Hi jean,

I'm sorry you aren't getting the relief you are looking for. Migraine is a genetic neurological disease. It's caused by genetics and overly active neurons in the brain, not by taking medications. Often times medications can have potential side effects including headache, but current thinking is that a Migraine attack occurs when a Migraineurs easily exited brain is exposed to certain triggers. These triggers set in motion neurons in our brains that begin a flow of neuronal activity that spreads across our brain and brain stem.  Certain smells, foods, hormones, interrupted sleeping patterns and changes in the barometric pressure can be Migraine triggers. No two people experience a Migraine attack or trigger the same way thus making a diagnosis and treatment plan difficult for some medical professionals.   

At this point it is imperative to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. That means seeing a "true" Migraine specialist, not just a neurologist who says they are headache specialists. See, here's the thing, neurologists treat so many different conditions, like MS, stroke and epilepsy it is hard for them to be experts in one area. A Migraine specialist treats one disorder - ours- Migraine disease and headaches. And since you've said your doctor is at a loss, it is time for another set of eyes to take a look at your. When you get a chance, 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.

As far as what is triggering your attacks, have you tried keeping a Migraine diary? Trigger identification and management is an important part of Migraine management and preventing Migraines. You may have some triggers that you can avoid, thus preventing Migraines brought on by those triggers. Do you know what any of your triggers are? When working to identify triggers one of the best tools is a good Migraine diary. You can read more about this and download a free diary workbook in our article Your Migraine and Headache Diary. Or there are many online, iphone, ipod or ipad apps you can use that are real easy too. I use Migraine Notebook by GSK and really like it.

Here is a bit of information on Migraine with Aura -The Basics that may be helpful.

I hope this answers some of your questions,

Nancy

jean woodcock

8/16/11 11:49am

hi nancy thank you so much for your reply it was very interesting and helpful i will definitely take your advice and look into finding a migraine and headache specialist to help me, and i will also start a diary i will try the migraine notebook by gsk as you suggested

thanks again. jean