Friday, January 30, 2009 ilkc26 asks

Q: Is life ever going to be normal?

I had a normal life until July,o8. I stared getting headaches all the time. Everyday. Long story , short, I ended up at a neuroligist taking drug after drug. I dont think I will ever be normal . I am 30 years old and miserable. My husband doesnt know what to do and neither do I. No one in my family has a history of headaches.

My MRI came back normal. I have been on Depakote , which did nothing. Relpax did nothing. I've been on Topamax (100mg) twice daily for the last 4 months and I still get headaches almost everyday. Treximet was the only pill that took my pain away... and my neuroligist took it from me because I did have some pretty wild side effects to it. Severe weekness ...but that was not enough for me to want to stop taking the ONLY drug that took away my pain. Now she gave me Zonegran (100mg)to take with the topamax once aday. Also Frova in place of the Treximet. Which is doing nothing. I guess

I just wondered how long do you wait until you see someone else for another opinion?

Is this a normal drug mix ? I dont have anyone to ask. I've never even been given a complete diagnoses as to whether I have migraines or chronic tension headache. They are treated differently arent they?

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Answers (1)

Nancy Harris Bonk, Health Guide

1/30/09 9:19pm

Hi ilkc26,

It is imperative to have the right diagnosis so you can be on the correct treatment plan. Depending on what type of headache/Migraine you have will depend on the treatment. It is possible to have both Migraines and headaches at the same time. For example, if you have episodic Tension-Type Headache (TT-H) and Migraine without aura (MWOA) only a few times a year, your doctor may give you NSAIDS like ibuprofen for TT-H, and Frova for your MWOA. If your TT-H is chronic, preventive may be needed like an antidepressants such as Celexa and zanaflex, a muscle relaxer. These are some common medications used by doctors to treat Migraines and headaches. Notice they are not treated the same.

It isn't unheard of to use more than one type of drug in the same class for Migraine prevention. Topamax and zongran are both antiseizure medications. I take two types of antidepressants to help with my chronic pain and depression.

I wouldn't wait any longer for another opinion - I'd see a Migraine specialist. If you are not happy with your progress (and it doesn't sound like you are,) haven't been told a diagnosis, then it is time to move on to another doctor. A Migraine specialist is an expert in one area - Migraine disease and headache disorders. Neurologists treat so many different conditions like MS, epilepsy, stroke and Parkinsons, it is hard for them to be experts any single area. We have some information that may be helpful. Take a look at this article: Migraine and Headache Specialists - What So Special? and then you may want to find a specialists on our patient recommended list HERE.

Have you experienced Migraines or headaches before July 2008? Do you know the exact date that your headache started? The reason I ask is because there is a type of primary headache disorder where over 80% of patients were able to tell the exact date the headache started. Since you mentioned the month, I just wondered if you were able to pinpoint the date. This headache is called New Daily Persistent Headache (NDPH) and can be difficult to diagnose due to the fact that some of its symtpoms mimic Tension-Type Headache (TT-H) or other conditions like spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, which need to be ruled out for an accurate diagnosis. New Daily Persistent Headache - The Basics has more information for you.

If you have more questions, we are here to help. Have you made your way over to the forum yet? You can get there by clicking HERE.

Good luck

Nancy

Q: Is life ever going to be normal?

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