hi there. my name is gayle and i'm 29 years old. this is a great site. i've suffered from migraines for about 12 years now. over the past year or so, i've been blacking out. the last blackout was when i was getting a snack for my four year old daughter and i turned around to give it to her. that's the last thing i remember. the next thing i know, my daughter was sitting on my chest trying to hold my eyes open. a new symptom started about three weeks ago, i stated hearing a very high pitched whining noise in my left ear and could not hear anything out of my right and the world went dim for about ten seconds or so. anyone else have this happen? my migraines have been lasting about 30-40 days at a time, measuring in intnsity. on occasion, whether it's a severe one or not, i have a searing pain shoot down the side of by head. it literally brings me to my knees with pain. my doctor just put me on paxil and fioricet. imatrex, midrin and inderal no longer work and i almost laugh when friend offers me a tylenol or advil. i know thaey mean well, but you guys understand. i'm scheduled for an mri and eeg tomorrow. eek!! they're wanting to rule about a tumor or electrical seizures. thanks for listening and i hope you are all feeling well.
gayle <kbearsmom@aol.com>
canton, ga USA - Date: 10/05/98 (Mon)
Time: 09:21:47 PM
As common as they say migranes are... I have not known anyone that understood my definition of "headache" until I read the many stories included in this journal. Trying to live your entire life between headaches. It is my first conscious thought everyday... searching for pain and if not pain the sensations that tell me the pain is coming. How many years I spent with my family physician, blaming it on "stress" and prescribing pain killers that had no effect and would just add to my vomiting that much earlier. My children grew up asking me "if you don't have a headache can we???". The terrible pain that you cannot begin to describe to someone with "normal" headaches. I am 42, having suffered with migrane headaches for at least 12-15 years... I know I have lost years of my life. After cat scans and an MRI I was finally diagnosed with migranes and was sent to an neurologist. Imitrex gave me my life back. I have some control now. Although I don't like the effects, they are not as bad as the migrane. I have also been prescribed Anaprox and Bellamine-S as prevetatives. I still have what I call "brain spasms" with intense and sharp pain shooting from different points in my head. I find that if I drink 2 cups of caffine in the morning it helps "ward off" a migrane. I also continue to have break through migranes and am still dependent on Imitrex.
Doctors seem to be so inclined to blame womens pain on stress. My migraines certainly added to it. I just know that for at least 11 years of going to the doctor no one heard me until I told them that if I was a dog they would have put me to sleep a long time ago. I would not have been left to suffer. I no longer wanted to live. The quality of my life was not there. Finally, I was given Imitrex.
There is no way for me to get back the lost time. The memory of the pain so intense that I pushed against my forehead so hard I left bruises. I have gained 25 pounds over the past 7 months since I am able to consistently eat and keep food down.
I am sorry that anyone else suffers with migranes; but, I see my own struggle in all of those I have read on this journal. Somehow I don't feel so alone.
Linda C. <pcarey@tcon.net>
Indpls, IN USA - Date: 10/05/98 (Mon)
Time: 09:21:24 PM
i have suffered from migraines since i was a teenager, once missing school for nine full days. for a year before and after my daughter was born nine years ago i went with no headaches and believed i was over them. in the last several years the pain has not so much gotten worse as it has started lasting longer. the most recent migraine i had lasted for 13 days. i take midrin for mild attacks and and imitrex pills and shots for bad attacks. in my experience imitrex does not work on me and tends to make me more nauseous and tingly. i have recently started on paxil 20 mg. per day and a new med called amerge. it seemed to work effeciently, but they always do at first. being a member of a family with a long line of female sufferers has made it at least easy to talk and compare notes. i hope that my child will not develop these headaches, but fear that she will since i often find her in a dark room with no noise when she complains of a headache. i hope the last episode will be my final one lasting that long. the pain is unbearable. i did get some relief when i got my back adjusted at the doctor. good luck everyone
toni <womanknight@yahoo.com>
lufkin, tx USA - Date: 10/05/98 (Mon)
Time: 08:19:38 PM
I just wanted to let everyone know about a GREAT drug I came accross last week. I suffer from horrible migraines as so do all of you and I use to result to Vicodin on a regular occassion until now! My doctor gave me something called Esgic Plus. It has a lot of caffien so I only use half a tablet and about 30 minutes later my migraine is gone! The first time in 20 years I have found a drug that doesn't make me feel like doo doo. Just passing along something that really works for me. Good luck everyone!
Debbie <gentle_fem@yahoo.com>
Santa Ana, CA USA - Date: 10/05/98 (Mon)
Time: 02:48:25 PM
To Lemur451...I would like to e-mail you but your address is not complete...please e-mail me your correct address. Thanks. Linda
Linda <llong@terraworld.net>
Coffeyville, KS USA - Date: 10/05/98 (Mon)
Time: 02:03:19 PM
Back again,
just to comment on maxalt which i am currently on depakote as preventive
ive been on imitrex amerge and soo many other and i mean so many i just
cant remember or just forgot because they didnt work. So far I
pefer imitrex shots over everything but it just doesnt last. Well this is
just my comment on maxalt and amerge which cost more than imitrex
EDDIE
USA - Date: 10/05/98 (Mon)
Time: 01:19:23 PM
I have had migraines since I was a teenager(I'm 42). My dad and his sisters have them. I take Elavil and Verlan daily. I keep Imitrex and Phenergan injections but they do not always help. I usually wake up with a headache every day and it is so hard to get up and go to work. I have worked for a company for 1 year as contract labor. They will not hire me because I cannot work the hours like the other ladies in the office due to the headaches and that would cause problems. I wish that I knew if this was discrimination and what could be done about the situation. And if I do file a complaint, would they just fire me eventually? If anyone has a suggestion, please reply.
Thanks
Retha Canon <canonr@patenergy.com>
Snyder, TX USA - Date: 10/05/98 (Mon)
Time: 12:25:29 PM
