I gave up coffee for Lent.

 

So far, it hasn’t been too bad.

 

I know that withdrawing from caffeine suddenly can causing bad “caffeine withdrawal” headaches.  And, the last thing I need is more headaches on top of the migraines I already get each day.  So, I’ve been taking one Excedrin Migraine a day, which has some caffeine in it, to ease my body off the caffeine.  It’s been almost a week since Ash Wednesday, so now I am down to half a tablet.  My body seems to be adjusting well to the reduced caffeine fix.

 

I’m actually tolerating my voluntary “no coffee” ban better than I thought I would.

 

I used to have a morning cup of coffee, along with my morning muscle relaxants, and pain medications, and my anti-depressant, (taken more for pain relief, than depression, but I will admit I naturally have low serotonin levels, like most people with fibromyalgia.)  My morning cup of coffee definitely DID help with my morning headache.

 

However, the online migraine support group I joined a few months back has taught me a lot.                                                                                                                                                                                    

 

I’ve learned a great deal about possible dietary triggers for migraine, (and not just your stereotypical “red wine and chocolate” type of stuff), and also learned a lot more about “rebound headaches.”

 

I’ve known about rebound headaches for years, but I guess it was reading the daily posts from other migraneurs that inspired me to be more proactive about my own behaviors that could be causing rebound headaches-- like drinking coffee.

 

It works like this... You awake with a pounding headache.  You gulp down coffee, and some Excedrin Migraine, along with some Tylenol, Aleve, Sudafed, Motrin, and Ibuprofen, and whatever prescription stuff you are currently on.  That’s your morning “cocktail,” and you toss it down with your breakfast.  Combine that with a 25-minute hot shower that uses up every bit of water in your hot water tank, and you finally get your muscles eased up enough, and the pain eased in your head, that you can get going.  For me, my goal is to be out of the house by 8 AM.  Safely make the insane left hand turn out of my street past the hundreds of cars headed to the community college in one direction, and my son’s school in the opposite direction.  Literally, we have to sit there for about five minutes waiting for an opening, and then gun it-- sending my son flying back in his car seat.  We safely make it into the tiny opening in traffic, and then make it about 1,000 feet, before we have to wait again in traffic, at the four way-stop, to make the turn to his school.  I’ll be glad when the frigid-weather lifts, and we can start riding bikes to school again.  OK, it’s California.  Probably not frigid compared to where most of you live, but we have been getting a frost most mornings, and for someone with fibromyalgia, that’s more than enough to make it too cold for my muscles to pull the bike trailer one mile up-hill to my son’s school. (It is all up hill going there.  Sure, it’s easy coming home, but getting there first thing in the morning, when I’m today, and sore, and headache-y, and always running late-- oh, that’s a total b***h to be sure.  I just can’t do it when it’s this cold.)

 

OK, my morning “cocktail” works.  It deadens the pain in my head sufficiently for me to function.  I can make my son’s lunch.  (He can’t eat school food due to his Pediatric Fibromyalgia, and I.B.S.)  I can get his school bag packed, and try to keep straight what papers are due on what days.  I can get him fed, get him into his uniform, get his teeth brushed.  I can get him to take his medicine.  And, we can usually do all of this on time, getting him to school in time for “first bell,” and if we miss that, we generally always make it in right before the “tardy bell,” which is five minutes later.  

 

So, while my morning cocktail is far from a health-lovers dream, it works.

 

Ah, but come 2 PM, my headache comes roaring back.

 

Why?

 

Rebound.

 

The caffeine wears off.  The OTCs (analgesics) wear off.  So, unless I drink another big thing of coffee, or take more Excedrin (which contains caffeine,) and have another round of Sudafed, Ibuprofen, Aleve, Motrin, Tylenol, etc., well, then I’ll have a big fat afternoon headache right at the time I have to leave the house to pick up my son.

 

Not good.  Just when he needs me to be “cheerful Mom picking up my son,” I’m bitchy Mom with a bad headache.

 

So, the key then, is to give up the coffee.  And, then, after that, the analgesics.

 

Wow.

 

A big step.

 

So, I’m starting with the coffee.

 

So far, so good.  It’s been six days since I’ve had a cup of coffee.  

 

I had red rasberry tea after church on Sunday.  Fortunately, our church stocks a rather nice selection of tea.  I’ve been drinking hot chocolate here at home.  I drank my last packet of the stuff today, but I think if I dig through the pantry I can find some herbal tea in there.  You have to be very careful not to drink too much herbal tea on the Guai Protocol, because it is a plant product, and can block you.  (Hence, the hot chocolate.)  But, a little bit of tea now and again is OK.

 

Not sure what I will do for pain relief if I give up the analgesics.  

 

As another fibromyalgic was joking to me: “Well, there’s always alcohol...”

 

Yes, I suppose that’s how they dealt with pain in the old days, but I do believe there are some laws against that and driving...

 

Ah, OK, gotta’ run and get my son, and smile like I don’t have a headache...