I didn't get much sleep Tuesday night as I had chemistry lab until 10. Felt quite tired all day as a result.
By afternoon I had a serious headache. I took excedrin early but it offered me no relief. As I analyzed the pain and areas of pain I noticed that it was both stabbing and throbbing pains and it was all in my jaw, temples, side of my head (in front of my ears), top of my head, forehead, and behind my eyes. No pain in the occipital area (back of my head). Interesting!
It finally occured to me that I was having a migraine, it just didn't feel like my usual migraines because of the nerve block to my occipital area.
So nerve block not entirely pointless, but clearly I need other areas injected as well.
Took fioricet later in the afternoon. It helped take the edge off. Unfortunately, I am running dangerously low on it. Which I guess I shouldn't be too upset about since it isn't helping as much as it should.
Showing posts with label fioricet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fioricet. Show all posts
Friday, May 20, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Headache Log : Any Drug I Want
So the day of my last post, Thursday, April 28, was my fourth day in a row with a migraine. The pain in my head was one thing, but the stabbing pain behind my left eye and in my temple was unbearable. Finally at lunch time, shortly after my post, I gave in and took myself to an Instacare. What an interesting experience!
Determined not to be treated like another migraine sufferer and given a shot or prescribed a triptan drug that I can't take I decided not to tell them I had a migraine, but tell them I had a severe headache with stabbing pain behind my eye. Well ..... that may not have been the best approach either. The nurse put me through a series of tests to make sure my eyes were functioning normally and my vision was not impaired.
Finally saw the doctor, he checked my eyes as well. And at that point I gave in and told him I was a frequent migraine sufferer and was on my fourth day with this particular migraine. He was a little concerned about the stabbing pain behind my eye, thinking it to be a new symptom. Then I explained that I get it often. Not with every migraine, but it's not uncommon.
Then things got interesting. He asked what I wanted him to do.
I said, "I'm in pain. I have been for four days. I need help."
He said, "I'm just a general physician. You need a neurologist."
I said, "I'm currently under the care of neurologist, but I can't just drop into his office like I can an instacare or an emergency room and I don't think I can take this much longer."
He asked, "What do you want? A shot? A prescription?"
I explained that the shots don't work, unless there's one I don't know about. And triptans don't work either.
He asked, "Do you want a painkiller?"
"If you think that will work?"
"What do you want me to get you?"
WOW! Really? How about some medicinal marijuana? Can you get me that? Or how about morphine or vicadin?
I explained that I was there because I didn't really know what my options were.
He asked what had worked in the past.
I told him fioricet had worked for a time. And recently it's been intermittent.
He suggested fioricet with codeine. Add a narcotic to my barbituate and maybe I'd find some relief.
The first dose didn't do it for me, but the second one did. YAY!
Of course, I can't take it while I'm at work or at school or need to do any driving so it does pose some potential problems.
Determined not to be treated like another migraine sufferer and given a shot or prescribed a triptan drug that I can't take I decided not to tell them I had a migraine, but tell them I had a severe headache with stabbing pain behind my eye. Well ..... that may not have been the best approach either. The nurse put me through a series of tests to make sure my eyes were functioning normally and my vision was not impaired.
Finally saw the doctor, he checked my eyes as well. And at that point I gave in and told him I was a frequent migraine sufferer and was on my fourth day with this particular migraine. He was a little concerned about the stabbing pain behind my eye, thinking it to be a new symptom. Then I explained that I get it often. Not with every migraine, but it's not uncommon.
Then things got interesting. He asked what I wanted him to do.
I said, "I'm in pain. I have been for four days. I need help."
He said, "I'm just a general physician. You need a neurologist."
I said, "I'm currently under the care of neurologist, but I can't just drop into his office like I can an instacare or an emergency room and I don't think I can take this much longer."
He asked, "What do you want? A shot? A prescription?"
I explained that the shots don't work, unless there's one I don't know about. And triptans don't work either.
He asked, "Do you want a painkiller?"
"If you think that will work?"
"What do you want me to get you?"
WOW! Really? How about some medicinal marijuana? Can you get me that? Or how about morphine or vicadin?
I explained that I was there because I didn't really know what my options were.
He asked what had worked in the past.
I told him fioricet had worked for a time. And recently it's been intermittent.
He suggested fioricet with codeine. Add a narcotic to my barbituate and maybe I'd find some relief.
The first dose didn't do it for me, but the second one did. YAY!
Of course, I can't take it while I'm at work or at school or need to do any driving so it does pose some potential problems.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Headache Log : Good Week?
Last week I "graduated" from physical therapy. Last week I also broke a trend. Last Tuesday was the first day since February 14 that I was headache free. And then headache free again on Wednesday, I just couldn't believe my luck! I had one on Thursday, but it was moderate. So when I went to PT Friday morning I could happily report that things appeared to be getting better. I was released and welcomed to call and/or come back if I ever needed to. (I was also invited to shadow Tyler, my PT - AWESOME!!! - this is essential for grad school!)
I went in to the weekend feeling pretty good. But late Saturday morning a migraine started coming on. It didn't hit fast and hard it just slowly built up. I made it to dinner with a girlfriend and we went shopping after that, but the music in the mall was bothering me and every smell irritated me as well. Regardless of that, it was nice to have a friend with me to distract me.
By the time I got home Saturday it was pretty bad. I didn't sleep all night. I took fioricet around 2am which usually knocks me out. It did nothing at all - no help with the pain, no drowsiness, not even the fun buzzed/drunk feeling I sometimes get. Finally around 5am I started to doze. I slept until 7:30am. When I woke my head hurt even worse and I felt wide awake (go figure) so I took Tramadol. THAT knocked me out! I slept again until 11am. I woke with the little tendrils of the migraine massaging my brain. And by late afternoon it was another full blown migraine.
Monday morning started out with a light, irritating sort of headache, but it progressively got worse as the day wore on.
Was last week a turning of the tides? Or just a fluke?
I went in to the weekend feeling pretty good. But late Saturday morning a migraine started coming on. It didn't hit fast and hard it just slowly built up. I made it to dinner with a girlfriend and we went shopping after that, but the music in the mall was bothering me and every smell irritated me as well. Regardless of that, it was nice to have a friend with me to distract me.
By the time I got home Saturday it was pretty bad. I didn't sleep all night. I took fioricet around 2am which usually knocks me out. It did nothing at all - no help with the pain, no drowsiness, not even the fun buzzed/drunk feeling I sometimes get. Finally around 5am I started to doze. I slept until 7:30am. When I woke my head hurt even worse and I felt wide awake (go figure) so I took Tramadol. THAT knocked me out! I slept again until 11am. I woke with the little tendrils of the migraine massaging my brain. And by late afternoon it was another full blown migraine.
Monday morning started out with a light, irritating sort of headache, but it progressively got worse as the day wore on.
Was last week a turning of the tides? Or just a fluke?
Friday, March 11, 2011
Headache Log : Midwest Miracle
I hear from a friend about a plastic surgeon in the Midwest who has discovered a miracle cure for drug resistant migraine-like headaches.
Hmmm .... my "migraines" are drug resistant. I've been on two different migraine preventatives and neither has worked as well as expected. Typical migraine medications (triptans) like Imitrex and Zomig only intensify my headaches. And now my wonderful Fioricet can only bring me relief by making me drowsy enough to sleep through the pain. The headaches are caused by occipital neuropathy or occipital neuralgia.
I email the Midwest doctor for more information and start digging around on my own as well. I become quite convinced that it's possible this is the cause of all of my pain. But not just occipital neuralgia in my case - also trigeminal neuralgia.
I have no idea how I can afford to get out to see this doctor and so far my own searching has revealed no one in Utah who does this same treatment / surgery! I am getting quite distraught. I decide to ask my new Midwest doctor friend if he knows of anyone in Utah who could see me.
I've also been given the name and phone number of someone who is supposed to be a great headache specialist and neurologist in Salt Lake City if I chose to go that route again.
Hmmm .... my "migraines" are drug resistant. I've been on two different migraine preventatives and neither has worked as well as expected. Typical migraine medications (triptans) like Imitrex and Zomig only intensify my headaches. And now my wonderful Fioricet can only bring me relief by making me drowsy enough to sleep through the pain. The headaches are caused by occipital neuropathy or occipital neuralgia.
I email the Midwest doctor for more information and start digging around on my own as well. I become quite convinced that it's possible this is the cause of all of my pain. But not just occipital neuralgia in my case - also trigeminal neuralgia.
I have no idea how I can afford to get out to see this doctor and so far my own searching has revealed no one in Utah who does this same treatment / surgery! I am getting quite distraught. I decide to ask my new Midwest doctor friend if he knows of anyone in Utah who could see me.
I've also been given the name and phone number of someone who is supposed to be a great headache specialist and neurologist in Salt Lake City if I chose to go that route again.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Headache Log : Fioricet Hangover
Did I say there was no such thing as a Fioricet hangover? Umm... yeah .... I was kind of wrong. It's referred to as a rebound headache.
In a perfect world the first dose of Fioricet gets rid of the migraine and makes me nice and relaxed. (Much like a first martini.) Maybe even a little giggly. And of course in this perfect world there's no need for the second dose that would put me into the drunken state of slurred speech, tripping over myself, and difficulty putting thoughts together.
In an imperfect world (and this is an imperfect world) it usually works a little more like this ....
I take the first dose of Fioricet and it doesn't work. So I take the second dose of Fioricet and that either A) puts me into the fun drunken state or B) doesn't work. If it doesn't work it will usually at least make me drowsy enough to sleep. Then I wake up either headache free or with one minor enough I can live with the annoying, nagging pain of it.
But, life's a bitch so sometimes it works like this ....
I take the first dose of Fioricet and it doesn't work. So I take the second dose of Fioricet and that one doesn't work either, but by this time I'm drowsy enough to sleep. I wake up with an awful and nearly unbearable headache so I take more Fioricet. The third day, I still have the horrid headache. Nothing seems to be working. But that's not the case at all. I've just experienced a rebound headache.
In a perfect world the first dose of Fioricet gets rid of the migraine and makes me nice and relaxed. (Much like a first martini.) Maybe even a little giggly. And of course in this perfect world there's no need for the second dose that would put me into the drunken state of slurred speech, tripping over myself, and difficulty putting thoughts together.
In an imperfect world (and this is an imperfect world) it usually works a little more like this ....
I take the first dose of Fioricet and it doesn't work. So I take the second dose of Fioricet and that either A) puts me into the fun drunken state or B) doesn't work. If it doesn't work it will usually at least make me drowsy enough to sleep. Then I wake up either headache free or with one minor enough I can live with the annoying, nagging pain of it.
But, life's a bitch so sometimes it works like this ....
I take the first dose of Fioricet and it doesn't work. So I take the second dose of Fioricet and that one doesn't work either, but by this time I'm drowsy enough to sleep. I wake up with an awful and nearly unbearable headache so I take more Fioricet. The third day, I still have the horrid headache. Nothing seems to be working. But that's not the case at all. I've just experienced a rebound headache.
Headache Log : The Pleasant Side Effect of Fioricet
As I said, all the OTC's I'd been taking had their own side effect, and Fioricet had one too, and it was one I didn't mind so much.
It was April 2010 and I was on my way to the MDA Conference in Washington, DC. I woke up with a killer migraine so I took the Fioricet. Four hours later I woke up on the plane, nearly to my lay-over city of Dallas and my head is still killing me. I take my second dose of Fioricet. By the time I arrive in Dallas I am having a good time! I can't find my terminal. My speech is slurred. I can't exactly think straight. Can barely walk straight. I have no idea what drunk feels like - I've never been drunk. Why do people keep asking me how many drinks I had on the plane? None. But I had a second dose of Fioricet and it was fabulous! I pull out that beautiful little bottle and I read the warning label, "may induce feelings of intoxication". So THIS is what drunk feels like! It's no wonder people drink!
But guess what everyone....no hangover for me. :-)
It was April 2010 and I was on my way to the MDA Conference in Washington, DC. I woke up with a killer migraine so I took the Fioricet. Four hours later I woke up on the plane, nearly to my lay-over city of Dallas and my head is still killing me. I take my second dose of Fioricet. By the time I arrive in Dallas I am having a good time! I can't find my terminal. My speech is slurred. I can't exactly think straight. Can barely walk straight. I have no idea what drunk feels like - I've never been drunk. Why do people keep asking me how many drinks I had on the plane? None. But I had a second dose of Fioricet and it was fabulous! I pull out that beautiful little bottle and I read the warning label, "may induce feelings of intoxication". So THIS is what drunk feels like! It's no wonder people drink!
But guess what everyone....no hangover for me. :-)
Headache Log : Fioricet
The prescription is for fioricet. It isn't perfect, doesn't work every time. But it's something. And as I mentioned before - when it doesn't work it generally makes me tired enough to sleep.
In addition to not always working the OTC's have their horrible side effects. One, if taken too late in the afternoon, keeps me up most of the night. If taken during the day, may make me jittery. The other makes me drowsy. But if taken in the afternoon makes me tired initially only to then keep me up all night long. And if taken at bedtime will knock me out, but then wake me in the middle of the night for hours!
In addition to not always working the OTC's have their horrible side effects. One, if taken too late in the afternoon, keeps me up most of the night. If taken during the day, may make me jittery. The other makes me drowsy. But if taken in the afternoon makes me tired initially only to then keep me up all night long. And if taken at bedtime will knock me out, but then wake me in the middle of the night for hours!
Headache Log : The 10 Day Headache
After a 10 day headache in which I could get absolutely no relief from any OTC I decided to give in and go to the doctor. And the day I made the call the headache was unbearable. My doctor was on vacation. I was NOT about to wait for him to come back. But his partner could see me that afternoon. I didn't care - I just wanted a doctor.
So I go in to see Dr. Peterson and he wants to give me shots. I tell him I've had shots once before and I didn't like them. I explain what happened at the InstaCare. Dr. Peterson assures me this is a different shot. And in addition to the shot, he'd like to give me a prescription to a painkiller. I get the shot, which I am told will take about 30 minutes to take effect. Then in about 4 hours I can take 2 of the prescription pills, if needed.
The shot never takes effect.
The prescription pills makes it bearable and they make me sleep, and that's good enough for now.
So I go in to see Dr. Peterson and he wants to give me shots. I tell him I've had shots once before and I didn't like them. I explain what happened at the InstaCare. Dr. Peterson assures me this is a different shot. And in addition to the shot, he'd like to give me a prescription to a painkiller. I get the shot, which I am told will take about 30 minutes to take effect. Then in about 4 hours I can take 2 of the prescription pills, if needed.
The shot never takes effect.
The prescription pills makes it bearable and they make me sleep, and that's good enough for now.
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