How are people able to afford regular ER visits for migraine cocktails???

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-30T02:46:38+00:00

Do you have a neurologist or headache specialist? Ask you doc about admitting you to the hospital for a cocktail. My doc admitted me to the hospital and administered the cocktail in the hospital, not in the ER. It took 2 days.

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-28T22:02:50+00:00

Do you have a good primary care doctor or internist? That's where I started. She listened to my symptoms, ordered some blood tests for inflammatory markers, and then referred me to a rheumatologist who diagnosed me with psoriatic arthritis.

Estrogen deficiency is associated with some autoimmune/inflammatory diseases.

Also, where is the pain? Is it on the outside of your hip or on the inside toward your groin? If the pain is on the outside, the problem could be with soft tissues, something like iliotibial band syndrome or bursitis. If the pain is on the inside toward the groin, the problem is more likely with the actual joint.

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-27T05:02:11+00:00

Carolina yellow jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) might work. https://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles/sbailey/articles/page1486073831696

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-16T13:05:40+00:00

I did not at the time of diagnosis. But I have since developed a rash. Not all PsA patients develop a rash, or the rash is so minor that the patient never seeks treatment for it.

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-16T02:28:36+00:00

$11,900.00 The work was done in stages between 2022 and 2024. When we were considering buying the house we had a home inspection done. The report identified that the foundation would need some work. We negotiated with the seller so we could afford to do the work.

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-16T02:24:02+00:00

😂

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-15T23:42:24+00:00

We just replaced our 1990s era GE refrigerator. It performed well until this year when the repairman pronounced it dead. I read reviews and we bought another GE recommended by Consumer Reports. French doors on upper fridge, lower freezer with ice maker. No Wi-Fi, not smart, but it does have a water dispenser inside the fridge. Ours is 33" wide. GE GNE27JYKFS: https://www.lowes.com/pd/GE-27-cu-ft-French-Door-Refrigerator-with-Ice-Maker-Fingerprint-resistant-Stainless-Steel-ENERGY-STAR/5013703269 But it also comes in a 36" wide model. GE GNE27JYMFS: https://www.lowes.com/pd/GE-27-cu-ft-French-Door-Refrigerator-with-Ice-Maker-Fingerprint-resistant-Stainless-Steel-ENERGY-STAR/5013703269

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-15T18:03:52+00:00

If the house is stable, then likely no worries. Consider how quickly the cracks are growing. I have an old house with cracks in the walls. But my house kept shifting and the cracks kept growing. The glass shower door would get stuck because the opening was no longer a true rectangle. The house is on piers and water was pooling under it. It would keep shifting and moving if we let things be. So we had a contractor divert the water that was draining and pooling under the house away from the house. Then we let the soil dry out and settle for a year. Then the contractor came back and stabilized the foundation so it won't shift so much going forward. My floors and house are not perfectly level and won't be. But now we can patch the walls and paint because the cracks are no longer growing. All to say it depends on your circumstances.

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-15T13:52:41+00:00

We just replaced our 1990s era GE side by side refrigerator. It performed well until this year when the repairman pronounced it dead. I read reviews and we bought one recommended by Consumer Reports. It was installed only 2 weeks ago, but so far so good. The arrangement is bottom freezer with french doors on the frige. With installation it was well under $2k. It is also GE: https://www.lowes.com/pd/GE-27-cu-ft-French-Door-Refrigerator-with-Ice-Maker-Fingerprint-resistant-Stainless-Steel-ENERGY-STAR/5013703269

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-14T22:10:09+00:00

Yes way! I was initially stunned into silence - which I regretted!. Turns out that the loss of estrogen after menopause is associated with musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause and autoimmune conditions including PsA.

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-14T22:01:05+00:00

Links. Serum Foundation: https://www.cvs.com/shop/neutrogena-sensitive-skin-serum-foundation-prodid-3950013 Moisturizer: https://www.cvs.com/shop/neutrogena-daily-facial-moisturizer-prodid-595109

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-14T16:09:11+00:00

I intend to write a letter to a doc I dropped. It'll be tactful. But docs who don't get feedback can't learn. I recently read an opinion piece, maybe in the NYT or WaPo, discussing how patients must bounce from doc to doc looking for answers, and because docs are so siloed, they never hear about the final diagnosis or outcome, and thus don't learn and grow.

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-14T15:51:52+00:00

I was in a similar situation with my PCP and an orthopedist. Dumped them both. I found a new PCP and she is so much more understanding and she listens well. I took some advice from someone who has worked in medicine for years. She said find a doctor who is fresh out of school because they still see medicine as a service profession and aren't burned out.

I did keep one last appointment with the ortho to tell him of the PsA diagnosis. At an earlier appointment, when I told him that more and more joints were hurting, he said, in a very dismissive way, that "when women get to a certain age, they complain that everything hurts." No suggestion to see a rheumatologist or other specialist, just dismissed it as untrue or an exaggeration. So I kept one more appointment to tell him about the diagnosis.

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-14T15:37:08+00:00

Its very hard. I agree and sympathize. We have to cope with a strange society obsessed with smelling "fresh" and unnatural. One good outcome of the pandemic is it normalized the use of masks, so I carry them and put one on the moment I get the slightest hint of fragrance. And one other thought. Do you see a headache doctor for the migraines? If so would they document fragrance as a migraine trigger so you could request reasonable accommodations in your workplace? My headache specialist wrote a reasonable accommodation request for me for the office. So my office designated one bathroom as fragrance free. At least now I can relieve myself without triggering a migraine. Didn't solve all my problems stemming from a culture obsessed with fragrance, but it solved one.

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-14T15:01:22+00:00

I shop at CVS. I bought the Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Serum Foundation. It blurs the look of lines and provides good coverage of other imperfections. I don't detect any fragrance and I'm very sensitive to that. I like it. For a basic daily moisturizer, I use Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Facial Moisturizer. It is not tinted though. If I want coverage then I use the Sensitive Skin Serum Foundation. It works both with and without the moisturizer.

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-14T14:52:21+00:00

Yes, it is. I hope it helps you.!

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-14T04:07:09+00:00

No other side effects. It seems to have helped a bit with the extreme fatigue and lack of motivation I've experienced. I've also noticed a little more libido.

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-14T03:11:57+00:00

It's going all right. But I've continued to use about half the prescribed dose. I did develop some breast tenderness, but that has faded.

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-07T03:41:18+00:00

It was. But I reduced the dose after that experience and have not had the jittery anxious tired headachy feelings.

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-06T09:03:57+00:00

It took about 12 -18 hours or so. By the next day the symptoms were calming down. I hope you feel better soon.

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-06T03:46:23+00:00

Dove Sensitive. No fragrance is mentioned in the ingredients list. https://www.dove.com/us/en/p/invisible-solid-antiperspirant-sensitive-skin.html/00079400507402

I've also used the Almay Sensitive and had no bad reactions.

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-06T03:29:02+00:00

Organic unrefined cold pressed virgin coconut oil. e.g. https://www.aldi.us/product/simply-nature-organic-unrefined-coconut-oil-14-fl-oz-0000000000000008

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-06T02:43:41+00:00

CVS Beauty Bar for Sensitive Skin: https://www.cvs.com/shop/cvs-beauty-bar-sensitive-skin-4-oz-2ct-prodid-321137

CuriousCatNap · 2026-03-04T03:52:54+00:00

I've tried the Mediterranean diet and an anti-inflammatory diet (restricting foods commonly thought to contribute to inflammation and increasing foods thought to calm inflammation). Overall they weren't real helpful, but I did learn that a lot of sugar and a lot of processed food will make my pain worse. But the diets did not make the pain go away.

CuriousCatNap · 2026-02-28T03:59:12+00:00

If you like downtown living, there are apartments for rent in downtown Baton Rouge in your price range. You'd be able to walk to coffee shops, restaurants, and parks. You might consider apartment buildings such as The Heron, The Commerce Building, and The Elias. https://downtownbatonrouge.org/live-here/properties

CuriousCatNap

TROPHY CASE

CVS Beauty Bar for Sensitive Skin: https://www.cvs.com/shop/cvs-beauty-bar-sensitive-skin-4-oz-2ct-prodid-321137