Hello fellow Migraneurs; It has been a few days since my last posting and I thought that I would write and let you know how things are going. Well, things stink...I have had a headache this week that will not go away. I have had three shots since Saturday and still the headache is there, though not as bad today as before. I am out of Stadol and Fioricet so I have nothing to take at this poin except the FeverFew Nasal Spray. I am told that I should be taking this drug on a daily basis and I will try that, but I am afraid that this headache is so far gone that nothing will help at this point and I will just have to wait it out. My doctor told me yesterday that he will not order me any other medication until one week has passed. That is a real bummer because my husband wants to go visit his parents at the lake next week and I will have to go without any medication. You all wish me luck with that trip and give me your OTC cures for headaches just in case I need something. I am not even sure if I had to go to the ER in the town where they are located if they would accept my insurance...if not that could be a pretty expensive trip. a short message to those wanting to know how to send e-mail, if you click on the name you should be able to send it with no trouble...if you experience trouble then use your own e-mail program to send a note, you'll just have to write down the e-mail address so that you can send it. Also some have been a bit lax in putting in their e-mail address and they are incomplete or their account with AOL or whatever is not up to date and so their mail is forwarded back with a fatal error. So I guess my advice to all that want feedback...put in the correct e-mail address or else you won't get any response. I hope that this does not make people angry, that is the last thing that I want to do. I am here to help and to comismerate since we are all in this Migraine Boat together. Thanks for listening.
Linda
Linda <llong@terraowrld.net>
Coffeyville, KS USA - Fri Jul 31 15:43:49 1998
I’ve been reading this journal for about a month now and I’ve become addicted to it in a good sense. Everyone who writes here seems so real and I’m honored to be among these fellow sufferers. I appreciate the prayers people offer and the venting of real life experiences, sharing of what works and doesn’t work in seeking migraine relief. I thank the person who maintains this website and hope it continues.
It has become a daily reading for me and a source of solace.
I have a question that I hope somebody can write back to me on. I’ve been taking Esgic Plus for several years now and it’s been pretty good. My doctor is liberal with the prescriptions but doesn’t seem to have much more information than I already have by reading headache literature. I know that in the past I overdid this Esgic and at one point was up to 18 a week. So then I completely detoxed and now I only take 3 a week and am careful not to go over. However I get headaches sometimes 5 or even 7 days a week. So then I have to suffer without the med. Recently I’ve tried supplementing my 3 per week of Esgic with Sumatriptan. My question is how many Sumatriptans a week could I be able to take in addition to 3 Esgics per week without getting rebound headaches? I have heard that Imitrex does produce rebounds. If I take 3 Esgics per week and then start taking some Imitrex is it like just taking another Esgic or am I “allowed” to take a few Imitrex also before they start kicking in with their own rebound effects?
I have heard that Naratriptan (here in Ireland and England this is sold by the name Midrig but it’s the same as Amerge) doesn’t have the rebound effect. I tried one just today but it didn’t bring any relief to the headache.
I would appreciate anyone who has experience with these things sharing it with me.. And if there is anything I can share to help others I’d like to do that.
Steve G. <caranaravinda@tinet.ie>
- Fri Jul 31 14:28:37 1998
Hi everyone! Guess what? My doc has decided to admit me to the hospital on Wed August 5th for 3 days to detox from ALL of my pain meds/narcotics that I have to use to abort my migraine pain. He said that it was necessary becuz that is the only way my pain receptors will be working properly. They will also do a complete updated work up on me. I will be placed on a preventive once I am totally O r>
Millville, ma USA - Wed Jul 22 17:10:40 1998
that is so wierd that your name is ronda. that is my name too.please help me .i hear help me rhonda every day of my life.
rhonda
ft lauderdale, fl USA - Wed Jul 22 11:08:18 1998
that is so wierd that your name is ronda. that is my name too.please help me .i hear help me rhonda every day of my life.
rhonda
ft lauderdale, fl USA - Wed Jul 22 11:08:03 1998
Hello, to all my friends at the journal. I'm back! and feeling great. You may remember I said I'd be gone for a while, going home to Miami to retrieve the "little girl" of my past. Well, I went, I saw, I am relieved. It is all in the past now where it belongs. I am living for today now. I feel like I am starting over in a sense. I have taken my life back from the docs. For three weeks after my spinal tap, my headaches were completely GONE! Then like magic, they mysteriously reappeared a week ago Monday and have been back everyday again. Now, that sounds to me like a connection to my spinal fluid. I've just gotten back, but I intend to tell my family doctor I want this checked out as a possible culprit. I have gotten rid of my neurologist who simply overdrugged me. I applied for disablility, which I apparently won't have trouble getting, but BUT, I do not want this. I want to work and BE NORMAL. I must work for fullfillment, sanity. I don't want to feel I'm giving my life over to these headaches. I was in hell recently with my headaches. Today, I AM IN CONTROL. I will be healthier. I am looking for a fulfilling job that works around my family(we all need a good job since this is where we spend much of our day), I want to begin swimming laps for NECESSARY exercise(most other forms cause increased headache pain), I am eating more healthy foods, I am taking vitamins(not in excess), I have a counselor for the purpose of stress relief. I still need to deal with losing my dad suddenly a few years ago(and more relatives since). But that is a good thing. I CHOSE to think of all of this as progress, as steps TOWARD a healthy happy life. I am spending more time with my family, my sisters, my mother, grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins. I am lucky to have a large family here in Richmond. I am taking advantage of it!!!!. Support is key. I don't want to feel supported by drugs. I have found myself distracted by a simple family dinner gettogether and found myself free of pain. Now if that doesn't tell me, love happiness, support, distractions, stress free time aren't answers, what is? The drugs AREN'T the answer. I know the doctors are in the dark, whether they admit it or not. If I can give any advice, it's this: listen to your own body and soul, do what you know in your heart is truly right for you, be TRUE AND HONEST with yourself, place yourself around positive supportive(and hopefully, loving) people(if direct family is not an option), find an excersize(if only very little in the beginning) that is NOT painful and works for you, pay attention to what you eat, check your vitamin intake, whether from foods are artificially, take time to THINK of what makes you happy and take steps to incorporate that into your everyday life, commit yourself TO yourself. It is up to you. Anyone out there who is fed up with the docs and still in pain, YOU know what I mean here. We must take back our lives! Only we know truly what we need for ourselves. Do whatever it takes to get better. Take baby steps, just make sure they are steps forward, and DON'T kick yourself for setbacks. I am still having to take some of the meds, BUT I am taking necessary steps to deal with the pain in other ways. Sometimes a simple distraction works. I go see my family for dinner, take my grandmother for her shopping, involve myself in my kids, IT WORKS! And it's without ANY drugs. Sometimes, yes I still may reach for the meds, but it is a gradual process of taking control of my life and getting away from the meds for good. I don't care how long this will take. I am better every minute every day just because I know I am constantly working toward my goal, albeit with baby steps. As my wise Aunt told me on the 4th of July--"You can think negative and make negative decisions daily---OR-- you can chose to think positive and when faced with making a decision you chose the one you know is positive, and doing this regularly, consistantly can only improve your daily life in every way, and thus, help you live a better life, feel better day to day". This I think of often, it helps me to improve my overall health, ON MY OWN, without drugs, without hopelessness--that's negative. I refuse to allow it to taint my life. TAKE CONTROL!
I understand the pain of migraines. I hope something I've said helps even one person. I'd like to hear from anyone who finds these suggestions to be helpful, even just a little. It helps each of us to know something helps.
Good luck to you all. I do think of my fellow suffers often. Write anytime you like. TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOURSELVES!
Sincerely,
Cindy
Cindy Lincoln <clincoln@richmond.infi.net>
Richmond, Va USA - Wed Jul 22 9:25:37 1998
Dear Ones, Hi. it's me, Jeri. I'm still praying for us all everyday. God has blessed me with almost three pain-free weeks, now. Since March I've been in a cycle of having a severe migraine every two weeks...the headache lasting 48 to 60 hours. Most of these have been on the weekends, so work was not impacted. (Thank you, Lord).Since we are all in a state of constant exploration and experimentation with processes and products and our own body chemistry, I offer this: I have long since given up all caffeine products, wine and chocolate. When I would try to re-introduce any of those, the next headache would be 10 times worse. I can really tell a difference in them when I do and don't ingest these things. Because I'm a "sweets" freak, I over-use artificial sweeteners, trying to cut back on sugar to keep from getting too fat. My husband recently said that he would like to see me give them up and use sugar instead. I did just that after that last headache over the July 4th weekend. Well, when my two-week cycle rolled around, the "migraine event" came right on schedule, but...now get this...NO PAIN! The whole package of muscle involvement on the right side of my head came, but in a very phantom-like manner. It was like having the giant claw hovering next to my head...it just never grabbed me. The event lasted from 2AM - 10PM....very short for one of my migraines. Needles to say, I was incredulous when it finally left. The whole time I was expecting it to grab hold and bring me to my knees as usual, and for them next two days I expected it to turn and come at me again...but, it didn't.
Here are some other points to consider for those of us who are not in pain everyday. It behooves us to be in the best possible shape we can be in...to take good care of these bodies. Long agao I gave up the pain-killer cycle. They cause too much damage and deterioration to the body, and, as you read all these entries, you can see that none of these vast amounts of chemicals has a permanent effect. They all fail eventually, leaving us with weaker bodies and probably even more prone to migraine than before.When mine hit, I just endure until they're over. I know the duration wil be from 48 - 60 hours and I just survive till then. WHat I have ingested in the days prior has a definite effect on the severity of the pain...For me, that is a positive. So, Dear Ones, byt eh Grace of God, I seem to have located another substance that may have been causing my pain to be greater. I will never ingest artificial sweeteners again.My daily prayer for us goes something like: Dearest Lord, thank you that I am not in pain right now.(If I'm in the midst of a headache, I say...pls give me the grace to get through these days as best as possible.)FOr all those in pain right now, Lord, I ask you to relieve their suffering...comfort them physically and spiritually and strengthen them. Help us all to find the cure that's right for us..help us to lean on You throug SA - Tue Jul 14 10:20:03 1998
I am 80 and have had one day migraines since I was about 6 years old. In 1946 began using Cafergot. If taken as soon as I feel it arriving, it never takes more than than 3 tablets to stop. If I run 3-5 miles, it stops. I have been a runner since I was 14, and have found that my best performances were while in the throes of migraine. I have never found the answer to what happens if one takes more than 6-10 tabs per weeks. Anyone know? Reply if possible. Thanks mucho, JB
J. B. Outlaw <outlaw@tyler.net>
Tyler, TX USA - Tue Jul 14 8:52:05 1998
Hi
I am a fellow migraine sufferer in Africa. Are there any side effects to taking Sanomigran and propranolol because lately I have noticed a rash on my hands and feet. Is this a sign that I should panic?
Help!!
Lorraine <moses@ilo.org>
Harare, Zimbabwe - Tue Jul 14 5:12:04 1998
