feel like I settled it with God at church this morning - I had a feeling of peace and joy throughout the entire service and I asked God to forgive me...and yes, to heal me. It doesn't hurt to ask. God might want me to use my pain to witness to others. So if you're not religious and this paragraph is gibberish to you, know that God's helped me through the pain and really does provide strength and peace. I'm not saying he'll take it away, but there's always hope. :)

Acupuncture Update

I've had four acupuncture visits so far; one per week. Unfortunately I'm still having headaches almost every day. I had a total of 26 headaches in June. A friend told me today that she saw a Duke study on acupuncture and headaches, and it took about 12 sessions for improvement, so I've decided to give it that many. Here's an article on acupuncture - it explains how it works, which I wonder each time I go! Thanks to @ManageMigraines on Twitter for the link.

In addition to the community acupuncture, I've been doing what I guess is acupressure where I tilt my head to the side and use that side's hand to push on the opposite side's area between my neck and shoulders, if that makes sense. When I push it, the pain radiates to my head. I'm supposed to push it until the knot that's there breaks up.


Also, as you can see from the picture, I'm on lots of fun non-big-pharma pills. So in addition to the Lyrica and Lexapro that my neuro put me on and I'm going to get off as soon as I see her next, I take the following: women's multi-vitamin, iron (not headache-related), magnesium, fish oil/omega-3, vitamin B complex, Chinese herbal migraine pills which are the black beads in the picture (10 twice a day) and 800 mg Ibuprofen or 2 Aleves when I have bad headaches.

My gluten-free diet is going very well. After eliminating food I couldn't eat from my kitchen, I printed gluten-free menus from restaurants that have them, printed a list of ingredients to avoid, and visited several different grocery stores to see their gluten-free foods selection. I'll blog more about it soon.

Hope all my American readers have a wonderful Independence Day, and I hope all my readers are headache-free for the weekend! :)

Neuro Appointment - More sleep tips

My Headache Clinic appointment got moved because of a scheduling conflict, so I had it last Monday, about two weeks after my last appointment. I thought it'd be a waste of a $40 copay, since I just saw my neuro, but it was actually a good appointment.

I told her how tired I was during the day, but it still takes me about 10 minutes to fall asleep at night. She asked what was going through my head when I was trying to sleep, and I told her mainly the next day's schedule. So here's the advice she gave me:

* Write down a to-do list about 15 minutes before going to bed each night. That gets it out of your head and on paper. Then when you get in bed, block out words and instead visualize a picture, like a beach scene. Thinking in pictures instead of words slows your brain waves which is what happens when you're sleeping.

* My neuro also gave me Ambien (the generic version) again to try for five nights, which I've just finished. I've been sleeping fine, but I'm still exhausted during the day, so I don't think it helped.

She also gave me 800 mg of Ibuprofen to take up to four times a day, no more than two days a week though, for when I have headaches and the Maxalt doesn't work. I had been taking Aleve, which doesn't always work, so she said I needed something stronger. I tried the Ibuprofen for one headache and it didn't work, but yesterday I took it and it eliminated my headache! Woohoo!!

I tried refilling Maxalt and I can't do it yet, so I literally get four a month from my insurance and that's it. I'll have to ask for samples next neuro appt. Speaking of which, my next one won't be until July, because she wanted to give the meds I'm on and my sleep schedule time to work. That will save me some copays, so I'm happy!

New Headache Clinic Visit Part 2

So, back to my kitchen table, full of medications. My new neurologist at the Headache Clinic gave me so many medications that I had to organize them on my table and write when I take each on sticky notes.

First of all, she had me stop taking the natural progesterone. She said that the progesterone wouldn't help my headaches and wouldn't help me get a regular menstrual cycle either. So I took that for a total of 4 nights before stopping. She also wants me to eventually stop the Butalbital (Fioricet), even though I don't take it much. That has been my "emergency" drug for the especially awful migraines.

So here's what she put me on:

* Zolpidem Tartrate (generic Ambien) - I had to try it for five nights to see if I woke up refreshed. If I did, I could cancel my sleep study. I didn't even notice any difference. Sleep study is Monday night. No more Ambien.

* Frova - this is a typical migraine med that you take as needed. I've taken it in the past and it made my migraines worse. I told my neuro this and she said to try it again. She had me take it about 1 1/2 weeks straight to knock out my headache cycle; however, my insurance only covered four pills, so I wasn't able to do that. The whole time I did take it though, I had a headache, but I was also on my first real period in two years (since I got the IUD out) so that could have been it. Anyway, no more Frova.

* Lexapro - An antidepressant. I've been on this before also (see the Lexapro tag in my blog if you want to know more), and I also told my neuro that, but she wanted to try it on me again. Interestingly enough, I just read my old blog posts and realized a side effect was crazy break-your-jaw-type yawning. So that's why I've started yawning like that again!

* Sumatriptan (generic Imitrex) - I've tried Imitrex before, same effects as Frova. My insurance also only covered four pills of this. I haven't taken it yet, but this is what I'm supposed to take when I have a migraine.

* Nuva Ring - A synthetic hormone birth control. After all my posts on natural hormones, I'm obviously not thrilled about this. However, my neuro wants me to be on this 12 weeks straight and then take a week break and use estrogen patches that week. I've tried taking The Pill with no breaks before and had a lot of spotting and still had headaches, but my neuro said the Nuva Ring will be different.

* Emergency concoction: Ketorolac (Toradol), Promethazine (Phenergan), and Seroquel - I combine these three pills if I have an unbearable migraine. My neuro said this is like going to the emergency room and getting a shot. It will knock me out, and I can't do it more than twice a month. These scare me so I haven't done this yet.

* Magnesium Potassium Aspartate - I found this at a vitamin store. I'm to take 400-500mg, but the bottle I found is 600 mg for a 2-pill dose, so I take one pill and figure 300mg is enough. I stopped it for a while because I was having stomach issues, but then I realized it was a stomach bug (I had a fever and it's going around) so I've started it again.

I don't take my neurologist's recommendations lightly. That's why I'm agreeing to take these meds. I don't want to sound like I think I'm smarter than her, because I don't. And I was happy with the appointment. However, I think after trying some of these meds before and seeing so many neuros, I'm having negative thoughts about the whole thing. I'm trying my best to push them aside, and I hope this post doesn't come across as negative.

I've had a lot of headaches lately. I have a dilemma where I try to see if it will pass, and then it gets bad and by that time it's too late to take the Imitrex; I can take Aleve but that doesn't always work either. My neuro said not to take more than 2 Imitrexs a week or more than 2 Aleves a week. So I've been suffering through a lot of headaches. But I was doing that before as well, to avoid rebound headaches.

My next post should be cool, and helpful. I'm going to write about my sleep study experience (and results if I get them that soon). Also, I'm going to post some good sleep habit tips from my neurologist. Speaking of results, tomorrow I'm going to call my old/other neuro about the blood tests I had, so if I find out anything interesting, I'll post that as well.

Have an awesome, headache-free weekend!

Naproxen - my new weapon?

In my war with headaches, I have yet another plan. Physical therapy didn't work, so I'm stopping that. I'm still on Bystolic to prevent migraines (I wish it would prevent headaches too, but I still get about 15 headaches per month). When I visited my neurologist last week, I mentioned that I take Aleve when I get headaches and that it generally works. My neurologist wrote me a prescription for Naproxen (which is also Aleve) - 250 mg twice a day for a month and a half, until I see him next.

I expressed my concern for rebound headaches and also mentioned that sometimes when I take Aleve a lot, my body seems to get used to it and it doesn't help as much. He said that he didn't think I'd have a problem and said to just try it. He did say that it could upset my stomach so he told me to take an antacid tablet with it at night (he prescribed Nexium, but my stupid insurance didn't cover it, so it would've been like 150 bucks).

The plan is to knock out my headache cycle, because right now my body is accustomed to having frequent headaches. So Naproxen, please please please win the war for me!


Naproxen Info