Near daily headaches starting at age 44
For the past 6 months, I have had almost daily headaches with nausea, always on one side of my head. My primary care doctor and a neurologist have said these are migraines, but preventative medications (inderal, neurontin) do not seem to work. I have no family history of migraines, and have never had such headaches before. Should I accept the diagnosis of migraine, or insist on an MRI, or other tests, to rule out other problems? Is it really within the range of normal to develop such constant migraines at my age?
Hi alicep
Migraine is thought to be a genetic neurologic disease. Maybe somewhere in your family someone had "sick" headaches, or went to bed in a dark room with a headache. This may have been a Migraine.
It can take up to three months for a Migraine prevention medication to reduce the frequency and severity of Migraines. So trying two different medications in a short period of time may not give them a fair trial. The good news is there are over 100 medications for Migraine prevention - so don't lose hope. You just need patience, which I know is hard when you are in pain. Migraine Preventive Medications - Too Many Options To Give Up!
If you don't feel you are getting anywhere with your doctors, it may be time for another opinion, a Migraine specialist. We have a list of patient recommended specialists you can click HERE.
Good luck
Nancy
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