Filed under: Life
I went to the neuro yesterday that my ENT referred me to for my headaches. I was pleasantly surprised, not knowing anything about this doctor, that the door said it was a headache clinic. Well, that is nice!
I had a million pages of paperwork and a zillion questions about the nature of my headaches which took me forever to fill out but once I was called back I was seen right away which was nice because my granddaddy came with me to watch Bee.
She sized up my "survey" and said that she was 100% convinced that my headaches were migraine in nature. Long story short, she is putting me on some stuff to stop the headache cycle I’ve been having for, oh, a few months now, and prevent new ones. Sounds good to me! She was floored that I reported 20-22 headaches a month. I had figured before I went that there were about 5 days a week I had headaches. Funny enough, I had wondered if that was enough to warrant going to a doctor because I rated them only a 4 out of 10 pain-wise on average.
Ok, so anyhow, I have to stop taking my beloved excedrin and excedrin pm (which is the only reason I have gotton sleep in the last, oh, 2 months) and I can’t take ANY OTC meds. Which means if, and when, I do have a headache during the treatment I have to take midrin which I don’t like to take because it’s scary stuff but it’s supposed to help treat headaches not "hide" them. Also, I have to take 6 days of steroids to help with the swelling my poor brain will have as I go "cold turkey" from OTC’s. Ouch! And of course, steroids don’t let you sleep either. Great.
But the main thing she is doing is putting me on this daily stuff called topamax. It looks great and all but when you read the user sites you get wigged out– one person said they lost 30 IQ points on the stuff! (Not sure if they were kidding or not!) A big side affect for the first 3 weeks (at least) is that you can’t concentrate and you can’t remember the names of people or things! So if I go up to you and can’t remember your name (or that you were at the pool party) then at least now I have an excuse. They also say things taste funny (that means carbonated drinks taste nasty I’ve heard), you have pins and needles in your hands and feet for a while, and the "good" side effect… you lose weight! Yay! Because you can never be too thin, right? Well, who cares if you are stupid, huh?
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Reformed Grits 
Hopefully that will work!! Good Luck!
Comment by Jennifer August 21, 2007 @ 10:46 amHuh…maybe someone has been slipping the stuff into my drink this whole time? Honestly, I am that way naturally…except the weight thing.
Comment by Gayle August 21, 2007 @ 2:25 pmI really do hope that this will work for you. Headaches are pure-D miserable.
I’d rather be skinny than smart! Oh well, some girls have all the luck.
🙂
Glad you got some help today.
Comment by Meg August 21, 2007 @ 7:57 pm30 points, wow!!!!! um, yeah let’s hope she was kidding…. and if not, I am FOR SURE playing u in trivial pursuit when I get home!! lol!!!!
Comment by Katester August 22, 2007 @ 7:56 amI was too weaned from the OTC drugs a few years ago and was put on Topamax. Not fun stuff! I hope it helps you…I will be praying.
Comment by Andrea August 22, 2007 @ 8:29 amHow long do you take Topamax? Do your IQ points come back if you go off? Can you give some to skinny-challenged friends if they REALLY need it? Is the brain swelling permanent? If you can’t remember someone’s name, can we ignore you and get away with it? This stuff poses many interesting questions!! But, really, 22 headaches a month??? Sister, you really needed help a long time ago. I’m glad you’re getting it.
Comment by distybug August 22, 2007 @ 4:02 pmok, I will take skinny over smart, but that’s just where I am in life… and like YOU need to lose weight…are you kidding me? And i KNOW how smart you are, so you can afford to lose 30 points and still be smarter than me! and skinnier! I hate you! Ha Ha seriously…I hope you get relief from your headaches. My dad has suffered his whole life and it effects our whole family, so I’ll be praying for ya’ll. Love You skinny chic #2
Comment by Wendy August 22, 2007 @ 6:30 pmHigh IQs are overrated.
Comment by MamaLady August 25, 2007 @ 1:15 amSmaller thighs win over IQ any day.