sherron0: (prozac)
Of course, everyone has a theory. 

My mother and my best friend are sure it it's menopause hormones.

oh yeah, there's got to be some sort of hormonal connection, because there always has been.  Until recently, the worst migraines I'd ever had were during pregnancy.   And I could basically depend on at least one a month, the day before my period would start.  I'm nearly 50, so I'm sneaking up on middle age, to say the least.  (But I am still having very regular periods, and all my hormone levels were some of the billion things they checked last week when they drew 5 vials of blood.  I was normal for the "pre-ovulatory" phase, which is dead on target according to my calendar.)

My mother had an early hysterectomy, but MamaCile, Aunt Katherine, and Aunt Robbie all had long, miserable, migraine-filled "changes."  I just hope that now, 60 years down the road from when Mamacile started going through it, that maybe we can do something else.  Or that there's some other, contributing factor than can be dealt with.

My latest contributing friend (everyone has an idea!) has me trying not to eat corn.  I know, it probably sounds ridiculous, but I've know just enough people over the years with corn/cornsyrup problems, and migraines and other similar symptoms to give it a try.  Why not.  My good friend Jean G. reminded me of her long and on-going migraine struggle, Maxalt, Topamax, B12, Vitamin D, other stuff.  But what finally helped was talking to another friend of ours, Ellen, whose younger sisters (twins) have this corn intolerance that was giving them migraines and the other assorted symptoms, similar to Jean, and me (mental fog, forgetfulness, achy joints, back, and neck, fatigue, etc).  So Jean went corn-free, which meant giving up Coke! Because it's high in high fructose corn syrup.  She feels much better, and the HAs are gone.  She's been able to narrow it down to just HFCS, in fact.  Like another friend of mine (Diane) who, since I've known her has been unable to eat anything with corn syrup in it. She's always had to cook for herself because so much packaged food has corn syrup in it. Jean buys her Coke now from the Mexican grocery, because Mexican Coke is still bottled with real sugar.  And she occasionally has Fritos, which don't have HFCS, but are corn, salt, and fat.  And that's all.  I eat them a lot, because my thyroid and adrenal problems make me crave salt, and I've been told to honor those cravings, they're something with only three, familiar ingredients. But I haven't had any for two days now.

I'm telling you, I'm desperate, I'm even to the point where if they told me exercise would help, I'd think about joining a stupid Gym!!

Oh, the allergist did prescribe me two nose sprays, an antihistimine and a topical cortisone, which , between them will probably help me breathe at least.

Part of me was hoping there would be allergies, and I'd have an excuse to free the doggies and get all hardwood floors!  Ah well.  I told that to the doc, and she said, "well, they're irritants, still. I wouldn't hurt." But I'd have to have a stronger argument than "wouldn't hurt."

And one friend sent my favorite so far, a link to a NY Times Health pages article on certain types of plastic surgery (forehead, temple, and back of the neck) seem to completely eliminate migraines for people whose HAs are triggered in those regions.  They've done a placebo study.  Some women got the special surgery that pads the nerves connected to migraines, some just got the regular plastic surgery.  The cure rate was 55% of the women had their HA completely eliminated.  Not "reduced." Gone. 

curiouser and curiouser

Well, I've got to get off to Walgreens before my afternoon slump, so later!
sherron0: (Default)
Still fighting the good fight on the headache front.

I didn't ask for a specific list, and I guess I should have, but I was just stuck 42 times today to do all the standard allergies tests, and I'm negative on everything.  I am VERY not allergic.  I have non-allergic rhinitis.  Which, honestly I could live with if the sinus headaches weren't so often triggering the migraines.

Oh, the allergist did prescribe me two nose sprays, an antihistimine and a topical cortisone, which, between them will probably help me breathe at least.

Part of me was hoping there would be allergies, and I'd have an excuse to free the doggies and get all hardwood floors!  Ah well.  I told that to the doc, and she said, "well, they're irritants, still. I wouldn't hurt." But I'd have to have a stronger argument than "wouldn't hurt."

My doctor also drew a boatload of blood last week, and checked everything she could think of, including D & Calcium, (folate for sure, I'm not sure about the other B's) and again, they're fine.  The only things off were expected: low iron and protein and low thyroid.

She was about to recommend Topamax when I reminded her I was already on Lamictal, which is similar, and although I take it for the bi-polar, it, like Topamax, is often prescribed "off label" for migraines.

I really love all the brainstorming that all my friends and family are doing for me, and trust me, I'm trying everything! I've learned to just accept all their ideas with the grace that the support is offered in, even if they speak to me as if I were 4, and had never heard of migraines or triggers.

I see a neurologist at the end of the month. Allergist today, and I've been bugging my GP and Chiropractor to death for months, literally.  The only thing I haven't tried yet is Acupunture, and if you know a reputable one, I'm there.  (yes, I've tried all the acupressure points.)

The sinus stuff is irritating, and the sinus headaches and the rest are bad, but they are triggering migraines, and the Bastards at BCBS will only let me have 9 Maxalt a month, and it's gotten so bad that it only works about half the time.

It's demoralizing.  I need a haircut, and I'm afraid to make an appt., because I never know what the day will be like.  I almost called in sick today to the allergist, but I loaded up on Excedrin and caffeine and put on my dark shades and sat there with my teeth gritted.  I guess all that practice being a mommy no matter what was good for something.

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