Drugs--The Legal Kind
I have a headache. A migraine. It is pulsing and throbbing and generally searing my brain with shooting pains.
"So why are you at the computer?" you might ask. I shall tell you. It is because I have tried everything else, including copious amounts of drugs, and nothing has worked, so I might as well entertain myself.
The worst part of this headache is that it started nearly 24 hours ago. I took a Valium and a Vicodin and tried to sleep, but at 4:00, I woke up with the same pounding pain. I was able to go back to sleep, but then when I got up this morning, the headache was still there. So, I took a Naprosyn and an Imitrex, which I hoped would work, since each pill costs about $22, but still, nothing.
I went about my day as best I could. I had a Coke at lunch, because sometimes caffeine helps. Not this time. Then this afternoon, I rested and took another Vicodin. Still no relief. I had a glass of wine with dinner, thinking that maybe the alcohol and the Vicodin would fuse in my system and create some new and improved pain medication. (Well, that, or cause liver failure.) Neither has happened.
I don't know what else to do. I am going to lie down again, and maybe tomorrow, my headache will go away. But who knows? Once, I had a headache for a month and wound up in the emergency room, where they gave me a shot of morphine and a prescription for Percocet. "Good times!" you may be thinking. Actually, no. I took the Percocet for an additional three days before the headache finally went away.
I'm not a drug addict. I have prescriptions for everything, and I only use these pills when I really need them. But what do I do when nothing helps?
"So why are you at the computer?" you might ask. I shall tell you. It is because I have tried everything else, including copious amounts of drugs, and nothing has worked, so I might as well entertain myself.
The worst part of this headache is that it started nearly 24 hours ago. I took a Valium and a Vicodin and tried to sleep, but at 4:00, I woke up with the same pounding pain. I was able to go back to sleep, but then when I got up this morning, the headache was still there. So, I took a Naprosyn and an Imitrex, which I hoped would work, since each pill costs about $22, but still, nothing.
I went about my day as best I could. I had a Coke at lunch, because sometimes caffeine helps. Not this time. Then this afternoon, I rested and took another Vicodin. Still no relief. I had a glass of wine with dinner, thinking that maybe the alcohol and the Vicodin would fuse in my system and create some new and improved pain medication. (Well, that, or cause liver failure.) Neither has happened.
I don't know what else to do. I am going to lie down again, and maybe tomorrow, my headache will go away. But who knows? Once, I had a headache for a month and wound up in the emergency room, where they gave me a shot of morphine and a prescription for Percocet. "Good times!" you may be thinking. Actually, no. I took the Percocet for an additional three days before the headache finally went away.
I'm not a drug addict. I have prescriptions for everything, and I only use these pills when I really need them. But what do I do when nothing helps?
posted by Astera @ 8:13 PM
1 Comments:
At 8:47 AM,
Anonymous said…
The "migraine" is merely one component of the pain you are having. But first, treat it with an injectable version of Imitrex or another non-oral triptan. That may end it all right there. If not, if you are only slightly pukey, take 10mg of Compazine - gets rid of nausea AND is a strong antimigraine med. If you can't keep down the Compazine tablets, take an 8mg Zofran ODT (melts on your tongue). At this point you are nausea free and the headache should be at least somewhat in check. Now, what to do for the other aspects of the headache? For one, DRINK LOTS OF WATER ... you've been puking and are dehydrated and you have essentially a hangover. Secondly, take a muscle relaxant to address the tension headache component ... Xanax, Flexeril, Valium, etc ... they all work. I always recommend 2 Tylenol PM during this whole experiment as well. You can also take 2 Aleves. Ideally, you should need no narcotics at this point, but if you do, I'd start with something like Fioricet or Ultram before the Vics and the Percs. And lastly, studies show that steriods prevent bounceback headaches ... so pop 60mg of Prednisone while you are at it. Obviously, you tailor this to your situation ... but migraines dont have to and shouldn't have to be a reason to get you doped up and useless to yourself and everyone around you.
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