Top 75 Migraine and Headache Questions, #23

Full Question:
I have been on every kind of prevention medication available and am still having bad and frequent migraines. My doctors said they have tried everything and they don't know what else to do with me. I'm feeling very helpless and need to know if there is anything else out there or if there is anything coming out that may be able to help me and give me a normal life?

Answer:

Hello;

Although you may have tried the medications with which your doctor is familiar, it is literally impossible for you to have tried every preventive medication. There are now over 100 medications and supplements that can be used for the prevention of headaches and migraine attacks and virtually endless combinations of them. Effective preventive regimens can be found for at least 95% of migraineurs, so the odds are on your side. See:

Headache and Migraine Prevention - It's Impossible To Have Tried Everything
For those of us with frequent headaches or migraine attacks, preventive medications, dietary supplements, and even medical devices are often a good option. There are over 100 medications and supplements that can be used and nearly endless combinations of them. The list is ever-evolving, and will this one will be updated regularly.

Do you know what your triggers are? It's never too late to work on trigger management to try to reduce your migraines. If you're not keeping a migraine diary, try it. It's one of the best tools you and your doctor will have for spotting patterns in your migraines. Not all migraineurs have food triggers, but it's well worth investigating. Here's information about trigger foods and a link to download a free food trigger identification workbook:

Managing Migraine – Migraine Trigger Foods
Not everyone has food triggers, but it's well worth checking into. Some migraineurs will identify food triggers fairly easily by noticing that every time they eat something, they have a migraine. Other migraineurs employ an elimination diet to investigate food triggers.

If your doctor is out of ideas and "doesn't know what else to do with you," it's time to find a doctor with more experience and expertise in treating migraine disease and headaches.

Good luck,
John Claude Krusz and Teri Robert

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