Trying a Prednisone Pack...Again
The migraine wouldn’t end. It started around Thanksgiving and, every time I thought it was gone, it would be back. Nausea, light sensitivity, fog, aura, and headache. My muscles hurt in the weird way they do when I’m in a migraine, pulsing hot pain around my right shoulder blade. Was it separate migraines? Was it something else entirely? The world may never know because my neurologist’s office would not get back to me.
…until I told them I was disappointed in them.
Why did my neurologist disappoint me?
That’s right. I pulled a mom voice in my message via the electronic charting system. You see, my previous neurologist was a fellow, and, when he left, the attending became my doctor. Since I had yet to see her, I’d never had any contact with her and, somehow, this meant my messages kept falling through the cracks. This should not have been the case because I was calling and messaging.
What did she prescribe for my migraine?
So, finally, after expressing my displeasure, a message came through. They were prescribing me a six day “prednisone pack.” They sent it to the wrong pharmacy, but after we sorted that, it was in my hands.
How has prednisone made me feel?
I’d taken prednisone before. One summer I had a huge reaction to some mosquito bites and my legs were pretty much one swollen lump. They’d put me on it then and again later that summer before and after I had sinus surgery. I hated being on prednisone. It made me too hungry and not at all tired. I was irritable and puffy. I was married at the time and woke up my husband at 3am to throw a loaf of bread at him and yell at him for neglecting to put on the twisty tie. Stale bread sent me into a rage! How was I going to deal with my children?! When the pharmacist told me, this time, “You might be up at night,” I sighed with resignation.
Was I up at night?
I needed to do something, though, because snow was coming and cold fronts are my biggest trigger. I took the pills. I was surprised to sleep through the night, save for a random sweaty midnight wake up. Then we hunkered down for winter chaos.
It was a stressful weekend. We lost power for two days and went to a hotel. After I warmed up and took the best shower of my life, my blood vessels must have relaxed, too, and I felt like I’d been hit with a migraine truck. So much for the prednisone fix. We went home the next day and I fought to stay migraine-free, relying on rescue meds, painkillers, and caffeine. Honestly, though, the stress probably kept it at bay more than anything.
Was it the prednisone or cold that kept me up?
If I was up at night, it didn’t feel like it was from the prednisone, but from watching trees sway in the icy breeze, hotel noises, and general uneasiness. My kids told me I snored. If I was irritable, it was pretty justified. My children are much beloved, of course, but are young and often bickered during our stay inside. Bickered is actually a pretty tame word for it. I was mad at the earth for bestowing winter upon me and mad at my own health for failing to keep me going at all times.
Since there was nothing else to do and frequently no internet, which kept me from working, I tried to relax. I watched movies, read a bit, and stared out the window, cuddling my dog. Once the thaw sets in, we’ll have to see what my neurologist has to say for herself.
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