Case Histories - July 1997 (5/5)

I am a 38 yr old male, who has had headaches since jr. high school. The migraines have come on in the last 10 yrs or so, and have recently become more frequent and severe. Mine are mostly related to diet, with certain foods being really dangerous: chocolate, MSG, Campbell's soup, most alcohol, carbonated citrus sodas, etc. Cigarette smoke can set them off, and usually does. Diesel fumes are killer. Certain perfumes and colognes. Over-exertion in the sun. Combine any of those elements with not enough sleep the night before, or miss a meal or two, and I can count on a bad one. Pain starts around and behind eyes, and thru left temple (occaisonally the right temple), and often travels down thru the jaw. Sometimes it starts by clenching the back of my head above the neck, and then making it's way around.

Like another sufferer who wrote in July, I sometimes experience a strange hyper-sexuality, even though I am in intense pain. The one thing I have that I don't see in other accounts, is my mind RACES during the attacks. And the more desperately I try to turn my mind off, the worse it gets. It's as if I'm on some kind of speed, and I think about dozens of subjects all at once. Usually, a musical phrase from some song I may have heard earlier in the day (I'm a musician), repeats itself over and over in my head ad infinitum. It's like a record playing with a skip. Then the vomiting just makes it worse. The ONLY escape is sleep, but with my mind in high gear, coupled with the pain, sleep is impossible. Last week, I had it for 19 hours, and still couldn't sleep for several hours after that. After waking the pain is always gone, and sometimes I feel a mild euphoria. However, sometimes I am totally wiped out the next day. Interestingly, they have occurred on 3 of the last 4 Thursdays. Who knows why. Went to the doctor this week for MRI and MRA (normal), and got Imitrex. Haven't tried it yet - waiting for the next attack. Praying it works, but worried about side effects. Sometimes I can ward one off early by taking 1 or 2 Vanquish tablets. Ice also helps, as does intense massage of the skull.

Happy to find this page, and my heart goes out to all of you.

---nick.s@netsrq.com

I would be interested to hear if any oneelse has had any adverse reaction to sandomigran (Pizotyline). have had seriuous blood-shot eyes.

---mireille.watson@sympatico.ca

I have existed with migraines for over 25 years. I have tried numerous medications, bio-feedback, medation, etc. with no relief. 14 years ago, I had both overies & womb removed which did lessen the number of attach I suffer which had been 3 to 7 a month. I now suffer attacks about 1 or 2 times per month. I also take Indoral for the prevention of the attacks. If I can get to a very HOT shower soon enough and haven't started to vomit yet, I can sometimes take pain meds to help. One herb that has been of benifit is marijuana. I know it sounds strange, but it's true. If I get a full blown attack, I have to go the either my Dr. or emergency room for a shot of Demoral & Vistral. I would like to hear from others on the use of marijuana for migraines. Please contact me at: Cuzchris@aol.com

I am not alone! I am a 37 year old female who has had migraine headaches as long as I can remember. My parents say I used to cry alot and bang my head on the floor even as a toddler, with nausea, paleness and vomiting soon to follow. My ma thinks it is caused from being born to fast and traumatic. I got "car-sick" alot always with a headache, and this could happen in a matter of 10 minutes. The counselors at school thought I was seeking attention, so we went that route for a while, but the headaches continued. Ah--the headaches. There is no aura. I may or may not know that one is coming. Sometimes I can tell days in advance, and other times I just wake up with them. I cannot raise my head and absolutely have to lay on my left side which is the only side I have them on. I try hot showers and cold cloths and any medications I can find. I know some of my triggers, but how do you avoid sunshine, other people's cologne and stress? I work in a retail department store so if anyone else out there does you know it's far from stress free. And women's cologne almost always triggers one and men's seldom does. Love's Baby Soft is the only brand allowed in my home. I cannot go into candle shops, I Christmas shop from a catalog, and cannot visit my sister in her home because of the pot-pourri. I've been through the different treatment, doctors, and medications. Since there is no history of migraine in my family I am diagnosed as having A-Typical migraines and have developed seizure disorder now as well. The neurologist has suggested that the migraines may in fact be seizures.

I went to my family physician first with symptoms very similar to carpal tunel and he suspected the same until we got the test results. I was then sent to a neurologist new to our area, and thought I was finally going to get some relief. Her favorite thing to treat was headaches. She didn't treat the pain, she looked for the cause of the pain. Since seizure disorder was suspected, I am now taking Neurontin 800mg daily. The migraines have not stopped, but they don't seem to last as long as they did. I still occasionally get to the point of total silence and darkness in order to survive the attacks. There have been many times that I prayed God would just let me die so the pain would end. I've had the ice-pick kind that last a split second, the kind that lasts for several hours, and the kind that last for days and even weeks. With the neurontin, I was able to spend 2 days in a boat on a lake without a headache and that would have been impossible before. I know that it is helping, but I don't like the side-effects. I get disoriented, can't remember things, and am dizzy alot whether I take it with or without food. The numbness, tingling and pain in my left arm radiates from fingers to shoulder, staying mostly in the forearm and hand. My neurologist is re-locating, so I am back to looking for a doctor who can treat me for this debilitating condition without treating me like I'm some psycho looking for drugs and attention. I don't like the way I feel when I am medicated, and with a husband and 3 children, I don't need any more attention. I would like to hear from those of you who have similar conditions to mine or anyone who has suggestions for help. You may e-mail me at mhendrix@knightsnet.farmington.k12.mo.us

Hi Ronda,

I first started having migraines at 16 they started as very low grade and increased to major pain. I would go to ER for a shot of demoral, and a talk about how I could control the pain level.(doctor said its all in your head.) I have been on several meds nothing helps completly. I've learned to dealwith these migraines by going to bed.

I took stadol,imtrex, depkote, evail& anything else I thought might help so far nothing has really helped. I have a strong family history of migraines.

---Rrya@aol.com