migraines?

[brazen_irish_hussy]

I used to get them a lot and occasionally still do. I started taking omega 3 pills in high school to keep my knees from having problems when I danced and it had a lot of other good side effects, including reducing my migraines. Mine are mostly triggered by food and I have stopped drinking coffee and eating soy since I seem to have a reaction to the tyromine (sp). For my mother it was stress and tension and she started getting massages and managing her stress and it helped a lot.

My best friend''s mom got them but had crooked teeth and when she got them straighted the migraines stopped. I have heard it happens for a number of people but I don''t know why.
An unusual option helped a family friend. She once had a migraine so painful she nearly attempted suicide and had to be taken to the hospital and frequently got them. A doctor recomended botox. They injected it into the side of her head where she got the migraines because it paralyzes the vessels so they cannot expand. It has been the ONLY thing that worked for her and she goes she gets them much less often and they are no longer debilitating.

I know some of these are wierd, but migraines seem to be caused by all sorts of things and to respond to all sorts of things. For my mom, caffine makes it worse; for my brother, it is the only thing that helps.

 

[lauralu]

Some advice for people taking topamax. It has the unexpected side effect of acting like a diuretic some. The tingles are from lack of potassium and electrolytes overall in your body. Make sure you are keeping up with the OJ, bananas, anything with potassium in it as well as gatorade or any drink that helps with electrolyte replacement...and water water water. Those will all help if not eliminate the tingles.

Topamax also has the unexpected side effect of weight loss. That can be good or bad depending what you weigh. however, it is not used as a weight loss medication.

Many meds overtime that were ment for one purpose end up working for another. Topamax is an anticonvulsive medication. Drs. found in the process of useing it for people with sezuires. It reduced headache episodes for people suffering from migrains.

 

[risingsun]

Date: 12/1/2007 11:51:36 PM
Author: brazen_irish_hussy
I used to get them a lot and occasionally still do. I started taking omega 3 pills in high school to keep my knees from having problems when I danced and it had a lot of other good side effects, including reducing my migraines. Mine are mostly triggered by food and I have stopped drinking coffee and eating soy since I seem to have a reaction to the tyromine (sp). For my mother it was stress and tension and she started getting massages and managing her stress and it helped a lot.

My best friend's mom got them but had crooked teeth and when she got them straighted the migraines stopped. I have heard it happens for a number of people but I don't know why.
An unusual option helped a family friend. She once had a migraine so painful she nearly attempted suicide and had to be taken to the hospital and frequently got them. A doctor recomended botox. They injected it into the side of her head where she got the migraines because it paralyzes the vessels so they cannot expand. It has been the ONLY thing that worked for her and she goes she gets them much less often and they are no longer debilitating.

I know some of these are wierd, but migraines seem to be caused by all sorts of things and to respond to all sorts of things. For my mom, caffine makes it worse; for my brother, it is the only thing that helps.

My neurologist recommended botox, but my insurance company refused to authorized payment. It's quite expensive and needs to be done about every three months, IIRC. With what they pay out for my Zomig, It think the Botox would end up being a bargain

ETA: Thanks for the advice re: Topamax, Lauralu

 

[sumbride]

I'm wondering if you've talked to your doctor about other kinds of headaches? While it could be a migraine, having a persistent headache for almost a month doesn't sound like a migraine to me. There are other kinds of headaches and other ways to treat them. I went through a period of about 6 months with a daily headache and after a CT scan didn't find anything and migraine meds didn't help, my doctor put me on a tri-cyclic antidepressant. Poof, like magic, the headaches were gone (after about 3 weeks of meds). They were mostly tension headaches and I also suffer from TMJ and back pain. I was able to discontinue the meds without recurrence of headaches after about 3 months. I do occasionally get a classic migraine but I haven't been "blessed" with the daily headache for about 5 years.

Here's some info on it: http://www.headaches.org/consumer/topicsheets/tricyclic.html

 

[mimzy]

thanks everyone for your responses, i really appreciate them.

sumbride - i also suffer from terrible tmj and back pain, but i dont'' think these headaches are from that (i can usually distinguish between the tension headaches, neck/back pain headcheaches, tmj headaches and these). I''m glad that you found something that works well for you! and thanks for the link.

i talked to my sister, the aspiring DO, and she told me to go see the neurologist. I''m going to, but i am sort of reluctant because i''m pretty sure that they aren''t going to find anything and they will either A) think i am crazy or B) prescribe me some random medication that won''t do anything. but i''ll go. and i have started charting them, drawing little brains and putting X''s on the spots that hurt throughout the day, so that i have something more concrete to tell them when i do go.

thanks again everyone!

 

[Jypsie]

I am just catching up on posts - sorry this is a couple of days late.

I have suffered from migraines since I was an infant. I actually remember my first migraine, I was in the crib taking a nap in my grandma''s back room and my head started to hurt. I got sick, started crying and somehow realized that crying made the headache worse, so I sat up in the crib and whined quietly with my eyes closed, because the sun outside the window hurt my eyes.

Since then I have had migraines consistently probably 1-2 every month.

Over the past 6 months they have really picked up in intensity and frequency - I am now experiencing 15-20 migraines a month, sometimes they last multiple days.

Now to the what has worked for me part... cool compress on my forehead and over my eyes helps. Caffeine and a banana can sometimes help alleviate the pain if I catch it early enough, although not nearly as often as I''d like. I do have quite a few prescriptions that I take. I''m on 2 preventatives (daily medications to prevent migraines from coming on). I also have a prescription for Imitrex injectible, Maxalt rapid dissolve tabs, Frova, and Vicodin for the ones that none of the above will get rid of.

Migraine''s are horrible!! If I never have another one it will be too soon! I actually had one yesterday, but it was a mild one, 1 frova took care of it. YAY! Those are the kind I don''t mind... the ones I hate are the ones that are multiple days and NONE of the medication even dulls the pain - the migraine even laughs at the vicodin sometimes... I tell ya, they are EVIL!

 

[Jypsie]

Date: 12/1/2007 12:21:33 AM
Author: mimzy
oh, and do dr.s diagnose migraines just based on anecdotal evidence you give them? is there any actual way to tell if that''s what it is?

I had an MRI done with contrast and without. There are apparently indicators that they look for that are quite common among individuals with migraines. It was confirmed that I do have those indicators. So, although many times you can get diagnosed through your regular doctor by answering some common questions, some doctors, if they are unable to get the migraine''s controlled, will refer you to a neurologist. I am now seeing a neuro for my migraines, we are working to find a preventative to help keep these monsters away.

But, I can tell you until this year, I had my migraines controlled without preventative measures and my family doctor was able to help me with them.

Good luck! I hope you can get them controlled - migraines really are horrible!

 

[diamondfan]

Botox can work, but scares me as I have heard some negatives too. I hate when the doctors just brush you off or give you more pills. Bad headaches, any kind, are scary and I live in fear of them. I used to be afraid at college because I lived at home in L.A. and went to USC and had to drive through some crazy areas. If I got a bad one and could not catch it time, I would crash at my sorority house because I could not drive home safely. I have such empathy for anyone who suffers these. I knew a guy once who totally made fun of how incapacitated I would get. I would almost have stroke like symptoms and be unable to speak coherently. He would make noise outside my room and just be an ass. Well, one day, he got one and did not emerge from his darkened room for THREE DAYS. After that, he told me he would never again underestimate anyone''s pain, headache or otherwise, and he could not have been nicer whenever I had one. Sad thing is they have crippled me and I have missed out on things because of them, and they can come any time, multiple times a month, with no real triggers other than my period.

 

[risingsun]

Migraines are only one of the many medical conditions that I cope with. Quality of life has become a truly significant issue in my llife. So many people do not understand and have llittle or no empathy for those of us who are struggling. Perhaps we need a support group on PS to help us share the sorrows, challenges and some triumphs...If anyone is interested, please let me know.

 

[Jypsie]

I completely agree about others lacking the ability to try to understand. I don''t know how many times I''ve gotten a migraine while at work and have really struggled to stay productive and to keep myself from killing someone for doing so much as whispering too loud... I become VERY sound and light sensitive with my migraines - sound is usually the first indicator that one is coming on.

I wish there was a way to have someone simulate a migraine so employers, friends, and family could at least have a point of reference to compare it to. I don''t know how many times I''ve heard... "oh it''s just a headache, take an advil or tylenol, you''ll be fine." If it wouldn''t absolutely kill me to do at that moment, I''d scream at the person for being insensitive and ignorant.

Oh well... yes, I had one last night, so it''s a fresh wound, hubby forgot I had one and was nagging me to take the dogs out after I had taken a vicodin and imitrex shot... I don''t know that I could have moved if the house was on fire, in all honesty... nevermind walk the dogs. We joke that one of these days I''m going to take my migraine medicine, take the dogs out... and I''ll wake up the next morning in the fountain in the courtyard. LOL

 

[Pandora II]

I have really severe migraines and the only thing that works for me is Zomig.

I''m seeing Professor Goadsby , who is the world migraine expert on the 11th Jan - I''ve waited 14 months for an appointment with him, so finger''s crossed that he might have some ideas.

Since I''ve been on Lamotrogine for my Bipolar, I have had way less migraines - down from 10+ a month to about 3. It''s quite a good alternative to topomax, amitryptiline etc as it has very few side effects (but you must titrate up VERY slowly - like 25mg every 4 weeks or so - as there is a very small chance of Steven-Johnson Syndrome (basically a potentially fatal rash - but you have plenty of time to realise you have it and stop the tablets) if you go up too fast.

My GP won''t let me take any hormonal birth-control at all anymore - which is a bit of a PITA.