May 2009 Pain Blog Carnival is Posted

The new edition of the Pain Blog Carnival is up at the How to Cope with Pain blog. Check it out when you have some time.

May Pain Blog Carnival

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Found: Blackle

If you're anything like me you find yourself using Google many times a day to look up anything from recipes to tv listings. But if looking at a bright white screen makes your migraines worse you might consider using a cool alternative version of Google called Blackle that makes your screen black. Blackle cuts down on glare and might help you avoid a migraine or making one you already have worse.

Blackle

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Review: Dr. Hyson's Headache System

Dr. Hyson's Headache System is a kit available by mail order that purports to treat headaches with an analgesic topical gel solution. It comes with individual pouches of the topical gel, an eye mask and ear plugs.

The best part of the kit is the eye mask. I like it because it doesn't closely fit against your eyes. Instead, there are two little pods that allow you to easily blink and move your eyelids.

The ear plugs included in the kit are undoubtedly useful and practical, but they aren't anything special. You can get the same type of thing at your local drugstore.

The topical solution didn't do anything to help treat my migraine any of the three times I tried it. It may very well be a topical analgesic, but I can't even see how that type of product would do anything to abort a migraine. A topical solution certainly can help one cope with the symptoms of a migraine, but this one is not as good as the aromatherapy products I've used for that purpose. Both Origins Peace of Mind On the Spot Relief and Bath & Body Works Instant Aromatherapy Headache Relief are easier to apply, smell better and are more soothing when you're coping with a migraine.

Finally, I think the kit is way overpriced. Granted, it was my choice to take the chance and spend $50 on something I knew was unlikely to help me, but I don't think the price is in line with what is being offered.

Bottom line: Try it if you must, but pay attention to the return policy. I suspect you'll want your money back.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

'The Body Broken' is Pure Poetry

I've read a number of headache books and patient memoirs, but not one of them has been anything like Lynne Greenberg's The Body Broken.

Twenty-two years after a seemingly miraculous full recovery from breaking her neck in a car accident, Lynne Greenberg was struck with a severe headache that has not gone away since. In The Body Broken she chronicles her experience with this unrelenting headache in a way only an English professor could, a fact that for better or worse was never far from the front of my mind as I read her story.

Before her pain forced her to stop working, Greenberg taught and wrote about seventeenth-century British literature. She was in the process of writing a book about John Milton when she stopped working. She uses passages from his most famous work Paradise Lost and from other favorite works of literature as a framework for telling her own story.

My favorite portions of her book are those in which she is brutally honest about the ways in which her pain has distanced her from her children and the emotional pain her situation has caused them, particularly her daughter Lilly. Knowing how much guilt is often associated with being sick, I believe she must be an incredibly strong woman to face down the way her illness has shaped her relationship with her children without flinching.

Greenberg likens her situation to Adam & Eve and Paradise Lost. The idea of punishment resonates with me. I have always viewed my migraine attacks as punishment for something, never knowing what. As a kid I always secretly wondered what I'd done to deserve this kind of suffering.

Chronic pain patients will find themselves nodding along and perhaps even reliving their own journeys as Greenberg traverses the process of trying to find the right care provider and treatment plan. They will relate to the fear and anxiety of trying to decide which path to take at a fork in the road and the difficulty of trusting doctors once you've been around the block and back.

At the end of the book she includes an appendix of some of the poetry that helps her cope with her situation. These works are a beautiful end to the story she tells and far from being an unrelated extra provide another window into how she views herself and her pain. I'm not especially fond of poetry, but I can imagine that a reader who is will find much comfort in the poems she selected for inclusion.

Related posts:
'The Body Broken': Story of Woman with Unrelenting Headache (Sound Familiar?)

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Opioids May Be Safer Than NSAIDs for Older Chronic Pain Patients

Perhaps surprisingly, new guidelines from the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) say it may be better for older people to take opioids than NSAIDs.

The panel said that the increased cardiovascular and gastrointestinal risks associated with both over the counter and prescription NSAIDs tend to outweigh their benefits and that low doses of opioids may be a safer choice for older patients.

The AGS guidelines were written to focus primarily on treatment of patients who are 75 years or older and experiencing chronic pain. Given the reluctance of some physicians to prescribe opioids the AGS hopes these guidelines will reassure them that opioids can be a reasonable option.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Christians with Chronic Illness Blog Carnival: Second Edition

The second edition of the Christians with Chronic Illness Blog Carnival is posted at the Chronic Illness and Pain Support blog. If you're a Christian who's looking to give your soul a little boost you might want to check it out.

Christians with Chronic Illness Blog Carnival - # 2

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Announcing June 2009 Headache Blog Carnival

Entries for the June 2009 Headache & Migraine Disease Blog Carnival are due by the end of the day on Friday, June 5th.

The theme for the June carnival is: What people don't understand about migraines & what it's like to live with them.

Posts may be submitted through the form on the carnival website or directly to me by e-mail.

The June carnival will be posted on Monday, June 8th at right here at Somebody Heal Me.

For more information about the carnival visit this link: Headache & Migraine Blog Carnival.

Please let me know if you'd like to be added to the e-mail list for the carnival, if you're interested in hosting a future edition or if you have suggestions for future themes.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Is the FDA's Serotonin Syndrome Alert Doing More Harm Than Good?

I came across an interesting article in the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants last week discussing whether the FDA's warning about the risk of serotonin syndrome is hurting migraine patients by discouraging them to use triptans while on an antidepressant or to avoid using antidepressants even if they need them because they use triptans to treat their migraines.

In 2006 the FDA issued a warning to patients using triptans and SSRIs or SNRIs (two classes of antidepressants) about a potentially life threatening interaction between the two known as serotonin syndrome. Yet, according to the headache specialist who wrote this article, neither he nor any of his colleagues with whom he has discussed the issue have ever seen a patient with the condition. He also questions whether the patients in the cases studied by the FDA were even experiencing serotonin syndrome.

Given that migraineurs are more likely than non-migraineurs to experience depression, discouraging the use of one important method of controlling depression (medication) is a serious issue. Furthermore, antidepressants can be a help to many people with frequent migraines in preventing their attacks.

Is an FDA Alert Harming Patients?

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Mini Freak Out: Trying Yet Another Treatment

When I wrote last week's post about my new pain specialist and his recommendation that we explore radiofrequency rhizotomy I was feeling good about my decision to go down that path. But as I began to look for more information and seek out personal experiences with the procedure I felt my calm fade away until I was in an all out panic at the idea of trying what seems like such a potentially painful procedure that is unlikely to change anything about my migraines after all this time.

What if it makes my pain worse? What if I pay the money for the procedure and it doesn't do anything to help (just like all the medications and other procedures that haven't helped)? Can I cope with hoping this will help if it turns out not to help?

It just doesn't mean much of anything to me anymore to hear that something helps a lot of people or even that a doctor thinks it has a good chance of helping me. I always seem to be in the percentage of people not helped by each treatment we try.

I find it difficult to know how to prepare myself emotionally for trying something new. How do I give it a chance without setting myself up to be devastated if (when) it doesn't help? A big part of what helps me cope with my situation is reminding myself to live in the moment, but I don't know how to translate that to this challenge.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Avoid Migraines Triggered by Personal Care Products

Migraineurs are incredily sensitive to sensory stimulation. Almost nothing is worse than dealing with smells that trigger or worsen migraines in your day to day life.

From the time we get out of bed until the moment we crawl back into it each day, most of us use many products throughout the day to cleanse our bodies and enhance our beauty. If any of these products are hard to tolerate, it's not usually as simple as just cutting them out of our lives. After all, we all need to bathe or shower, wash our hair and brush our teeth each day. However, we can easily seek out great, affordable products that don't trigger or intensify the effects of migraines.

Here are my tips:

• keep it simple - using fewer products that can do double or triple duty reduce the chances of encountering a product that will trigger a migraine

• seek out fragrance-free products

• use products made for babies because you know they'll be gentle

• tell friends & family you'd rather not receive beauty products as gifts

• tell people if they wear a fragrance that triggers your migraines & ask them if they mind not using it around you
  

• keep a record of what you've tried - when you try something and have a bad reaction, write it down and keep it with your other personal medical files to you don't have to try to remember what you had problems with
  

If you're concerned about the ingredients in your favorite beauty and skin care products, check out the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Database:

Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database

Related posts:
Avoid Migraine Triggers with Healthier Cleaning Products

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Found: CFL Covers

I recently happened across a cool product called the Fluorescent Fixer. The Fluorescent Fixer is a cover for fluorescent light bulbs that reduce the glare associated with that type of light bulb.

Some people find that the glare from not only regular fluorescent bulbs, but also compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) is a migraine trigger for them. This kind of cover might be worth trying if you are one of those people.

You can learn more about the product and purchase it at Fluorescent Fixer and at a variety of other online stores.

Related Posts:
Poll: Are CFLs a Migraine Trigger

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Appointment With My New Pain Specialist

Last Wednesday I had my appointment with the new pain specialist Dr. G. Overall it went well and I liked the doctor. He seemed well versed on my conditions and was very kind. I got a little upset during the appointment because I think some part of me hoped he would have some spectacular, perfect option to try. Of course he doesn't, but there is at least one thing he could suggest that we can try.

I will be going back the day after Memorial Day for a procedure to see if I am a candidate for radiofrequency nerve ablation. He will inject an anesthetic into the nerves along my neck to see if I get pain relief. If I do, I will be a candidate for the radiofrequency nerve ablation procedure, which involves heating the nerves to destroy them so they cannot send pain signals. It is by no means a sure thing, but helps a lot of people.

If any of you have had experiences with radiofrequency nerve ablation I'd love to hear about them.

He started me on Lyrica to see if that might help with my pain. He said that methadone might be an option for me, but didn't have time to discuss it at that appointment. I'm not sure if that will make sense for me or not, but it's probably worth discussing.

Technorati Tags: occipital neuralgia, radiofrequency nerve ablation, doctors, medication, depression, migraines, chronic illness, health, somebody heal me

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Perspective: An Important Coping Mechanism

There are a lot of things about living with chronic migraines that are difficult and get me down. But when I hear a story like this I just know I have to do my best to live my life to the fullest and play the hand I've been dealt.

NPR: Woman Who Spent Years in Iron Lung Remembered

I've got to get my hands on the book Martha Mason wrote and the documentary about her life. She sounds like a fascinating and inspiring person.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

We're Connected: Celebrate Fibromyalgia Awareness Day

Today is National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. If you're wondering why a blog primarily about migraines and headaches is covering a fibromyalgia-related event, please keep reading so I can explain the connection.

Fibromyalgia is a complicated, often misunderstood condition that (like migraines) affects more women than men or kids. An estimated 10 million Americans are living with fibromyalgia.

One of the primary symptoms associated with fibromyalgia is widespread pain, but people living with it also experience fatigue, stiff joints, problems with memory and concentration, sleep difficulties, depression and gastrointestinal problems. Further, many fibromyalgia patients are also migraineurs.

Like migraine disease, fibromyalgia is an invisible illness. Fibromyalgia offers few, if any, external factors that let others know how much pain, stiffness or discomfort the person might be experiencing.

There are a number of similarities that make it easier for migraineurs to relate to what people living with fibromyalgia go through, but I'm betting some of my regular readers are living with both conditions. What can you share with us about the biggest misconceptions you encounter? What would you like us to know about your situation?

Sources:
APF: Manage Your Pain: National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day
National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day
National Fibromyalgia Association

Technorati Tags: fibromyalgia, pain, advocacy, coping, support, depression, migraines, chronic illness, health, somebody heal me

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Finding Support: May 2009 Headache & Migraine Blog Carnival

Welcome to the May 2009 Headache and Migraine Disease Blog Carnival.

The Headache & Migraine Disease Blog Carnival has been created to provide both headache patients and people who blog about headaches with opportunities to share ideas on topics of particular interest and importance to us.

For the May 2009 carnival I solicited submissions on the topic of "Talk about where to find support: Where do you find it & where can other migraineurs find it?"

Please keep reading for this month's collection of posts.

Kelly presents Surprised by Support posted at Fly With Hope.

Megan Oltman presents Getting the Support You Need posted at Free My Brain From Migraine Pain.

Jasmine presents A Question from Carolyn posted at Jasmine's Cove.

Stephanie presents Support System posted at Head Wise Woman.

I have prepared an entry on this month's topic called Migraine Forums: Your Virtual Support System posted here at Somebody Heal Me.

We also have two great submissions this month that are outside the theme.

James Cottrill presents Omega 3 and Migraine posted at the Headache and Migraine News Blog.

Rosalind Joffe presents What Do You Do When You Have to Keep Going? posted at Working with Chronic Illness.

That's it for this time, but submit your blog article to the June 2009 edition of the Headache and Migraine Disease Blog Carnival using our carnival submission form or by e-mailing your submissions to me directly. The theme will be "What people don't understand about migraines and about what it's like to live with them." Entries are due by midnight on Friday, June 5, and the carnival will be posted right here at Somebody Heal Me on Monday, June 8.

Past posts and more information about the carnival can be found on our Headache Blog Carnival information page.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Last Call: May 2009 Headache Blog Carnival

Announcing last call for submissions to the May 2009 Headache & Migraine Disease Blog Carnival. The theme is: "Talk about where to find support: Where do you find it & Where can other migraineurs find it?"

Submissions are due by the end of the day today, Friday, May 8th.

Posts may be submitted through the form on the carnival website or directly to me by e-mail.

The carnival will be posted on Monday, May 11th right here at Somebody Heal Me.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Zelrix Transmits Sumatriptan Through Skin Patch

A study comparing Sumatriptan in transdermal (skin) patch form (known as Zelrix) to other available Sumatriptan transmission methods (oral, subcutaneous injection and nasal spray) determined it is as effective as these other methods in transmitting sumatriptan into the patient's blood stream.

Researchers have been working to develop new ways to transmit abortive medications to patients because vomitting and something called gastric stasis (delayed emptying of the stomach) can make it difficult for the body to process oral medications and delay the effectiveness of the medication. Nasal sprays, subcutaneous injections, inhalers and transdermal patches are able to address these concerns.

According to the researchers, patients experienced few side effects and the patches caused minimal skin irritation.

Zelrix has not been approved by the FDA. It is currently in phase 3 clinical trials.

Sources:
NuPathe: Zelrix
Zelrix: A Novel Transdermal Formulation of Sumatriptan
Gastric Stasis Linked to Migraine
Understanding Clinical Trials

Related Posts:
Inhaled DHE Offers Advantages Over IV DHE
Poll: Migraine Med Formula Preferences

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Please Don't Ask Me 'How are You?'

When you're living with a chronic illness and all the accompanying unknowns you start to dread simple questions other people take for granted like "How are you?"

I know it's just a social courtesy and that most people don't even really care how you respond, but when you're chronically ill it's hard to know how to answer. I want to say I'm good if I'm in a good mood, but somehow that seems disingenuous when I'm dealing with health problems and pain. It feels like a complete oversimplification of what's going on with me.

I've settled on answering that I'm okay. This way I am communicating that I'm not in active distress, but that I could be better. I'm almost never feeling good and to be perfectly honest I don't feel like faking it anymore.

How do you handle it when someone asks how you're doing? Does it bother you to gloss over your challenges and answer that you're doing well?

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

News: Epilepsy Drug Keppra Not Effective in Preventing Chronic Headaches

At the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting last week researchers revealed that the epilepsy drug Keppra (levetiracetam) does not seem to be effective in preventing chronic headaches.

AAN: Epilepsy Drug Not Effective for Chronic Headaches

When headache patients don't respond to the more common preventative medications, they are often prescribed other medications in the same category. As an antiseizure medication, Keppra is in the same category of medications as Depakote and Topamax. Unfortunately, unlike those choices it does not seem to have the same effect on chronic headaches.

Researchers said Keppra achieved 3.9% better results than placebo, but that this was not statistically significant.

However, the researchers also said Keppra worked very well for some patients and remains a therapeutic option for those people. Therefore, it might make sense to try it if you've been on a lot of other options and haven't had any reduction in chronic headaches (and your doctor thinks you should try it).

Technorati Tags: news, research, prevention, medication, prescriptions, depression, migraines, chronic illness, health, somebody heal me

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Gutsy Doc Tells the Truth About PFO Closure Device

Check out this article in the UK's Daily Mail (from February 2009) about attempts to mislead on the results of of the MIST Trial, a clinical study of the efficacy of a device used to close PFO (patent foramen ovale).

Anger at Bid to Silence Heart Op Whistleblower

The manufacturer can try to make Dr. Wilmshurst the bad guy by pointing out that he breached a confidentiality agreement, but the bottom line is that they, like so many other medical drug and device developers, are dead wrong in trying to mislead people. It's pretty sickening.

The device manufacturer has sued Dr. Wilmshurst for libel and slander. It should be interesting to see how things turn out for everyone involved.

Sources:
Anger at Bid to Silence Heart Op Whistleblower
Cardiac Device Maker Sues a Doctor Who Called Its Product Flawed

Related Posts:
Cardiologist, Migraineur: No Evidence of PFO Correlation
Migraine and PFO Research
The Scoop on PFO

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

Announcing May 2009 Headache Blog Carnival

Entries for the May 2009 Headache & Migraine Disease Blog Carnival are due by the end of the day on Friday, May 8th.

The theme for the May carnival is: Talk about where to find support: Where do you find it & Where can other migraineurs find it?

Posts may be submitted through the form on the carnival website or directly to me by e-mail.

The May carnival will be posted on Monday, May 11th at right here at Somebody Heal Me.

For more information about the carnival visit this link: Headache & Migraine Blog Carnival.

Please let me know if you'd like to be added to the e-mail list for the carnival, if you're interested in hosting a future edition or if you have suggestions for future themes.

Technorati Tags: headache & migraine blog carnival, blog carnival, depression, migraines, chronic illness, health, somebody heal me

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

PTSD More Common Among Migrainers: But What Is It?

According to recent news articles people who have migraines are more likely than the general population to have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Chances are you've heard of PTSD in reference to war veterans or survivors of abuse, but you might be wondering what it is, how it's identified and how it's treated.

Post-Traumatic Stress Common in Migraine Sufferers

According to the federal National Institutes of Mental Health, PTSD is an anxiety disorder experienced after someone witnesses or experiences a traumatic event. Some of the things experienced by a person suffering with PTSD are:

• nightmares
• flashbacks
• loneliness and isolation
• anger and edginess
• thoughts of hurting yourself or others

A big unanswered question that is beyond the scope of this post is what the possible relationship is between PTSD and migraines. Are the migraines causing PTSD? Is an altogether different trauma causing both PTSD and migraines? Or is something else going on?

Related Posts:
News: PTSD Common Among Migraineurs

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

I Spoke Too Soon

I spoke too soon in thinking I was mostly over the cold/flu thing I've been dealing with. I went to a walk in clinic on Thursday afternoon because my right ear was starting to hurt really bad, and the nurse practitioner was alarmed by my labored breathing and wheezing. She sent me to the ER to get checked out. It was kind of scary, but they were really nice to me and gave me medication right away to treat my symptoms while we waited for my test results. Turns out that I have pneumonia. Sheesh. I have antibiotics, an inhaler, pain/fever reducers and lots of orange juice. Hopefully I'll be over this very soon.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.