Something wrong

[H011yHawkJ311yBean]

OK, something is wrong... lol

I am going to see the doctor again this Thursday...

There is extra stress at work...
Around the same time all this extra stress at work started I was also increased on my synthroid meds because I was sluggish and my physician thought it might be that I didn't have enough thyroid dosage...
It was actually better for a while, but then it seems that I have gone from being sluggish and tired all the time to a nervous wreck and my migraines are increasing both in frequency and intensity.

My husband, co-workers, and manager have all noticed the change. I feel a bit embarrassed because one minute I will be trying not to cry and another I will be pissed off and snarly. So if this is my normal thyroid level I need something to alleviate the anxiety, and if it's too high I need to lower my thyroid medication just slightly.

It's just whenever I visit my doctor about my migraines and would tell him that my migraines tended to be worse or what-have-you, his feeling is that I need to balance my thyroid first and then we can tackle the migraines.

My manager is saying I should start bringing out a work form to fill out everytime I have a migraine but I would much rather sleep for 10 hours than drag myself to the doctor. But I am kind of sick of feeling miserable... I used to have one or two triggers but now everything seems to trigger them...

I had one today that I am happy to say didn't last too long in intensity but now I feel groggy.

I had one last Monday that knocked me @$$ over teakettle, though, and I was feeling sick to my stomach, and like a snail and the crappy neck pain and uncomfortableness lasted from the middle of the night around 3am until I got up around 7am or so when the pain in my left eye started. That was when I took my medication and I slept until around noon and forced myself to get up or I wouldn't sleep enough that night. I had soup, and then I napped some more, than I had my first solid food close to supper time. Not sure if that was hormonal (normal for me to get a migraine a couple days before menstruating) or if it was the nitrates in the barbecued smokies the night before. I tend to think it was hormonal. I also seemed to have about 2 days of 2-3 bowel movements/diarrhea per day... Sorry, don't mean to gross anyone out but that is really really unusual for me.

The week before that, I had a migraine a day for three days. When I was unwinding on my vacation that week, we had so much rain that it clogged our air/ac/furnace vents and so we did some physical work around the house to divert the water. Not sure if those migraines were triggered by food, relaxation from the work stress, stress from the physical work/worry about the water, or because of the bloody barometric weather changes causing all the damn rain. Freakin' rain! lol

Then the week before that I had a migraine. I have no idea what caused that. I was just getting up earlier than I normally do, so that might have been it.

All I know is, I used to use 2 zomig pills a month, and now it's closer to a whole pack a month (6).

I don't know what to do so I hope my doctor listens to me this time. I asked my husband to come along to also vouch for my behaviour changes. And I am bringing a form from work... lol

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Thread split from http://forum.psychlinks.ca/headaches-and-migraine/22647-5-questions-about-migraine-answered.html

 

[Retired]

All I know is, I used to use 2 zomig pills a month, and now it's closer to a whole pack a month (6).

Have you ever kept a log of what your particular triggers might be to help you look back and see what caused your migraines? If you have been stressed during that period, the stress could well have been the trigger.

As your doctor has probably informed you, it is not recommended that more than 6 be taken in a month.

Have you ever tried takng an NSAID at the same time as your Zomig? The combination is said to provide more effective relief of your migraine, targeting not just the vasodialtion but also the inflammation that is thought to cause migraine pain.

Ask your doctor about it. Most of the time doctors will prescribe naproxen Anaprox along with the migraine medication.

 

[H011yHawkJ311yBean]

Thanks, Steve,

I will check into that...

But I have been taking one Advil 400 and one Tylenol 500 together at night every night since I started with that horrible nasty one last Monday... I've been having this nagging pain all along my left side of my neck and shoulder... But I am confused now because I thought it was my left shoulder and neck pain causing my migraines, and now that I've read a few articles in here it sounds more like my migraine is causing the pain in my left shoulder and neck... Either way all this week I've been having some pains in my neck and shoulder and it also radiates (maybe that is not the right word) around my left ear and the scalp around it and of course my favourite and most intense pain that is in behind my left eye. Once it starts hurting there, I can't feel much else because that is the worst pain ever... lol

 

[Retired]

My own migraine history does not involve pain in the neck and/or shoulder so I don't have experience with how that works. However, if you have not already done so, it might help to keep a migraine diary for at least six months to establish your own triggers, so you can try to avoid the avoidable ones. The link includes possible triggers along with a sample of a diary.

Advil may work with your Zomig, though the dosing of the longer acting Anaprox is longer and the dose has to be adequate for the purpose. Your doctor can help you with that.

Care should be taken in relieving migraine with Tyleol (acetamenophen) because of the potential for rebound headaches. Ask your doctor about using the NSAID to relieve the muscle pain or to spare a Zomig in the event of an oncoming migraine.

My doctor advised the latter for me, because of the frequency of my migraine attacks.

 

[H011yHawkJ311yBean]

Well, the doctor did mention trying Advil if I suspected a migraine. But it doesn't matter if I use Advil by itself, or Tylenol by itself, or combined, neither of those works, ever... lol It might make it less painful, but not for very long and then it seems like I am just prolonging the pain while I wait for the NSAID or Tylenol not to work, and then wait another 20 min to wait for the Zomig to kick in. It seems the longer I wait to take the Zomig, the more intense the migraine and the longer I feel the after effects.

I sometimes do the following: I will wake up feeling like a migraine is starting, but I will take my inhaler and my thyroid pill (because I don't want to mess up my system more by delaying that and if I delay my thyroid pill I might forget it all together)... I will wait an hour to eat, but during that hour I will try a hot shower, I will try an ice pack, and I will try a heat pad. None of that ever works, at least not that I recall... After an hour has passed (sufficient time for the thyroid pill to have gotten in to my system) I will then take a migraine pill and wait for it to kick in. Sometimes it starts feeling better right away and I can go to work (even though I will have less concentration and feel a bit groggy). Other times when it's terribly intense, the pain will subside after the Zomig but I will feel so disoriented and sometimes sick at the same time and groggy that I know I will not function properly at work. After it kicks in I usually also have my tea... I have caffeine in the morning all the time and know that if I skip it that it might cause problems. I know the migraine isn't from caffeine because I always get it before I have my tea in the morning (well 99% of the time my migraines occur in the morning, it's rare to get them later in the day or evening). I don't drink anything caffeinated at suppertime or later... Just in the morning and I usually cut off any caffeine (including pop or other caffeine like chocolate bars) by around 4pm.

I always take my thyroid pill so that I can eat something an hour later, or have tea, or have Advil. If I have anything before my thyroid pill I have to wait two hours to take the thyroid pill. I can't necessarily stop what I am doing if I am on the phones with customers and take my thyroid medication at work and will likely forget. Also if I wait two hours after I eat it will start to mess around with my hormones and I will probably get even more migraines related to hormonal fluctuations ... If I have the thyroid pill too soon before or after the Zomig I find it does terrible things to me; it makes me literally sick to my stomach and the pain behind my eye even feels worse for a while. So I avoid mixing my thyroid meds and Zomig at all costs...

 

[Retired]

My experience has been that Tylenol (acetamenophen) or even an NSAID alone does not relieve my migraine, so I've given up on that option. Of course the key to the effectiveness of triptan migraine medications like Zomig is to take them as early in the migraine attack as possible.

Let's face it, those of us who have had migraine for a few years recognize the symptoms at the earliest stage, and although I sometimes fool myself into waiting it out "to see if it's really a migraine" I always end up taking the medication. So now I've give up on the time test and take the med as soon as I feel the earliest migraine warning signs.

As I am sure you know, caffeine and chocolate are notorious migraine triggers, and the half life of caffene can be affectedby a number of factors such as age, liver function, medications being taken (oral contraceptives or some SSRI's for example) so there can be a cumulative effect raising the amount of caffeine actually circulating in the bloodstream.

You may want to reduce or eliminate all potential triggers from your diet until you get a good handle on exactly what are your particular triggers using a migraine diary, then manage your diet and lifestyle accordingly.

 

[H011yHawkJ311yBean]

lol Yes, I will discuss that with my doctor. I had considered it. But for now, I was just taking my tea in the morning, and if I stopped altogether it would cause a migraine (I think). I hate coffee, and I very rarely drink Coke or similar drink, and although once in a great while I crave something chocolate (especially when stressed). But normally I avoid chocolate. So I thought tea would be okay, but I will talk to my doctor about everything this Thursday.

 

[icthus]

Hi jollygreenjellybean,

Ouch. Have you tried a chiropractor? Some are better than others. I go to a NUCCA specialist, but they may be hard to find in your area. Another thought is to change more stuff in your diet, such as temporarily eliminating things you like and eat frequently (e.g., wheat, corn, dairy) and see how you react or don't react. Of course with prepared packages, it is difficult to eliminate all the popular foods. Some corn products are listed under a variety of different names, etc. And it depends on how sensitive your body is (if at all) as to what matters. Or ameliorating the work stress somehow might be a big deal.

 

[H011yHawkJ311yBean]

Thanks, icthus.

Well, I have tried a chiropractor when I was in my teens (my mom's) and it didn't seem to help. It seemed to make things worse. They told me I had one leg longer than the other and so they were trying to 'fix' that, then they said that I didn't wear proper winter clothing (somewhat true) and it was what caused my neck muscles to get all bunched up. Then they said it was something else. I think they gave up. lol

I can't remember exactly when my migraines started, but sometime around high school I think... I started highschool when I was 12... December birthday...

I am thinking the BIG trigger is stress because that causes a lot of the other things: I find it harder to say 'no' to caffeine, chocolate, and even though I would LIKE to sleep I have to work... And work is stressful enough... lol... Then there's the lack of sleep where you wake up at 3am and you try to do relaxation breathing so your thoughts don't race, but your neck still bothers you so you are constantly getting comfortable then having to shift and re-position again.

:sleepy:Maybe I have to get a new pillow, but I have one with memory foam and several softer pillows. I had a middle type of pillow that was part foam with a gel in the middle, but that seemed to have gone from being perfect to being too hard. The foam one has actually gotten softer... Maybe I need a new foam memory pillow...

I foresee a shopping trip in my future to the pillow section. Counting down the days until my doctor appointment in the meantime.

 

[H011yHawkJ311yBean]

OK... Good news and good news...

A) I bought a new pillow. Specifically labeled for "side sleeping" and "extra-firmness" or something like that...

B) Saw the doctor. He has me started on Cipralex and has reduced my hours at work at least until the meds kick in. I'm going to take 1/2 a pill (10 mg) for about a week and then start taking a whole pill. I'm following up with the doctor at the end of July.

I've been crying a lot more than usual, and getting irritated about things more, etc. For instance I cried last night because my employer's health services rep called me and left her name and a message to call back but nothing else. So I was really worried that my doctor's Fax to them about reduced hours would get denied or something. So I wasn't sleeping last night very well until late. Also my dog has been very sick so I was also worried about him last night.

Today this guy who is our internal support, who is a bit gruff (to everyone, I hope, not just me, because I am newer at this skillset), and I try to take him with a grain of salt, but he almost got me crying at work. lol I hate when I cry at work...

Aaaanyway, here's the gist of things:

-- In March I put forward to HR that I complained about a co-worker sending me inappropriate material over our "Sametime" (inter-office chat)... This has still has not been resolved, I have been told there is a delay because we are still bargaining... This seems a bit excessive to take this long, and I am told it will take a couple more weeks to resolve.

-- I was in tears during training (new skillset) recently because we couldn't get our logins to practice on our new systems until THE DAY we got on the phones during a time when we were getting regular cellphone support training AND iphone training -- which normally doesn't happen because we are supposed to have wireless training and then wait 3 months and do iPhone training. But some jackass in Sasktel (Ops or Marketing or some left hand that doesn't know what the right hand is doing) thought it would be nice so we could look good for Apple, which we did, thanks a lot.

-- it kinda doesn't help that hours were cut and I can't just leave my job because of bills and mortgage and so on, and my husband has his own business now (started last year) and he does very well, it's just sometimes stressful when there is less income... It's not the best job market although it could be worse...

-- apparently I upset someone in our scheduling office and I got a talking to that scared the hell out of me (bad nerves didn't help) because a fellow I usually get along with told me I would have to go on the phones anyway (despite not having our logins yet) so I was visibly upset and he then talked to me with another 3rd party (trainer) in a private room - I may have over-reacted but I thought I had gotten into trouble for something I didn't even intend to be interpreted that way. I think I had a bit of a panic attack because I was crying uncontrollably and my hands were shaking... Kinda felt stupid after, but oh well, and Victor apologized and he didn't know what was going on with the HR/harassment thing, but I think that was part of the reason I reacted like that (stress and feeling trapped/attacked)...

--Then there are/were problems with my lunatic parents (who recently I have blocked phone, email, FB, etc) who now live in BC, thank heavens or I'd be even more miserable - lots of stuff has happened over the last year with them that has made my life rather hellish....

--flooding and 'normal stress' from the last few weeks of diverting water from our property,

--a few months ago my uncle passed away and I was exhausted from my thyroid medication being too low, so did not go to the funeral; I felt kind of bad not to have gone, but I sent some money for them to buy his favourite beer and some food for the memorial.

--stopped talking to some rather unfriendly 'friends' (you know the kind that you realize that they are the same type of people as your mom who manipulate and make you feel guilty - maybe look up the phrase Narcissistic Personality Disorder so you can sort of understand where I am coming from)... It's kind of tough to start from scratch again...

--my dog has been really really sick since spring, so we may have to take him for a biopsy/scope/xray for his sinuses at the end of July, and the best thing he could have is a fungal infection in his nose and the worst thing would be cancer -- he's been constantly draining nasty stuff from one nostril since about March (during the snow mould) and reverse sneezes (which sounds terrible and we have to get out the vapour rub to smell) and violently sneezes great gobs of snot everywhere, whilst managing to cut open his chin because he'll accidentally bash his poor chin on the concrete if he's outside, or get road rash on his nose and muzzle... It's so disturbing to watch.

--I am trying to consider going into a completely different department and was planning to go to school this semester but with everything going on I decided meh, wait until January - I even took that Kolbe assessment but apparently I am "in transition" which means I don't know what I want or else I'm having too many things going on in my life right now...

So thanks for listening to me vent. Because it feels really good to get this out somewhere besides in my brain. Need more empty room in there. Wouldn't even mind an echo.

 

[H011yHawkJ311yBean]

Hey everyone... Just an update...

-- The HR thing was resolved a few weeks ago: What the co-worker did to me isn't ruled as "Sexual Harrassment" but it was ruled as against company code of conduct and was of a sexual nature. It was good to feel validation that the powers that be felt the same as me: his "reasons" for sending me inappropriate things over chat were lame and he is getting disciplined. It's between the company and him, though, so I don't know what the discipline will be. But my husband is sure that this is now on his permanent record, so if he ever does anything like this again he will probably get fired (if he isn't already).

-- As I mentioned, our company now has a new contract after being out of contract for over a year and a half. From the sounds of it, we'll be getting a nice bunch of retropay (from March 2010 we'll get 1.5% raise, plus from March 2011 we'll get 2%, and then March of 2012 it will be another 2%)... which will definitely help me and my husband out when we go on vacation.

-- Still on Cipralex, stiill on reduced my hours... Saw a psychologist who encouraged me back onto my meditation which I finally started doing, instead of opting for distractions distractions distractions... Which I call procrastinating... lol

-- I seem to be having less migraines, and even though I still have them, they are much much milder (I am assuming the Cipralex is helping somewhat) and even the more intense ones aren't as nasty as before.

-- I'm not crying as much, I'm sleeping better, I'm not as anxious at work... But I was surprised that I broke down again in the psychologist's appointment and I was talking a million miles an hour...

-- have an awesome manager who has been helping me out big time in little ways

-- even with cut hours (ruling from work) or these doctor-ordered restrictions, we seem to be doing just fine financially, so that is a relief.

-- still not sure what I feel about my parents. I almost feel nothing right now. Which feels good. Which doesn't even really make me feel very guilty... Or most of the time it doesn't anyway.

-- thyroid levels are now up to normal. I know it was bad because my hormones were all over the place, and I was skipping ovulation which caused me to have my period ever friggin' two weeks... Man that was a roller coaster ride.

--still avoiding people though. I think it's good to have cut some people out of my life. I am so burnt out on people. At the same time I think I might be a bit lonely. Probably something I will talk to my psychologist about next week. I sensed that a lot of people have pulled away from me over the last while and it's damaged my view of people a bit. The reason they pulled back was because I opened my big mouth and mentioned problems I was having at home. But co-workers aren't friends, they are co-workers so I probably should have just continued to smile and nod and say "I'm fine" even though I didn't. Silly me. And it still hurts that people I have known for years barely talk to me anymore, from what I perceive to be the same reason. After I told them that my mother supports pedophiles (or at least two) and that I was molested when I was a child, that's when they backed off. So I've been a bit afraid to put myself out there lately, and almost don't see the point of bothering.

-- we got a second opinion from another vet. He thinks if our dog does have cancer in his sinuses, then there wouldn't be much we could do anyway. He suspects though that it isn't cancer. Bruiser sneezes when it is humid, mostly, or when he goes from the inside of the house (cool air) to outside (hot and humid)... Or sometimes in the grass. It's not a constant thing, there is no blood or yellowness in the dog's mucus. It's still kind of hard to watch when he's reverse sneezing but the worst must be over because it has been ages since our dog has smashed his chin on the pavement from violent sneezing.

-- There is so much going on right now (in my head) that I have postponed taking my university certificate program until January. I don't know if I will be able to handle taking a class and working, as I've only ever been either a full time student OR at work, but not both. Anyone who has any experience with this, I would appreciate your Point of View.

So hopefully things are looking up.

 

[AmZ]

I praise you Jolly, for dealing with all that you have been dealing with AND still helping others out on this forum. Thank you.

I am glad that things are sounding better for you generally and I hope that whatever is left over gets better for you too because you deserve it.

All the best.

 

[H011yHawkJ311yBean]

Thanks AmZ, and the feeling is mutual! You deserve exactly the same! 8)

 

[Always Changing]

So hopefully things are looking up.

I would say they are too based your update Jolly. A lot of work went into all the above. :2thumbs:.

Keep up the great work you are doing, it is paying dividends.

 

[H011yHawkJ311yBean]

Thanks, AC. I think everyone in these forums, including yourself, has payed good things forward and helped out a lot of people. But I appreciate the kudos and the encouragement!

 

[icthus]

Hi jollygreenjellybean,

Wow. You have had a full plate of troubles, though I'm glad for bits of good news.

I wonder if your dog's sneezing in humid weather implies a mold allergy. And if household mold is partially behind your headaches or other health issues.

That aside, the emotional withdrawal of co-workers hearing of your sexual abuse history is curious. Probably at a lesser level I have felt something similar mentioning my health challenges, and I suspect people either don't believe me or don't have a common frame of reference. Like I live in another world. Or they fear discussing it. When our cat died, I wondered if I was grieving partly because the event reminded me of my own mortality, though I'm speculating here.

In the case of the sexual abuse you have experienced, I guess I'd have a hard time discussing it at work if I were one of your co-workers for various reasons. One, it's a very sensitive issue anyway, and I'm a guy. (I suspect you confided in gals more.) Two, the legality and company policy issues are typically sensitive, so that just discussing the issue may make a person like me feel threatened. Three, I don't know how to be of much help, lacking experience and knowledge. Four, I feel a certain "it's not my business" jurisdictional wall, if I can put it that way. So I am apprehensive of putting my hand into a hornet's nest, especially when I have to get back to work.

Does that make sense? I'm trying to think out loud about why sick people are isolated or feel isolated (if I can use the term "sick" broadly). Some sick people I know feel less isolated because they have online friends dealing with similar problems.

 

[H011yHawkJ311yBean]

Hi icthus... Actually I never told anyone at work about my molestation/sexual abuse. Heaven forbid! I don't feel comfortable telling that to anyone except my closest friends (or who I thought were my closest friends). I told my friends about my sexual abuse, not my co-workers. To my co-workers I just talked briefly about issues with my mother: I assume people have a hard enough time with thinking someone's mother can trick her children into being on titles to houses to avoid paying as much on various properties they own. And some people have witnessed my anxiety levels get to the point where I have cried or hyperventilated a bit... Which I am sure is also off-putting.

But I would never in a million years discuss my sexual abuse with co-workers. That was way more private to me, and I agree, not something that should be discussed in a work environment. I am more afraid of being judged for that than for something my mother did to me. I am not allowed to talk to anyone about the HR harrassment issue, either, although in as vague terms as possible I mentioned one or two things to maybe three people who were concerned with my well-being. They think the guy who sent me porn over our office-chat is a douche, too! lol

 

[icthus]

Hi jollygreenjellybean,

I stand corrected. That makes sense, though the isolation issue is still there along with everything else.

By the way, have you tried emotional freedom technique (e.g., EFT | Dr. Mercola's Emotional Freedom Technique)? I have my reservations about some of it, but acquaintances have had better success with it than I have. And you can do it yourself or with a therapist. One gets pragmatic at some stage. If it works for you, great.

 

[H011yHawkJ311yBean]

Thanks, icthus, I will check it out! I know what you mean, I have looked at some books that seem a bit preachy, for instance, but you take some of it with a grain of salt because the rest of the content really strikes a chord...