FrankPain

FDA: Mixing migraine, depression meds risky - Yahoo! News

2006-07-20T05:21:00.000-07:00

"People taking migraine drugs together with some antidepressants are at risk of a life-threatening condition, health officials warned Wednesday."

Improve Sleep Habits to Cut Migraines

2006-07-05T00:12:00.000-07:00

"Pay attention to your sleeping habits and you'll lessen the odds and intensity of migraine, say researchers."

FOXNews.com - Newly Developed Magnetic Device Zaps Migraines Before They Start - Science News | Current Articles

2006-06-22T16:17:00.000-07:00

"The TMS generates a strong, one-millisecond magnetic pulse that interrupts the symptoms leading up to a migraine, called the 'aura' phase."

Not really NEW, but new to FOXNews?
- Frank

Blood pressure drug may ward off migraine - Yahoo! News

2006-04-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

Treatment with the blood pressure drug olmesartan (sold as Benicar) effectively prevents migraine in patients with high blood pressure (hypertension) or pre-hypertension, a study hints.

Science Spots New Cause of Chronic Pain - Yahoo! News

2006-01-25T12:42:00.000-08:00

In a finding that could alter pain treatment, British scientists have found that undamaged nerve fibers, not injured ones, cause ongoing spontaneous pain.

Accidental Acetaminophen Poisonings Rise - Yahoo! News

2005-12-26T12:15:00.000-08:00

Think popping extra pain pills can't hurt? Think again: Accidental poisonings from the nation's most popular pain reliever seem to be rising, making acetaminophen the leading cause of acute liver failure.

George Clooney considered killing himself - MSNBC.com

2005-10-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

“There was this scene where I was taped to a chair and getting beaten up and we did quite a few takes. The chair was kicked over and I hit my head,” Clooney said in an interview on National Public Radio. “I tore my dura, which is the wrap around my spine which holds in spinal fluid.” Clooney says part of the problem was that he’d put on weight for the role.

I've been exploring the dura myself in my quest for solutions to chronic pain.

- Frank

Finally an Update

2005-10-12T01:51:00.000-07:00

After several weeks of taking Effexor XR I returned to the Neurologist. I informed him that I had seen no positive results from the Effexor and had observed some possible slight vision blurring and changes in sexual function. We discussed and decided that I should stop taking them, since my headaches persisted.

I then shared with him an article my wife had found in the New York Times regarding a headache sufferer who had been having recurring headaches that seemed to be triggered and/or made worse by bending over (he gave the example of bending to tee up a golf ball). The article described the typical frustration of various unsuccessful attempts to resolve the problem.   At some point he met with a neurosurgeon who, based on a description of symptoms, claimed to "know" what was causing his problem.   She told him he had a spinal-fluid leak and referred him to an "interventional neuroradiologist" to find and fix the problem.

After some discussion with my Neurologist, we decided to go ahead with the same testing. This would involve injecting a tracer into my spinal fluid and a series of scans to look for spinal-fluid leaks. I was told that the test would be scheduled at a local hospital and they would call to schedule my testing. I left feeling a bit optimistic that we were at least trying to find a cause for my pain, rather than chemically fighting the pain.

That evening, in reviewing things with my wife, I realized that for several days I had been sleeping through the night and NOT awaking with my typical head and/or neck pain. Just the fact that I was not waking at 3 or 4 AM each morning was a pleasant observation. I decided to continue the Effexor XR and confirmed with the Neurologist after explaining my new observations.

A week or so later I was scheduled for testing and spent all day Monday and half of Tuesday at the hospital.   The creepiest part of the process was having radioactive Iridium injected into my spinal-fluid.   This was done at the base of the spine. It was a painless procedure, but fraught with potential risks due to proximity of nerves and the spine itself. After the injection, I was kept flat and moved via gurney to the Nuclear Medicine Department for scanning.   Scans were done then I was "parked" to remain flat for a few hours, then returned for scans after 6 hours and again the next morning. The scans were done on a GE Infinia Hawkeye nuclear imaging system, which I believe uses a gamma camera to collect gamma rays emitted from within me to create images. The process is called SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography).

The scans were completed yesterday (Tuesday) and now I await the analysis.

A final note. Due to continuing daily headaches, I have again started taking two Extra Strength Excedrin tablets almost daily. The Excedrin and Effexor XR have me in a mostly acceptable mode. I've averaged maybe one "bad" headache day per week and as mentioned above - get a good night's sleep daily.   I also realize that I must deal with the rebound headache potential because of such frequent Excedrin usage. One step at a time!

Have a PAINFREE Life,

- Frank

Reference Links:
SPECT - Introduction to SPECT

Reuters AlertNet - U.S. device makers vie in pain treatment market

2005-09-09T05:55:00.000-07:00

Reuters AlertNet - U.S. device makers vie in pain treatment market:
The devices, about the size of a pager, are typically implanted in the abdomen or buttocks and block the sensation of pain by sending electricity via an insulated wire to the spinal cord.

Headache? Try some olive oil... | This is London

2005-09-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

Headache? Try some olive oil... | This is London:
A study suggests the oil can prevent inflammation in the same way as common headache pills. In doing so, it helps stave off long-term health problems such as cancer and heart disease.

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

2005-08-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

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.

Effexor XR

2005-08-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

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

Depression: Physical Symptoms

2005-08-16T14:30:00.000-07:00

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.

Very frustrating

2005-08-08T17:41:00.000-07:00

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

Friday afternoon

2005-08-05T13:38:00.000-07:00

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

I just never know

2005-08-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

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

Rather Depressing

2005-08-03T15:57:00.000-07:00

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

Neurologist and CA Sunshine

2005-08-02T11:40:00.000-07:00

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

Dad, I'm So Sorry

2005-08-01T14:08:00.000-07:00

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

Grumble, grumble, grumble...

2005-07-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

It is now Friday afternoon (July 29, 2005) and I've had a strange few days.

I took the last of my Prednisone on Wednesday morning, and have been continuing with two (2) Verapamil daily.

I got through Wednesday in pretty good shape. No real head pain, but the steady "Pressure" feeling in my head persisted. It seems almost silly to mention this, but I did cut the back lawn and did some light weeding during the afternoon. This is, as opposed to just sitting at my desk or on the couch.

Later that day, I mentioned to my Bride, that I am sort of filled with trepidation and wondering what is coming next. I've really done nothing any different other than the Verapamil and have no real confidence that it will work any better than previous drug prescriptions. Cynical, Yes!

I awoke with a start at 3 AM Thursday, feeling the familiar sharp head pains, both full cranial and stabbing in left eye. I sat at the desk for a while in frustration... ...thinking - no more Prednisone?, slept in a bad position?, cutting the lawn?, something I ate?, weather?, too much sleep?, too little sleep?, etc...

...Nah, nah, nah, to all of these guesses. I don't know! Heck, no one seems to have any more than a guess as to what causes these attacks.

I spent the next few hours rubbing, twisting and beating my scalp, head and neck. Tried pulling firmly on hair, used tennis balls to work the spine and neck as taught in Physical Therapy. No obvious effect,except for lots of loose hairs all over me. TRIED to keep calm!

At 6:45 AM, I decided to try two (2) Excedrin Extra Strength tablets - It had been a full week since I took any of these. Within about 30 minutes I felt a little better, but that was it for the day. The head pain persisted, along with mixed hunger and nausea, tiredness to the point of feeling exhaustion, but I was unable to sleep when I tried. I sort of took it easy all day, kept busy, forcing myself to eat/snack at times.

Sort of new territory here now. I haven't quite found good words to describe the feelings of pain and discomfort, but they are different than anything I can remember. Not worse, just different. I'll try to explain by saying that my head feels like an overfilled balloon. I keep reaching for my face/head thinking it must feel puffy, but it doesn't. Eating is even stranger as I feel starved and hungry, but with a bit of nausea at the same time. I feel somewhat disoriented as I take a shower and/or move around the house and am wondering if this is related to the fact that I've been doing absolutely nothing physical.

Felt restless, and even late at night the pressure feeling continued. Slept fitfully, feeling bloated, and depressed by all of this crap. Woke up a few times feeling achy, but stayed in bed until about 5 AM Friday. Got up feeling headachy, tired, bloated... ...NOT GOOD, sums it up.

Ate breakfast despite nausea and had no problem keeping food down. Tried to ignore pain (which is mild - maybe 3 on a 1 to 10 scale) and pressure and worked on web stuff. Which brings me to now.

My guess at the moment is that I'm starting to feel the effects of not exercising. Might be some side effects from Prednisone and Verapamil causing the weird pressure feelings. I am scheduled with the Neurologist early next week and three days in a row of Physical Therapy later in the week. Hopefully some new ideas and better feelings will be forthcoming.

My one grasp at optimism at the moment, is that it could always be much worse.

I received an email a few days ago informing me that Bill C., a high school classmate, was diagnosed with Lung and Liver Cancer last week. I think of Bill's smile and sense of Humor, and forget my minor quirks pretty quickly as I wish him my best.

Let's all wish him our best!

Have a Great Weekend and have a PAINFREE Life,

- Frank

Not bad at all, But...

2005-07-27T02:03:00.000-07:00

It is past two AM Wednesday (27 July, 2005) and I've had a very nice past few days. I've had some minor lower back pain, likely due to my deliberate period of NO exercise. But I am so thankful to say, that I've not had a headache for almost a week.

I've been taking my Verapamil daily and am down to one (1) Prednisone tablet which I will take with breakfast, and a full week from my last Excedrin tablet. :-)

The "pressure" feeling in my head that I've described as being almost constant, is either gone or replaced by a variant. Not sure exactly how to describe it, but I've been feeling more like my head and face are puffy or bloated (that is a feeling, not a look). This varies a bit from the normal "pressure" which feels like my head is pinched with tongs. I'm guessing that this is a side effect of the Prednisone, but do not know for sure. Will be interesting to see if it clears as I get away from the Prednisone.

I've been reading about and thinking about the FEAR issues that I discussed in my last posting. There may have been a lot more to this than I've ever recognized before. I've noticed that when my Bride or anyone asks me if I have a headache, that there is a brief bit of panic as I try to decide the answer. More strange sounding stuff I guess, but it is like I'm not really sure. I'm trying to pay more attention to this as this panic/fear/dread feeling seems to be yet another trigger for my actual headaches.

So all in all, things have been quite nice. Have been out to dinner and lunch a few times, been sleeping pretty well, eating too well, and putting on a few pounds. Part of the plan with my Neurologist was to not exercise, at least not until I get out of the Excedrin rebound cycle. I will be working with the Physical Therapist more to figure out how to start getting some exercise while avoiding triggering more headaches.

For a bit of missing background info: As recently as November of 2005 I had figured out that if I did nothing physical (basically sit around, read, TV watch, eat, and sleep) that I could go for days with no headaches and without taking any Excedrin or other pain killers. I rather amateurishly tested this theory a few times by idling for 4 or 5 days then walking three miles on the treadmill. Within a few hours of walking, my head would be throbbing.

Out of frustration in January 2005, and at other times over the past few years, I decided the exercise was worth the risk of using Excedrin to knock out the headaches. This cycle only worked for short durations before really screwing me up with rebound pain. So I would walk, take two Excedrin, repeat... ...EVERY DAY!

Even with this, I would at times have an even worse day with headaches that wouldn't go away, neck pain, lower back pain, the works. In February I got to taking the Excedrin more frequently, maybe 4 to 6 tablets a day and during one of these periods became distracted by a roaring machinery like sound filling my head. Also noticed that sounds were muddled and reverberating and lots of buzzing or whistling mixed with TV sound. Ugh! It seems that Tinnitus is one of the side effects of too much Excedrin. FRANKFACT

I backed off to no more than two tablets per day and the Tinnitus went a way. Also repeated this cycle a couple of times just out of curiosity. Each time I upped my Excedrin intake to more than 4 tablets per day, within a day the Tinnitus would flare up. Fascinating, creepy, and always quite interesting to find out more about myself.

The hope now is to figure out a way to get the exercise that I need without bringing on headaches or other problems.

I'm sort of cautiously optimistic.

Thanks for Reading.

Have a PAINFREE Life,

- Frank

Reference Links:
Medline Plus: Tinnitus - National Institute of Health Tinnitus info
American Tinnitus Association - Some Info on Tinnitus
Mayo Clinic: Tinnitus - Some Mayo Clinic Tinnitus Info

Walking on Eggshells

2005-07-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

Today I'll attempt to describe a rather strange mode that living with chronic pain, especially headaches, has me operating in.

Over the years I've noted that most of my worst headaches are the ones I wake up with, strangely the absolute worst are after a good night of sleep. This fear or expectation, especially after one of my REALLY BAD days has me walking on eggshells and afraid of unknowingly doing whatever it is that might trigger another attack.

The net result is that a nervousness sets in late at night, and I start reading, writing, blogging, creatively avoiding going to bed, out of fear of waking again with a cracking skull or stabbing eye pain. Eventually, just plain weariness wins out and I head off to bed. Fortunately, I've rarely had problems with dropping off to sleep.

The next common event is awaking in a panic, often after just three or four hours of sleep. I often catch myself lurching upward thinking that I have a headache. Often I do, but quite strangely, many times I have to sort of catch myself and "think" about it. "Do I have a headache?" or "Does my head hurt?" are questions that I often start reviewing and it is quite a confusing internal dialog at times. Often it takes me ten or so minutes, during which time I might walk about the house and have a drink of water, to realize that "No, I don't actually have a headache". Like I said, Quite Strange!

The other component of this ghostlike confusion about headaches is the almost constant "pressure" feeling, even when I don't have an actual headache. I've long described it as feeling like my head is being held by pincers or ice tongs. This is more distracting than painful, but contributes to the constant fear that plagues me as I often feel like I'm about to have a headache.

Getting to my current status:
Since my previous posting for my Physical Therapy this past Thursday (07/21/2005), I've actually been feeling pretty good. I had the "clear" head for several hours after the therapy again, followed by the above mentioned "pressure" feelings. I had an almost normal day, went to bed near midnight, woke Friday with the panic feeling. A bit of relaxing and thinking it out and I realized that I did NOT have a headache (This still sounds so strange), just the pressure feelings. During the late morning I took a few moments and used the tennis ball therapy on my upper neck/lower skull for just a few moments and felt pretty good for the rest of the day.

Went through last evening, had the fear issues late at night and didn't stop reading/writing and go to sleep until 1:30 AM. Seemed to sleep well and awoke around 6 AM with the tentative fear again. Thought it out and seemed to be fine. That brings me to now (almost 11 AM) and I'm just trying to keep busy. Only the head pressure, but no real pain. I could really get used to this. :-)

I'm in my third of seven days of taking Prednisone and NOT taking Excedrin, and also taking my daily Verapamil.

This is the real "walking on eggshells" situation: Am I feeling good now because of prescription drugs, absence of over-the-counter drugs, physical therapy, diet, weather, phases of the moon, proper blogging technique, the lifelong randomness of my chronic pain...

...I DON'T HAVE A CLUE!

And that is the part that I try not to think about, because it is both depressing and terrifying to me.

So I will try to just keep on, keep busy, and see what is next.

In many ways I've come to envy people who get bored. :-)

Take Care!

Have a PAINFREE LIFE,

- Frank

Reference Links:
ClichéSite.com - Clichés, Euphemisms & Figures of Speech
The Stress Connection - ACHE article discussing the influence of Fear on headaches
Coping with Fear of Pain - Another ACHE article on Fear/Headache ties

Let's Talk about Physical Therapy

2005-07-21T23:36:00.000-07:00

Recovered somewhat from yesterday's pain and went for a scheduled appointment with the Physical Therapist. When I mentioned my bout with pain, I was told that I should call in such cases and more than likely could have come in to see if treatment might help. I will certainly consider that in the future.

I don't think I've described this therapy, other than its positive effect on me during my first few visits. By name it is called CranialSacral Therapy and is defined by the International Alliance of Healthcare Educators as:

CST is a gentle, hands-on method of evaluating and enhancing the functioning of a physiological body system called the craniosacral system - comprised of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord.

Using a soft touch generally no greater than 5 grams, or about the weight of a nickel, practitioners release restrictions in the craniosacral system to improve the functioning of the central nervous system.

By complementing the body's natural healing processes, CST is increasingly used as a preventive health measure for its ability to bolster resistance to disease, and is effective for a wide range of medical problems associated with pain and dysfunction, including:

Migraine Headaches

Chronic Neck and Back Pain

Motor-Coordination Impairments

Colic

Autism

Central Nervous System Disorders

Orthopedic Problems

Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries

Scoliosis

Infantile Disorders

Learning Disabilities

Chronic Fatigue

Emotional Difficulties

Stress and Tension-Related Problems

Fibromyalgia and other Connective-Tissue Disorders

Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ)

Neurovascular or Immune Disorders

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-Surgical Dysfunction

Quite a pageful I guess, but the only prior treatments of any kind (physical or chemical) that have had any effect on my pain have been acupuncture, chiropractic, and now CranialSacral Therapy. Most prescription pain killers actually caused increased pain and vomiting and I'm now suspicious of anything codeine based and especially generic versions of things like Vicodin. It is quite frightening to take a "strong" pain killer while feeling disabled by pain and within an hour - feeling much worse with vomiting and moaning and thrashing around the floor trying to get away from my own pain. But I digress...

The Therapist and I discussed my past experience with Acupuncture and how often it can be complementary to this CST treatment. I had been treated with Traditional Chinese Medicine and my Therapist suggested that I might want to try Five Element Acupuncture. We will probably pursue this if a likely good practitioner is found.

Due to vacation, the Therapist will be off next week and I am hoping to get through any Excedrin withdrawal and rebound issues before my next visit. We've also agreed to schedule three (3) days in a row of sessions, to see if I can extend and maintain the good "clear" feelings I've had after each session so far.

I'm nervous about the next week, but still a bit optimistic as I'm learning more about the things going on inside me.

Good Night and Have a PAINFREE Life,

- Frank

Reference Links:
CranialSacral Therapy - The full page that I excerpted above
CranialSacral Therapy - Another description
Five Element Acupuncture - A brief description
Acupuncture - Short definition
Acupuncture - Longer definition

A REALLY BAD Day

2005-07-20T23:35:00.000-07:00

Guess I got too optimistic for my own good yesterday. The single Excedrin tablet that I took yesterday at 1 PM seemed to clear my head pain quite nicely and I was fine when I went to bed at around 11:30 PM Tuesday.

This morning I awoke at 4:15 AM with a skull cracking full cranial headache, extremely painful neck pain, and sharp pains in my lower back. I sat at my desk and tried to read for distraction and realized that I'm now supposed to forego Excedrin and should be starting my week of Prednisone at breakfast. I only lasted about half an hour and decided to try sleeping again. It was a fitful attempt and at 6 AM I got up, grabbed my Prednisone vial and headed for the kitchen. I drank a full glass of water, ate a chunk of French bread and washed down 3 pills with more water. I went back to my office desk and waited...
...and waited, but the head pain worsened, nausea moved in, and from about 7:45 AM until almost 8 PM I alternated between sitting on a footstool in the bathroom (nausea standby) while rubbing and bouncing my head against the wall and lying in bed and rubbing and squeezing my head with both hands. I'm not sure if the neck and lower back pain lessened or just seemed insignificant compared to the head pain. I did try the tennis ball therapy on both my neck and along my spine, but could not sense any effect one way or another,

This was the first time in many months that I had this kind of pain. It is the type of attack that had allowed me to rationalize that taking excessive Excedrin was worth the rebound risk back in March. I'm not sure if this was already rebound or withdrawal pain, but it certainly was much sharper and constant than any recent bouts of headache have been.

I'll remind myself again that this pain started "before" I took the Prednisone. The Prednisone didn't seem to have any effect, unless I suppose - it could have been much worse without it. Who knows?

This long duration of pain was pretty much evenly spread through the upper front part of my skull. And the rubbing, banging, and other physical contact with my head seemed to only distract me as I was making contact. In other words, it didn't appear to lessen the pain, just kept from noticing it as much. My skin would get a bit red and raw from all the beating and it is actually a bit sore to the touch now as the headache itself has dissipated.

I tried a few times during the day to drink water, but would gag and the nausea kept me from drinking or eating until about 8 PM. At that time I took three (3) more Prednisone and my daily two (2) Verapamil with a glass of water and a handful of pretzels. Around 11 PM I had some bread, cheese, and sliced turkey breast with a can of Diet-Rite Cola and am now writing this entry.

There were random bouts of runny nose and one of sneezing. The one time when I almost vomited, I felt such intensely sharp head pain at the first "retch" that it overpowered the nausea for a moment or two. In retrospect, the pain was so intense that I would have preferred vomiting.

I feel much better now. Extremely weak and tired, but so relieved that the pain has stopped.

I am also filled with DREAD at the thought of going to sleep again, wondering in what pain state I will find myself in the morning. I've pondered just staying awake for the rest of my life, but get tired just thinking about it. :-)

Tomorrow I have another appointment with the Physical Therapist. I am trying to look forward to that, but all of this pain gets rather depressing.

Good Night for now and Have a PAINFREE Life,

- Frank

I'm a Healthy Person with Headaches!

2005-07-19T15:30:00.000-07:00

Had a morning appointment with the Neurologist today and was quite amused, as we walked to the appointment desk after my visit, to find him reciting the appropriate lines from the Dry Bones (or Skeleton Bones) song. You probably know the one I mean - here are a few lines:

Oh those bones, oh those bones,
oh those skeleton bones....

... and the back bone connected
to the neck bone,
and the neck bone connected
to the head bone,
Oh mercy how they scare!

We both laughed at the realization that the neck bone "really" is connected to the head bone, etc.

Anyway, during the visit we discussed my physical therapy and I mentioned that it was interesting to learn about the interaction of the various parts of my body, even if there has been no immediate headache relief.   I mentioned that I had started to reduce the frequency of taking Excedrin Extra Strength and asked if the Calcium Channel Blockers would offset any possible rebound headaches. As I probably expected, the answer was "No!"   The Doctor explained that the blocker prescription was primarily an attempt to cutoff the triggering of my recurring headaches, and that I would have to wean myself from the Excedrin before we can really evaluate other treatments and their effects.   He was pleased that I had started to cut back and prescribed Prednisone as a possible aid in dealing with (or reducing) withdrawal headache pain.   These pills are to be taken over an eight (8) day period in declining dosages.

I asked about the need for a full spine MRI or X-ray and the Doctor explained that he would normally only request that if we were planning surgery. He said my symptoms and overall general good health, really did NOT indicate a need for the MRI or surgery. He did say that he would be glad to order one for me, if I felt that I wanted to have one done. We sort of left the option open for the future, but based on his explanation I saw no need to do so now.

The Doctor also performed various coordination and reflex tests and checked blood pressure and pulse as well as my eyes for any symptoms of trouble.   Moving my finger tip from his finger to my nose, walking a straight line, various reaching and "hammer" reflex checks all indicated my normal condition.   I guess he sensed my probable frustration that there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with me, because he then smiled gently and stated: "You're a healthy person with headaches."     I may need to print and post that reminder of how relatively fortunate I am, compared to the large possible range of much worse maladies and afflictions I could have.

On the way home I picked up my prescription and will start it tomorrow. My head and neck have been throbbing and getting worse all day. At around 1 PM I took what may be my last Extra Strength Excedrin for a while, turned on the Air Conditioning and started writing this note.   I'm already feeling a bit better, but recognize the futility of the whole Excedrin cycle.

Have a PAINFREE Day,

- Frank

Reference Links:
Skeleton Bones - Words of this ditty
Prednisone - Medline Plus info page

Physical Therapy does it again

2005-07-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

I had taken a single (1) Excedrin Extra Strength tablet Sunday night (11:30 PM - July 17, 2005) and awoke Monday with a mild headache. I was scheduled for Physical Therapy at 8:30 AM and decided to not take anything until after my appointment.

The focus of the therapy was my neck and head this time and after a 30 minute session my head felt clear again. This was a joyous feeling for me, though I try to temper my excitement with cynicism, just in case! :-)

At the end of session, the Therapist suggested that I use the tennis balls at the base of my skull when I feel headache pain. She advised me to lie down and place the balls together under my head, just above the hollow at the back of the neck. Two to five minutes per treatment was advised, as an attempt to duplicate the seeming success of my first Physical Therapy session.

Actually got through Monday with little pain and it was evening before the "pressure" feeling returned. Went to bed at 11:30 PM without taking Excedrin. Did take my daily Verapamil at 7:30 PM.

I woke up at 4:15 AM Tuesday with mild headache and some neck pain. Sat at desk for about an hour and returned to bed for another hour without taking anything for pain.

Got up at 6:30 AM feeling worse in both neck and head. After breakfast I tried lying on the floor with the tennis balls under my head for five minutes, but with no apparent change. Frustrated, I read for a while and then left at 9 AM for a Neurologist appointment.

Will continue in next posting when I return.

Have a PAINFREE Day,

- Frank

A few Not So Bad days

2005-07-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

Felt pretty good for most of Friday (July 15, 2005). Had started the day with an early morning headache but managed to kick it by taking two (2) Excedrin Extra Strength tablets shortly after waking.

Managed to keep busy reading and studying and despite 100 degree F weather, mowed, trimmed, and watered the back yard around noon. Turned on the AC and had a productive afternoon. Had a nice dinner, took my daily two (2) Verapamil at 7:45 PM and watched Be Cool on television at night.

Had a good night's sleep, woke with more typical neck and head pain. Took a single (1) Excedrin at 8:30 AM and was moderately good all day. The steady, "ice-tong" type of pressure was continuous, but this is more distracting than painful and I would be glad to settle for this as my worst type of day. :-)

By Saturday evening the pain was a bit stronger and at 8 PM I took one (1) Excedrin along with my daily two (2) Verapamil. Uneventful evening with TV and chat and went to bed a little past midnight.

Woke 4:30 Am Sunday with sharp head and neck pain. Tried sitting up for a while, but really feeling tired. Decided to go back to bed at 5 AM and slept fitfully, while rubbing my head and pressing with fingers in my left eye socket. Slept for a few more hours and got up feeling even worse. Took two (2) Excedrin at 8:30 AM, ignored nausea and had breakfast (toast and cereal) around 9 AM.

It is now 11:30 AM and I feel somewhat better. Back to just the pressure feeling in/on head, but pain has dissipated.

Feelings of frustration prevail. I'm glad the pain is gone, but disheartened about having used the Excedrin yet again. I'm assuming my problem is rebound headache related, but don't really have the stomach to just deal with the pain of withdrawal. If I had some feeling of confidence that the Verapamil or anything else might stop the pain, this would be a much easier action.

Tomorrow I have a Physical Therapy appointment and Tuesday one with the Neurologist. Some more discussion may help determine my next course of action.

Have a PAIN FREE Day,

- Frank

Reference Links:
Excedrin - The Bristol-Myers Squib - Headache Resource Site
"rebound headache" - A Special to CNN article from the Mayo Clinic
Movie Info - The Internet Movie Database

Buy the "Be Cool" DVD at Amazon.com

One Good Day

2005-07-15T05:33:00.000-07:00

Actually had a whole day with no major PAIN and only slight traces of the pressure or squeezed feelings in my head. I may not have described this in this blog, but for the past few years (at least two), even when I don't have an actual headache, I almost always have a feeling that my head is being held in a pair of ice tongs or pincers. My recent learning about the function of the dura mater certainly could explain this feeling. And the thorough "working" of the spine by the Physical Therapist yesterday might explain the pleasant absence of this feeling for most of yesterday.

Anyway, as I was saying, I had an almost normal day and did some productive reading and work on various projects. By late last evening the pressure had returned and by 11:30 PM some headache had returned. I took a single Excedrin Extra Strength tablet at that time and went to bed.

I awoke at 4:30 AM (a long night of sleep by my standards), with a painful knot of cramped muscles in my right calf. I leapt out of bed and paced around the house until this loosened up and realized that I had a severe upper cranial headache. I took two (2) more Excedrin tablets at 4:45 AM and hope that will knock out the pain as I write this. My Google research on leg cramps, indicates that I may need to stretch and exercise a bit to lessen this problem.

It is now 5:30 AM and the Excedrin has kicked in and I feel a bit better - back to just head pressure, but the pain has dissipated. I'm already regretting having used the Excedrin again, but hope I can sneak another portion of a day with minimal pain.

A glance at the daily news almost always makes me appreciate the trivial nature of my head and other pains.

Have a PAIN FREE day,

- Frank

Reference Links:

"dura mater" - A simple dictionary definition
"nocturnal leg cramps" - A Google find that discusses this issue

Whew! More hours lost, but feeling fine today

2005-07-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

My headaches yesterday followed their typical pattern and coupled with nausea, kept me pretty much out of commission for the day.

The pain came in waves and varied from sharp (stabbing) pain behind my left eye ( FRANKNOTE: Typo yesterday erroneously stated right eye. ) to an all over the top of skull kind of searing feeling. I would just rub or lightly bounce my head against a door jamb as this seems to distract me from the intensity of the pain.

Someone forwarded me this animation, which pretty accurately illustrates my distraction technique:
Looks painful now, but actually felt good compared to the head pain.

Fortunately I was able to use air conditioning as the outside temperatures reached 100 Degrees F. The heat can make even my more minor headaches seem much worse.

With the nausea, I was in no mood for eating for most of the day. Around 6 PM, I took two (2) more Excedrin Extra Strength tablets and started to feel a bit better by 6:30 PM. Took a shower and had a light dinner at that time and at 8:30 PM took my daily dose of two (2) Verapamil tablets. Felt progressively better through the evening and went to bed around 1 AM. Laid there feeling pangs of hunger and got back up and had a big bowl of cereal, with blueberries, a Diet-Rite cola, and some saltine crackers. Slept pretty well until about 6:15 AM except for a few bouts of cramps in my feet.

Normal breakfast with my beautiful bride, Marilyn, and off to Physical Therapy appointment at 9 AM.

The Therapist commented as she examined my back, that it felt like things had loosened up relative to my Monday visit. We assumed this is the result of my periodic use of the tennis ball treatment. The therapist worked my spine, neck, and skull a bit more thoroughly than my first visit. It felt very good. I also observed that some of the techniques she is using, very closely mirror my own attempts at relieving various head and neck pains.

I felt really good as I left and as noon approaches, I am realizing that I'm feeling better than I've felt in a long time. Hopefully this will persist for more than the few hours I've already enjoyed. Oops, guess I need to suppress my normal cynicism and just ENJOY the day.

Have a PAIN FREE Day,

- Frank

Please Click and enjoy an amusing link or two:
Van Gogh - Starry Night - An interesting photomosaic of a famous painting.
AndreaMosaic - The freeware used to create the previous photomosaic.
Google Zeitgeist - Interesting site showing "patterns, trends, and surprises" of Google user searches.

Sure would like the PAIN to stop

2005-07-13T12:13:00.000-07:00

Same old, same old...

...awoke at 2:30 AM today with the creepy feeling of an oncoming wallbanger of a headache.

I took a single Excedrin Extra Strength tablet and tried reading news and working on some web projects. By 5:30 AM I was feeling much worse and took a 2nd Excedrin. Pain has continued across most of my upper head and now comes the familiar stabbing pain behind my right eye. Sheesh! I hate this!

I tried manipulation of the areas around the spine (See tennis ball note on 07/11/05), but not really sure if this is helping or making things worse. Didn't have much appetite and only had toast for breakfast as pain and nausea have taken over. As noon passes the pain seems deeper and sharper and nausea is quite strong. Kept myself busy with troubleshooting Blogger and various email and spam problems.

I should mention that last night I doubled my dosage of Verapamil to two (2) 120 MG tablets daily. I only started a week ago with a single tablet daily to watch for side effects. I've still been taking a single Excedrin daily. Internet search suggests that if the Verapamil works at all for headaches, it may take a couple of weeks to do so.

My hope is that at worst, this bout of pain will run its course by midnight. I have my 2nd session of physical therapy tomorrow and am hoping that some clear solution will arise.

That's it for now.

- Frank

Verapamil Links:
http://www.mentalhealth.com/drug/p30-i03.html
http://www.headachedrugs.com/archives2/verapamil.html

Physical Therapy started...

2005-07-11T23:11:00.000-07:00

I'm just pondering my first visit to a physical therapist for Chronic Pain treatment, which was prescribed by my Neurologist last week along with some Calcium Channel Blockers to try to curtail headache pain.

It was quite interesting today, in that after interview/discussion I was told to lay on my back and the therapist "worked" my spine and neck from underneath me. She explained that this allows her to use my body weight as an aid and allows me to relax. She explained the dural sheathto me and how this likely ties all of my particular pains together. Finally, a story that makes sense to me and contradicts many regular doctors I've visited through the years.

My "prescription" today is illustrated below, with a "sort of" description around the middle of this web page: http://www.tuskenchiropractic.com/ht.html

I'm to use these "lightly" to try and loosen the "dura", if I'm using the right terminology.

We'll see I guess.

- Frank
---------------------------
Two used tennis balls were provided by the therapist
The tennis balls inserted in one old, long sock and knot tied:
(can't wait to see this expense on my medical bill):

MRI Images are online

2005-07-11T22:59:00.000-07:00

If you're interested, I've uploaded copies of images from a recent MRI of my head.

No problems were found, unless you consider the empty areas. :-)

Click the image below to check them out.

- Frank

Link is: http://frank.smugmug.com/MRI

Pain - Physical Therapy - First Visit

2005-07-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

I had a very interesting and productive first visit. Learned about the "Dural Sheath" that envelops the spinal cord and brain and how it being bound tightly can cause almost anything that happens to my back and/or neck to induce headache. Basically, showed how everything is tied together.

Found the included excerpt below at http:/www.deeptissue.com - Please click the article to go to the web site.

Will continue this in next post.

Have a PAINFREE Day!

- Frank

Welcome to FrankPain!

2005-07-11T15:25:00.000-07:00

Test Post - 11 July, 2005