Ive been a migraine suffer almost all of my life, but the last two years they have gotten pretty bad. I get the those one were I can see, or a see an aura or Im just in constant pain. Last year I was in the living room talking to my mom asking her for an asprin and she said that not what I was saying. She said I was saying I can't focus!!! She thought I was having a stroke. We didn't know this was a symptom of a migraine, she rushed me to the ER. After several tests they said to go home because there was nothing to worry about. Doctors never paid very much attention to me because of my age(33), and always brushed me off. Since then I have started seeing a nerurologist, but I feel she hasnt' helped very much. I'm currenlty taking Topirmate, on my last visit she bummed me up to 125 mg of this drug that doesn't seem to be helping. Almost everyday I'm in pain. Well I hope that by sharing my story somone can point me in the right direction of finding an anwer. I almost forgot my paternal grandmother was also a suffer of magraines, just like these.
Hello, and welcome to MyMigraineConnection.com!
We are so glad you've found us. MyMigraineConnection is a wonderful site that has up to date information and support for Migraine and headache disorder patients, their friends and loved ones. It is so important to know you are not alone when you have Migraine disease.
Migraine is a genetic neurological disease thought to be caused by overactive neurons in our brains and genetics. You mentioned your grandmother had Migraines too - there is one link.
To start off with, one of the most important things is to get an accurate diagnosis. This will simplify matters and make it easier for you to get information and treatment about your type of Migraine and/or headahce. Today, doctors usually go by the gold standard for diagnosis, the International Headache Society's International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd Edition (ICHD-II). You can read more about the importance of a correct diagnosis in The Type of Migraine Does Matter.
If you are in pain everyday you may need to have another conversation with your doctor about another way to reduce your Migraine frequency and severity. How long have you been on Topamax? Anytime we start a new medication, it can take up to three months before we see an improvement in our Migraines. While our bodies adjust to these new medications, we may also see a reduction in any potential side effects that started when we first began the drug. See our complete information on Topamax in our Topamax Profile.
Trigger identification and management is a vital component of managing Migraine disease. One of the best tools for identifying triggers is a good Migraine diary. You can download a free diary workbook from our article Your Migraine and Headache Diary or use one of the apps for your phone, ipod, ipad or computer. Some of us have food triggers; some of us don't. If you think you have food triggers, you may want to consider an elimination diet. For more information and a workbook on this, see Managing Migraine - Migraine Trigger Foods. A little aside here, some people are so sensitive to caffeine that they can become dependent on it after seven days with as little as 100mg (roughly about half a cup.) You might want to think about tapering off caffeine; Caffeine and Migraine. I have but not sure about my results yet.
By chance do you take anything every day to relieve these headaches? Taking Migraine abortive meds such as triptans or ergotamines or any kind of pain medication -- 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.
And if your doctor isn't able to help you, or maybe that you are a bit too complicated for your doctor (many of us are!) it may well be time to consult a Migraine and headache specialist. It's important to note that neurologists aren't necessarily Migraine and headache specialists. Take a look at the 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. (If you haven't created a SharePost by the time you read this, I hope you'll create one and tell us a bit about yourself.) 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 to the forum, just look for the orange box marked "Manage" and click on the Migraine Forums link. 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 clickHERE.
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 at the top of 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 MyMigraineConnection. 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
MyMigraineConnection.com Community Manager
PS: If you receive this message from more than one of us, please excuse the overlap. Thanks!
Thank you for replying to my post, this helps alot. You just made my day. I've been taking Topax for almost two years. Im seeing a new doctor next month. But the information you gave I'm sure will helpe me when I go and see my new doctor. Thanks againg. Im so happy I join this group.