So I figured I'd give a little update on the migraine situation. And after this weekend I'll get to posting about everything else that has been going on.
I went back to the neurologist a few weeks ago for a follow-up appointment. The blood pressure medicine I was on was not helping my migraines at all really. And I was having to use my nasal spray way too often because I was still getting sick so often.
Sooooooooo...he gave me something called Amitriptyline (brand name: Elavil) to try instead. It's an anti-anxiety medicine, so we figured it would help with my anxiety/stress related headaches and help to relieve all the tension I have in my neck and shoulders from stress. It also makes you very drowsy so we also figured it would help me get more than 4 hours of sleep tonight, which was another major reason for the migraines. (I'm also taking melatonin nightly for the sleep issue.) I've been on it for 3 1/2 weeks now and it has been AMAZING. I'm down to one headache a week. I also don't have any pain in my shoulders or neck anymore. I used to clench my jaw (which was doing very bad things to my teeth) because of stress/anxiety and that has stopped. Plus, I've slept all the way through every single night since I've been on this and the melatonin.
I'm pretty sure I've finally found something that really, truly helps. Along with no longer drinking caffiene. My body feels better. I feel more awake. I sleep normal hours. I have energy throughout the day. I'm learning how to better manage the headaches I do have and not let my migraines dictate my life and keep me from doing things I want and need to do.
If any of y'all suffer from migraines as well and haven't gone to see a neurologist (or migraine specialist, if you can find one) I highly recommend that you do so. There is no reason for you to have these headaches keep you from living your life. None at all.
1 comment:
i'm so glad you're writing about this and telling us what it's like and what works/doesn't work for you!! one of the reasons i feel bad "complaining" (aka TALKING!) about the pain of migraines is because i wrote about it on my blog once a couple of years ago, and a few weeks later, a supposedly "good" friend said some really nasty things to me basically chastising me for being such a whiner! i wasn't confident enough in myself at the time to know better than to feel ashamed, so for the longest time i didn't tell people i had these horrible headaches and i deleted that post on my blog. ugh. (now i secretly hope she gets migraines really bad in her future... but i didn't really say that. ha)
anyway, glad some medicines are working for you and i'm excited to have an appointment with a doctor later this month :]
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