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Diseases & Conditions Migraine Headache
1
Hi, my name is Tracey and I am a Migraine and Chronic Daily Headache sufferer. I am pretty much at my wits end. I started getting daily headaches when I was about 15 yrs old and started getting migraines at about 17 yrs. I have tried almost everything and have seen numerous neurologists.
I have had ergotamine infusions over a 3 day period and also lignocaine (can't spell) infusions.
I have seen chiro's, physio's, tried accupucture and massage. Nothing works. Since I was 15, I have had the last 15 yrs in constant pain. It never leaves me. I go to sleep with headaches and wake up to them. Sometimes I wake up and they are not that bad but as the day goes on they get worse. I need to take pain meds almost every day and sometimes need to go to the Dr to get a pethidine shot. That is every 6-8 weeks.
I have 6 herniated disc's throughout my spine. C3/4 is affected. T11/12 and L1 plus my L4/5 and L5/SI is affected. I also have degenerated disc in those affected. When I get a bad headache and migraine my neck aches profusely. I also get nauseous, slurr my speech sometimes, can get a weak feeling in one side of my face. My teeth can ache, my ear can sometimes ache. It has gotten to the stage that when I am in chronic pain and I am driving I reaaly would care if a car hit me. I can't imagine what it is like to live without pain but would love to know what it is like.
I'm sure you all know how I feel but everything sometimes feels so hopeless. I am currently on Zomig which I don't think really makes a difference.
Please give me ideas. I also know that I can sometimes clench my teeth.
 
Tracey
2

Have you seen a dental professional, TMJ can greatly contribute to headaches? Another question for you, are you on any preventative medications?

Hang in there sweetie...I have been suffering from Migraine Disease for about 10 years and once you find a preventative and/or treatment that lessens the severity and or frequency it's a lot easier to deal with. Keep working at it, learn as much as you can and see the doctors and follow their recommedations to a "T"

Just another side note when I am stressed out to the point of crying, that will contribute to my headache pain...so try to take a warm bubble bath, relax and talk about the pain and stressful situations in your life. If you get it out in the open and off your chest you will feel much better and have those around you understand what is going on in your life.

Hang in there and post with us anytime you want...it's a big family here.

Sara

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3
Hi Tracey. yeah I'm pretty new here, too. I get Migraines far too often, but thankfully, I'm past the all day migraines. I remember how terrible it was. My neurologist didn't want to make more than one medication change at a time. It's difficult because not every body, not every migraine responds to the same medicine, or the same medicine combination. Look over the letters here. See what others are taking. That will give you some ideas. Discuss some of these other treatment options with your doctor.
 
Right now, I'm in a tight spot because I had good control over the migraines, but one of the medicines was causing a lot of short term memory problems. A LOT of memory problems. Discontinuing that medicine brought my memory back, but it also brought my migraines back. So we're back to the drawing board of trying to find something that will be the solution.
 
Don't give up. I KNOW how frustrated you must feel right now. Living with migraine pain is something no one who hasn't experienced it can really understand. The people here understand. Let them help. OK? Just understand that we can only tell you about our experiences. You and your doctor are the ones who untimately have to decide what's best for you. 
 
I hope you find good success soon.
~~~Pegasis
4
Thankyou guys,

No I haven't been to a dental pro because of the expense and I know that campared to pain that shouldn't matter but we aren't financial enough, it is so expensive to have a mouth splint here in Australia made. My neurologist has wanted to put me on Topomax but because of the expense and some of the side effects we haven't tried it. I have 2 children under the age of 3 1/2 and it is a bit hard with the side effects. It is hard enough to function with the pain. I started getting the occassional headache when I was 10 yrs but then at 15 went to everyday. That has been 20yrs all up. It can get quite depressing to think about.
Thankyou for your post and yes, I have tried so many preventatives and been on drug trials.

Trace

5

Trace   I didn't realize that you're 'down under.' I'm sure there are difficulties in getting certain medicines, tests, etc, especially with financial troubles. You certainly have your share of pains, too. I recently had spinal surgery---low back---fusion with titantium baskets, screws, bolts, rods, and bone grafts. I discovered that taking pain medicine caused rebound migraines.  I had to really reduce my pain medicine. I'm still not having good control of my migraines, so I probably am not setting the best examply for you, but even before my surgery, my neurologist told me that I had to really reduce the amount of Migraine relief medicine that I took. I took Zomig a long time ago, and now I take Maxalt. I was taking it almost every day, because I was having Migraines almost every day. He suggested I try to reduce it about 20%. I'm not a doctor, so I'm not giving you medical advice, just telling you what my doc told me. If you try really hard to tolerate the milder migraines and only use the Zomig for the really bad ones, you might not get so many.  I know I did not want to hear that. I did not want to tolerate ANY migraines. To me, they were ALL bad ones. But now, I do not medicate all of them. I did go through a period of several months with a constant migraine, like you----go to bed with a migraine, wake up with a migraine. It's horrible.

 

It's even worse if you cannot afford medicines that might help.  I don't know if this is available to you in Australia, but I've seen TV commercials for this, and have an ad in my Reader's Digest magazine this month. It's from a pharmaseutical company---Merck---that offers a discount program for people who don't have prescription drug coverage.  It's worth checking into. You can find out which drugs are included. Go to www.merckuninsured.com. They might have something that your doctor will find helpful.  

 

~~Pegasis

6
I am so sorry that you have migraines every day. I get them but not everyday. I do have a chronic earache, a side effect I have since I tried a different medicine for migraines, and my face always hurts to some degree from pressure. I take Divalproex every day, it is not a common medicine for migraines, but the main stream stuff didn't work for me. I also take maxalt or the generic Rizatriptan when I get a migraine it sometimes takes a few hours to work. If that doesn't do the trick I take Benadryl. It seems like a weird combo but it works for me. I don't like taking all this medicine but we all know trying to live your life with a headache is impossible. I also do try to change what I take when I get a headache, if I think it is not going to be to bad I try ibuprofen or Tylenol, sometime I regret it because it doesn't work. But as someone else posted, if you take to much of one thing it can lead to more migraines.
7
I am new here and am wondering if anyone has had a reaction to white asparagus? I have been having migraines for about 7 years. It all started with chocolate. I, now, believe that I may be sensitive to sulfites.
Also, my headaches always last for three days before they improve but after the incident with the asparagus, I continue to have a daily headache in the evening. Am I still getting the toxins from the asparagus out of my system or am I experiencing a new sulfite overload....
I am really over doing it with the maxalt!
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Tracey,

Just wanted to let you know that it is possible to find the right treatment. Trying to give you some hope and encourage you to keep looking.

I went from migraines (severe) every day to now just having 1-2 a month. Took a long time to figure out med combo that worked, and actually just saw my headache doc this morning. She said since things are going well, make no changes. Eventually we will try lowering some meds. Anyway, (not that it will necessarily be the right combo for you, just offering ideas for meds if you haven't tried them) I have settled on the combination of botox injections every 3 months, preventative meds daily (Namenda, Baclofen, Verapamil), and "rescue" meds (Naratriptan, Zofran for nausea) as needed.

I know it's difficult when insurance won't pay for stuff, meds/treatment gets very expensive. I also agree with others about limiting the use of your "rescue" meds; if you use them too much, they lose effectiveness and can cause rebound headaches.

One last thing, I don't know if they have these where you live, but here in the US, you can get a mouthguard thingy OTC at the pharmacy now. They aren't going to be as fitted to your mouth as the kind the dentist makes, but I have heard that it helps a lot with TMJ problems, grinding your teeth, that can really contribute to headaches.

I wish I could be of more help. Migraines are awful! Don't give up!