Just What I Needed: BlogHer 09 / Chicago Vacation

I got home from Chicago on Tuesday and although I've been very, very tired, I had a wonderful trip. Here's a rather lengthy recap. I hope it won't be too boring for my readers, but I had a fabulous time and I want to share it with all of you.

* * * * * * * * * *

I arrived Thursday night and took a cab to my hotel. I got my name badge for BlogHer 09 and checked out one of the cocktail parties for a few minutes. I grabbed a sandwich and relaxed in my room for the rest of the night.

FRIDAY

Friday was day one of the conference and absolutely awesome. I went to the newbie breakfast and met some really nice people right from the start. I thought I lost my cell phone so I skipped some of the early sessions to go to my room and make sure it was there. It was. Whew. I met a nice girl named Amanda in the hotel lobby and we agreed to meet up and go to lunch together. Then I went to a session called Identity/Passions: The Transformational Power of Blogging. It was fabulous and I cried for the first of many times at BlogHer. Definitely a rite of passage. After lunch I walked around the exhibit floor and scored a bunch of fun free stuff. Next up was Identity/Passions: LifeBlogging Outside the Lines: When you’re not a Geek, a Political Wonk or a MommyBlogger. It was okay, but not great. I wish I'd had something else appealing to go to during that slot or skipped it altogether. Next I went to the session that was the main reason I went to BlogHer 09: Identity/Passions: PatientBloggers - You Are Not Your Disease, You Just Blog About It Every Day. OMG, this made my trip! It was one of the best experiences I've ever had. I got to meet some of my favorite patient bloggers and cried and bonded with some amazing women. It was super fantastic.

Friday night I met my friends Megumi & Keely at The Drawing Room for drinks & dinner. We had a fabulous meal and a fun time finally chatting in person. I had the champagne cocktail (prosecco, sugar cube, aromatic bitters & lemon oil), an heirloom tomato salad (delicious) and the burger (beef short ribs on little buns with homemade tomato chutney & pickles - also delicious).

SATURDAY

I slept in and missed the morning sessions because I was just so worn out. I didn't feel like I missed much, though I do wish I'd heard Ilene Chaiken speak. I checked out of the hotel, stowed my luggage and headed to lunch where I met some more awesome women. I went to two geek lab sessions after lunch: one on Twitter and another on SEO. Both were very informative.

My friend from college, Sarah, met me at the Sheraton after she got off work and we did a little shopping, then headed to Frontera Grill. We waited 1 hour, 45 minutes for a table, but it was well worth it. I had a fabulous Mexican Mojito (possibly the most delicious drink I've ever had), guacamole and pork tacos. We tried to save room for dessert, but failed. After a quick stop at Trader Joe's and to pick up my luggage from the Sheraton we took a cab to Sarah's apartment and crashed for the night.

SUNDAY

I slept in until at least noon because I once again was completely worn out. After I got up Sarah made us a delicious pizza for lunch and we booked an architecture boat tour for later in the day. We did a Wendella 60 minute tour on the Chicago River and had a good time. We got frozen yogurt at Berry Chill and decided to get groceries to make chicken parm & roasted asparagus for dinner. It turned out fabulous! So yummy. After dinner we just bummed around, chatted, drank copious amounts of peach sangria and watched some HGTV & Food Network. We also bought tickets for the Harry Potter exhibit at the Museum of Science & Industry for the next day.

MONDAY

We went to breakfast at Kitsch'n's River North location. I had pancakes & bacon. They were good, but nothing superb. We had to stop off to print our tickets for the HP exhibit, then we took the bus out to the Museum. We looked at a few things and then got in line for our 11:45 entry time. The exhibit was so cool! The fake British accents were cheesy, but the theatrics were really fun for the kids who attended and we loved seeing the artifacts from the movies. You absolutely must see it if you have the chance before it ends.

After HP we went to the German U boat exhibit. Neither of us had been since they completely redid it, and we got a lot out of it. I didn't have much context for the whole thing when I first saw it in 8th grade. I don't think I even realized it was a real captured U boat or how cool that is. They have a video playing at the end that shows how they moved the boat into its current space, which was fascinating and answered a lot of our questions.

We did a little shopping, then headed back to Sarah's to make dinner. We had some fabulous chicken tacos and chocolate lava cakes. And more sangria, of course. We watched Obsessed and tried to get to bed at a good time since it was back to reality for both of us the next day.

TUESDAY

It is impossible to get a cab in Sarah's neighborhood so I took the El with her to work and got a cab to Midway there. It was hard to say goodbye and she made me promise I wouldn't wait so long to come see her next time. I stopped to see C at work after my flight arrived in KC and got home around 4:30 pm. My fur babies were so happy to see me, and I was thrilled to see them, too. We cuddled in bed all evening.

* * * * * * * * * *

Getting away from my regular routine for a few days did me a world of good. I was able to just enjoy my down time with no guilt about what I should be doing instead of resting. Rather than berating myself for not cleaning or doing laundry or writing I hopped into my roomy, comfortable hotel bed and flipped through fashion magazines and watched TV. It was bliss.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Frustrated by 'Intervention' Episode Featuring Migraineur, Addict

This week's episode of the A&E show Intervention, about a woman with occasional migraines and other serious health problems who takes up to 50 Percocet pills a day, made me uncomfortable. Maybe Danielle, the woman featured on this episode, really does have migraine attacks. She probably does. But she is also an addict. One really has nothing to do with the other.

I find Danielle's behavior frustrating because I'm afraid we are all being viewed negatively because of people like her who abuse pain medications under the vague assertion they have migraines. It's because of people like her that we're viewed with skepticism when we end up at an emergency department for an excruciating, intractable migraine and have to fight to be treated at all, let alone with any modicum of respect or dignity.

I find myself wondering if people who don't know about my situation think I'm doing what she is doing. I use prescription pain killers, but I do not use more than I am prescribed nor do I mix medications I have been told not to take together. I don't use anyone else's pills and I follow the proper channels for obtaining my medication. Above all else I am very careful to follow the instructions I am given by my doctors and pharmacists. It may not be fair, but I resent people who don't do the same.

You can watch the entire episode here:

A&E's Intervention: Danielle

If you've seen this episode I'd love to hear your thoughts about Danielle in particular or the issue in general.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Hopeful News for Kids With Chronic Daily Headache

Hopeful news for all the brave kiddos living with chronic daily headache:

Can Children Outgrow Chronic Daily Headaches?

The only thing that makes me sadder and more frustrated than pain in general is when kids have to deal with it. There are some amazing brave, inspiring kids out there.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

News Story Celebrates The Ways Online Patient Communities Provide Support & Information

Check out this cool article from U.S. News & World Report about the role of online communities in allowing patients to help each other through their illnesses. It is so refreshing to see this take on what we do rather than the typical warning that online information is unreliable. I think so much of what we do for each other is absolutely invaluable.

Getting Medical Advice on the Web From Other Patients

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Excellent Post on New Migraine Treatment Medication Cambia

Check out this excellent post from Ellen Schnakenberg at WEGO Health about the newly approved migraine treatment medication Cambia. It was approved a little more than a month ago, and I still haven't written anything about it. Turns out there is no need. Ellen has it all covered in this informative post.

Cambia: New Migraine Medication is Approved

It's a very unique treatment option in that it is a powder you dissolve in water and drink sort of like Metamucil. Pretty darned cool.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Somebody Heal Me is on Twitter!

Somebody Heal Me is finally on Twitter! Everyone at BlogHer 09 convinced me, so I bit the bullet and signed up.

Come follow me!

Somebody Heal Me on Twitter

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Announcing August 2009 Headache Blog Carnival

Entries for the August 2009 Headache & Migraine Disease Blog Carnival are due by the end of the day on Friday, August 7th.

The them for the August carnival is "Migraines and families - genetics, parenthood, child migraineurs, or any other related topic you'd like to address."

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

The August carnival will be posted on Monday, August 10th 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.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Watch Out, Here I Come! BlogHer 2009

I'm off to BlogHer 2009 in Chicago today! Posting might be a little sporadic for the next few days, but I'm sure I'll come home full of inspiration and ideas for making Somebody Heal Me even better.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

You're Not Alone: Migraine Disease & GI issues

The more we learn about migraine disease, the more we recognize where it overlaps with other illnesses. Research has helped determine the role of the gastrointestinal issues experienced by many migraineurs in migraine disease.

Most of us realize nausea and vomiting are part and parcel of a migraine attack. In the past, researchers have speculated that nausea and vomiting were due to gastric stasis, the delayed emptying of the stomach, which was thought to be a symptom of an acute migraine attack. However, it is now believed that gastric stasis is instead a feature of migraine disease itself, much like the stabbing one-sided pain so many of us experience. Though it is not as often acknowledged as nausea and vomiting, diarrhea is also common among migraineurs.

I have been dealing with these issues far too often since migraines became a regular fixture in my day to day life. For years I was far too embarrassed to discuss this with any of my doctors. However, when I became unable to eat anything without almost immediately feeling extremely nauseated, followed by horrible bouts of diarrhea, I knew I had to listen to my husband when he urged me to discuss this with my doctor.

There are a variety of medications available that can quite effectively relieve the nausea, vomiting and diarrhea migraineurs often suffer. Some are available in orally disintegrating tablets or suppositories to make it easier to get them into your system when you're sick.

Triptan formulations that don't rely on the stomach or digestion to work can be very helpful, too. Imitrex is available in a nasal spray and injection. Zomig is available in an orally disintegrating tablet and a nasal spray. Maxalt is also available in an orally disintegrating tablet. The DHE product Migranal is in nasal spray form. Researchers are currently developing a sumatriptan skin patch and an orally inhaled DHE product.

For more information, I highly recommend this article on the topic prepared by Teri Robert:

Nausea, Gastric Stasis, and Migraine

Sources:
Migraine - New Study Supports Importance Of Considering Gastric Stasis
Study Supports Important Insights About Gastric Motility in Migraine Patients
Changes in Peripheral Mechanisms in Migraine

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

NHF Headache U: Chart Your Course to Relief with Personalized Info

The National Headache Foundation has unveiled a fantastic new educational tool called Headache U that provides headache and migraine patients with personalized information to help them manage their conditions.

Headache U: Chart Your Course to Relief

By answering a series of questions patients can learn how to prevent and cope with their attacks by focusing on their own unique set of triggers and complicating factors.

What kind of help can I expect to get from the Chart Your Course to Relief tool?

The help and resources you receive from Chart Your Course to Relief will depend on your responses to the questions. Here are some examples:

• Those who indicate they can’t afford headache care are offered tips on how to have a financial discussion with their healthcare provider, information on alternative therapies, as well as information on programs available for people who need prescription medication but can’t afford it.

• For people who say they have difficulty discussing their headaches, they are offered tips for understanding and communicating their symptoms and the impact headache is having on their lives.

• If users say their headaches are not that big of a deal and they don’t need to see a healthcare provider, they are given a link to a quick test to help them see how headaches are impacting their life. This test will help users make an educated decision about whether to see a healthcare provider.

Has anyone used Headache U yet? I went through the questions and was pleasantly surprised at the important points addressed by the responses I received. I like that it provides a list of topics with links to more information about each topic. This allows you to read through the expanded information on each topic on your own schedule and address each recommendation over time.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Making Sense of Migraine Disease & Depression

Sorting out the complicated relationship between migraine disease and depression can be difficult. Is one causing the other? Do they make each other worse? Does an improvement in one lead to an improvement in the other?

Even harder is trying to put the experience of the way they interact into words for your doctors and other care providers. A while back I found myself struggling to figure out a way to do this in preparation for my first appointment with a psychiatrist.

As so often happens, I read something written by another member of the My Migraine Connection Discussion Forums that perfectly phrased the point I wanted to make with the new doctor. She wisely pointed out that migraines suck up the serotonin in your brain. Therefore, not only are you more likely to feel depressed because of the pain and the other circumstances of the situation, but also because your brain is low on serotonin, which is naturally going to exacerbate your depression.

It's a total chicken-and-egg situation, and I think it is valuable to understand the connection between these two conditions so that you can treat both if you experience both. Doing so can make such a huge difference in managing both diseases.

For more reading about serotonin, check out this WebMD.com article:

Serotonin: 9 Questions and Answers

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Needle-Free Sumavel DosePro Sumatriptan Injection Receives FDA Approval

The manufacturer of Sumavel DosePro, a needle-free delivery system for the subcutaneous sumatriptan injection, has received FDA approval for the product. It is approved for the treatment of migraine and cluster headache attacks.

Sumavel DosePro Approved by FDA for Acute Migraine and Cluster Headache: First Product Featuring Novel DosePro Needle-Free Delivery System

Before Sumavel DosePro, sumatriptan was available in an injection, nasal spray and pill. Delivery mechanisms that avoid the stomach are preferable for most migraineurs because of nausea and vomitting.

Injections are usually the quickest method of getting treatment medication into the body, but many people are scared of or intimidated by needles. Now those people will have an option that provides the same benefits with almost none of the drawbacks. The one thing that might make it less desirable is that sumatriptan injections are now available in a generic, which saves patients money. Since this product is a new technology, it will be more expensive.

For more information about this product visit the manufacturer's website:

Zogenix - Sumavel DosePro

Related Posts:
Sumatriptan DosePro Offers Needle-Free Alternative to Imitrex Injection

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Another Crossroads: What to Try Next for Migraines & Occipital Neuralgia

On Wednesday I had a follow up appointment with the pain specialist who did my radiofrequency rhizotomy (rfa). Unfortunately he pretty much said what I expected - there isn't much left to be tried.

Here is an overview of my main remaining options:

- Occipital Nerve Stimulator

- visit the Michigan Headache & Neurological Institute and get inpatient treatment - pros & cons

1. Pro - Support in getting off narcotics, which is something I'm interested in doing.
2. Pro - Opportunity to consult with another doctor.
3. Con - One-size-fits-all treatment.
4. Con - Little time with actual doctor.
5. Con - Not convinced they are offering anything I haven't already tried.
6. Con - Poor sleep the entire visit.
7. Con - Indefinitely trapped in inpatient unit.

- go back to Dallas & see Dr. Krusz

Right now I'm leaning toward another visit to Dr. Krusz and maybe a trial of an occipital stimulator. Dr. G. said he could do the trial of it and then he would send me to a colleague in Denver for the actual implantation surgery if the trial goes well.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Behavioral Treatments No Better Than Placebo for Chronic Tension-Type Headache

A review of existing studies of behavioral therapies for treatment of chronic tension-type headache determined they are no more effective than placebo.

Behavioral Treatments of Chronic Tension-Type Headaches

Treatments reviewed in this study include relaxation techniques, biofeedback and cognitive behavioral therapy. The study's authors reviewed 44 trials. The vast majority of these were considered to have varying degrees of bias. Those studies that included sufficient controls to show statistical differences often did not reach clinical significance. In other words, the treatments studied were no more effective than no treatment at all.

I don't have any reason to mistrust the results of this study, but I would like to point out that this review does not take into consideration the value of these therapies in helping patients cope with their pain and incapacity. I don't know whether they can prevent or abort headaches, but I know they can help in managing the suffering that so often comes along with pain.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

I'm So Lazy: Ways We Trick & Abuse Ourselves

I've had the message that I'm lazy and absolutely must start keeping the house clean running on a track in my mind for months. Never mind that I'm completely unable to work and receiving Social Security benefits. Why let logic get in the way of abusing myself, right?

The running thought that if only I tried harder I could get more done around here became louder and louder and louder. This week the message finally became so impossible to ignore that I forced myself to clean well beyond what I know are my legitimate limits.

Now I'm sitting here feeling awful. The migraine I treated earlier has returned. I'm still suffering the lingering side effects of the medication I took to treat it this morning, and I'm in terrible pain again, too.

Why in the world do I do this to myself? I want a clean house. I want to make things easier for my husband. I don't feel like we can really afford a housekeeper. I need help, but I don't know how to make that happen. If anyone else told me she did this to herself I would be so sad and remind her she isn't lazy. She's sick. But it's hard for me to say that to myself.

I seem to have a pattern of doing this to myself. I push myself so far that I'm forced to stop and realize that spending most of my time taking it easy is not a choice. I absolutely cannot push myself like I used to love to do. I wish I could say I've learned my lesson for good this time, but somehow I don't think I probably have.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

July 2009 Headache Blog Carnival

Welcome to the July 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.

There was no specific theme for the July 2009 carnival. Instead I encouraged everyone to submit a favorite post from the past month.

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

James Cottrill presents The Gluten Syndrome & Migraine posted at the Headache and Migraine News Blog.

Teri Robert presents Prescription for America & Your Migraine Treatment posted at My Migraine Connection.

Mary Kay Betz presents Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms: Cause of Migraine Headaches? posted at Headache Adviser.

Califmom presents The Pain posted at Califmom: Bottled in the Summer of '69.

Jasmine presents The Vestibular System posted at Jasmine's Cove.

Megan Oltman presents No You're Not Crazy You Just Have Migraines posted at the Free My Brain From Migraine Pain blog.

Rosalind Joffe presents Can You Job Hunt, Live with Illness and Stay Motivated? posted at Working with Chronic Illness.

Submit your blog post to the August 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 "Migraines and families - genetics, parenthood, child migraineurs, or any other related topic you'd like to address." Entries are due by midnight on Friday, August 7, and the carnival will be posted right here at Somebody Heal Me on Monday, August 10.

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.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

The Let Down of Not Having Answers

In the weeks and months since my last visit to see my migraine specialist in Dallas I've begun to feel more and more like I didn't get the answers I wanted and expected from my visit. I noticed I felt that way again after my appointments with the pain specialist my local neurologist referred me to (the doctor who performed my radiofrequency rhizotomy [aka rfa] a few weeks ago).

Even after all this time and all these treatments and knowing what I know about my condition, a little part of me still hopes I'll show up at an appointment and the doctor will have some awesome thing to suggest that will make a humongous difference in my situation. In a way it's kind of astounding and quaint that I can still generate hope like that after all this time.

I'm feeling even more let down since my migraines and occipital neuralgia have returned to their pre-rfa level of frequency and intensity. Some part of me felt so sure this procedure would be the answer I was looking for. Something finally made sense about the pattern and characteristics of my migraines and neck pain when I learned about and was diagnosed with occipital neuralgia. It seemed logical to believe the rfa procedure would have the potential to abort my neck pain, thereby preventing the vast majority of my migraine attacks.

And it did - for two blissful weeks. The problem is that the procedure was supposed to last for at least six months. Two weeks is certainly the most relief I've had since my second round of Botox injections in December 2008 and more than I experienced when I received occiptial nerve blocks and cervical medical branch blocks. But it's still a huge disappointment.

This all begs the scary question of "What now?" I have some ideas of how to cope and move forward (go back to therapy, seek out opinions from all my doctors), but no idea what it would make sense to try next. I truly feel like I've reached the end of the road and that scares me senseless.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Last Call: July 2009 Headache Blog Carnival

Announcing last call for submissions to the July 2009 Headache & Migraine Disease Blog Carnival. There is no theme this time. Instead submit your favorite post from the past month.

Submissions are due by the end of the day today, Friday, July 10th.

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, July 13th right here at Somebody Heal Me.

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Hint of Good News Regarding Possible FDA Ban of Certain Pain Medications

Although the recent recommendation of an FDA advisory panel to take prescription pain medications containing acetaminophen off the market is worrisome, there is some hopeful news.

On Tuesday the FDA announced it would not adopt a ban on propoxyphene (aka Darvon or Darvocet) at this time despite the advisory panel's recommendation that it do just that. The FDA said that based on the information currently available, the benefits of using propoxyphene as directed outweigh the risks. However, manufacturers will be required to strengthen package warnings and provide patients with a medication guide explaining the importance of taking the medication as directed. The FDA is also initiating a study of the safety of propoxyphene, which could lead to stricter regulation of the product. For now the agency believes providing patients with more information can improve safety without removing the product from the market.

FDA Takes Action on Darvon, Other Pain Medications Containing Propoxyphene

The agency's decision seems to indicate it is not yet convinced that such products are so dangerous they must be banned and is not likely to follow the advisory committee's recommendation to ban other prescription pain medications containing acetaminophen. Anything is possible, of course, but the situation seems much more promising than it did just a few days ago.

If you're interested in learning more, the FDA has provided a list of questions and answers here:

Propoxyphene Questions & Answers

Related Posts:
FDA Advisory Panel Recommends Removing Certain Prescription Painkillers from Market

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DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

RFA Procedure Update: 3 Weeks Later

I don't know any other way to start this update post other than to say that I'm really disappointed.

I had the radiofrequency rhizotomy (aka Radiofrequency Nerve Ablation aka RFA) procedure on Wednesday, June 17. As expected I was sore from the procedure itself, but my typical neck pain was completely gone and I had fewer migraine attacks, too. The pain from the procedure continued for a good week and a half, but then that mostly went away, too.

Unfortunately, last Thursday my neck started hurting again the way it did before the procedure. Along with the neck pain came the resulting migraines in the ram's horn shaped pattern that tends to characterize occipital neuralgia. This hasn't let up as of the writing of this post.

I'm incredibly bummed out. When I had two weeks of relief I really thought this was going to be my answer. I'm scared at what this might mean, but I'm trying to keep a calm and level head until my follow up appointment on July 15th.

Technorati Tags: depression, migraines, chronic illness, health, somebody heal me

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Too Funny: Healthy Americans Against Reforming Medicine

This site is absolutely hilarious! You just can't beat a good tongue-in-cheek parody.

Healthy Americans Against Reforming Medicine (HAARM)

Technorati Tags: depression, migraines, chronic illness, health, somebody heal me

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

NPR's Talk of the Nation Discusses Pain Management & Policy

Thursday's edition of the National Public Radio (NPR) program Talk of the Nation included a 30 minute discussion of the treatment of chronic pain.

NPR: Pain Management & Prescription Painkillers

I was especially pleased that the physician guest emphasized the under treatment of pain and resulting suffering experienced by chronic pain patients. The segment is well worth a listen.

Technorati Tags: pain, news, media, prescriptions, medication, depression, migraines, chronic illness, health, somebody heal me

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Happy July 4th!

Wishing all my readers a relaxing, fun Independence Day holiday. Please check out this article from the archives on having a safe, green July 4th.

Healthy Advice for Independence Day

Technorati Tags: depression, migraines, chronic illness, health, somebody heal me

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

Found: Handheld Digital Thermometer for Biofeedback Training

Biofeedback is a method of training your body to relax and release tension. While this technique cannot necessarily prevent or treat migraine attacks or tension headaches, it can lower your threshold for developing a migraine or headache and reduce your suffering when you experience an attack.

Stress Thermometer

One common way of assessing your relaxation response during biofeedback training is to practice relaxation and meditation techniques while measuring the temperature of your hands using a small digital thermometer with a wire taped to your finger. As you are able to increase the temperature reading you learn what your body feels like when become more relaxed.

According to the American Headache Society:

Thermal or hand-warming biofeedback was first used at the famous Menninger Clinic in Kansas. Researchers there discovered that headache patients who learned to raise the temperature of their hands using biofeedback had fewer and less severe headaches when they practiced this skill regularly.

Hand-warming works in the following way: When a person is anxious or under stress, the blood vessels in the fingers narrow and the hands become cooler. That's why we tend to get "cold and clammy hands" when we're frightened or nervous. On the other hand, when you are relaxed, the blood vessels in your hands expand and your hands get warmer. You can get an idea of how stressed you are by taking your hand or finger temperature with a thermometer or biofeedback instrument. You can learn to reduce your level of arousal through the process of temperature biofeedback training. Then, whenever your hands are cool or you are experiencing stress, you use your hand-warming skills to produce a more relaxed state.

I was lucky enough to receive the training from a doctor who learned the technique at the Menninger Clinic, but there are people all over the country who can help you learn and practice the technique.

It takes a great deal of practice to become so in tune with your body that you can utilize the technique, so you will want to have a digital thermometer like this one so you can practice on your own.

If you're interested in my recommendations for relaxation and meditation CDs and books, visit this link:

Somebody Heal Me Amazon.com Store: Meditation

Sources:
Biofeedback & Relaxation Training for Headaches

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.

FDA Advisory Panel Recommends Removing Certain Prescription Painkillers From Market

An FDA advisory panel issued recommendations yesterday that would change the way products containing the pain reliever acetaminophen are regulated. Research has reinforced existing concerns about liver damage and the potential for overdoses related to use of these medications. But discussions of these concerns do not always tell the whole story.

The expert panel recommended the FDA lower the maximum daily dosage and maximum single dosage of over the counter acetaminophen products (e.g. Tylenol).

The panel declined to recommend taking combination products containing acetaminophen, such as Nyquil or Theraflu, off the market.

Finally, and probably most noteworthy for my readers, the panel recommended the FDA take prescription combination products containing acetaminophen off the market, such as Percocet, Lortab and Darvocet. The FDA is not required to follow the recommendation, but usually does. This could be a big deal for the thousands of chronic pain patients who, like me, rely on these products to make our daily pain bearable.

As the Consumer Health Care Products Association (a drug industry group) rightly points out, 80% of the deaths associated with these products are suicides, not accidents. Further, these products are safe when taken as recommended (i.e. the proper dose is not exceeded and they are not combined with alcohol). Liver damage is rarely seen when patients follow these guidelines. I can certainly see the need for increased education efforts to make people aware of these issues, but to take these prescription pain medications off the market is a mistake. Far more people will suffer when these products are unavailable than currently suffer as a result of using them.

Sources:
FDA Panel Advises Smaller Doses of Painkillers
FDA Panel Urges Cuts in Acetaminophen Dosage

Technorati Tags: depression, migraines, chronic illness, health, somebody heal me

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Content by Diana E. Lee.

DISCLAIMER: Nothing on this site constitutes medical or legal advice. I am a patient who is engaged and educated and enjoys sharing my experiences and news about migraines, pain and depression. Please consult your own health care providers for advice on your unique situation.