Angela Young Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 My hubby, two kids and I are about to start our first Whole30 in about a week. I have had chronic, daily migraines (24/7) for many, many years. My current treatment plan, which I will need to stick with for a year before I can determine if it will be effective or not, includes a wide range of meds (which are constantly being tweaked), Botulinum A injections every three months into various muscle groups of my head and neck, steroid injections every few weeks into various muscles and nerves in my head and neck, and steroid nerve blocks every few weeks to months into the space next to my spinal cord in my neck. (Btw, I've seen every kind of doctor/practitioner you can imagine, and tried *every* kind of treatment you can think of, so I'm not looking for treatment suggestions.) My question is whether the regular steroid use, in particular, will interfere with the hormonal aspect of the Whole30? Will all the meds I'm taking (including heavy duty narcotics) render the Whole30 useless as far as healing my gut? I'm feeling very stuck between a rock and a hard place.....I need to do the Whole30, heal my gut, slay the sugar dragon and discover any food intolerances.....but I have no choice but to stay with this current pain management regimen, either. Any thoughts as to how the steroids and other meds might affect my results would be appreciated. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina R Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I feel your pain! I had steroid injections in my lower back. I only did three and luckily I don't need anymore. The steroids that I took totally messed with my hormones. Not sure if will affect your whole30 results. I don't know if you are eating gluten free or dairy free now, that has helped with my migraines and back pain. Here is a thought - I have a lot of neck pain and my doctor thinks it is because I might be looking down a lot when I type on my laptop or leaning forward to look at my computer screen and putting a lot of pressure on my neck. My shoulders get very tense and tight and then my neck pain increases. I have been trying to do some neck and shoulder stretches this past month and it has helped a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsStick Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 It might affect your hormones some, but the Whole30 will still make you feel better than if you weren't doing it. I had shoulder surgery today, with a nerve block, oral steroids, and T3 (percocet gives me nightmares). I'll be eating close-ishto W30 (but my hubby has to make it so at times I will eat GF bread products) because my body does crave what it needs. I was light on veggies for dinner (my only meal today) but I had a double bunless burger and it was exactly what I felt like I needed. My overnight snacks to take my meds will be bacon-wrapped dates so it's not just sweetness, like a Larabar or gluten-free bread. Plus the bacon will give me fat and protein to make it slightly more mini-mealish than any other option but still be something to just eat a bite of and then go back to sleep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Young Posted February 8, 2014 Author Share Posted February 8, 2014 Tina, I'm so glad your back pain and migraines have improved! I've been getting the steroid injections and nerve blocks regularly since October, and my cycles have been pretty messed up, plus my face is often puffy in the mornings, so I know they're affecting my hormones. Blech. I've been following WAPF guidelines (sort of) for about six months, so I haven't cut out grains or dairy yet. I'm very curious to see what I learn from doing the W30. I have cut out grains completely in the past for about 18 months, though, without any noticeable effect on my migraines....but I'm much more aware of nuances now, so maybe I will see a difference. As far as my neck pain goes, I have bulging disks and bone spurs on each of my cervical and the top three of my thoracic vertebrae, which puts pressure on all the nerves in that area. Plus the nerves in my neck and head are growing through the muscles and fascia, instead of going around them, so they're being compressed in that way, too. MrsStick, I hope you recover quickly from your shoulder surgery! The bacon-wrapped dates sound delicious and like the perfect "snack" to take with meds at night. I think I'm worrying too much about getting everything exactly right for the W30, instead of just doing the best I can in my situation. At a later date in my life I might be able to do a W30 without the added hindrance of steroids and a boatload of meds, but for now, this is the best I can do. Thanks to both of you for your responses! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyS Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Yes. Whole30 can't make anything worse, and it will certainly keep you as healthy as you can be. I wouldn't expect Whole30 to heal or fix structural problems (nor do I get the impression that you expect that), but it will give you as healthy a body as possible. Medication trumps Whole30, and you are in a position to need all you are taking. Here's hoping you get some relief from the current regimen. And happy Whole30 eating too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina R Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Tina, I'm so glad your back pain and migraines have improved! I've been getting the steroid injections and nerve blocks regularly since October, and my cycles have been pretty messed up, plus my face is often puffy in the mornings, so I know they're affecting my hormones. Blech. I've been following WAPF guidelines (sort of) for about six months, so I haven't cut out grains or dairy yet. I'm very curious to see what I learn from doing the W30. I have cut out grains completely in the past for about 18 months, though, without any noticeable effect on my migraines....but I'm much more aware of nuances now, so maybe I will see a difference. As far as my neck pain goes, I have bulging disks and bone spurs on each of my cervical and the top three of my thoracic vertebrae, which puts pressure on all the nerves in that area. Plus the nerves in my neck and head are growing through the muscles and fascia, instead of going around them, so they're being compressed in that way, too. MrsStick, I hope you recover quickly from your shoulder surgery! The bacon-wrapped dates sound delicious and like the perfect "snack" to take with meds at night. I think I'm worrying too much about getting everything exactly right for the W30, instead of just doing the best I can in my situation. At a later date in my life I might be able to do a W30 without the added hindrance of steroids and a boatload of meds, but for now, this is the best I can do. Thanks to both of you for your responses! FYI I had my steroid injections 5 years ago. It took 2 years for me to be able to handle the pain without powerful drugs and another three years of gluten free and dairy free to start to feel better. I also had some TMJ issues that actually helped my back when I helped my TMJ. If you had braces when you were young and are now in your 40s you know what I am talking about. I still can't exercise like I used to which is why I can't lose weight. For me it's not the number on the scale but how my body looks. I was not super skinny but my stomach was toned and I didn't have a muffin top now I can barely get into my fat jeans and I actually had to buy a pair of spanks. That made me feel worse than seeing the number on the scale. This is a new year and we are going to get back to our sexy selves! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praxisproject Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Do the best you can and if you take much oral medication, it's worth reviewing the ingredients, I found quite a lot of mine contained wheat, corn, dairy and soy, much better on new versions without these Steroids mess with all sorts of stuff in the body, but going without is not an option for many people. Depending on what kind, some people find lower carb helps with some of the weight gain side effects, but this doesn't work for everyone and may not work at all for some steroids. Keep a diary of your food and meds, sometimes it helps you find patterns (good or bad). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Young Posted February 11, 2014 Author Share Posted February 11, 2014 Thanks, AmyS! Tina, hahaha, I would love to get back to my sexy self....though I can't really remember where I left her! Exercise has been completely out of the question for me for so many years now (any exertion or even individual movements trigger worse migraine), and I eat to (try to) make myself feel better, so I have quite a lot of weight to lose. Steroids aren't exactly helping, either. And yes, I wore braces as a kid, I'm in my 40s and I have TMJ. That's very interesting that your TMJ treatment helped your back issues. I've heard of it working the other way around for some people. Mind me asking what you had done for your TMJ? My docs have decided that mine is too far down the list of things that need to be addressed, so it's not really being treated. I do wear a bite guard at night or anytime I lie down, though. Praxisproject, I will definitely be keeping a diary, thanks for the suggestion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina R Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Thanks, AmyS! Tina, hahaha, I would love to get back to my sexy self....though I can't really remember where I left her! Exercise has been completely out of the question for me for so many years now (any exertion or even individual movements trigger worse migraine), and I eat to (try to) make myself feel better, so I have quite a lot of weight to lose. Steroids aren't exactly helping, either. And yes, I wore braces as a kid, I'm in my 40s and I have TMJ. That's very interesting that your TMJ treatment helped your back issues. I've heard of it working the other way around for some people. Mind me asking what you had done for your TMJ? My docs have decided that mine is too far down the list of things that need to be addressed, so it's not really being treated. I do wear a bite guard at night or anytime I lie down, though. Praxisproject, I will definitely be keeping a diary, thanks for the suggestion! I went to a orthodontist that uses the Kois method. The kois is a type of dental appliance that allows your jaw to relax because you actually bite on the front of the appliance (you take it out to eat). As you jaw relaxes it adjusts into a more comfortable position for your body. It took me about 4 months for this process alone. I would go back to the orthodontist and he would grind down the front of the appliance until my teeth touched. Then we proceeded to the invisalign portion. That took about 9 months because I was allergic to my last batch of invisaligns and the company didn't believe me and didn't want to give me another set. Then my orthodontist did a bite adjustment and fixed my fangs so they are a little longer to help guide my jaw into the correct position. I also wear a night guard. I loved the kois except I had a lisp while I was wearing it. I felt really good on it. Unfortunately it is not for long term use and would eventually fall apart. I feel better now that I have done this but it was a long painful process. Also my chiropractor is a TMJ, Cranial specialist. To get the best results I would go to the chiropractor in the morning before I got the molds for my dental appliances. This way my back was in the best position. The Kois was about $795. If you can you might want to try it while you are working on you back. It basically takes your teeth and bite out of the equation. Then at least you would know if you are going in the right direction before you do anything permanent that you may regret. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Young Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 I went to a orthodontist that uses the Kois method. The kois is a type of dental appliance that allows your jaw to relax because you actually bite on the front of the appliance (you take it out to eat). As you jaw relaxes it adjusts into a more comfortable position for your body. It took me about 4 months for this process alone. I would go back to the orthodontist and he would grind down the front of the appliance until my teeth touched. Then we proceeded to the invisalign portion. That took about 9 months because I was allergic to my last batch of invisaligns and the company didn't believe me and didn't want to give me another set. Then my orthodontist did a bite adjustment and fixed my fangs so they are a little longer to help guide my jaw into the correct position. I also wear a night guard. I loved the kois except I had a lisp while I was wearing it. I felt really good on it. Unfortunately it is not for long term use and would eventually fall apart. I feel better now that I have done this but it was a long painful process. Also my chiropractor is a TMJ, Cranial specialist. To get the best results I would go to the chiropractor in the morning before I got the molds for my dental appliances. This way my back was in the best position. The Kois was about $795. If you can you might want to try it while you are working on you back. It basically takes your teeth and bite out of the equation. Then at least you would know if you are going in the right direction before you do anything permanent that you may regret. Good Luck! Tina, that sounds somewhat similar to the bite equilibration I had done and the $1,000 (!!) bite guard I had made about 10 years ago. The dentist adjusted my bite over many months by grinding down infinitesimal amounts of certain areas of my teeth, and also adjusting the bite guard accordingly. It definitely improved my jaw pain (though it didn't get rid of it by any means), but unfortunately it didn't improve the migraines. That bite guard also broke a couple years ago (it was supposed to be indestructible), because I clench my teeth so hard at night. I now use a $15 bite guard that I buy at Walmart that has to be replaced every few months, but it helps the jaw pain just as much as the expensive one did. Disclaimer: just because it didn't work for me doesn't mean I don't think the procedure has validity to it. I've learned over the years that my migraines have many, many different layers to them, so any one treatment isn't going to fix everything. :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina R Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Tina, that sounds somewhat similar to the bite equilibration I had done and the $1,000 (!!) bite guard I had made about 10 years ago. The dentist adjusted my bite over many months by grinding down infinitesimal amounts of certain areas of my teeth, and also adjusting the bite guard accordingly. It definitely improved my jaw pain (though it didn't get rid of it by any means), but unfortunately it didn't improve the migraines. That bite guard also broke a couple years ago (it was supposed to be indestructible), because I clench my teeth so hard at night. I now use a $15 bite guard that I buy at Walmart that has to be replaced every few months, but it helps the jaw pain just as much as the expensive one did. Disclaimer: just because it didn't work for me doesn't mean I don't think the procedure has validity to it. I've learned over the years that my migraines have many, many different layers to them, so any one treatment isn't going to fix everything. :-( Migraines are hard to figure out. I live in southern California and when we get the Santa Ana winds (dry winds from the desert) I get migraines. I think gluten was also contributing to my migraines. Have you gone to a homeopath/chiropractor that specializes in tmj? That might help your migraines. My jaw pain has been reduced but I still can't open my mouth very wide. You might want to check the prices on a new night guard. Mine was $450 or so. I guess that is just life. Thanks for your input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.