I am so happy to have found this community. I have had migraines since I was 6. My mother has classic migraines and my father has cluster so there was no escaping for me. I have been on the majority of drugs(Rx & OTC) that are available and have tried almost every treatment but nothing has helped. I now take Topamax 200mg, Cymbalta 60mg, and Phenergan 50mg and alternate Zomig, Imitrex inj.,and Relpax. I was a pharmacy techician since 1989 but had to quit because of the HAs. I'm now 38 and blessed with a husband that is understanding and is able take off work to care for our children (6&10) and take me to the ER when needed but I feel guilty because of the extra burden on him. I have learned from trial and error that one (sometimes 2 if it is a BAD one) shots of Nubain/Phenergan or Demerol/Phenergan helps me enough to at least tolerate my enviroment.
Because I have ended up in the ER so many times the MDs and nurses have begin to treat me as a drug seeker. I do believe if I were going to become addicted I would have when I had easy and full time access to any narcotic in the pharmacy.
Does anyone have any information or know of a doctor within a 50-60 mile (1 hour) drive of Birmingham, Alabama that is willing to give these types of injections in his/her office or writes prescriptions for the medications. Maybe a doctor that helps with the same type of oral type meds? If not, it was still to nice get some of this out and share with others. If someone has never had a migraine they do not understand. I wish every migraine sufferer a pain free day.
Wow! Are you really having a tough time! I hate it that you need to be here, but I'm glad you've found our community. Mosey on over to the Forums. A link in the drop-down menu under the button "Connect" at the top of this page. There's more traffic than there is here.
I can understand the "drug seeker" mentality. The DEA has scared all healthcare providers about writing prescriptions for narcotics. My neurologist has prescribed hydrocodone for me, but it doesn't do much.
Are you seeing a true migraine specialist? Topamax and Cymbalta are great drugs, but it sounds like they're not doing much for you. There are more than 100 drugs being used for migraine prevention, plus countless combinations.
I started seeing a specialist in November, Dr. Jan Lewis Brandes in Nashville. I had been taking Lamictal, an anticonvulsant, for several years and had stopped improving. Dr. Brandes left me on the Lamictal, but had me change the Effexor I was taking for Major Depression to Cymbalta. She added Lyrica and MagOxide. This last appointment, she added verapamil. I've gone from 5 and 6 every day to 1 and 2, with pain-free days several times a month. The verapamil has stopped the headache I woke up with every morning.
So there's still hope for you. Topamax can be a great drug. It was a bust for me. I'm not sure what the Cymbalta is doing for my headaches, but it's doing as good a job on my depression as the Effexor was.
Seeing a specialist has been a big step forward for me. I'm a hard 8-hour drive from Nashville on crummy roads, so I fly and spend the night. Several other forum members fly to see their specialists. There's a list of patient-recommended specialists under "Working with Doctors" in the drop-down menu under Manage.
Welcome aboard!