Shocking News: My Brain In Normal!

So, finally, I heard from my doctor: my MRI results say, all evidence to the contrary, that my brain is is completely normal. There are no tumors or aneurysms (so, unlike Eli Stone on my new favorite show, George Michael won't be serenading me anytime soon) or AVM or whatnot causing my frequent migraines.

Whew.

I didn't suspect there were, but Charlie is vastly relieved (men love results), and I guess I am too. But I'm angry too. My doctor's office called to rescheduled my six-week follow up appointment because the doctor wouldn't be available on the day my appointment was originally scheduled and I found out I'd have to wait an additional six weeks to see her again. This royally ticks me off. Particularly because lately my migraine treatment plan is NOT going well.

What's not working? Well, first off, I'm still having migraines daily. Plus, there's more. The topamax that I take daily at a price tag of about $300 a month causes major tingling sensations in my arms, hands, legs and feet. Sometimes I have trouble sitting at my desk for too long because my feet "fall asleep" while I'm working. Sometimes they do it while I'm standing up at church singing with the choir. And if I sit on the couch reading with my legs tucked under me, when I stand up again, the blood flow being restored to my legs is actually painful. Plus, I'm tired all the time (which I hadn't really thought about until my friend Liana mentioned her unhappy experience with the medication and called it "dopamax"), I have trouble remembering things, I'm unenthusiastic, and worst off all, have even less of a sex drive than normal (hey, right now, my feet are starting to tingle as I type this).

The birth control pills that I thought would be the magic bullet, sadly, have not been at all helpful. In fact, they've made it worse. Instead of getting the break I usually have for starting about a week after my period ends (my migraines start the week of my period, peak the week after, and then taper off), they have continued EVERY SINGLE DAY. And worst of all, I have found a new trigger for the migraines, and it's the worst trigger ever: sunshine. Every time I time I spend any time in the sun, I get a migraine.

So, I'm not happy. When my doctor called me today about my MRI results, I told her I wanted to stop the topamax and the birth control pills. Since I am having migraines anyway, why bother taking all these damn pills? I'd rather start working on using diet and exercise and just treating the headaches rather than these ineffective preventatives.

Sigh. Maybe I should try inducing menopause. That might get rid of them.

__________________________________________

Anyway. In more fun news about my head, I have trashed the pink hair already. I know, I know. The truth is I realized that I didn't actually like it all that much. It was too...(wait for it) young (and here's the proof: I put some in Sarah's daughter's hair, and she looks fabulous). So I carefully perused the Manic Panic website choosing a color and picked the Vampire Red instead (it's a pretty pink-toned red). I LOVE IT. In regular light, it almost looks normal--just regular red highlights. In full sun, I look funky as all get out. I think it might be my favorite hair color I've dyed it ever in my whole life, and since I have been dying my hair since I was 12, that is fucking saying something! What do you think (more pictures here)?

Comments

[Dayna]

Best. Hair. Ever.

Like, on ANYONE.

[Bettina]

LOVE the new Color! Wasn't really hot for the pink, but the red is great. Been thinking about that myself lately...
Sorry to hear the migraines won't get better

[KelliAmanda]

Um, yeah, Dopamax. Was on it for about, um, a week. Went to my doc and complained of the hand and feet tingling and the forgetfulness/spaciness and his response? The drug is supposed to HELP your nervous system work better, not impair it. So, we stopped that little ol' drug right then and there. I don't have migraines as severely as you do - I do have frequent headaches, but only occasional migraines - but I have yet to find anything that works for either my almost daily headaches or my migraines. Didn't go to the local headache clinic after a friend went and had no better luck than I was having with my psychiatrist in treating the headaches. I, too, have a "normal" brain. So, no advice here, just comiserating. :-P Love the hair, btw.

[Noelle]

Wow, the red hair is amazing! Looks fantastic on you.

Sorry to hear you are still struggling with the migraines.... have you ever considered trying alternative medicine? Even if it's not covered by insurance, what do you have to lose if you are paying 300 bucks a month for topamax? I hate hearing about people struggling with serious medical problems and not finding answers in western medicine. I was you once, though I had Crohn's disease and almost lost my life to it... western medicine couldn't tell me WHY my intestines were destroying themselves and I was shelling out 500+ dollars on drugs that were supressing my immune system, but not healing my intestines. I finally called bullshit and went to a naturopath. It's been 1 year and 6 months since I've taken any medication and my intestines are perfectly fine. 100% healed. Most doctors don't believe it, but I'm living proof that looking for answers elsewhere is worth it.

Good luck, Cecily! Keep rocking that awesome red hair.

[Sugared Harpy]

Oooh, yes, is super hot!

My oldest son has gotten cluster and migraine headaches since he was three. I have no advice whatsoever, since I know the fucked way we attempt treatments...by guinea pig method. With every new problem a prescription drug brought, the more Daniel and I hate trying. At some point we just stopped trying new drugs all together.

A dose of tylenol with motrin (yes, at the same time) take early on does the best we have been able to get. It will stop the migraine if taken early enough, and if not, at least it won't make him puke more or hinder him sleeping it off. After that, our best bet is to get him to sleep for 6+ hours.

It's not a great plan, but it doesn't seem to make it worse, which is what most of the prescriptions seem to do. Gah.

[R]

I love the red!! It really suits you!

My friend once recommended acupuncture for migraines...it's considered mainstream medicine in Korea, I guess. I figure anything that's not invasive/prone to side effects might be worth a try, right? (sorry if you've already heard/tried this one!)

[Mary]

So sorry about the migraines.....wish I had some advice. Just thinking of you....

I also love Eli Stone, except for the courtroom scenes. I'm a lawyer and they TOTALLY ignore all rules of evidence and procedure and I find myself shouting at the tv "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" Other than that, I really do like it. :)

[Eliza]

Ahem, AHEM! What did I tell you about the dopamax? HMMM??? I'm sorry to hear it wasn't the magic bullet you'd hoped for, though--I know how bitterly disappointing it is when you get all hyped about a new migraine treatment and hopeful and shit and then...nada. Currently, in case your misery wants any company, I am DYING--I get a migraine every time there's a thunder storm, and it's been storming here for most of the past week. Ugh. Relpax helps me if I take it AT THE FIRST POSSIBLE SIGN, but at ten bucks per pill and only four pills per month from my wretched HMO I decided it wasn't worth the forty bucks a month for only four migraine-free days. I mean, what're four more, right? SIGH. Glad to hear the MRI was normal, though--it's never fun waiting on results for those things, and what IS the deal with the men and the results? My husband is always like "DO A CT SCAN! DO AN MRI! LET'S START CUTTING!" He wants to get to the BOTTOM of it! Me, I'm happy with a mystery as long as it turns out okay...

[Arian]

Topamax=dopamax....Got to rememeber that...If it weren't for the fact that on this stuff there are times when I can't count to Ten! I throw my Sudoku book across the room frequently! Doesn't help when I teach kindergarteners! It gives me a daily omg my head is in a vice grip head ache too, plus the migraines so it has to go! I haven't been able to blog much because I lose my words and thoughts and my level of frustration has become unbearable!

I love the new red! It looks lovely! Hopefully you can find something other than a new color to help you feel better up there!

I'm glad you mentioned the sex drive thing btw... I thought it had just messed up the past year and a half of work tweaking my hormones with metformin and such so I had one again. Hopefully if I get rid of this stuff I can feel womanly again...just curled up more often in a dark silent fetal position...

[Charis]

I second the alternative medicine route. I don't get headaches as bad as yours (or at least, as frequent), but they went away completely after I went to a naturopath who specializes in womens' hormonal issues (yes, menopause, but they also helped me with a lagging libido). So, yeah, help with the headaches, low libido, and PMS sypmtoms -- and I had never found a conventional doctor who could help with any of those things! Check your insurance; some do have limited naturopath coverage.

[jenn]

The red hair looks fab! You have one of those faces that can pull off almost any color.

I have the sun-triggered migraines, too, which is a bitch since I'm super-prone to Seasonal Affective Disorder. There is a God, and he likes to mess with me.

I've never found anything to totally alleviate my migraines (esp. around period week), but I have found that staying really, really, really well-hydrated helps to keep them at bay. The one thing that always makes a migraine go away for me is 2+ hours of sleep. It's like a reset button for my brain. Just not always convenient w/two kids. Good luck!

[Beth]

I'm dying to know how you are voting tomorrow, if you care to share. You're the only Pennsylvanian I know.

Sorry about your aching head. At least it looks good.

[Jan]

I have no idea what you have and haven't tried for migraines, but I've had pretty good luck with Fioricet. It's got a mild narcotic (oh, oops, maybe no with the narcotics, huh? I forgot about that ...) and a buttload of caffeine. It doesn't make the headache go completely away, but it makes it retreat back into the back of my head as kind of a dull ache instead of throbbing hideous pain.

There is something called medication-induced migraine, too, that can be caused by taking migraine medication too often -- I wonder if you might have that?

Sucky sucky suck. A migraine a day is my idea of hell on earth.

I'll be outvoted, but I liked your brown-with-burgundy highlights hair the best. Proving that I am, and always will be, the biggest nerd on earth. :)

[ladykuri]

Sucks about the migraines. I hope you find SOMETHING that helps soon!

Have to say though, I LOOOOVE the hair!!!! Totally awesome. I've got a box of Splat in a red about that shade that's just waiting for me to have time for it *sigh*. I plan on putting it over unbleached dark hair though, I'm going for a "dried blood" result. I've gotten it before with similar colors and it's awesome. The unfair thing is it's my brother's natural color....why do men always get the pretty traits that women would kill for?!?!

[akeeyu]

Love the hair.

I used to get constant migraines with any kind of birth control pills (and the Lupron to induce menopause made them worse) until I tried the progesterone only kind. I went from about three a week to probably three in the last two years.

/assvice

[Chickenpig]

Is Vampire Red the COOLEST name for a hair color, or what?? :) It looks good on you.

Have you tried taking an herbal menopause supplement such as estroven? It sounds like the timing of your headaches indicates a real crash in estrogen levels, which can lead to migraines. In your case BCP's wouldn't help much, because they are just a sugar pill during your period, no hormones involved, and the progesterone can make it worse the week after. With BCP's you aren't getting any estrogen during the week where it sounds like you need it most.

I'm also crazy to know what you thought of the Democratic debate and who you're leaning towards in the primary, if you care to share.

[watercolor]

Just found out the sharp pains I get with my head condition are migraine pains. Lovely. And since mine last about 5 seconds at a time, no real way to treat them. Fine. Except they are 5 seconds at a time about 50 times a day. Great. I was on topamax for my intracranial hypertension and totally know the dopamax syndrome. When I couldn't do my job because I couldn't make a coherent thought, my neuro look me off of it. I take zonegran to help with the nerve pain in my head set off by the high cranial pressure. It is an epileptic drug. Have you tried any of those classes of drugs? I don't know. I hate when people try to give me ideas to cure me and here I am doing it to you. Sorry. Ignore me. heh.

[vamplita]

Ohhh yeah. Dopamax is right. I was a complete and total space cadet the entire time I was taking it, but God, it was soooo much better than the migraines I experienced before it. Believe me, we'd tried a gamut of drugs, opiates included, to no avail. I thought I'd have to live with it for the rest of my life, until I was given Topamax.

Sure, I would forget words uhhh...constantly. Of course, I couldn't possibly try to have children at on the dosage I was on, unless I wanted children that could be seriously disfigured, etc. Sure, I often felt like I was buzzing pretty good, and that moving objects would leave a trail behind themselves when I was looking at them...but my frickin' head didn't hurt.

I will say that the most annoying thing about it for me, was the loss of words while in the midst of a damned sentence. It drove me up the wall!

But at least my head didn't feel like it was coming off anymore.

Relpax was also a Godsend for me. Yeah, those buggers are Expensive with a capital E, but they were truly worth it for me. Anytime I could stave off a bout with those damned migraines was a Good Day for me.

Hope things iron themselves out soon!

[Melissa]

I also love the hair. Makes me want to try it but I work with senior citizens and I'm afraid I would create nothing but problems for myself. Think the boss man calling me in to his office to tell me the hair has to go.

Since you suspect that the migraines are related to your period, could you try something like Mirena? It's an IUD that I chose because I am allergic to my own periods and every time I had one I would get an infection. Nice huh? I've had the IUD for just over a year and I started out light and now don't have any bleeding at all. Plus super low chance of weight gain? Score!

[Val]

The hair is cool. Question: What do you have to do to treat your hair before your dye it the bright colors? I've heard you have to bleach is pure white to get the really bright colors. Does it stress your hair or is their better bleaches these days?

I'm only wondering since the law firm would frown on hair of the extreme color. My BFF'd daughter dyed her hair a few years ago and totally fried it after a couple of months due to all the processing.

[spit]

OMG< I LOVE the hair
now I want to go back and redo mine, only I just spent an obscene amount to get to the color I currently have
the STUPIDEST part is that I just read in some fashion mag at the salon that dirty blond is now a trendy color. 25 fucking years of dyeing and NOW I'm trendy?

Sorry about the migraines. I think you are 100% right to try to pursue a diet/exercise remedy if the pills don't help. Either that or narcotics and we can't have those : (

[Jill]

Love the hair! Still trying to decide what to do with mine.

I finally figured out my migraines were triggered by chocolate. Is it possible yours are food related? I know it seems cyclical, but maybe it is something you are craving and eating?

I know; you are probably tired of people trying to outguess your doctor.

[spit]

just noticed it's almost your 40th birthday
now, I just don't understand that
I'm 40 (as of March 8th) and I've always thought of you as an OLDER sister, damn it

[siobhan]

Sorry to hear about your daily migraines!!!! I am sure that everybody writes about what they do, but I take relpax. It knocks me out, but I do not have a migraine when I wake. I don't think it is for people with daily migraines. My neurologist (actually I eventually have to get a new one b/c the one i went to was in paoli & that is too far away). I also have valium for if my migraine does not go away & i can not sleep (You know, the times that you would rip your eyeballs out & cut your nose off, to get rid of the pain, type days). Again, I am soooo sorry to hear that you are having daily migraines!!!!!! I like the hair.

[siobhan]

ps- I still don't know who I am voting for tomorrow!