Rebound
Migraines began in my teens and stole chunks of my twenties and thirties. In the painful grip of a migraine, I got overly sensitive to light and sound. I was usually nauseous. Dark rooms were never dark enough. Even a silent room has the shrill of tinnitus, buzzing electrical plugs, or cars passing by outside. The only relief was to reduce the symptoms enough to fall asleep and hope it was gone by the time I woke up.
The pain felt like a tightened belt around my head. Tight enough to feel my heartbeat pound in my skull. Pounding loudly enough to make my headache even worse. The discomfort crept down my neck and into my shoulders. The muscles tensed into another layer of headache.
I discovered Tylenol Extra Super-Mega-Strength for migraines™ or something like that. Every time I took one, sometimes two, I felt relief. The pills were magic and helped me reclaim my life. They were so effective; I took the big stuff every time I had any little headache, even the whisper of a headache.
I noticed as soon as one would pass, another would start. The medicine did not work on the secondary headache. I could not live like this. The despair got heavy.
Seeking answers, I learned about “rebound headaches.” These insidious monsters are headaches caused by headache medicine. Betrayal. The very thing I needed to help me was hurting me. I cried. If I took the medicine for the first one, I’d suffer another. If I tried to ignore the first one, it would last extra long.
Discovering the cause of the secondary headache was a moment of clarity. I started to pay closer attention to my circumstances when I didn’t have a headache. I kept notes on what I ate and drank, my activities, and my sleep patterns. It took two years to track each one down, but I identified my triggers. Stepping back and spotting patterns significantly reduced the torment.
Sometimes I only pay attention to the negative times. Sometimes I get too fixated on managing symptoms. Sometimes the way I choose to treat my symptoms contributes to my problems. It can be nearly impossible to see in the moment.
Can I take note of the good times? Is my addiction to a quick fix keeping me stuck? Where is my self-medicating making my circumstances worse?
Be curious, be kind, be whole, do good things.
Wow! What a profound story. I, too, suffered from horrible migraines in my teens and twenties and thirties. I’m. It quite sure what I did to figure them out but thankfully today I rarely have them. They used to be weekly for sure, often daily, for years and years of my life. I had tried every type of medicine and medical treatment including MRI scans and expensive pills. There were things that worked, but nothing seemed sustainable. In my mind I tend to believe a lot of mine were caused by unnecessary stress and I’ve somehow learned how to reduce that stress so now I rarely get them. Thankfully. No more prescriptions. No more super mega pills daily. Again - thankful they’re mostly gone!!
Happy Friday to you sir!!