Need migraine support!!

[melly4]

I'm having one of my killer migraines. It started last night and hasn't stopped. I talked with my primary doc about my frequent migraines last month, and he prescribed Maxalt, which does nothing except give me a runny nose. So I went in this morning and saw another doc, since mine wasn't in. She gave me some hydrocodone to get me through this episode, and asked if I had tried anything for prevention, like SSRI's, calcium channel blockers, and beta blockers. She obviously hadn't looked at my chart. SSRI's make me crazy, I have hypotension (69/33 on Monday). So, no, her methods weren't going to help me. I am very careful about what I eat. But there's nothing I can do about the female hormones. If I ovulate or have a period, I get a migraine. I've taken depakote, and it did help with preventing migraines, but it made my GI symptoms worse and knocked me on my bum. I have enough of that without medication!! I don't want to take opiates twice a month for the rest of my life, if I can avoid it.

She is working on referring me to a neurologist, which I think is a great idea, since no one has really done a thorough workup on my migraines before, and I've heard neurologists are good with this.

How do the rest of you who have low BP treat and/or prevent your migraines, other than avoiding the obvious dietary triggers? Has neurology helped anyone here with their migraines?

Thanks,

Melly

[Dizzy Dame]

Hi melly,

sorry to hear you're having a rough time. I don't get migranes, but I wanted to let you know I'm thinkin' of ya .

- Lauren

[JenniferInOhio]

My neurologist suggested a low dose (81 mg) aspirin once per day to prevent migraines. I also take it for my heart related issues. I haven't had a migraine since starting the aspirin therapy (knock on wood).

[StaceyYount]

This is one of my main problems. I have not found anything as of yet to help prevent and many neurologists will want you to try SSRIs which also made me crazy. I know some on the board have had luck with some preventiative medications, a lot of times anti-seizures medicines can be used to lessen the occurence and the strength. I would try and find a headache specialist neurologist and hopefully they can help. I use accupuncture sometimes to help but when they get the worst my GP lets me come in and he gives me a injection of demerol and phnergan which eases it a bit and then eventually breaks the cycle. But yes go see a neuro especially if you haven't before but do tyr and find one who specializes in treating headaches.

Hope this helps,

Stacey :-)

[Gracefulprincess]

the neurologist i saw, put me on Topamax. It's an anti seizure drug that can prevent migraines but takes a long time to work.

[blackbirdsings]

I went to a neurologist for a while about migraines. He thought females fainted because we are week...yea, I no longer go there. Anyhow, we worked out a plan for mine and if my migraine meds didn't get rid of the migraine within a certain amount of doses, I had to go to the ER for IV fluids and medicine. Sometimes they had me come into the office and would do the IV there and give me a different medicine to take for several days to keep it from coming back and help with the pain. Migraine meds make me feel funny for days, but you have to do it...the hydrocodone works well for me and doesn't leave me with bad side effects for days. Some of the migraine meds do not work for me. I did the depakot for years at first and it helped but I still had break through migraines, but at least it wasn't everday. Good luck! If it gets bad the ER might be a good option...I detest going, but for migraines they are usually good.

[MightyMouse]

asside from avoiding sulfites and prepared meats, I have meds that help me, although each one sometimes works and other times, not so much.

Amerge

Migranal (DHE nasal spray)

Imitrex injection, pill, nasal spray

Midrin

None of the above fall under the major pain killer category. The least side effects *for me* (everyone is differend) is Migranal, and second is Amerge. The Imitrex makes me feel like I'm going to cork off and die of a heart attack, which I think (joking here) is why my headache doesn't hurt as much afterward 'cause I've survived. Midrin only works for me if I take it before the migraine has fully set in.

Consider seeing a migraine specialist as they tend to prescribe meds aimed as much at prevention as they do with crisis managment.

Nina

[melly4]

Thank you all for your support and suggestions. I will certainly ask my cardiologist about the aspirin therapy. I've tried imitrex, and also thought I was having a heart attack!! If the neuro throws an SSRI at me, I'll run screaming. Hydrocodone works well, like today, at making it through a crisis alive. But, in a perfect world, wouldn't it be great if we just didn't have migraines at all? I even jokingly suggested to the doc I saw today that maybe I should have a hysterectomy!! She was a lady doc, who also suffered from migraines. I could tell before she told me this because she turned off the blaring intercom music in the room as soon as she saw me!! I wished she could have turned the lights off, too. I'll call and see if she'll be sure to find a neurologist who specializes in headaches, if we are lucky enough to have one here.

Thanks again for the much-needed suggestions.

Ever grateful,

Melly

[Jaime]

I also have a really hard time with migraines especially around my periods. I go to this really amazing headache clinic called Michigan Head pain and neurological institute (MHNI) in Ann Arbor, MI. The put me on effexor (gave me diarrhea so I had to stop it), an anti-seizure drug (I'm sorry I can't remember the name), and isometheptine (for when I am in the midst of a migraine). The isometheptine (same as midrin, but without the tylenol) is the only abortive migraine drug that I have been able to take that has helped my migraine and not given me severe POTS episode. My migraines were so bad that my original neurologist put me on barbituates and narcotics and that sent me into rebound so MHNI put me in their special head pain hospital unit for over two weeks to get me off the opiates and try and get my migraines under control. The hospital stay was a nightmare for me, but they are the only ones who have helped my migraines. If you can afford going to a place like this I would highly recommend it if you can't find help anywhere else. Also, I eat three grams of freshly ground flax seed (about three tablespoons) a day which really helps because the omega-3 fatty acids thin your blood. It is the same thing as daily aspirin, but a food instead of a drug (many cardiologists are prescribing this for heart attack patients). But because Omega-3s thin your blood it may cause you more POTS symptoms so I would ask your doc about it first. Good luck with getting this taken care of. I know how bad migraines are and that is the last thing anyone needs, but especially someone already dealing with POTS!

Jaime

[taylortotmom]

I am a migrainer- I feel your pain (literally!). I hate to burst bubbles but.... I had a hysterectomy two summers ago. The first year was awesome as far as the reduction of migraines, I still got a few but nothing like I did prior to the surgery. But..... they're back. I'm so frustrated! I'm on estrogen replacement (the patch) and I haven't been as consistent as I could with changing the patch so I hope that is why I am having an increase in migraines- the peaks and valleys of estrogen. Don't you just love being a woman! Although, as a sidenote, the day I had my hysterectomy was the third greatest day of my life.

Carmen

[dizzygirl]

Hi I can add a "ME TOO" here.. I have a wicked time with migraines.. especially around menstrual time.. I have immitrex on hand if I can catch the migraine early..but as it goes with nigraines they can hit you full force at times.. and nothing short of an ER visit will help with it.

I have found that w/the real bad migraines that Torodol injection along with compazine and IV fluids help my migraines. SO does Demerol, w/compazine and IV fluids.. but as somebody mentioned you have to careful of those powerful meds b/c they do cause a rebound effect..

I hope that you head feels better soon. and good lcuk with the neuro doc.

Best wishes

Linda

[goldicedance]

I refer to myself as the Migraine Queen, but I know that I must share my Queendom with many of you who also have migraines. Sometimes I just the degree of the migraine by the number of Maxalts I have to take to stop the migraine. My migraines have improved using neurontin and zoloft. Now I average about 2 migraines per month. It takes two doses of Maxalt along with percocet to stop the migraine. DHE nasal spray is effective but it gave me a really stuffed nose. I understand that it is really important to take migraine medications at the very earliest sign of the migraine.

Hope you get some relief!

[melly4]

Goldicedance, you are absolutely right about taking meds at the first sign of migraine. That's what was so frustrating about this latest episode. I did just that with the Maxalt. I ended up with 2 useless doses that were taken very early on. No help. By the time I got an appt. with the dr., I was sobbing and severely nauseated!! Lortab was my only way out at that point. There has to be a better way!! I know I'm just going to have to be patient and see what the neuro doc says....and pray I get in to see him before I have another period!!

Thanks,

Melly

[sally]

Hi Melly,

I'm not sure if you have tried preventative medications to keep the migraines away but they did work for my daughter who suffered severe migraines called hemiplegic migraines (stroke like) that started when she was about 5 years old. They did not stop until she was about 18. She was dx'd with migraines at age 7/8 and hemplegic at age 12 due to the severity and seeing specialists. The only relief she got from these horrible type migraines (that at one point in her young life had an occurrences of at least once a week) was taking meds called elavil & propranolol every day. The longer she was on it the better the results, it started out lessening the migraines and severity overtime until eventually they ceased all together. When she was migraine free for sometime, they weaned her off the medication. It made a huge difference for her taking those type meds. Also we changed diet habits; sleep etc to help as well.

I wish you the best and hope you feel better, migraines are a horrible thing.

[Sunfish]

melly -

i hope you're feeling better. i too am in the migraine club though not as seasoned as many others here. i am lucky that i don't get them very often but when i do...yikes...i have to say i'm always impressed when people can post at all in the midst of one as i am totally gone to the world. but i digress...i'm sorry that maxalt didn't do it for you as that was the first thing that helped me several years ago.

now i take relpax, which i've been told is similar to maxalt, but obviously not identical, so perhaps still worth a shot for you? it too is an abortive (versus a preventative). i've never taken preventatives as i generally don't get them too often. the relpax is "dr.grubb approved", as well as by my autonomic doc in maryland who is a neurologist & migraine specialist, in regard to it being one of the safest (generally speaking) for us dysautonomiacs.

hope you get some relief soon...

melissa

[melly4]

Thanks, Melissa. I'll mention the relpax to my doc. Actually, when I posted, I was on my second dose of Lortab and was regaining composure!! No, I couldn't have posted in the midst of my misery. I'm just so tired of the prophylactic stuff not working or making me have worse side effects, and then having to crawl into the dr.'s office begging for opiates to get me out of the crisis. I really needed some expert advice here from people who actually suffer from migraines, like you, to prevent myself from having another one. You all have taken a variety of meds, some the same, some different than me. It really helps to know what's out there to help your dr. prescribe something different. The doc I saw during my latest episode had never heard of Maxalt!! And she had migraines. I hate taking Lortab. It makes my heart palps worse, but it's better than hurting.

So, again, thank you. I have another med to throw at my docs to try. I so want this to not be a twice-a-month thing anymore. I can't function like this. What's scary is that I don't remember driving to and from the dr's office I was in so much pain!! Can anyone relate?