Twenty Laps

The YMCA was closed for a week for cleaning and repairs and I missed my swims.  Today I got right back into the habit with twenty laps.  I don't want to brag or anything, but I can swim twenty laps in under an hour.  Whew!  So fast!!  Twenty laps, incidentally, is two-thousand meters.  I think.

Did I mention I swam twenty laps?

The XR version of Wellbutrin is continuing to give me very mild headaches.  These are the type that I can ignore as I go about my day, and they may well cease once I'm back on a strict regimen of waking at the same time each day.  I've read lots of feedback from other patients online, and many of them say the headaches do taper off, so I'm willing to continue with it.

I've eaten lots of carbs in the past few weeks, mainly in an attempt to curb the headaches.  It doesn't really help, so I'm going to stick more closely to the low-carb eating for the rest of the summer.

Is it a cure or a cause?

So now the Wellbutrin, which is meant to stop the migraines, is giving me migraines.

I'm on week four of taking the standard release variety and week one of non-stop--but very mild--migraine pain.  It's possible that switching to the extended release variety will change my reaction to the medication, so I'm going to try that next.

Meanwhile, I'm going to take 10 mg of Nortriptyline each night to fight these headaches.

I did some checking around the web, and most of the people who say that Wellbutrin gave them migraines also say that the headaches ceased after two to three weeks.

I hope I have the same experience.

Because I'd really like for this medicine to be a cure, not a cause.

Wellbutrin Update

It's been a week, and I'm now officially off of Nortriptyline and taking only Wellbutrin for the migraines, the ADHD, and the SAD.

And I feel great.  I've kept a daily diary of, well, anything I notice, and it seems to me that I'm not suffering any strange side effects.

I have woken with headaches a couple of times, but I think they were both due to the fact that I'd gone to bed and woken up later than usual. 

I've also stuck with the swimming.  I got started at Intrawest in Palm Desert and have joined the YMCA to keep it up.  I like going on weekdays at three, because that's when they begin pumping in cold water in preparation for swim team practice.  I have the lap lanes to myself.  Today I completed 10 laps, a new personal best.

Tonight I'm trying something very interesting out:  I'm having a vodka tonic.  Dave and I cleaned out our sad little liquor cabinet and had to throw away bottles and bottles (smallish ones) of alcohol that had gone bad.  The Bailey's expired in 1995, and was so thick it couldn't be poured down the sink.  There were black things in the bottom of the gin.  It was yucky!  It will be interesting to find out if I can have a drink and not suffer a migraine.

Over the Fourth of July weekend, I had no trouble sticking to my diet, except for one meal.  Omi had made her potato salad so naturally I had to have some of that.  I also ate a piece of "nice cake." I think an occasional indulgence is perfectly acceptable.

My weight is pretty much unchanged.

Wellbutrin

I visited my PCP last week to talk about ending my prescription for Nortriptyline.

My concerns about the Nortrip (can I abbreviate it?) are that it seems to contribute to weight gain, the dry-mouth is annoying and causes dental issues, and I'd like to be able to try ADHD medicine.  I confessed that the weight-loss side effect of ADHD medicines really appeals to me.

I also explained to my doctor that I become a different person when I visit the desert.  I eat less, sleep better, have the desire to work out, and am generally more productive and busy.  Here in Seattle I sit in my recliner and get fat.

She recommended Wellbutrin.  Like Nortrip it is an anti-depressant that also helps alleviate migraines.  It's also effective for ADHD symptoms and for SAD.  So if it works, it's basically the magic pill I've been looking for.

But it was a scary start.  Side effects include thoughts of suicide or suicide, grouchiness, and, of all things, MIGRAINES.  But when it works, it's great.

So far, it seems to be working.  I've been aided by a week of warm, clear weather so there haven't been any issues with the barometer.  I'm sticking to my lo-carb diet so that there are no headaches due to sugar or wheat.

Audrey Swims

I returned home from that blissful week in Palm Desert determined to fight Seattle's climate.

In the desert I am the real me.  I rise early.  I keep the room clean.  I eat less.  I look forward to exercise.

I want to do all that here at home.

Yesterday, I drove down to the new YMCA in Newcastle and joined.  I challenged myself to swim four laps in the pool...and I did it.  I made a chart to track my weight and exercise so that I can set goals and brag about my improvements.

Wish me luck.

The Desert

My husband and I are spending a blissful week in Palm Desert.

Twice now I've forgotten to take my meds at night.

Neither time did I get a headache.

I love it here.

Also:  I can drink gin or vodka (just one drink a night) and experience no headache symptoms.

Did I mention I love it here?

Is it me...or my migraine?

I loved the first paragraph of this article:

I’m sleepy. I’m hungry. I’m elated! I’m irritable. I’m grumpy. I’m gassy. I’m confused. I’m achy. I’m tired. I’m stuffed. I’m unable to remember your name. I’m Janice. I mean I’m JANET. I’m forgetting my own name. I’m stressed out. I’m snapping at my boyfriend. I’m annoyed with my friend. I’m in love with my life! The world is so beautiful! I’m itchy. I’m fidgety. I’m lethargic. I’m sniffly. I’m stuffy-headed. I’m bored. I’m thrilled. I’m manic. I’m moody. I’m snuggly. Don’t touch me.

I’m a migraineur.

Read the rest at http://migraine.com/blog/never-knowing-if-its-me-or-the-migraine/?uuid=d78dec7fbb0b9278d5e1b784921deb4a

Why gluten-free diets work

"Some people are convinced that their general health improves when they stay away from gluten. Though the science is still murky on non-celiac gluten sensitivity, recent studies in Italy and Australia found that significant numbers of patients with intestinal problems felt better with gluten-free diets, even if they had no indications of celiac disease or wheat allergy."

http://theweek.com/article/index/242263/is-going-gluten-free-healthier-for-everybody

Working Full Time with Migraine

I've now worked my third week of this full-time assignment.

I got a headache on Friday during the day that I believe was weather-related.  Otherwise, the regular schedule seems to help me out.  I go to bed at the same time each day.  I wake at the same time each day.

I feel pretty good!!

New Year's Status

I weighed myself yesterday and found that I'd put on an entire pound eating carbs during the holidays.  That's something I can live with.

Remember that I mentioned my headaches getting so much worse as fall rolled in and the clouds descended?  I realized that I'd switched to coffee and wondered if that had caused the pain.  I switched back to tea and within a day noticed a difference.  I am simply not getting headaches.

So to re-cap, the magic formula has been no carbs (elimination of both gluten and sugar) and no coffee.  I drink 2 or 3 cups of black tea each day.  And I feel great.

Oh, and there's a wee side benefit:  I've lost 13 pounds since July.