Wednesday, July 30, 2008

MIA....again

If you haven’t already noticed the pattern of my posts, then let me spell it out for you:

If I don’t post for a while, it’s probably because I’m sick or Ben is sick.

I’ve been sick.

For the past 2 weeks, I have had a headache about every day. Every 3-4 days, I have had a violent migraine. Not so fun!

At first, I thought it was too much caffeine. Then I thought it was the steak or the peanut butter that I ate. But then I looked at other symptoms: mainly the moodiness and all around PMS symptoms and realized it was something else.

Stop Reading Here- if you do not want too much information about me =0)

Ben has started sleeping through the night and he’s eating 3 meals of solids each day. Because of this, naturally my milk supply must be decreasing. I think (though I’m no doctor), that my estrogen levels are dropping like crazy. I am currently on the mini-pill, a progestin-only pill. I am not able to be on the “normal” birth control pill because studies show weird things happen when nursing babies get more estrogen on top of what a nursing mom naturally produces.

History lesson- It took me 2 years to figure out that I get FAR less headaches when I am on a birth control that has estrogen in it for 4 straight weeks (versus the pills that have nothing but sugar for your last week of your cycle or progressively less estrogen each week). Now that my levels are fluctuating, since my milk supply is decreasing, I am faced with these debilitating migraines……and I thought I was past those. YUCK!

Right now, it appears that my options are 1) stop breastfeeding so I can get back on the estrogen birth control, 2) be unable to work or function when my levels drop (which I would be unable to predict) or 3) find a work around.

My doctor suggested a magnesium/Vitamin B-6 combination that we all hope will 1) make me feel like a human being again and 2) not mess with Ben (Ben has a history of not liking supplements I try to take). If this doesn’t work, the next step would be a narcotic (which I don’t feel comfortable taking) or discontinuing the whole breastfeeding thing. Praying this magnesium cocktail does the trick!

1 comment:

Jennifer said...

Adrienne,

I used to get miagranes when I was on the pill. My neurologist put me on Migrelief (suppliment with Magnesium & B6). I took those up until we decided to get pregnant the 1st time. They really seemed to work for me. I think you can get them at the Blue Ridge Pharmacy at the corner of Lake Boone Trail & Blue Ridge Rd. You can also order them online. This might be the same thing your Dr. is talking about. I am not sure about the safety of Migrelief for Ben. If you want, I will be happy to pick you up 1 bottle since I am on that side of town & bring it to you at church or something instead of ordering a big batch that may/may not work. Let me know.

Hope you can get some relief from something. I know how bad it can be trying to still function "normally" when you feel SO BAD.