I also served in the Navy! My last tour of duty was on the USS Jason when it was in Pearl Harbor. I volunteered for it, but I can tell you, sea duty cured me of wanting to be at sea. I am sorry to hear you were injured in the service. I am glad to hear that your family seems to be doing better. That takes a little bit of stress off. I am also glad to hear you are getting your care through the VA. Regardless of what people hear in the news, I don't go anywhere else very often, because they saved my life definitely two times and possibly three times. They are the ones treating this TN, and I don't even have to go in for a visit, they let me call and e-mail. If the MRI shows evidence of MS, file a claim for it. File a claim anyway, but make absolutely sure to do it if it shows evidence of MS.
►You said, "a burning in my left nostril that went up towards my left eye then back to my temple - That is new... I could feel that it was travelling on the maxillary branch of the nerves ." I have learned in this past week TO PAY ATTENTION TO THAT BURNING FEELING in my nose or under my eye. This morning for example. Around 10 p.m. I took my doses of Tegretol and Tramadol before I went to bed. I took another dose of tramadol around 1 a.m. when I woke up to let the dogs out (got one with congestive heart failure and is on a diuretic, I might have mentioned it before). 11 a.m. came and went, having coffee, not experiencing any TN pain. I thought, "Maybe this episode has gone into remission like before." 12:30 p.m. don't you know I started feeling that burning. I went IMMEDIATELY to my pain medications and took my delayed dose of 200 mg Tegretol and 50 mg tramadol. I headed that off at the pass, as the cowboys said. But right now it was sorta stupid to go that long; I have been told here to keep the blood level of medication steady, and I didn't do that and I was getting ready to pay for my stupidity.
Here is a pic (if it uploads correctly) of me at NAVSUPACT Long Beach in 1978.
Thank you, I will look into that. I have always noticed that barometric pressure changes seem so small that I have wondered if I would even know if they were changing. I'm sure if I could find the item, it would come with instructions on how to use it. Although, my body seems to be able to warn me!
ShowMe_from_MO said:
Cathy, most of the time Lowe's has them in the garden department (I'm assuming you're in the US). There are analog ones and there are ones built in to digital thermometers. They are definitely in those digital weather machines that do everything, give you the outdoor and indoor temperature, the humidity, the time, and other things I can't think of.
Cathy in MD said:
VeteranInPain,
You are truly dealing with a lot! I hope that having the understanding of others really does help. I'm so sorry to hear that in midst of everything you have had to endure two horrible episodes of pain. You brought up the barometric pressure and said that you have a home barometer. Where does a person get one and learn how to use it? I'm honestly sorry for even asking during this time when you have so much going on so if you are unable to answer, I totally understand. You are in my thoughts.
Cathy in MD
VeteranInPain said:
It has already been said , but the recent storm front has caused me to also have 2 of the worst episodes I have had since I have been on the Tegretol . I could see the pressure wave approaching from the south , and then when the center of the 'low' passed over . The pain went right thru and seemingly around the meds. Sometimes the weather is not a factor , but I always look at my home barometer when it strikes hard and there is almost always a correlation . When the pain gets to that point my eye starts to pour out tears . I call it a '10' .
It has been a tough week - My father has a triple bypass on Thurs - My mother is in the hospital with a minor heart attack-My uncle Jerry passed away last week - I have to drive to Battle Creek Thurs for an MRI - It is hard to remain calm and not let the stresses get to me.
It is nice to have a place to share with someone who understands.
I Hope things level off for you ! The fear of these kinds of attacks can cause stress as well .
Here is an image of the device I found at Wal-mart - You can see that it tracks the pressure over a 10 hour period of time .
It shows it on a graph . This was like only 20-25 $ There is an outdoor sending unit for temps . I keep this next to my bed. Yes it is cold outside - and my bedroom is always cold . I have a heater when I want it.
The thing is - I will feel it before the device will .
I bought this because I wanted to try to document how these storms and pressures affect me. After 3 years of unknown causes of episodes , this was the only real correlating evidence I could find.
Now I don't always have issues when there is change ??? The worst factor seems to be at about 30.20 - Or at the transition of frontal boundries . The pressure crashed the other day , graph looked like a waterfall , and I had a bad episode of pain. Go figure. It is just a tool I use to try to gain some insight into this problem.
I am still waiting for the results of the MRI and other issues are settling down .
I am on a low dose of the Tegretol now 100mg 2 times a day , The Dr won't let me increase until the MRI is back , it helps but not enough.
I am going to look into this right away! As for the drop in pressure, that seems to be when I get hit really hard but it would be nice to have something to back up my theory. Thank you so much for the info!
Pat. I am so sorry for your pain. I wish there was an easy answer but we all know that is not going to happen. If this is not a usual day, feel grateful. This sounds like what I go through almost every day. All medications take too long to work. Popsicles are my dirty secret! I eat 15-20 sugar-free a day. When I suck on them, right on a painful area, it numbs things the entire time and I am in temporary relief. As soon as I stop the pain comes back ten fold, punishing me for what I just did. Sometimes the medication then kicks in. Otherwise I try heat and ice just to get over the hump. You can also try a skin care pore steamer. They are very cheap, $30 or so. The steam is soft an gentle enough. If you ask 100 people you will get a hundred answers. For me, my main method for the really bad burning, which also triggers acute migraines, seizures and herpes outbreak inside my mouth, I have my special room in the house. My bedroom is pitch black and always at a brisk 65 degrees regardless of the temperature outside. I lite a candle or two, aromatherapy is a good thing. I have a white noise machine and a super wonderful bad. I grab both dogs. My 40 pound shepherd and my 80 pound lap dog and curl up in the dark, the cold and regulate my breathing. I let the pain out, I get it to where I can function again and I move on. You need to make you special place set is the way the works for you. I realize I am rambling now. Typing and staring at the screen can trigger a migraine. The burning, especially when it feels like a laser pointer tearing through my skin is unbearable. I find that blowing my nose, brushing my teeth, bathing etc., is best done at night, before bed, heavily medicated. I prefer to sleep off the pain then create it whenever I can. That is probably why I sleep 16-18 hours a day and have lost my entire life to this disease. I wish you luck, hugs and better day.
I sympathize with everyone in pain. At the beginning of last week, I couldn't brush, floss, swallow or talk normally. Then my ophthalmologist suggested that this has something to do with my neck. I went to a chiropractor on Monday and Wednesday and on Friday morning the pain was subsiding. I had another treatment later in the day on Friday and on Saturday, the pain was gone. It was also gone yesterday and today. It has spontaneously stopped before, so I don't know for sure that it was due to the chiropractic adjustments, but I'm praying that they are the reason I'm better. It makes sense because the cranial nerve (C-5) actually comes out of the middle of the neck.
The chiropractor first took an open-mouth Xray and said my neck was totally jammed up, as well as my spine and hip. He suggested coming in three times a week for two months and then taking another Xray.
I would like to know if anyone else has tried chiropractic adjustments and what the outcomes have been.
