Glad to hear it's helped Carol :) FYI, another one was approved in the last week and three are available now following the release of Galcanezumab (Emgality) Ben...
Hi Trina, I'm currently at 12 days since I took my second monthly dose of Aimovig, without any particular complications. My med list should be in my signature and I haven't had any reason to think...
I'm sure results vary from person to person, but it can be helpful for me. Generally, I've not had much luck relieving pain in the midst of a migraine. Sometimes it can make things worse. I have a...
Hi Atara, Sorry to hear that you've been having such a difficult time. Hormone changes can be very taxing on the body even if they don't initiate headaches. You should discuss your concerns with your...
Hi again, So, first, I can relate to the problems with school. My headaches started during my senior year of high school and I technically missed more days of school than I was allowed to and still...
As I've said many times on this forum, it's extremely unlikely that a headache specialist (or any sort of neurologist or even a general practitioner) would forego a test for Lyme. However, in the...
Hi Sarah, I don't mind repeating this information, but if you read the rest of the thread, you'll see that your questions have been discussed in depth. The Lidocaine was unhelpful for me but I've...
Hi Wildfire, I've been going through more or less the same thing for more than 10 years now (24/7, etc). Thinking back, I think that around the fourth or fifth year was one of the most difficult...
Hi browngouda, I want to start by suggesting what nearly all experienced headache patients and neurologists know: Going to the ER for headache problems is almost always a bad idea unless you feel...
I hate to make a post just for a correction but nortriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant, while Topamax is an anticonvulsant. They both are often prescribed for the prevention of headaches but...
FernOrchid, I started getting a non-stop headache right in the middle of my senior year of high school. I saw a neurologist pretty quickly and we started trying different medications. He also gave me...
The side effects showed up for me right when I got up to the full dose that I'm on. But, again, I'm on a number of other medications that cause fatigue (though never anything like this). From what...
What dose are you on cynthiaz? I've been taking 20mg three times a day for over three months and I'm still walloped by the fatigue. Then again I am on a bunch of other meds that contribute to that....
Unfortunately the side effects kick in very soon but the drug effectiveness usually takes a few weeks. I know that's a long time to wait. Dealing with illness and treatment all of these years really...
Danielle, I hope not, but it's hard to say. Among the many people I've known who've taken Topamax, there can be a large range in what dose is tolerated. Generally speaking though, the low range tends...
Hi Hazelnut, That's a tough one. Barring any secondary issues related to sun sensitivity (skin problems for instance) I don't know of anything that would make the sun directly cause neck pain. My...
Well, at the very least your goal in treatment will be getting the headaches under control so that, even if they do continue, you'll be able to live a happy and mostly normal life. I hope that...
Hello and welcome to our board chinamomto, I'm currently on it to treat abdominal aspects of the migraines I experience. It's been quite effective in getting those under control but hasn't made any...
If you search these forums you'll find that Lyme disease, proper testing and treatment have been discussed in great length. I'm glad you're feeling better, Ben...
Hi again Danielle, I actually suffer from chronic (well, persistent actually) head pain more than I experience migraines. For example I have my headache 24/7, non-stop, but I only have migraines a...
Hi Danielle, I'm sorry that you're suffering so much right now. Unfortunately the doctors were right--taking pain relievers or abortive headache medications more than a couple of times a week often...
Hi again, From what you're saying about your headache specialist I think that you could have stopped at "who I am not fond of" and that would have been enough to show that you ought to be seeing a...
Kcizan, in response to your initial question, there are a great number of us who have suffered with painful headaches for a long time. Some for a few years and some for decades (I'm just shy of 10...
They can be uncomfortable but are rarely very painful. They're a very frequent way of checking for intracranial problems. The lumbar puncture (as they're often called) will give your doctors a better...
Hi Kcizan, Before I go into specifics I wonder if you'd share some further details about the treatment you've had in the past and what type of headaches you have. I ask this because, while headache...
Hi there. I'd trust the doctors that you've seen that your life is probably not in immediate jeopardy. When you see the headache specialist you're likely to have an MRI ordered anyhow. I guess the...
There's a center around me that does the treatments now but, unfortunately, it's not covered by any insurance. Here's the website though: http://www.med.upenn.edu/tms/ Ben...
I'm sorry you and your daughter are having such a tough time. You should start by talking to your family doctor (or pediatrician, whoever you'd go to for a checkup). Then, if necessary you might be...
I'm sorry you such a bad experience. However, from my experience, talking with many others, and conversations with many doctors, I can confidently say that Botox is usually tolerated well (of course...
Hi dea_lynn, I'm a fellow NDPH'er and I'll try to explain some potential options. Obviously there are tons of things to try--even after my headache clinic told me that they had exhausted their...
Here's a quick search for providers on ACHENET: http://www.achenet.org/resources/healthcare_professional_search/?StateProvinceCode=ON&CountryName=CANADA Two headache clinics are listed, in addition...
It's considered very hard to treat but it's not a life sentence. I'm at the nine and a half year mark right now and the best advice I can give is to focus on improving your life as someone with...
Many medicatioms take time to produce their full effect. In your case, Amitriptyline in particular will be more helpful after a few weeks. I hope that the medications continue to help and that, if...
Sorry I don't have time for a full post here but you need to see a doctor. That's the best advice anyone can give you. Hope you feel better soon, Ben...
TRPK, There's a neat little application out there that you can download for free called EyeLeo. It pops up regularly reminding you to take short breaks and do things like rolling your eyes, looking...
If you haven't already done so, you need to seek medical attention immediately. A neurologist will be able to diagnose the problem your child is having. Best wishes, Ben...
Wow, this is a very old post that I'm SO sorry that I never got back to. Is there anything I can help you with now?...
49ersfan, Excedrin is generally the go-to over the counter headache medication. This is because it contains three drugs that help reduce head pain: Aspirin (for vasospastic events), Tylenol (as an...
Yes, magnesium glycinate yields a greater amount of absorbed magnesium. However, before going through the trouble of finding and using a compounding pharmacy and considering IV treatments you might...
Rose: I take anywhere from 800 to 1200 mg of magnesium a day. I've found that it might help a little in terms of controlling headaches due to the fact that it's a weak NMDA receptor agonist, which...
I've tried both: the nerve blocks and the embedded nerve stimulators. As help23 said, while nerve stimilator implant is rather an ordeal, a nerve block is a quick and easy process. Just a handful of...
I've had them severe times. I'd be happy to talk to you about the experience, though I've got to get to bed now. Please post any specific questions you have and I'll try to answer them tomorrow. I...
I think that's fair. Posting information that could get this wonderful site in trouble isn't cool, but helping people find it themselves is very good. Reminds me of the controversy of counselors at...
Sure we can--Twitter's just easier for me because I can do it from my phone (I don't have a data plan :( ). You can still read my Tweets about headaches and my admission at...
As many of you know, I've had a persistent headache for seven and a half years and I've tried just about every treatment available (Jefferson Headache says that I've tied every treatment). Each of...
Diane, I'm not sure that I did. Could you resend it with the subject, say, "HealingWell"? Sorry that I missed it! Ben...
It's rather inconclusive whether PFO is the cause of any headache problems, though PFO closure has been shown to sometimes improve HA symptoms. Because of the uncertain association between PFO and...
As with nerve stimulation this sounds like a treatment that would be best suited to headaches with significant evidence of neuralgia. If other neuralgia treatments haven't done anything though--well,...
I mistakenly wrote that you should look for a blue light when I should have said that you should seek a light that has the blue spectrum filtered OUT. Blue light has a relatively short wavelength so...
You mentioned the full spectrum light. They can be very useful for mood but can wreck havoc on some headache sufferers. My neurologist has recommended that type of lights with a sort of blue tint...