Who Knows Anymore?

After desperately wanting to get away from New York these past few months, I made my escape back to Iowa this past weekend to help throw a surprise retirement party for my parents (a HUGE success, by the way). Since the heatwave was dying off, and I would be going home to relax and simply enjoy life, I assumed my headaches would be less intense and frequent and I would be able to work on tackling MOH a little.

NOPE.

My first morning back home started with a pretty intense migraine - I haven't had a problem with a morning migraine like this one since last summer. Excedrin took the edge off, but I still battled a headache for the rest of the day. It could have been a multitude of things - very little sleep the day before, too much caffeine the day before, pollen and dust in the air from the fields, or a variety of other possible triggers.

The next morning was nearly the same, though less intense. My third and last morning in Iowa produced almost no headache at all. I just don't get it!

It's so hard to determine triggers to avoid when there seems to be no pattern to my headaches and migraines, or consistency in intensity. What's a girl to do?

On the Rebound

Not like that!

I know a lot of my headaches nowadays are caused by OTC medication overuse, and that this could be a theoretically "easy" fix. All I have to do is stop taking them for a few days... and feel the wrath of my brain in response.

In the same breath, I know this is becoming very taxing on my body, and I need to get it under control before it gets any worse. So, I've been looking at a few articles that may be able to help me:

In a nutshell, here are a few things I'm going to try over the next couple weeks:

• Hydrate! I used to be really good about this, but not so much lately.
• Take something else if absolutely dire. I'll be switching to ibuprofen (and in severe cases, Imitrex) when need-be. Anything to get me away from taking so much Excedrin (acetomenaphin-based)!
• Don't give in! I know my body likes the caffeine in Excedrin, which is why it responds to it better than other drugs. If that means drinking my coffee first thing instead of second thing in morning, that's fine! I can handle that :)

Teri Robert also has a great answer to rebound headaches here.

Let me know what you've tried, or what suggestions you might have!

Back to the Drawing Board

It was a looong weekend, and I'd like to think that's the reason for this weird headachy - migrainy thing I woke up with too early this morning.

But I have no idea.

I remember that it was summertime last year when I was waking up with these really terrible throbbing headaches that were different from my typical headaches / migraines, which is similar to what I'm dealing with now. Rather than pain on one side of my head and neck, the pain is spread across my forehead and the base of my neck, and in full swing. But oddly, it's more easily controlled by something like Excedrin, and usually doesn't require an Imitrex (thankfully).

Maybe it's something to do with the weather? I had headaches my first few days in Key West, but once I adjusted I felt great.

I've been "diagnosed" with tension headaches nearly my entire life (who's to say what they really were / are?), and this type of pain matches the description of one. But it also coincides with a few symptoms of cluster headaches, which I've never really looked into, so I'm not really sure.

I think it's time to go back to the drawing board with this daily / nightly experiment (the one that never really happened in the first place, ha!), and figure out what I can avoid during the day and especially before bed.

What are some things you do in the evening and at bedtime to avoid waking up with a headache?

SootheAway

This SootheAway thing is mildly intriguing... But not for $300. Especially not when I could do hot / cold therapy myself with a hot rice bag and ice.

Maybe when I have a real job I'll give it a shot :)

In other news, today was another day free of the use of pain relievers. I know a lot of the minor headaches I have in the mornings are all in my head (no pun intended), but I'll take one or half of one Excedrin out of total paranoia anyway. So, I'm pretty proud of myself, and I hope I can keep it up!

Post-Vacay Blues

Ugggh. I think my brain is telling me I should've stayed in Key West.

Our last morning in Key West, I woke up completely headache free for the first time in months. Our first morning back home (despite how depressing it was to wake up in dreary Minnesota), I was again headache free. Two whole days without the aid of any kind of pain reliever. I haven't pulled that off in years.

And I felt good. Proud that I had beaten a major obstacle. A sense of better health and healing, whether it was true or not.

Then Saturday morning happened.

It wasn't that bad. I let it slide. Blamed it on bad hydration practices or too many bad foods the day before.

Sunday came. Slightly worse. But Saturday had been a long day. And PMS was on the rise.

Today. Migraine all day - until I finally caved and took Imitrex, anyway. Hard telling what the cause may be.

I may never beat morning headaches, but I have to beat the daily Excedrin. It's killing me - mentally and physically.

If it's a caffeine withdrawal, I can do that. I don't mind having a cup of coffee or tea first thing every morning. I'm also looking into more topical relief, like the use of essential oils. Hopefully, they are affordable and worth it.

Maybe it is a climate thing. Hopefully, I can move somewhere warm soon and put this all behind me. Let my liver heal up a little bit.

Maybe I'll just go be a hermit, selling seashells in Key West. Who's with me? :)

Until then, I'll just keep plugging away...

Any suggestions and support would be greatly appreciated :)

Nightly Experiment, Day 3

I'm proud of myself.

Over the first half of vacation, I had headache issues, which I attribute to minor jet lag, weird sleep patterns, and adjusting to a new environment.

But, by Day 3 or 4 of vacay, I felt awesome. Even my hair was enjoying the humidity. I was even able to go two whole days without taking any sort of pain reliever - that's a record!

I did end up taking a couple Excedrin TH this morning, but knowing I could go pain-free for a couple days has been a confidence booster. Maybe this will be the boost I need in the right direction.

Nightly Experiment, Day 2

I caved last night and had 4 mini Cadbury Eggs around 9:00 or 10:00 last night, but I'd say that's a reasonable amount.

Today, I woke with a very minimal headache, and took half of one Excedrin TH. Here's hoping my body can wean off this crap like I want it to.

My next task will be to hydrate better, which isn't always easy at my job, considering I must have a doctor's note to drink water outside of my break :( Stupid...

Nightly Experiment, Day 1

Better late than never, right? :)

I was successful in cutting sweets after 8:00pm last night. This was comparatively easy since I worked until 10:00 last night. Then, I met the boyfriend and a friend at a bar and had some greasy pub grub, and noticed a headache, which had started earlier, getting stronger at the bar. I took one Excedrin Tension Headache, and went about life as usual, sans sweets.

I didn't wake up with much of a headache at all this morning, which is a great start. It's hard to say if it was just a fluke or actually because of diet changes, but we'll keep plugging away.

Unfortunately, I do not work tonight, and the mini Cadbury Eggs on the coffee table are calling my name. We'll see how long I can fight the fight... 

Nipping It in the Bud

After waking up this morning with yet another nasty headache, I think it's time to finally do something proactive. Waking up to take pain relievers every other morning is scary to me, and I'm not exactly sure what it's doing to things like my liver, kidneys, stomach, and heart. Granted, many of these headaches could be "rebound" headaches, and one of the best things I could do (though sickening and painful) would be to cut those a.m. pain relievers out. But I think there's more to it than just that.

It's Girl Scout Cookie Season, and I ate about half a box of Tagalongs yesterday, several of which were eaten right before bed. This isn't the first time I've woken up with a nasty headache or full-on migraine after eating too many naughty foods the day before. I think there may be a correlation between sugar / chocolate consumption and a.m. headaches / migraines the next day, and I'm about to try something to see if that's true.

I'd like to conduct my own form of an experiment, where I cut sugars and chocolates by a certain time each day, and watch my consumption as a whole. This will not only help with a.m. headaches and migraines (hopefully), but will also aid my health and body as a whole.

I think I will start by cutting sugars and chocolates after 8:00pm, and only eat fruits and veggies if I feel the need for a snack. Then, I will log if there were any headaches each morning, how severe the possible headaches are, what and how much I take to fight these headaches (if anything), and what I did the night before. This won't be easy: I love late night cookie, chip, and ice cream binges. But I know it will be good for me in the long run, even if it doesn't seem to affect my headaches, and it could be the first step in weaning off the scary morning meds.

I'll be logging everything on this blog, as a helpful way for me to keep track (and you, if you're really all that interested). If, after some time, cutting sweets doesn't seem to be having much effect, we'll move on to something else.

I go on vacation at the end of this week through most of next week (Key West!), so I can't say I'll want to focus and experiment on my headaches and their triggers. So we'll take a break, and experimenting will start full swing when I get back. In the meantime, I will continue to watch my sugar intake, and see where we can go from there. Maybe a little va-cay is all I need to kick these headaches to the curb! :)

I'd be happy to hear any suggestions you may have about my upcoming experiment, so let me have 'em :)

Transformed Migraine

Somewhere along the line I stumbled upon this article, which talks about a type of migraine that describes exactly what I've been going through over the past few years.

"Transformed Migraine" begins as episodic migraine attacks, which eventually become less frequent and intense, and eventually turn into daily or almost daily headaches. These headaches sometimes become migraine attacks, or are interrupted by migraine attacks. These headaches are often time tension-related (bingo), and often a result of medication overuse.

None of this article was really news to me; it's just nice to know that I can't be the only person going through these issues, since someone was writing an article on it. Now I just need to find a support group for people who need help stopping medication overuse.

Bad Habits

Wake up, feel a small headache, take some Excedrin. Eat a Little Debbie Fudge Round for breakfast. Then wonder why I have headaches...

I know a lot of my brain pain issues circle around my bad eating and medication habits, but they're such hard habits to break!

My Story - Where it All Started, Part 3

I've been spending the past few months sleeping with a splint at night and having my TMJ dentist polish my teeth to get a proper alignment. I rarely find my jaw sore after talking or smiling anymore, and I don't seem to be getting nearly as many random, middle of the day headaches as I used to.

I'm continuing to see my chiropractor and I moderate my caffeine intake. I can honestly say that I feel the healthiest I've felt in years.

I still fight the battle with Excedrin some mornings, but it is an uphill struggle. I know I can do get past this, but I refuse to do what I did last time. I'll find a healthier way, I'm sure.

I don't think my battle against brain-pain is over for good... I don't think it ever will be (maybe post-menopause?). But better is always better than worst.

But that's enough about me. What about you? What's your story? Do you or someone you know struggle with headaches and their causes? My goal is to make this blog a community where everyone can share their stories and solutions, in the hope that others will be able to share that same great feeling. Together, maybe we can make this community the cure :)

My Story - Where it All Started, Part 1

I remember getting occasional headaches as far back as kindergarten, back when a simple, crushed aspirin did the trick. Gradually, the headaches became worse - both in frequency and intensity. By my freshman year of high school, I was checking the "has frequent headaches / migraines" box on school registration forms. 

Soon after, I began seeing doctors for headaches and was diagnosed with "tension headaches." I was being prescribed everything under the sun that had been known to "prevent" and "cure" headaches. Nothing seemed to do the trick, so I self-medicated. 

With no regard to my liver, I began taking OTC pain relievers on a daily basis (mostly Excedrin). When headaches got particularly bad, I took a prescription Imitrex (or Treximet, I can't remember). On top of this, by my senior year, I was scheduling my day around my trips to the vending machine for a bottle of Mt. Dew. Waking up with headaches every day, my daily breakfasts consisted of a dosage of Excedrin Tension Headache washed down by a swig of Mt. Dew, maybe followed by a donut from the gas station on my way to school. But I was seeing a chiropractor and a reflexologist regularly, and doing all the right things! Why was I still getting headaches and migraines every other afternoon? (hmmmm...)

Regrettably, I must admit here that I did begin to use my headaches as a crutch and excuse. I can't count how many afternoons I left school "ill," or failed to come in until midday. People knew me as the girl who always had a headache, and I used that to my rebellious advantage. Note: Since then I've learned I don't need an excuse to do things I don't want to do :)

By my freshman year of college, Excedrin was no longer doing the trick, and I couldn't afford (physically and financially) to keeping taking so much Imitrex. Before I re-visited the doctor, I made a happenstance visit to the local library. I happened to have a headache that day, which for the first time in a long time, I was attempting to fight sans drugs. After learning I was battling my millionth and first headache, my favorite librarian (bless you Demi!) dashed straight to the self-help and health sections. She brought back a pile of books, one of which stood out to me more than the others. Despite the pain in my brain, I went straight home and ate it up.

This is getting too long, so I've decided to break it up into a few reading-friendly sections. Click here to continue on to Part 2...