I'm putting my last cigarette down right now

[Mike Gayner]

You're definitely going to die soon. Sucks to live in the USA, huh?

 

[Kalmah]

You're definitely going to die soon. Sucks to live in the USA, huh?

Yes.. actually. At least I'm not going to be destroyed by a giant iceberg though, right? :awe:

 

[schneiderguy]

:thumbsup: for quitting smoking

I'm still listening to your Carol of the Bells cover by the way, it is truly awesome

 

[sandorski]

Yes.. actually. At least I'm not going to be destroyed by a giant iceberg though, right? :awe:

 

[Kalmah]

:thumbsup: for quitting smoking

I'm still listening to your Carol of the Bells cover by the way, it is truly awesome

Awe.. thanks man! Some bastard game me a 1 star rating on that too. *snif*

Still going kind of ... strong here.. no smokes yet for the day. Pacing back and forth for 3 hours really helps. lmao

 

[sandorski]

Awe.. thanks man! Some bastard game me a 1 star rating on that too. *snif*

Still going kind of ... strong here.. no smokes yet for the day. Pacing back and forth for 3 hours really helps. lmao

Listen to some RAtM or something intense.

 

[Kalmah]

Listen to some RAtM or something intense.

good idea. I've been pacing in silence. lmao

 

[Gunslinger08]

I saw a guy "smoking" one of these last night: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_cigarette

 

[destrekor]

Awe.. thanks man! Some bastard game me a 1 star rating on that too. *snif*

Still going kind of ... strong here.. no smokes yet for the day. Pacing back and forth for 3 hours really helps. lmao

hah

And as was pointed about before, diagnosing headaches is usually a medical nightmare for all parties involved. I'd argue it's not truly worth it to invest out of pocket for the tests until you have a job and insurance to help, but even then, it's always a nightmare.

I've researched headaches quite a bit myself to try and see if I have any typical patterns, most notably after having a 2 month long headache that started terribly, and tapered over time. considering I had an infection of some sort at the onset, I was personally thinking some kind of swelling (meningitis, encephalitis, etc) caused by the infection. But alas, had x-rays and a CT scan (next was an MRI but after all that time, it was finally going away), they never found anything. They also never did a spinal tap, but I'm still alive so no worries.

I'm sure a few people here have diagnosed headaches of some type, be it migraines, cluster headaches, or something else.

Have your headaches been solid for 2 years? As in, that headache is always there, it doesn't get better or worse? Any time where you go without a headache for some time, be it days or weeks?

You mentioned dizziness and other symptoms, do you get visual interference at all? Like mild hallucinations, light halos, or other strange vision anomalies?
How about seeing light in general? Does bright light make your head hurt me?
And what about sound? Does sound make the headache feel worse?

What I was describing are symptoms commonly attributed to migraines. Something barely understood but they can treat symptoms and with enough work, typically start pointing to potential triggers. Tobacco IS a commonly listed trigger for migraines (migraines can be triggered by a LOT of things, and nothing is necessarily more common than others. but in the lists of items known to be a trigger for some people, tobacco is present).

Or... do you wear glasses? How old are you?
During the younger years, eyes can take quite some time to stabilize, so prescriptions can change a lot. If you haven't had your eyes checked in some time and do indeed wear prescription lenses, a bad prescription for your current eyes can cause headaches. Though I don't know to what degree the headaches are like, if they cause any of the symptoms you listed.

 

[Kalmah]

My typical day goes like this:

Wake up with a feeling of pressure in the front of my head.. a solid 'hum' feeling.

Brush, eat breakfast, take multi-vitamin.. Then headache starts to worsen. My eyes start see blurry. I feel like I have no sense of balance and am unable to focus my attention on anything. If somebody starts talking to me I feel my head hurts worse while trying to listen. So I just need to lie down and put my face in a pillow.

My headache continues to be a solid hum in the front.. behind my eyes. The pain almost completely goes away if I close my eyes actually. Occationally I'll feel some pounding pains around the back of my head near my neck.. they last for a few seconds only.

Then sound and light start to affect me. If I hear a loud sound not only is it accompanied by a huge pounding in my head but it also makes me see flashes of light during the sound(that aren't really there). I start to feel disconnected from myself.

Come later at night I've almost dosed the pain with excedrin.. but Im still affect by sounds and light and feel dizzy, unable to focus.. my eyes are usually bloodshot at this point. I've been accused of being stoned on several ocations.. because I look, feel and act like it.

It has been almost identical every day for the last 2 years. Occationally 1 day out of let's say 2 weeks I'll wake up with no headache and feel fantastic the entire day.. Then usually late at night the symptoms start.

I'm afraid to go back to work at this point. I don't know if these headaches are going to stop me from doing a job.

 

[bobdole369]

Have you ever woken up unable to move? Ever have any episode where part of you is paralyzed, or you thought you were awake, but couldn't control anything? Ever go into a state while awake where that sort of thing happens?

Good job so far! The hardest part was waking up on day 3 for me. Its because day 1's morning was full of rage and day 2 I had lots of momentum going. Day 3 I almost slipped and the craving was the worst cuz I thought it was over.

Go run around outside in the rain. Rage at the weather, whatever you do don't bottle it up, cuz I know you gotta be getting irritated at not smoking by now.

 

[surfsatwerk]

The headaches are from all the chemicals in your current brand of smokes most likely. Switch to an additive free brand and they should clear right up.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

I can't take this anymore. I've had a headache for almost 2 years, and have been unemployed and too broke to do anything about it except carry a bottle of excedrin with me everywhere I go.

Everything that I read about headaches points to tobacco as a possible cause. I also may be overdosing on exedrin. I make sure to limit myself to no more than 3 in a day.. but it clearly says do not take for more than 10 days. Well, what's 356 days x 2?

These headaches aren't normal. I'm dizzy, I start stuttering, blurred vision. I almost blacked out twice while driving home today.

Tomorrow I'm done.

Does anybody know of any pain reliever that doesn't contain acetaminophen or aspirin? Excedrin has both. I'm going to get something different in the morning I just don't know what yet.

My plan is to cut smoking and cut those drugs to see what happens. Once I get a job secured I'm going straight to a doctor.

The thing is, I can't remember if the dizzyness and all of that other stuff I mentioned accompanied the start of these headaches.. so I'm not sure if the excedrin is causing it. From what I've read, acetaminophen and aspirin can both start to cause headaches themselves after prolonged use.

So anyhow, Cliffs-

-I need medicine for headaches without acetaminophen or aspirin
-I'm quiting smoking now

damn I hope I pull this through tomorrow.

Your symptoms are those of a classic migraine, it's the same as i get but i don't stutter, i lose words in sentences or forget how to pronounce things correctly, kinda like verbal dyslexia.

Diklofenak works for me, it's not too bad on your stomach and it doesn't thin your blood like aspirin or the like causing rebound headaches. It's OTC and cheap.

If that doesn't work well, try Tradolan, it's opiate-like and as addictive as morphine (or worse) so you shouldn't take it every day at higher dosages. It causes me to puke my guts out but at least it's better than Dexa since it's readily absorbed.

 

[dualsmp]

Stay away from aspartame, splenda and msg (monosodium glutamate). Aspartame is in any diet drink, and sometimes splenda is substituted in some newer diet drinks. If you have the urge to drink soda drink the regular stuff (not diet). Many people have problems with headaches who consume diet drinks.

http://www.aspartame.ca/indexa.html

Msg is harder to stay away from as it's in thousands of foods and snacks. It goes by other names like hydrolyzed soy protein and many other variations as the manufacturers try to hide it under different names. I know msg can give me headaches so I try to limit my intake.

http://www.aspartame.ca/msg names.htm

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

Stay away from aspartame, splenda and msg (monosodium glutamate). Aspartame is in any diet drink, and sometimes splenda is substituted in some newer diet drinks. If you have the urge to drink soda drink the regular stuff (not diet). Many people have problems with headaches who consume diet drinks.

http://www.aspartame.ca/indexa.html

Msg is harder to stay away from as it's in thousands of foods and snacks. It goes by other names like hydrolyzed soy protein and many other variations as the manufacturers try to hide it under different names. I know msg can give me headaches so I try to limit my intake.

http://www.aspartame.ca/msg names.htm

The amount of retardedness found within those pages is astounding.

It has to be a hoax site?

 

[Red Squirrel]

I would quit gradually. Quitting suddenly might worsen the headaches.

Then again I've never smoked so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about.

 

[bobdole369]

Try looking at:

http://theflatearthsociety.org/cms/

Now THAT is an amazing amount of retardation.


Keep it going Kalmah!!! You can do it!!! Your over 12 hours I'm guessing

Remember that to smoke (or ingest any nicotine in any form) right now would mean you go right back to smoking again. It also means that you have to go through the last half a day AGAIN!

SO don't start again. Don't pick them up, and remember that if you do, it might just be the one that kills you (because you may never get the will to quit again).

I bet stuff already feels different. By tomorrow AM you start to smell and taste again, and you'll get disgusted by smokers walking by (the smell), and at the same time wanting some of that too, but that goes away and gets replaced by all disgust.

It's just 3 days, and when your past the next 60 hours or so it gets a LOT easier!

 

[dualsmp]

The amount of retardedness found within those pages is astounding.

It has to be a hoax site?

What not a conspiracy theory? Ohh please go play in another sand box.

 

[bobdole369]

I would quit gradually. Quitting suddenly might worsen the headaches.

Then again I've never smoked so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about.

Good thinking RedSquirrel, but honestly as nicotine addiction is the same as heroin or cocaine, and even alcohol, you can't really do that.

Do you tell a heroin junkie they should cut down? Let them shoot up 15 times one day, and 13 the next, then 11 the following? How about only letting a drunk have a liter of vodka today, and 3/4 of one the next. It doesn't work that way.

The years of nicotine intake have subjected the body to an expected amount of nicotine. This never goes away except with years and years (like 15) of abstinence. Once you give it a little, the withdrawal symptoms start all over again and you are back at square one, and probably smoking just as much.

You CANNOT have just one, or just a little bit, or any nicotine gum or lozenge or spray or e-cig, Sure you might quit smoking, but you are still addicted to the nicotine UNTIL you go through the 3 days of withdrawal. Once thats over with, you still have a long road, but the physical craving is gone.

Now I don't want to threadjack, and I sure don't want to pull the focus from Kalmah's quit attempt, or any help he's getting with headaches, so I'll leave it at that. Anyone with comments can PM me. Thanks.

 

[classy]

That doesn't sound like cigarettes to me. Just go to the hospital and let them check you out, they'll treat you for free or send you to a free clinic with a real doctor. Sounds like migraines.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

What not a conspiracy theory? Ohh please go play in another sand box.

I just skimmed the last link you posted.

MSG is in MPG? Does it matter that it is a chemical impossibility?

L-Cysteine being a problem for headaches?

MSG is bad all on it's own, you don't have to mix in everything known to mankind to make it seem like everything but broccoli is causing the demise of mankind.

Just so we are clear on this, MPG actually has the OPPOSITE effect of MSG, if you'd manage to overdose on MSG, MPG is what you'd be given, well either that or just postassium.

L-Cysteine is found in pretty much ALL foods, naturally and is one of the strongest anti-oxidants known to man (remember to eat your chicken soup when you got a cold, it's chock full of Cysteine (L- anything just means it's readily available in a non denatured form)), not to mention that it's essential for life, it's an essential amino acid.

That site is a joke, as i said, i only looked at the last linked page but i can imagine what the rest is like, let me take a wild guess without looking at it... Diet plans and detoxifiers?

 

[destrekor]

The amount of retardedness found within those pages is astounding.

It has to be a hoax site?

I don't care to look at the sites, but I reckon it's pretty typical propaganda against those consumables.

However, there is some truth to the complaints about certain artificial sweeteners and MSG.
For some people, those chemicals can be migraine triggers.
MSG, otoh, I'm not sure if it is a known migraine trigger, but it is most definitely subject to allergic reactions by many. A headache can be a symptom following MSG consumption, though it's an odd allergy because unlike most food allergies, I don't think their is much of an issue with repeated exposure = more serious reactions. At least, that is for the people I've known who are allergic to MSG, including my father (though he can and does consume things with MSG in them, so I think it's based on dosage).

I also agree there is a lot of match up for migraine symptoms, but it is still odd it is basically a daily occurrence. Even people with severe migraines don't get them daily.
Makes me wonder if the tobacco truly is the culprit as a migraine trigger. Having it in your system daily basically means you are constantly triggering it.

Kalmah,
On the days you don't have the migraine symptoms until late, did you not smoke until late?
Or do you smoke very frequently and missing a day of smoking just doesn't sound normal at all?

John,
one note of importance: here in the US, diklofenac is not OTC.

 

[Colt45]

Do you tell a heroin junkie they should cut down? Let them shoot up 15 times one day, and 13 the next, then 11 the following? How about only letting a drunk have a liter of vodka today, and 3/4 of one the next. It doesn't work that way.

You've never heard of the methadone program I suppose... or delirium tremens?

 

[dualsmp]

IS the mayo clinic a good source John? Even mainstream medicine admits there are symptoms from MSG.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/monosodium-glutamate/AN01251

Headache, sometimes called MSG headache

...The only way to prevent a reaction is to avoid foods containing MSG.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

IS the mayo clinic a good source John? Even mainstream medicine admits there are symptoms from MSG.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/monosodium-glutamate/AN01251

I said that MSG is bad for you, it's basically turbocharged sodium with the same effects of a very high sodium intake, headaches, heart palpitations, increased blood pressure and so on.

But that site you linked in your previous post said that MSG is in MPG and that MSG is in Glutamate, that L-Cysteine (something you NEED to ingest to stay alive) causes a whole heap of symptoms that are not associated with it.....

You have to get this, if i say that ingesting cyanide or vitamin C will definently kill you then i am right, just say that i'm wrong and i'll post something regarding how cyanide WILL kill you.

Do you get my point?

Just flush that aspartame site because it's bullsheit.