Thursday, May 13, 2010

Some days I can't win

Dr. Grumpy: "So, at your last visit I gave you Imitrex for your migraines. How did it work?"

Ms. Aura: "Oh, it was wonderful. I had a migraine last week, and I took it, and within an hour the headache was completely gone!" (suddenly breaks into tears)

Dr. Grumpy: "What's wrong?"

Ms. Aura (sobbing uncontrollably) "I just feel so guilty for taking it!"

20 comments:

Nectarine said...

Wow, get over it lady!

Did she at least go on to explain this comment?

Grumpy, M.D. said...

No.

Quisp said...

That lady has serious issues. I often think triptans are the greatest invention of my lifetime.

Beth said...

Does she think she's taking Methotrexate?

Anonymous said...

Maybe she has a comorbid depression along with the migraine.

Kat's Kats said...

I've been taking Imitrex for my migraines ever since it came out in pill form (self-injectors hurt worse than my migraine!). I have to say that I have never ever ever felt guilty taking it. I have, however, felt guilty for making my husband schlep it around for me when it turned out I didn't need it (it turned out to be the fibro instead).

Livvy said...

I can kind of understand this....My parents were raised in very religious households, where basically anything that might be enjoyable, or ease one's suffering was severely frowned upon. Mom said she hadn't had so much as an aspirin until she was 20. While they aren't religious, the general attitude of don't-take-anything-unless-you're-dying still prevails. Even I, who am a generation separate from it, still have a only-if-you-really-really-need-it mentality.
Sounds like this lady might be part of the same holy roller group as my grandparents.

Helen said...

While I'm sure there are various deep-seated issues behind this, her response was so unexpected I snorted at my desk. So thanks.

Amanda in AK said...

Well - from personal experience. I paid out of pocket for Imitrex at one point and they were about $30 a pill. I have since found the generics are great, cheaper and fewer side effects for me. You do go through a lot of emotions when you finally find the right Doctor, migraine meds and get the pain and number of incidents under control.

Deb said...

...is she under the false impression that its addictive or a narcotic perhaps?

Perhaps her tears were a reflection of finally finding relief after years of suffering, even though, for some reason, she felt guilty about it.

Gen said...

I agree with Livvy and Amanda. Perhaps, she feels like she should be able to handle this on her own or that it's expensive and she feels she shouldn't afford it.

I do know that chronic pain is debilitating, emotionally and physically. I'm not surprised by her emotional reaction to the cessasion of her pain.

Rachedy said...

As a life long migrainer, I think that Imitrex is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I cherish each of the 9 pills I get per month and save up for the bad months. It's like spending a gold bar and I hate to see one wasted on just a regular h/a. Perhaps she was over come with emotion that something finally worked.

Anonymous said...

her husband needs a fart blanket, but she selfishly spent the money on imitrex

The Observer said...

This post--I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Laugh at the ridiculous sounding statement, or cry that the poor woman can't just be genuinely happen that she found something that works.

Chris said...

Guilty? For what? Killing an innocent migraine?

Geez.

ERP said...

Are you sure you did not give 4mg Dilaudid tabs instead?

Anonymous said...

on a serious note, sadly this is a problem with some people who believe they should be in pain for most of ther lives, this is what allows crazy religions to be so popular, some people live self loathing because that's how They wanna live, as long as people live like this they will never progress. Too sad

Unknown said...

I can understand this. I've had migraines my whole life, and a nice shot of imitrex knocks them right out. When I finally found an imitrex formulation that reliably works for me (those nasal sprays are stupid and the pills take forever to kick in), it felt so STRANGE to finally have my migraines not be a big deal. Having them suddenly go from debilitating to fine was so weird, especially in comparison to my mother who also has migraine/clusters, but hers are intractable. So yes, guilt. It happens.

Also about an hour after I take an imitrex shot, my emotions are all over the map and I'm usually really hungry. There's also that.

Anonymous said...

I wish imitrex worked for my migraines. Alas, it doesn't (actually it makes my aura of slurred words worse which is just freaky). I have had some good luck at times with different preventives though.

That said, I've often wondered if I would know what to do with myself if I just didn't have migraines one day....it would be... odd. And maybe even disconcerting...I might even cry.

Melissa

Ros said...

There are a whole raft of psychological side effects associated with triptans, right? Isn't it reasonable to think her feelings of guilt might be related?

Imitrex works for me, but I don't like taking it because I feel like a million bucks when I wake up the next morning. I mean literally, whether life in general is good or bad I wake up feeling like all is right with the world. It's uncomfortable to have my mood manipulated in that way.

So I run to get rid of my migraines now, and it works like a charm (Plus it's cheap and has all the obvious associated health benefits).

 
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