Daily migraines

Peggy92506 · May 27, 2005, 6:03pm

I used to have good control of migraines. But surgery to remove an adrenal gland tumor that had caused many many problems (Cushings Disease) changed my body chemistry. During a period of 4 months of continuous migraines, a neurologist experimented with various preventives. I finally had success with Elavil (175mg) at night, and Depakote (500mg 3x a day). I started have short term memory loss. REALLY frustrating to me and my family. We didn't think it was the medicine, since many people recovering from Cushings had similar trouble. After being tested cured from Cushings, the memory problem stayed with me. Finally saw a new neurologist when my family doc suggested that my migraine meds might be part of the problem. New doc took me off the Depakote and my memory was back within a week. What a relief! BUT the migraines returned......DAILY. Reducing the Elavil had no effect on my memory, so we kept that. He added Topamax, working up to 100mg twice a day. I had lots of crying episodes, so he added Zoloft (100mg at night) which is another antidepressant which works for preventing Migraines. And he prescribed Maxalt for treating acute Migraine headaches. It usually works within an hour or 2 for me. I sometimes have to take a second dose.

Before getting the migraines under control, I had very extensive spinal surgery, involving surgery from the front and back. A very painful long recovery. I was having migraines every day. My doc told me that he didn't want to change my migraine meds as long as I was taking pain med. That even if I took ANY pain med (aspirin, even, not just prescription stuff) even the Maxalt, more than 3 doses a week, I would continue to get Migraines. Well, it's been really, really hard keeping up with physical therapy. I was only able to walk for 3 minutes today when I absolutely had to turn around and come back home. I have taken NO pain medicine, NO Maxalt since 5/18. Today is 5/27. Yet I still have had migraines every single day.

Can anyone offer any advice? Please? I have kept journals, food diaries; I have never been able to identify any triggers.

~~~Pegasis~~~This is my first post to this site. I like the opticons \(^o^)/

Massous · May 29, 2005, 1:49pm

Hello There,

I would suggest that you see an Osteopath. They are doctors too but they have extra knowledge about Dislocated and / or Pinched Nerves. You could have some of those problems in your back.

Meanwhile and until you see an Osteopath, do this acupressure technique every time you have it that I am giving you now as follow: " use you thumb and index finger of your right hand and place your thumb between your index bone and thumb bone, on top of your hand, where they join in you hand and your index finger opposite your thumb inside your left hand. On the soft tissue between both thumb and index. Do not dig in with your thumb and index. Instead, use both pads and apply pressure with your thumb on top and equalize it with your index finger underneath. Keep this pressure on till your headache is gone. Once you have done this to your left hand, you could do it to your right hand too. Depending on how long you had your Headache / Migraine, it will take up to 15 minutes per hand. You could do 10 min. the left hand and 10 min. your right hand ".

Good Luck