It's hard to start this -- I am both relieved and saddened to read all
your case histories and see much of myself reflected in them. I have
had a sordid headache history for over 20 years, and seem to have gone
through most of the drugs, but never found the one that's going to
prevent the headaches. There are meds that work for some headaches
sometimes, and some headaches that are going to put me down regardless
of what I do or take -- there's just no single solution. My doctor, who
also suffers migraine, describes me as a Headache Person, and that is so
unfortunately true. It has adversely affected my health, my marriage,
my work, and how people relate to me. Everybody knows -- it can't be
hidden: pain, pills, shots, sunglasses inside because light hurts,
slurry speech, shaking hands, twitches and all the other nifty drug
side-effects, absenteeism at work and lifelessness/guilt/fear at home
(this way nobody is happy!), everything that matters. When I realized
that most people greeted me with, "How have your headaches been?", I
tried to be more secretive about them, but it's like the old story about
the elephant in the room that nobody talks about. I don't want to be
known as Susan, the Headache Person, I want to be Susan with a happy,
healthy life, but it's so hard when your body is hurting you. Appreciate
hearing anybody's thoughts. Thanks for writing and listening.
---Susan bigfrog@gte.net
..Anybody have any luck with Tegretol to prevent migraines?
---Linda Grover grover1@primenet.com
My name is Tammy and I am 33 years old. I have had migraines since I was 15.
I suffer from migraine with aura. I have been through several different
treatments since my migraines first began 18 years ago. In the beginning they
came very frequently, so I was put on Inderal, it helped but being so young,
I didn't want to take a daily medication for the rest of my life so with the
doctors consent I weaned myself off. I learned all I could about migraines
and the triggers. I avoid all that I can. I have had periods in my life where
they have been limited to 6-8 a year and times when they come twice a month.
After having children they slowed down but recently they have come back in
full force. They come mainly around my ovulation time, but they are so
dibilitating that I am put to bed for sometimes up to 2 days. Not good when
you are trying to run a business. I take Midrin at the onset but I want to
try to avoid them all together. I have had CT scans and 2 MRI'S they all show
that my brain in normal. But still they scare the dickens out of me, even
after all these years. I am going to go back on the Inderal and hope it
works. It is nice to be able to read about people like me, not too many
people understand what we go through. Thank you for this page. If anyone has
had success with the beta blockers I would like to hear from you.
---Beaner719@aol.com
I visit your page alot it has given me strength and hope. I wanted to tell
you about a positive experience. I recently went to the ER for a bad
migraine. A couple days later the Hospital Health Coordinator called to
urge me to see my regular physician right away. I explained to her that he
has tried alot of different things and there is nothing he could do at this
time except try and keep me out of pain. As we talked I had the rare
opportunity to explain to a ER worker what it was like to go in the ER in
extreme pain and be treated like a drug seeker. To my surprise she listened
to my stories and suggestions. I told her that alot of times I can tell if
a real bad one is coming, espeically if the weather is changing and if my
own attempts to abort fail, I wait until I am throwing up and writhing in
pain to go to the ER. My reason is because the ER I go to seems to respond
better to a migraine patient if they see them sobbing and vomitting out of
control. Its sad but its true. At least I know 99 percent of the time they
will relieve my pain without the skeptisism. I also had the chance to tell
her about this wonderful site. She wrote down the address and promised she
would pass on what I had told her and research the site on what migrainers
are going through. It felt great that this person was trying to understand.
Her initial concern was the ER visits but I think she understood I was not
a drug seeker. I am a responsible adult, I work, I have three children, but
I am afflicted with this terrible illness. I have a goal and that is to
educate ER's and doctors on the ridicule and alienation of migraine
sufferers. She did give me a helpful suggestion and that was to have my
doctor write a letter to keep with me in case I need to visit the ER,
stating I have been diagnosed with accute vascular migraines and to obtain
relief for a severe attack I would need a shot of Stadol or Demeral. I am
going to make an appoitment with him to address this. I think its an
excellent idea. Because when I am suffering from an attack I can't explain
my situation rationally. Remember everyone, don't give up we will win this
fight, ther are people who are trying to understand. We need to keep
educating. Don't give up!!!!
---Angela (Blondie) aslob@praxis.net
I am a sufferer of Migraines for eight years now.
I am 20 years old. And even after eight years of trying to deal with
this pain, I still don't know how to do it.
The pain gets worse everytime.
I really don't know how to cope anymore. My mother and sister and
occassionally my brother, all suffer from Migraines.
Isn't there something to be done about this.
I have tried all the new drugs and they haven't worked. It really feels
like there is no hope for me.
There are times when I wish I would just die because the pain is so
much.
I am just not coping any more.
---simba@labyrinth.net.au
Hi, I just found your site for the first time today and I hope that
someone can help me find some answers.
I am 28 female who has been suffering from a severe headache since
aprroximately March 20, 1997. Notice I said March and it is now June
1997 and I still have a headache.
I have tried the "wonder drug" Imitrex which had NO EFFECT whatsoever on
me. I have had 2 MRI's one on my neck and one on my head. While the
head was normal I was found to have a hernaited dics in my neck at C4/5
and C5/6 which is in the middle stage, so its not broken off. I was
also told that I bascially have the neck of a 45 year old with some
fusion and that I lack a curve in my neck. This is apparently being
related to a fall that I had in 1988 in which I cracked several vertbrea
in my middle back. Also note that I do have pain in my neck.
I was seeing a chiropractor and then began physical therapy as my D.O.
felt this would better suit me needs. I have tried cervical traction
which either does nothing or increases the pain of my headache. While
in physical therapy I also am using a heat treatment. I have tried the
"pain management clinic" run by the anthesiaiologist (sp?) and had a
series of trigger point injections--2 on each side on neck and 2 in
shoulders which resulted in no change. I have had a Cortisone shot in
my occipital trigger point on the right side which as you can guess had
no effect.
Currently I am taking Inderal 2x day 50mg, Indomethacin 3x day and
Elavil at night to try and help me sleep. I began seeing a neurologist
who prescribed the Inderal and the Imitrex--neither is working and I'm
at a breaking point. I have tried HyrdroCodone and Talwin NX in the
past (months) with the same results.
My neurologist has diagnoised me as having Chronic Daily Headaches--well
big surprise! I'd say I have chronic daily headaches after 75 days,
wouldn't you? He also stated that I have a combination of
muscle-tension and migraine headaches. I have reviewed the list of food
items commonly associated as triggers of migraine and I found that I
only eat about 3 or 4 of the items listed!
In addition to the above, I had a hysterectomy 3 days after graduation
in March and am currently 1)off of work for another 4 weeks and 2)off of
school for the summer. I do not have any stress factors which can be
associated to these headaches.
I am growing more and more upset as each day passes that I am not able
to get some-ANY-relief whatsoever. I just graduated from college and
missed quite a bit of school and work since the headaches have
occurred-I begin graduate school in August and I would like some relief
before than as I will begin a new career soon after.
I am hoping that someone, somewhere can offer some suggestions for me to
gain some relief. I live in a small city approximately 200 miles south
of Kansas City and my doctor is perplexed as he has never had patient
who has "broken through" on all the treatments given. I have had 2
neurologist see my MRI's and a total of 5 doctors look at all the x-rays
and MRI's. ANY suggestions or just ways to look would be GREATLY
appreciated as I truly would like some-any-relief.
---Sharon sjhugo@apexcorp.com
