The honest to god truth....what I put in my body everyday.

So I thought it would be good to let my readers know exactly what I take everyday, for those maybe not as familiar with Migraine Disease. Yes, at age 30 I have over 5 scripts and take a total of I think 10 pills a day. Here we go:

A.M.
Topamax - 25mgs
Multi Vitamin
Magnesium - 650 mgs
Calcium - 1000 mgs

P.M.
Topamax - 50mgs
Amitriptyline - 20 mgs
Melatonin - 5mgs
Jolessa - one every night

And on an as needed basis:
Frova -2.5 mgs, allowed up to 3 pills per day if needed - but not more then 3 times a week or may lead to Medication Overuse Headache
Skelaxin - 600 mgs - as needed up to 4 a day for Tension Type Headaches
Tigan - 400mgs as needed for nausea
Vicodin - 500mgs (I split them in half) as needed for Rescue

Yep, so I think that's about it, and that's not to mention the vitamin C that I take to help my TTH's go away faster.....

So although you may think by looking at me "You don't look sick" - remember to not judge a book by it's cover. I sometimes feel like a slave to the drugs that I take. If I don't take them, I get very sick. If I take to many of them, I can get very sick. It's quite the balancing act us migraneurs play.

So this was just a little peak into my world. I don't think I've actually ever broken it down before. Wow!

Went to the neuro today and....

Everything went great! My migraines are improving. I've had less this month then in the previous 6 months!!

We discussed options, and since this new Topamax/Amitriptyline combo seems to be working right now, we are not going to mess with it. We may increase the Topamax a bit, but only another 25mgs.

He gave me samples of almost everything I take! Skelaxin, Frova, and Topamax! He refilled my Skelaxin, he felt since I am not taking it as often, since I've tried to cut back, and also since I am getting less tension headaches, that since it works, don't mess with it.

That is pretty much it. It was a good visit. Nothing new though. We are keeping everything as it is.

I did discuss sleep with him. He said he didn't want to prescribe me anything right now, since my migraines are improving, let's see how I am the next visit and if it's still a problem, we will go from there.

So I have no complaints - me, not complaining - imagine that!

Neurologist appointment tomorrow

I'm looking forward to it. I hope that things go as I think they will. I feel I've finally found a doctor I can work with.

My goal this appointment are to:

1. Find something I can take for if I get a migraine at work and nausea is really bad. (I have Tigan now, but I get way to sleepy to take it at work)

2. Discuss other options other then Skelaxin for my Tension Type Headaches.

3. Can I please, please! come off the Topamax now???!!!

We will see how it goes.

I will hopefully get a chance to get on here and update tomorrow.

Oh the holidays

So this holiday season was rough on me, migraine wise at least. I had a bad run from the Saturday before Christmas till, well, I may still be in it!

I think I have had my worst migraine ever. It started this past Saturday. I awoke with it at 6 a.m. and it just didn't stop. It lasted all day Saturday, Sunday and finally broke on Monday, right before it would be considered Status Migrainous.

For those of you unfamiliar with Status Migrainous, its when a migraine attack lasts longer then 72 hours. This is with not counting while you are sleeping. If there is less then 4 hours pain free during that time frame, then you are in Status Migrainous. It increases your risk for stroke. You should at this point, call your doctor or seek attention at the ER or IMCC.

Most of the time, the ER can give you DHE injection, magnesium sulfate IV, Toderal, or narcotics. I personally advise against the narcotics approach and would say up front that I wish to NOT be treated with narcotics.

See, a big problem migrainuers face is that drug seekers use "migraines" and "back pain" as a way to score narcotics from the ER. So, that being said, sometimes, you may run into some resistance from the ER staff. If you say up front you'd rather not have narcotics, this may get you treatment faster and the help you need without the glaring eye.

My pain finally went away - just in the nick of time. I had to take 3 Frova over the course of 3 days, Skelaxin and I think maybe there was some advil in there too. I also took Tigan for nausea which was horrid!!!!

I hope that is as bad as it ever gets, and I never have to go through it again.

I did, however, make an appointment with a new Neurologist, which is on 1/22/08. I am also trying to get into a headache clinic and I am awaiting a call back from them.

I had a mild - I say mild because compaired to the last one, this was a walk in the park! - migraine today. I think one Frova and two Skelaxin seems to have done the trick.

Let's hope this is the last of it and I get some pain free days for a while! That would be nice!