Before I get onto the topic of headaches, I was going to begin this post by apologising for not having a blog for you last week. Then it hit me people with Fibromyalgia and other Chronic Health conditions spend an awful lot of time apologising for things that are entirely out of their control. As those of you that follow me on social media will know, I found out at the beginning of the week that on Thursday I would be seeing a cousin I have not seen since I was a child. Naturally, this was an exceptional day for me, so I spend the first half of the week resting up ready and on Friday I was beginning to recover. So I am not going to apologise but instead feel grateful that I can bring you a post this week.
No Ordinary Headaches
So today, after a three-month gap I bring you the next in the series of Fibromyalgia alongside … and headaches are the focus. First of all, I need to add at this point that I have, up to recently, been very fortunate that my headaches have been few and far between. They have fitted into the category of when I get one it is terrible. The usual triggers have been weather changes and sinus problems. If memory serves me right, I think I have only ever had a hangover headache a couple of times in my life, but I am no real drinker. If you read the Has Fibro changed my rate of Exercise entry, you may have an idea why the thought of being drunk and out of control is a disgusting one to me. In the last post, the week before last, I talked about the fact I had been sick that week and a big part of it was a headache. I was shocked this week to have another headache that was bad enough to ground me for the day. Thankfully, vomiting wasn’t involved this time. Two acute headaches within three weeks are far from the norm for me up to this point, and I sincerely hope this isn’t an ongoing change in pattern.
Headaches and Fibro
I had these horrific headaches for a long time before the majority of my Fibromyalgia symptoms arrived. I thought I would focus on the main differences between then and now. Recovery is where we need to focus. Let’s face it if you are so ill that all you can do is lie down in a dark room and try to escape into sleep, having Fibro will make no real difference. In the past when I had one of these headaches, I would be wiped out the next day and perhaps have a residual cottonwool sensation in my head. Now everything is elongated. The pain seems to span more than one day, gradually getting weaker during the second day and hopefully fading away by the end of it. Then the cottonwool sensation accompanied with Fibro Fog sets in and can last for a week. No exaggeration.
Your Experiences
Are you a blogger or someone with an online presence who has Fibromyalgia and experiences these types of Migraine style headaches? If so I would love to feature some of your thoughts here. If you visit my Fibromyalgia alongside Sinusitis post, you can see how Beverley from Blooming Mindfulness has contributed. Jamie from Origami by Jamie has also added to Fibromyalgia alongside IBS. As all Fibro-Warriors will tell you one of the main complications of the condition is that everyone’s experiences are different.
A Coincidence?
I don’t know if this is purely a coincidence but something I have noticed during the past couple of weeks is that when I have a particularly bad bout of IBS a couple of days later, I have been hit with the acute agonising headache. I was just wondering if anyone else has had this experience? Please do drop a comment at the bottom if you struggle with acute headaches, or perhaps you have an IBS and Headache pattern. Or maybe share a coping tip for the worst of days. That is all I have for you today, but I look forward to sharing more with you soon.
Until next time,
Gentle Hugs,
Susan
Leave a Reply