Update on the Sobfest

I forgot to mention: I went out drinking last weekend! And it was wonderful! For like, two hours.

But I've decided that my alcohol-induced migraines are partly situational. For instance, when I go out for a drink or two with a friend in one of the more casual (quieter) places in town, I don't notice having a problem. On the other hand, if I go out for a drink or two at a club or crowded bar, I seem to be more apt to notice a headache come on by the end of the night (some worse than others).

So, the alcohol-induced headaches seem to be aggravated / instigated by too much noise and activity. It's not really entirely what I wanted to find out, but it's a step in the right direction.

See the original sobfest here (I was especially whiny that night).

Booze Again?

Kind of. Not entirely.

I've been experimenting a little bit when it comes to drinking. I know there must be some pattern that triggers my migraines related to alcohol, but I haven't quite figured it out yet.

In the past, I've been able to drink and drink with no problem at all. Not even a hangover in the morning. Then, over the past couple years, I started to develop an issue where I'd feel a migraine coming within an hour of the first sip, and I'd wake up in my death bed the next morning. And this was more than just a simple "hangover" - I would be in severe pain, extra dehydrated, and vehemently ill for the majority of a day.

So I quit drinking. Period.

And it hasn't been awesome.

I'm not saying I want to go out and get plastered every weekend again - I got that out of my system my first year at a university (also likely why my liver seems to be fighting back at me now). But I'd like to be able to go out with friends and get a drink once in a while without the fear of a migraine ruining a pleasant evening.

I recently got back from vacation in Key West (which was a blast), and there was a lot of alcohol consumption going on around me. Key West is less about the beach and more about the bar life, and my parents, brother, and boyfriend were able to nurse beers throughout most of the week without an issue, so I thought, "Why not? Let's give it a shot."

I hydrated as best I could throughout each day, and ordered maybe one or two drinks throughout dinner and the evening. The first night I tried this went swimmingly: I ordered a mojito with our Cuban dinner, and then another one at a bar we stopped at, drinking waters in between. No noticeable issues - not even the next morning!

The next night, we went on a pub crawl where we were given a ticket at each of the 5 bars we visited. This ticket allowed us one free specialty drink, beer, mixed drink, etc. The speciality drinks, because they were recommended to the crawl patrons, were expected orders and watered down. We had eaten before we got to the crawl, and I was careful to only sip on the drinks (generally didn't finish them), and watered myself between each one.

No good, no good at all. I left the night early with a migraine, and felt funky (but not actually sick) most of the night. That was the last time I tried drinking on the trip.

Last night, back in chilly MN, my boyfriend and I went out with a friend to do some catching up. I'd been drinking water and juice throughout most of the day, so I thought I'd give it another shot. We ordered an appetizer and I ordered a glass of white zin to go with. I noticed my alcohol tolerance has gone done over the past couple years (I was super buzzed for a bit), and a slight wine headache, but no actual migraine that required treating.

So a pattern that seems to be worth following so far:

• Eat before and while drinking
• Drink lots of water before, during, and after
• Sip slowly, not too much all at once
• Don't drink (even if it's small amounts) two days in a row?
• I never drink on a day I've already taken Imitrex - it doesn't even sound pleasant

These seem like really basic things that everyone should follow, regardless of issues with alcohol or not, but they are extra important for people with migraines triggered by alcohol. I'm not sure this is foolproof (likely not), but I'm going to keep giving it a shot (especially considering St. Patty's Day is right around the corner).

What kind of things do you do to prevent alcohol-related migraines?

Hangovers

"Hangovers" are a big reason why I don't drink very often, although I don't think what you could call what I suffer from a hangover. If I drink a couple drinks over too short of a time, I wake up with debilitating migraines; if I drink too much over the span of the evening, I wake up with debilitating migraines and vomiting all day. Sometimes I get a migraine just within an hour of the first sip. I've always assumed this has something to do with my liver, and that it may be damaged after years of medication usage. But maybe my body has just learned to react to alcohol this way as I get older.

Then again, maybe I'm just not doing it right. This slideshow says I'm not the only one who may be unsafe when drinking, and maybe it's just all about hydrating better, and that's been my problem all along.

I'd like to be able to drink occasionally without the fear of feeling like death in the morning, and I'd like to go to a going-away party for a co-worker tomorrow. Maybe food before hand and more water is all it will take.

What are your hangover tricks? After looking at the slideshow, have you found if they're a safe and effective remedy all?

Saturday Night Sobfest

I miss drinking. Really. I do.

Mostly I just miss the social aspect of it, and at least being able to be buzzed enough to tolerate everyone else's drunkenness.

I never used to have an issue drinking. I never noticed a headache forming within an hour of the first sip, or being deathly ill the next day. Those issues either weren't happening, or I was just a lot better at ignoring them.

But now, thanks to something I can't quite put my finger on (liver, kidneys, brain, who knows), alcohol has become the bane of my existence. It's very hit or miss, but often times within an hour of the first sip, my head will be throbbing and it will be time to go home. If I happen to get carried away (which doesn't happen anymore), I put a bucket next to my bed and don't move for at least a day. Not healthy or worthwhile, so I just don't do it.

It's hard to keep coming up with excuses when people ask me to go out with them. "I have to work in the morning" or "Sorry I have a date with my computer screen" don't work forever. And then people feel dejected and don't invite me out anymore.

When on the rare occasion I do decide to go out, I'm bored and stuck babysitting, and saying "I'll get a migraine" doesn't seem to justify why I'm not drinking. "Excuses, excuses. Don't be such a baby."

This is whiny and pathetic, I know. But it's hard to admit that headaches and migraine take a huge toll on my social life, especially in a college town, with so many peers that are primarily my age. I know I have bigger things in life ahead of me, with people who will share more of my interests, but that doesn't help that fact that I'm sitting home alone now.

On a positive note: Drunk people are often annoying, so at least I know I'm not annoying :)

How has migraine or chronic illness affected your social life?