Kim, Thank you for the encouraging words, respect, suggestions and most of all hopes for futures blooms. God, how us gardeners know each other and how we relish the tiniest victories out there in the dirt! In fact, when I receive the "green thumb" compliment, I've learned to respond with an honest answer that sometimes surprises most. "Oh, I say, I've had more failures than victories when it comes to gardening. What you see is an obsession and years of trial and error." If I'm talking to a man, I usually analogize that my gardening is like golf, spending hours trying to get that perfect swing knowing all along, one can't. Ha! Maybe I need to be really honest,lol, and tell them I'm no gardener; just a plant collector/hoarder, going for quantity not quality! Karen, If it wasn't for you guys here at the GP and the tv I'd be even more blind to this menopause thing than I already am. Good gracious, I am dumber than a potato when it comes to this menopause stuff! I don't know if I'm in denial or just plum stupid or both,lol! I was watching "The Closer" the other night and the main character was concerned about some medical symptoms she was having only to discover she was experiencing menopause. She was in shock,lol. Her doctor said: "I've gained weight, haven't slept in 3 years and carry a fan in my purse." I thought, Omg, that's me!!! Like you said it just sneaks up on you and takes over your body. Incidentally, when I went to see my doc for this infection last week, I complained about the possibility of the antidepressants causing me to not get rid of these unwanted extra pounds. She suggested that I get some blood work done checking for anemia, thyroid, etc. before we change my script. I think she's smart enough to remember I was totally clueless months ago when I complained to her about these strange symptoms(sweating profusely, not sleeping through the night, etc.) Tee, hee, the poor woman had to break it to me gently,lol. Again, I don't know if I'm in denial or dumber than a potato,or both. Won't be the first time or the last. ;o)

Hi, I've been waiting to post for a few days so I could give a fair assessment of exactly 'how I am responding' to treatment. I can now say, with absolute clarity and conviction so that no one is confused here, that I do have episodic migraines 2~4 times a month. I can usually head those off at the pass with Imitrex shots or pills; I switch up depending on how soon I can get to the headache. A pill if I'm not nauseous or vomiting. A shot if I am over the edge. THAT being said, I want to tell you where I am with treatment right now. For migraines: 1) The neurologist told me that the 50 mg of Imitrex tablets that I was using was probably not strong enough and told me to use 100 mg tablets or double the 50 mgs. I couldn't believe it, but I've already had an opportunity to use this new dosage and I had less side effects from taking this amount -Vs- taking the lower amount! No kidding. (2) He also put me on Topamax as a prophylactic. It's too early for me to tell how this will work. So far, no side effects that I can tell. It's quite involved to start taking this medication as they increase the dosage, so it takes a series of increasing dosages over three weeks to get to a target amount to start. I'm still in those parameters. For this current chronic headache: Having been in a constant headache state such that I have been since March, I could not eve differentiate with clarity the pain levels. I felt so inadequate and sickened trying to explain the pain levels without sounding so ridiculous, exaggerating, or needy... to a doctor, when you can see that there are other people with more serious medical needs than mine in the waiting room. Anyway, when they ask, "What is your current pain level?" I answer something RIDICULOUSLY conservative like, "6 or 7," out of a 10 point scale, with 10 being the worse. NOW that I have had some success with this pain, I can tell you I was like a damn 30 and I am NOW a 6 or 7 on the pain scale as I type right now.~~ !!!! So, how have I improved this much? Well, I had the occipital nerve block last week. I believe you'd call mine the 'greater nerve block' -Vs- the alternative 'lesser' nerve block. If you Goggle it, you will see what I mean. Before I continue, I have to tell you, this is a treatment that I believe every single doctor and NP in America should know how to do. It is that amazing. But please, pay attention closely to my description of my experience. I say this because with some of my key words you **might** find some phrases or explanations in medical journals online, but it's not easily out there to tell you from a lay-person's perspective, how this feels and how it has affected me. Also, without going into boring details, I have to say that here in Jacksonville, FL, I could only find ONE neurologist to do this occipital nerve block and he was is associated with Shands Hospital. Even the neurologist that referred me to him did not do them. Now I know he's not the only game in town, but doctors just don't do these things like I think they should! SO MANY people could find relief, I am sure. OK, here's what happened. The doctor comes in after getting approved (by insurance) for the procedure (2 day, 2 hr. wait), and explains that he is going to put in 8~10 shots in my neck and upper shoulders. He WARNED ME that if he did "not hear certain sounds", that he would "stop the procedure" because "this is like a truth serum; I can tell if you are really in pain or not... nerves speak and they can tell me exactly what kind of pain that you are in." The needles were not inserted into my brain or spinal column. I sat in a chair, leaning my head on a pillow on a table in front of me. The doctor felt for the base of my skull and within 6 ~ 8 minutes had injected all shots. Two or three down the left side of my neck, then two or three down the right, and four places across the top of my back shoulders, with two being to the left of my spine and two on the right, rather evenly spaced. What was AMAZING was when he put in the first needle on my right side of the neck upper at the base of my skull. As he inserted the needle, it sounded like it was going into Styrofoam. The sounds that came out of that nerve as the needle and medicine went in would have made you think I was possessed and demons were crunching their way out of my body. It hurt like a blank-blank because he rubbed each shot sight's medication in with his thumb after shooting in the meds. All I could say the entire time is, "OMG. Lord Jesus, come," over and over. My nerves made audible sounds like chewing Cap'N Crunch cereal, and lesser sounds like Rice Crispy's in the beginning. Let me clarify this for you: the nerves made a **CRUNCHING SOUND** AND **SNAP, CRACKLE, POPPING SOUNDS**. The doctor said that these were "some of the worst/best sounds he has ever heard come out of a patient...up there in the top three." He also assured me I would feel 100% better when I left; clarifying that I would not feel 100%, just 100% better. Boy, do I know what he means. The occipital nerve block was quick easy and AMAZING. It was painful, but after what I've gone through the past few months, it was tolerable and worth it. I'm going to have another one in 11 weeks. He also said that some Migraneurs find relief from this, too, even though I'm doing this for my head injury swelling and trying to stop the pain cycle. Also, I left the office after about 10~15 minutes and of having the ONB and have had no real side effects that I can tell other than soreness and a slight bruising in one area. What did it do for me? My chronic headache throbbing stopped within five minutes of the ONB (Occipital Nerve Block). Now, my head still feels like I've been battered and hit hard, very, very tender, but at least the headache is gone. I had a slight thumbprint size bruising in one area on my neck from the shots. Other than that, all has been good. Two days after I had this done, I awoke with a migraine, not sure what kind of a headache it was, I took the Imitrex 100 mg dose and in 30~40 mins. it was gone. So, I talked to my FP doctor who followed up after the block. I explained the still extreme tenderness when I showered and walked and wind in my hair, but the throbbing WAS GONE. But now, I just felt 'damaged'. I also explained I was still had the issue of not being able to sleep and was still nauseated. He understood. He gave me a 'cocktail prescription' of Benadryl, Reglan, and 20 mg. of Prednizone to take three times a day for swelling and nausea. I have never, ever been able to take Benadryl because it will knock me for a loop. But, honestly, I've taken all five days and I actually slept every night except for last night, which I was up about five times. The meds have not made me sleep during the day at all either. So, I'm waiting right now for another Prednizone prescription for maybe another 10 days. We'll see. Thank you all so much for your suggestions and sharing your sites. I am going to keep all info and I have read some of the sites already. I pretty much follow the low tyramine diet as is and miss chicken livers. Here is a link that might be useful: Occipital Nerve Block

I've had them pretty much all my life--although they weren't diagnosed until I was much older. Mine have slowed down a lot since menopause. Mine can be triggered by chemicals like cleaning products or scents from makeup/perfume. A flash or strobing light almost always brings one on (I have to be really careful if I'm driving and a school bus, police car, fire engine, etc crosses my path. Sometimes, it seems that allergen overload can be a factor (I'm much more likely to get them spring or fall, when allergies are worst) My aura isn't visual. Before a migraine hits, I sometimes get an odd smell. Something like a cross between cigarette smoke and wet plaster. It's an odd, unreal sort of smell. Ontgal--are you sure you take Cafergot? It's been off the market for MANY years and is very, very dangerous. It can cause serious circulation problems--people have lost fingers/toes, etc from taking it. You might want to look into the dangers of it, and reevaluate using it. For mine, I won't take anything heavy-duty. I down a couple of Motrin or Exedrin Migraines, swig some room temperature Pepsi (the caffeine helps). Then, I take the hottest shower I can stand, to get the blood moving, then get to bed, keeping my head warm and my feet cold. Since Migraines are vascular headaches, what needs to happen is for the blood to leave your head (the headache is basically caused by pressure because the blood is backing up there) and then slow it's return (hence the cold feet). Using those steps, and lying in a quiet, dark room, I can generally get one on the run in an hour or so. Once it's gone, it's gone--I feel fantastic, I'm raveouns, and I'm ready for life's next adventure. My daughter has suffered from migraines since about age 10. They can be genetic--my father had them, my husband's mother did, too--poor DD didn't have a chance! Unfortunately, though, she gets abdominal migraines. They're not as well-known as regular migraines, and it was a couple of years before we finally were able to find a dr. who correctly diagnosed her condition. In her case, she doesn't get a headache at all--but she'll get terrible stomach pains and vomit uncontrollably for hours, until the migraine passes. Once she was diagnosed, and given migraine medication, it was clear that that had been the problem all along. Sadly, drs still often misdiagnose abdominal migraines (which often hit children), and treat the kids for stomach problems--which doesn't help at all.

I firmly believe that people who suffer chronically and don't help themselves, do it because on a psychological level they benefit from it. It's an excuse for them not to achieve, it avoids responsibility, or it reinforces their sense that they don't deserve better...it's a way of getting attention, or hanging on to those you fear you might otherwise lose. There are a myriad of reasons why. Many of those reasons can occur at an unconscious level. Only by doing the work of probing and understanding our past and our thinking can we understand and unwind the path that lead us to where we are today. We had an aunt who was always miserable. All she ever did was complain. My Mom used to ask me why if she is so unhappy doesn't she do something to fix it...and I would respond because Auntie is never so happy as she is when she's unhappy. She never thought she'd get attention if she was happy, but by being miserable, she garnered attention and support. She fulfilled the role that she believed was hers. I heard this talk on meditation by a chiropractor/yoga instructor/etc. He told the story of one patient who had a chronic shoulder problem. She been to doctors and chiropractors and nothing seemed to help. So he asked her to tell him her story. Turns out that she sat next to her father at the dinner table who was an angry man and who would often reach out and strike her where she sat. To protect herself, she got in the habit of hunching that shoulder. Only by telling him, did she make the connection between what was necessary back then, what is no longer necessary now and how to solve the problem....by understanding and then letting go of the past.