Wow. Great site. Mine started when I was 9 years old. I thought I was going to die or at least have a stroke. Now I'm 33 and have gone through so many tests. The pain is terrible, but so is the guilt. Having to call in sick to work nearly every week, praying that my boss doesn't call my house and feeling that the next day that I do come to work I'll be fired for having taken a day off. How does one explain it without coming across as a "poor me" case? Of course my employer requires a doctor's note if you take a sick day, but how does one drive a car do the doc when you can't even see straight? I have one doctor's note that I re-use.
I'm amazed at people who have never even had a regular headache. Then, I'm amazed that when I endure an attack, that I don't have some sort of brain damage. Of course the advice is to get a low-stress job and take time to relax. Has anyone tried this yet in today's job market? Nearly impossible without going into poverty.
Migraines are debilitating and disabling, but to claim disability belies the fact that I'm without pain more than I'm in a migraine maze. I like to work, I like my hobbies, I'm intelligent, I have an illness-migraine. Not an illness like any other, but an illness none the less.
For example, after two days of pain, I came into work today. My boss is off. I feel it coming on again. Do I go home? Do I stay and take a nap? Can I afford to lose the money if I leave? Will I be fired if I go? If I stay, will my co-workers think that I'm angry or arrogant just because my eyes are slits and I'm not smiling?
How do some of you handle work and migraine? I do need some advice. Thanks for reading what is probably such a typical story to you by now. Help welcome. Thanks.
David Lewis <wiccanman4@aol.com>
chicago, il USA - Wed Jun 10 12:36:16 1998
Hello, fellow migraine sufferers! I am so relieved to find so many other people who feel the same pain I do. I am a 30 y.o./F with a 9 year history of migraines. It all started after a car accident in '89. At the time, I was having daily tension headaches and migraine attacks 3 - 4 times/year. Now I have 2 migraines/week and constant bad tension headaches. I have seen an allergist, an ENT doctor, many neurologists and doctors, and have tried biofeedback therapy. I currently have a chiropracter and acupuncturist. I have been seeing the acupuncturist for about 3 weeks now and receive temporary relief, but will have to wait and see if it will help long-term. Although I had a migraine today and had to receive a DHE45/Toradol/Phenergan shot, it had been a week since I had migraine. I also take herbal medication from the acupuncturist. I take Periactin, Serzone, and Fiorinal. For the woman that took 30 Fiorinal in two weeks, that is very unsafe. Rebound headaches can keep you in pain on a daily basis. I have learned from the past that if you're taking it that often, your body has developed an immunity and it doesn't work anymore. I only take Fiorinal when I feel a severe headache coming on. I take two, and that's it for the day. I take Excedrin periodically, but other times, I just ride out the pain and find that some of them do improve in time. I think all of us have learned to develop a high tolerance for pain. Imitrex does not work for me. Migranol does, but costs $79 for only 4 doses! (nasal spray)
I live in Sacramento, CA, and am looking for a Headache/Migraine Clinic. Does anyone know of a clinic in this city? I have been searching to no avail. My doctor is confident that with all the research that has been done for migraines that there will soon be an effective medication/prevention for all sufferers. Hang in there! I know sometimes it takes every ounce of energy to do that, but what other choice do we have? I'm not giving up.
Cheri <Petercheri@aol.com>
Sacramento, CA USA - Tue Jun 9 23:59:53 1998
I AM A 35 YEAR OLD MALE WITH A THREE MONTH HEADACHE IN THE TOP OF MY HEAD WITH BRINGS ON MIGRAINES. I HAVE MISSED 2 AND 1/2 MONTHS WORK . NEO JUST GAVE UP.GOT TO FIND A GOOD ONE IN ARKANSAS. IF YOU KNOW OF ONE EMAIL ME AT SWANKY1@prodigy.net
DANIEL SHELMAN
MALVERN, AR USA - Tue Jun 9 22:30:54 1998
HAVE HAD MIGRAINES SINCE ABOUT THE AGE OF 5 AM 40 NOW
WOW I REMEMBER THEY WOULD ALWAYS SEEM TO RUIN THE FAMILY
PLANS FOR TRIPS VACATIONS AND OTHER FUN ACTIVITIES.
I GET ABOUT 3 OR 4 SEVERE HEADACHES NOW PER WEEK. BEFOR THE
LATEST DRUGS I LIVED OFF OF EXEDRIN FOR MANY MANY YEARS TAKING
UP TO 22 IN ONE DAY JUST TO RELEIVE PAIN. IT SEEMS LIKE LATELY
IVE TRIED JSUT ABOUT EVERYTHING. IMETRIX INJECTIONS WAS THE
WONDER DRUG FOR ME. BUT IT SEEMS THAT AFTER 6HRS THE HEADACHE
COMES BACK. I LIVE OFF IMITREX PILLS NASAL SPRAY AND INJECTIONS
THE THING IS MY INSURANCE LIMITS MY PRESCRIPTIONS AND SUBJECTED
TO TAKING MEDICATION WISELY.
IVE HAD SEVERAL BRAIN SCANS AND THEY FOUND NO APEARANT PROBLEMS
BEEN TO CHIROPRACTORS SPECIALIST AND QUACKS AND THEY FOUND
NOTHING.
ANYBODY KNOW A GOOD PREVENTIVE MEDICINE THAT HELPS CONTROL
HEADACHES
ITS KILLING ME
WELL THATS MY STORY
EDDIE <EJVILLA@PACBELL>
CA USA - Tue Jun 9 21:26:10 1998
This update is for my mom who has Basilar Migraines.
Hi I am a 54 year old female who was just diagnosed with Basilar Migraines. Here are my symptoms. The migraine starts with spots before my eyes,numbness and tingling in my arms. I have no severe headache however I stagger, am very light headed, when these headaches are the worst , I lose control of my speech, my muscles and nerves in my body. The only way to describe it is my body acts like someone with cerebral palsy, my speech is slurred to the point my husband can't understand me.(inside my head I feel I am talking normal.) These severe attacks also cause vomiting,and the room spins out of control. Please if theres anyone that has these same symptomsget in touch with my daughter her address is listed in the journal. By the way these attacks vary from 3 to 4 hours to as long as 24 hours before i feel normal again to function. I usually stay in bed I was put on CALAN for blood pressure which hasn't really helped. Thank you .
joanne <mopar34069@aol.com>
doylestown, oh USA - Tue Jun 9 18:51:02 1998
I'm a 52 year old female suffering with daily migraines for the past two and a half years. Before that I had 6-12 migraines a year starting when I was about 23. These earlier migraines typically started around 2 o'clock in the afternoon at which time I would have to leave work, lie down, and try to sleep. If I caught it at the right time, I'd sleep and by midnight the headache was gone. If not, I suffered, got nauseaous, etc. I never took anything for them. By the next day, they were gone though. For the last two and half years my life has been run by my headaches. I now have one a day --usually combined with neck pain and "clicking" in the neck -- and feel totally at the mercy of the migraines. Have seen 3 neurologists, a chiropracter, an allergist and if someone told me to see the witch doctor, I'd do it. Imitrex completely relieves the pain for me, but I'm worried about taking it too frequently. I've been on elavil and pamelor - both worked for a while but caused me to gain weight and feel really tired. I've been on calan, inderal, etc. but I feel I can't do my job when I take them. I'm an engineer responsible for 15 people and have much work-related stress because we're deadline driven. Most of the meds make it impossible for me to think clearly and make decisions. My current neurologist has no end of drugs to try on me and they're starting to worry me. Last week alone I had 8 different prescriptions filled. I'm now using depakote and librium twice a day as "preventers." Just finished 12 days of prednisone to "stop the cycle." I take Midrin or Esgic for mild to moderate headaches. With the latest mix of drugs, I'm now waking up in the middle of the night with a headache which never happened before. I'm ready to give up now and declare myself an invalid, even though between headaches I'm in perfect health. Does this pattern sound familiar to anyone out there ? I'd also like to hear more about experiences with disability. How does one pursue it ? Can't work anymore.
Diane
Diane Wynne <dwynne@csc.com>
Linwood, NJ USA - Tue Jun 9 13:44:54 1998
Hi All:
Its been a while since I've written in the journal. Things aren't going well here. I want to know why the neuro's don't just give you what actually works for you. Yesterday was my latest visit to the headache clinic (supposedly one of the best in the country). The doc decided to try me on zoloft. Whats anyone know about zoloft. So far it seems to be making me pretty tired and cant have that with a nine month old already walking. Just took me off migrinal because of heart palputations and sweats and etc. Looking for help other than the doc's. Been to 6 different ones. Please email.
Chrissi
Chrissi <Well2build@aol.com>
Pittsburgh, pa USA - Tue Jun 9 13:02:12 1998
