Health Expert Megan Oltman shares health management news and commentary at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/11175/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/11175/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/11175/index http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/11175/110073/migraines Sun, 25 Apr 2010 14:35:00 -0400 Megan Oltman There are many excellent Migraine and headache specialists in practice today, but with 12% of the population suffering from Migraine disease, it can be hard to find competent Migraine care. Just this week a friend told me about a neurologist who provided no treatment or suggestions for her two-week-long Migraine, but told her she should see a psychologist. Imagine that doctor's comments being what would control your Migraine care in the... http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/11175/110073/migraines http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/11175/109144/migraine-listen Tue, 13 Apr 2010 11:10:00 -0400 Megan Oltman There's good news for people who have to miss work because of Migraine or other headache disorders. The burden on employees of certifying that they are too sick to work under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has just been made a little easier by the Federal Courts. In its first time looking at this issue, the United States Court of Appeal for the Third Circuit (covering Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the Virgin Islands) recently... http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/11175/109144/migraine-listen http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/11175/107833/migraines-pain Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:30:00 -0400 Megan Oltman Chronic pain patients (sometimes including Migraine sufferers) are often asked to sign narcotics contracts, or treatment agreements, with their doctors. These contracts lay down the rules for the doctor’s prescribing narcotic pain medications. They require that the patient submit to random or scheduled drug testing to determine if they are taking the proper amount of the drug. If you fail the test, these contracts allow the doctor to... http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/11175/107833/migraines-pain http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/11175/99201/limitations Sun, 27 Dec 2009 13:45:00 -0500 Megan Oltman Have you ever had your insurance company impose limits on your Migraine medications, or refuse to cover them at all? Many of us have. Is it legal for insurance companies to countermand our doctors' prescriptions? And what can we do about it? In the summer of 2007, my insurance company suddenly came up with a new policy: after three years of problem-free coverage, they announced that the new "fill limit" for Imitrex was four tablets per month. I... http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/11175/99201/limitations http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/11175/92804/withholding-cruel Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:12:00 -0400 Megan Oltman Part of the Bill of Rights, the 8th Amendment to the United States Constitution, guarantees that prisoners shall not be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment. This clause prohibits torture and has been widely cited in support of abolishing the death penalty. It also forbids the withholding of medical treatment from prisoners in need of treatment. A prisoner in need of medical care has nowhere to go but the prison authorities. To... http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/11175/92804/withholding-cruel http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/11175/87176/migraines-license Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:05:00 -0400 Megan Oltman I wrote last time about how Migraines and driving, as well as some Migraine medications and driving, don't mix (Migraines & Driving Don't Mix). To generalize, in most cases so far, driving while impaired by the effects of Migraine medications has been considered DUI, and liability has been imposed; but driving while impaired by the effects of the Migraine itself has not led to liability. Given the logical underpinnings of these cases,... http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/11175/87176/migraines-license http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/11175/85090/migraines-driving Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:58:00 -0400 Megan Oltman Migraines and driving don't mix. Unless you’re brand new to Migraine disease, this is not news to you. Who among us hasn't had to plan around getting a ride, or plan when to take our medication based on whether we could get a ride? There are all kinds of reasons not to drive with a Migraine.  • If the pain is bad enough, most of us can barely move around, let alone drive. • If it’s not so bad and we feel capable... http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/11175/85090/migraines-driving http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/11175/82667/disability-cracks Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:20:00 -0400 Megan Oltman As I have been writing articles about your legal rights in working with Migraine disease, I've been getting a lot of questions from those who feel they are falling through the cracks in the legal system. On one hand, there are protections if Migraines interfere with your work somewhat; there's total disability at the other end if you can't work at all. What about that large area in between the two? This is an example of where legal advice... http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/11175/82667/disability-cracks http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/11175/80191/protecting-rights Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:07:00 -0400 Megan Oltman I've brought you several articles about your rights at work as a person who may be disabled by Migraines, and the protections afforded you under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and the FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act). From some of the comments it has become clear to me that many people feel that having the laws in place is not enough to make their employers understand or behave appropriately, or put more crudely, having the laws in... http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/11175/80191/protecting-rights http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/11175/75416/bringing-fmla-ada Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:07:00 -0400 Megan Oltman How do you work with Migraines? Migraine disease is recognized by the World Health Organization as one of top 20 most disabling conditions worldwide, and this is no surprise to any of us who have tried to function during a severe Migraine attack. It is possible to receive disability status if your Migraines are frequent and severe enough, and I will be writing more about that soon. For most of us, disability will not be the best option - for... http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/11175/75416/bringing-fmla-ada