Posted by Michel L (142.169.160.173) on October 31, 1999 at 19:47:56:
In Reply to: In response to what is it posted by Michel L on October 31, 1999 at 18:18:19:
Sorry for my clinical response to your question, I can see by what you wrote that you are in serious trouble. Repeated pain is surely one hell after another, but I am certain that there is hope.
You mention you have suffered for the last 18 years, was this chronic, was it a series of bad episodes ?
Being inexperienced (but not without ideas about the subject), I would suggest you try a few simple things until you can refill your imitrex prescription.
1) Drink a lot of iced water early in the attack if you can.
2) Apply ice at the base of your cranium, bending your head sideways and a little forward, like away of your painful side. Move the ice around. Apply it to the top of your head and under your eye. This should relieve some of the vascular inflammation that follows an attack. It is difficult to do during a massive attack.
3) During a massive attack, hold your head with both your hands and apply as much pressure as possible taking long and deep breaths, repeating the breathing process continually. If you become a little dizzy from hyperventilation, this should reduce the pain since your blood vessel will start to constrict.
4) If the attack subsides, go to number 2 and apply ice again to specific regions where you feel a tenderness to the touch.
5) Forget the suicide stuff, it only causes problems...try to go to the ER to get help and hopefully pain relief.
6) During a cycle, try to consume about 500mg of magnesium a day, this will interfere with the sodium neural discharge and help lessen the intesity of the pain.
Hang in there and call upon this board for understanding and moral support.
Michel L
Québec City