All better, sort of

[danaeris]

I have never in my life had a migraine that bad. Three pills at a time totalling 900 mg acetaminophen, 24 mg codeine, and 45 mg of caffeine, and at best I was able to doze. I was so sensitive to light that I needed a blindfold, but the elastic on my blindfold hurt too much. I was sweating so badly that luckily, the blindfold stuck to my skin. And I was nauseous, not something that happens often with headaches. I really thought I would throw up, but I didn't.

Anyway, it finally was gone by the time I woke up late today, but then I felt pretty depressed. I'm feeling kinda overwhelmed. Desire to be social and free and just chill and enjoy vacation. To touch bases with friends I've not been able to include in my life. Yet I also have all these things I need to do to help get my life in order. And I have work leftover from last term that needs to be done by a week Monday.

So if I'm being at all avoidant, that's a large part of why.

Bah. Bah I say.

In other news... anyone have any suggestions regarding migraines? I'm wondering if it happens this bad again, maybe I should be looking to get prescription meds. This is the first time the over the counter codeine stuff hasn't cut it.

Cuz' I really needed something ELSE that debilitates me for days at a time.

Comments

[foms.livejournal.com]

Talk to a neurologist. I. of I_and_T specializes in migraine treatment but she is in Ottawa and is not working at the moment. Your GP should be able to recommend someone. I worked in I's office for a while and I'll witness that her patients usually came away with some major improvement.

[con-girl.livejournal.com]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triptan

[foms.livejournal.com]

Argh! It finally happened. That was me. I didn't realize that I was in Con_girl's account.

[misslynx.livejournal.com]

The one thing I've found that works really well for my migraines is Imitrex, which is indeed a prescription med. It's not a painkiller in the normal sense -- I think what it does is interrupt the process in the brain that leads to a migraine (so the earlier you take it once you feel one coming on, the better).

Only down side is it's brutally expensive -- but the company that makes it gives out a lot of sample packs to doctors, which nice doctors will sometimes pass on to their migraine-plagued but non-wealthy patients.

[outcastspice.livejournal.com]

wow, that's awful! i'm so sorry to hear you had a migraine that bad. you should definitely discuss it with your doctor and ask about prescription meds, i know that many of them interact with anti-depressants but there are some (at least one) that should be ok.

[marius23.livejournal.com]

OTC codeine? Where do YOU live? Canada? ;-)

Seriously, though, I'm sorry you're going through this; I'm a long time (since adolescence) but infrequent migraine sufferer, so I know what you're going through.

I second the advice you've gotten so far. I use Amerge (naratriptan), which is in the same family as Imitrex (sumatriptan) but has slower onset and lasts longer.

However, it may not be for you based on this warning:


A life-threatening condition called serotonin syndrome can happen when medicines used to treat migraine headaches, 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor agonists (triptans) and medicines used to treat depression, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs),are used together.

:-(

So, talk to a doctor and good luck. *hugs*

[awfief.livejournal.com]

Replied to marius23 because a friend of ours recently had a bad migraine with very similar symptoms, though she didn't identify it as a migraine because it was tolerable as opposed to her other migraines which were of the "shoot me now!" type. So perhaps it's more of a viral thing, not a migraine thing; or there's something in the air (humidity, large temperature changes, etc) that causes this type of migraine?

ie, maybe some hope that it might not recur?

[blueelf13.livejournal.com]

I used to use imitrex, but it stopped working so I started taking Maxalt. It rocks, and I can highly recommend. I also second seeing a neurologist. I've not been able to take it with Kaia nursing and while I was pregnant, but it was great. My migranes are hormonal, so I haven't had too many lately. (I get them from other things, but the regular 2+ day one every month SUCKS)

[iclysdale.livejournal.com]

*hugs* -- glad that you're feeling better at least.