Monday, May 07, 2007

So Far So Good

I regularly have the most painful, intense headaches. You know the type where it's just in one small area of the head and it feels like a parasite is trying to bore its way out of my skull with a malfunctioning power tool.

I also have immense hang overs. If I drink any more than 4 cans of beer or the equivalent amount of liquor, rest assured the next day I will be afflicted by a hangover so intense I'm affectively disabled the whole day.

Then I started taking anti-depressants.

I noticed a big difference on Sunday morning. I had quite a lot to drink while we at Will's house the previous night. I went home and went to sleep. I fully expected my usual banging hangover.

I did get a hangover. But it was just a slight one. Which is odd.

Then it occurred to me that I've not experienced my regular migraine attacks in the last week. Even when I slept in, which is what used to trigger it. Even during warm nights and hot days when I sleep after coming home from night shift. Heat plus oversleeping equals huge migraine attack. Usually.

I wonder if my medication has anything to do with this. I understand that SSRI type drugs affect your brain chemistry. Perhaps chemical imbalance caused those headaches, or maybe made me more prone to them?

I'm going to report this to my doc this Saturday and see what he says.

There is another known SSRI side effect that I'm noticing. I understand that SSRI inhibits the amount of REM sleep that I get. Loss of REM sleep equals no dreams.

I've had no dreams at all for a week now. It's a rather weird feeling.

The drug is working out ok so far. Things are getting better and getting "easier". Luckily for me, the side effects are very minimal so I can keep it up however long it takes until the doc tells me to stop.

I really hope it works out in the long term and I really hope the changes will be permanent.

I have more questions to ask the doc. The answers will be interesting, I'm sure.

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