Trepanation

Paula Lehman
9/14/06
Trepanation

Maxalt contains rizatriptan benzoate
A powdery, mint ghost on my tongue.
A selective 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor agonist.
Long ago, people who suffered like me
Were touched, filled with magic.
Shamans, seers, wise women.
Rizatriptan binds with high affinity to 5-HT 18 receptors.
Now, like everyone, we are medicated.
Pumped with triptans
And extracts of ergot
That centuries ago
Created witches
Of old women and dogs.
Chemicals dancing around in the
Broken glass lightshow in my head.
My optical nerves gnawed
By some unseen insects.
Buzzing like a hive
Between my ears.
Theories on the etiology of migraine
Suggest that symptoms are due to
Chronic overthinking, lack of sleep,
Excessive bourbon, peanut butter, red wine,
Stress, hormones, being weak.
Local cranial vascodilation.
Like a blood spot behind my nose
Or an immersion blender,
Twisting it all loose.
Hollow pain
Like the sound of
A filament bursting
Somewhere deep inside.
I have six bottles of pills
Same results, same weird looks,
Bad grades, lost jobs, lost friends.
At least it’s not cancer,
At least you won’t die,
It’s all in your head.
May cause alterations in heart beat, nervousness,
Vertigo, tremor, sleep disturbance,
Renal difficulty, hives, wheezing,
Hangover effect, ringing in ears, acid reflux,
Headache.