Looking for a Nap

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I had a headache for a couple days. I hadn’t had one for a long time because I take an NSAID daily thus preemptively preventing that malady. It was a nagging one that had set up camp just beyond my eyes, between my ears, and just behind my forehead. This was not a new sensation. It is my old nemesis – the sinus headache. My usual arsenal had failed me. So I was forced to pull out the big guns. I hate the way it makes me feel but it does really deliver the one-two punch. I’m talking about caffeine. A little ibuprofen with a cola chaser and my headache has retreated. Now I have another problem. I’ve been decaffeinated for nearly 11 years. Even a little sip of Dr. Pepper will make my hands shake and my heart race. So here I sit bouncing one leg and having heart palpitations but the headache is gone. The clock indicates that we have slid from yesterday into a new today. At this rate I may need to look for some nap time… if my mind will just get off the treadmill and chill.

Night sounds haunt my days
Waking dreams keep me awake
Sleep flees from my grasp
The moon mocks me shining bright
Tiptoe to sneak up on sleep

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73 thoughts on “Looking for a Nap”

    1. Mine was not a migraine -just a run of the mill sinus headache. I don’t think anything OTC works great on migraines. Even the prescription stuff isn’t 100% effective. I’m very glad I was not a migraine sufferer. Sorry to hear that you get them…

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  3. My Oncologist and I discussed caffeine and how it relates to cancer and High Blood pressure. We also discussed the headache part. Caffeine is just a narcotic, and when you short your body of it for too long a period, you can actually go through caffeine withdrawal, which starts with a massive headache. Takes about three days of none for me to get them.

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    2. they claim excessive caffeine could have triggered my breast cancer, so I have one a day and a second occasionally. I had full on withdrawals for weeks to get off it, shakes, migraines, etc … everyone needs to keep their drug intake minimal

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        1. agreed, and yes caffeine is in soft drinks, chocolate, tea and so many other things … many have no concept how much they are consuming 😦

          Good luck with your healing, may it be swift 🙂

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        2. Hehe! I decided to do it when I went on vacation. We were so busy going and doing that as long as I wasn’t thinking about it I could push the headache away… It took a week before I noticed there wasn’t a headache waiting for me a dinner… Glad you were able to kick the habit.

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      3. I would drink one Dr. Pepper a day and decided to go cold turkey – took me a week to normalize. I’ve never looked back. I could always tell when it was noon because I’d start to get a “lack of caffeine” headache.

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    1. It was just not going away. After a couple days (and waking up with a furrowed brow) I decided I needed additional assistance. I’m headache free and had a little nap this afternoon. So all is well!

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  6. Val, you have described my problem including the “toxicity” of caffeine in ANY drink. I am exactly like you, and cannot tolerate it in any form.
    I will tell you what i do when I have a sinus headache coming on. I nip it in the bud. Living in the Midwest, with the river Mississippi next door, we get an abundance of humidity. I keep eucalyptus oil in my home (get it from the pharmacy or an Indian store). I dip a Q-Tip in the bottle and, just gently insert it in my nostrils to stimulate myself to sneeze. It lets me sneeze a few times, the pressure is released, and after i have cleared my nasal passages of the mucus, the headache is gone before it takes hold of my sanity. The other thing I do which is absolutely a panacea is Amrutanjan. If you have an Indian grocery story near you, ask them for a couple of little bottles. It is a small little bottle about 2 inches in height. It is packed with Indian herbs and Mentholatum like eucalyptus. (smells a little like Vicks Vaporub) I use a tiny bit on my index finger and rub it on my temples and forehead. Works like a charm.
    And finally, eating a small scoop of ice cream, (even in the dead of winter.), because when you are swallowing the cold ice cream, it helps to constrict the blood vessels lining the sinuses. Headaches are usually because of dilatation of the blood vessels. Numerous patients and my children swear by these simple home remedies.
    Now Val, I do not recommend that you take an NSAID daily. After the age of forty five or fifty, they have adverse effect on the kidney functions. Really and truly. An occasional one is okay, but taking one daily is not recommended,Period!
    Okay I will send you an itemized bill in my next life! Love,
    Zakiah.

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    2. These are all very good tips! I do have an Indian grocery that I go to to get my supplies. Since I need to go get some more cumin seed and Sabudana, I’ll look for the eucalyptus oil and the Amrutanjan. The NSAID is taken with my physician’s directions and I have regular blood tests to check both kidney and liver function. If my rotator cuff deteriorates further or the NSAID doesn’t work anymore I’ll be having some shoulder surgery. Currently we are trying to delay a surgical intervention for a couple more years… I love that you are so generous with your knowledge and talent and that you share it with me!! Thanks!

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      1. Ask the physician to prescribe generic Celebrex. It doesn’t affect your stomach lining or give problems with anchorman kidney functions.
        Make sure to see all the lab results Val.
        Love.

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        1. I have an appointment so I’ll ask. I’ve been on Celebrex before – maybe I’ll give it a try again… I’ve never had any stomach issues (cast iron stomach as long as I avoid the hot peppers)!

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  7. You are a hero, Val: you have defeated the dragon that was behind your forehead between your two ears !!! 🙂 and without even being afraid of heart palpitations and shaking hands! You deserve to have your photo on the Internet! 🙂
    Love ❤
    Michel

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      1. I hope so too — I don’t get headaches or insomnia, but I do go a little flat when the seasons change — the hot weather and fire season is really doing a number on me!

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        1. In Indiana a lot of people suffer SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). From about October to March we are mostly dark and grey. At work they installed natural light fixtures and it seemed to help lots of people as well as being better for research… Sounds like you’d benefit from some light therapy!

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          1. I’m fortunate that in the winter the light is relatively stable, and II do pay attention to light levels. Even more, for me the air pressure is critical — changes in weather are accompanied by high or low air pressure, and that shirt can be pretty difficult!

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  9. Sleeplessness is such a nightmare. I hate it when I’m struggling to fall asleep and I finally drift off, but become conscious that I’ve fallen asleep and am instantly awake again. What a vicious cycle.

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    1. I don’t generally have any insomnia issues. But when I do it is horrible. I was awake every hour to hour and a half all night. Finally fell asleep soundly just before the alarm. Felt like I was dragging until I took a nap. All’s well that ends well!

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  10. I’m not a cola person, but have a 2-cup-a-day coffee habit. I can always tell when I haven’t had enough caffeine for the day and I can’t drink coffee after noon. Getting old is not for sissies.

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    1. I never developed a taste for coffee or tea. Only the sodas and now that I’ve given them up I really don’t tolerate the caffeine. It got to the point that I couldn’t drink caffeine after 7, then 6, then 5… until having one at lunch was my limit. I decided to give it up and haven’t regretted it at all! Yeah – old age makes you tough.

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  12. Oh my gosh! I have those headaches too and mine are as bad as migraines (I have migraines too the only difference is that with the sinus headaches, I don’t have the aura of flashing floaters in my field of vision). The sinus ones make me sick to my stomach just like the migraines! I have to take ibuprofen, then lay down for a nap as well- in a dark room with no noise. I hope the headache goes away soon, Valerie.

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    1. I’ve lived in the Midwest my whole life and the sinus headache is just part of the joys of living where we have high humidity and lots of air pressure changes – we all have built in barometers (our sinuses). I can predict storms and claim that as my superpower! Of course I’m fine now. I’m trying to stay healthy and for a hot minute had a little panic trying to figure out if I was getting the virus – but no just a sinus headache!

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  14. I can’t help you with the decaffeination vs. caffeination conundrum. I haven’t been decaffeinated in nearly fifty-two years. Glad your headache went away. maybe seltzer water before bed would help-along with moon-blocking dark curtains.

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