PCS 7 months on
 

At the moment I am working 33.5 hours a week and look after my three young children for two afternoons - but I am finding it all very tiring and I have a lot of headaches. I am not reducing my hours or responsibilities at this stage.

I don't feel I can undertake strenuous exercise, because the last time I did I got a major headache and was fatigued for 3 days. However I need to get my energy levels up and I don't know how.

Cymbalta has helped with headaches, but I still have a degree of light sensitivity and eye strain, I only noticed this coming back recently. The only time my head feels entirely normal is after I have needed to take Imigran. I am convinced the head injury has caused problems with cerebral blood flow, and this is causing my headaches.

I know I have made great strides and am nearly better, but does anyone have any advice how I can move things forward. My fear is that the fatigue and headaches could be permanent, even though I was assured from the start that everything is temporary. Any advice?

Look for ways to concerve energy
 

Hi Mouse1,

I applaud you been able to work and continue, I am 15 months pcs and am not able to go back to work. Fatigue is a huge problem and while it may or may not be around for a while, it is important to structure your life to limit you energy usage.

I have a chair in the kitchen, that I can sit on or lean to work at the stove and prepare meals, I have a stool by my washer and dryer and I sit down to sort my laundry and to put it in the washer and dryer. I also try not to go up and down the stairs a lot. When I go into the basement to do laundry I find other things to do down there and plan chores by floor.

I try to limit my stress, kids can kill this easily, but you have to put thing in smaller portions and still find time for complete rest. Meditation has help me and it is like power resting for 15 minutes.

Good Luck and be easy on yourself, it can take up to 3 years or longer to really recover and you don't want set backs.

It will all calm down soon, this I promise! Keep a positive mind, mouse! How long have you been on the Cymbalta the second time? Best wishes!

Consider

Norma, thankyou and its nice to hear it can take upto 3 years to recover, but I am hoping to be over everything within a year.

Consider - I hope you are right, I have been on the Cymbalta 5 days, so maybe I need to wait a bit longer, I have to admit I felt a lot better the first time I was on it.

I was getting a lot better, but it seems to have stopped, but I suppose I am doing a lot more.

I think it is amazing that you are doing what you are!

The only question is perhaps the headaches are a way of your brain/body saying it may be too much?

If there is a way to change the hours or days minding the kids, you might be able to experiment a little. I know it's hard- sometimes the commitment has been set.

I find that when I push myself by doing too much, the migraines and headaches return. I try to slow down, and i am very aware of how lucky I am that I can right now.

Best of luck!

I can't remember . . .
 

Have you seen a neuro ophthalmologist? I'm just about concerned that your eyes could be part of the problem and could even be a contributing factor to your headaches.

What I discovered when I was having headaches is that I had three different kinds of headaches: migraines, headaches caused by a neck injury, and headaches caused by eyestrain. Do your headaches always seem the same? Is the pain always in the same place? For example, at one point, I would have pain above and behind my left eye, but surprisingly, these headaches caused by my neck injury. It took me a while to figure out what injury was causing which headache, but once I did, it was a lot easier to treat. Anyway, I just wanted to throw out there that vision related issues or a neck injury could be part of the problem. Of course it could still be from the brain injury.

I feel for you, mouse. I worked with PCS for a long time before I was diagnosed. I felt terrible all the time and I didn't know why. I don't know whether or not I would have recovered if I hadn't stopped working. I don't think everyone is like me, but I think that it can be a more difficult road. Is there anything you can do to make your work environment more PCS friendly? Can you take several 15 minute breaks throughout the day to go to your car or another private space and just shut your eyes for a little while? Can you make your lunch break a private time for relaxing? These are things that I wish I would've done while I was working, but I just tried to keep on like everything was normal even though it was not.

It probably will take the Cymbalta of a while to get back into your system. I know with antidepressants that I'm familiar with, it takes at least two weeks. Give it some time! I hope you get feeling better!

I dont get much eye pain, but this used to be terrible along with light sensitivity.

My headaches are a constant dull ache around the temples which go with migraine meds called Imigran.

I find spending time in the office, in front of the computer, and writing notes more tiresome. I find driving and visiting people less tiresome.

I am currently trying to get Occupational Health to recommend that I am posted somewhere that is 2 minutes drive from my house. I currently have a 45 minute drive to get to work.

I cannot change the child care.

I think when I am in work I ignore symptoms and push on, strangely enough I am getting more confident about work week by week, I am not making mistakes because I pace myself. I know I can do my job and I will get over this!

Just to update you, the Cymbalta has taken effect and my headaches have gone, it is a great neurological painkiller!

I unfortunately have had stomach trouble again, but it is a price worth paying to get rid of the constant headaches.

I will probably stay on Cymbalta for my PCS for another six months because it seems to reduce symptoms for me, and allows me to work without distraction.

The other bonus is that my mood has lifted somewhat as well due to its antidepressant qualities.

Happy for you!