I have daily migraines and I am on HEAVY narcotics.  Even those don't always give me a break in the pain.  I wish you the best.

melodyprobst

5/26/09 4:04pm

Are you able to function throughout the day? My headaches are so bad I just want to close my eyes and never open them. It is difficult to remain hopeful when your head is always in pain. Thank you for your answer.

That is my biggest problem with migraines added in between. The chronic daily headaches are more annoying, like a splinter, and harder to get rid of, than a migraine, in my opinion. Mine started kind of suddenly after having migraines inconsistently for about 5 years. Weird.

Anyways, when I was finally taking so many ibuprofen that I was worried about killing my kidneys, I finally went to my doctor (PCP). He started me on Topamax and every year I increased a little. (I'm not one to go to the doctor for much of anything except a yearly renewal of whatever I can't get over the counter). When he retired, I switched to another doctor in the practice who got me up to 300mg topamax/day. Last fall, when I went for that yearly appointment and showed him a diary I'd been keeping, he was shocked by how many headaches I have (had) and decided to work with me.

Since then I've gone back every 6 weeks or so and have tried Lexapro (in varying doses), Cymbalta (varying doses), clonazepam, Soma, and nortriptylline. For me, he is kind of focusing on the fact that I seem to hold stress in and it comes out as a headache b/c I grind my teeth so much at night. We opted not to try a beta blocker yet b/c my BP runs low even though my pulse is always in the 90's so that wouldn't be an issue.

I can say that for me, the SE of drowsiness are compounded with Lexapro and nortriptylline. Also, the Lexapro and Cymbalta 60 just killed my sex drive and I was open about that with him (since HA or no HA......) So I'm not sure what I'm going to say at my visit in a couple weeks about the Nortrip with drowsy and dry mouth. My current regimen is Topa 300mg, Cymbalta 30, Nortrip 30mg every day + Soma and clonazepam if I think I need them. I actually take a Soma at night to help with TMJ and if it's been a stressful day a clonazepam too. I have fioricet, ibuprofen, aleve, excedrin and Imitrex and soma to use for headaches and I'm not afraid to use them. I use ibuprofen the most since I have hip pain and neck pain that just hangs out too. I know about the risks of medication overuse but I try to alternate by days. Weather plays a part, hormones, and who knows what. I haven't really figured out all my triggers and I'm not so sure about the stress part. Some days are crazy stress and I don't get a HA and some days I'm loving life and get one. Go figure.

I also take magnesium, calcium, B2, and Coenzyme Q10 (until it runs out). My doc wasn't so sure about it when I gave him the info about all of them. He did ask if I'd ever tried feverfew,and yes I did about 18 months ago. Granted not the Petadolex brand, but I tried feverfew and butterbur and they didn't help at all.

I did give him the list from the web page of meds to use for prevention. I don't know how to copy and paste like the moderators do but the webpage is below. My doc was happy to get it. Doesn't mean he's ever looked at it again since last fall, but at that time......

http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/medications-161082-5.html

At my last visit he asked me if I thought I'd do better with a neurologist. Since we don't have any good HA specialists in town and my copay is higher for a specialist, I told him I'd stick with him, unless he was stumped. He did say I was a challenge, so maybe I'll bring that list in again! At any rate, he's doing the right thing, trying different meds, listening to me, changing meds when I say I don't like the side effects. I told him I appreciated that and that was all I could ask for.

So I think that's what you have to do as awful as it is. Mine have gone from every day 4-6 to 2-5 days/week mostly 1-3 pain scale. So we're making great progress. And my Imitrex has lasted since December or Jan (it's still the brand name).  Try different meds, give it a good 4-6 weeks, increase the dose (Both Lexapro and Cymbalta 60mg actually worked but I didn't like the side effects) and communicate with your doctor. Bring that list in and ask your doc to put it in your chart. Mine is getting pretty thick, though I have been going there since 92.

Good luck,

Diane

melodyprobst

9/18/09 4:55pm

Diane,

Thank you for your reply, I appreciate all of the info you shared. First, let me say I am very happy you are having relief. That rocks & I wish you better & better days.

However, in my case, things seem to just be getting worse. Like you, my GP put me on Cymbalta & I hung up the idea of intimacy. After it began to raise my BP I called it quits. I went on to a neurologist (#1) & I went through the IV infusiing w/DHE I believe it was called. Not much luck afterwards but he did tell me it was a 50/50 shot. I had to drop him as a docotr after several tries of various anti-depressants. The side effects of those are terrible. You either cannot get out of bed, gain weight, or cannot sleep & still have headaches! That was all he wanted to try so I found another one. Neuro #2 was unsuccesful as well but he did at least try some head meds. after about 7 types though he said we were out of real estate & he did not know what else to try. At that time, I was unaware that there were a tremendous amount of head meds to sctually try. I did not go back to another neuro for a long time. Figuring I was just broken & untreatable, I would cry almost every day from headache pains. When standing at my medicine cabinet at night wondering what I could possibly mix together to ease my pain & worried my liver would give out one day I just cried. Now I am seeing a new neuro & I have to say again..not looking good. I like her & she was so positive & seemed like she was concerned that I had these & would work with me but it has been awful. She may be the worst one yet. She doesn't return calls, doesn't reply to emails, cancels my appointments so she can go to a doctor-which I do understand that one but doesn't try to fit me in the next week but instead makes me wait like a month or more to get another appointment. She doesn't listen & I have actually had to have my boyfriend tell her to stop talking over me & hear what I was saying. She only wants to use her drug of choice, which is Zonegran. I know this one works for many, many people but not for me. I have never once asked any of my neuros for pain meds like lortabs & those types. I have not wanted to go that route. I am at a loss now. I am going to make an appointment with a "headache specialist" next week to see if that may be more helpful. In the meantime I have an appointment w/my neuro Monday & have no idea what to say to her at this point.

I apologize for the length of this & may have been just saying this to finally get to say it, so again thank you for that. Sometimes, being in my own head is tough. It feels weighted down and heavy..and according to me neuro I have a big head and small neck so that may be why!! :)

If you have anything..any thoughts on what I can say to her Monday..it would be appreciated.

~Melody~