My Latest Treatments

Lately, I've been medicating primarily with marijuana. I've also used soma, feverfew, valium, and two different homeopathic pills. As general prevention and body maintenance: meditation, light exercise, getting my greens, and dietary supplements.

I'm finding that marijuana can give me a rebound headache. This discovery has not really lessened my intake. The rebound headache is no worse than my normal headache, and I find it easily avoidable by watching my consumption carefully; amount, quality, time of day, and frequency call play a role in effective pain management.

Soma is an old standby. Not to lessen a headache, but to relax my muscles and keep myself from exacerbating the pain. I don't take them often, maybe four times a month. They are particularly helpful if combined with massage.

I grew some feverfew. So, I've been chomping on a leaf or two every now and again, with nary a result. Then, I googled pictures of feverfew to estimate what size pot I should replant it in and I realized, I have not been chomping on feverfew. I mixed up some seedlings that had been planted at the same time and had actually been trying to remedy my headaches with soapwort leaves. It was not effective. In the past few days, I have tried eating a few fresh actual feverfew leaves, and have yet to notice a difference. However, I'll reserve final judgment until I've experimented a bit more.

Valium was prescribed to me after my occipital shot. I thought it was an odd choice, but realized the benefits when I tried it during a brutal migraine. It took a larger dose than I was was prepared for, but once I got the right dosage, I felt very... controlled. When my head gets bad, I stress. My emotions go wacky, I cry for no real reason, and my anger is difficult to reign. I end up feeling very out-of-control, with my pain unchecked and my reactions not my own. The valium calmed me right the hell down. I still had the headache, but I was able to endure it without feeling suicidal. BONUS!

The two homeopathic headache/migraine remedies I've been trying over the past two months haven't done anything. I won't be buying more. I haven't shut the door, but the screen is locked and I'll be scrutinizing any future potential homeopathic remedies with an even more critical eye.

I've been drinking my green smoothies, and notice a definite difference in my stamina. I take fish oil when I can't have my smoothies because any exertion can trigger my head, and that includes bowel movements. Cheerful!

My treadmill is not getting as much use as I would like, and I have two very good excuses: 1. We can't run the treadmill and the air conditioner at the same time. It's late summer. 2. We live in a small house and my boyfriend is kind of a slob, so access to the treadmill isn't always as easy as it needs to be. But when it's cool in the house and I can reach the thing, walking on that treadmill really makes me feel like I am taking positive steps (hee) for my health. If I get nothing else done in the day, at least I walked.

Self-treating effectively is hard. No one is double-checking my efforts. I often feel like I am making it up as I go along. Am I doing it all wrong? Would I feel better under the care of a doctor? Maybe. But, I'm doing my best with the options I have right now.