Original Comment:
| Fern | PMS headache relief | May 12th, 2008 | Rating: 2.8333 |
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| I am 55 but am still having occasional periods, the most recent being about 5-6 weeks ago. I was diagnosed with Osteopenia 2 or 3 years ago and given a prescription for 5 mg Actonel daily. The first "side effect" I noticed was that I stopped getting a certain migraine headache which had occurred quite regularly just preceding my period, and also up to 2 weeks before miscarriages. I ran out of Actonel several months before my next doctor appointment, and didn't understand that I was supposed to call for more, so I stopped taking it, and in about 3 months the PMS headache returned. It went away again when I resumed the Actonel. About 3 months ago a different doctor put me on Lipitor, which I took for 5 weeks. I have Lupus which makes me tired most of the day, but until I took the Lipitor, I would have a little energy for a few hours in the mornings. The Lipitor seemed to make me sleep longer and less restfully, and I couldn't hardly drag myself out of bed in the mornings. When I did get up I didn't want to wait 30 minutes to eat or lie down again, so I stopped taking the Actonel again. When I realized what the Lipitor was doing to me, I stopped taking it, but I didn't feel good enough to resume the Actonel for these last 2 months. This last 10 days, I have even had such extreme hunger at various times of the day, especially in the mornings that I have also been reluctant to resume the Actonel until a couple of days ago when I felt the beginnings of the PMS headache. I took the Actonel and the headache never materialized. I took it again today and suppose I will keep taking it unless something else happens to change my mind. There are things I want to know about Actonel, however: How does it work? Does it act upon the digestive system to make Calcium more easily absorbed? Does it act upon the hormones that draw Calcium from the bones, to limit their effect? Does it strengthen other hormones that draw Calcium to the bones? In what way does it act in the body to reach the desired end? | |||
Replies:
| Christy | questions on Act. | December 3rd, 2005 |
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| Really excellent questions you have...and I tried to find answers to exactly those questions before I "popped the first one." (have popped two, now,and not popping any more!)....Hmmmm....you could just have "hormonal related" headaches...or...they could be (?) anything...sinus/allergy related...or an "unknown" however..."keep on it" and try to find out what to eliminate and what you can keep-taking. Actonel is listed in effects: "muscle weakness"...do you notice that is better after stopping Act.? How about the headaches...if you take two 500mg aspirin with something very sweet (real sugar)...do you notice that works? or do you notice they are "still" related to your old hormone-cycle? (hope you kept that ole' calendar up to date, on where your period, mid-cycle "might" be ... to track if that is where your migraines "are" now...and then, your cycles may be "off" in time-periods.....so, then try to track...exactly what you eat everyday, what meds, nonmeds, otc, and herbs, etc. you put in your mouth everyday...and your cycles, and how your muscle weakness is...rate it yourself...use a 1-5 or 1-10 rating system...start it "now" as headaches don't usually "disappear" over-time (migraines don't usually)....what else...let's see....you might "count carbs" are you getting "enough" or "too many" are you eatting six small meals v.s. four big meals/ day...are you getting enough protein...most of us don't...we think we should not eat meat and eggs, etc....but, we "should." and we need that protein..and we need "some" carbs and we need to know "everything" over a period of (say) three months to start a "track record" ....make it your new-fun-way- to -get-to-know-your-own-body's "feel" again...this is not what "you" like...listen to what your body tells you...example: "body says: arm pain" note on that date your arm hurt, am or pm...kind of pain along with every-thing you put in your mouth...how your body felt..how "you" felt...and anything else...stressors, etc. Be kind to yourself and do this for 'You' ...hang in there. C. | ||