The Headache Debate

When I started going regularly at 16 to my alternative health care doctor/chiropractor back in Rapid City for bitchy mood swings and consistent headaches, I was disheartened to learn that an individual is allowed only two headaches per year.

TWO?!

Ok... well I guess I can count that legitimate if each headache I have lasts for... let's see... carry the 7, times 6 - about 147 days a piece.

I kicked it in the butt for a good 5 years or so. With college and what not. Then I was around someone my senior year which required me to take tension headache medicine every 5 hours or so (Excedrine is a godsend!). I also nearly lost my brother that year - and when I realized I was 1,200 miles away and couldn't do anything about it - I started cleaning, stopped managing my stress intake - and started taking it all on in my shoulders and neck.

I started getting them pretty regularly once again in... August or so of last year.
Sometimes, this required popping a codine from my tonsil surgery and passing the f' out and sleeping it off til morning. Kind of like having a constant hangover.

Most of the time, It's very tender along my brow bones (sinus), directly behind my ears (what is this?) and INCREDIBLY sore at the base of scull (migraine, right?) I've done a lot of reading - but am still lost for a solution.

I've tried experimenting on a pretty consistent basis to try and weed out the negatives and knock out the head pain --- because feeling like you constantly have some kind of poison lurking in your system is not f*ing fun - and I never wanted to be the bitch that could never do anything because, "Sorry - I have a headache."

Some experiments so far:

1. Hit up the Doctor:
When I had constant sinus problems and felt like crumbag, I left work one friday to see the doctor at Immediacare down the street. The verdict? Strep and Sinusitis. Greaaaaat. I got put on Xmg of Amoxocillon (3 pills, twice daily) for 14 days. That's 84 pills! Sounds not right, yeah?

Result: Awesome. I didn't have a headache at all for those two weeks. Now that I'm off - they're back. Although this has deemed the most successful, that amount of antibiotics can't be that great for your body - plus it didn't fix the headache problem.

2. Eliminate Dairy.:
Painful. because cheese is the fruit of all good - and i lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvve chocolate milk. Soy is not a viable solution to the fact it makes me sleep 17 hour nights and messes with my 'female system' (i found this out after I bought a 24 carton pack from Sam's Club. What a waste...) I attribute it to an emotional allergy that I actually had fixed three times while going to my alternative health care guy (but always came back). Thanks dad for that emotional scar. ;-) I figure I'd give the elimination 3 weeks to feel real results.

Results: I felt better over all. I always have a tendancy to taste lotion on my tongue when I eat too much -- (really gross) - plus i probably lost a few pounds... and damn, Sam - My skin looked amazing. I can't help but think Core Power Yoga had something to do with that, as well. But I'm still getting headaches.

3. Work Out More:
Core Power Yoga does a first time student special for $79/month - after one class, I was sold. Signed up, and made THE most of that membership (Normal classes run $16/each). I figured if I was stretching out tense spots and really focusing on how I felt, I could push those headaches way the hell away from me.

Results: Complete and utter detoxification. Especially after the first time. I can tell you - if you haven't tried CPY - you should - and you should also know that you will never, EVER sweat, and enjoy sweating as much as you do in that damn class. Again, my skin ROCKS casbah - my postures better, my thighs and stomach mother f'n hurt - and I think I store about 39% less stress in my neck and shoulders. But -- I still got some headaches + since the only time I could hit up class was after work around 6 or 7 at night - the sun salutations kept me up and made it hard to sleep... Maybe i'll try running in the AM (ha. right).

4. Eliminate stressful people
I've really liked saying that I don't stress, because everything always works out for the best (which I really do believe), but because I take on other people's issues, and am so intuition-based on feeling the energy of other's around me --- I can't hold that statement true to form. I don't really worry about my situation - and as much as I know I can't control anyone else - it's a bad habbit that I haven't figured out how to break. So ---- get rid of those people?

Result: Some luck here. I definately don't have to constantly reschedule my life - worry about whats what, who's where, why's which when who how. Wait... what? Oh, yeah - I shut my life switch to 'off' - but now I have the occasional punch of loneliness and... i still have headaches.

5. Various Food Allergies
Am I starting to sound like a hypochondriac yet? I'm not. But I do believe in being proactive and listening to my body to tell me what's up. Did you know when you're allergic to something, you crave it even more? I've been on a tuna kick... and starting to think I'll need to kick the fish.

Results: Not great. Because I won't give up Tuna.

I'm a running science experiment and looking for the grand answer that will grant me superhero status of never having a headache ever again. If someone can please help - pleaseeeeee help... I'll even result to an enema or fast to clean out my system... just - give - me - suggestions!