Headache Journey Part 3
Well,here is some new information. I managed to get through an MRI no contrast (thank goodness!) which means no injection of iodine! Whew! The doctor that referred me to my new doctor asked for it, but then I found out the new doctor does not usually ask for it! Big difference in cost and discomfort. I figured if the new doc wants the contrast MRI HE can ask for it! So with little trepidation I went in and stuck my head in the hole. I didn't realize I would be holding still for 1/2 an hour! I am by no means claustraphobic, but I can see why it would bother some people. I just closed my eyes and listened to the classical music they put on for me. Of course it was hard to hear the music with all of the MRI machine's jackhammering noises! Knock, knock, whoooawww whoooawww, dadadadadadadadadadadadadadada! It wasn't really loud, just startling at times. I think the only thing that flinched were my eyelids : ).
I did good according to the MRI tech, so that was good. I left hoping the outcome wouldn't be scary. I am a worrier what can I say? So....two days later I go into my doctor and long story short after lots of questions and knee thumping and stuff, my doctor (the leading headache doctor in Southern California) concludes that I have been having Tension-type headaches. They don't say just Tension headaches anymore I guess. So the next step is not medication yet...but a natural supplement called (and at first I thought the doctor was pulling my leg and was a Harry Potter fan) Butterbur root. I was thinking... did he say 'Butterbeer'? But no, Butterbur. I have to order online and it isn't cheap but it costs less than my prescription meds for migraines. So I am waiting to see if that works, I go back in 3 months to have another check up. Thats it ... at least until the next installment! Pray that this helps!
3 comments:
Good for you for pursuing this. Unexplained headaches are nothing to mess around with. I also greatly applaud MD's that are familiar with the botanicals; they are a good place to start. They are still drugs and need to be taken with caution. Butterbur has shown some promise for shortening the duration of migraines (also urinary tract infections) but it is a bit hard on the liver and shouldn't be taken for prolonged periods
If you put it in beer, will it be Butterburbeer? Hmmm.
But you, like me, have still not acquired a taste for beer - we are the weird Germans, neh?
All kidding aside, I hope it helps. And go ahead & check Froggy's site & see if you can find some good self-hypno relaxation stuff. That couldn't hurt either :)
Good luck!!
oooooh.... I like the sound of that! I am finally going to take advantage of my $100 gift card for Glen Ivy Day Spa at Brea! I got it as a end of year gift from a wonderful student last year and I am just now finding the time to go!
I also will be contacting my masseuse friend to see if we can work out an every other month massage. She lives just up the street and gives me the friends and family discount of $30 per hour. I tip her well so it would be more like $45 or so every other month. I think it would be helpful in relieving some of the tension in my neck that goes up the back of my head. But I will check out Froggy's site. Do you have a link on yours? If I find it I'll check it out.
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