Unless you’ve actually been in the same position and have had as
debilitating attacks as someone who experiences migraines, it’s hard to
truly understand the hardships they’ve been through and the battles they’ve
fought. Especially when it’s an invisible illness like migraines, it could
be hard to imagine the amount of pain a person is going through.
— Read on migrainebuddy.com/migraine/2019/5/10/how-do-i-help-someone-suffering-from-migraines
Invisible Illness
Migraine, Estrogen, and Stroke Risk
Does birth control pill increase risk of stroke in women with migraine?
Migraine with aura and the use of combined hormonal contraceptives (CHCs or birth control pills) are risk factors of stroke in women. So does birth control pills increase the risk of stroke in women with migraine? Is there a link for increased risk of heart attack and stroke?
A new study in 2018 sought to examine the available research data to answer this question. The study reviewed 15 studies and concluded there is a lack of good quality studies with large enough sample sizes to conclusively determine the risk of stroke associated with low dose estrogen use in women with migraine. The study recommended that the use of contraceptives in women with migraine with aura should be based on an individualized assessment of risk and benefits by the clinician and discussed with the patient. There are CHCs without estrogen and maybe an alternative for women with migraines who have a high risk of stroke.
Ref: Sheikh HU, Pavlovic J, Loder E, Burch R. Risk of Stroke Associated With Use of Estrogen Containing Contraceptives in Women With Migraine: A Systematic Review. Headache J Head Face Pain. 2018;58(1):5-21. doi:10.1111/head.13229
I use Nexplanon (the arm implant) because my lady-doc decided to ask randomly if I got aura with my migraine attacks. I told her I do occasionally. Then, she asked if my family has a history of stroke. “Yup.” I had already been on Yasmin and, later, Seasonique for years at that point.
“We have to change your birth control now.”
😦
I have to be on birth control as a lady-pain management (I get severe ovulation pain that knocks me on my cottontail for 2-3 weeks a month), so I switched to the “mini pill,” which is a progesterone-only form of BC (I’ve used a few brands over the years, like Camila). However, it’s SUPER time-sensitive, like “miss a dose by 15 minutes and your period will come within 48 hours”-level sensitive, and I was having a difficult time with it and was fed up after a couple of years. Depo-Provera (injection) was another progesterone-only option, but the negative side-effects list was long and I was uncertain. Then, my lady-doc (who is wonderful and I drive an hour and a half or more to see her as I move around Central Florida) recommended Nexplanon, and the rest is history.
When this article showed up in the “Insights” section of Migraine Buddy, I knew I needed to share it. My dad lost both of his parents from stroke (or complications resulting from), so I know that I can’t take any unnecessary risks. If you have migraine (especially with aura) and take birth-control, make sure your gynecologist knows, and learn if your family has a history of stroke.
Your body will thank you.
💖Hearts and Sparkles!💖
How to Quickly Upset or Anger a sufferer of Chronic Illness.
An easy way to either upset or anger (or both) a sufferer of Chronic Illness is to do one (or both) of the following:
- Lecture them on taking care of themselves when you don’t understand their Chronic Illness (let alone their personal case).
- Call their Chronic Illness a “preexisting condition,” as though the terms are interchangeable or mutually exclusive.
This is especially true when you hold some level of power over the sufferer. It’s condescending and ignorant.
Just don’t do it.
Be compassionate and be considerate. It’s not that hard.
💖Hearts and Sparkles!💖
The Trouble with Triptans
Okay, so this post isn’t really about issues with triptans, per se, but more the issues about their packaging.
WHY do they package a medication in nearly-impossible-to-open-on-a-good-day blister packs?! I hated having to open them in the middle of an attack.
Fast forward a few years, and my sumatriptan (Imitrex) suddenly started showing up in bottles! Unwrapped!!!!!
I was so spoiled.
I get a three month supply today (Woo!), and they are in blister packs again.
Yeah…no. I am so not dealing with that.
My solution? A pill box and a pair of scissors.
I win this round, Imitrex.
Maybe, one day, someone who decides how this stuff is packaged gets a migraine and doesn’t have access to a pair of scissors to get into the blister pack. Not that I wish that level of pain and frustration on anyone, but that may be what it takes to fix this issue!!
Stick to bottles. It’s better for the environment, anyway!!
💖Hearts and Sparkles!💖
P.S: Darn right I made a Star Trek reference. I love me some tribbles!!!
Is Migraine Trendy Enough for you?
So, the “Migraine pose” is becoming a thing, thanks to MUA Nam Vo and Elle Beauty, and the Chronic Migraine community is (rightfully) BENT. I used to follow Nam on Instagram, since I enjoyed her posts, but after this…yeah…buhbye.
View my whole take on it on my Instagram.
👏🏻This.👏🏻Is.👏🏻Not.👏🏻Okay.👏🏻
And the people calling us out and telling us to “calm down” or to “live a little” are only adding to the stigma we as migraineurs have to encounter every single day.
Please, don’t use my migraine to boost your ego.
💖Hearts and Sparkles!💖
Update! The article has since been changed so that it is called “The Headache Pose.” Well…the Mythbusters did prove that you can polish a turd…
June is Migraine and Headache Awareness Month
Okay, I know it’s only May 4 (May the Fourth be with you, yadda yadda…), but I wanted to post about my plans for June.
I’m going to do a Social Media Challenge for MHAM. Sure, this one on puttingourheadstogether.com is from 2016, but it’s still valid! (The following image and the featured one are from that site)
As for now, I’m going to rest off my current migraine…
Until next time…
💖Hearts and Sparkles!💖
Not Really Okay
I hate saying, “I’m okay,” even when I am…or when I think I am.
I try to be a “glass half full” sort, despite having every reason not to be. In every situation, I try to find a glimmer of a silver lining. Sometimes, it’s hard. Sometimes, it’s really hard, but it’s there, even when I have to make it up.
I’m between neurologists, due to a change in insurance pushing my out of the network of my last one. I got my referral in February (like, the first week of), and I get a call from a Neurology center, telling me to call them back to schedule an appointment, even though the earliest one they had was April.
Okay. Fine. It’s only been since November since my Botox. It’s already totally gone from my system, and I’ll have to essentially start again and not see results for the better part of nine months. What’s another two?
I call.
“We don’t have a referral for you.”
…wait, what?
“I am literally returning your call where you said you got my referral and to call and schedule an appointment for April.”
“Who called you?”
“Umm…you did, ma’am.”
“No, it wasn’t me.”
(Aside: She has a distinctive tonality to her voice, not unlike yours truly does, and a thick accent…and she left her name on my voicemail. If it wasn’t the same person, she has a voice twin out there impersonating her.)
So, essentially, she called me a liar, and made me call my PCP back to resend the referral. I do them one better.
I physically go to my PCP’s office.
“What do you mean, they don’t have it, I am the one who sent it!”
How serendipitous to get to speak to the same receptionist who sent over my referral initially? Glass: half full.
She sends it again, and I watch her do it. She hands me a copy with time stamps as evidence.
I call back. Now, they don’t have openings until June.
Oh, and they still don’t have my referral and can’t even make an appointment until it is in their possession. Their office is nearly an hour from me, so it isn’t as though I can just pop over after work.
“I literally watched her send it to you.”
“Well, we don’t have it.”
🙄 …how is that my fault?
I have every intention of asking for a referral to a new new neurologist, because my migraines are back to uncontrollable and I need treatment, like, yesterday.
…whoa…pardon that rant. I strayed a bit off topic, didn’t I?
Sorry, and I know I’ve mentioned the neurologist thing before.
Good news: it appears that the pneumonia has finally run its course.
Back on track.
I hate saying, “I’m okay,” right now. Because I could be okay that moment, but then I won’t be mere hours later.
Then, I feel like a liar. Either I lied about being okay, or I am lying about being less okay. I’m honestly not sure which one. Both, maybe?
I can’t decide if I am ever actually okay, or if I’m jinxing myself by saying so.
I am literally becoming afraid to say that I am okay.
And that is not okay.
💖Hearts and Sparkles!💖
Symptoms…
I found this on Pinterest, and it is as though I wrote it. If you have never experienced a migraine before, read this and understand.
💖Hearts and Sparkles!💖
So Many Endless Cycles
What sucks about chronic pain conditions are the sheer amount of cycles you as a person are exposed to.
But we can’t talk about them. At least, no one wants us to talk about them.
Migraines cause insomnia, may it be in any of the stages of an attack. The insomnia either exacerbates the attack or triggers the next.
We miss work, and we get stressed about our finances. We get stressed about the strain we put on our loved ones. Stress exacerbates the attack or triggers the next.
Stress also causes insomnia. See above.
Insomnia and stress can cause anxiety and depression, which leads to more attacks, leading to more anxiety over finances and general depression.
I don’t know about you, but I get depressed from how much stress I cause others. That people worry about me all of the time.
Sometimes, it’s all I can do to not break down and cry.
But I don’t cry. I can’t. Crying exacerbates the attack or triggers the next. The tears form, those telltale gasping breaths begin…and I hold them back. Swallow them away.
However, fighting off the tears and sobs exacerbates the attack or triggers the next.
Notice the pattern?
I don’t like to be negative, despite what so many seem to want to believe about me. I don’t like feeling like some sort of useless invalid who does nothing except sleep and cause strain on her friends and family.
Sensing an oncoming attack nearly triggers a panic attack almost every time.
Look above concerning anxiety.
I feel like a failure more often than I feel like a success. My thoughts in times like these get dark, I feel like I am falling into a hole with walls so steep and slick that I will never be able to climb back out. I can’t help but wonder if people think I like being in pain or a general burden on the bulk of society.
I didn’t ask for this.
If I had to chose who should be stuck with this life (allowing that “no one” isn’t a viable answer), I would ask to take it on myself.
Because I wouldn’t wish this life on anyone… Even at my worst, I can’t be that cruel.
I wish I had the ability to at least keep it all to myself. The fact that it affects those I care about, may it be by causing worry or stress, is almost worse than the illness itself.
I want to break the cycle so much.
💖Hearts and Sparkles!💖
Rebounding…
I have discussed Rebound Headache/Medication Overuse Headache (MOH) on here more than once. I would not be surprised if I mention it again in the future.
For those of you who don’t feel like reading previous entries, let me sum up:
A Rebound Headache is a phenomenon that occurs in people with headache disorders where the medications (OTC or prescription) they use to fight their symptoms ends up causing more headaches. It’s the worst cycle EVER, and a B***H to break.
According to my research, it is something that only effects people with headache disorders. If you, say, have chronic back pain, taking your aspirin or whatever won’t create more back pain. If you don’t have any sort of headache disorders, you probably won’t ever encounter MOH.
❄️Side Note: I prefer the OTHER version of MOH…Maid of Honor!❄️
At any rate, here is my current situation: About two weeks ago, I got whacked on the noggin. I won’t go into details, because it’s incredibly annoying when I recount them, but it caused many an issue for me. I was taking Tylenol with no results, Aleve with no results, Advil with…see the pattern?
Then, the migraine demon reared it’s ugly head again. I treated it accordingly. Being the fluff-brain I am, I never took into consideration that I was treating a head injury at the same time as the migraines.
Whoops.
Well, here comes Halloween, the busiest day of the year at my place of work, and I had a double shift (about 11.3 hours). I woke up feeling lousy. I suspected a reaction to something I had eaten the day before was messing with my stomach, but I did not have a headache at that point, so Yay! By noon…I had a headache. However, I was assigned the podium position to check people into their appointments, so that helped. A lot, actually. I made it through the shift and home, but by then, I did the “migraine shuffle” into my room. I ate a banana, took some meds, and hoped for the best, because I had another long day the next day (it would have been another double, but I traded the day before, thank every higher power out there…and the coworker who traded with me).
Morning comes, and the migraine is still there. I do my usual routine and take things one step at a time. Long story short, I called in. I even resorted to Demerol. I hate Demerol. Narcotics in general. Hate. Them.
Pain ebbs, so I take it easy.
A few hours pass, and the migraine comes back in full force and then some.
Oh, snap…
I knew what that meant.
I was in REBOUND.
I literally use every weapon in my arsenal to relieve the pain to nothing working. I even took myself to the ER for an IV, and that did nothing for the pain after about 20 minutes of something vaguely resembling relief. If I slept, I woke up in worse pain than when I started.
It is Saturday, and I haven’t worked since Tuesday. I am off Sunday and Monday.
I am still in pain. Although, now, it is maybe at a 6/10 rather than the 10/10 from before. Progress is progress.
My mom put it best, “It’s like when an alcoholic is trying to quit. You just want to have one more drink and it will make it better.”
I just wanted to take one Aleve to make it better. I knew, however, that it would not do me any favors. Maybe a few minutes of relief, maybe hours. But, it would come back. I would cry, shake, sweat…I am literally withdrawing from OTC medications, as well as Imitrex. I can barely move, and my energy comes in spurts (one of which I am utilizing to type this entry for you). It’s awful, and so frustrating. Even my lemon and sea salt potion did nothing. I have never put much thought to it, but having my extra throw blankets in the linen closet in my bathroom was a blessing in disguise when I was too nauseous after a bath to leave the bathroom. At the risk of TMI, I have never been so disappointed to not become physically ill. It was so close…but nothing happened. I just sat there, literally crying, sweating, and drooling, saying to myself, “Please…you will feel so much better…please…” Nothing.
I am very grateful for my Philips Hue light. The Northern Lights effect I can access through the Ambee app is so relaxing.
I have been rotating ice packs in and out of the freezer, and keeping a wet washcloth on my head the rest of the time. My Migraine Kit is literally on my bed. I am drinking Cherry Juice, using all-natural sleep aids, and brewing tea like it is going out of style (namely Pukka’s Tumeric Glow and Revitalize blends, as well as Twining’s Pure Peppermint and Traditional Medicinals’s Chamomile with Lavender brewed together). I also have lots of water handy, and a box of miniature candy canes (since Publix was out of Starlight mints). Food has been simple, bananas, applesauce (with cinnamon for it’s anti-inflammatory qualities), dried cranberries infused with cherry juice (cherries are also natural pain relievers!), and almond milk-based yogurt (almonds are like cherries on the pain relief spectrum). I also have microwave soup (salt helps relieve headache pain), and nibbled on some chipotle corn chips (spicy foods also help relieve pain). I am breaking so many FODMAP rules, but I will deal with that later. My head takes precedence over my gut right now (once the pain is gone, everything will fall back into place).
It’s been rough, but I am feeling a difference. I have my fingers crossed that, by Tuesday, I will be back to myself again.
Here’s hoping…
💖Hearts and Sparkles!💖
Just Me and My Migraine 