Sunday, February 7, 2010

Sleepy and Passionflower

6:00 pm

74/52 97 bpm (standing) 104/60 57 bpm (laying down)

I haven't taken my readings lying down in a while so I did today. And now I know why I prefer laying on my ass all day. Look how nice and calm my pulse is - 57 - like a vacation! And a normal (for me anyway) blood pressure. Today and yesterday have been a joke - I've been rushing from place to place with my head bowed and barely made it to Duane Reade to pick up a prescription. I admit I'm not as diligent with my salt and water intake on the weekends so it's my own fault. But I need a break sometimes.

So this past week I was Sleepy. Overwhelmingly Sleepy. When I woke up in the morning, I felt like it was midnight and it was time for bed. By 6pm I was falling asleep. Each week it seems like one monkey takes over, or dominates and last week it was fatigue. Oh, and there was - is - that stabbing, feel-like-I'm-getting-a-tattoo on my upper thigh feeling. It randomly strikes and I have to rub it out, literally.

Fatigue Week tacked onto two previous weeks of intense monthly migraine pain. I've now had three days of very light migraine pain, but the monthly pain starts all over again in three-four days. Life sucks.

Tomorrow I see my neurologist for my pain meds refill and meds tweaking. A couple of months ago we tried to up the labetalol in order to help my migraines, but that backfired. I couldn't get out of bed, I was so dizzy. I did go down 50mg on the topomax, and that's worked out nicely. Not sure how, but it seems there might be less side-effects, which was our goal.

I just wish there was something that could treat the symptoms of the orthostatic intolerance and POTS. This fatigue is a killer. I drink a little more tea, which helps, but then that's not good for the migraines because I don't want that withdrawal headache in the morning. It's always a tough balance between the meds and the migraines and the dysauto.

Anyway, this is clearly a venting post. One good thing though. Since this has happened, my sleep has suffered. Usually I wake up in the middle of the night several times because I have to pee. You can't just stop drinking water a few hours before bedtime, because you won't be able to get out of bed. Or, I get the sweats and I wake up because that's uncomfortable. Or, it's restless leg syndrome.

On the Dr. Oz show, he featured liquid passionflower as something that can help anxiety and insomnia. The funny thing was, right after his show, you couldn't find it anywhere in Manhattan, everyone had bought it out! All the panicked and stressed out New Yorkers...well, I tried it, and every time I take it, I sleep through the night, and I'm not hung over the next morning. So I definitely recommend it. So, that's a good thing.

Looking forward to the 3-day weekend coming up. Just have to get through this week. Hopefully with both eyes wide open.

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