Case Histories - January 1998 (3/9)

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY !!!!!

I went through the gamut of drugs, etc. I tried everything. I was married to a doctor. Feverfew did not work for me initially. I read somewhere that Nature's Way brand was the strongest, so I tried it. I took 4 in the morning and 4 in the evening. It took three weeks for the migraines to stop completely. After a couple of months I reduced to 3 pills in the morning. I maintained this for over a year and stopped the pills completely. No more migraines. This was three years ago. But I keep them handy.

One day last month, I had consumed a lot of cheese and had a glass of wine. I recognized the onset symptoms, and took 3 or 4 feverfew. It went away in 20 minutes.

I also remember reading that the feverfew tea works much better than the pills. I have not tried it, because the pills worked and were easier to use.

I advise checking with a doctor about the feverfew, because it thins the blood.

I also suggest absolute avoidance of the foods that are said to cause migraine. Especially aspartame(NutraSweet), MSG, any foods that are smoked or cured.

To help the process, try an elimination diet. Stop using coffee (even de-caf), tea, soft drinks, grapefruit juice, beer, wine, and liquor. Stop eating onions, nuts, seeds, chocolate, corn, cabbage, cheese, other dairy products, fried foods, any other foods that you have eaten prior to onset. Give the feverfew time to work without consuming the suspect foods. If it works and the migraines stop (or are greatly reduced) start trying the foods again, one at a time. Try a food one time and wait three days, if you have no onset, try it again for three days. If you have no problem with that food, you can try another. I do not eat most dairy products, aspartame, msg, smoked/cured foods, or onions. Garlic is no problem. I have to eat a lot of cheese, but sometimes one glass of wine is enough.

Please e-mail me if any of this works for you, or you have questions.

Best of luck,

---Teri goodkids@flash.net

Can anyone tell me if they've had severe headaches with epidurals? After I had my last child, in April 1996, I had a horrible headache within 5 days. I was already home from the hospital and had to be rushed to the emergency room with severe head and neck pain accompanied by vomiting. I had had an epidural and a c-section - the only thing that could have triggered such pain. (Along with sleep deprivation!)

I was 29 at the time, and had been suffering with migraines since age 23. This was no migraine! My migraines always occur on the right side of my head and neck, and THIS pain was on top of my head and all the way down my spine if I moved just right.

Nothing took the pain away. During the course of that day at home, and with the advice of my OB, I'd taken Tylenol, Excedrin, Vicodin, another prescription drug which I can't recall, and finally Phenergen suppositories when vomiting set in. At the emergency room, I had two shots each of Phenergen and Demerol and continued to vomit and have unbearable pain! The pain was so horrible that I gladly would have chosen labor pains over this - any time!

I have a friend who is a nurse in labor and delivery at Parkland Hospital here in Dallas, and she's heard of one instance where a woman suffered an intense headache shortly after epidural and delivery. It WAS somehow related to the epidural. I just know mine was, too, but can't prove it. Mine occured five days after delivery, though.

---Has anyone ever heard of this? Please e-mail me: SRCSS@aol.com

Rhonda and others,

I happened to "trip up" on your diary pages while looking for a possible "new" med for my basal migraines. Wow! at the info. I feel like I've finally found someone out there who really understands just what a real migraine headache is. (As we say, if you haven't had one, you just don't know!)

Last March (1997) I was introduced to a new neurologist who specialized in treatment of migraines. He started me on a small dosage of an anti-seizure medicine, depakote. Up to this time I was on tenormin, elavil, cafergot, blood thinners....you name it! These were just for the prevention of, not the treatment for. I took Mepergan, Stadol spray, and even tried Imitrix (I, like so many, couldn't tolerate it, unfortunately). Then, for the nauseau it was phenergan pills or suppositories. Of course, dark rooms, no noise, cold rags, etc. was a must.

One trip to the emergency room resulted in learning a "trick" one of the nurses told me about: try putting an ice bag on your head. Believe it or not, it will work --- sometimes.

I am now taking 1250 mg of Depakote a day. I wish I could say the migraines have disappeared. If I can get by with just one a week, I feel I've been blessed. I've been told the type I have causes "mini-strokes", which can result in a major stroke. I've had to learn to tell the difference.

My prayers are for all of those who are true migraine sufferers; and, hey, maybe someone out there will really find a "cure" to help us out.

---Diane in South Carolina (walls1@bellsout.net)

Hi I'm 30 yrs old and have been suffering all kinds of headaches for about 15 years now. I have noticed that the headaches gets worse after each childbirth. I now have two young children and my headaches for the last 2 years would occur on a daily basis and would be more intense. Right now I am dependent on Escig Plus tabs, Paxil, and Propranolol and can not live without them. If I go a day without Escig then I would not be able to function normally. I have not missed a day of work thanks to Escig but is this something I need to depend on for rest of my life? I have been taking 8 tabs a day when the recommended dosage is 1 every 12 hours, and yes like some of you say, the side effect is that it makes you airy but that is far better than getting a migrane and vomitting and getting all sick.

I hear that acupunture helps, but I also hear it does not.. I do not know what to do at this point and basically I'm just feeling that if what I'm doing now works, stick to it. I excercise regularly and do not consume a lot of caffeine. I was shocked last weekend when I found out that my 11 year old nephew also experience headaches frequently and is on a prescribed medication. The doctors are basically no help!

---granfors@erols.com

I would like to hear from anyone who has had experience with the drug Stadol NS. Eventhough it is now a Schedule IV drug, many claim fast and effective relief of migraines; however others, even with the relief, feel that they have become dependant on the drug...even beyond the need to alleviate pain. Please send me your experiences or call me toll free.

---David Shapiro
1-800-500-0729
Dabensha@aol.com