Fragrances make it almost impossible to leave home. What can I do? 2 yr migraine killing me.
I have had a migraine for over 2 yrs...occipital nerve blocks, muscle relaxers, antidepressants, etc failed or made worse. Anti-migraine meds failed & make me feel like stroking out. Only 5 mg Lortab 2-3 times a day keeps it bearable. I want to visit family for Thanksgiving but am scared of perfume/cologne. Is there such a thing as olfactory nerve blocks (yeah, know I'd lose sense of taste & life would still be worthless for that, too) or anything to kill this headache which is worsened by sensitivity to fragrance? I am getting close to suicide. I am scared of Botox but will try. Have appmt with another pain clinic after giving up when a good one failed to help/made worse. I also love to occasionally karaoke...but same problem applies...perfume way worse than smoke. Cannot allow people to hug me or get too near if wearing any...I come across like a nut. Need help. Also have laundry list of health problems. Only 40. My mom would die if I opt out so am desperately seeking help to stay around. What about implantable TENS unit? Thanks. BTW- I have even been desperate enough to try mixing my Pepper spray Capsaicin/fake mace into nasal saline...wow, I do not recommend. Sounded like a good idea until I tried it.
Hi lynnelee,
OK, the obvious first~can your mom ask everyone attending not to wear cologne/perfume? At least it wouldn't make it worse that day and you can visit! We can't wear anything around our stepmother because it "bothers" her.
Have you tried the lortab with a muscle relaxer especially at night, to try and help you sleep well? I think I'd chang pain clinics if they failed me too!! Maybe this new one will help you, there are so many new medications worth trying now~you just never know what one Dr will think that the other never thought of.
Are they positive you are suffering from migraines and not another condition that causes head pain (I have both). Just something to have your new Dr check out. Have you ever had a "thin sliced" MRI? It's much better than a regular MRI-it shows more. Something else you may want to ask your Dr about. I know you have no clue about what my second medical problem is, but I had a post removed last night (or today) and I don't know what I said that was wrong, so just trying to be careful!!
I wish you all the luck with your new pain doc!!
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lynnelee,
Before we get into the fragrance issue, we need to talk about breaking the Migraine and the use of medications such as Lortab.
Taking Migraine abortive meds or any kind of pain medication such as Lortab 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.
Also, this Migraine you've had for over two years needs to be broken. A Migraine that lasts 72 hours or longer with less than a solid four-hour pain-free period, while awake, is termed status Migrainous. You should see your doctor or go to the emergency room if a Migraine lasts that long. See Status Migrainous - The Basics for more information. There are various treatments for such long Migraines. Some of the best are IV infusion treatments. For more on this, take a look at IV Treatment of Refractory Migraine.
No, there's no treatment such as olfactory nerve blocks for fragrance triggers. Patients aren't really considered good candidates for the occipital nerve stimulators unless occipital nerve block injections work well for them. Even then, those stimulators are not approved by the FDA for Migraine treatment, and most insurance companies will not pay for them.
However, the "regular" Migraine preventive treatments will often reduce the sensitivity to triggers. It's worth a try. Unfortunately, many of us find that fragrance is still a horrible trigger. I keep peppermimnt "smelling salts" in my purse for times when I end up in close proximity to people wearing fragrance. I pull it out of my purse and keep it close to my nose until I get clear of the fragrance. I made this by filling a small glass bottle with sea salt then adding peppermint essential oil.
You said you're seeing a pain management doctor? They're not necessarily Migraine specialists, so you might want to consider seeing one. 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.
Good luck,
Teri
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I hope you have found help by now. I have suffered with migraines for years with strange symptoms. we thought it was a tumor had MRI's, blah blah blah.... but odors would drive me crazy! The dr thought I was having strokes...couldn't talk, my hearing was going, dizziness, my face was numb..well I won't bore you with all the sx's.
Finally I was sent to a neurologist who said I had migrains and I thought she was crazy. She prescribed Topamax. I thought what the heck, I'd drink goat pee if it would help me.
It didn't happen over night, and it took time to adjust the dosage. She also added Gabapentin 300mg 3 times a day. I also take 100mg 2X a day of the Topamax. My life is worth living again. I still have an occasional headache which they gave me an rx for Midrin for...not real impressed with that. If I take codeine it will usually take care of it.
But I don't have a constant headache anymore and I can hear better, my eyball doesn't hurt. I'm off the couch. Scents don't make me want to throw up or give me an instant headache all the time....
Hope this helps. Good luck to you.
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