Overall:
Migraines persist as each weather front passes - complete with some pain and dizziness that strikes every now and again (as opposed to the constant dizzy-drone I lived with before). I’ve always had ‘headaches’ when the weather changed, though. Can’t be certain if I’m just noticing it more now because the crash in June brought new attention to whatever is happening between my ears - or if it’s actually worse than I recall. I’m calling it a wash, for now.
Exhaustion Level:
Before I started with Ritalin, I was always dealing with fatigue. Painful fatigue. On the 5mg BID dose, it eventually began to seep through the energy provided by the drug and I’ve been toying with upping just the morning dose…then just the afternoon dose. The script does recommend ‘one to two tablets by mouth BID’. My next appointment is November 25 (not the 14th as I thought). At 4 tablets per day, I’ll run out long before my appointment and federal law prohibits refills on this medication.
Activities:
I continue going to the gym but have come to realize that to increase my heartrate above 140 for more than 10 minutes means I’ll be dealing with dizziness and headache no matter how much water I consume. I’m scaling back, increasing my heart rate to only 130 for 20 minutes on the bike.
Upright cardio exhausts faster.
VRT is a no-no beyond making the conscious decision to turn my head when I need to. The ‘walk and turn head at every step’ I can do…but with all the fronts going on and the repeat headaches, I’m reluctant to push.
Weight-Loss and Appetite:
Total loss so far is 10 pounds. As expected, things would slow down. The appetite is still quite suppressed though I’m mindful not to miss any meals, which can also trigger a migraine.
Despite all, I would say that I have improved by a solid 60% since I’ve been on Ritalin.
