Link between menstrual cycle and head pain??

For a long while I have been keeping an eye on when my worst pain seems to happen, and many times (not all) it seems to be the day after I start my period.

It comes on suddenly that day and lasts a few days without any let up at all! Nothing seems to help at this time, I just have to wait for it to go.

I have researched this and asked other people with ON and many say the same. The pain management doctor I saw last week also said it is very common.

It seems that the lack of the 'pill' controlling my hormones makes the pain worse. I was advised to take more than one pack in a row, but I have always taken 2 packs together and my body gives up if I try to take more! 

I'm not sure how to deal with this. I guess it is possible to consider a different type of contraceptive that stops periods altogether but others have said that what would be their 'time of the month' is still when they experience worse pain. Also, hoping to start a family some time soon ish then I am going to have to come up contraception altogether.

I don't feel there is much benefit in changing things and maybe solving the issue just to make it potentially ten times worse soon. By still having done worse pain, I can continue to experience this and get used to it, rather than feeling well and then throwing myself right back into the worse pain! That seems worse to me!

Basically, I don't feel I have an easy answer to this at this time in my life!!!

Reprogramming

Last week, the day after my follow up appointment, I had my third programming session with Mike from

St Jude's Medical that provide the implant. 

I desperately needed some programmes to try and help my worse pain days, as nothing was breaking the pain I had last week! On the appointment day it was the third day of severe constant pain. This was the longest I had suffered since the op.

We set another 4 programmes that are all extremely low frequencies, all at 2Hz. I obviously seem to know the ones that are too much for me, as I mentioned the programmes set from before that I hated and made me have goose bumps immediately and these were set at 150Hz, so we are never going that high again!!

There is one setting (program 13) that seems different, as it spreads out the higher it gets. It's strange though as you can feel the tapping through my skin, close to my ear. It's more or less at pulse band width, so it pretty slow. Apparently I seem to like these most!

Although I spent as long as possible, day after day, with this setting up pretty high. I still couldn't break the pain. It eventually subsided 5/6 days later! 

I'm not sure it was the implant though, I think it had just been long enough.

I am continuing to leave the stim on day and night on my low setting (program 8) as I barely feel this one.

We shall just see what happens, as always, I guess! 

Getting there

It's now been a month since my operation and the scars are healing well.

My stomach scar is looking less and less odd so I'm hoping it will sort itself out fully in time. It is still very tender and I can't do up trousers properly as the waist band is on top of this area. The odd twisty feeling I get when standing or sitting up is now getting less.

My chest scar has always looked good but is still pretty tender and the muscle underneath is still fairly sore.

My head scar is still raised but the actual scar is barely noticeable! The skin on the raised area and to the right, up to behind my ear, is still partially numb and doesn't have normal feeling. 

I now turn the stimulator on when I wake up and turn it off when I go to bed. I do intend to try it overnight to see if I sleep better, as I am struggling to get to sleep and sleep all the way through the night at the moment. 

The turned up version of the 3rd program setting is now not pinching and feels fine. I can feel it more constantly now but not in annoying way. 

I guess I should now give the other programs a go now to see how I feel about them now that they might not be so pinchy!!