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Too right you're smart to ask. Too many people get it wrong and later say "I didn't like to ask because I didn't want to look stupid." Sorry, they *didn't* want to look stupid..?

Also, now you're nasal spray will work properly. What's dumb about that? :)
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bookluvr, oh my gosh, all these years I have been using nose strays wrong... thanks so much for the tip... so smart of you to ask how to use it :)
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I agree Book rocks -I would be embarrassed to ask how to use nasal spray .
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haven't seen dad as much as usual this week as with the holidays coming up I am working more plus I have my landscape clients holiday planters to create and we have to work on hauling firewood into basement for the winter.
Today though is their AL's Thanksgiving with staff and residents. Since I work at a bakery I am providing the rolls. Later this afternoon they are having a bell choir perform so no happy hour.
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I haven't had a headache for several days. Not even the stress from work bring it on. Lastnight, I was able to finally get the nerve to use the spray and take the oral antihistamine. Antihistamine at dinner and spray before bedtime. I woke up this morning around 4am to a slight headache. If I go back to sleep, maybe the headache goes away. I woke up at 6am. Headache is getting worse and the ringing of my right ear which seems to be increasing. Doctor asked if I was allergic to anything, I said no. But I am sensitive to certain drugs.

Does anyone know if there's an ingredient in the nasal spray that is also in the after-surgery painkiller? I had noticed after surgery, that every time I I clicked the IV painkiller, I got this terrible headache. After the 3 3rd time, I decided that I can handle the surgical pain without having to use the drip IV painkiller. It's just that this headache feels different from my regular ones. When I get up, I'm going to Google for more info.
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Book, I'm sorry but I've lost track of what kind of spray it was? But in any case, make sure you're drinking enough water - plain water, doesn't have to be anything fancy - so that you don't get dehydrated. It could be a weird and wonderful reaction, but it's worth checking the quick 'n' easy things first :)

You did get your ears checked at the same time? If the ringing gets worse, go back - could be an infection.
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Book, if I use nasal spray in the evening I have a hard time sleeping. My system is very sensitive to the non-drowsy cold meds and some of the nasal sprays contain the antihistamines that are in cold tablets. They make me feel absolutely awful pins and needles in my scalp, shaky, you name it, just plain WIRED! I don't take them and havent for years.
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bookluvr, wonder if anything you're taking has "codeine" in it? My Dad is allergic to codeine as it would cause a real head pounder of a headache for him. For me, it would feel like someone was standing on my lungs and I couldn't breathe. Codeine is also a pain killer.
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gladimhere, that just reminded me, my Mom gets headaches when taking Claritin. I use Claritin, but the Children's Claritin, and sometimes I get a slight headache.

I have good luck with the very old tried and true Clora-trimanton (sp) anti-histamine, 4 mg. Yeah, they make me feel sleepy, but I can deal with that :)
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I was suppose to drop by the pharmacy and got sidetracked. Fave niece gave birth this morning - to a girl. Now she has a boy and a girl. I spent my spare hours there. I can't believe for a newborn, that baby can cry! And Loud. By 2pm, I was ready to run away. Just the sound of a newborn's crying makes me cringe. I used to babysit my older siblings children when I was teenager. All 7 of them while trying to cram for the finals. Fave sis tried to keep longer but I was ready to flee by 2pm. Whew! Thank goodness we're not staying under the same roof. That baby can cry.

Just taking the antihistamine and the nasal spray, I didn't have a nosebleed today. Yippee!! I dread taking it tonight. I took a Tylenol today and it took a Long Time for it to kick in. I'm too scared to take Excedrin or Motrin because the asprin might make it bleed again.

Thanks for the advice about hydrating. I tend to forget to drink fluid daily. I usually just drink one small can of ice coffee in the morning. That's it. I don't drink anything for lunch or dinner. So, I do appreciate you reminding me that I need to hydrate while taking these stuff. Well... correction...does ice cream count as fluids? I've been eating ice cream daily.

Oohh. I just gave a big yawn. I can never stay too long on AC now. Oops. another big yawn. Yawn #3.... time to go. I'm going to keep yawning until I stop reading here on AC. Later. Yawn #4.... You all have a good day today. I'll sneak back here after I shower. Yawn #5. ....
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Book,

Also be aware that while I'm sure you're trying to address the headaches,
if you are taking medications such as Tylenol, Motrin, Aspirin.........this stuff is going to thin the blood. If your blood is thinned out......then you could possibly get the nose bleeds again.

I have a neighbor who has very bad varicose veins, and even had a couple procedures for it. She always overdoes house work, lifting and moving things.
So she ends up in pain from arthritis. Recently, she started to mention several times she was taking Aleve. Her varicose veins are actiing up, the very same ones she was operated for. They look terrible, and doctors do warn people such as her, to avoid taking these kinds of meds, because it could cause the bleeding.

Do make sure that you are hydrating, as I think it was Countrymouse who suggested this to you. Many of the meds, can also have the opposite effect, they get rid of the pain, however they also may act as a diuretic, which means it's super important to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. I am talking about water here, not sweetened beverages or anything of the sort.

I hope you feel better.

Hugs,
Much Love & Light! Margeaux
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Book,

I didn't read about you eating the ice cream. I hate to have to tell you this......
ice cream is one of the worst things one can be eating, especially if you have it every day, for any kind of sinus, stuffyness problems in the head. Lot's of sugar,
then well if you're saying you don't drink water whatsoever.........there you go,
you are setting yourself up to get the headaches. It sounds as if you may need to get in touch with your diet. Maybe if you become aware of what different foods do,
and the action it has on the body, you will be able to address your headache/siinus issues. I suffer from them tremendously, so I kind of know the drill.

Hope this helps, because it is miserable.

Much Love & Light! Margeaux
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thanks so much 57twin, for your kind comments. Man, you sure have it rough too. We all do in one way or another. I don't take care of 11 of the cats, lol. My daughter does, but I take care of the oldest one since the others pick on her. She's neurotic and alot of work sometimes. Puppy goes without saying. It's so liberating to be able to say what you want and instead of being judged, everyone sympathizes and understands!While my husband is emotionally distant and ignores me unless he needs something, he is and was a good provider. Not so good with the kids but they seem to have resolved it and while better with grandkids still not there yet. I also have to say how much I appreciated his support when going back to school. I never would have made it without it. I sure didn't get any from my kids. I never like mentioning what I went to school for, because then everyone's opinion is that I should be able to handle all this caretaking--that it should be a breeze for me. However, with jobs, you can go home and be away from it for a day or two and when at work, it's only 8-12 hours. But with care taking, it's 24-7, 365 days a year with no time off for good behavior. I appreciated my husband's support but feel resentment over his disinterest in a companionship relationship and resent having to meet his needs when he refuses to meet my basic need of companionship. But it is what it is. I like reading books too because it's an escape from the world I'm in. sometimes I'm so depressed I have all I can do to get out of bed in the morning. I wish I could go crawl into a black hole and slam the door shut and lock it. I truly sympathize with those who feel suicidal and even had a plan in place. I know how that is. I'm glad no one has followed through with it. I've gained a ton of weight from self-medicating with food--chocolate being my biggest addiction of choice. I used to work out and walk but can't due to my knees. Been putting off going to the Dr to find out what's wrong with them and get care for a slue of other medical issues because if it isn't my daughter going to the dr or ER one month, it's my husband. Trying to get those paid off before I have to rack up more from me. I treat alot with herbs and grow/make some of my own. This site is God-sent! Nothing has changed, except I get to say anything I want about resentment,guilt and be heard without being shouted down or judged or criticized. How refreshing and uplifting! Thank you everyone!
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Margeuax, just one small correction Tylenol is the only OTC pain reliever that does not thin the blood and can be safely taken with blood thinners. However that being said exceeding the recommended daily dose will cause kidney damage and even death,
As always "read the label"
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herbalizer 77, I have gained 18 pounds and I am also hooked on chocolate. The dr said my cholesterol is elevated. I also have diverticulitis and kidney stones. But try to keep it all under control until I have time for me. Who knows when that will be. I can't afford outside help and because we make a little bit too much money we can't get any help. If it ever got bad for me I could get the VA to take over, but I pray we can get thru this without that. GOD bless the caregivers! I feel better just reading all of the posts. We all have it rough. But we are survivor's right? My girls are all very busy working and trying to take care of their Families. We will get together for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but who has time to shop?
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College, welcome to the club... weight gain here, too, and I can't keep my hands out of the bowl for the Hershey Almond Semi-Sweet. I, too, and dealing with kidney stones and keep putting off the surgery since I have no pain. I might kick myself later for dragging my feet on that.

I should be downstairs dusting the house as we will be doing Thanksgiving dinner on this Sunday. The grocery store did the cooking for me, and I picked up the box this afternoon along with all the heat-serve fixings. Oh well, my parent's eyesight isn't all that good, so it's a very quick dusting, they won't see the dust anyway :P
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Busy the past couple days as I usually fill my clients containers after Thanksgiving but with our cold snap the fall plants are frozen in. Should be warmer tomorrow so I will cross my fingers and finish my corporate client tomorrow instead. My current employer (part time) likes the planters done before Thanksgiving so I chiseled the plants out yesterday and completed today. Plus helped hubby carry in about a full cord firewood into basement. About one cord left. Whew. Back is a bit stiff. Stopped briefly to see dad yesterday will try to stop in tomorrow as I want to figure out what he should wear for Thanksgiving. I have accomplished quite a bit the part two days. Now also to figure out what Medicare part D plan to enroll dad in as I am dropping his supplemental insurance as he is way overpaying for the amount that they pay. What a ripoff for him.
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Veronica,

Thanks. I didn't know that.
Good to know this, too.

Much Love & Light! Margeaux
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I believe tylenol causes liver damage and ibuprofen causes kidney damage. Aspirin causes internal bleeding. Hard to keep it all straight. My husband can only take tylenol but has to be careful as it can cause liver damage
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before aspirin, there was quinine. Try some tonic water. Gin is optional.
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I gained 80lbs. since my mother moved in 2yrs. ago.Totally a stress eater, just now starting to be able to try to diet.Had to go to a therapist the first 8 months because I just wanted to run out into traffic and get it over with. Mother is very NPD and I have just now start to really enforce boundaries and this is when my therapist warned me her behavior would probably escalate and I believe she is right.I am an only child and she had nowhere else to go when she could no longer live alone due to health and meds, can no longer drive.My health was so much better before she got her, If I don't stay with my boundaries I really believe she will be the death of me, I think my heart will simply stop.
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I think the gin would more effective Pam
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Tex it will get worse as you set boundaries but will get better as soon as she learns she can not longer drive you crazy-when I decided my mother's venom words would no longer hurt me it was a light bulb moment and I felt free.
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Texarkana, I don't know how you do it, I could never have my parent(s) live with me. Maybe it's my only child syndrome where I like have my own space everywhere... I never was good at sharing :P
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FF I get that! Today hubs left for deer camp with his 91 yo dad (another whole story) and this was so much MY time.. A few days alone! Came home from work and the parents seem to feel its thier job to keep me company instead of going to bed at their usual time... sigh
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I still don't know how I do it, I'm just making it up as I go along.I have tried to emphasize she has to meet me halfway and by not telling me about medical issues is hurting her not me. I have already told her if she starts having "problem'" she is going to get very acquainted with the local EMTs because I will be calling 911 and sending her to the ER and I will not be going.; They can call me at home and if they admit her I will get her a sitter,this seems to get her attention.I told her I simply refuse to be held a hostage by her "illnesses".Actually she is doing well, PT twice a week, get hair once a week, I managed to get her to showere twice a week,manicures and pedicures twice a week, and now I managed to find an art class for her starting in Jan. on Sat for 3 hours and have transportation arranged for her,goes to church once a week,what else can I do." I really believe she is jealous just because old age hasn't caught up with me yet and is resentful, I know that sounds crazy but it is the way she acts,she never even thanked me for taking her to the MD today, not that I was expecting her to.I do try to limit my interaction with as much as I possibly can, she can't stand to see my bedroom door shut, I do a lot of work on the computer.She was always a control freak and now she cant control me and I stand up to her she really doesn't like that.She sees the MD more than me, the dentist more than me,she gets more medical preventive care than I do and nothing is ever good enough, she has NPD,as a child I walked on eggshells around her but not anymore and she knows that she can't beat on my bedroom door and even took it down one time when I lived at home because she wants me to jump when she says jump but that doesn''t happen anymore. I was a straight A student,honor society, I never gave my parents any trouble, I was an invisible child but as soon as I grew older and started to have a personality as normal children do that's when my problems with her started.She wanted me to stay invisible and silent,faceless.just something to manage and care for like the car.I refuse to be a doormat anymore and she better not lay a hand on my bedroom door unless it is a polite knock ;like a civilized human being.
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Margeaux, of course you are right!

With sinus, colds, any head stuffiness avoid dairy. Try to give ice cream a rest for a week to see if it helps. Maybe switch to the frozen coconut milk treats or sorbet which is dairy free. Do you have Trader Joes there? They are supposed to have some excellent non dairy frozen desserts.
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Before I read Margeaux's post, I bought that morning 1 box of mini ice cream in cones and 1 box of chocolate sundae ice cream flavor. I love ice cream. To get off it, several times in the past, I would try to 'replace' it with yogurt. I tried different brands but it's just not the same. When I read Margeaux's post, I decided I'd best get rid of those mini ice cream fast. I think I ate 4 yesterday, 3 today.. And well, I'm lactose intolerant. So, this afternoon, I was in the bathroom with severe abdominal pain. I made a pig of myself over those delicious yummy ice cream. Did it stop me? No, afterwards, I went and got another one to eat. I'm going to have to be ruthless and TRY to throw away those minis. The box of ice cream belongs to dad. I can't throw that away. Thanks...

I've been so tired today. I don't know why. I took about.... 3 mini naps today. I don't know why I'm so tired. I thought it was just only when I come on AC. But today, I didn't even get on the computer. And I had to take a nap at 9am, 11am, 3pm. I was exhausted again at 5pm but I fought it. Too close to night time. I don't want to take a nap and then cannot sleep tonight.

All well.. I've been reading my ebooks. The current new series I started is not as attention-grabbing as the other 2 series I finished. It's slow going with lots of skipping. Really. For a mystery book, that female main character spent most of her time fascinating on the handsome main character and his 'attributes.' Really had to do a lot of skipping. Even looked at the cover to make sure it's a Mystery and not a lousy Romance. When I'm fighting depression, romance stories make me more depress. So, I've finished book 1 with lots of skipping. Hopefully, book 2 is Not the same vein.
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Book, these tricks help me, I don't know if they'd do the same for you: I have zero self control when it comes to treats. If I buy a bag of sweets thinking "I'll have one after meals" (HA HA ha ha - !) I will eat the lot, and I will be a sorry bunny with a sore mouth who feels sick. If I buy a packet of cookies thinking "they're mother's favourite" I still KNOW beyond doubt that she will get two and I'll eat the rest, absent-mindedly, while I'm making her a cup of tea to go with them. The only answer? Not to buy them in the first place. So here are the ruses, which take place in the store, at the point of maximum danger.

In the sweets and chocolate aisle, say to yourself "you'll be sorry. Put them back!"
In the cakes and cookies aisle, try reading the label. By the time you've digested words such as "di-glyceride" and "ammonium phosphate" they look a lot less appetising. Hydrogenated fats? Eeeuw! Added to this, I tell myself "if you want cake, make a cake." I then happily go home and can't be bothered to bake. It really helps!

It's hard when you have to keep things in the house because somebody else enjoys them. You could try labelling the tub with your father's ice cream in it with a big bold sign saying "Dad's - KEEP OFF!" Then at the very least you'd have to get past that to eat it. I find that the slight hint that I'm actually stealing food from my mother keeps me out of the packet as long as I'm concentrating.

On the other hand. There is no reason on earth why you shouldn't have the occasional ice cream if you enjoy it. If you're lactose intolerant, what about sorbets? If they're properly made, they can be lovely and creamy-feeling, if not creamy-tasting; plus you're getting all that fresh fruit which is actively good for you. So then all you have to worry about is the sugar content, which I agree is not great. Oh dear. I'm not sure we can win this one, sigh...
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Thanks, CM. This past week, my appetite has gone haywire. I've been craving Pepsi - and drinking it. I've been buying the potato chips Cheetos - which I normally find very very salty. It's so salty, I cannot even finish the small bag. But, this past week, I've been buying it from the vending machine and it's soooo delicious. I usually love Wendy's chili's. I recently bought it and found it so bland. The ice cream craving was yesterday - hence my buying 2 boxes. I can't seem to stop myself from eating it. My body's gone haywire - sweet, salty, sweet. It's off kilter. Too bad this haywire doesn't include a craving for water.

I wrote a long long post after the first paragraph. But I keep deleting it. In the end, I've decided to keep it to myself. To see it written, makes me seem so paranoid. Or real. I'm going to have to do more thinking on this.

Sorbet is awful! I tried it. Verrrrrry Sweeeeet. {{shudder}} That sugar might tip the scale and I end up diabetic. Whatever is happening, the food that I used to love eating, I can't stand it. The food I avoid, I find delicious. I think, on Wednesday, I'm half day.... I'm going to treat myself to Tony Roma's. Well, I will do take out, and bring lunch to fave sis and her daughter and new born. Spend the afternoon with them. Or maybe not. I don't feel like being with people. Maybe I eat at the restaurant by myself, then go to the Mall, sit at the food court and read. It will be much more relaxing than being with sis. I need to hibernate from social niceties. If I can just find a good humorous book.....
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