How to Cure a Headache

It happens to all of us sooner or later.  That nagging, insistent pressure in your forehead, or just behind the eyes, or sometimes in the top of your head. 

Maybe not a full blown migraine.  Those are blessedly rare (whether sufferers can believe it or not).  But even a run of the mill headache can be miserable. 
If you have no food intolerances, your course of action is simple.  Head to your cupboard, or check your purse.  If you're out of pain killers, simply ask if anyone around you (preferably work or social friends) happens to have any Tylenol or Motrin.  Choose from the assortment offered. 
If you are sensitive to some ingredients, simply head to the corner store any hour of the day or night.  They won't even check your ID.  Choose from an entire display case full of extra strength, migraine, tension, PM, non-drowsy and many other variations of a formula for pain relief.  Read ingredients, choose what's appropriate, and you'll be out of their in under $10.  Even if you have a dye allergy, there are a few options available.  The most obvious are the dye free liquids for the 6-12 year olds, but there are a couple adult configurations as well. 
However, if you have a corn allergy, things get sticky.  If you've run out of your supply of safe meds, or it's your first headache since starting this journey, you need to start at the beginning.  Contact your medical doctor.  Weird, I know.  But it's the vital first step in the process of obtaining the simple, Over the Counter variety of pain relief the rest of America pops daily without inhibition.  You need to obtain a prescription that reads (your choice of pain killer, acetaminophen or ibuprofen) NO CORN DERIVATIVES.  Then you need to contact your local compounding pharmacy.  Or one that will work mail order with you, suck as Francks.  Ascertain that they are capable of obtaining the pure, unadulterated drug of your choice.  (There are a few compounding pharmacies that start with the ready made pills and just adapt them.  You want to avoid these pharmacies.)  Ensure that they understand what corn free entails (and that they believe microcrystalline cellulose can be derived from corn rather than always from trees)  Then drop off or fax in your prescription. 
In a few days to a week, you should be able to pick up safe pain killers.  The exact same dosage and active ingredient as the ones available at any drug store or supermarket, for only a few times the cost. 
It doesn't seem fair sometimes.  To keep an eye on the expiration date, and budget for a $100 bottle of something that so many can purchase for a 10th of the price.  To think and plan in advance, second guessing flu season and headaches and menstrual woes.  But, then I take one. 
Fortunately, the trade off of having meds that will kill off a headache at it's start is priceless. 

(And companies...if you stumble on this...we'd love more 'pure' options.  No dye.  No gluten, lactose, or corn.  Including microcrystalline cellulose.  We don't mind the less polished looking capsules, or paying a little extra for something with a shorter shelf life and fewer ingredients.  And although we may be in the minority right now, at least you won't have to compete for our business, at least at first.) 

Corn allergy Dramatics

The girls have the week off of school for Spring Break.  Of course, I promised them a trip to the zoo as well as a few new parks. 
Unfortunately...Mr Violets caught a nasty bug that nixed our plans early in the week.  And then it rained.  The girls and I rallied though, and were set to go today if all else failed.  Even if it rained. 
Until I came down with another UTI last night.  Ugh. 
I called the doctor first thing this morning.  Talked to the nurse.  They have a fairly painless system set up.  If...If you don't have a corn allergy. 
I need to say that they've made progress.  It's just the frustration that I've already been through the learning process, I already know the next step...I already have the info they need but they won't take it from me until they realize that they need it.  I'm trying to be patient and acknowledge that they have a learning curve as well.  It just takes time. 
Anyways, if all was normal with me, I would have had an oncall doctor call in a prescription for me and that would have been that. 
But all is not normal. 
So, at 11:40 my doctor called me to figure out why things weren't going according to plan.  And I explained that the prescription needed to be called in to the compounding pharmacy.  And offered the phone number, again.  I don't think she took it that time either.  She did offer to find the inactive ingredients for me and call back, which she did in about 10-15 minutes...assuring me that they had a safe medication waiting at the pharmacy but I should double check with the pharmacist. 
So...I trotted down to the office, left a sample, and waited in line to pick up my rx.  They were friendly...and explained that I needed to wait a few more minutes to talk to a pharmacist.  I ran to relieve myself and waited some more. 
The pharmacist was on the phone with the manufacturer, and she approached me with the information that the prescribed medication was not safe for me (dumb microcrystalline cellulose in everything!) and asked if there was an alternate med I'd taken before. 
I explained, again, that in the past I've needed to have antibiotics compounded.  The only ones I've taken that were safe pre-filled were -cillins.  She looked pretty uncomfortable at that revelation, did not take my compounding pharmacist's phone number, and said that she will talk to the doctor but at this point in the day I probably won't get an antibiotic until at least monday which is an awfully long time to wait when you have a UTI!!! 
So what did I want to do? 
I weighed my options.  Corn reaction...or wait for something safe. 
I decided to keep flushing my kidneys with as much water as I can manage while waiting for them to accept my compounding pharmacy phone number. 
It's 2:15 now. 
I'm not feeling terribly hopeful. 
But maybe next time, when I call between 9 and 10, they will take the info and TRUST me; and just skip to the end step of making the necessary phone calls. 
How hard is it to call a compounding pharmacist and say "I need an antibiotic for a UTI with no corn derivatives in it.  What do you have in stock?"  It can't take much longer than spending the day playing phone tag.  :-( 
I'd rather be at the zoo.

A Trip to the Pharmacy

My daughter lives with chronic migraines headaches.  Mostly, they're under control.  But over the past few months, every weather change has put her to bed.  It made us want to re-evaluate our options.  And we changed insurance companies, so we also wanted to touch base with our new doctor and bring them up to speed with our unique situation.

The pediatrician seemed nice, albeit eager to provide a prescription.  Since that's what we were looking for, we let our qestions continue to hang in the air and headed for the pharmacy.  With the misguided expectation that our questions regarding the medication would be answered there.

The pharmacy was busy.  We waited in line for an hour and when I asked for more information, the pharmacy technician looked like she wanted to cry.  I offered to return at a later time, and asked when they were least busy.

At her suggestion, I returned in the morning.  Twice.  This was only a mild inconvenience.  After all, I know we have special needs.  We will need more time than the "average" customer.  So, it's common courtesy to return when there are fewer other customers around and the personnel are free to consult their computers and start problem solving with you.  If I was willing to wait until a more opportune time, I thought they would be more apt to be helpful. 

When I returned, I asked about blue dye and lactose.  2 hours later (and several assurances of "I'm sorry for the wait, it really will only be about 5 more minutes) I was told the suggested medication was lactose free and the pharmacist needed to talk to me.  A half hour after that, I saw the pharmacist.

She handed me the medication and said "There's no problem."  So I affirmed that there was no dye or lactose.  "There's no lactose," she said.  What about dye?

She rolled her eyes.  She conceded that there was a small amount but that I should just deal with it.
I explained that this was a migraine medication and that blue dye triggers migraines in my daughter.  I didn't want to risk doubling her pain.  The pharmacist just stared.  I explained that she'd reacted to blue dye in medications before.  The pharmacist shook her head and said it wasn't a problem this time. 
I asked if there was a different option.  Perhaps a different manufacturer.  "We don't do that." I was told.  "Could I get a paper prescription and go elsewhere?"  No, they 'don't work that way'.

So then I asked what my options were.  "You have no options," she told me.  "You take the medicine."
I'm not paying for medication that will make my daughter worse.
"We'll bill you either way," she said with a shrug.
And they have.  Whether or not I pay for medication we can't use and didn't accept remains to be seen.  (I vote no, and I'm pretty persistent.)  Currently they are looking into it, and will call me back. 

Meanwhile, we were referred to a migraine class that helps individuals identify triggers (which I rudely turned down.  I regret my attitude, although I still don't feel a pressing need for the class unless it helps us navigate the pharmacy better.)  And then a neurologist.  Who is now the one dealing with pharmacy.
4 weeks later, we have no word on whether or not the pharmacy is capable of procuring safe, affordable abortive (taken only at onset) pain medication for a nearly 12 year old who can't tolerate a clinically insignificant ingredient used to color a tablet. 

Statistically speaking, dye reactions or allergies are rare.  Insignificant.  Dye is used to change the appearance of medication, food, vitamins, even toothpaste.  Blue, of all colors, is even reputed to be unappetizing.  Blue plates encourage smaller portions.  Blue kitchens reduce snacking urges.  Blue is a rare color found in nature (and what's the last really-blue fruit or veggie you ate?  Even blueberries are more purple than blue.)  And yet, it's apparently a vital component in medications. 

Which makes us statistically insignificant.  The drug manufacturers dismiss us as statistical anomalies, just numbers on papers, and certain members of the medical community do as well.  But I'm still sitting here wondering what will happen when it's something serious?  What if she needed an antibiotic?  Will we end up having to go the intravenous route because they can't get their act together?

What about me?  (selfish as that sounds)  I have a corn allergy.  The last time I needed an antibiotic for a kidney infection, it took nearly a week to get compounded.  It needed to get compounded.  What's the protocol for that in a pharmaceutical setting that doesn't recognize inactive ingredients as allergens?

Statistically, an individual is not likely to react adversely to dyes in medication.  Or corn derivatives.  But we do.  And we deserve access to safe, affordable options.  Even if the pharmacist does find that our prescriptions are the one in a million that require forethought and attention.