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Old 02-17-2015, 10:46 AM
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EnglishDave EnglishDave is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Yorkshire, England
Posts: 2,098
8 yr Member
EnglishDave EnglishDave is offline
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EnglishDave's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Yorkshire, England
Posts: 2,098
8 yr Member
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MrsD, thank you so much for such a comprehensive answer.
As to your points, in Number:

2. I drink no coffee, have maybe 1 or 2 weak teas morning and lunch time. Fresh coffee used to be my weakness in the early '80's, drinking 8-10 cups a day. After '83 I found it massively increased my Anxiety levels, I haven't touched it since.

3. Talking of Anxiety, Theanine is something I will definitely look in to. I am increasingly in need of help.

4. Thanks for that clarification, I was first diagnosed/prescribed during my 'Don't know, don't care, dead inside Citalopram' years. I have filed that self-misinformation ever since. So - Cox-1 inhibitors like Ibuprofen do not work on me.

5/6. I eat a fair amount of oily fish - far more than most people, though probably still not enough. All my vegetables are steamed, fruit not enough. My drinks of choice are plenty of water and fortified A, C, E, carrot and acerola juice.
Blood tests during my Annual Review often show B6/B12 slightly low for which I am prescribed high dose supplements for 6 weeks, then tested again. Levels sustain/taper off over the next 9 months. There is a contra-indication that, for the life of me, I cannot remember that my GP will not allow permanent supplement use.
Folic acid and vitamin D (surprisingly) are good.

1/7. Headaches. These are not MOH, or Nitrate headaches. My suffering precedes my use of any pain meds. I suffered for 9 years, having up to 8 attacks a day with no respite, thinking they were just part of the Chronic Neuropathic Facial Pain/Parasthesia and TN I have on the left side of my head/face.
It was only when I mentioned their intensity to my Neurologist - a white hot railroad spike boring into my brain behind my temple/left eye - that he matched more symptoms - sweating, eye watering, blocked and runny nose, (eventually) contracted pupil , length of attack - that he diagnosed Chronic Cluster Headaches.
Throughout the years, through all my different treatments and meds, and every year at this time when I cut out my pain meds to properly gauge my level of pain, ensure I'm not addicted to anything and to identify possible masked problems, the Cluster Headaches have been my miserable companion.
The Topiramate HAS cut the number of attacks, standing now at about 14 a week. And it seems that Lidocaine and/or Ketamine dulls their intensity a little.

Dave.
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"Thanks for this!" says:
ger715 (02-17-2015), mrsD (02-17-2015)