Learn something new every day
Saw my new pain doc today. Am slightly, cautiously optimistic.
He explained more about difference between migraine and cluster headaches. Things like you can fall asleep with a migraine, but cluster headaches will wake you up. Yep.
Funniest thing he said? "Sometimes, the only thing that helps cluster headaches is sympathetic or distracting pain. It's not uncommon to hear of people with cluster headaches banging the OTHER side of their heads against a wall in an attempt to ease the pain."
*goggles*
I.... I cannot imagine actually hitting my head in that state. I.... *shudders* But I flashed on an image of floggers and such marketed as headache relief. *helpless giggles*
Oxygen has been shown to help some clusters. They used that both times I went to the E.R., but I haven't a clue if it was the Torridol - which is an anti-inflammatory - or the oxygen, or both combined to drop the pain by maybe one point.... it took the nubaine to knock it out. For whatever that's worth.
My mother was bemused to know that dilaudid didn't help much... just made me sick. She said "But Julie, dilaudid is stronger than morphine!"
Yep. your point?
She sighed. *shrugs* Nothing my body does makes sense.
So... new pain doc may be able to get me some NSAIDs I can take. Neuro found a safe source of verapamil, so we're going to try that too - for the miagraines.
He went over some other options for treating clusters if it happens again.... I'm hoping like fuck it doesn't, cause none of those sound a whole lot better than what they're trying to treat.
But I have to admit.... the combo migraine/cluster has recalibrated my pain meter. Changed my definitions completely, so am willing to try damn near anything at this point.
At any rate..... trying to maintain a cautiously optimistic POV.
He explained more about difference between migraine and cluster headaches. Things like you can fall asleep with a migraine, but cluster headaches will wake you up. Yep.
Funniest thing he said? "Sometimes, the only thing that helps cluster headaches is sympathetic or distracting pain. It's not uncommon to hear of people with cluster headaches banging the OTHER side of their heads against a wall in an attempt to ease the pain."
*goggles*
I.... I cannot imagine actually hitting my head in that state. I.... *shudders* But I flashed on an image of floggers and such marketed as headache relief. *helpless giggles*
Oxygen has been shown to help some clusters. They used that both times I went to the E.R., but I haven't a clue if it was the Torridol - which is an anti-inflammatory - or the oxygen, or both combined to drop the pain by maybe one point.... it took the nubaine to knock it out. For whatever that's worth.
My mother was bemused to know that dilaudid didn't help much... just made me sick. She said "But Julie, dilaudid is stronger than morphine!"
Yep. your point?
She sighed. *shrugs* Nothing my body does makes sense.
So... new pain doc may be able to get me some NSAIDs I can take. Neuro found a safe source of verapamil, so we're going to try that too - for the miagraines.
He went over some other options for treating clusters if it happens again.... I'm hoping like fuck it doesn't, cause none of those sound a whole lot better than what they're trying to treat.
But I have to admit.... the combo migraine/cluster has recalibrated my pain meter. Changed my definitions completely, so am willing to try damn near anything at this point.
At any rate..... trying to maintain a cautiously optimistic POV.