Hi Buckeye_girl, 

I'm sorry you are suffering so. But 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.  Take a look at Migraine and Headache Specialists - What's So Special? If you need help finding the article a Migraine specialist, check our listing of Patient Recommended Migraine and Headache Specialists.

Anyone who has three or more Migraines a month needs to be talking with their doctor about prevention. There's growing evidence that Migraine is a progressive brain disease. A recent study showed that Migraines can cause brain damage, and that people with three or more Migraines a month are more susceptible to this damage. For more information, see Is Migraine a Progressive Brain Disease? and Yes, Migraines Can Cause Brain Damage. 

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.

I hope you find this helpful,

Nancy

Buckeye_girl

1/18/10 7:26pm

Nancy, Thank you for your input. I have been seeing a "migraine" specialists for about 3 years. In fact I visit a headache clinic in Toledo, Ohio. They have tried Topomax, Neurotin, some anti-depressant medication and none of these have worked. The only thing that seems to help, when I get it in time, is Relpax. However, I can only take that 3 times a week so the other days I have problems with. I definitely know my triggers. They are smoke (which I definitely stay away from). Here in Ohio we have a ban on smoking in public. Not enough sleep or disruption of my sleep pattern, which I am adimate (spelling ??) about going to bed and getting up at the same time no matter if it is the weekend or weekday. Not getting hungry, I eat about every couple hours. The main one I feel is the weather, which I do not have control over. It seems like any little change whether it be sunny to cloudy, rain to sunny, cold to warm, etc. I get a migraine. Is this common ? If so how can you get control of something you have no control over ? The big problem is my work. I am missing so much that I fear I may lose it because of absenteeism. Should I be looking into some kind of disability for this ?

Any suggestions are welcome.   Thank you

Nancy Harris Bonk, Health Guide

1/18/10 8:24pm

I'm glad to hear you have a handle on some of your triggers. I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but a "true" Migraine specialist may be better able to handle your Migraines now, really. But enough of that.

 

Many people get a Migraine when the barometric pressure changes. Weather triggered Migraines - can we predict them?  has a lot of good information in it.

 

This may be some helpful information you are looking for: When Migraines Make You Miss Work: Intermittent Leave under the Family Medical Leave Act and  Disability Benefits - SSI and SSDI.

 

I hope these help.

Nancy