Preventing Dangerous Prescription Errors

I recently came across an excellent article on the About Women's Health blog about the frequency of prescription errors and the high stakes these errors can hold for patients. There are many reasons errors happen and most of them have very little to do with the inattention of pharmacy staff. Sometimes it's a handwriting issue or that medications sound so similar that it is easy to make a mistake.

5 Million Prescription Errors Every Year

These errors can be incredibly dangerous for patients. This means we have to be meticulous about understanding what our doctors are prescribing and checking over our own prescriptions when we receive them. If you get something different than what you expected, just ask the pharmacy staff about it. Often it will be because you are getting a generic version of what your doctor prescribed, but never feel weird about asking for clarification. It's your health. You have to (respectfully) take charge and inform yourself.

Check out this article at the About Patient Empowerment blog for lots of tips on preventing these errors: How to Prevent Prescription Errors.


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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.

Negative Childhood Experiences Linked to Headaches, Migraines

According to research presented at the American Headache Society's 52nd Annual Meeting, children who experience abuse and other negative events are more likely than other people to suffer frequent migraines and headaches and cardiovascular disease in adulthood.

Researchers examined the presence of these health conditions among people who had experienced emotional, physical or sexual abuse; witnessed domestic violence; lived in a household with a mentally ill family member; dealt with a close family member's incarceration; or experienced separation or divorce of their parents as children. Each of these factors increased the likelihood that the person dealt with frequent headaches as an adult. The more factors present in the person's history, the greater the likelihood of these health problems.

The exact relationship between these negative experiences and health problems is currently unknown.

“The biological underpinnings of this relationship should be a target of future research and clinicians should be aware of and evaluate for this important relationship in order to facilitate appropriate management strategies.”

The usefulness of this study may be limited by the fact that the presence of the diseases was self-reported rather than independently verified.

Sources:
Childhood Abuse Linked to Headaches in Adulthood
Migraine, Child Abuse, Heart Disease Link
Evidence Builds for Link Between Child Abuse, Chronic Pain Conditions
Abuse May Raise Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke in Migraine Sufferers


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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 Milestones: 4 Years, 1,000 Posts

This month marks a couple of important milestones for Somebody Heal Me: the fourth anniversary of the blog and passing the 1,000 post mark. I can hardly believe I've been doing it this long, but I also can't believe how much I've gotten out of it. This work has helped me make it through some really bad times and meeting so many great people has been awesome. Thanks to all of you for your loyalty, support and friendship.

Don't forget to "Like" the Somebody Heal Me Facebook page, sign up for the monthly Somebody Heal Me Newsletter, follow me on Twitter @somebodyhealme and join in the weekly Thursday Twitter Migraine Chats at 8 pm Central.

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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.

Lack of Sleep Linked to Migraine

According to research presented at this week's 52nd Annual Headache Society Meeting in Los Angeles, sleep deprivation leads to changes in the body that are known to trigger migraine attacks. The researchers said previous data has established a connection between quality of sleep and migraine attacks. Knowing this they developed a model of sleep deprivation to study the levels of protein that reduce the threshold of nerves involved in pain transmission during a migraine attack.

They found that being deprived of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep caused an increase of the proteins that initiate and sustain chronic pain.

“So little is known about the biological mechanisms that underlie how certain factors trigger a migraine attack,” said David Dodick, M.D., president of the AHS. “This is important work and this Missouri State team should be applauded for beginning to shed light on an area desperately in need of investigation.”

Migraine experts, including my specialist, stress the importance of quality sleep of an adequate length of time. Many migraineurs (myself included) struggle with this and need to come up with strategies for addressing the issue. A recent Somebody Heal Me article can give you some ideas of where to start: Sleep Hygiene for Migraineurs.

Sources:
REM Sleep Press Release (PDF)
Lack of REM Sleep Linked to 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.

Summer & Migraines

Summertime and my migraines just don't mix. I don't want to say I hate summer because I love so many things about it. The problem is that my body hates it.

I generally have to spend most of the day inside in air conditioning or I'll get a terrible migraine. Sometimes that's not even enough. You see, it's not just the heat that's miserable in this part of the country. We have horrible humidity, contrary to popular belief. We're talking South Florida bad. One day recently it was 85% humidity. I stopped looking after that.

On Sunday the husband and I drove to his parents' house about three hours away. I was fine in the car because we had the air conditioning up very high and I was quite comfortable. My in laws made a major effort to cool their house, but after being there a while it got to be too much. Despite the central air conditioning and a window unit in the living room, my body got really upset and the conditions brought on a monstrous migraine. This is typical of my experiences in the summertime, but I didn't have any triptans to use because my new Medicare Part D prescription plan required a prior authorization on my Imitrex StatDose injections. It took more than a week to get all that done. So a migraine I probably could have knocked out within 30 minutes lasted a full two days of agony. After having the same thing happen earlier last week, I was feeling very sorry for myself this past weekend.

I used pain medication, muscle relaxers and antinausea medications like I'm supposed to and practiced my mindfulness. While all of these helped, I really needed something to knock out the attack.

I wish I lived closer to the ocean (we're about as far away from an ocean as possible in this part of the United States). As a runner up option I wish I had a huge backyard with a beautiful pool, huge umbrellas and lots of cold drinks. Brought to me by hot guys. Who fan me and don't speak unless spoken to.


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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.

10 Ways to Reap Health Benefits of a Happy Marriage

There has been an assumption for many decades that married people were healthier and happier than unmarried people. But it's not that simple. The quality of the marriage matters a great deal. People in unhappy marriages are not better off than unmarried people.

This begs the question of how to make the best of your marriage or long-term relationship. How can you increase your happiness and harmony? Most of us model what we've seen other couples in our lives do, for good and for bad. Unfortunately we often find ourselves just going through the motions instead of being mindful about how we can be good partners to each other.

Here are 10 tips by relationship experts for making the most of your commitment to each other:

1. Communicate. Don't expect your partner to read your mind or stuff down your feelings to avoid conflict. If you're worried or upset about something, tell your partner in a nonthreatening way. You must also be able to listen and hear what your partner is saying. Listening is more important than talking.

2. Appreciate Each Other. You must let your partner know how much you value his/her contributions to your life and all the little and big things they do for you and your family. Be supportive and proud of each other. Be more positive than negative in sharing your feelings with your partner.

3. Don't Try to Change Your Partner. It's just about impossible to change a fundamental aspect of another person's habits. There are some things we have to accept about each other to stay together. Sometimes it is more effective to change how we look at something rather than expecting our partners to change. It is important to accept each other just the way we are.

4. Forgive. Hanging on to anger builds resentment and makes it impossible to go through life as a team. If your partner does something so bad you cannot forgive him/her, you may not belong together.

5. Be Respectful and Understanding. When you discuss issues or concerns treat each other with respect and understanding in your choice of words and tone of voice. Try to stay calm. Don't bring your issues up in front of other people or when you don't really have time to talk through each of your perspectives.

6. Conflict is Normal. But how you handle conflict matters. Don't try to sort through things when you are angry. Come back to the discussion when you have had a chance to cool off and can talk to each other without exploding. Be direct and say what you mean. Game playing doesn't solve anything.

7. Choose Your Battles. It isn't effective to take a stand on small, insignificant issues. Instead, think about how much the issue really matters in the scheme of your lives together and bring it up only if it still seems important in that context.

8. Make Time For Each Other. This can be especially difficult when one or both of you deals with chronic health issues or chronic pain. That's all the more reason to keep this on your mind and take advantage of the times when opportunities present themselves. 

9. Give Each Other Time Apart. It is okay and perfectly healthy to spend time apart participating in hobbies or hanging out with friends. You don't need to be together every minute of every day. It's good for your relationship to spend some time apart.

10. Maintain Intimacy. Chronic health issues and pain can make it difficult to have the kind of private intimate moments you would like to. But it's not an all or nothing proposition. Just spending time cuddling, holding hands and kissing keeps you connected. Talk openly about your limits and brainstorm ways to help each other meet those needs.

Sources:
Is Marriage Good For Your Health?
Does Marriage Help Your Health & Happiness?
Ten Tips for a Happy Marriage
Want a Happy Marriage? Be Nice, Don't Nitpick
Eight Keys to a Happy Marriage


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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.

Miscarriage Risk with Antidepressant Use in Pregnancy

Previous studies of antidepressant use in pregnancy have indicated that there is very little risk of birth defects in the infants. However, these studies did not examine the possible risk of miscarriage associated with antidepressant use. A new study indicates there may be an increased risk to be aware of.

Miscarriage Risk with Use of Antidepressants in Pregnancy

A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found a 68% increase in miscarriages among pregnancy women taking antidepressants. Of the women who experienced a miscarriage before 20 weeks in the study, 5.5% had taken antidepressants. Researchers also determined that combining more than one type of antidepressant increased the risk of miscarriage.

This is the largest study to date on the issue, which is always an important factor in evaluating the usefulness of a research study. However, this study did not examine any potential confounding variables. This means it is impossible to assume any kind of cause and effect relationship between antidepressant use during pregnancy and miscarriage.

The decision to stay on or go off of antidepressants during pregnancy is a very individual, highly personal choice. If you're considering trying to conceive it is important to talk candidly with all your care providers about your options and what might be the best choice given your particular circumstances.

Related Posts:
Migraine Drugs Pose No Increased Risk of Birth Defects
Depression & Pregnancy: ACOG & APA Issue Treatment Guidelines
SSRIs Pose Little Risk to Unborn


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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.

Tori Spelling & Migraines: Another Famous Migraineur

The actress Tori Spelling, best known for her work on Beverly Hills 90210 in the 90s, has been taking a lot of heat for her trim figure. She recently fought back against this nasty criticism, sharing that she has lost weight without trying to because she has been dealing with migraine attacks and other health problems.

It's not a secret that Spelling has experienced migraine attacks for years. She discussed it candidly, though briefly, in her first memoir, sTORI Telling, and has exhibited classic migraine symptoms on her reality show Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood.

I've seen hundreds of gossip stories since Spelling did the interview where these issues finally came up. Unfortunately, the revelation that she dealt with swine flu has gotten most of the attention, probably because its a sexier story than the migraines. Headaches: big deal, right?! Well, wrong.

As all of us who deal with them know migraines are much more than a simple headache. In addition to head pain, they also interfere with your gastrointestinal functioning, as evidenced by Spelling's declaration that they have caused her to lose weight without trying, and many other unpleasant symptoms. They interfere with our ability to work and care for our families. Spelling has two small children and seems to desire to be a very hands-on mom. Unfortunately we've seen on her reality show that she sometimes has no choice but to step back and let someone else take the lead on tasks like feeding the kids dinner when she is experiencing an attack. I know some will dismiss this point and say, well, at least she has help. Of course, she is lucky to be able to afford to pay people to help with her household and children and to have a husband who is around to back her up. But is that really the issue here? Not to me. The issue is that I can relate to what she goes through because I have experienced the same things and I know first hand how much it hurts.

I doubt it would do much for her career, but as a young mother & actress she could be a great celebrity face for migraine disease.



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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.

Why You Should Try Mindfulness to Cope with Pain

If you're been living with chronic pain for any length of time you already know how difficult it is to try to manage it with the tools we have available. Pain medications are great for acute pain, but cause a whole host of problems when used on a long term basis. These problems include constipation, opioid induced hyperalgesia (this means you become more sensitive to pain), inability to function and tolerance (having to take more and more to achieve the same results). Further, they rarely do an adequate job of bringing the pain down to a manageable level. (Notice I don't mention addiction. I think this is an overblown problem and not especially relevant to chronic pain patients.) This all begs the question of what options remain.


One of the best remaining options is mindfulness. Mindfulness may sound completely foreign or inappropriate for people who identify with a religion other than Buddhism, but it's actually a very simple, nonreligious concept.

Mindfulness is the awareness that is not thinking (but that which is aware of thinking, as well as aware of each of the other ways we experience the sensory world, i.e., seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, feeling through the body). Mindfulness is non-judgmental and open-hearted (friendly and inviting of whatever arises in awareness). It is cultivated by paying attention on purpose, deeply, and without judgment to whatever arises in the present moment, either inside or outside of us. By intentionally practicing mindfulness, deliberately paying more careful moment-to-moment attention, individuals can live more fully and less on "automatic pilot," thus being more present for their own lives. Mindfulness meditation practices seek to develop this quality of clear, present moment awareness in a systematic way so that the practitioner may enjoy these benefits.  - UCSD Center for Mindfulness

Mindfulness is thought to help people living with chronic pain cope by keeping their brains from focusing on anticipating pain. This makes sense given that mindfulness meditation is about staying in the present moment, not agonizing over the past or worrying about the future. Perhaps even more importantly, meditation is useful for helping you cope with the emotions that arise in association with chronic pain, such as anger, resentment and sadness. This is important because while pain may be permanent for many of us, suffering is optional. If you can separate the two concepts you can live a happier, less stressful life despite continuing to live with chronic pain.



The idea of mindfulness for coping with chronic pain was first explored in the United States by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Kabat-Zinn was the first to bring Eastern meditation together with Western science to develop a system of mindfulness that enables chronically ill people to cope with their symptoms. He founded the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts and began teaching Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) there in 1979. In 1995 Kabat-Zinn established the Center for Mindfulness at UMass as an outgrowth of the Stress Reduction Clinic. He also wrote what many consider the most important book on using mindfulness to cope with pain, illness and stress, Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. This book is an excellent way to get started with mindfulness and learn about MBSR techniques. Another great option to start with is A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook by Bob Stahl and Elisha Goldstein. (Another great resource for starting a meditation practice is Tara Brach's free PDF download, How to Meditate.)



You can practice mindfulness on your own by gathering the appropriate resources to learn the techniques (such as the books mentioned above) and then practicing. It's truly as simple as that. There are many different guided meditations available on audio CDs that can be extremely helpful when you're learning. I will list some of the ones I especially like at the end of this article. If you'd rather be taught by someone in person you can search for MBSR programs in your area at this link: MBSR Programs Worldwide.

To introduce you to the basic concepts, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) says these are the basic common features of a meditation practice:

• A quiet location. Meditation is usually practiced in a quiet place with as few distractions as possible. This can be particularly helpful for beginners.

• A specific, comfortable posture. Depending on the type being practiced, meditation can be done while sitting, lying down, standing, walking, or in other positions.

• A focus of attention. Focusing one's attention is usually a part of meditation. For example, the meditator may focus on a mantra (a specially chosen word or set of words), an object, or the sensations of the breath. Some forms of meditation involve paying attention to whatever is the dominant content of consciousness.

• An open attitude. Having an open attitude during meditation means letting distractions come and go naturally without judging them. When the attention goes to distracting or wandering thoughts, they are not suppressed; instead, the meditator gently brings attention back to the focus. In some types of meditation, the meditator learns to "observe" thoughts and emotions while meditating.

- NCCAM - Meditation: An Introduction

Like most things in life, you get out of mindfulness meditation what you put into it. I've been practicing for a while now and was recently able to call upon what I've been learning in a moment of need for the first time. It was exhilarating to find it easier to cope. I say this mainly to point out this is no easy fix. It takes a lot of dedication to keep practicing even when you haven't yet seen dramatic results. But I also think the calm you experience day to day once you start practicing can help keep you going when you're new to the concept. 



Have you tried mindfulness? Where are you at in your practice? Do you have questions about mindfulness meditation that aren't covered in this article? Please share in the comments. 
 


Recommended Resources:

Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Break Through Pain: A Step-by-Step Mindfulness Meditation Program for Transforming Chronic and Acute Pain by Shinzen Young

Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief: Guided Practices for Reclaiming Your Body and Your Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Guided Mindfulness Meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Mindfulness for Beginners by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach

Meditation for Beginners by Jack Kornfield



Sources/Further Reading:

Opioids for Chronic Nonterminal Pain

Brain Scans Show How Meditation Calms Pain

Meditation: An Introduction

UCSD Center for Mindfulness: What is Mindfulness?

What is Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction?

UMass Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society

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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.

Thursday Twitter Migraine Chat Tonight

Some of my migrainista pals and I have started a weekly migraine chat on Twitter each Thursday at 8 pm CST. Everyone is welcome, so spread the word far and wide.

If you haven't signed up for Twitter yet this is a great time to do it. Even if you don't use it for any other purpose than to join in the chat I think it will be worthwhile. If you are already on Twitter we're using the hashtag #migrainechat to spread the word.

You can follow the chat by going to this link: TweetChat #migrainechat. This filters the Twitter feed so you only get posts tagged with that hashtag.

My Twitter handle is @somebodyhealme. Please spread the word! Hope to chat with you tonight or in the future.


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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.

Subscribe to the Somebody Heal Me feed: Subscribe in a reader or subscribe by e-mail.

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.

How are Chronic Pain & Acute Pain Different?

One of the often overlooked characteristics of pain involves the differences between acute pain and chronic pain. While you may feel the same physical sensations, they are very different and call out to be handled differently. I want to continue discussing behavioral pain management on Somebody Heal Me, and I can't possibly write another article without covering these basic concepts first.

Acute Pain:

• A warning of disease or injury to the body or to protect yourself from harm.
• Lasts a relatively short time.
• Is a message telling you to take steps to treat the pain.
• Goes away when source of pain is treated or healed.
• May be mild or severe.
• Lasts less than three to six months.
• Examples include a broken bone, a cut or labor & delivery.

Chronic Pain:

• Persistent pain.
• Does not indicate the presence of disease or injury.
• Continues despite attempts to intervene and end it.
• Not the result of an identifiable outside trigger.
• Is considered a disease in itself.
• Examples include chronic migraines, back pain, fibromyalgia & complex regional pain syndrome.

Sources:
Chronic Pain Information Page: NINDS
Acute vs. Chronic Pain
Do You Have Acute Pain or Chronic 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.

Wednesday's My Migraine Connection Chats

Health Central's My Migraine Connection site will host another set of monthly chats this week. The chats are scheduled for Wednesday, June 16 from 2 pm to 4 pm Eastern and 8 pm to 10 pm Eastern. These chats will be on the theme of the stigma associated with migraines. 

Visit this link for more information: 
Migraines, Stigma & People Who Don't Understand

We'll discuss:

- Is there a stigma attached to Migraine?

- If so, how do we combat that stigma?

- Getting family and friends involved so they understand 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.

June 2010 Headache Blog Carnival: Food, Glorious Food

Welcome to the June 2010 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.

The theme of the June carnival is "Food, Glorious Food: How Does Food Fit Into Your Life? As a trigger or something to avoid? A comfort? A temptation?"

Migraineurs and people living with headache disorders have complicated relationships with food. Certain foods commonly trigger migraines, such as items high in tyramine and MSG, caffeine, hard cheeses and red wine. While we're making a strong effort to avoid these triggers, we also know we have to find a way to eat on regular intervals because missing meals is often a migraine trigger, too. This can be difficult because the gastrointestinal issues that come along with migraines can make it hard to eat things that help us. Between nausea, vomiting and other troublesome intestinal symptoms, it can seem nearly impossible to do what you know your body needs from you.

Many of us have tried restrictive diets such as gluten free or dairy free diets to see if these will help with our symptoms. While some people are helped, many of us find no difference despite our investment of time and money into these approaches. It can be very frustrating and demoralizing to realize you've tried another thing that didn't really help. Perhaps we're grasping at straws by trying these diets that help other chronic illnesses, but is there any reason not to try something harmless in case it might be what helps us? It's hard to say these approaches aren't at least worth a try even when they don't end up helping much. Of course, I tend to think the true issue is that we need individualized diet plans that take our unique needs into considering. Unfortunately we don't have much access to that at this point.

Given our overly complicated relationships with food, I thought it would be fascinating to have the carnival focus on how all of you interact with food and how your migraines or other headache disorders fit in.

Please keep reading for the June 2010 collection of posts.

James Cottrill presents Enzyme Supplements and Migraines at Headache and Migraine News. 

Teri Robert presents Food & Migraines: Friends? Enemies? at Putting Our Heads Together. 

Emily presents Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Antibodies posted at No Extended Warranty. 

Steph presents Breaking News: Crap Food Leads to Crappiness at Head Wise. 

Migrainista presents Balancing Healthy with High Calorie at Migrainista.  

Annie presents I am One Part Foodie, One Part Terrified at It's Time to Get Over How Fragile You Are.  

Jasmine presents Making Food My Medicine: Quotes to Motivate at Jasmine's Cove. 

Dot presents Tempur-Pedic Sleep Mask Review: Top Tool for Fibromyalgia & Migraines at Fibromyalgia Blog: The Adventures of Dot & Fibro Mom. 

David presents Natural Pain Relievers: 20 Herbs that Work at Native Remedies Blog.

Thanks for the great posts this month. I was thrilled to get so many high quality submissions! Submit your blog post to the July 2010 edition of the Headache and Migraine Disease Blog Carnival using our carnival submission form or by e-mailing your submissions to me by e-mail. The theme will be "How do you cope with your headache disorder?" Entries are due by midnight on Friday, July 9, and the carnival will be here at Somebody Heal Me on Monday, July 12. 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.

Found Series: A Bunch of Helpful Tools

Here's a list of all the posts since the beginning of the Found Series. The Found Series is a collection of posts highlighting useful, easily accessible tools of great use to just about anyone living with migraines.

Found: Be Kind to Your Brain

Found: CFL Covers

Found: Blackle

Found: Hot/Cold Pads & Aromatherapy Spray on Etsy

Found: Handheld Digital Thermometer for Biofeedback Training

Found: Colgate Wisp Disposable Toothbrush

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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.

Reminder: Twitter Migraine Chat Tonight

Don't forget to join us on Twitter tonight at 8 pm CST for the weekly migraine chat. We use the hashtag #migrainechat. Go to this link and log in to your Twitter account for an easy way to join in:

TweetChat: #migrainechat

My Twitter handle is @somebodyhealme. Please spread the word about the chat! Hope to chat with you this evening.

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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: June 2010 Headache Blog Carnival (Food, Glorious Food)

Submissions for the June 2010 Headache & Migraine Disease Blog Carnival are due by midnight (the end of the day) tomorrow, Friday, June 11. Posts may be submitted through the form on the carnival website or directly to me by e-mail.

The theme is "Food, Glorious Food: How Does Food Fit Into Your Life? As a trigger or something to avoid? A comfort? A temptation?" As always, feel free to interpret this topic however you like. 

The June carnival will be posted on Monday, June 14 right here at Somebody Heal Me.

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


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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.

Sleep Hygiene Key for Migraineurs

Migraineurs are sensitive. Our brains don't regulate sleep as well as they need to. We tend to wake easily and have trouble getting an adequate amount of rest. Although there will always be times when it seems impossible to get the sleep we need, there are things we can do to improve our chances.

Experts recommend these basic steps for establishing the best possible sleep routine:

(1) Don't oversleep - Many people mistakenly think you can make up for lost sleep by catching up on winks another night. You can't. Get up at your normal time even when you didn't sleep as long as usual to stay on your normal schedule.

(2) Adjust your body's clock - Your body is highly responsive to light. It is essential to keep your sleeping area dark, but to allow sunlight into your bedroom as the sun rises so your body begins the awakening process. When you wake up open the blinds and turn on the lights to get your body pumping in response to the trigger of light.

(3) Get regular exercise - I know this can be hard for migraineurs, but try to get in some physical activity. It will help you fall asleep at a reasonable time and get better rest. Plus it's great for preventing migraines and reducing stress. Can't beat that. Gentle stretching or yoga right before bed can help relax your body, calm your mind and prepare you for sleep.

(4) Avoid naps - When you didn't get enough sleep the night before taking a nap can be incredibly tempting. Naps can work into your sleep plan, but you must be strategic. Don't nap for longer than 20 minutes and avoid napping too late in the day. You don't want your nap to interfere with your ability to fall asleep at the appropriate time that night. Research shows that this kind of nap helps some people make up for lost sleep the right before, though it can also worsen depression for those who are prone to it.

(5) Develop a bedtime routine - End any stimulating activities about an hour before your bedtime. Instead, do something relaxing such as reading, watching TV or listening to music.

(6) Establish consistency - Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time every single day, including weekends and holidays.

(7) Avoid problematic habits - Limit caffeine throughout the day, especially within a few hours of bedtime. If you have trouble sleeping experiment with scaling back on caffeine and stopping it earlier until you see some improvement. Like any substance it can affect individuals very differently. The same is true of alcohol. It interrupts your sleep if you overindulge. Moderation is key.

(8) Create an environment conducive to rest - Cooler rooms tend to lead to better sleep than warmer rooms. White noise can help you tune out distracting noises that might disrupt your sleep. Freshly laundered sheets are always a nice way to drift off for the night. Finding the right pillow can be key. Avoid trying to fall asleep with a TV on or at least set it to turn off automatically after a few minutes so it's not in the background to disrupt your sleep.

What helps you get a good night's sleep? Do you nap? Share in the comments.

Sources:
How to Get a Good Night's Sleep
The Healthy Benefits of Midday Napping
Migraine Headaches: Connection to Food?

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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.

Simplify Life with Migraines & Chronic Illness: Beauty

Depending on how you feel about yourself and what makes you beautiful, you may or may not struggle with the limitations chronic illness can place on your ability to keep up with our standards of beauty.

In high school I never worried much about makeup. I wore it if I was going to a club or a dance, and that's about it. Grunge really didn't require much in the way of makeup, what with the copious amounts of flannel and denim. Does lip gloss even go with Docs? I'm not sure. But as I started college I began to grow more enthusiastic about styling my hair and doing my makeup. I think it was the effect of living with a bunch of girls in a dorm. It was a ritual to start drinking and do our makeup. You can imagine the hilarious over application of eye shadow that resulted. Good times. I continued to enjoy makeup and shopping for and applying it all the way through college and law school. I was great at throwing on a five minute face when I started my first real job, and I loved looking pulled together in a suit and slingbacks with my hair and makeup looking perfect. It made me feel powerful and, let's face it, sexy.

But with the advancement of my chronic migraines / chronic daily headache, it grew increasingly impossible to meet those standards. Most days I was rolling out of bed feeling like crap a full 15 minutes before I had to get on the road for my commute. I'd ask my husband to find me something to wear, wash my face, brush my teeth and rush out the door. It was humiliating, but I couldn't keep up with making it to work every day, let alone maintain those standards I'd chosen to impose on myself for years.

These days I'm fairly comfortable with my limits. Since I don't show up to a workplace, I don't much mind running errands and going to appointments in my natural state. I try to keep my eye brows groomed and my legs shaved so I'm not horrified by the overgrowth of blond hair no one but me can even see. On a good day I'm able to fix my hair early in the day and do my makeup in the evening in preparation for dinner or shopping with my husband. That always feels good. But it doesn't hurt to have the kind of husband who tells you that you look better without makeup, either.

I've done some research for this article, but a lot of the information I've compiled comes from my own experiences trying to find ways to make a beauty and grooming routine work within my limits. What tips & tricks do you have to add? Please share in the comments.

Keep your routine simple.

• Skincare: Some companies will lead you to believe you need a grip load of expensive products to have lovely skin. This is simply not true. Experts recommend just four steps to follow to have great skin: (1) Cleanse; (2) Exfoliate; (3) Moisturize; and (4) Sunscreen.  

• Makeup: It doesn't take much to make you feel a little better about how you look. Mascara, concealer, powder and lip gloss can go a long, long way toward making you feel polished before you step out for your day. Check out this great video to learn how to do the perfect five minute face: Michelle Phan's Simple Fast Makeup.

• Hair: Keep your hair long enough to pull it back or short enough to accommodate a wash & wear style. Experiment with products that allow you to get the look you desire with little effort. Your hairstylist can help you find the right choices.

Leave yourself plenty of time for special occasions. We know it takes us longer to get ready than the average woman. We have to accept that. I like to shower early in the day and fix my hair, then rest for a few hours and do my makeup right before I get dressed. If I don't have an entire day to get ready I either do my hair or my makeup, but not both.


Consider paying to have your hair and/or makeup done for special events. You'll be able to save your energy to enjoy the party or event.

Only spend a lot of money on products that are worth that investment and hard to buy in drugstores.

• Mascara, eye shadow, lip gloss and blush all have great drugstore options. There is no need to spend much on these products to get a great result. 

• It can be hard to buy foundation, concealer and powder in a drugstore, however, because of the need to match your skin tone. I think it's worth seeking out a specialty store for these products if you possibly can.

Loosen up your personal standards. I used to be one of those people who couldn't fathom going to a work event, dinner or party without having makeup on. Now I know I'm doing good to be able to make it at all and appreciate the moment.

Seemingly little things like shaving your legs and maintaining your bikini line can take on a large burden when you have pain and are low on energy. 

• Try some short cut products: I've found that the newer Nair products are much nicer than they used to be even 10 years ago. The smell is highly tolerable and they work with little effort. 

• See a professional: Getting a professional wax is another great option.

Put together an arsenal of short cut products & tips. Some of my favorites include:

• Neutrogena Cleansing Towelettes: I rely heavily on these when I'm knocked flat at the end of the day. I keep them by my bed.

• Almay Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover Pads: These are a great companion to the Neutrogena wipes. Even when you're completely beat at the end of the day you can go to sleep with a clean, makeup free face.

• Dry shampoo or baby powder (perfect inexpensive option for blonds). If you use the baby powder, sprinkle it on your hair and brush it in to allow it to absorb the excess oil in your hair on a day when you can't wash your hair. I've never used dry shampoo since my hair is light enough to use baby powder, so you'll want to follow the package directions in case they work differently.

• Bliss Problem Salved: This little tube can perform at least 20 functions for you, probably more. Use it to prevent or heal blisters, soothe sunburns or insect bites, soften rough heels, fix makeup mistakes or many other purposes. You can buy it at the Bliss website: Problem Salved.

• Nars the Multiple: You can use this stick on your lips and cheeks, leaving extra room in your makeup kit.

• Blend your own tinted moisturizer: You don't need to buy a new product to have a foundation suitable for summer. Blend equal parts of foundation and water-resistant sunscreen in the palm of your hand and apply it like moisturizer. As a bonus you've knocked out two steps in one swipe.

Sources:
Do Your Makeup Faster
Skin Care: The 4 Basic Skin Care Needs
Six Beauty Shortcuts


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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.

Recommended ACT & Mindfulness Resources

I've mentioned a couple of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and mindfulness resources in passing, but I'm such a fan of these techniques that I want to provide a more comprehensive list of the great books and audio programs I've come across. Almost all of these items can be employed to cope with not only emotional pain, but also physical pain. The principles are the same, so as you learn them in one context, you also learn them in the other.

Free Resources:

Audio Downloads - Scroll midway down the page for two free mp3 recordings.

Tara Brach's podcast - Years of great content from her talks at the Insight Meditation Community of Washington.

Total Happiness videos by Shinzen Young on YouTube

Sharon Salzburg's articles

ACT for the Public Yahoo! Group - You have to ask to become a member to avoid spammers. Everyone is approved.

Get Out of Your Mind blog on Psychology Today by Steven C. Hayes

Basic info sheets about ACT available for download.

Worksheets, Recordings, Supplements: Free resources on The Happiness Trap's website.

ACT Made Simple blog


Available for Purchase (buying through these Amazon.com links supports Somebody Heal Me):

How to be Sick: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide for the Chronically Ill & their Caregivers by Toni Bernhard

Get Out of Your Mind & Into Your Life: The New Acceptance & Commitment Therapy by Steven C. Hayes

Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body & Mind to Face Stress, Pain & Illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn

The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living by Russ Harris

Break Through Pain: A Step-by-Step Mindfulness Meditation Program for Transforming Chronic and Acute Pain by Shinzen Young

The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness by Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindel Segal & Jon Kabat-Zinn

Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief: Guided Practices for Reclaiming Your Body and Your Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn

The Mindfulness & Acceptance Workbook for Depression: Using Acceptance & Commitment Therapy to Move Through Depression & Create a Life Worth Living by Kirk Strosahl & Patricia J. Robinson

Do you have other resources to suggest? Please share them in the comments.

Subscribe to the Somebody Heal Me feed: Subscribe in a reader or subscribe by e-mail.

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.