Menstrual Migraine

Oh, God. I forget every time how bad it is.

I take low-dose oral contraceptives and skip the inert pills for 3 to 6 months to avoid having a period. I don't mind having one, but the menstrual migraine that hits just drops me to my knees.

It's an amazing level of pain. It's like an explosion going on inside my head. Moving my head is bad. Noise is worse. I cannot get comfortable sitting, standing, or lying down. I can't keep still, it hurts so much. But moving around brings on the nausea. All I can think is, "Please let the medicine work. Please let it work. Please let it work soon."

And it never does, so it's off to the acute care center for a shot of painkiller and a shot of anti-nausea medication. It's amazingly difficult to get myself dressed and into the car. In some ways, it's worse than an asthma attack.

After I get the shot, I come home, eat a little, drink a bunch of juice/soda mixed, and then go to sleep.

It's horrible. If I could skip a year's worth of periods, I would, just to avoid the migraine.

So, that's what I did this Saturday -- lost a whole day to the joy of being a woman. Yay.