Headache Update

So its been a number of months since I have given an update. Yes I still have a headache every day, many days I will go for brief periods without one, and I can not say how grateful I am for these brief periods. The use of what I call the Lido cream (see list below) when my headache start to turn moderately severe, and Ambien have made the most improvement. One to two times a week I still get those pesky Migraines and I still struggle to cope with them.

After they have tried prescription after prescription and countless MRI's and lots of physical torutre (I mean therapy)all to no avail. They have come to the conclusion that the root cause of the headaches is due to a combination of sleep problems, and inflamed nerves in my neck and back of head due to authritis and minor bulging disks.

This week I will under go cervical facet joint injections, these injections are done while under general anesthesia and requires the use of a flouroscope which is used to track the exact placement of the needle to deliver a small dose of cortisone and lidocain. The goal here is to block the nerves which are triggering the headaches. If it is successful, it is the first step of three to permanently deadening the nerves which cause the headaches. On the down side is I will have two days of bed rest (over Thanksgiving, sorry dear I have to watch that football game dr.'s orders. Milk shakes, flowers and lots of gifts would be nice too.) and lots of ice packs for the days to follow.

I will let you know how that goes. In the mean time here is an updated list of the medications I have tried since my last post on the topic. Basically none of them worked, except for the ambien and lidocain cream.

Nadolol (generic for Corgard): 40mg twice a day- no side effects, but no benefit

Ketorolac 30mg and Promethazine 10mg compound suppository, taken needed not more than 2-3x a week

Lidocane injections

Diacetazone/Epidrin cap EXCE– (generic for Midrin)- droggy, but unable to sleep. Reduces headache

Vitamin D 50000IU: one per month, then moved to one per week

Lunesta 3 mg: took one for a sleep study at hospital

Methocarbamol (generic for Robaxin): take up to 2 tablets, three times daily max

Metoclopramide (generic for Reglan)

Bupeopion HCL 75 mg (generic for Wellbutrin) 2 tablets each morning, J reduces morning headaches, more energy

CPAP machine-

Tylenol w/ codine 30mg

Cymbalta 30 Mg

Toridal shot

Topamax prescribed, but ended up not taking it

Lidoderm Patches

Zolpidem 10mg (generic for Ambien)

Specially made compound of Lidocaine and Neurontin creame

Tizandidine 2mg

Meloxicam 7.5 mg (Generic for Mobic)

Home Cervical traction device (ouch)

Old list of medications from April to June Just incase you really like reading long lists of nothing.

--SG

Eventful Week

What a week, the stock market crashes and rebounds and crashes again.

Shaun ponders doing something different and the opportunity is thrust upon him

and

he has had TWO DAYS with mainly no headache. This has not occurred since April when the headache appeared suddenly one day. I still have a headache daily, but it is gone or all but gone most of the day. This is a huge step in the right direction. Let's hope it stays this way and not like last month, which was the inverse.

Even when the world is going down the drain in a hand basket the Lord finds so many ways to make sure you are keenly aware that he knows you and loves you. --SG

http://www.reneelevy.com/ToonOfDay.htm

Banana Peels Will Stop Headaches

I was out tonight, and as many know Shaun has had a rough past couple of weeks. Yes, he still has the same headache as the one he got in April. It never goes away, just varies in intensity. The last few weeks, he has been as bad as he was in April. Not sure why, perhaps it goes in cycles.

Any way. We love all the suggestions people give us. We have entertained a great many suggestions. None have helped, but I keep hoping one will. Not even the Headache DR has been able to help him. Here is the latest suggestion I received. Actually I got two suggestions tonight. The banana peel is one and the other is squeezing your head in two different directions. I am always looking for new ideas. The banana one, I would have never came up with on my own. Can I convince my husband to try it. Hmm, I suggested this to him and well he gave me a weird look. Hey desperate times call for desperate measures. I just want him to not be in pain.

http://www.healpain.net/articles/banana.html Below is only a small part of the article. Let me know if it works for anyone. :) So the next time you are walking down the street and someone has a banana peel on their head. Well you now know why.

Banana Peels Will Stop Headaches Ann Landers
(We have found that Banana peels will not only stop headaches but may even relieve severe Neuropathic Pain, RSD Pain, Trigeminal Neuralgia Pain, and Kidney Stone Pain. "Apply directly where it hurts.")
by Darrell J. Stoddard Copyright 1998
A neurologist specializing in headache treatments responded to an Ann Landers' column in which it was suggested that a banana peel across the forehead and across the back of the neck would help relieve headaches, perhaps because of the potassium in the peel.
The doctor stated, "Headache is not always a minor disorder that responds easily to such simple cures. Each month in the United States, approximately 3 million days are spent in bed by headache sufferers. Many of these people are in excruciating pain, unable to tolerate even the light from a bedside lamp or the sound of a child's step. Some vomit repeatedly. For them, trying to cure a headache with banana peels is like trying to irrigate the Sahara by spitting."
I have measured the electrical resistance at the site of pain in more than 18,000 patients and categorically state my belief that pain is caused by the breaking, cutting, failure, or suppression of electrical signals between cells in living tissue. With headaches this often occurs across the forehead and across the back of the neck.

Comic Pages

Prize for the best headache cure

Now recruiting headache/migraine cures. This is the time to make your suggestion. Winning cure will win something. Can't think clear enough to come up with a prize yet, but will come up with one. So don't hold back. I am counting on you for help. After all the doctors have yet to help me.

Please know I will not try all suggestions, but do feel free to humor me. Please leave your suggestion as a comment. See the post below for what has already been tried and suggested.

What it is like to have a migrain

This is what it looks like to have a migraine. Stare at the sun for a few minutes and you will have a small sense what I deal with daily and I don't even have to be outside.

So many of you know or have heard of one of the reasons I have not posted on the blog regularly. For the rest of you here is the reason. I am on week 8 of a migraine headache that just won't quit. So many have been so kind to offer suggestions on how to cure them, so here is a list of medications and other remedies I have tried, maybe others will find the list beneficial. My doctor has now thrown her hands up and referred me to headache specialist in Portland. A neurologist that specializes in headaches.

Ready for this long list:

• Advil/Ibuprofen - provides very little relief wears off in under four hours.
• Tylenol - Provides more relief than Advil wears off in under four hours.
• Aleve - Used to be my go-to medication for migraines but in this case provides little relief.
• Vicodin - provides moderate relief last four hours, knocks me out cold. Gives me strange dreams.
• Percocet - Provides moderate relief, last four hours, knocks me out in five minute intervals.
• Compozene - Given through an IV in combination with benadryl out cold for 6 hours very groggy.
• Demerol- Given by shot. Effective until wears off. Can not stay awake either.
• Phenergan- Given by shot and pill form. Effective in dealing with nausea, but also knocks me out cold.
• Pamelor (Generic: Nortriptyline) 25 mg- on it two days and weird side effects, light headedness, nausea, electric pulses felt at odd times during the day.
• Zomig 5mg- taken at the onset of migraine (not just a headache)- hard time breathing, light headedness, pain in nostrils, nausea, hard time concentrating, muscle pain.
• Inderal LA 60mg (generic form Propranolol ER)- beta-blocker used to prevent headaches or lessen the frequency. Still there daily. DR is upping dose tomorrow. But at least no side effects noticed. Though most commonly reported is light-headedness when getting up quickly. We will see with the new dosing.
• Epidrin - A triple drug combo (muscle relaxer/sedative, vasoconstrictor, and tylenol)- hot flashes and drogginess.
• Imitrex 100mg- taken at the onset of migraine (not just a headache)- hard time breathing, light headedness, pain in nostrils, nausea, hard time concentrating, muscle pain and GAS. Yes, gas, each time. Not a fluke. Sorry if I was at your house.
  
  13 new prescriptions and still have a headache each and every day.

Some days worse than others. Headache can vary in intensity through out the day too.

Now we love all the helpful advice received from well meaning people. Here's a few:

• Peppermint oil on temples- not tried
• Tigerbalm- not tried
• Sex- didn't work to have it or avoid it
• massage- didn't work
• pressure points- not this either
• eating fresh pineapple- tried for four day. Okay you can't blame me for trying.
• sun glasses- works to avoid migraine from getting worse from light sensitivity. Sunday during church the lights in the chapel were bringing on a migraine, so I threw the shades on and then had to spend hours explaining why. Anna though just told people that I was joining the FBI.
• Exercise- working on it, but still there.
• Avoiding cheese- same whether eating cheese or not. It should be a sin to not eat cheese for a whole week.
• Avoiding Chocolate- See Cheese
• Avoiding Soda- big deal, not like I drink them often anyway.
  
  Do you have any other suggestions, might as well let me know. After all if it works, you will be my new hero. - SG