Posted 2/6/2015 6:48 AM (GMT 0)
Usually I'm in Hepatitis....caregiver to survivor of Hep C/Liver Cancer/Alcoholic Liver Disease, who is now 5 years sober, 4 years post transplant, almost a year post Hep C treatment and doing well...mostly. If I lie down in the dark for 1 hour after the pill, I can usually carry on.
It's me who is a mess at the moment. I am 3 weeks into one of my "flares." I have chronic migraine that I mostly know my triggers (the usual) and take daily propranalol and elavil to keep at bay...which seems to work...mostly. I take fioracet when I get a headache and that has worked okay, not great, but well enough.
Twice in last 3 months I have had these episodes of vertigo and headache that are awful. The first week of a flare up I am DOWN...every movement causes spinning, eye twitches, nausea, headache pain in nect and face, light sensitivity, etc. I am unable to walk without a cane and cannot drive. I am home and cannot live my regular life. The next phase is better, week 2. I can walk and drive and only have the acute vertigo episodes when I lay down or get up, turn to my right side while lying down, or bend down to pick something up.
I have been to the ENT several times and he does those head maneuvers to settle the crystals in my tubes and maybe that is why the flare is calming down. BUT, the headaches come very day. They are particularly bad after one of the doctors appointments when he turns me back and to the side to settle the crystals down.
I have read a lot here and other sites that seems to suggest that there are many meds to try and tests to take but not much success in relief for the patients. Vestibular migraines, BPPV, etc etc. Nothing much helps but time to settle the flare down.
Any ideas? I have my hands full here with Mike post all that stuff above and 5 weeks post aortic valve replacement and he has a huge incisionsl hernia repair scheduled in 2 weeks. He needs me to drive and be well. We live in a rural area and drive 2.5 hours to his hospital and to his liver doctors. I also care for a sister who lives close and has dementia and needs a good bit of looking after as well. Oh my. I can't have flares....not just now. I need this to go away...not for 2 months...forever.
Hugs,
Mama Lama