Migraine sufferers

[GardenFairy]

Hi,
I`m looking for some experience to share about migraine. I know that there are various forms of it, and there are various things causing it.

Maybe we can compile some statements?
When did it start (age, situation in your life), how often do you get the attacks, how long do they last and what symptoms do you have.
What docs have you been to, what did they recommend, what meds do you take, what helps?

Starting with myself:
I have migraines since about 12 years, now I´m 43. Before having a child I didn´t have any problems with headaches. No "migraine history" in my family, but my Mum also suffered from panik attacks.

I ALWAYS get migraine a few days before my period, so it must be connected with a chnage of hormones. Terrible time of the month, as I also suffer from PMS.
The severity and endurance of the attacks depends on my stress level; lack of sleep, exhaustion, being overwrought and all kinds of (negative) excitement make it much worse. When I´m "lucky", it only last for 3 days, but sometimes it takes a whole week.

Symptoms: severe pain on the right side of my head, from neck to eye and temples, getting stronger by all kinds of pysical strain; heavy nausea and feeling like a truck has driven over me. I´m irritable, sensible to sounds and noise and light.
Doctors: over the years I have been to my general practitioner, neurologist, gyneologist, orthopedist, blood tests and all kinds of stuff. No results.

Medication: tried all kinds, normal pain killers don´t work. While I was on antidepressants, I couldn´ t take migraine pills (triptans), but now I´m off and recently tried frovatriptan. The pain went away and mostly returned after 24 hours. So, I try to abstain from taking pills if possible.

However, I must stop working and doing anything exhausting, otherwise the pain gets unbearable and doesn´t seem to go away for days....

By the way: as I have an anxiety disorder, it scares me to death having read several times now that people with migraine are more prone to get a STROKE, especially if the attack lasts more than 72 hours (which it always does). Fantastic! Thanks for the information.

In June I have an appointment with a neurologist to make tests, like my brainwaves... don´t know the English expression for it. Hope that doctor is a nice person, because I will also ask all the questions like about stroke, and I want ANSWERS!

I live in Germany, and we have a good health care system here. But if you need an appointment at a special doctor´s and don´t have time in the morning, you have to wait for WEEKS for an appointment, if your life isn´t in acute danger. And I live in a big city with hundreds of doctors (usually have their own practice). That really sucks. But I think my migraine will still be there in six weeks, so why worry?

Second problem: to get any information about your problem, you have to ask persistently and in detail, most docs are in a hurry and don´t speak much, they hardly explain anything. Otherwise you leave just with a prescription in your hand. I have all my knowledge about migraine from books and the internet.
How is that in America?

I hope that there will be many replies of migraine sufferers, maybe we can help each other?!
Thank you so much!

Susanne

[Eva Marie]

Hi,
I have suffered from migraines my whole life. I am almost 37 years old. I take Immitrex and Migranol, I have to switch between the two medications every 3 months or so because my body will get use to one and won't work as effectively. My migraines are mostly tension related. I get auras other vision disturbance. I've noticed that chiropractic helps a ton and can sometimes take the migraine down completely or stop it before it fully develops. I get really sick if they go to far and will vomit, sometimes requiring me to go to the hospital which is a huge fear of mine. I've been told that you can sleep off a migraine if you have several hours to devote. I've had that happen once, but I had taken my medicine first. I would get them sparatically, nothing in particular would set them off except I could always pinpoint my period! Those hormones.... :p I've also had EEG's to rule out seizure or tumor activity in the brain. Best of luck to you, you are not alone.

[Guest]

Sorry...
I was going to address your reading that if you have a migraine for 72 hours or more that your chances of stroke go up...
You should talk to your neurologist about this 72 hour thing and a preventative medicine for migraines. I hope you are able to get some answers.
PS: I take neurontin otherwise called Gabepentin (generic) for preventative. I get less migraines now but they still happen. It was originally a med for people that suffered seizures, but they found it helped people with mirgraines. There is hope out there! Let me know how it goes with you.

[Guest]

I started having migraines about 8 years ago when I was about 30 and had just had my second child. The attacks came a few times a week and/or lasted up to three weeks.
I'll try to explain what the doctor finally said. She compared me to an alcoholic trying to drink so they don't have to think. She said my migraines were my body's way of trying to protect itself and keep me from facing reality. I was in a marriage with little to no intimacy and there was constant arguing and screaming. I was a roommate to my husband and had nobody who was there to even share my day with. When our son came, he became the center of my husband's life- there was definitely no room for me or our daughter. But I was gonna make it work somehow. I spent five years trying to "earn" his love. He told my son at that young age that if they could get rid of me and his sister, they'd be just fine. Every time we'd go to do something, he'd start a huge fight=crying and migraine for me. Our daughter won a scholarship to travel to Egypt for 2 weeks and the night we were to go catch her flight, my husband was on the floor like a 2 year old kicking and screaming. I woke up, literally, and said kids shouldn't live in this, so I left the next day. My migraines improved dramatially. That was 3 years ago.
I have an attack maybe once every three months. I take Axert, naproxsyn, dolgic and zanaflex- not all at once, but those are what I can use. If it hangs in there a few days, a shot of toradol will do the trick.
Warm baths, massage, chiropractors, ice packs, a little caffeine, light exercise, and trigger point injections all provided some relief for me. And a dark quiet roo works well.
Oh, and I did take Topomax at one point, but it really impaired my cognitive ability.
I also had light and sound sensitivity, naseau, vision impairment and muscle spasms with the migraines.
I used to take progesterone cream before my period but found that wasn't causing the pain. But I have talked to a lot of people who did well with that.
Hope something in here helps. I realize my situation was much different but the pain is sorta the same

[Guest]

P.S. From what I understand about the 72 hour rule is that if you don't get ANY relief or break in the pain in 72 hours, you may be at higher risk for a certain type of stroke and should go to the doctor or hospital for an injection.

[Guest]

my daughter suffers from migraines has been since high school and she is 29 they are getting worse she used to have one a year and since last fall she has had two a week not every week though she has the aura everytime and it scares her and I get scared I remember the first time it happened and she explained it to me I was afraid something terrible was wrong I was a worrier any way at the time I was already in full agrophia with hypercondria, she has been in great stress first because her husband wanted a baby and she was afraid to have one and did't actually want one she said she liked her life like she had it she has since talked her self into trying to have one and other stesses she has had at least 4 migraines a month but she has severe anxiety she is afraid of the eye thing it gets so bad she can hardley see if she did't do that she would not be afraid of them she starts to worry about when she will have the next one she is looking for the weird eye thing that always happens first then the pain starts she now takes imtrex at the first sign they usally are controlled sometimes she has to take 2 before the pain goes away,Ihave read where b vitamins and magenesium will help I have her on them but they havn't slowed down yet she has found out her hormnes are out of order she is having a thoriod test down and she goes to a encondrist,I can't spell anything she hasn't tried the caropractor yet she also was told by someone that if you have a baby they go away.she has been trying since september to get pregrant and hasn't yet I worry can she take the imtrex if she was pregrant some say they don't occour while you are pregant any advice how do you stop being afraid of them any suggestion about the eye thing

[BookOfPsalms]

Migraine Sufferers

I can relate to what your daughter is going through. I had my first migraine with aura's at the age of 12 when I started my period. I am now 40 years old and still have them once in a while. I find that certain foods trigger the migraines. It took me all these years to find that out. I have been suffering from vertigo for over 6 years and the doctor I went to thought my migraine headaches were causing the vertigo. He recommended that I buy the book "Heal Your Headache" by David Bucholz, M.D. I tell you it was the best investment I made in my migraine headaches. I too get scared when the aura starts. I feel like I could have a stroke from them. This book has really helped control my migraines as long as I follow the rules on what not to eat. Unfortunately, I still get a migraine once in a while when I get my period but that's because of the change in hormone levels. My dad had migraines for over 20 years and had a migraine every single day of those 20 years. His were so extreme that he found a doctor to do a surgery to cut the nerve that causes migraines. It's been a blessing for him but I'm not sure if there are any doctors who do that anymore. He had that done over 25 years ago in Florida. Please let me know if I can help further. Good Luck!

[R.T.E.]

Forever Young,
I did get a break from my migraines during my pregnancy as my neurologist said a lot of women do. I hope your daughter has the same experience.
It also makes you wonder if there isn't a hormone or something involved that you could be given outside of pregnancy??

[Guest]

nita, bev,
thanks for your reply,
we tried the food,she hasn't eaten chocloate in years no caffine,she watches her cheese we can't find a pattern,not even her period,I just got back from going and getting her to go to town with me and she said how werid it was she had one this past week and she said she told her husband she wished she could not eat at all and just get an iv it makes me so sad because I want her to be okay and happy I have lost so much of my life due to this stupid panic and I would love to see her enjoy her life,
have you heard of ear stapling a lady I work with said her sister had had it done,they put a staple inside of your ear in one of those creases sounds paniful she said it had been about amonth and she hadn't have one I have not told michelle yet I was waiting for long term and see what would happen it is weird hers has increased after all these years and after the stress and if she is worring about them she could bring them on.

[Guest]

Ear stapling was all the rave a few years ago here and many swore by it. It got shut down though when it was considered a medical procedure being performed by non-licensed people. A lot of people didn't know what they were going to do with out it. Our state just wouldn't allow it though.
But I think it worked much the same as accupunture which I never tried though I talked to many people it worked for and even had the doctor doing my trigger point injections suggest it. I kinda have a phobia of needles though. The same doctor also swore by yoga.
I'd google ear stapling and see what you find. It's always worth a shot if it might help.
P.S. My mom suffered with migraines as well- hers were hormone related she thinks. They peaked around her 30th birthday and got better the older she got. I guess she "outgrew" them.