Water Down Your Migraine Hangover

Water is an essential in our lives. So much so, that you can now buy, what used to be free, at almost any store you enter. Its even become important to many that they buy their drinking water and not drink from the tap. Water is an essential in keeping us alive. I have installed a water softener system that filters the water at my house, and really believe that my "home" water tastes better than store bought and much better than drinking straight from the tap. But I have drifted from the overall message.

During a migraine attack, water may be the last thing that you think of and can be forgotten all together. Drinking something to help feel better may be one of the last things on your list of migraine tools.

I find it to be as important to drink as much water as I can during and after a migraine attack. I don't just use it to wash down my medicines, but literally drink as much as I am able.  It is so easy to become dehydrated when I am suffering so much for so long. Being dehydrated can also lead to a worsening of my pain and migraine symptoms.

Just like an alcohol hangover, the migraine hangover can be "watered down". Water is also very important for beating the migraine hangover. Keeping up fluid levels in my body helps me to recover more quickly and keeps me from dehydrating. I try to drink at least 64 oz. ( 2L) of water each day.

In addition to the symptoms of actual dehydration, you may also have nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or the feeling that you "can't keep anything down," All of which could be causing the dehydration. It may be that the lack of sufficient water is one of your triggers.

It's hard to get up and going after a severe migraine attack. But, drinking a lot of water, may help me get back on my feet faster. Dehydration is a dangerous situation. It is a lack of fluids and water that our bodies need to function. Symptoms of dehydration include;

• Dry or sticky mouth
• Low or no urine output; concentrated urine appears dark yellow
• Not producing tears
• Sunken eyes
• Overall tiredness
• Lethargic or comatose (with severe dehydration)

Sometimes the symptoms are masked by the migraine, so it is important to plan ahead. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times, and have as many refills as you want. :)

Do you have any other remedies for migraine hangover? Please share with your fellow sufferers.

 




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• Migraine-Hangover Or Depression? (Againstthegraine.blogspot.com)

Migraine And My Sleep Testing

I recently went to a sleep lab to have a study done. I tried to have this done in the beginning of June, but my brain would not participate.

I was on the call list in case of cancellations. I received a call about 8:30 at night asking if I could come in for my study. I said, "Yes", and arrived at the center an hour later. Luckily for me, this facility is a part of my local hospital, Carilion Clinic New River Valley Medical Center (try saying that ten times real fast :) and is located only 10 minutes away from my home.

I will describe the procedure for those of you who might have questions about it.
I arrived and was shown to a room, that looked like a nice hotel room with a queen size bed, tv, and the cleanest bathroom I have ever seen. The tech came into the room shortly and began attaching wires and leads all over my head. He cleaned each individual spot with a cotton swab and what may have been rubbing alcohol in order to remove any oil or dirt that might be on my skin (although, I had taken a shower before leaving home which made it take more than 10 minutes to get there). He placed each lead on my scalp, and a few on my face and torso, using some putty and then taped them down. I honestly did not feel any pricking or discomfort of any kind.

Two belts were attached, one around my chest and the other around my stomach, and leads were attached to them as well. All the leads were pulled back into a ponytail and I got into bed.

I was really surprised that lying down with all the connections and wires connected to me was not uncomfortable at all. The tech then went back to the control room and began giving me instructions. Look left and right, up and down. Blink five times, grind my teeth, and make a snoring sound. Then I was told good night and sweet dreams.

Remember, that I said in the beginning that my brain would not participate? Well, I lay there, tossed and turned, and could not fall asleep. Nothing was uncomfortable, my brain just would not shut down.  By 5 a.m. the tech, came into the room and said that we would just shut it down this time and try again another night.

My scheduled test date was a week later. I went through all the setup and ended up getting my usual "interrupted" 5 to 6 hours of sleep. The testing was not difficult and they found that I have complex sleep apnea, a combination of both obstructive and central sleep apnea. Either could, at the very least, contribute to my cranium continua, so I was scheduled to return and be fitted for CPAP mask and machine.

• The most common form of apnea is Obstructive Sleep Apnea, OSA, and occurs when the throat muscles relax from 10 seconds to over 30 seconds. This causes obstruction and prevents you from taking in air. This may happen hundreds of times in one night.

• When the brain fails to send the signal to take a breath, this is called Central Sleep Apnea, CSA. As a result, the breathing muscles that respond to the stimulus remain dormant.

I returned to the sleep lab the other night for the fitting and adjusting of a CPAP machine. The sequence was the same as the previous two times, with the addition of a mask that was placed over my nose and mouth.
The mask is a lot more comfortable than I remembered, but it is still going to take time in order to get used to it.

Now I am waiting for the whole contraption to be delivered to me. I will update when I receive it and can give an honest opinion about it.

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• Lack of Sleep Linked to Migraine (somebodyhealme.dianalee.net)
• Effects of Sleep Apnea Include Cardiovascular Disease & Impotency (sleep-disorders.suite101.com)
• Healing Brain Damage from Sleep Apnea (sleep-disorders.suite101.com)

Do You Have Drug Interactions?

Do you have any interactions between your prescription drugs, vitamins and herbal supplements? Prescription drugs are common and most of the interactions are known by your doctor. Similar drugs, vitamins, and supplements can be bought over-the-counter and no one may be there to help you find interactions between them all.

Some drugs just shouldn't be mixed. Sometimes we know what these are and sometimes we do not. A reaction may be mild and hardly noticeable to having deadly consequences. It's always a good idea to check for interactions between your medications, especially with over-the-counter varieties.

You should always ask your doctor about possible interactions with your prescriptions and any over the counter substances you are taking. He or She may know or have access to this information through one of the professional medical databases. Or they may not.

There is a website that may be helpful to you. MedHelp provides several tools for helping those with chronic pain to manage different aspects of their lives.
Going to http://www.medhelp.org/druginteractions, will provide warnings of negative interactions between your medications, supplements and even various foods. Simply select two or more drugs from the extensive database. The site will display a warning if the interaction could be harmful.

Please know that this recommendation is not paid for in any way. I came across this useful site and felt that others in similar situations would be able to get useful information from it. As with any information provided for free, you should note the providers of the data and act or react accordingly.

In addition to providing a drug interaction tool, the site also provides tools for tracking pain, weight, moods and more. I found that most of the tools are easy to input your information by clicking a box. You can modify the charts and graphs to your liking and you can customize your pages to the color scheme you prefer. There are many options for types of information that each user may track. You can share the information with a community or keep it to yourself.

I rate the overall usability of the site as a 8. This is a very good rating for me, as I am usually hard on interface designs (having over 20 years of professional experience in interface and information technology design). Tell me if you have other ideas, or other useful sites for tracking personal information.

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• Migraine: Say Know To Drugs (againstthegraine.blogspot.com)
• Warning: Herbal Supplements Don't Always Go Well With Heart Drugs (usnews.com)
• Caution regarding mixing herbal remedies if you are on heart medication (medicine.com.my)