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Tuesday, September 9, 2008

A neurological condition?


Migraine. Nausea. That lasts through the day for 5 consecutive days. I learned from our Perception class that the brain has no pain receptors. It’s the membrane surrounding it that’s loaded with receptors. I can imagine my brain rising up and down as the pain ebbs and flows. I can imagine the muscles contract and the veins narrowing. Not a lovely image.

A quick trip to the company clinic got me Myonal and Sibelium. Myonal is a pain reliever that does so by relaxing the skeletal and vascular muscles. It’s a bit medical for me, but as long as it doesn’t alter anything much in my system, I’m for it. Sibelium on the other hand has to be taken for 7 days, 2 capsules before bedtime; and promised to stop the attacks. It also has even uglier side effects. The medication connotes chronic migraine. I’m not quite sure if I’m ready for that just yet. I took Myonal for two days, got as much rest as I could, and cursed the migraine. That managed the pain, enough to tell me I don’t need Sibelium just yet.

I’m doing all these myself because aside from writing the prescription, the doctor did not bother explaining to me what the meds will do. She did not even bother getting my vital signs during check-up. The check-up did not last one minute longer. I told her the symptoms; she presented the diagnoses while writing the prescription. Doubts were hanging over my head the moment I closed the clinic door. I haven’t had much luck on doctors who are not as thorough as you should expect them to be. Sure, they’ve had experience on the field, but this is my head we’re talking about, albeit literally.

Maybe I’ll have my eye checked; maybe have an MRI. Do I have a neurological disease? Or this is just astigmatism? Or maybe I’m just being paranoid. Paranoia and ignorance is a very deadly mix.

What about you, have you had similar experience? What kind of measures did you take? Do share and cure me from my ignorance.

image from http://i.ehow.com/

7 comments:

Anonymous September 9, 2008 at 6:17 PM  

hehe naay one million ka type nga headache man gud berns hehe... well not exactly one million pero daghan au... you might want to look up http://ihs-classification.org/en/ if you want to have a specific diagnosis.

the doctor should have explained his/her diagnosis to you! pero naa man gud mga doktor (daghan actually) nga tapulan, so don't hesitate lang jud to ask questions whenever you see a doctor. sometimes sad naglibog pa pod ang doctor sa exact diagnosis mao na wa na lang sya mosulti. sometimes, in the absence of complicated and expensive diagnostic procedures we can't say for sure what we think you have, so in cases nga pariha ra ang tambal despite sa unsa na type sa sakit, diretso na lang prescribe. he should have explained though...

MammaDawg September 10, 2008 at 12:34 AM  

Whoa.

We're not talking about your typical over-stressed, sleep deprived headache over here.

I'm almost reeling that they didn't even check your vitals!

Any chance you can get a second opinion? With a doctor who actually cares?

Because truth be told, if he cared to really find out the root of your migraines and nausea, he would've at least checked your vitals before prescribing anything.

And THEN, he would've at LEAST explained how the meds work and what the side effects would be.

How sad, isn't it - that the One Minute Doctor Visit is so typical? :(

I hope it gets better, and that you're able to get to the root of it. Keep us posted?

Anonymous September 10, 2008 at 3:06 AM  

I wish I can give you help. I too suffer from migraine...I guess rest and peace are the ones that get me through the day.

MaricrisG September 10, 2008 at 10:35 AM  

You're not alone in this. I suffer the same way that sometimes last about a week. It is also stress related or heat-induced or glare induced like when it's overcast and there's too much glare in the sky. It's a very tough handicap to bear especially since the headache is so debilitating. I had one episode where I puked my guts out for a day! it wasn't fun. I hate migraines but I have it and there's no cure. I feel your pain sister. I take migra-prufen which is an all natural medicine. I hate taking medications that are prescribed because of all the side-effects. We can only wish it go away for good!

Purpled Sky September 10, 2008 at 10:19 PM  

@gaya- yeah, i should have asked more questions tsk tsk! maybe i was just too stunned for the short visit to do anything? it was a weird encounter, nonetheless.

@mammadawg- yep, i certainly will get a second opinion. i am really hoping it's just my eyes.

@chris- rest and peace, indeed, that's something we don't get to afford most often.

@maricris- migra-prufen huh? i doubt if it's available anywhere in the Philippines. thanks for the tip, will tell my sister to send me a bottle :-)

Unknown September 12, 2008 at 10:03 AM  

I suggest you find a different doctor. One that really cares. You are paying them to take care of you.

Take care of yourself.

Linda S September 13, 2008 at 10:36 AM  

I would find a different doctor...we are chronic migraine sufferers. Have had MRI's just to rule out anything major. My son gets one almost everyday. He is resistant to most meds and suffers greatly. I have him at a neurologist and neuropsychologist for stress management. He has even had to be hospitalized. You really need to be evaluated by a neurologist to get a proper diagnosis. Good luck to you...

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