Case Histories - December 1997 (2/6)

Hello Ronda,

I wonder if other sufferers can throw any light on my problem: The worst time for migraines for me is Nov/Dec every year. I dread it. In the last seven days I've only been free of pain for two. I'm wondering if it's the damp, (I live on the Somerset levels in England) or the lack of light, or possibly because I get more depressed at this time of year. Feels like one long migraine at the moment! Any support welcome. I'm even typing this with one eye shut!

---Andria. E-mail andria.h@virgin.net

Hi Ronda! I just found your site today and I thought I would throw in my 2 cents. I am a 27 year old female and have been suffering from migraines since I was 14. I have tried Imitrex, Torodol, tons of advil and Tylenol over the years but none ever made the migraines go away, or stop an attack completely. I have just taken my first dose of Cafergot and am crossing my fingers that this may work. I try not to take any of my medications if possible, I don't want to build up a tolerance to them and then have to go searching yet again for a new medication. Also I am scared that one of these times I'll be pregnant and won't know how to cope when I can't take any medication.

A couple of non-medicinal things that seem to give me a little bit of relief are: if it is really early in the onset of the migraine, having my husband gently rub my scalp seems to give some relief (that is until I can't tolerate the sound of my hair moving), ice packs on the front and back of my head, putting in ear plugs and covering my eyes to block out all the light. I have found the ice, ear plugs and a tee-shirt over the eyes helps cut back on enough of the pain that I can ride it out. I hope these ideas help someone else who can't take medicine right now, I know they help me a bit.

Thanks!

---Nancy NancyH@Ocelot.ca

Dear Ronda,

I'm 19 years old and have been suffering from migraine headaches since I was 8. I remember the very first one I got. It took 6 or 7 years for me to be properly diagnosed and before that I had to wear glasses, get my teeth fixed, and have all these little headache cures.

I finally got my migraine pain under control. The migraines were then infrequent; I'd get a some that lasted on and off for several days every few months, and I was sometimes weeks or months without severe pain.

But then this summer, in August, I had an accident where I hit my head. At the time I barely even thought about it, it was a minor concussion. I had some pain and some dull headaches for several months. It's now December and since then the pain became so excruciating that I have been unable to function as a normal human being. I am currently on preventative medication and have been for over a month, but it hasn't worked yet, thought the dosage has since been adjusted. I am still having near daily intense migraines. I have been to the ER twice in the last two weeks. They were very sympathetic but even the intravenous drip didn't fully kill my headache. I live alone and go to school but lately I can't concentrate on anything. Some days it's so bad I can't get out bed at all to cook for myself, or to make sure that I am taking care of myself. Even typing this has been painful. I hope help is around the corner. If anyone has ever expereinced this type of delayed post-trauma migraine, or daily intense migraines, please contact me at hthoms@po-box.mcgill.ca and thank you so much for providing this sort of service to sufferers.

---Hilary Thomson.

I have had migraines almost daily for 11 years. I have tried midrin, enderal, cafergot, nasalide, calan, amitriplyine, corgard, desipramine, pamelor, dilantin, tegretol, doxepin, I have allergic reactions or side effects that are unbearable. I took furicet with codeine for many years until I started to need too much of it and I was getting worried about addiction. I started on Imitrex about a year ago. It is wonderful but I need about 30 tabs a month. I am taking a one-a-day vitamin and a magnesium tablet (slowmag). The slowmag reduces the pain but does not seem to decrease the number of headaches. Because of what I have read on this web site I decided to go back to my Dr. to see if there was anything more worth trying. I started Paxil 10mg last night.

I would like to hear from anyone else that has bad reactions from antidepressents or has similar history to mine.

Ronda, thanks for your work.

---ekargas@wavefront.com

Dear Ronda,

I am 17 and have been suffering from Migraines since I was about 7. However, back then I didn't know what it was, what was happening to me nor did I know that it WASN'T normal to get headaches everyday. I thought everybody had that. So when I was about 13 I finally was diagnosed with Migraines. One of my problems with treating my migraines is that I do not have auras so I don't know when a migraine is coming. Therefore it eliminates many drugs available to migraine sufferers because you must take them as soon as possible. Currently I am taking Propanalol which helps a little but doesn't do anything for when I have a migraine so I have to sit there and suffer. Recently I have been getting vertigo but not with my migraines and I was wondering if any body else gets this and if it has anything to do with migraines if I don't have one while in vertigo?

More and more frequently I have been getting sick to my stomach and extreme nasua but the worst part is, is that I never have thrown up to relieve that sensation. It's like having the stomach flu but being unable to throw up and just having that aweful sensation of your almost gonna throw up. I would like to hear from any body else who don't have auras before a migraine and what they do to treat it. What can I do for the pain? Thanks.

---matt KliffHead@aol.com

Dear Ronda,

I was just diagnoised with migraines about 1 month ago. I haven't read all of your entries, but I wanted to know if anyone else has high blood pressure as a result of their migraines??? My first episode came on with the tightness in the jaw and a throbbing...my face turns bright red and feels like it's on fire...when I was finally convinced by a co-worker to go to my doctor... my blood pressure was 130/105. I'm only 31 years old and have a normal pressure of 100/55. My doctor was alarmed and for 2 consecutive weeks, I had the same symtoms! She put me on Inderal for prevention and Fiorinal for the headaches. Now I'm left feeling drugged and I'm still getting migraines! I just had my second child about 4 months ago and had been on birth control pills for about 6 weeks when these started. My doctor thinks the bcp are the culprit, but I've been off them for 1 month and their still coming on strong! Has anyone out there had this experience and found an answer? Please help me!!!

---Kris Banhamk@aol.com

I just discovered this journal, and have really enjoyed reading about the experiences of others. I was recently diagnosed with acephalgic migraines. I started having visual disturbances about 7 months ago. Part of my right peripheral vision would disappear (turn gray) and have shimmery lights around the grayed area. That would last anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours. After having about 1 a week for 2 months, I went to an ophthalmologist, and was told it was most likely acephalgic migraines. Then about 3 months ago, I was standing in the kitchen when my entire right peripheral vision went dark. If you drew a vertical line in the air, I could see nothing to the right of it with either eye. That lasted about 30 seconds. Within the next few minutes, my entire right side went numb, from the right side of my nose and entire head, to the right side of my abdomen, back, etc, and right leg and arm. I couldn't walk very well, had to drag my right leg behind me. My hand wouldn't do fine motor movements. My husband took me to the ER immediately; I thought I'd had a stroke. There a CT was negative, as was lots of bloodwork. My blood pressure was elevated, 158/94. They noted a weakness in my right arm and leg. All of the symptoms lasted about 90 minutes, then quickly resolved. I have a slight weakness in my right leg, but am otherwise untouched. I had an MRI 2 days later, which was also normal. Since that time I've had 3 more visual episodes, but nothing else. The neurologist has done tests for MS also, which were negative, thankfully. He took me off the birth control pill, and started my on one aspirin a day. Otherwise I'm on no medications. I'd love to talk to anyone with similar experiences, and very much appreciate some direction in finding resources to learn more about this. The e-mail address is rg40361@deere.com. Thanks!

---Laura