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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 25 of 40. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by bookgurl99 on October 14, 2002, at 9:12:19
MAJOR insomnia. Totally sleepy. And really need the sleep. But scared to call in. Scared not to have a job, too. What am I being so emotional for?
Nag me into calling in, please. I'll let you all know when I have.
bookgurl99
Posted by bookgurl99 on October 14, 2002, at 9:15:30
In reply to AAUGH! Overslept and scared to call in to work., posted by bookgurl99 on October 14, 2002, at 9:12:19
Why do I do these things? I hate being a fuck up.
Posted by jane d on October 14, 2002, at 9:30:48
In reply to Ok called in. Promise to go in. Just have to DO it » bookgurl99, posted by bookgurl99 on October 14, 2002, at 9:15:30
> Why do I do these things? I hate being a f*** up.
You called in. Therefore you aren't one.
Jane
Posted by BeardedLady on October 15, 2002, at 7:06:45
In reply to AAUGH! Overslept and scared to call in to work., posted by bookgurl99 on October 14, 2002, at 9:12:19
Posted by bookgurl99 on October 15, 2002, at 7:30:23
In reply to Did you go in? How did it go? And last night? (nm) » bookgurl99, posted by BeardedLady on October 15, 2002, at 7:06:45
They make this possible by having a system where we have like 10 absences excused or unexcused before getting fired. We also lose a quarter absence for being late from 1 min. to halfway into our shift. The fact that it doesn't matter your reason, etc., makes people randomly skip a week and then work angelically to get more absence opportunities back. (You can earn 1 back with a perfect month of attendance, for example.)
I'm gettin' close to the edge here. I really have been sick (migraines that make me nauseated and confused, didn't know what it was), but also think this skipping is a sign I've gotta find another job.
*sigh*
Posted by Dinah on October 15, 2002, at 7:40:45
In reply to Didn't go in. Going in today. In 1/2 an hour*gulp*, posted by bookgurl99 on October 15, 2002, at 7:30:23
So the migraines are what your neurologist decided was the major problem? I know mine wreak havoc with my ability to work.
Perhaps one day we can compare all the very weird symptoms. They involve so much more than your head.
Good luck with work. It does sound like a warped system, to make it easier to call in sick than be late.
Dinah
Posted by BeardedLady on October 15, 2002, at 7:47:15
In reply to Didn't go in. Going in today. In 1/2 an hour*gulp*, posted by bookgurl99 on October 15, 2002, at 7:30:23
I'm sorry you are having a rough time. You have always been one of my favorite posters, as you know, even though we don't interact much.
So I take it the CCB isn't helping with the migraines? Here's something that won't hurt to try and may help with migraines. I have gotten about two in the past eight months since I've been doing these things.
First, I started that super B complex. It took about two months, but I stopped getting regular stress headaches, which I had every day of my life. (I also read in Good Housekeeping in my doctor's office, after I'd been taking it about three weeks, that they are one of the best migraine remedies, but you have to take them for many weeks before they begin to work.)
If a late-day headache sneaks in, Tension Tamer tea works when Ibuprofen won't.
And to eliminate migraines, I stopped drinking caffeine. I don't drink soda at all anymore, and I drink a cup of decaf coffee every morning. But I quit the decaf coffee for two weeks before I went back to it, just to break the migraine cycle.
Everyone's migraines are different, but it's worth doing these two simple things, since they absolutely can't hurt you at all and have the possibility of helping a great deal.
(I was taking Ibuprofen preventively, and that also kept my auras from happening around the time of my period, but it gave me a pre-ulcer stomach!)
Bruxism is another cause of migraine, and I have had that for about fifteen years. My night guard doesn't fit properly and makes it worse.
My last migraine was last week. It began with a four-day horror of a headache, which saw no relief. It ended, believe it or not, with the aura (at 3:00 a.m.! incorporated into my dream!). And I believe I got it because I had begun sprinkling a little bit of caffeinated coffee in my decaf for about two weeks because I was tired of feeling sluggish from the Serzone.
I stopped sprinkling, and the headache went bye-bye.
I hope one or more of these suggestions is something you haven't yet tried. It feels so hopeless when you've tried everything. Many are reluctant to give up caffeine, especially when they are tired and have to go to work, but I think the B vitamins will temporarily replace that energy lost and enhance your mood as well.
Please keep in touch and let me know if you might try one of these things.
beardy
Posted by Dinah on October 15, 2002, at 8:29:03
In reply to migraines, etc. » bookgurl99, posted by BeardedLady on October 15, 2002, at 7:47:15
All good advice, but so hard to give up caffeine. It's the only thing that gets me out of bed in the down times.
I also get misled, I think, by the fact that sometimes I can do just about anything and not have any bad effects. Other times a flickering overhead light in a store will incapacitate me. If there was a direct cause and effect, it would be easier to make wise choices.
When I get a bit of time to be able to commit to what I'm sure is a lot of homework, I want to try an MD in our area who uses non drug therapy for migraines. She does biofeedback etc. The OTC meds just aren't working well anymore and I'm sure are the cause of some liver enzymes that are coming back elevated. I'm sure she'll insist on caffeine elimination and dietary changes as well. Sigh.
Posted by BeardedLady on October 15, 2002, at 8:58:16
In reply to Re: migraines, etc. » BeardedLady, posted by Dinah on October 15, 2002, at 8:29:03
It is very easy to eliminate caffeine. If I can do it, you can! I used to drink three 2-liter bottles of diet coke every day of my life. I also drank coffee. My job (as a coffee reviewer) would also take me to late-night cappuccino joints, where I'd drink two double caps and go home to bed with no trouble at all.
Those days are over.
When my neurologist said to quit caffeine, he wasn't kidding. He didn't want to talk to me until I was caffeine free. And so, though I had already cut back to one cup of coffee in the morning and one diet coke at lunch or dinner, I tapered off for two weeks, and then I was off. No coffee. No soda. No real difference.
I think you should give it a try. Flickering lights set me off, too. Or should I say USED TO.
Take a super B while you're doing it, in the morning, so that you don't notice. But start tapering. Drink less and less, or mix a larger ratio of decaf with your regular coffee. You won't get a withdraw headache, and your migraines will decrease.
You said you needed a goal. Here it is. And it will make a serious difference in your life.
beardy
Posted by Dinah on October 15, 2002, at 9:29:23
In reply to Re: migraines, etc. » Dinah, posted by BeardedLady on October 15, 2002, at 8:58:16
I'll do it. My internist wants me to give up the biggie sodas that are the main source of my caffeine anyway. High triglycerides. Scowl.
I've been cutting down on them and I'll try giving them up. You're right. The headache doctor probably won't treat me unless I do.
But I don't know what's going to keep me going to work on my stuporous days.
Posted by BeardedLady on October 15, 2002, at 9:41:36
In reply to Re: migraines, etc. » BeardedLady, posted by Dinah on October 15, 2002, at 9:29:23
Posted by BeardedLady on October 15, 2002, at 9:42:15
In reply to Re: migraines, etc. » BeardedLady, posted by Dinah on October 15, 2002, at 9:29:23
Posted by Dinah on October 15, 2002, at 9:45:53
In reply to easy for me to say; I'm self-employed. sorry! (nm) » Dinah, posted by BeardedLady on October 15, 2002, at 9:42:15
Posted by BeardedLady on October 15, 2002, at 14:23:19
In reply to Re: I only recognize one 6:00 per day. (grin) (nm) » BeardedLady, posted by Dinah on October 15, 2002, at 9:45:53
Posted by BeardedLady on October 16, 2002, at 7:00:24
In reply to Didn't go in. Going in today. In 1/2 an hour*gulp*, posted by bookgurl99 on October 15, 2002, at 7:30:23
I just read last night (coincidentally!) that B complex (and especially B2) and feverfew are effective migraine meds. The article (in a cheesy women's magazine—Fitness) said that you should take this combo preparation called Migraleve for two weeks. There's a caution: "If you don't see results after taking either MIgraleve or B2 for two weeks, discontinue use."
I don't buy it, as it takes a few weeks to a month for either feverfew or the Bs to work!
Some quotes from the article: "A couple of good studies have shown that migraine sufferers who took feverfew reduced the number and severity of these headaches, as well as the vomiting that often accompanies them."
"Feverfew is prophylactic—it does not cure an existing migraine. You may need to take it up to a month before you see results."
"Several reports published in medical journals have suggested that B2 reduces migraine pain."
My suggestion is still the complex B (at least 50 mg. of 2, 6, and 12), and if it's not helping after a month, add the feverfew (again, not leaves).
Hope something here offers hope and help.
beardy
Posted by IsoM on October 16, 2002, at 13:40:23
In reply to Migraine relief--new article » bookgurl99, posted by BeardedLady on October 16, 2002, at 7:00:24
Beardy, why not the leaves? Where did you read this? The evidence of feverfew helping migraines started from anecdotal bits accumulated over many years. One woman who frequently had migraines got in the habit of breaking off a piece of leaf everyday that she worked in her garden. It occurred to her after a couple of months that she wasn't getting migraines like she used to. It was stories like this that started it.
In feverfew preparations, it's the leaves that are used. I know someone who nibbles her leaves from fresh plants to help her. I've tried them fresh as well as the dried prepared forms. But zilcho, nada, it doesn't help me.
Personally, I've tried so many preparations for migraines through the years from beta-blockers to ergot preparations to feverfew, ad nauseum - I've lost count. But none have touched my migraines. They'd come on whether I took something or not. Now that I'm older, they're much fewer & often I only get the strange auras but no pain follows. I do feel a little out of it though afterwards. They don't disrupt my life like they use to so I'm fine with how few they've become.
As you know, I've taken supplemental forms of B complex most of my life, so that's not an avenue to fix them for me either. ANything that can't be fixed, I just attribute it to the fact that I'm loupy & was meant to be. ^_*
Posted by BeardedLady on October 16, 2002, at 14:53:10
In reply to Re: Feverfew leaves?? » BeardedLady, posted by IsoM on October 16, 2002, at 13:40:23
> Beardy, why not the leaves? Where did you read this?
It was in Fitness magazine, and the reasons are valid, as I've had similar experiences with other herbs. Many people are sensitive to these leaves, which can cause ulcers on the tongue (no big deal, but not fun, so why hassle with it?), and it can also make you lose your sense of taste. The article did not say whether this was temporary immediately following chewing the leaves or if it was a possible long-term consequence.
> In feverfew preparations, it's the leaves that are used. I know someone who nibbles her leaves from fresh plants to help her. I've tried them fresh as well as the dried prepared forms. But zilcho, nada, it doesn't help me.
Did you do this daily for several weeks, as the article suggests you must in order for it to work?
> I only get the strange auras but no pain follows. I do feel a little out of it though afterwards. They don't disrupt my life like they use to so I'm fine with how few they've become.I have been getting these, without pain, since I was 21. The first time (though I think I was sixteen when I got my first one but just discounted it) I remember saying anything out loud was while playing racquetball with my now-husband. The room was all white, I got an aura and had to sit out. Then I said, "Oh, I get these when there's a very bright room." It used to not bother me. Now they sort of freak me out because I feel like my eyes are going to stay that way, and that would make me kill myself, I think!
> As you know, I've taken supplemental forms of B complex most of my life, so that's not an avenue to fix them for me either. ANything that can't be fixed, I just attribute it to the fact that I'm loupy & was meant to be. ^_*Ibuprofen before every period keeps me from getting the one I always get on the first day. It's amazing what works for some and not others.
beardy
Posted by IsoM on October 16, 2002, at 16:17:10
In reply to Re: Feverfew leaves?? » IsoM, posted by BeardedLady on October 16, 2002, at 14:53:10
I understand now. Yes, the fresh leaves can cause a bit of stinging on the tongue for some. It was recommended that a person just slip a bit of the leaf between the rest of a sandwich - kind of like English mustard in a sandwich as opposed to trying it alone - yow! It's only temporary, disappears in less than a day.
Yep, tried feverfew for about 4-5 months. Wanted to give it a good trial but it just didn't work for me. I felt nothing, good or bad. The dose was enough too. It's just me.
I do dislike the auras as they leave my head feeling cottony & it's very hard to do much when the pattern fills your vision. But I do my best to ignore them. I'm very good at talking myself out of reacting to things much. Doesn't mean I don't react at all - my body generally will continue to react but I can keep my mind from getting upset much. It's what I've done when I've had panic attacks. Talk myself out of it so it won't last too long.
That's the weird thing about migraines for me. I did see a neurologist who tested me & said they certainly seem like migraines, but there's no pattern to them. Never have been - keeping headache diaries never revealed anything. Weather, stress, cycles, food, even lack of sleep never seemed to trigger them. It may be a rather complex mixture of things that cause mine but I've yet to discover a cause & effect for them. Sometimes, I think my mind & body occupy spearate dimensions of time - they don't seem to correlate to each other much.
Posted by bookgurl99 on October 16, 2002, at 16:26:18
In reply to Re: migraines, etc. » BeardedLady, posted by Dinah on October 15, 2002, at 9:29:23
Must be migraines, the calcium channel blocker is helping. I feel a big difference when I don't take it. I can't tell, though, if it makes my migraines worse or if it's just that I'm used to feeling well on some days. (I get them, or at least the aura, every day. Talk about an overactive CNS.)
I was probably having migraines for a while there, but didn't notice as they were not causing the severe aura. I used to have 'panic attacks,' where it felt like a racing sensation in my head. These left when my other symptoms began, so they may have been a different kind of migraine.
The CCB makes me tired, so I drink caffeine to balance that out. I know, though, that caffeine undoes many of my good habits. So I'm working on that.
My long-term goal is to be free of all drugs, minus the thyroid hormones I need to take. I sometimes wonder if long-term exposure to antidepressants has made me any more vulnerable to migraines. Nontheless, with a tendency towards severe anxiety, obsessiveness, and depression, I really need to change my ways.
Luckily, my gf is really pushing me to eat at home more (for us to save $), and exercise every day (I started out nudging her), so at least I have those positives. My new goals are to:
* quit caffeine
* establish a better sleep-wake routine; maybe switch from Zoloft to another AD that helps me sleep better.
* give up refined carbs except for one day a week. (Wheat and sugar are major triggers for me.)
* relax!:D
Thanks for the advice, y'allbookgurl99
Posted by IsoM on October 16, 2002, at 16:34:06
In reply to Re: migraines, etc., posted by bookgurl99 on October 16, 2002, at 16:26:18
Bookgurl, I can't remember if I ever read if you've taken Dexedrine. Have you? I seem to actually have fewer headaches (not all mine have auras) & less over all aches & pain when I use Dex. I've read since then that Dex helps some with pain.
I'm not sure how it works with a ccb but there's lots of sites on Google that would show up if you did a search about possible interactions of the two. You could check with your doctor too.
I do know you'll feel better if it doesn't excaberate other problems. And no, anxiety doesn't always contradict using Dex. It can paradoxically improve anxiety for some when they use it. It certainly does me. And then you won't have to rely on caffeine which makes anxiety worse for most.
Posted by BeardedLady on October 16, 2002, at 18:54:58
In reply to Re: migraines, etc., posted by bookgurl99 on October 16, 2002, at 16:26:18
All of those are good things. Try taking the CCB at night, as I suggested on the other board. My neurologist insisted, as they make you drowsy. That may eliminate the need for caffeine.
And I'd say give up the refined sugar and carbs for all but one day of the week! You would be surprised how easy it is. I am currently off the wagon, but I lost 9 pounds in just a few weeks of no bread or pasta.
Good luck!
beardy
Posted by bookgurl99 on October 16, 2002, at 22:49:09
In reply to Re: migraines, etc. » bookgurl99, posted by IsoM on October 16, 2002, at 16:34:06
Dex would make sense, but I really want a more natural solution. If anything, instead of adding a new drug, I may switch back to an atypical antidepressant (SSNRI) like Serzone. My (now thought of as Migraine) symptoms changed when I developed a bad reaction to Serzone and had to get off suddenly. I think the stress of not knowing what was going on, plus changing my brain chemistry really affected me negatively. So I'm thinking of trying to switch to Effexor, which has a similar structure to Serzone. Does this sound logical?
My ultimate goal is to be drug-free. The dex makes a lot of sense though, since dopamine lessens pain and improves our ability to focus -- both symptoms I have in migraine.
Thanks for the suggestion,
bookgurl99
Posted by bookgurl99 on October 16, 2002, at 22:57:53
In reply to Re: migraines, etc. » bookgurl99, posted by BeardedLady on October 16, 2002, at 18:54:58
> All of those are good things. Try taking the CCB at night, as I suggested on the other board.
Oh, my doc has me takin' the stuff 3 times a day.
>
> And I'd say give up the refined sugar and carbs for all but one day of the week! You would be surprised how easy it is. I am currently off the wagon, but I lost 9 pounds in just a few weeks of no bread or pasta.
>
OMG, you and I are on the same wavelength. Because of the migraine thing and my attempts to follow my naturopathic plan, I decided today that Wednesdays would be my 'cheat day,' for 3 months while I try to give up on refined carbs. (Picked Wed. 'cause it's my day off with my girlfriend.) Oh, I did have a 'small' migraine today, I think set off by eating at a japanese restaurant.Giving up refined carbs is hard, 'cause my girlfriend (who I live with) loves them and doesn't really seem to understand my logic for giving them up. Plus, she loves rice like crazy. (She's asian and grew up in Hawaii.) But I think if I stick to my plan she'll respect it and not try to shove sushi down my throat.
Anyways, it's a relief to be able to tell people my symptoms are due to a migraine now. They seem to relate to it better.
bookgurl99
Posted by IsoM on October 17, 2002, at 1:07:11
In reply to Re: migraines, etc. » BeardedLady, posted by bookgurl99 on October 16, 2002, at 22:57:53
Yes, it does sound logical - your suggestion of switching to Effexor. I'd be leery of wanting to use an SSRI or SRNI if I really didn't have to. But it's just me as the discontinuation problems go on for many, many months with me. It's worse than hell.
The reason I like Dex is that it doesn't seem to alter your brain chemistry long term like ADs do. It perks your brain up for a while then is out of your system & everything's normal again, that is if one doesn't overdo it & deplete dopamine levels.
Strange how if you tell others you have a migraine, so many will commiserate with you. It seems everybody & their dog thinks they have migraines. Those who do get the real thing know that every bad headache ISN'T a migraine but I don't bother explaining to others. Like you said, it seems to be better accepted telling someone your problems are migraines.
Don't forget regular exercise & fresh air. Somehow it helps too. Take care & enjoy your sweet Wednesdays!
Posted by Dinah on October 17, 2002, at 3:32:47
In reply to Re: migraines, etc. » bookgurl99, posted by IsoM on October 17, 2002, at 1:07:11
What gets me about migraines is how global they are! I don't think they should be called migraine headaches at all. From light, sound, and movement sensitivity to intestinal disturbance to problems with perception. That strange feeling of unreality (of course when the walls are shimmering and appear to be an illusion, it's probably natural to have feelings of unreality.) Migraines seem to affect everything. During those periods of time when I get migraines, they seem to never stop. The headaches might come and go and the visual distortions might stop, but I still feel the rest of the phenomena.
I'm trying to read Migraines by Oliver Sacks, but I usually only pick it up when I have one, and naturally I don't get much reading done at that time.
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