Re: headaches

[Chris Paus <paus@micoks.net>]

Hi Stasia, et al
I've gotten tons of wonderful advice from everyone regarding my headaches.
Thanks so much. Some of it I can use, some I cannot. Here's why...

I have been diagnosed with BOTH migraines and sinus headaches. What a
double whammy, eh? My doc was thinking I was having a long lasting migraine
last year (3 months) and x-rayed my head and found a pocket of infectino in
a sinus cavity behind the right eye. We've never been able to clear it up
completely iwth antibiotics and I'm due to see a specialist soon. But I
have had migraines off and on since childhood, an inherited thing I think
handed down from my grandfather to my mother to me. 

I do have sensitivity to light and sound when I'm havign a real migraine.
Caffeine is one of my migraine triggers, so taking it doesn't help me, and
I have tachycardia, so have to keep stimulants to a minimum! Ask people
who've seen me get off my horse and lay down in the middle of a ride,
holding my breath to slow down my heart rate...it's not STar's I have to
worry about. Yes, I'm on good drugs for that, which is one reason I have to
be careful what I take for headaches. It's all a drag, this 40 something
thing and I can hardly wait to get off the hormonal roller coaster and get
on with my life!!

I'll take everybody's great advice into consideration. If I'm at a ride and
you see me duck into my tent and not come out, offer me an ice bag for my
head, or some of you packing heat, could just shoot me and put me out of my
misery (just kidding). Usually I get the really zingers at the end of the
ride. I think there is enough adrenalin going in my body to keep me on the
saddle until the ride is over. When I can "let down", the headache comes on
with a vengeance.

ANYWAY, you've all offered wonderful advice, as usual. Thanks.

chris

At 01:36 PM 3/5/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Hi Chris, 
>
>If you have migraines you really need to see a doctor so that he can
>prescribe stuff for you. A true migraine involves sensitivity to light,
>sound. It may include vision changes. Some people, like me, vomit.
>Basically the blood vessels in your brain dilate. 
>
>Drugs that work well for me include caffergot - non narc., vicodin -
>narc. Other people find that the new drug, imuntrex works well for them.
>People often have sensitivity to foods like red wine, aged cheese, and
>chocolate. The list of migraine triggers is about a mile long  - you
>have to figure out your own triggers. 
>
>When a migraine headache  or when you have it, you can try to block the
>headache by using drugs. If you do not have medicine on you can try to
>drink coffee or a cola (caffeine) and some aspirin. The caffeine
>increases the pain killing action of the aspirin and also has a blood
>vessel constricting effect. Do not drink alcohol.  A warm bath in a dark
>room with an ice pack on my neck and one on my head work ok for me. My
>sister, who also gets migraines, finds that a  cold shower works better
>for her. Dark room with an ice pack under your neck and on your forehead
>is standard.
>
>If you get a headache while riding, try to drink plenty of water.
>Dehydration will only make a bad headache worse and can mimic a migraine
>as the symtoms can be similar. I use a camelback on long rides as I find
>that it is the only way that I can get enough water in me. 
>
>A sinus headache will be located in the face area above the eyes and
>near the nose. These can be very painful but generally you won't be
>praying for death as people with migraines have been known to do. Sinus
>medicines such as Sinutab work ok but you should be careful as they are
>dehydrating. I usually start with a homopathic sinus medicine and then
>if that doesn't work I go up to one sinutab. If you have sinus
>headaches, warm moist heat will help. Try a hot, damp washcloth with a
>little bit of peppermint soap on it.
>
>Usually I find that if I am getting a migraine, I have advance notice
>before the headache is really bad. It is like a storm rolling in, I know
>that I have an hour or so before I am in trouble. I  generally take
>medicine and get to cover (a dark room)
> 
>After suffering horrible headaches for years, I also try to recognize
>stress and worry before I get the headache and try to calm down. Whether
>you have a migraine or a sinus headache, being wound up will only make
>it worse. 
>
>Hope this helps, 
>
>Stasia 
>
>
>
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