Headache update

As many of you know, I have been battling a chronic headache for over 3 months now. I am grateful to report that this last week has been the best week in 3 months! I have struggled with both a chronic mild to moderate daily headache as well as frequent migraines (up to 4 times a week). It has now been 2 weeks since my last migraine (Praise God!). My best guess is that, along with prayer, avoiding all caffeine and aspartame as well as chiropractics have been the main contributors to my feeling better.

If you have any interest in the details, feel free to read on. My daily headache began on January 15th, which was day two of a 14-day diet called "The Fat Flush." In the beginning, I believe my headache was due to withdrawals from caffeine (I usually had a cup of coffee and a diet coke daily but gave both up for the diet). I may also have had headaches that were caused by toxins leaving my body.

Once I went off the Fat Flush diet and ate chocolate again, I got migraines 2 days in a row. For me, I know a migraine is coming on when my vision starts to get blurry. I can't read, get nauseous, am sensitive to light and sound, and my head aches severely behind my left eye. That began a pattern of migraines, between one and 4 times each week.

One month into my headaches, I decided to try to test whether or not caffeine was the cause of my migraines. Based on an article I found online, I was to avoid all caffeine products for 14 days, then on day 15, I was to have several items with caffeine throughout the day. So, on day 14 I drank coffee, ate chocolate, ate chocolate ice cream...it all tasted so good! And, although I didn't get a migraine, my head did ache slightly worse and I got quite the tummy ache! 4 days later I got migraines 4 days in a row (the first two being more severe, and the second two not so bad). After a couple days of a mild headache, I had a diet coke and within 20 minutes of starting to drink it (I didn't even get halfway through!), I felt a migraine coming on. I have avoided caffeine and aspartame ever since then (mid-March).

I also started getting symptoms which made us a little more nervous: it started with me confusing my left and right several times, then I started losing my balance and often felt like I'd just gotten off a roller coaster. I had numbness and tingling in my left arm and hand, and even fell once. At that point Josh spoke with a neurologist at work who recommended that I get an MRI. 5 days later I got the MRI, which looks really good. There is one small white spot that the neurologist was not concerned about; however, had there been several white spots, he would have been concerned about Multiple Sclerosis. Josh was relieved that MS is not a concern.

The neurologist put me on two weeks of steroids to see if it would interrupt the pain. It did seem to help some, though I still had 3 migraines during those 2 weeks, and my chronic daily headache decreased some but still wouldn't go away. As soon as I went off the steroids, however, I got worse. I was also taking Axert each day I started to get a migraine, and after migraines 4 days in a row, I reacted to the Axert with a major hot flash and sweatiness all over, and feeling like I would pass out. Thankfully, that was the last migraine I had (on April 13) and I have avoided medications ever since. Josh thinks I was experiencing rebound headaches from the medication.

I also started going to the chiropractor for the first time in my life, and I have been very pleased. I was totally impressed with the Atlas Orthogonal, a gentle machine that puts the neck back in place without any cranking of the neck. After having x-rays done to see where my neck and back were at, the Chiropractor literally felt my neck with his hand and I cringed at the pain. He used the Atlas on me, then felt my neck again, and the pain in my neck was literally GONE. I have continued going back each week for adjustments on my back since it is not straight, according to the x-rays, so hopefully getting my back straightened out will help with the headaches as well. I went to massage therapy once, and it felt great in the short-term, though I can't tell if it really helped or not. Still, I plan to go back!

I have had my eyes checked and got a new eyeglass prescription. Unfortunately I have been getting instant headaches with my contacts, so I am avoiding them for a while. I have an upcoming appointment with the dentist, and already called to ask if he has noted in my file whether or not I grind my teeth. He has not yet noted that, so we'll see in a couple weeks if he thinks that could be a contributor to the headaches. I went to my regular doctor and had a series of blood tests done, all which have come back normal. That is good news! Although it would be nice to find a specific "cause," I am grateful to know that nothing serious is going on.

I've read many resources and talked to several people who experience migraines. In my opinion, the best book to read if you have migraines is "Heal your Headache" by David Buchholz. He describes every symptom I have experienced as being symptoms of migraine headaches, and recommends a migraine diet which I have mostly followed in the past couple of months, which means avoiding all caffeine, chocolate, MSG, sulfites, sulfates, artificial sweeteners, citrus, aged cheeses, and more. He also describes the rebound headaches I experienced and talks about what to do and what not to do. I plan to keep following his suggestions.

Thank you for your expressions of care and concern and for the many prayers. I think the biggest thing God is teaching me through this is that, despite the discomfort I am in, I still need to honor Him in how I respond to others. It is challenging to be loving and patient and kind when I am uncomfortable, and I appreciate my dear hubby and kids for all they have put up with. I continue to pray that my chronic headache will soon be gone, and that the migraines will be fewer and farther between. And to any of you who experience migraines, I feel your pain!!!