has recommended to my neuro & primary care physician to try ECT, nerve block, or residential program at pain clinc in Tampa. I've been on just about every kind of medication there is for migraines. I went on disability two years ago & they just keep getting worse. Botox didn't even help me. Very frustrated & tired of living like this.
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Q: Chrinic Pain Clinic Dr. recommendations for intractable migraines - FRUSTRATED
Answers (1)
10/11/09 8:01am
Stephanie,
-:¦:-•:*'""*:•.-:¦:-•*Welcome to MyMigraineConnection!*•-:¦:-•:*'""*:•.-:¦:-
Neither neurologists nor pain clinic doctors are necessarily Migraine specialists. The primary goal of pain clinic doctors is usually to manage pain, but that's not the best goal of Migraine management. As you know, it's just as important to prevent Migraines as to treat the pain and other symptoms. Pain management specialists seldom know much about Migraine prevention, Migraine abortives, and total disease management.
When you say ECT, what do you mean? Surely, you don't mean electroconvulsive therapy do you?
Nerve blocks may help, but only trying them would help. On the other hand, if Botox didn't work, I'm not sure nerve blocks are the best next step.
I would not recommend a residential program at a pain clinic for the reasons mentioned above. If I were in your situation, before I did anything else, I'd see a real Migraine specialist. 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.
For intractable Migraine, one of the best ways to break the cycle and get to the point where preventive medications can work is IV infusion therapy. You can find more information in IV Treatment of Refractory Migraine.
As for preventives, I know how easy it is to feel as if you've tried everything out there. Been there, done that, BURNED the tee shirt. But there are so many medications that can be used for Migraine and headache prevention that it's literally impossible. You can find a list of potential Migraine and headache preventives in Migraine preventive medications - too many options to give up!
If you'd like to talk with other Migraineurs and get some additional information and support, come join our discussion forum. You'll need to register again once there because it's a separate membership database, but you can use the same member name, email address, and password that you used here. You can find our forum at http://forums.healthcentral.com/discussion/migraine/forums.
Please keep me posted and let me know if there's more info you need or anything I can do to help?
Welcome again,
Teri
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By Stephanie1968— Last Modified: 11/03/10, First Published: 10/10/09
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Thank you so much Teri. And when I mentioned ECT, yes, it is the Electroconvulsice therapy. It's very frustrating and tiresome dealing with this. I have to rely on my doctor's at the VA since I can't get private insurance due to the migraines and being on disability. I really do need a Migraine Specialist and will take a look at the list you recommended. I've had IV therapy also but they just seem to keep coming back, and much stronger. I'm also going to check the forum out. Thank you so much again Teri for replying, I appreciate it more than you know!