Brand New Here

Hi Everyone-

  I am new to this web site. I have been looking for someone who can relate to the pain that I have to deal with every day. I have chronic daily headaches and have a migraine at least once a week and about one a month that sends me to a clinic for a shot of demerol and phenergan. I have been dealing with this since about the age of 15. They have gotten progressively worse over the years. I have been through three different neurologists and am on so many medications, I feel like a junkie. The last time I went to the clinic, about 2 weeks ago, I was told my the after hours doctor that she was going to flag my chart and let my PCP, who also practices out of said clinic, that she felt that I was receiving too many narcotics and the way I interpreted it was that they were going to start denying me treatment other than toradol, which is basically like candy, does absolutely nothing.    called my PCP and he told me everything was fine and not to worry. I also ended up in my neurologist's office about three weeks or so ago with an extreme panic attack. I couldn't breath, I couldn't feel my arms and legs, my face was numb and I couldn't stop crying. I have no idea what triggered this.   

  I am on Inderal LA, Xanax, Lexapro along with several other meds for my anklosing spondylitis (a form of arthritis), orthostatic hypotension, hypothyroidism, fibromyalgia and hormones because I've had a hysterectomy.

  I'm 38 years old, a full time student and married to a wonderful, caring and understanding man. He always takes care of me but can't comprehend the pain that I'm in. I hurt somewhere, somehow, all the time. I have an aunt who deals with migraines like I do and was reading some family history the other day and found out that my great-grandmother suffered from extreme migraines as well.

  I just wanted to introduce myself and hopefully gain some knowledge from others who deal with this also. Thanks for listening.

Hi Seechell,

Welcome to Healing Well.  Sorry you are suffering so much.  The trouble is getting the right balance of meds, and it is different for everyone.  If you have to take regular painkillers narcotic or not they will affect your headaches, of course narcotic meds are the worst!!  It seems that headache/migraine sufferers are very sensitive to painkillers, so when they are taken regularly, as often happens when someone has not only got migraine but other painful conditions aswell, they create a rebound reaction creating more headaches, but not any other pain!!

This is why the triptans were thought to be such a breakthrough for treatment as they have a different action, but sadly they can also create rebounds if taken too often.  Sadly a lot of Doctors, it seems to me, are not able to grasp this concept in a way that helps their patients acheive their optimum level of care.  They just inhibit patients abilities to obtain the narcotic meds because of the 'addiction' label, without working with their patient to find a way to include these meds in a regime without creating rebounds.  Thankfully some do, but they are few and far between!!

It's no wonder you are having panic attacks with what you are having to deal with, especially if you feel your source of relief may be withdrawn!!  Hang in there, you have a family here now to help you cope, please feel free to vent as much as you need to!  Please forgive me for the long post, and keep in touch and let us know how you get on.

take care

Ann

Hi Annuk-

Thank you so much for the supportive comments. This is exactly what I'm looking for, a family that are all going through similar crud, people that can actually relate to each other. Thanks again.