What is THE BEST facility to wholistically treat chronic migraines?
I am desperately seeking a doctor/ facility that can help my mom manage her migraines. She has been suffering for almost 30 years but has recently become suicidal as a result of loss of hope about the situation. She has tried so many meds, so many alternative approaches, so many "experts". No one sticks with her and follows her case to help solve the problem. She saw Carol Foster here in AZ. She has seen Eric Eross too. We were told they were "the best" but she is worse in the last 3 years than she's ever been. I think she needs an inpatient facility for a while and then a doctor who cares and will stick with her until there is some reprieve. Where is that place?!?
Please help.
Jisto,
Why did she stop seeing Dr. Foster and Dr. Eross? I fully understand her frustration, having been through it myself. I'm just not sure what you mean by these doctors not sticking with her and following her case.
Inpatient care is seldom the answer for developing a good Migraine management regimen. It can take up to three months of taking a medication to know if it's going to help prevent Migraines.
There are now over 100 medications and supplements that can be used for Migraine and headache prevention. The frustration of trying to find what works for us can make it seem as if we've tried it all, but with so many possible preventives, it's literally impossible to have tried them all. See Migraine preventive medications - too many options to give up! for more information.
If it's a matter of breaking a string of nearly daily or daily Migraines that aren't responding to medications, these can be dealt with inpatient or outpatient. Sometimes, the best treatment for this type of intractable Migraines that aren't responding to medications is IV infusion therapy to get the cycle broken. For more information, see IV Treatment of Refractory Migraine.
How many days a week does take something to relieve her Migraines? Taking Migraine abortive meds such as the triptans or ergotamines or any kind of pain medication -- prescription or over-the-counter -- more than two or three days a week can make matters worse by causing medication overuse headache (MOH), aka rebound. See Medication Overuse Headache - When the Remedy Backfires for more information on this. Another problem with this is that when we're in an MOH cycle, preventive medications can't help us either.
You can look at facilities, but really it's the doctor who makes the difference. For help finding other Migraine specialists, check our listing of Patient Recommended Migraine and Headache Specialists.
It would also help for your mother to come ask any questions she may have. If we were talking with her, we could have a better exchange of ideas.
Hope this helps,
Teri
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