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MJ
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What do you do when pain hits?
« on: Nov 17th, 2005, 9:27am »
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Hi all.
 
What do you all do when the pain hits, aside from medications and oxygen?
 
What helps you?  
 
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #1 on: Nov 17th, 2005, 9:32am »
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repeats ohfuckohfuckohfuckohfuck it doesnt help but makes me feel like i'm doing something
on a more serious note i try to get outside preferably somewhere quiet sit on a chair and rock back and forth
also doesnt help much Undecided
and otherwise i just breathe deeply
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #2 on: Nov 17th, 2005, 9:56am »
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I chant inside my head "this will end, this will end" over and over. Or I count how long I breathe in and out for in an attempt to breathe regularly (doesn't always work)
I grind the ball of my hand into my eye or I grind my eye into the corner of the arm of the couch, I hold on to a chunk of my hair and tug while I'm breathing O2 (not pull it out)
I don't walk around because I don't walk well at the best of times and my co ordination is shot to bits while getting hit.
Routine is what helps me, be it chanting or counting or rocking, doing something very simple repeatedly gives me something I CAN concentrate on and actually do - but it isn't always possible. Have to have something to aim for though eh?
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #3 on: Nov 17th, 2005, 10:02am »
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you pull your hair and mess up your lovely hairdo??
really just trying to concentrate on anything else helps hard as it is to do that
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #4 on: Nov 17th, 2005, 10:17am »
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I don't pull it to hurt myself, I've never pulled it that hard honest! Its just tugging at it, I literally just grab a handful and rock holding on to it.
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #5 on: Nov 17th, 2005, 10:28am »
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I do something like LeLimey...since the pain steals 100% of my attention, I count breaths--trying to keep them slow and even.  It's the only distraction I have found to pass the time.
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #6 on: Nov 17th, 2005, 10:50am »
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I just try to give myself massage from the back of my neck to the side of my head.
 
In between I put some cold wet towel in my neck and on my face.
 
Try to drink water during attack and, strange but thruth, I need to pee while having an attack. hehe
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #7 on: Nov 17th, 2005, 10:52am »
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Soon as it's there - put the water on and run a really, really hot bath, too hot to sit in - just bearable to dunk your head in.
 
Repeat as necessary - then leave to dry rocking against a radiator in towels.  An added bonus is that this also does wonders for personal hygene.  
 
Mentally it's counting each and every deep breath and 100% concentration that you're on top of the pain and not vice versa.  
 
More recently tho' it's a case of cursing the fact that it takes 10 minutes to brew a decent cup of tea !
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #8 on: Nov 17th, 2005, 12:04pm »
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on Nov 17th, 2005, 10:52am, Beastfodder wrote:
More recently tho' it's a case of cursing the fact that it takes 10 minutes to brew a decent cup of tea !

may i suggest a new kettle? Wink laugh laugh
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #9 on: Nov 17th, 2005, 1:11pm »
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1. get out of bed and go to the bathroom to pee,
2. quietly leave the room so I don't wake my wife
3. go into the guest room, set my watch to time the HA,
4. suck on O2 and pace around the room
 
once it subsides, go back to bed. When it starts again, start over from #1.
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #10 on: Nov 17th, 2005, 1:19pm »
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #11 on: Nov 17th, 2005, 1:47pm »
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on Nov 17th, 2005, 10:17am, LeLimey wrote:
I don't pull it to hurt myself, I've never pulled it that hard honest! Its just tugging at it, I literally just grab a handful and rock holding on to it.

 
I was reading this thread from the back to the front and thought "Oh my goodness!" I don't pull on mine at all during a hit although I sometimes hold on to it.
 
Oh, we're talking about hair. Sorry, was confused.
 
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #12 on: Nov 17th, 2005, 7:48pm »
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I'm also a hair puller - always on the opposite side of my CHA.  I can't pull too hard because my hair is very thin and very short - I just sort of tug.
 
I also retreat to a quiet room, rock and do my lamaze breathing (still remembered from way back when).  And I chant .... "over soon, over soon, over soon"
 
If I get to the Trex right away, it usually is.
 
Kris
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #13 on: Nov 17th, 2005, 8:47pm »
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I think that E-Double nailed it.  By the way where did you get my picture.
 
It is also troublesome that I seem to have the same response to a CH as LeLimey.  I do two things different.  I ball a towel up and scream into it as hard and loud as I can and I use the most vile language possible.  Kind of an Exorcist thing.  It may not help but the "rage" thing seems to balance out.  The other thing that really doesn't help but will distract you is to take as hot a shower as you can (on your face) and alternate with cold water.
 
Frankly, if the O2 doesn't work I am screwed.
 
There is a taser/mace thing that I am working on but it doesn't seem to go over very well with this group.
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #14 on: Nov 17th, 2005, 9:14pm »
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It seems we are all similar.
 
I first check the clock then commence doing as many pushups against the walls or counter as I can untill my arms give out or untill the CH peaks and the edge breaks about 30 min.
 I then pace back and forth and as the pain abates I start to rock back and forth.  
I count every movement every breath every step untill it's allmost gone.  
 
I was beginnining to think I had some sort of obsessive compulsive disorder. Now I know I do during an attack but so do you.
 
E-Double, what you do scares me.
 
Spike I kinda like the taser idea it could be a nice distraction.  
 
MJ
« Last Edit: Nov 17th, 2005, 9:17pm by MJ » IP Logged

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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #15 on: Nov 17th, 2005, 9:19pm »
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At the risk of being perceived as lewd, this idea came from my doctor and is maybe 30% effective in stopping an attack if undertaken immediately.
 
When the body experiences sexual climax, (as I recall him saying) it releases endorphins that are chemically similar to dimethyltryptophan (Imixtrex).  They act as a vasoconstrictor, and in essence provide the same effect as sumatriptan (Imitrex).
 
Granted, when kip10, that's not where MY mind is, but if "convenient and appropriate" during the first 5-10% of the headache "ratchet-up" period, I'll do what has to be done....  And often enough, the HA will back off, usually to shadows, sometimes altogether.
 
I know others that have benefited from such "treatments", and none of them have gone blind.
 
I'd be curious if this has helped others.
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #16 on: Nov 17th, 2005, 10:52pm »
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i put my right palm over the right side of my CH (ITS ALWAYS ON THE RIGHT SIDE)then i take damn near a scalding hot shower
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #17 on: Nov 19th, 2005, 12:26pm »
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If i am at home and everyone is asleep I sit on the couch and stare at an object across the room and try to make it move with my mind. I've never moved anything but it does seem to help distract my mind from the pain. If I am at work I shut the office door and rock in my chair.
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #18 on: Nov 19th, 2005, 12:56pm »
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I retreat to the bathroom, give myself an Imitrex injection, put a scalding hot rag on my eye, turn out the lights and wait. 20 minutes seems like forever.
 
Thats my usual routine.
 
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #19 on: Nov 19th, 2005, 3:12pm »
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When I get hit at night I jump out of bed (I know there is no sleeping it off/or throguh it) get to the o2 ASAP and start sucking O2 like there is no tomorrow. If it doesn't work in 15 minutes I do Imitrex nasal pray (okay I'm a total chicken about needles and have a vagal response with convulsions-cannot do the injectors) while that is taking effect I take the stupid headaches for a brisk walk-cold night air seems to help, and I smoke a cigarette.  If none of the above work-which has happened too often, I press as hard as I can on my right below the ridge of my eyebrow, rock back and forth, try to do the Lamaze thing and wait it out.
I plan on trying frozen bananas next time.
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #20 on: Nov 19th, 2005, 9:55pm »
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Sit on the side of the bed sucking O2 and rocking back and forth while pressing on my eye and temple area.   When the pain is really bad, I have a bad habit of pounding on my head with my hand/fist.  A lot of times, I don't really realize I'm doing it until the wife fusses at me about it.  Jane usually brings me my ice pack and I wrap that around my head so it touches the back of my neck all the way around to my right eye and do a major chilling of the trigeminal nerve.  If the O2 doesn't work in 15-ish minutes, I use a 1/2 shot of trex.  If that doesn't work in 15 minutes (usually works in 5 - 7  minutes for me), I take another 1/2 shot.
 
The few times that didn't work, I usually ended up in the front yard screaming, crying and inventing new cuss words.  My hits average an hour unmedicated.  Those sessions where nothing works are usually the ones that last close to three hours.
 
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #21 on: Nov 22nd, 2005, 9:12am »
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After saying "$HIT!" a few times, grab a Red Bull, start boiling water for a strong cup of tea, if I'm home, and walk around dowstairs while I wait for the water to boil. Then I start to watch the clock. The hit usually lasts around an hour, so I start with the "Only 35 more minutes, only 34  more minutes." etc. It is very dissapointing when I get to 0 and the HA is still there, but, I just add another 30 and keep going. On the other hand, if I'm at 20 to go and it stops, life is good. (Red Bull is God's gift to me during a hit, I hope it never stops working)
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #22 on: Nov 22nd, 2005, 10:57am »
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Sit up in bed and wait to see if it subsides or increases.  (usually increases).   Get up and go to kitchen and take Imitrex and make a cold drink and put on coffee.  Go back to bedroom and turn on fan with washcloth & drink in hand. Assume the cross-legged position in front of the fan on the floor ensuring I have the optimum air hitting my face.  Apply the wet washcloth to my eye and air drying over and over.  Rock back and forth holding eye.  The rocking gets more intense as the pain worsens to where sometimes I'm upended on my head.  When this happens I try to drill a hole in the floor with my head until all the swelling of my eye(s) is at it's optimum.  After 30-45 min.,  it lessens as I return to a zombie-like state in which I return to the kitchen and pour  my coffee.  This is all done usually without a peep as to not wake up the household.  Otherwise I have a muffled groan and grunt going on.  No intelligable words though.
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #23 on: Nov 22nd, 2005, 12:03pm »
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I take a DHE shot, note what time it is, soak a wash cloth with hot water, hold it against my eye and start pacing. I mumble and swear and watch the clock with the eye I can still see out of until the pain goes away. Then I go to the kitchen and get something to drink, smoke a cigarette and go back to bed.
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Re: What do you do when pain hits?
« Reply #24 on: Nov 22nd, 2005, 4:50pm »
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My right palm goes to my eye. If it's late at night, I try to sneak out of bed without waking my wife... She always knows and wakes up, though. She says, "You're having one, aren't you." I say, "Yeah, baby. I'm okay. Go back to sleep." Then I go out to the living room or to the front porch and rock, massaging my neck and eye and focusing on my breathing and on relaxing as many muscles as I can.
 
If everyone in the house is awake and the attack isn't too bad, I sit at the piano and just play soft jazz chords. I don't know if it's because my focus is on something else, or if the tonal vibrations are what do it, but it seems to help.
 
If the attack is a particularly bad one, I pace and swear and grind the heel of my palm into my eye.
 
Mostly, I try to remember that this will not kill me and that it WILL pass.
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