Is anybody else going around in circles like me?

Hi, I'm new here. I can relate to Melanie, this board is my last resort.

I feel like i'm about to have a nervous breakdown of some sort.

I have been dealing with migraines pretty much since I was about 25.

I'm 46 now.

Only in the last year have they incapacitated me to were I have lost 2 good jobs.

I have been to 2 different doctors. The first doctor I had seen for 5 years and he

tried different muscle relaxers because my migraines begin as tension headaches and

progress to migraines very quickly. He has tried almost every migraine medicine on

the market.

There has been so many times i had to go to the emergency room cause i felt i was

dying, i would be vomiting and crying all night and would have to go get a phenergan

shot.

There has been many times I had no one to drive me to the emergency room

and i was in too much pain to drive myself and would almost overdose on tylenol p.m.

or lortab, just anything to be out of pain. To be totally honest, I have a migraine that

last sometimes 4 to 7 days at a time and the only relief I have is when I sleep.

Yes, I have had a CT Scan, they could find nothing that gave them any clues to

what is causing these headaches. I either have intense pressure and pain at the

base of my skull or I have both the pain and pressure at the base of the skull and

neck and the all over migraine, feeling like I have a hatchet in my head.

Finally the first doctor tried me on Topamax, which Amazingly decreased the

migraines from 4 to 7 days out of the week to 3 a month, that was awesome.

Well as anyone knows who takes Topamax it's not cheap. When I was working and

had insurance i could afford it but now that i can't work due to the migraines, i can't

have insurance.

I am trying to get the Topamax through a patient assistance program.

So far Topamax has been my only breakthrough.

The new doctor I'm seeing is trying me on Relpax until i can get back on the

Topamax. But even with the Topamax i was taking 150 mg. a day and still

having around 3 really bad migraines a month. He may have to increase the

dosage a bit more.

Can anyone else relate to what I'm going through.

Sorry so long, being as I'm new and wanted to give you a bit of background on myself.

i'm new to healingwell.  yours was the first post i read. name's Lynn & 56 years old (yikes! ) i sure do relate to you.  my migraines come from the base of my neck & the migraines get so bad my neck crunches & terrible pain all over temples and the whole freakin' thing gets sore!  used to really get them bad, knock wood, where they were crippling!  had to lay in a dark room.

and so sensitive to light.

gets worse when i stand up or bend over too.

i never was on migraine medication.  i used to just take excedrin migraine or Percogesic.

mine lasts 8 or 9 hours and it seems nothing really helps...it just takes its course.  but if i had it during the nite????????? no sleep.

i use ice applications. they somewhat help but what really gets rid of it?

they are incapacitating...i can't even open my eyes when they come.

no health insurance for me either.

and ya know what?  every day at least at some point during the day...there is always a headache present. last migraine was last week.

usually when i get up in the morning.

do you get the same as well?  when you first wake up?

but after a bad migraine for me...there is no headache the next day; the whole head is sore to touch but no migraine.  funny thing is...when it gets dark outside like at nitetime...they get better.

do you have blue eyes?  i've been told that people with light eyes are more prone to migraines.  i do.  can't tolerate sun or glare.

nice talking to you and i hope the Dr can find something for you to get rid of those migraines.

Lynn  

Meds: Norvasc 2mg daily; Lorazapam 5mg PRN; ASA daily.

Proud Mom of House Nurse Erin @ Arthritis Forum and fun Aunt to a great nice and nephew! :)

i think you should give it a shot applying for ssi.  and you can't work with an all day migraine...so give it a shot!

my daughter has a chiari malformation. 

i've heard of rebound headaches. is that when you take too many aspirin or something and get a headache in return?

try to wear dark sunglasses outside all the time.  i used to wear my sunglasses in the house.  it helpes filter out the bright sun.

and GLARY SNOW! used to wear my sunglasses all winter.

i hope you feel well & i hope your doctors help.

Lynn

Meds: Norvasc 2mg daily; Lorazapam 5mg PRN; ASA daily.

Proud Mom of House Nurse Erin @ Arthritis Forum and fun Aunt to a great niece and nephew! :)

Meds: Norvasc 2mg daily; Lorazapam 5mg PRN; ASA 325mg daily.

Proud Mom of House Nurse Erin @ Arthritis Forum and fun Aunt to a great niece and nephew! :)