My headache life!

By headsahurtin Monday, August 24, 2009

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I have had Migraines since I was 16. I am 39 now and they are getting worse! I have been on Relpax and it used to work great, now its not working as well. I am taking Propranolol for daily preventative-I just started this about a week ago. I had one of the worst headaches yesterday, my Dr switched me from the relpax to Zomig, I tried Zomig for the first time last night, it melted in my mouth like a baby aspirin and did nothing-the pain was a 10 and I vomited and got all hot and sweaty. I finally got to bed about 2 am after thrashing around in bed with my head in a vice with my arms. Then I got up at 6:30am to start my first day back to work, I am a school nurse, so I was off the whole summer. This whole month of August has been a nightmare. About 10 headaches this month. A combinatin of Migraines and Hormone Headaches. I can't stand it anymore, I just want to feel good. If I feel this sick while I am at work, the students are going to have to take care of me!!!! I am terrified of getting another headache, I just want to feel good!

Comments (6) | Add comment

Nancy Harris Bonk, Health Guide

8/25/09 9:56pm

Hello, and welcome to MyMigraineConnection.com!

I'm sorry you are suffering so. But at this point it is imperative to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. If your doctor isn't able to help you, 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.

Also, it may take up to three months to see a reduction in the frequency and severity of our Migraine when we start new medications. Doses may need to be adjusted during this time too, and it is always important to give new medications a fair trial before we can completely say they aren't working. But I also know how hard it can be to wait for them to work!

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 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 click HERE.

Along with your personal "My Home" page and the discussion forum, you'll find links to a great deal of helpful information and a spot to sign up for our free newsletter on the main page of our site, http://www.MyMigraineConnection.com.

If you have any questions, please feel free to post them to the forum or send me a message through my profile.

Welcome again,

Nancy Bonk
MyMigraineConnection.com Expert

8/27/09 8:45pm

Dear headsahurtin'

I know what you are feeling. I am JUST breaking free from my cycle of cluster headaches. I have had these since I was 28 and now 54. I have kept a diary of what I eat, situations that may cause headaches, and I've narrowed my down to just stress. I have a wonderful doctor, who is a neurologist, and he has been very patient and has worked with me over the years to find the right medicine. What works for me is Fiorinal and nortriptyline. the furinol I take as needed during the day. The nortrip is for taking at night before going to bed. The past two months have been a nightmare and I felt like I was walking in a dark tunnel with muffling sounds. I was sooo out of it. I was just taking the meds like they were candy. THe pain was so intense, it used to keep me up at night. Sometimes I would take 4 of the nortrip to stop the pain at night.

I am on the edge myself not knowing if the migraines are truly going away or am I going to be caught somewhere without my meds and suffer with the pain. It's an awful feeling. Do as much research as you can on what you can do.

If you are not happy with your Dr. then find one you can be comfortable with. One who will truly listen to you and really try to give you what you need in order to "function' during your work schedule.

Are you exercising? Meditation?

I also had to eliminate alcohol from my diet for a while. I like a glass of wine every now and then, but the sulfites in the wine may have been a trigger.

Really be insistent and persistent about getting the best care you can.

Hope you find the comfort that you search for.

Try to keep yourself from too much stress. I hope this will help you.

anitajohnson90013

8/28/09 12:38am

Hi, I know what you are going through, I've have been having these migrains everyday. They are not mild, they are so rough sometimes I want to scream, but it would only make it worse. I also suffer from sizures, which I had since 1994 due to a car accident in 1984. Yea it took them that long manifest itself to me. I am also a licensed nurse, which I cant work that much, oh yea, I forgot to mention that the sizures, I have in my sleep which I never just have one, it's always back to back. So if I have a sizure filled night, I have a lot of terrible day. Sometime I fill like I dont want to go on, it's not like I have any childen or anything, but God won't let it happen. I have to pretend that everything is alright when ever I do go out of my house, people just don't know, or really understand the daily pain I go through. I have been on just about every sizure medication, every migrain medication, and nothing seems to work. I have one now, but what can I do about it. My doctor , oh he has not given up on me, so I guess I can't give up either.

KAT

8/28/09 9:55am

Hi,

I am so sorry that you're suffering so much. I just wanted to comment that my migraines got worse in my late 30s (I'm 45 now), and that's when I started taking Imitrex and my doctor switched my birth control pills. You didn't mention if you are taking oral contraceptives but I do know that they can really affect the severity of migraines because last year my doctor wanted me to try a new pill, Lybrel, and I tried it for a few months and my migraines got much worse (more frequent, and lasting 5 or 6 days instead of the usual 2 days). So when I figured out it was the pills I called the doctor and switched back to what I was taking before - Quasense/Jolessa (generics of Seasonale) - and within no time I was at least back to my more manageable once-a-month, 2-day migraine (yes, the migraines still come monthly though my period doesn't). So I agree with the other post that you should get a complete exam and evaluation, but if you are on the pill I would definitely consider whether your birth control pills should be changed. Of course, it's not even recommended to be on the pill if you have migraines, especially with aura, but that's another topic...

Best wishes to you - hang in there.

Anonymous

8/31/09 9:03am

I know how bad you feel. This year especially this summer has been a nightmare. I spent all day in bed yesterday. I took my Replex at 7:30 AM and stayed in bed until 3:45 PM. Then to boot this morning, I found out my insurance compay ATENA will be putting my Replex on the Quantity Limits list, so instead of getting 18 pills a month for $50.00 I will only be allowed 6 pills every 30 days, and I'm sure I will probably still pay $50.00

I have appointment with my neurologist in two weeks, maybe we switch my meds. I suppose all we can do is hang in there

I've been getting headaches since I've been 8. Hopefully someday (maybe during menopause) these headaches will just stop.

Good Luck

migraines_suck

1/ 4/10 10:17am

My insurance (Aultcare) will also only allow 6 Relpax. The Relpax works well for me most of the time, but the migraines are becoming more frequent. I just started Propranolol, but the other side effects have me worried (reduces adrenaline, get short of breath). I live in Ohio, and when the sinus-y weather starts, the migraine's there as soon as I wake up. I'm 29 and have been watching my mother deal with migraines for years. Now I guess it's my turn! She's 50 now and still dealing with the migraines. It's horrible.

On days like today I have the propranolol at bedtime, a relpax (20mg) in the morning at work, and then if the relpax doesn't work by lunch I'll take a 500mg naproxen (aleve) with lunch. If all that doesn't work I get the cold rag and head for bed as soon as humanly possible - if I can even drive myself home from work.

I did change my birth control from orthotricyclen to Mirena (the IUD) with no change in the migraines that I could see.

Just letting you know you're not alone. The relpax 40mg was too much for me. It made my neck and shoulders feel very weird, so my dr ok'd the use of naproxen.

My headache life!

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