|
My counselor suggested this week that I really get a handle on how I manage my migraines. They have gotten worse as I have grown older, and have turned into what is called "basilar migraines"- they come from my brain stem, and render me blind for up to a day or more. My pain has ramped up, too, and is absolutely unbearable. I cannot have any narcotics to control this pain, so I must come up with other solutions. I also cannot have anything like Imitrex because it would shut down my brain stem- not cool. So there really is nothing I can take except for medicine to keep me from constantly throwing up. The biggest problem is my discouragement. My headaches wreck not only my days, but Wade's, too. This upsets me. I need to really teach myself how to cope with massive pain, and also the feelings that I would like to die when I have this pain. I am just being honest here. I really need your help with this. Suggestions? Thank you in advance, Jaianniah (Liz) This is a picture of what my last headache felt like.
If you copy the picture, please give credit to Jaianniah- Thanks!
showing 0 of 19
show 19 more comments
|
|
On the surface, I would like to tell you that every time I get a migraine.....and I only get one or two per year.....it is after an outing or sports event when I have not had water to drink for many hours. So for me, they are from dehydration every time. If I don't catch this and nip it in the bud they will go on for a couple of days, so needless to say I avoid this as much as I can. You also need to retain the water you drink by making sure you get enough minerals like calcium, mangesium and especially potassium (bananas, yogurt, or supplements). This works like magic for me in preventing migraines and when I have mentioned it to others it has helped them too. Everyone is different, so try this and see if it helps. I see that ELE wrote about that as well, and I wanted to reinforce that it really does help a lot of people. The second layer of my answer (sorry, Jai, I have a tiered response today!) is trying affirmations. You would have to be persistent until this becomes a part of your daily thinking. Something like this, "I am never sick or in pain for more than a couple of hours. Thankfully I enjoy perfect health!" You would need to repeat it every morning and never forget. After awhile it does work. I had to repeat it about a million times until it sunk in but even at 53 I am really healthy and when something comes up it is only short-lived. I even believe I get inspired answers to any health problems so that I can combat them easily, like the above case of the migraines. I easily noticed the solution so that I could avoid them. The third suggestion, probably a dumb one since you have already posted this question, is to avoid talking about the problem, mentioning it, asking about it, or in any way giving power to it. A Navajo friend taught me this and it helps! And if you absoutely HAVE to talk about it, do not say "my headaches, or my migraines really hurt"....avoid the term "MY" and thus deny ownership of it. Instead, say "migraines". Best wishes in avoiding the headaches. (notice I didn't say "your headaches! LOL) 2
Thanks LeeAnn 1 I can't say enough about staying well hydrated. It's your 1st defense against all headaches. I was listening to NPR yesterday & they were discussing headaches & migraines in particular. They stressed staying hydrated & they also mentioning taking 500 mg of Magnesium to prevent Migraines (I take more). I forgot about mentioning magnesium. This is the one supplement I cannot live w/out - PERIOD. Many times, it's the only supplement I take. It plays an essential role in pain ..
(14 Apr '13, 18:58)
ele
2
pain .. management (reduction of pain) as well as cardiac health. The Dr's. also mentioned butterbur to treat migraines. LeeAnn, love all your doable suggestions & your Navajo friend is a very wise person, indeed. (hmm... like attracts like)
(14 Apr '13, 19:03)
ele
showing 2 of 3
show 1 more comments
|
|
Jai, i certainly agree with Snow when he says headaches are linked with chronic stress that you're internalizing and not finding appropriate methods of venting the energy. As you most certainly know there are two principle energies flowing through our bodies, that i prefer to name the yin and the yang. It seems to me that you're a highly intuitive and introverted person which would suggest that you have an excess of yin energy which is corroborated by your drawing. For me your picture depicts a central white spot of yang energy smothered by a knotted mass of yin energy, it's no wonder that you suffer from migraines, the yang energy needs to express itself. Your stresses are probably deep rooted and to liberate these pent up energies suggests doing things counter intuitive, here is an article that may give you a few new ideas; Very helpful answer. If indeed her headaches are really migraines; the metaphysical reason behind this would be sexual in nature. The majority of headaches are due to stress, but not all. When I look at the pic, I see something very positive. Jai also said she saw the hole she went down when she journeys. ETA I completely agree with this "not finding appropriate methods of venting the energy" absolutely, being a victim does not empower.
(12 Apr '13, 03:59)
ele
"internalizing" agree with this also, tho I think we see it differently. Possibly internalizing ANGER, perhaps towards herself which is destroying her slowly but surely at a cellular level just as hanging onto the past is. Jai, why can't you let the past go? Why are you punishing yourself? You weren't to blame for any of it. I still see something very positive in those squiggles.
(12 Apr '13, 05:29)
ele
|
|
A Naturopathic Doctor might have some herbal remedies for you to try. They might have insight as to what is causing it. You may have a defficiency or something. As far as transcending the pain, I wish I could say that I have transcended pain, but I cannot. I am familiar with pain though. What I find to help me are a few different things. Two Hands Touching really helps to get through things. For example, my SI joint was out and I could barely walk, so I went to the chiropractor. I couldn't even lie down on the table and it was reactive to the touch. He said that the muscles were too tight, that he couldn't adjust me, to go home and take muscle relaxers for a few days and come back. I knew that the situation would only get worse, as this has happened before, several times since I fell. So I was not leaving there without an adjustment. I pressed my hands together and put all my focus on my hands touching, and laid myself down and he adjusted me. I kept my hands together as I moved so he could get other spots. Then he said, "Uh oh, I need you to move your hands, are you going to be able?" So I said, "That's OK, I'll feel my arms." So he got everything. I asked him if he could feel the muscles relax when I didn that and he said, "Well, I wasn't going to be able to adjust you before." So it may get you through something. Also, it is vital to watch your thoughts and your focus. When I catch myself miserating, or focussing on what I don't want, I switch to thinking of what I appreciate instead. Sometime THT helps with that also. Find things you enjoy doing that takes your mind off the pain. Like your paintings. I think I remember you saying that you didn't feel the headache when you were painting. I guess it would be difficult if you were already to the point of not being able to see. If that happens, use your imagination, and visualize yourself painting. Ask your doctor about taking cinnamon for the diabetes. Cinnamon normalizes the blood sugar. Make sure you are getting enough vitamin D. You may want to get your vit D levels checked. And when I think of the pain being so bad that I just want to die, I realize that 1. I don't want to attract more tragedy with that thought and 2. My son needs me to get better and be here for him. @Jai As FP said, I also recall you saying you didn't have any pain when you were painting. You've also posted online when you had migraines. This is not the common migraine & it's a very dangerous type; you shouldn't be able to function. Two points 1) It makes me think your pain is more psychological than physical which is a good thing. 2) I think you need another opinion. You should demand one. If your pain is as bad as you say it is, you need a referral to see a pain specialist if . . .
(12 Apr '13, 23:58)
ele
1
if . . . your primary care Dr does not or cannot manage your pain. This is not acceptable & is not standard medical practice in my area. Whether your pain is emotional or physical or a combo of both, you should not suffer. There is help out there.
(12 Apr '13, 23:59)
ele
|
|
I might sound very "self-centered" sometimes but here is the thing. I used to see so much suffering in the world and have the desire to make things better until it just overwhelmed me how powerless I am. I cannot save six billion people from suffering; I cannot save even a single person in this world. They speak of modern medicine saving lives but a billionaire with the best medical care that money can provide still dies, and I have seen the very rich dying and they suffer just as much if not more so than the poor. How can I tell someone that everything is fine when I can't prove it to myself? How can I tell them there is a point when I can't see it? How can I tell them that God loves them and not feel like a fraud afterwards when I doubt that love? Unless I know that everything is alright and life is not as dark as it seems, I can't even comfort anyone. But I can only know this from my personal experience of the relationship between me and God. All else is vanity. All the so-called virtues of man are nothing but vanity. Kindness, compassion, intelligence, wisdom, strength, they are all vanity. If God loves, God loves us all, because there is nothing any one of us can do to be more or less worthy of his love, because we are powerless. We depend on God for our very breath. God is a slave to us because he has to constantly sustain us and there is nothing we can give him in return. We have absolutely nothing to offer God. Why would God create and enslave himself to us if not out of love? And if God loves, God loves me. And if God loves me, God loves you, and I am free of the illusion of thinking I have to be, or even can be, your savior. I see others suffer but I cannot focus on that suffering because it is not my job to save others. If God loves us, we don't need to be saved, we are already saved. God gave himself to us and God is all that is. Otherwise, there is no salvation. I don't know the answer to your problem. I only know that you are either saved and therefore don't need me to give you an answer; or lost and therefore there is no answer. You do not depend on me or any other human being. hello flowsurfer, your words reveal your inner state of turmoil, of someone low in spirits and disheartened ... i suggest that you read, study, absorb and put into action the reply given by Grace to the question here on IQ "how does life get better when i don't know how to be positive?"
(12 Apr '13, 04:15)
ru bis
1
I checked Grace's answer. There is nothing of value in it for me. The answer I gave above was meant for me. There is nothing in here for me. I'm trying to find salvation in other human beings because I don't trust God but it isn't in them. There is no reason for me to keep checking the answers here because I'll never find what I am looking for in them.
(12 Apr '13, 05:23)
flowsurfer
1
@flowsurfer: I perhaps mention this too much, but I believe Jesus's true teachings were something explaining your difficulty in finding salvation. I think he tried to tell everyone our salvation need not be earned nor bought from anyone for any reason, it has been our birth right since creation. If this is the case, it would explain why you are unable to find salvation from anyone else or even your 'God': There is no salvation to be searched for and found, because you have it already.
(12 Apr '13, 06:11)
Snow
1
flowsurfer Can you trust the Universe? Can you trust yourself? I trust the Universe to always provide. I never believed in a traditional God. When I was 3 or 4 I recall having doubts & many ?'s. Every year after that my doubts increased. Why would you ask anyone to save you, save you from what? As Snow said, salvation is within. You already have it.
(12 Apr '13, 06:29)
ele
ele and Snow; God to me means the following: that invisible reality which causes my visible experience. That is all. Many people call that God "The Universe" because they assume it to have the shape and personality of the universe; some even call themselves "atheists". Do I have salvation? Do I really? Salvation to the hungry means food; to those in pain like Jai, it means relief; to the powerless it is power. I have not been able to find my salvation within yet.
(15 Apr '13, 18:34)
flowsurfer
@flowsurfer "to those in pain like Jai, it means relief"" perhaps, but I think when she talks about Salvation, she's talking about deliverance from sin & not relief from migraines. I still use the at symbol (@) because it highlights the users name & easier for the visually impaired or aging eyes to see.
(15 Apr '13, 23:08)
ele
@ele And what does the word sin mean?
(15 Apr '13, 23:26)
flowsurfer
@flowsurfer sin means NOTHING to me.
(16 Apr '13, 01:10)
ele
showing 2 of 8
show 6 more comments
|
|
Hi Jai, I know how it is, and I feel for you. Migraines can take over your life. I'm on a quest to find my own personal root cause for them, but in the meantime, I use accupressure on my hand. It's a point on the web between thumb and forefinger.
You have to catch it very early on in the migraine, at the first sign of visual disturbance. Press around that area firmly, til you sense the most effective point. It's hard to describe how you will know, but you will feel it. Then you just massage at that point and keep on it till you feel some relief - something sort of shifts. This has not always stopped the migraines in their tracks, but it has weakened their strength and can interrupt what I call a "swarm" or a "season" of migraines. Good luck! :) |
|
good post , this is soo much more common than any of us think. What pain are you in ? you didn't share that, the fight is to continue through life with a heart, so many things are pulling our attention to this and that ;that we feel overwelmed <--<< this is normal . I was sharing this thought with my popz today .The bottom line is to have people in your corner that honestly care about your well being. My popz is the hard type in a good way far as getting things done solo , he described his child hood to me and I understand a bit more of why he is who he is. At the same time he is now reaching out to those that he neglected in his youth , these people are family members . There wasn't any beef between them he just did what he had to do and there relationships suffered, I can say that he is in a better place . I'm happy for my popz . |
If you are seeing this message then the Inward Quest system has noticed that your web browser is behaving in an unusual way and is now blocking your active participation in this site for security reasons. As a result, among other things, you may find that you are unable to answer any questions or leave any comments. Unusual browser behavior is often caused by add-ons (ad-blocking, privacy etc) that interfere with the operation of our website. If you have installed these kinds of add-ons, we suggest you disable them for this website
Are you staying well hydrated? Dehydration is a major contributing factor if you suffer from migraines. Have you ever tried craniosacral work? Love the art! Again use your shaman training - what do those currents of energy represent?
I am a diabetic, and drink water all day- but you may have something. Thanks so much! <3
Normally when diabetes is controlled; a diabetic does NOT crave water. Though I don't have diabetes; I'm very very familiar with it. Fact is the simplest solution to preventing a migraine is to stay hydrated. Google this if you don't believe me. Hydration via an IV is how a migraine is usually treated in ER , plus something for pain.
ele is strongly on point here. Also make sure you're also consuming enough sodium and potassium to actually retain the water you're drinking.
You can also get headaches from issues with chronic stress. It could be worth it to examine if you're internalizing anything, perhaps not finding appropriate methods of venting pent up energy?
Thank you both! I will bring these things up with my MD. Seriously!
Jai I asked you this before - are you positive your headaches are migraines? They don't sound like migraines to me. Many different types of headaches cause extreme pain - I know. As for what Snow said. Do NOT go overboard with the water. It could cause an electrolyte imbalance & that could be very serious - I know. Your kidneys may be compromised due to your diabetes & it would not be advisable to drink vast amounts of water. Just stay hydrated & make sure you eat well.
Jai I hope you read the edits on my comments. Being a victim & not allowing yourself to forget the past is destroying you at a cellular level. Internalizing could = anger. Have you tried acupuncture? How about a PT who specializes in pain & uses alternative methods. Your insurance will pay for a pain clinic. It's now common practice for pain clinics to be familiar with the mind body connection & they utilize & have many new options.. I'm sure you will find a good psychologist at one.
jai, pain is a signal, your body is trying to tell you what is being ignored, possibly pushing to do what is not you. damming it up is seldomly a viable solution nor is re-living the past. refocus on what you push yourself to do
Jai, not sure if this is the answer to your headache problems, but FYI, diabetes is physically curable by dietary means. This was recently written up in the following journal, which I've subscribed to for a while: http://www.wellbeingjournal.com/vol-22-no-2-marchapril-2013/
And if you are interested in even more information, they have an archive of diabetes-related articles here: http://www.wellbeingjournal.com/preventing-and-healing-diabetes-and-metabolic-syndrome-naturally/
i definitely dont have experience with this. but you can try one thing: 1) Dont talk about this headache to anyone and don't verbalize and complaint about it for a solid 1 month or so. Of course when pain is there you have to deal with it... so deal with it like how you normally do. Take medicine... or go to doctor etc.. whatever you currently do deal with pain. but when someone says how are you.. just say yes i am doing good. and dont talk and complaint about the headache at all.
2) Everyday do a gratitude list for everything you are happy about, include nature, the food you eat and how some dont even have food etc etc.. you probably know this part.
3) everyday do small meditation even 5 mins twice (once day and once night) with affirmations asking God (insert whoever you resonate with Jesus, Source , Universe or whatever) to guide you that you know he already is guiding you. The same Energy that guides planets to revolve around SUn, the same Energy from God that guides Earth to rotate and not have all of us fall off the planet. etc etc.. the same energy that lets us breathe everyday, that same energy is guiding you to your own well being.
4) Make sure you do things that bring you joy regularly.. maybe you like to watch movies, go on a hike, or dance or listen to music.. 5) for 30 days dont look over your shoulder or analyze anything about these 30 days how they are going etc.. and truly let go as much you can. Then after 30 days see how it all went looking back.
Yes, my dad cured his type 2 diabetes with diet.
Yes, exercise & diet can cure type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately you cannot cure type 1; but diet & exercise has an amazing effect on type 1.
@Jai After an accident I had headaches for many long months - muscular skeletal, tmj & cluster. They were excruciating. I would be awaken early in the morning by excruciating intense pain. It was disabling, I couldn't even stand up. Acupuncture worked miracles. Many of his clients are migraine sufferers. It might be worth a try. Your insurance should pay for it.
@Jai check out these links for migraine art
http://www.google.com/search?output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=migraine+art&btnK=&rlz=1R2ADFA_enUS417
http://www.bing.com/search?q=migraine+art&form=MSNH14&pq=migraine+art&sc=8-0&sp=-1&qs=n&sk=
Thank you all for your suggestions and great support. @ele-I am sure that I suffer from basilar migraines- they are the only type that shut off the occipital lobe and thus renders me blind at times. I have a terrific doctor who unfortunately fell and broke his hip and has been unavailable through the last few months. @ele- Your picture of me is inaccurate. I am not in a wheelchair and actually am working towards my yellow belt in Karate with Wade.
@Jai What was I supposed to think? This is what you said "and being handicapped and partially in a wheelchair" just a couple weeks ago.
http://www.inwardquest.com/questions/72258/i-have-been-stopped-dead-on-my-path-to-finishing-my-degree-what-is-the-universe-trying-to-tell-me
Glad to hear differently. hose headaches are very dangerous; the type which could result in a stroke. I know someone who suffers from that type, incurred a stroke & lost the vision from the left side of both eyes.