At a loss

10/25/12 2:47pm

Hello, and welcome to HealthCentral's Migraine Community!

No wonder you don't feel well if you are "constantly nauseaous and throw up often." That sounds horrible for anyone to go through.

If you are taking something to relieve your pain everyday, this may be complicating things. You see if we take Migraine abortive meds such as the triptans or ergotamines or any kind of pain medication (including narcotics) -- prescription or over-the-counter -- more than two or three days a week can make matters worse by causing medication overuse headache (MOH), aka rebound. See Medication Overuse Headache - When the Remedy Backfires for more information on this.

There are other options besides Neurontin and Lamictal. But I'm wondering if it might be time to see the expert who treats Migraines and headaches - the Migriane specialist? The thing is that neurologists may be fine doctors, but have a hard time being experts in one area. This is because they treat so many conditions like MS, epilepsy and stroke. A Migraine specialist is just that, an expert who treats one condition - ours - Migraines and headache disorders. When you get a chance, take a look at article Migraine and Headache Specialists - What's So Special? If you need help finding a Migraine specialist, check our listing of Patient Recommended Migraine and Headache Specialists.

Thank you for creating a SharePost. SharePosts are a form of blogging, and there are many things you can do with them. You can share an experience, suggest something that's helped you, use SharePosts as a Migraine and headache journal, and many other things.

We also have a discussion forum that you may want to check out. Especially if you have questions or are looking for information, you may find the interaction on the forum to be quite helpful. To get there, go to the Migraine home page and look on the left hand side where you'll see a row of boxes. The Forum box is at the very bottom. Click on it and scroll down to the bottom of that page, and you will see the log-in spot. Because our forums are maintained by a third party, you'll need to register for the forum. You can use the same information you used to create your community log-in if you like. If you want to go directly to the forum, you can click HERE.

Along with your personal "My Home" page and the discussion forum, you'll find links to a great deal of helpful information on the main page of our site, http://www.MyMigraineConnection.com. Under the Find, Manage, and Connect tabs on the left side each page, you’ll find a wealth of information – educational articles, tips, quizzes, workbooks, support and advocacy information, and more.

Do you have questions about Migraine? There are three ways to get answers – through our Ask the Clinician column, in our community Question and Answer Section, or through our forum. Just go to our Migraine Answers page HERE.

Our email newsletter will help you stay up-to-date on Migraine and headache news and new information published on HealthCentral's MigraineCommunity. To receive our newsletter, click the “Sign up now!” link in the navigation bar across the top of our site pages or simply click HERE.

Welcome again,

Nancy Bonk

Health Guide
HealthCentral's Migraine Community

PS: If you receive this message from more than one of us, please excuse the overlap. Thanks!

Chronic Migrainure

11/ 4/12 1:00pm

I am 46. I have been having migraines since the age of 16. My mother and paternal grandmother had them. I lived in Dallas, saw a neurologist, and without asking any questions, doing a physical exam, or sending me for tests, he simply wrote a rx for pain meds. It was basically the same as Exedrine Migraine (which had not come out at that time). I also had severe nausea and throwing up for which he gave no meds. When I moved cities and saw a new neurologist, he did exactly the same thing. In fact they were in and out of the rooms so quickly I don't believe they could have picked me out of an outline 2 days later. I started going to my GP 18 years ago. The past 12 years have been difficult because I have depression, and anxiety/panic attatics as my migraines continued to worsen. Thus, we were having to go through a linteny of meds to get these under control. The depression is much better. The anxiety/panic were somewhat better. Since I turned 40, my migraines have increased in severity, duration, and occurrence. My GP and I have gone down the lists of meds to try as preventatives (trtitans, ergomates, beta blockers, calcium blockers, Topomax To date, none have worked. Either because they had no effect on the migraines or I couldn't tolerate the side effects. In July, 2010 my husband moved out of state for work and i was running my own business with no employees. My migraines went from severe ones aprrox every 2 weeks for 1-2 days to chronic now. In Nov, 2011, he put me on a low dosage of Lamictil (an ant-seizure med). That didn't"t help either. After 4 weeks of that, a neurologist in a different city (I live between two states) put me on gabapentin. That also didn't work. In early January my GP put me back on low dose Lamictil. The first week of Feb, 2012 i had my very first seizure at all and it was a tonic chonic one. 6 months later in July, I had another. Those have been the only two such events I have had. Due to having these, my GP sent me to a neurologist. EEGs and CTs were done and negative. He was extremely dismissive of the seizures and the migraines. He upped the Lamitcil dosage and wants to see me in Dec. additionally, I have seen two "headache doctors"'had accupuncture, done Botox twice, massages, learned biofeedback, relaxing breathing, and already knew how to meditate and have been doing that a couple of times per day. These primarily worked for the anxiety/panic. However, now because of the seizures, no warning they are going to occur, and the lapse in time between the two, I'm a complete mess!!! The other main problem I have is that i awaken with the migraines full blown. I do have an abortive med that works ok when I know I will be in a migraine trigger situation. The potential of a seizure scares me so much I am afraid to leave the house (and of course I can't drive until Jan as long as I don't have another). On the days I can somewhat control the panic and anxiety of that, I have a migraine And a huge additional aggravation (after being treated as a drug seeker or hypochondriac)' I'm told I can't take more than 2-3 days worth of migraine meds, whether there abortive meds, over the counter meds (which don't even phase them anyway), or pain meds due to MOR headaches. I apologize this is so long. I know everyone experiences migraines in many different ways, and meds that work for some don't work at all for another. I just don't want you to feel alone, or that you are at fault, or guilty because of the impact these have on your life.

Chronic Migrainure

11/ 4/12 1:17pm

I'm sorry I forgot to address this issue for both you and me. If we are having so many severe migraines and preventatives are not working, what in the h*#~> are we supposed to do? I know all about the lying down in a dark room with a cold compress on my head, etc. But usually all I can do is lie there and cry, which of course makes it worse. Without taking something that relieves the pain, I am often left hopeless. At a Loss, you mentioned another med rather than Lamictal. What is it intended to be used for and what are the side effects of which you are aware?

Nancy Harris Bonk

11/10/12 8:11pm

Hello, and welcome to HealthCentral's Migraine Community!

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you. I can see you are having a very difficult time now, being in pain all the time is no fun, but is truly exhausting and frustrating. And please don't worry about your post being too long, we are here to support you in any way we can.

You will hear me say this many times on this site, but it's true - it may be time to see yet another doctor. Now, hang on, I know you must be tired of seeing so many doctors, but there really is a difference. Let me explain. A "true" expert in Migraine disease is a doctor who treats Migraines and headache disorders all day, every day rather than a neurologist who says they specialize in headaches. You see, there are only 290 Migraine specialists in the U.S. and these doctors are board certified in headache medicine. Neurologists, on the other hand, may be fine doctors but have a hard time being experts in one area. This is because they treat so many conditions like MS, epilepsy and stroke. A Migraine specialist is just that, an expert who treats one condition - ours - Migraines and headache disorders. And they do this all day, every day. No stroke patients, just Migraine and their complications of which seizure can be one. When you get a chance, take a look at article Migraine and Headache Specialists - What's So Special? If you need help finding a Migraine specialist, check our listing of Patient Recommended Migraine and Headache Specialists.

I don't know if your doctor mentioned this, but this is pretty important; when we start new medications, it can take up to 12 weeks before we see a reduction in our Migraine frequency and severity as our body adjusts to the new drug. And during this time if we are having any unwanted side effects from the medication, they may lessen. I know this seems like forever, but if we don't give each new medication a fair trial, we'll never know which ones would have worked.

Thank you for creating a SharePost. SharePosts are a form of blogging, and there are many things you can do with them. You can share an experience, suggest something that's helped you, use SharePosts as a Migraine and headache journal, and many other things.

We also have a discussion forum that you may want to check out. Especially if you have questions or are looking for information, you may find the interaction on the forum to be quite helpful. To get there, go to the Migraine home page and look on the left hand side where you'll see a row of boxes. The Forum box is at the very bottom. Click on it and scroll down to the bottom of that page, and you will see the log-in spot. Because our forums are maintained by a third party, you'll need to register for the forum. You can use the same information you used to create your community log-in if you like. If you want to go directly to the forum, you can click HERE.

Along with your personal "My Home" page and the discussion forum, you'll find links to a great deal of helpful information on the main page of our site, http://www.MyMigraineConnection.com. Under the Find, Manage, and Connect tabs on the left side each page, you’ll find a wealth of information – educational articles, tips, quizzes, workbooks, support and advocacy information, and more.

Do you have questions about Migraine? There are three ways to get answers – through our Ask the Clinician column, in our community Question and Answer Section, or through our forum. Just go to our Migraine Answers page HERE.

Our email newsletter will help you stay up-to-date on Migraine and headache news and new information published on HealthCentral's MigraineCommunity. To receive our newsletter, click the “Sign up now!” link in the navigation bar across the top of our site pages or simply click HERE.

Welcome again,

Nancy Bonk

Health Guide
HealthCentral's Migraine Community

PS: If you receive this message from more than one of us, please excuse the overlap. Thanks!

SusieB

11/ 4/12 10:18pm

I sure know what it's like to be sensitive to medications. My husband went with me when I finally saw a headache specialist (he's an internal medicine doctor who headed the Cleveland Clinic's headache program years ago), and he made sure the doctor heard how sensitive I am. :) This headache specialist was the opposite of so many neurologists I've seen. He wanted me to tell him which medications were used for migraine. (I have fibromyalgia as well, so many of the preventatives for migraine are supposed to help migraine.) I too have been on Lamictal, Pristiq, Topamax, Neurontin, and, yes, the side effects weren't worth it since I didn't see an improvement in chronic pain/lessening migraine. I told him I was getting off Lyrica at the time, and he said, "Well, yeah, if it's not helping, why take it? It's just dulling your mind."

So, this doctor suggested one pill: doxepin and is gradually working me up the dose. It's a tricyclic antidepressant, like nortriptyline. (I've tried that one and elavil and it was too drying for me and I did have to wean off it and had a hard time.) I had told him I have a headache everyday, but when I went through my routine, he said if I don't sleep more than 3-4 maybe 5 hours tops, then I'm going to continue to have these attacks. Doxepin has the side effect of making people sleepy, so here's hoping my sleep returns and one day I can go for days without a headache.

I wanted to throw in the towel many times, but I miss what life was like for me without frequent migraine attacks, and I really want to go back there. I found this headache specialist when I contacted a migraine specialist who was about an hour and a half away from me. I'm not sure where you live, but I know there's somewhere on here where people have recommended folks to see. Found it! http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/headache-specialists.html I live in Dayton, Ohio. That's how I found Dr. Lisa Mannix, whose office staff told me about Dr. Glen Solomon, here in Dayton who is in my insurance network to boot. I will pray for you that the right people will be put in your path to help you. There are so many preventatives out there, and ones that, at lower doses, may make a world of difference for you without causing other problems. Best wishes to you (you're not alone!)

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