Back on Dope-A-Max

OK experiment time is back! I recently saw a preliminary report on how EDSers may be suffering the effects of low-grade hydrocephelus. ">

This seemed to make a LOT of sense to me and perhaps why I've been going downhill the past 2 years since I switched to Lyrica? This lady recommends Diamox which lowers CSF pressure. Some preliminary research on my part seemed to tell ME (I'm not a doc but still)... that the Topamax was having somewhat of a Diamox effect! Lyrica was not so I switched back. I can feel a difference already - WOW! Although I am still a bit groggy trying to get used to Topamax again I am pleased with myself that I figured out this is part of my problem. The slurred speech is gone, the sore shoulder is a tad better and I seem a bit more "myself." As an added bonus, they have come out with a new generic form of Topamax so it is CHEAP! I'm not sure why my neurologist tried to force me to try Lyrica. I guess it was worth a try and it did help somewhat, but was doing nothing for my head pressure. I knew there was no way I could convince my doc to get me on Diamox since my pressure has never been measured but Topamax is pretty common and I've done well with it before. I just told him I thought I liked it better and he said, "Sure, why not?" :-)

Heating pads and more heating pads. . .

I have been destroying heating pads :-( Especially in winter when my back aches, I get those standard plug-in heating pads, and then I pull on the cord so much it destroys it. After my last somewhat expensive one died, I started using my microwave rice pack. It works good except I get tired of always having to microwave it, and then it gets cold after an hour or 2. Where my dad worked, some of his co-workers complained it was gross that he microwaved rice packs where they put their food. Also my former cubicle neighbor complained that it smelled like rice. She would ask me if I was eating?! So I'm always paranoid about that, too.

I found an interesting site: http://www.quantumheat.net/

This is some type of gel pack you boil, and then you push a button and it heats up! WEIRD! But I might try it as an alternative to the microwave rice pack. I just don't like the whole office thinking, "Oh there's Sarah with her back pain again, what did she do this time?" I'd rather just be discreet and private about it. Maybe this other type of pack will work. Another thing that would be awesome is if there was one you could plug in and heat, then disconnect until it gets cold and plug it in agian. I'm going to keep shopping until I find the perfect one!