Migraine Headaches Treatment

pain scale

admin — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:15:45 +0000

I’d say according to your scale mine mine is 4 1/2 every day sometimes 5 and 6 but you never listed higher nor 1/2′s so I had to do a 1/2. : ) Believe it or not I am not a pain pill person. My husband says I’m nuts for suffering. I have tons of pain pills sitting here. I had a prescription filled in June and I can count on 10 fingers how many times I have taken one for my fibro and my headaches. There is days I can’t walk from the fibro or I can’t get up from migraines and he says don’t you even say a word about how bad you feel with all those pills sitting in there. I just look at him and say I won’t. He doesn’t understand why I suffer like that.
I just hate to do it. Someday I might need them and I want them to work. I may get to used to them. I said something to my neuro yesterday about them and she said you know if you do take them alot they will make your headaches worse. You do what your doing. Only take them when it’s really necessary. To many people just pop them in. If you take them to much your body do get used to them and they will make your headaches worse. So I was right to do that in my mind.

prozac and migraine

admin — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 14:11:00 +0000

The underlying cause for my great increase in migraine headaches is due to depression ( and I was on 9 weeks sick leave this summer) So having visited my doctor yesterday I convinced her ( and myself) that I did not want preventatives ( was worried about all the side effects) I felt that if I could get at the cause of what had triggered this great increase then maybe the migraine attacks would be lessened, hence the prozac….do you think I’m crazy or might this work?

does psychotherapy work?

admin — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:01:02 +0000

Has anybody had an good results by being in therapy to figure out how to reduce the stress that might cause migraines?

This is what I’m considering now.

will neurologists stick strictly to headache treatment?

admin — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:57:41 +0000

I’m full of questions, I know

Today, the neurologist told me that I need to speak with my primary care doctor about the anxiety problem I have. He said the anxiety has nothing to do with the management of headaches.

Do all neurologists think that way?

I orginally went the first night because my migraine was so bad

admin — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 13:47:02 +0000

Hey, I wanted to tell you real quick that when I was in the er almost three months ago, I orginally went the first night because my migraine was so bad. I had to go back to a different er the night after that because they did a spinal tap the first night, but did not bother telling me “anything” that goes along with a spinal tap. Like the fact that you have to go home and lay flat for a couple of days and some other stuff. So, I ended up getting what they call a “spinal tap headache”. I seriously thought I was going to die and I so badly wanted too. I had to end up having a blood patch the day after the second night. Anyways, so the second night I was in the er they gave me Dilotted (hydromorphone). I can’t even begin to tell you how much that drug helped me. I had relief within a matter of seconds and I have NEVER had that happen before. Too bad that it is very addicting, or else I would beg my doctor to give me that for the really really bad migraines. I would much rather do that instead of sitting around in a waiting room watching me being passed up so many times and waiting for hours on end. I hate it.

I have experienced extreme fatigue from the migraines for the past six years

admin — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:44:43 +0000

It hasn’t been until the last almost three months without the everyday migraines anymore that no matter what I do, I am still extremely tired all of the time. I thought that this would get better with time, seeing as how I was in bed most of 2002 because I was so sick, but absolutely nothing is happening. I have been trying to take vitamins on a regular basis, but that doesn’t seem to be helping either. Several weeks ago I noticed that while I would shower my skin (mostly arms and stomach), were very sensitive to the touch. I also have had some muscle achiness. I have mentioned it to my doctor more than several times about the fatigue, but he just seems to blow me off every time I mention it. I am hating this because although I am feeling better as far as the migraines go, and I want to get out and do more stuff now, I just don’t have the energy too. Does anyone else experience this type of thing? Or has anyone in the past??? I would more than greatly appreciate it if anyone can respond. I feel like I am going crazy and I feel like I am just a lazy person, which normally (without the migraines), I am not. I thought that sense the migraines are better my energy level would be better, but I guess I am very wrong. I do not take the Frovatriptan on a daily, or even lately a weekly basis anymore so I know that it can not be from that. About two weeks ago I guess I decreased the amount of Remeron that I was on from 15mg to 7.5mg. I know that it can make me tired, because it is also used to help me sleep at night, but I don’t think that it would last ALL day everyday from that.

Some questions about complicated migraines

admin — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 13:36:09 +0000

I noticed that they are not very common, but I’m hoping someone here will know about them. Here’s her questions: How long after the initial episode does the lack of concentration, weakness, confusion, etc. last? What treatments have worked? Does anyone experience tremors after the episodes are over? What do you take for the headache that follows the episode, since you can’t take Imitrex or another vasoconstrictor? Does anyone know what their triggers are? Stacey is also diagnosed with fibromyalgia…mitral valve prolapse…gluten sensitivity…intolerance of milk products…and sensitivity to chemicals (mostly smells). She already is a vegetarian and avoids wheat gluten and milk. She is very careful to keep a clean home using all natural products. Stacey exercises and keeps a good sleep schedule. So, she is a little bit ahead of the ballgame in that she has already made many life changes for the FMS. Does anyone else know about this type of migraine? Thank you so much for all your help!!! We really appreciate it. These episodes are very scary.

By the way, the first episode happened two days after she began taking Prometrium (progesterone) for an enlarged ovary. She felt funny, eyes dilated, left side of body paralyzed, weakness, drooling, sweating profusely, tremors, and finally blacked out. The second time happened after stopping Yasmin birth control pills (few days later) and restarting Celexa (antidepressant). The second time was not as bad as the first, but she had several that day. And then another one two days later that was very mild.
She has already had an EEG, EKG, MRI/MRA, bloodwork–CBC, CMP, urine analysis, CXR. She has an appt. with a neurologist on Tues.

headaches … is there something to be done about it?

admin — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 13:26:57 +0000

I am here speaking on the behalf of my mother and not myself. She has been experiencing for quite some months a persistent sort of headache which occurs mostly in the morning. Sometime it gets so intense she gets nauseous and vomits continuously.

The only sort of medicament that seems to work with her is ZOMIG, but even this one is starting to lose its effect, since she takes it on a regular (even daily) basis.

She has a rather stressful life and she has recently gone through a marital separation process. Nevertheless, the headaches have started even before this last event … they probably just got worse during and thereafter.

After the headache is gone, she gets very dizzy and this sensation lasts for most of the day.

She also has an eye problem and her eyeglass’s graduation has recently gotten bigger. Nevertheless, the ophthalmologist said the headaches probably had little to do with her eye condition.

I know headaches can have a vast array of possible causes, but I’m starting to get very preoccupied with her actual condition and I feel extremely impotent.

Is it possible to get some advice? I know the above information is very limited but I can always add something to it if further questions are asked.

Thank you very much in advance.

Migraine flare ups and fumes, perfumes, and toxic chemicals

admin — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 13:23:06 +0000

Whoa…I have been in migraine hell for four days now. My husband and I have just moved into a new apartment, in a new town. the landlord has just painted the place and re -finished the floors. I have had a non stop aura since we got in the place a few days ago.
Thank God we now live in California, and we can leave the windows open all of the time. I have had to raise my dosage of Verapamil, and take a 2nd vaso-dialator (aggrenox) to try and calm things down, as I have no where else to crash for a few nights till the stink is gone. If it doesn’t let up, I will have to go on a Medrol pack (steroids) to calm things down, as I have already had 2 strokes from migraines! Grrrrrrrrrr…stupid landlords, waiting till the last minute to paint! Anyone else have problems with paint or polyurethane fumes? How about stinky fabric softener? I have to send my laundry out, cause the laundramats around here stink to holy hell of Snuggle or Downy, and even though I use Cheer free, It still comes home smelling like dryer sheets and I get a migraine from having the stuff stinking in my dresser drawers! I am unable to sleep with the odor wafting around in my room. Arrgh! And people wonder why they get cancer! I told my husband, “Honey, I know that this is extreme, (the cost of sending laundry out to a service because we have no washer or dryer at this time) but imagine all the people who will have cancer from lolling about in chemicals from nasty perfumed products all of thier lives, and you’ll be clean and free! My body wouldn’t be reacting to it if it weren’t un- natural.” I guess I am ranting, but it’s hard enough to control these migraines without outside assaults, you know? My neurologist told me that perfumes were notorious triggers, and that petroleum products ( a big component in perfumes) is a killer trigger.
Thanks for reading this, I know I’m gritching, but it feels good to gritch to others who can relate!

Topamax??? Depression?

admin — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:59:13 +0000

I’ve just started using Topamax for my migraines after using Depakote for two years.

Has anyone had any experience with it? What were your side effects? Did you like it? My neurologist said a lot of people lose weight because sugar “just doesn’t taste the same”. Well, I’ve been on it two weeks, and let me tell you……..sugar tastes the same as it did two weeks ago…..too good!!

I’m still waiting to lose weight! Ha!

Seriously, though, I’ve read that it can cause depression. I’m worried about that because I had problems with another medication I took and depression.

Have a lot of you or any of you experienced depression with Topamax???