Wednesday, November 6, 2013

A Pain in the Ass Is Better than a Pain in the Head

It's been a while since my last post because, really, all the things I have to say are kind of a downer. You know, there's a point at which even I have to stop talking :-)

While the stupidity of perimenopause continues to thwart me, I do want to tell you a bit of a happy tale about how I'm managing the migraines. (Isn't it an irony that I've worked my ass off to mitigate their effects, only to discover a whole new batch of things which, worry not, I will not bore you with today.)

At any rate, it's taken me a good long time to feel as if I've got some semblance of a method that works. And, I'm not getting cocky! I don't have to tell ya'll that migraines are complex. Hormones are complex. People, with their individual biochemistries are complex. But last year, or the year before, I sure would have liked to have stumbled on a blog post that posited some practical approaches which actually worked on a real, live human being. So here's my method.

Managing Hormonally-Triggered Migraines

1. Do a ridiculous amount of yoga (specifically an Iyengar practice for endocrine balance):

I've referenced my yoga practice (and my new head stander which, let me tell you, has improved the quality of my life so dramatically,  it's almost bizarre). No doubt, near-daily practice of supported backbends, followed by inversions, followed by forward bends is having an exceptional impact. It's also taking a remarkable amount of time but it's justifiable.

It's interesting to note that all of the yoga practices for migraine management, that I've been able to source, take a similar (endocrine-based) approach, implying (as does current medical theory) that migraines and neurotransmitters, many of which are hormones, are closely allied.

If you do yoga on a regular basis, and you struggle with migraines, this info (with which I am in no way affiliated) might also be of use.

2. Get Yourself A Good Team - And Work with a Baseline

Big props go to my naturopath, with whom I've been working (in addition to my GP and my gynecologist and my cardiologist) to intersperse a variety of approaches. What I will say is that these headaches are fuckers. They've managed to get around intense acupuncture and to defy drugs (which I can't take due to an arrhythmia). But my naturopath, with the benefit of the results of a three-part hormone-panel I took in the summer, was able to determine clearly that my issue is hormonal but it isn't all about progesterone imbalance. (Oh no, peeps, that was so three years ago.) It's the precipitous drop in estrogen, which seems to crash now whenever it feels like it, that is causing my difficulties these days. This is why the formerly knowable headache pattern has become increasingly erratic. And lengthier.

Hilariously, given the incorrigibility of these headaches, my naturopath would generally recommend a low-dose birth control pill (not that she's a BCP pusher by any stretch!) But, because some of my migraines are preceded by an aura, that puts me at a slightly statistically higher risk of stroke on the Pill. Furthermore, while my mother's cancer was not hormonally-receptive, no one's psyched to put me on a strong bunch of hormones at this point. Including me.

And yet, to some extent, one has to fight fire with fire - which is to say, to balance reproductive hormones - the only trick left in my particular arsenal re: headache management - I have to use something that my hormones will respond to. Sure, yoga (and walking and sleep and eating well) are key for endocrine balance, but they're only part of the story...

3. Supplement, Supplement, Supplement (in accordance with your baseline and your health history, natch)

As compelling as it may be (and it may), this is not the time to go willy-nilly with whack supplements you read about online.

I've opted for a (carefully-monitored) cocktail of:
  • a phytoestrogen made from rhubarb (a gentle form of hormone mimicry), 
  • a hormonal precursor (which is upcycled by the body in whatever form is most required)
  • a supplement designed to help my body to metabolize excess estrogen 
  • diindolymethane, also known to promote metabolism of estrogen, specifically for women who may be at a risk of cancer
For me, the impact of the supplements (which I take in addition to 8 zillion other vitamins, including high doses of magnesium and riboflavin and an adrenal gland support supplement - based on advice from a neurologist, cardiologist and naturopath) has been notable:
  • Headaches are far less extreme and occur less frequently. I still get them, but they are manageable with an Advil gel caps/sleep/yoga. Noise and light sensitivity are diminished.
  • Night sweats are drastically reduced.
  • The mushball stomach thing is noticeably abated. Tone has returned to my upper abdomen, if only around the edges so far.
  • I have some energy. Sometimes, it's almost like the pre-pertussis days!
This process hasn't been easy, but I'm getting somewhere. Now if only I could gracefully fix the other hundred and twenty things this life-stage is throwing at me, I'd be freakin' Oprah Winfrey. Mixed with the Dalai Lama. Plus a bit of Meryl Streep thrown in.

I sense it's going to be a while.

27 comments:

  1. I'm glad to hear this current regimen is helping you meet your health, energy, and aesthetic challenges. l hope you never lose your will to maximize your mojo in all those areas. I hate it when women give up on themselves, especially using things like age as an excuse. It's especially sad when an attractive woman throws in the towel. Go, girl!

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    1. Thank you - I too hope I never lose my will to maximize my mojo! Here's to that sentiment :-)

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  2. I forgot to say that women who give up on remaining vital and attractive send an awful message to those of us who haven't reached whatever stage of life is being used as an excuse. Go, Kristin!

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    1. I agree, that the most positive message is that of striving to be the best at any life stage. Mind you, I can relate to the impulse to just give up and curl up into a ball :-)

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  3. Whilst I'm glad to hear you're making some progress with the headaches, it really doesn't sound like you're having much fun at the moment. That sucks! I'm awfully glad you're taking good care of yourself...keep it up!

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    1. It's no fun! You're right! Well, it's kind of fun in a weird way cuz I love being my own science experiment. But I sense it's going to be much more fun when I don't have to manage all these balls anymore.

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  4. Oh dear, I am not looking forward to having to go through this. At least your yoga is helping with the migraines, right? I don't know what else to say but 'hang in there'!

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    1. In some ways, I'm loath to discuss this because I don't want others to imagine that they will have the same experience - or one which is very challenging. In lots of ways, I'm doing really well - there are many symptoms women get which I haven't had. So I don't want to overstate the situation. I think the headaches are the deal breaker. The rest of it you can manage (if it turns out to be your experience). But you could be one of those women who breezes through. At which point I'll hate you :-)

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  5. I'm always so impressed by your analytical and methodical approach to whatever you're taking on. And it's so great that you can apply this to your own health. The migraines sound beyond horrid -- take care!

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    1. Why thanks F! It's the only way I feel in control so maybe it's a suspect coping mechanism, but I'm working it. :-) The headaches are bearable at the moment so I'm not going to complain. Though I think it sounds constantly, these days, like I'm complaining. Hmmm...

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  6. Do you get migraines with the "aura"? As in "classic migraine"? Because if you take a dose of NIACIN when the aura sets in, you can almost completely avoid migraines; this is what I have been doing for years now and it works perfectly to abort migraine pain. (Although you might still have a bit of "bangy head" the next day!) Of course one gets all red and itchy for about a half hour (a GREAT time to give yourself a dry-brushing!). You must take about 300-500 mg.(300 if you've never taken niacin before; the 'flush' effect can affect your solar plexus area and make you temporarily feel like you "can't breathe", which is scary) while the aura is "in progress"; if you delay, the NIACIN remedy won't work.You must take NIACIN, not "niacinamide"; the 'niacin flush' is what does the job! of course, if you get frequent migraines this might stop working, as the flush gets less and less the more often you take niacin. I only get migraines a couple of times a year, so it's no problem for me.

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    1. Sometimes I do get aura. I've been told by my neurologist and other docs that it's riboflavin (B2) not niacin (B6) that works for migraines, when taken in combo with magnesium. Mind you, if niacin works for you, that's great.

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  7. PS: Traditional Chinese Medicine has lots or remedies for this sort of thing as well.

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    1. I totally agree! My parents are acupuncturists and Chinese medicine herbalists...

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  8. I'm so glad you have gotten the headaches under some control. You really can't concentrate on anything else (crafty or otherwise) when you are in pain.

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    1. Thanks V! It's pretty good, given how hard I've worked towards it.

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  9. Well, I'm glad you are managing the headaches well but sorry to hear this situation continues to need managing. Not fun :(. Hugs.

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    1. Hey, it's a moment in time (or so I tell myself). xo

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  10. Sounds scientific- which I like! Any chance there are foods which would help? Yams & stuff?

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    1. :-) I have been considering that - sweet potatoes, un-modified soy, yams etc. Let's say, I'm eating them but I don't know if they work or not. I'll keep you posted on my thoughts as they progress...

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  11. Soybeans in just about ANY form contain LOTS of estrogen precursors. I have even heard people in a position to know that they consider soy unfit for human consumption because of the high level of precursors. So, you might want to try it...how about edamame? Totally yummy steamed and not as icky as tofu.

    Never heard of the "riboflavin" recommendation, EVER. But I have been using niacin to deflect migraines for YEARS now, and it works every time. Oh and if your parents are TCM practitioners, ask them whether you can take "Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan" /"Zhi Bai Ba Wei Wan" It's what my hubby gives me for hot flashes/menopausal imbalances.

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    1. I love edamame! And weirdly, though I'm not generally into Japanese food, I've been craving the yam tempura with a side of edamame. How weird is that? I do like tofu too, as long as it has sauce on it! How interesting that you haven't heard about the B2 - I've read about it in a few places online and saw it in a book before my neurologist recommended it. It really works much better along with magnesium. And the magneisum that's best absorbed is glycinate. Oxide or citrate aren't really adequately absorbable, so I've heard.

      I think I have taken that supplement, btw. And when I go back to NC next week, my mother's going to put together a formula for me.

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  12. If you need B group vitamins try Vegemite. Puts a rosé in every cheek.

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    1. I love vegemite with tons of butter on rye toast. Mmmmm... (It's quite unpopular in North America?!)

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  13. I feel your pain... I've been having severe migraines for 15 years, ever since I was a teenager and in that time I've tried EVERYTHING there is to try so I know how that feels. A year ago, during one of my migraine attacks I was taken to the ER and a random neurologist there suggested I try a new therapy. So I was give a prescription for "Topamax", usually given to epileptics. I live in Europe, and that medicine might be registered under a different name where you are, but it might be worth looking into, perhaps you can ask your doctor about it. My migraines have reduced 90%, I get maybe one or two headaches a year and even then they are managable. I now have a whole new life and cannot believe it took me 15 years to find a suitable therapy to manage my migraines. Hope this helps in any way, like you said migraines are complex and every individual is a different story.. Keep us posted and good luck!

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    1. I'm SO sorry to hear that you had severe migraines for 15 years. I don't know how you managed. Really. I've heard of Topomax for migraines - though I sense that mine are not severe enough at this time to warrant the usage of that drug. Also, I have a heart arrhythmia that results in many drugs being contraindicated. Not sure about this one, but I can't take tryptans, for example, because of my heart thing.

      I'm really hopeful (and it seems likely on the basis of the research I've done and the doctors I'm working with) that my issue is perimenopause-centred. Once this time is over (and I suspect that might be within a year or 2) these headaches should abate. So I'm doing my best to manage in this time - which is not bad (but it's time-intensive and expensive between all the supplements and the yoga).

      I really appreciate your comment and I will def keep everyone posted. I don't seem to be able to shut up about it :-)

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