Capt Deb Visits the Headache Wizard

[Larry]

Howdy Capt Deb,

I am rather annoyed at the quackery support I am "not" getting. I will place one more call with this neurologist but don't hold out much luck. I'm using this site for my medical advice!!!!!

I am trying Lyrica but finding that i am moody and headaches are worse. I think I'm going to go back to neurontin. I will talk to me gp about the jab stuff but probably best to speak to a neurosurgeon. I'm still a bit worried about my eyes following a brief encounter with Topomax. got a bit of blurry vission from time to time. I've been to opthomologist but she reckons they are ok and the drug wouldn't have caused  the eye issues. Yeah righ - another duck!

You get to the point that you know your body and what affects it and what doesn't.

Laz

here a quack, there a quack, everywhere a quack quack, old feeling Laz had a farm ee i ee i ooooohhhhh

[Captain Deb]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, alla ye Wenches and swashbucklers, Dr. LURve and me gassed up the land yacht and sailed to Greensboro to visit the Headache Wizard yesterday.
Shiver me timbers! I feel like one a them Voo-doo D0lls!!! 25 shots in the head, neck and shoulders! Yikes--I passed out twice--yep, completely blacked out right in the chair! Heck, I ain't never passed out stone-cold sober before! Well, I walked into the office to begin with, with total wonkyhead from the 3 hour ride--1 hour on twisty mountain roads and 2 on a freeway--barf bag at the ready! Gotta get some happy pills for the next visit or something!

He specially shot up my incision area where I gots them little nubby things that they screwed inta my head to reattach my skull flap so my brains wouldn't squirt outta my head.
That place has felt like a too tight ponytail since day one. I gotta tell ya, it don't feel like that no more!!!
The trigger point injections are a mixture of lidocaine and a steroid--the lidocaine left my head and neck completely numb for a while, but most of it seems to have worn off by now. Guess they put that in there so the steroid doesn't burn so bad.  I had steroid shots in my elbow with no lidocaine and it got way worse before it got better.

Anyhoo-we'll see what happens! Gave myself 4 Imitrex shots this week--had a whopper of a headache on Wednesday which woke me up at 5:00 AM--those are the WORST!!  Very hard to get rid of , even with 2 jabs of Trex.

Hope Laz reads this--we seem to be floatin around in the same headache boat!!

Hugs to all,
Capt Deb
thinkin' of our dear Gennysmom and hopin' sh gets better soon!

[ppearl214]

I am SOOOOOOOOOO calling you later!!!!!!!!!!!

xxoxoxoxoxoox

[Janet]

Deb,

Sounds like you have hooked up with a doc that is attacking your headaches from every angle. I am rooting for you! Hopefully, you will be in control of your headaches, instead of them in control of you soon.

Janet

[Captain Deb]

Well, alla you Wenches and swashbucklin' blokes, I am 4 days out from the Voo-doo Doll treatment and the neck stiffness has mostly passed and I haven't had a headache yet.  Don't know if the Neurontin has kicked in (1200mg and going to 1800 today) or it's the shots, but I don't really care.  I think the Neurontin makes me a little loopy (loopier than my normal loopy self) but that should pass, too dontcha think?

I am also a caffeine-free captain now--even t hough I was somewhat limiting my caffeine before. My favorite guilty pleasure was a big cuppa sumatran coffee in the morning--I'm drinking mocha java de-caf now.

Sorry about this thread being all about yours truly, but I hope my experience with the Headache Wizard can help someone suffering from the same post-surgery headaches!

Capt Deb

[Larry]

ah mon, dees voodoo docotors are de best mon.

Actually Deb, I've had the head pion cushion treatment - twice - did nothing for me.

I have given up Lyrica as a bad joke and gone back to Neurontin. I'm in 900mg per day coz anymore and I think I'd fall asleep at my desk (earlier than I do now). As an expirement - don't ya love the way the docs word things? i am also taking sinequan at night. It's an anti depressant but am taking it for the headache pain - too early to tell yet.

Deb, perhaps we can now call ya Captain Needles? sounds like a Chicago 30's name doesn't it?

Hopefully the headaches stay away for a period of time and its not a "one day wonder"


laz

[Captain Deb]

How 'bout Captain Pincushion? Hey, I read about the combination of SSRI anti-depressants and Triptans (Imitrex) causing severe reactions of "Seratonin Symdrome" in people. I'm on Cymbalta which is an SSRI and had 4 Imitrex shots last week, however the Imitrex dose is really small.  Gonna ask my doc about it. Kinda scarey, cuz some of these reactions have been fatal.
Capt Deb

[Larry]

Research time again - cheers Capt pincushion - I like it - but too many keys to press. Parrot is much easier to type!


laz

[ppearl214]

to the 2 pin-cushions.... 

[Mtn Gal]

Hi Capt,
I'm glad you are getting some relief from those nasty headaches.
Hope the witch doctor will keep an eye on you and not let
you get too many holes poked in ya.
Would hate to see our capt with portholes.

Best wishes,
Mtn Gal

[Captain Deb]

Hey Mtn Gall-
I can't locate your phone #--give me a call!  We need to get together and go for a walk--if it ever cools down up here!

Had a weird thing today--really bad searing pain in neck and shoulder area--maybe the injections wearing off?  He said they would last anywhere from a week to a month.  The idea of gettin' that done to me every two weeks really sucks!  I passed out twice while he was givin' me the injections and I had calmed my head down for an hour first (3 hr drive--1/3 on twisty mountain roads!) AND he has no more afternoon appts till October, so I gotta get up at zero-dark-thirty and have Dr. Love drive me there. Yikes!
Capt Deb

[Captain Deb]

Well, mateys, the elbow doc has given me the OK to pick up a paintbrush again!
 I tried to get the Headache Wizard to give me some Valium to take for the 3 hour car ride down there on Friday, but all he'd give me was Meclizine. Jeez--even my dentist gives me Valium for a major appointment.  Guess this doc has never had to have 25 shots in the head before.  Very distressing.  I just want to not care WHAT he does! The more out of it the better for that ordeal!
Capt Deb

[Larry]

Oh capt Deb, Oh Capt Deb,
a pincushion ye be,
a sight that sore eyes would not want to see
We wish you well for your long journey there
and hope that the doc is not a grizzly bear.

for these here bears have long and sharp claws
like doctors who speak with crooked jaws
they like to operate on ye women of the sea
coz after all they need to pay for their golf membership fee

It will be easier the second time round
but beware coz it will cost ya lots of pounds.


jeesh, better not quit my day job!


Laz

[Captain Deb]

Laz,
I am deeply, deeply moved by your lovely sentiment!   Send me some Aussie Valium! 5 or 6 will do.
Capt Deb

[staypoz]

Capt Deb:

Mind you, my trigger points are without steroids, but I have been taking them for 6 or 7 months now and have learned some things from my experience.  I don't know how they position you when they give you the injections, but I am usually seated with my neck on a pillow on an exam table.  I periodically ask to take a breather and raise my head.  It helps mightily with any queasiness and stiffness.  I have also been encouraged to gently exercise my muscles so that the anesthetic reaches where it needs to go.  I have also put ice packs on my neck/shoulders if they've missed the muscle and might get a bruise.

Hang in there.  I had some shots today and they are making a difference for me.  Hope they do the same for you.

staypoz