Another thread about my health stuff and how I’m managing my symptoms. This might get long so feel free to mute me in the meantime.
I’m waiting on appointments with a neurologist, a physical therapist, a chiropractor, and a psychotherapist. I also have an eye exam tomorrow.

We’ve narrowed down my symptoms to a handful of small-but-agitating problems that together feel like one big one. I may need glasses, I need my posture adjusted, I need to make slight lifestyle adjustments, seek out counseling. I’m managing my symptoms pretty well right now.

I have acid reflux, this we’ve known for a while. It gives me heartburn and nausea, sometimes I can feel the acid climbing up my esophagus. It irritates my larynx, which makes me sound hoarse, like I’m wheezing. It even irritates my ears sometimes, like an ear infection.

I’ve had to make adjustments to my lifestyle in order to avoid taking too many antacids while managing my acid reflux. Ginger has been most helpful. I’m currently cutting out coffee, sweets, spicy food, and junk food. I have to eat a low-FODMAP diet, and get some light exercise.

If you struggle with acid reflux remember to stay upright for at least 2-3 hours after eating, wait at least 1 hour after eating before you exercise, and try to avoid skipping meals or eating large, infrequent meals throughout the day. I recommend keeping ginger candy on hand.

I usually drink a cup of ginger-infused green tea before bed, and eat a piece of extra-strength ginger candy when my symptoms get bad and I feel like my throat is tensing up. I also currently don’t drink anything carbonated or acidic, like soda or iced tea.

Also I’m not saying never eat these things again, just that for now while trying to get my acid reflux under control that’s what I’ve had to cut back on. My diet was pretty shitty for most of the summer so I’m cutting back & adding fiber until I can slowly reintroduce things.

Next, I have tension headaches. We think this is related to my poor posture, and my pre-existing issue with grinding my teeth/clenching my jaw. TMJD can cause tension headaches, which can entrap nerves in your head and neck. Tension headaches usually occur on one side of the head

I’ve been doing light stretching to keep my neck/back muscles from getting too stiff, and occasionally try to be mindful of my posture. Bad posture can also tighten the chest muscles, making it difficult for you to breathe. I’ve been going on walks & being gentle w/myself too.

Sleeping flat on my back with a memory foam pillow that is shaped to support your neck has helped, too. I got mine from Bed Bath & Beyond for $30. Pricey but totally worth it. My insomnia has gotten so much better. They’re meant for back/side sleepers.

(Sometimes sleeping flat on my back triggers my acid reflux, so I’ll turn over onto my left side and try to position myself so I’m not putting too much pressure on my shoulder when this happens)

My TMJD unfortunately has been difficult to deal with lately so I’ve just had to be mindful of any tension I’m holding in my face and do whatever relaxation techniques I can to reduce stress/anxiety. I try to eat softer foods more often and take smaller bites, chewing slowly.

I’ve started getting migraines recently, which runs in the family so it’s unsurprising but god awful timing. Migraines can be very scary the first time you have them, as some of the symptoms can feel like a more serious problem, like an stroke or an aneurysm.

The key difference is that migraines usually have plenty of warning time, while strokes and aneurysms come on very suddenly and very severely and only get worse, while migraines follow a timeline and eventually get better after they reach a peak.

We suspect my migraines and some of my headaches are vision related, but we won’t know for sure until after my eye exam tomorrow. It started as a reoccurring headache behind/around the eyes, which I mistook for sinus headaches at first. My migraines and headaches follow a pattern

My migraines seem to be triggered by stress/anxiety and excessive eye strain. I’m an artist and a programmer so I spend a lot of time in front of screens or focusing on things close to my face. I’ve been keeping track of what triggers my migraines and what symptoms precede them.

triggers: eye strain, including reading/drawing in dim light and staring at screens too much, anxiety/stress, sometimes my migraines also follow tension headaches.
pre-headache symptoms: fatigue, numb/weakness, nausea, visual aura, sensitivity to sound
post-headache: sleepiness

As soon as I notice any of my pre-migraine symptoms, such as the visual aura, I take 2 excedrin for migraines and try to lie down in a dark quiet room. I also wear a sleepmask when this happens if it’s the middle of the day. I need a nap once the excedrin kicks in.

For now to avoid migraines I’ve been minimizing my screentime and going outside to look around at far away objects to rest my eyes. I haven’t been watching any TV or using the computer at all, and when I read/draw/etc I try to do so in a well lit area.

I’m avoiding coffee until we get my migraines under control because it exacerbates my sisters’ migraines and you’re not supposed to drink coffee while taking excedrin for migraines since it already has caffeine in it.

My first migraines were very scary because I was feeling generally weird but didn’t recognize it as predrome, so when the headaches peaked it felt very sudden and severe. Sudden severe headaches are an uncommon migraine symptom, but they’re not unheard of.

And finally, I’ve been trying to manage my anxiety better as I exhibit a lot of the behaviors of a hypochondriac. My anxiety is triggered by stress related to my health and safety, so I’ve been struggling to keep my cool during this pandemic and I’ve had several panic attacks.

I’m caught in a vicious cycle where my anxiety makes it impossible to sleep, which makes it harder for my body to heal, which makes my symptoms worse, which makes my anxiety worse, which makes it impossible to sleep, repeat

Usually I keep a journal in which I just write my stream of consciousness until I have nothing left to write and I’ve gotten my anxiety out of my system, but lately this hasn’t been enough. Distracting myself by keeping myself busy is difficult since I can’t concentrate, too.

I went on a long walk in the sun yesterday, and took a hot shower when I got home. that helped a lot. I’ve also been trying to catch myself when I go to google my symptoms. I close all my apps, lock my phone, and say “No, no, stop it. You’re making yourself feel worse this way.”

It also helps to remind myself:
This is not an emergency. I am uncomfortable, but I am not in danger. My heart is still beating. If I were really having an emergency, I would not have to keep looking up my symptoms in a panic. You will wake up tomorrow like any other day.

That said, I’m still trying to get an appointment with a therapist who can help me find the tools I need to help with my anxiety. I’ll update again soon if anything changes, thank you all for your patience with me. I’ll add TLDR breaks in this thread since it’s so long lol