Clearing the fog.

First, a legal note: the USPS rules that make alcohol a pain in the butt to send through the mail have an interesting loophole for homebrewers: only alcohol that is taxable under chapter 51 of the IRS code counts. Brewing for personal or family use and not for sale is exempt from taxation (see section 5053(e) for beer and section 5042 for wine) and thus from this classification as "restricted matter". So, that being said... how do you ship your homebrew?

I recently paid someone to build me some crates out of plywood for about forty dollars each. They look great but aren't quite right -- there's too much headroom for shipping purposes so I had to stuff a washcloth in as padding. I shipped a crate of water (not real homebrew, too risky for a test!) from the east coast to the west via UPS. It cost me almost sixty dollars and took a week but it arrived safe and sound. I haven't yet tried the USPS but I imagine it'll be comparable in cost if not time as well. Anyone else?

A good friend of mine told me to come check out this journal, so here I am!
Forgive me for any randomness- I'm currently in the middle of a migraine but need all the help I can get!

I have been suffering from migraines since February. Certainly not as long as some of you it seems, but it feels like forever to me. I generally get 1 to 2 migraines a week that range from 2 to 3 days at a time. In the beginning, I was going to the ER what felt like at least once every couple weeks, and seeing my PCP (who is an internist) as well as a neurologist. But now I have no insurance and can really only afford to see my PCP once every couple of months.

I was laid off from my job for failure to return to work in April, based on their FMLA policies (12 weeks off only, I think that's pretty standard), and have been on temporary disability since. I tried to apply for Social Security but they denied me because my "medical condition was not expected to last 12 consecutive months" and I "seem to be responding to treatment". I applied in July and got my denial in October.

Initially I was diagnosed with Vertigo when I first started getting these migraines, but after several trips to the ER and my PCP, they realized that the Vertigo was a symptom of my migraines.
After that diagnosis, I was also diagnosed as clinically depressed- which I'm sure a majority of you would agree is correct since most of us suffer from multiple monthly migraines! Who wouldn't be depressed about being in pain all the time???

I've been on Treximet (my body did not tolerate it at all), Propranolol, I've had morphine shots, toradol shots, a Dilaudid once, topamax, relpax, over-the-counters, maxalt, and am currently on nortriptylin (3 25mg pills a night).

I'm going to be working on my disability appeal paperwork- I am bedridden at least three days out of the week and can barely leave the house on the others. Does anyone have any advice on that? I was reading through the tags and it seems that some of you have some experience, and honestly, I'll take any help I can get!


I'm so happy that I found this community. It's great knowing we're all not alone.

*edit* In my migraine haze, I forgot to put something- I tried to go back to work this week to a new job, and immediately my migraines were a problem, and I've had two since Tuesday. Which is why I'm so anxious about the disability issue. I don't want to have to "use the system" but it seems like that's what I'm going to have to do. I don't really know.

So my migraine aura continued all through last night and all day today. It's still here now. I've been dizzy and drunk-feeling. At a few points, I felt pretty nauseous. I have a vomit phobia, so this is really, really not my thing.

On the upside (sort of), I may have figured out what's triggering them: my ovarian cyst/crazy hormones from my ovarian cyst that was/something related to the pain in my lower right abdomen. My first migraine came within 48 hours of the start of my abdominal pain, and each one seems to happen within a day or two of each re-start of the pain. I didn't realize until I took a look at my calendar. I really am a scientist at heart, I keep track of my symptoms of anything on my calendar, so I know for sure when they started and how much. (If you've taken a psych class, you know how flexible "memory" can be....) Anyone else ever have hormone-related migraines? What was your experience?

Anyhow, I have an appt. with my PCP on Tuesday, and my OBGYN was supposed to call today, but didn't.....maybe tomorrow? Even though it's Saturday? Please? I really hope I can get this solved soon, and I hope it's all because of my eggers that this is happening. (Rather than something more permanent/undefineable.) Some people live their lives with this kind of thing, I don't know how they cope.

Honestly, I'm pretty scared. I know I have to keep my chin and my spirits up, and I will try, but at the same time I'm coming to realize how easily I succumb to physical ailments.

The one thing that I don't get is why I am having chest pains AND passing out with the said horrible migraines that I've been dealing with. I've been at a 9/10 for almost two weeks now. And I don't want to go back to the ER a second week in a row, after going the previous two weeks. But if I've got to go. Then I'm going to. But GD!!! I'm sick of the pain. I truly am. I feel like I can't breathe anymore... or at least right now.
I'm scared y'all. Maybe it's my situation at home (read my LJ for more info)... but I really feel lost with this one.
~c
x-posted migraines and daily_migraine

Hey everyone,

I just found this and it's great to see people reaching out to each other for support. I guess I should start by saying I've had migraines since I was a child. My first official diagnosis came when I was eight years old, I'm 19 now. Following that I have been on a slew of different medications and doctors. I get migraines about 2-3 times a week. Usually I can catch them early on and there's no problems. But every so often, about 3 times a month I get the full blown deal of intense pain and nausea. Recently I began taking Axert, it was the first medication I have taken that has worked and that I can tolerate the side effects. It seems most triptans cause pretty bad side effects for me: vomiting, extreme dizziness, drowsiness, weakness, and heart palpitations. The Axert works but I still get some mild side effects: weakness, drowsiness, and for some reason it seems to make exaggerate my emotions.
My most recent migraine was yesterday. It started around 4pm and lasted to about 2am. As soon as I had the feeling come over me I took my Axert. The migraine continued to grow so about 5pm I took my second dose of Axert cause I could tell that this one was gonna be bad. It started to calm down and around 8pm I thought it was on its way out. The pain still lingered but it wasn't strong. About 11pm the pain spiked back up worse then before and I just couldn't deal with it anymore. I took excedrin and just collapsed in bed for the next hours before sleep finally came over me. Just another day living with migraines.
I'm glad I found this group. Support is really important with dealing with migraines and it's just nice to see other people who share your own experiences when you think no one knows what it's like dealing with this every day. I've had this stupid thing ruin moments in my life and it's hard to go around when people don't understand what it's really like or who just brush you off saying "it's just a headache". Anyway, thank you, and let's all hope for a liberation from this.

Has anyone tried using 5-HTP as an abortive?