My migraine is gone...completely disappeared right out of the blue late yesterday afternoon!
So, enjoy your weekend!
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
The Weather Channel VS My Head
I have a migraine. I've had it since yesterday starting right after lunch. I've taken my prescription meds to combat it. It lessens, but it is reluctant to completely relinquish it's control over my head. The battle has been raging on through last night and again throughout today. Why me? Why now? Why oh why won't it go away?
I've fought this battle many times. I fought it last week as well...starting on Wednesday. It was the day a little tropical storm named Fay made it's entry into the Carribean and the Gulf of Mexico, criss crossing the state of Florida. I finally got relief late Monday night. I fought this battle during Erin, Opal, Ivan, and Dennis. I fight this battle every time a storm enters our area, no matter how big or small it is. Now, my migraine is raging up again. Raging is an understatement. Medication can hardly contain it's painful effects. My head feels as though the right half of my brain will implode and explode at the same time. The pain ferociously stabbing its way down the right side of my neck deep into my right shoulder blade. It's on the move again, taking back real estate that it was forced to retreat from earlier in the day. "Oh my aching head," is an understatement!
Want an accurate weather predication you can count on...then ask my migraine! My friend Sidney claims it gives more accurate weather predictions than the Weather Channel. Fay was about where Gustav is right now when my migraine flared up last week. BRING IT ON JIM CANTORE...you got nothin' on me!
So, are YOU prepared for Gustav? Based on my migraine, I'm going to the store to stock up and then get gas ... but first I think I'm going to hang out for a while somewhere very quiet and very dark. See you at the pump!
PS - Uh oh! Now it's going down into my left shoulder blade as well...a two sided migraine...can't be a good sign!
PSS - My husband is a DOUBTER! We shall see! We SHALL see!
In His Love, Cathy
This blog does not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Weather Channel. For scientific weather predictions, check with the National Weather Service, The Weather Channel, or your local news source.
I've fought this battle many times. I fought it last week as well...starting on Wednesday. It was the day a little tropical storm named Fay made it's entry into the Carribean and the Gulf of Mexico, criss crossing the state of Florida. I finally got relief late Monday night. I fought this battle during Erin, Opal, Ivan, and Dennis. I fight this battle every time a storm enters our area, no matter how big or small it is. Now, my migraine is raging up again. Raging is an understatement. Medication can hardly contain it's painful effects. My head feels as though the right half of my brain will implode and explode at the same time. The pain ferociously stabbing its way down the right side of my neck deep into my right shoulder blade. It's on the move again, taking back real estate that it was forced to retreat from earlier in the day. "Oh my aching head," is an understatement!
Want an accurate weather predication you can count on...then ask my migraine! My friend Sidney claims it gives more accurate weather predictions than the Weather Channel. Fay was about where Gustav is right now when my migraine flared up last week. BRING IT ON JIM CANTORE...you got nothin' on me!
So, are YOU prepared for Gustav? Based on my migraine, I'm going to the store to stock up and then get gas ... but first I think I'm going to hang out for a while somewhere very quiet and very dark. See you at the pump!
PS - Uh oh! Now it's going down into my left shoulder blade as well...a two sided migraine...can't be a good sign!
PSS - My husband is a DOUBTER! We shall see! We SHALL see!
In His Love, Cathy
This blog does not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Weather Channel. For scientific weather predictions, check with the National Weather Service, The Weather Channel, or your local news source.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Levothyroxine, Synthroid, & Me
I wanted to share something I learned about this week. Before I start, I must clarify that THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE so please check this out with your doctor. I am not a medical professional, just a patient who is sharing information about my own personal experience.
For many of us who have thyroid problems, we know that Synthroid is our lifeline. As for me, I had papillary thyroid cancer and had my thyroid removed. Those of us who are 'Synthroid Brothers & Sisters,' know how bad it gets if our dosage is off or we miss taking it. It is to this end that I share my personal experience in the taking of the generic Levothyroxine versus Synthroid.
I have been on Synthroid for the last ten years since my cancer. I've had dose adjustments between .125 mg to .150 mg. For the most part I've done well on Synthroid. Well, this past month or so, a new Florida law allowed Pharmacies to automatically fill all prescriptions with their generic equivalents without prior approval from the Insurance Company. So, as usual, I called in a refill for my Synthroid last month. My husband picked it up and brought it home for me. When I went to take my first pill from this new bottle I discovered that it looked quite different from my traditional Synthroid tablet. Upon further inspection, I saw that I was given the generic levothyroxine instead of the Synthroid that I requested. I also noticed it was more than half the price of Synthroid, so I went with it.
As the days progressed, I began to experience hypothyroid symptoms insomnia, migraines, lack of focus, stiff/sore muscles & cramps, the big D, well, you guys know what I'm talking about. I didn't think it was the new medication as I was told it was the equivalent to Synthroid. By the beginning of the 4th week of taking it, I was a MESS.
I began speaking with one of my Synthroid Sisters and we both shared with each other about how fatigued we were and how we needed to our TSH levels checked. Then, as a course of discussion, we discovered we both had been switched to generic levothyroxine at the same time. WHOA! So, we both looked up levothyroxine sodium on the web. Here's what we found out:
1. Generic and branded tablets of levothyroxine may differ:
- in the amount of levothyroxine they contain,
- the absorption of the levothyroxine into the body, and
- the distribution of levothyroxine throughout the body.
2. There are foods and other substances that can interfere with absorption.
Information for levothyroxine sodium used in this blog was found on the following websites:
http://www.medicinenet.com/levothyroxine_sodium/article.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levothyroxine#Dosage.2C_precautions_and_side_effects
For many of us who have thyroid problems, we know that Synthroid is our lifeline. As for me, I had papillary thyroid cancer and had my thyroid removed. Those of us who are 'Synthroid Brothers & Sisters,' know how bad it gets if our dosage is off or we miss taking it. It is to this end that I share my personal experience in the taking of the generic Levothyroxine versus Synthroid.
I have been on Synthroid for the last ten years since my cancer. I've had dose adjustments between .125 mg to .150 mg. For the most part I've done well on Synthroid. Well, this past month or so, a new Florida law allowed Pharmacies to automatically fill all prescriptions with their generic equivalents without prior approval from the Insurance Company. So, as usual, I called in a refill for my Synthroid last month. My husband picked it up and brought it home for me. When I went to take my first pill from this new bottle I discovered that it looked quite different from my traditional Synthroid tablet. Upon further inspection, I saw that I was given the generic levothyroxine instead of the Synthroid that I requested. I also noticed it was more than half the price of Synthroid, so I went with it.
As the days progressed, I began to experience hypothyroid symptoms insomnia, migraines, lack of focus, stiff/sore muscles & cramps, the big D, well, you guys know what I'm talking about. I didn't think it was the new medication as I was told it was the equivalent to Synthroid. By the beginning of the 4th week of taking it, I was a MESS.
I began speaking with one of my Synthroid Sisters and we both shared with each other about how fatigued we were and how we needed to our TSH levels checked. Then, as a course of discussion, we discovered we both had been switched to generic levothyroxine at the same time. WHOA! So, we both looked up levothyroxine sodium on the web. Here's what we found out:
1. Generic and branded tablets of levothyroxine may differ:
- in the amount of levothyroxine they contain,
- the absorption of the levothyroxine into the body, and
- the distribution of levothyroxine throughout the body.
2. There are foods and other substances that can interfere with absorption.
- Avoid taking calcium and iron supplements within 4 hours of the medication.
- Avoid taking soy products within 3 hours of the medication as these can reduce absorption of the medication.
- Other substances that reduce absorption are aluminum and magnesium contained in antacids.
- Ketamine may cause hypertension and tachycardia and Tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants increase its toxicity.
- Lithium causes hyperthyroidism by affecting iodine metabolism of the thyroid itself and thus inhibits Synthetic levothyroxine as well.
3. Synthetic levothyroxine may have adverse side effects like: palpitations, nervousness, headache, difficulty sleeping, insomnia, swelling of the legs and ankles, weight loss and/or increased appetite.
Thought I'd share. I am not implicating the generic as not being as good just that I experienced hypothyroid symptoms during the month I was on it. It may be as simple as an adjustment in dosage. There could have been other factors that influenced this as well. Again, please check with your doctor and pharmacist, especially if you have been switched to a different medication that you usually take and begin experiencing symptoms.Information for levothyroxine sodium used in this blog was found on the following websites:
http://www.medicinenet.com/levothyroxine_sodium/article.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levothyroxine#Dosage.2C_precautions_and_side_effects
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