Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Brain's Own Pain Relievers At Work in Placebo Effect,

Scientific American: Brain's Own Pain Relievers At Work in Placebo Effect, Study Suggests:
Sometimes, just thinking you are receiving treatment is enough to make you feel better, a phenomenon known as the placebo effect. Scientists have long wondered what causes this outcome, the magnitude of which is not the same for all people. A new brain imaging study suggests that the body's natural painkillers, endorphins, play a significant role.

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Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Effexor XR

Well, my physical therapy ended up having the same effect as chiropractic did. It seemed to influence my pain, but unpredictably. At times it seemed to relieve or eliminate both back and head pain. At other times it seemed to trigger or irritate both back and head pain. And on a few occasions it seemed to have no effect whatsoever. Sigh!

VERY FRUSTRATING!

I stopped my daily dosage of Verapamil a week ago. I stopped the physical therapy at the same time, but have used the treadmill a few times. Headaches and back pain have been erratic and I've been using Extra Strength Excedrin and Extra Strength Doan's to get by.

Today I had an appointment with the Neurologist and we discussed the past few months of therapy and drugs. Everything has been inconclusive and I mentioned reading on WebMD about the effects of depression on head and back pain. We decided to give anti-depressants a trial. The Doctor suggested Effexor XR based on his knowledge of side effects and effectiveness in other patients.

The warnings and possible side effects are quite alarming as with most drugs. I think the Fact Sheets have been too much influenced by lawyers to have any actual medical value. I decided to give the Effexor XR a try. The plan is to start with a half dosage (37.5 mg) capsule for a week and then up to normal (75 mg) daily dosage. The XR in the name stands for eXtended Release and will allow me to take one pill daily, rather than three separate doses.

I'm somewhat nervous, but trying to be hopeful.

Time will tell!

Have a PAINFREE Life,

- Frank

Reference Links:
Effexor XR - Effexor Manufacturer's Information
Effexor FAQ - Also from Manufacturer
FDA Effexor Info - Food and Drug Administration Info

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Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Depression: Physical Symptoms

Depression: Physical Symptoms:
Headaches. These are fairly common in people with depression. If you already had migraine headaches, they may become worse if you're depressed.

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Monday, August 08, 2005

Very frustrating

I guess I must acknowledge once again that there seems to be a direct tie between physical exercise and my headaches.  

After my Friday posting, I walked half of my normal treadmill distance, just 1.5 miles.  Within a few hours my neck and head were starting to bother me and my lower back was aching.  I tried ignoring the pains and at 11:45 PM took two Extra Strength Doan's caplets and went to bed.   I slept reasonably well and awoke at 5:00 AM feeling the cracked skull type of pain that usually portends a bad headache.   After pacing, deep breathing, and sitting in my comfortable office chair for a while, I decided that since I was to attend a day long family reunion barbecue, that I'd take a preemptive dose of two (2) Excedrin Extra Strength tablets at 7 AM.  

By 8:00 AM I felt much better and had a fun day with family.  Temperatures hovered right around 100 degrees F for most of the picnic time.  I had mild head pain, but just kept washing my face and neck with ice water and that seemed to work for the duration. 

Fell asleep on the couch Saturday evening, feeling pretty well exhausted from the day of heat.  Mild head and back pain persisted.   At a little past midnight I took two (2) Extra Strength Doan's caplets and went to sleep.  Fitful night of sleep, with either head or back pain waking me repeatedly. 

The pain persisted on Sunday and I tried rubbing, hair-pulling, and various skull "tweaks" with no success.  Decided to try the treadmill again and did another "half" workout of 1.5 miles.  That apparently was a big mistake.   Within another hour, my head was much worse (6 or 7 on a 1 to 10 scale) and I ended up in wall banger mode for quite a long time.   At 4:45 PM I took two Diphedryl tablets, hoping they would cause me to sleep a bit.   I kind of lost track after that, but went through varying stages of head pain, back pain, fitful sleep until around 2 AM.  At that time I took my daily dose of one (1) Verapamil and tried sleeping for a few hours.  At 6 AM, I awoke with the same strong head pain and decided to take two (2) more Excedrin Extra Strength tablets.

Felt very weak, exhausted for most of Monday, but at least had managed to break the head pain.  My back bothered me some, but wearing a lifting belt, seemed to lessen that pain.

It is now about 5:30 PM Monday.   I don't think I'll bother with any treadmill experiments today.  :-(

Will discuss this with the Physical Therapist, it seems that I need a better plan!

Have PAINFREE Life,

 - Frank

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Friday, August 05, 2005

Friday afternoon

I did NOT use the treadmill yesterday - Fear of triggering a headache won out.  :-(

And I had a relatively pain free evening, with just the nagging lower back pain and no headaches.  Went to bed a little past midnight after taking two Extra Strength Doan's caplets and had another good night's sleep. 

When I awoke at 5:45 AM, I felt a tentative headache at first, but after sitting up at my desk for a few moments it cleared.  Just after breakfast, a surprise sneezing fit caught me off guard and that triggered a mild (3 on a 1 to 10 scale) full-cranial headache.  I showered and went for my physical therapy session.

The therapy session completely wiped out the head pain.  Yayyy!

Discussed plans with the therapist and decided that I  need to hit the treadmill now.  We reviewed stretching, warm up and cool down exercises and I headed back home.

I've been using creative procrastination for a few hours, putting off the treadmill for fear of ending up with a headache.  Not sure what to do with this FEAR issue, so it remains a big obstacle.

Hmmm!   I guess I am going to just stop writing and start walking.   My Treadmill awaits...

Wish me Luck and Have a PAINFREE Weekend,

 - Frank

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Thursday, August 04, 2005

I just never know

So my headache continued at a moderate level all through Thursday.  At about 11:45 PM I tried going to sleep, but between headache and burning lower back pain I just kept tossing and turning.   At a little past midnight I got back up, sat at my desk and pondered my options while perusing email and web news.  At about 1 AM, I decided to try the Extra Strength Doan's caplets again and took two (2) with a glass of water.   At 1:15 AM I went back to bed and slept relatively peacefully until almost 6 AM.

It was such a nice surprise to wake up with no head pain!   I had the burning lower back pain, but that seems almost like FUN, compared to the headache pain.

I had breakfast, showered and left for my physical therapy appointment.   The therapist tried to work out the lower back pain, but I left pretty much with the same pain that I walked in with.  It is now almost 1 PM (Friday) and my head still feels fine - not even the "pressure" feeling that has been plaguing me for months.   My back is still bothering me and I will now try some stretching exercises to see if I can soothe the pain.

I also must decide whether or not to hit the treadmill again today.   The fear of stirring up head pain is ever present and I'm not sure I want to gamble.   We'll see!

Have a PAINFREE Life,

 - Frank

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Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Rather Depressing

I must try, really try, NOT to be to optimistic. 

Seems that I screwed up in dealing with my Physical Therapy expectations.

Last night I took two (2) Extra Strength Doan's tablets before going to bed at 11:45 PM.  I actually slept pretty well after a few really short nights of sleep and awoke at 5:15 AM today.  

I felt mildly head achy (maybe a 2 on a 1 to 10 scale), but was looking forward to some time on the treadmill before heading out for my afternoon Physical Therapy session.  I guess this is where I made my mistake.  I had myself pretty well convinced that whatever condition I was in, the therapist would "make me better", as has been the case with my few recent sessions.

My head pain worsened ( ranging 2-5 on the 10 scale), but I tried to ignore it and at 11 AM started my 3 mile treadmill walk.   I actually felt pretty good while walking, or maybe just distracted as I put the television on and watch recorded shows while walking.   After walking I turned on the house Air Conditioning and had a sandwich, yogurt, pretzels, and Diet-Rite Cola for lunch.  After lunch I took a shower and a few minutes later, left the house.

Today's comic relief came as I walked out to the car and "tried" to get into the driver's seat.  As I bent my leg to step into the car, my right calf muscle cramped up.  As I tried to stand back up, my left foot cramped, and it took all of my self-control to avoid falling on the ground.  I hobbled into the still open garage and leaned for a moment and stretched and bent my leg muscles a bit.

My Bride is always reminding me to warm up before, and stretch after, exercise. 
Someday, I just might start remembering to do so. 


I went back to the car and slid the driver's seat all the way back.  I backed in, sitting down first, then swinging my legs in.  Once "in place" all seemed okay and off I went.

Reviewed the past week or so with therapist and then had a normal session.  While it felt good during the session, I was somewhat startled or disappointed when it was over, to notice that my head pain persisted.  

Oh No-o-o-o-o!   I was so cocky and sure just a few hours ago, and now I was walking back outside with my head still throbbing.   I drove home, not sure what to I would do next.  And here I sit typing this, still wondering what I will do next.  Sigh-h-h-h-h! 

This really is quite depressing.  I know, I know!   I keep telling myself that things could be much worse, but I guess a part of me keeps thinking they could also be a little bit better.

I'm scheduled for therapy again tomorrow and Friday, but not really looking forward to just waiting around with the head pain in the interim.   I'm down to just one (1) Verapamil tablet daily and not convinced those are having any effect.  And I am weeks away from the next discussion of other possible medications with my Neurologist.

Time is starting to slow down and these could be some very long days.  Then again, maybe a bolt of lightning will strike and imbue me with super powers (or at least knock out my headaches).  That is one of the bright sides of knowing so little about these attacks,  I can use my imagination to work out a solution - Who could possibly question my theories?   :-)

So that is the situation at around 4 PM Thursday.   Hope to have some surprise happy ending for at least this chapter, if not the whole story when next we meet.

Have a PAINFREE Life,

  - Frank

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Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Neurologist and CA Sunshine

Sigh! I awoke at 2:45 AM with sharp head pains (upper cranial) and sat at my desk reading for a while. By 4:15 AM my head felt better with only the "pressure" feelings, but little or no actual pain. I tried to get back to sleep, but then my lower back was killing me and I twisted and rolled until 5 AM and then got up again. I took two (2) Extra Strength Doan's tablets and went back to bed at 5:30 AM. I slept until about 6:45 AM and then got up and had breakfast.

As I ate, I was feeling quite a bit of nausea, the usual head "pressure", and quite weary. I sort of wrote most of these feelings off, based on the very slight amount of sleep I'd had during the night.

I showered, shaved and dressed for my Neurologist visit and observed while driving to the office that I felt much better. This might be simply a function of the typically beautiful California weather, but I was impressed with the change nonetheless.

I reviewed my past two weeks with the Doctor and we decided to cut back to one (1) Verapamil per day, immediately. I'm to observe results for a couple of weeks and see if the nausea lessens. We also discussed trying the newer Imitrex migraine preventative drugs if no positive results from the Verapamil are indicated. The Doctor is aware that I had no success with this family of drugs several years ago, but the drugs have evolved, my headaches are quite different now, and I couldn't find any record of dosage or frequency from those early days.

We discussed my lack of exercise and he agreed that this might be the root of my recurring lower back pain. I'm going to start tomorrow with three consecutive days of Physical Therapy sessions and will probably do three miles on the treadmill before I go for the first session.

We discussed and agreed that ideally a physical solution would be better than a chemical one, but that drugs without the rebound problems would be better than messing with Excedrin again.

OBSERVATIONS: I noticed, as my Wifey seemed to already expect, that I felt much better within minutes of stepping outside. In addition, I think how good I felt last week while out having lunch with a friend. I'm also aware that I feel exhausted, but that is probably due to the limited amount of actual sleep I've had lately. This sounds like a simple thing to correct, BUT I am still paranoid about getting a bad headache and the feelings of nausea do not encourage activity either.

This is the same old FEAR problem. I think I tend to make myself worse, because I'm expecting the worst. If nothing is happening, I start thinking about it and my imagination takes over. A dangerous loop of negative thinking that seems to really cloud any real physical problems I might have.

I may have to just force myself out into the back yard for an hour or so and build from there.
I'm going to go make a sandwich and sit outside and read for a while.

Have a PAINFREE Life,

- Frank

Reference Links:
Imitrex - Imitrex Brand Information
Sumatriptan - Medline Plus Info on the generic migraine medications
Verapamil - Medline Plus Info on Verapamil
Fear of Headache - ACHE article regarding Coping with the Fear of Pain



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Monday, August 01, 2005

Dad, I'm So Sorry

I've spent a good deal of time over the past few years thinking of my late Dad and Mom. Often I am thankful that we were fortunate enough to be close together as a family during their last years. More importantly, that we talked and got gobs of petty things out of the way. I wish my Dad had not gone through the terrible hospital time at the end and am thankful that Mom seemed to have died peacefully in her sleep.

As much as I miss them, I am glad they "got out" before the embarrassing deterioration of our government over the past few years. It is depressing enough watching what is taking place, but the loss of hope and optimism would have been hard to hide from or share with them.

Now on to PAIN again...

I often find myself apologizing (a bit too late) for doubting many of the things my Dad tried to tell me. The passage of time has shown me the accuracy of most of his "people" assessments, but that is probably best left for another story (or book).

The specific things that I most regret being too naive or just plain dense to understand, were my Dad's bouts of PAIN. He worked physically all through his life, and had recurring back problems that incapacitated him at times. I cringe now, thinking of how I thought he was exaggerating and how I would make jokes as he hobbled around the house, bent over with back pain. I'd tease him for being a "wimp" or "getting old" and thought I was being pretty funny. Amazing to me now, was remembering how he tried to laugh with me and make light of his condition. Part of my attitude, I think developed because my Dad hated and distrusted Doctors, wanted nothing to do with prescription drugs, nor illegal drugs for that matter.
His total medicinal plan consisted of Alka-Seltzer Tablets, coffee, and a constant Camel cigarette between his lips. I think I assumed, having NO personal experience myself, that if he was really feeling bad, he would "just" go to the doctor and get things taken care of.

Like I said - I was naive! Maybe ignorant was a better word for me.

When I'm on the floor, writhing in pain, and my lower back feels like someone is driving white-hot nails into my spine, I often reach a point of almost surreal peace. With tears in my eyes from the pain, I find myself laughing inside and thinking: Ahhh! Now I get it, Dad!

Another interesting observation: As much as I might feel that I deserve this pain, as payback from my Dad - I never once sensed that he wished me anything but good health.

So armed with these thoughts of my Dad, and the sense of humor acquired from my Mom, I find myself typing this on the 1st day of August, 2005. While things have not gone particularly well pain wise for the past few days, I still manage to rationalize that it could in fact be much worse.

Since last posting on Friday, I've had a constant variety of pains and weird feelings. The "Pressure" in my head is constant, but the level of discomfort varies. I have not figured out any cause/effect/solution and so I just try to grin and bear it. It is better than a bad head or back ache.

Unfortunately, headache has been pretty steady as well. The intensity ranges from mild to bad (say 2 to 7 on a scale of 1 to 10), but has been mixed with nausea, stomach pains, and lower back pain that has had the same range of intensity.

My last Excedrin was on Thursday morning, and I've been continuing the daily Verapamil with no positive indications whatsoever. Yesterday (Sunday), I took two (2) Extra Strength Doans tablets in early morning and again just before going to bed. I think that helped somewhat with the back pain.

Today, I awoke at 4 AM with sharp headaches and sharper lower back pain. After sitting up for 45 minutes, I felt a bit better and I went back to bed and slept until about 6:30 AM. At breakfast I was aware of sharp, shooting, electric like pains throughout my lower spinal area. Since around 8 AM, I've been wearing a back support belt and that seems to ease the back pain quite a bit.

Not sure if my words describe it clearly, but things have been all over the place, pain wise, for most of the past several days. I'm really not sure what is next, but am scheduled with the neurologist tomorrow morning. I hope he and I can come up with some better plan of action, because the current situation is NOT GOOD.

I'm also looking forward to physical therapy on Wednesday with some guarded optimism.

Remember to keep your Sense of Humor!

Have a PAINFREE Life,

- Frank

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