Case Histories - January 1998 (5/9)

Dear Rhonda:

Today, January 12, 1998, I was seen by the Pain Management M.D. at Kaiser Permanente in Parma, Ohio. My husband (who suffers cluster headaches), my mother (who suffered severe migraines until age 50) and my brother (who also suffers migraines), all accompanied me. I felt there would be strength in numbers!

I was told by the doctor that they want to try me on a holistic approach, i.e., diet, meditation, group therapy, visualization, etc. As I believe I stated before I am 44 years old and have been there tried that as the kids say!! My next statement is extremely important...they want to REMOVE me from ALL opioid analgisics. Just Tylenol etc.! Needless to say I am livid!! I would like to grab one of these doctors but his scrotum and squeeze as hard as I could and ask him , "now do you think visualization is going to help this pain!!! (smile, I'm warped)

At any rate, while I was at his office I had a major migraine episode, vomiting, diarrhea, photophobia, the works. My family had to insist that he give me an injection to relieve my pain, otherwise he would have discharged me with no treatment at all!! I thought the physicians creed was "First do no harm".

So, he sends me to E.R. and I received an injection of Demerol and Visteral. But mind you, he did not give me any homegoing medications. He is full aware I have 3 to 4 migraines a week, sometimes more. Like I said, I AM LIVID!!!

If there is any doctors or people that are within the Cleveland, Ohio Kaiser system please feel free to e-mail me if you have any advice and/or solutions to my problem. I am afraid of the consequenses of my having no analgisics at my disposal. Oh, I forgot to mention I have high blood pressure that goes through the roof when I have a migraine episode...the doctors don't seem to be concerned with that either.

Thanks,

---Debbietye@aol.com

well i was just diagnosed w/ migraine headaches. and was wondering why these happen and how sever can they get?

---Ead20@aol.com

Hello my name is Lisa, and I am a 18 year old college student. I have had migraines since I was 15. I have tried different things to try and find out why I have migraines. I also have headaches once in a while, but I can cure those with regular advil. I have kept a journal of what I ate before my migraine to see if I may be allergic to something but nothing has added up. Sometimes I think it may be sinsus but certain days during the weather I should have them a I dont. I live in Michigan so the weather change is sometimes drastic. I used to have them at least once a month every month and it would last from 3 to 6 hours. My migraines always make me have to throw up after about an hour it first comes on. I have been to the doctors and have had cat scans done, they do not know what causes them. Every day I wake up hoping I do not have a migraine that day. The only thing I can do after I get a migraine is go to sleep because the pain and pressure hurt so much it makes me tired. I would like to know some information on stadol if anyone has tried it to see if it works or anyother information. Thanks for this web page I hope someday they will find a cure for all migraine sufferers. My e-mail address Jmang13376@aol.com

----Lisa

Dear Ronda,

I am 18 years old and I have a girlfriend that is sixteen. I have been seeing her for almost a year now and am really scared about her health. Just like most people who visit your web site she suffers from severe migraine headaches.

Last week she almost suffered a stroke due to her age and the amount of medicine that she was taking. After being rushed to a docter in a town two hours away and having several x-rays they said that she was very lucky that she didnt have a stroke. Being a young girl (16) and taking birth control and taking pain killers to help her head mixed together caused her blood to thickin. She awoke with her right side of her body knumb and her speech impaired. The result of not enough blood reaching the left side of her brain.

Often when she has these severe migraines she cant see very well and her head has lots of pressure on it. To say the least this challenges our relationship and scares the both of us. I am very concerned about her and hope to help her

If anyone has any suggestions for me please write @ ryoung@sault.com I appreciate this web site and those who write.

Thanx... Ryan

HELLO FELLOW MIGRANE SUFFERERS!!

I HAVE BEEN READING ALL YOUR ENTRIES & REALIZING THAT I AM NOT 1/2 AS CRAZY AS I THOUGHT... THANKS TO MUCH NEGITIVE REINFORCEMENT FROM COUNTLESS "MEDICAL HELP"!!! I AM 27 (YIKES!) AND HAVE HAD HEADACHES ALL MY LIFE. HOWEVER, I HAVE HAD "CLASSIC INTRACTIBLE MIGRANES" (ACCORDING TO 2 NEUROLOGISTS NOW) FOR ABOUT A YEAR & A 1/2. I HAVE TRIED LOTS OF PROPHYLATIC DRUGS TO NO AVAIL. CALCIUM CHANNEL BLOCKERS, ANTI-DEPRESSANTS, ANTIHYSTIMINES, & MANY OTHERS. I ALSO HAVE ASTHMA SO CANNOT USE BETA BLOCKERS. AS FAR AS ABORTIVE TREATMENT WELL... I CAN'T TAKE IMITREX, MIDRIN DOESN'T WORK 4 ME ,FIORNAL/ FIORCET ONLY WORKS WHEN IT CONTAINS CODINE, DHE ALSO DOESN'T WORK ,AS WELL AS TORADOL. SO WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO 4 ME IS THE BIG N... NARCOTICS. THEY LEAVE ME KNOCKED OUT... BUT GET RID OF THE MIGRANE. THE LESSER OF 2 EVILS AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.

I HAVE BEEN MARRIED SINCE NOV. OF 96. I HAD MY 1ST MIGRAINE THAT SUMMER BEFORE. I REFUSE TO CALL THEM HEADACHES ANYMORE BECAUSE I'VE HAD HEADACHES & THESE ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!! I GET AN AURA PHASE, SOMETIMES. I ALWAYS GET NAUSEA, PHOTOPHOBIA, SENSITIVITY TO SOUND, FREQUENT URINATION, FEVER, ELEVATED BLOOD PRESSURE, COLD HANDS & FEET. I HAVE TRIED MANY NON-NARCOTIC ABORTIVE TREATMENTS. I HAVEN'T HAD ANY LUCK THOUGH... I'VE HAD BAD TO ALLERGIC REACTIONS TO MANY. SOME EVEN LEFT ME IN AN ANXIOUS STATE WITH SEVERE VERTIGO. NEEDLESS TO SAY I DIDN'T GET ANY REST! AND THE DR. WHO GAVE ME THAT TOLD ME TO CONTINUE TO USE THAT TREATMENT!!! I HAVE HAD DRS. TREAT ME LIKE A JUNKIE. I HAD ONE TELL ME THAT IF I HAD A SHOT OF TORADOL AND SLEPT THAT I COULD NOT IN ANY WAY HAVE A MIGRANE.... REGARDLESS OF MY SYMPTOMS!! SO MY FAITH IN DRS. HAS INEVITIABLY GONE SOUR. MY HUSBAND IS IN THE MILITARY SO HEALTH CAREN ISN'T THE BEST TO BEGIN WITH. HOWEVER SOME OF MY WORST ER EXPIRENCES HAVE BEEN IN CIVILLIAN HOSPITALS.

I WISH I COULD FIND A DR. WHO DOESN'T TREAT ME LIKE A JUNKIE OR A HYPOCONDRIAC. I'M ALL FOR PROPHYLLACTIC TREATMENT BUT IF I'M LAYING THERE WITH A FULL BLOWN MIGRAINE, FLASHING LIGHTS & ALL, I NEED A SHOT NOT AN ATTITUDE!!! I HAVE TOLD MY HUSBAND COUNTLESS TIMES THAT I WISH JUST ONCE I COULD GIVE ONE OF THOSE CONDESENDING DRS. ONE OF MY MIGRANES & THEN SAY "I'M SORRY BUT I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU NARCOTICS." I DON'T THINK THEY'D BE SO SNOTTY THE NEXT TIME THEY SAW A MIGRAINE PATIENT!

WELL THANX 4 THE EAR, SHOLDER, OR OTHER PART IT TOOK TOOK 4 ME TO BLOW OFF SOME STEAM! I FEEL MUCH BETTER NOW.... 'TILL MY NEXT MIGRAINE ANYWAY!

MANY PAIN FREE DAYS 2 Y'ALL

---k7073@flinthills.com

Dear Rhonda,

Ive been getting migranes for about six months now. My brother is 8 and he used to get severe migranes until his doctor put him on a diet. I have tried the diet for about two weeks now, and it works for me. I dont eat anything that has MSG in it. (Monosodium Glutemate). I found out it can cause migranes. I also dont eat chocolate or caffeine. I used to have a headache everyday. I didnt sleep. I always called is sick for work. It was ruining my life. I also was depressed the whole time because I couldnt go out and do anything. I was always stuck at home. Now I am feeling a lot better. My mother has helped me by always keeping food that I could eat in the house. Most canned and pre-packaged food has MSG in it. I eat healthy food and all natural food. Thank You

---Heather GAR39@aol.com

HELLO, I am a 51 year old woman who has suffered from cluster headaches since 1971. They first began in the summer and lasted for a period of 6 weeks being one a day varying times during the day. They began with a slight twitch on the left side of my nose. Then a dull ache on the right side of my face. Then the pain progressed to an intense level behind my right eye. The pain was so severe that I was so anxious that I would get up and walk around pushing on my face with my hands. I tried taking sinus medicine, excedrin and took so much that I would be sick to my stomach. Nothing really helped. Then like a light switch they would stop at 6 weeks. Mostly they seemed to occur at season changes like from spring to summer (heat) and fall to winter (cold). I had MRIs and saw many doctors each with their own take on it but never diagnosed with cluster headaches until 1984 when I found a doctor who suffered from them also. He used oxygen treatment and niacin. I tried it but it was not convient for me as he would not allow me to have oxygen at home. I read up on the new information and found a medicine called Cafragot made by Sandoz. When I took the pills it took too long so we switched to suppositories. The side effects were pretty bad but I was willing to put up with them to get relief. I finally figured out that if I cut it in half the side effects were not so bad. Then quite by accident I discovered that if I put a hot damp cloth from the microwave on my neck at the base of my skull and held it there in conjunction with the cafragot the I could almost catch the onset before it got too bad. I am currently in the cycle now. The onset comes about 3:00 am and wakes me. I jump up and do the process. If I catch it in time the pain only lasts 30 minutes. If I don't catch it in time the pain can last for hours.

Now my cycle is down to maybe two weeks once a year instead of six weeks twice a year. I still don't like the effects of the cafragot and the doctor says it can be addictive plus it is very expensive. However, I have tried the new amtrex and some of the other shots and they don't seem to work.

I hope this information helps in some way.

---nshadwick@ctsi.nsn.us

Dear Rhonda,

I am a 31 year old female who has been getting headaches since I was 16. I can trace migraine suffers in my family back to my great grandmother and her sister who came her from Wales in the late 1800's. Growing up I always remember having my mother having migraines and being in bed. The only relieve either of us have had is imitrex, which unfortunate for me, I am being to become immune. I am trying to find any information about the long term effects and anything else that may work instead.

I even have a migraine now, I try to function the best I can. I currently in school so I need to find some help. And thank you for this web site, for I have found that a lot of people do not understand what we go through.

---KRAZYKMT@aol.com