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:: Chronic Migraines > Relief Please? ::
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| RosieTomatoe@gmail.com 2005-03-29, 7:13 pm |
| H E L L O,
I am a 44 year old woman, 3 months pregnant, whose suffered from
migraines since I was 13. Since I became pregnant, I've had a long
and painful cycle, which brought me to the ER 10 days ago. This was my
4 trip in 15 years. These days, I spend anywhere from 2 to 4 afternoons
in bed to 3 days a week. Needless to say, my personal, professional,
and psychological life is heavily suffering and on some days only
medication can help me through teaching my classes. On the average I
get a a migraine ever other day if I am lucky, but currently they occur
daily.
I was diagnosed with severe migraines in my early twenties and were
given Fiorinal with codeine then. Looking for ways to treat the source
as opposed to the symptoms, I looked for alternative medicine to
alleviate the pain in my early twenties.
Along the way, I did try traditional medicine and saw multiple MDs,
Neurologists (3), and a Clinical Psychologist; I had two MRIs, several
head CTs, two EEGs, and whatnot. Everything seems to be normal,
according to doctors.
Since then it's been an ongoing journey to get relief and I try to
refrain from taking much medication especially now that I am pregnant.
My ob/gyn is letting me take Zomig, Fiorinal and Fioricet with codeine
to get some relief. Of course I take as little as I can, but some days
I need to perform and so I just take it.
In the past 2 years, the Diamond Headache Clinic as well as an
independent neurologist have recommended preventive treatments such as
antidepressants (Vivactil) and/or anti-convulsions (Topomax), which I
have turned down as an option, as I was utterly uncomfortable taking a
pill each day. Plus the side effects greatly frightened me (possible
seizures, addiction, cognitive loss, etc). And so I've concentrated
on seeking alternative medicine like: Chiropractors (x6), Naturopath,
Osteopath, Acupuncturists (x3), Electrodermal testing, Ayurveda, and
Yoga. I should mention that I've taken quite a bit herbal supplements
(feverfew, Chinese herbs, lavender, etc.) and vitamins (B3, B6,
Calcium, Magnesium, and whatnot). Alternative medicine and supplements
helped some, but none have been a permanent solution.
In the last 2 weeks, I've decided to seek more alternative help and
have been seeing a chiropractor/acupuncturist. He recommends quitting
coffee as well as taking any medication with caffeine in it. His
reasoning is that it is a trigger migraines and is bound to cause
rebound ones. Zomig is fine as long as you take it maximum twice a
month, he says. Trying to follow his advice, I quit the morning
espresso, and are trying real hard to refrain form taking any
medication with caffeine. So far it's been sheer hell and the pain is
atrocious. Along with identifying all the food triggers, including
caffeine, and eliminating them from my daily diet see a long winding,
endless, painful road in front of me.
Each day that brings a migraine my spirit, faith, hope, and dreams, get
a little more crushed.
Thank you for taking th time to read this long diatribe. I just had to
get it out of my system.
Your words of wisdom, comments, experiences, recommendations, are truly
very much appreciated.
Best,
Rosie
| |
| Mel Lentz 2005-03-29, 7:13 pm |
| I can sympathize with your situation. I am 30 years old an pregnant
with triplets. I have had migraines since I was 7. I have had almost
constant HA's since becoming PG. Triptans don't work for me
unfortunately, but my OB and Perinatologist does not allow them. I
can take Tylenol 3, Percocet, and if needed Demerol. You can have
this med while PG. The doctor says that they have used it more that
the triptans and have had no side effects. I had it when I was PG
with my daughter for a kidney stone, and everything was fine. I would
talk to your OB....mine says it is better to get the pain relief than
to go through the pain for days on end, because it can increase your
blood pressure and is not good for the baby.
Hope you get some relief soon.
Allison
<RosieTomatoe@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1111462331.766328.204940@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> H E L L O,
>
>
> I am a 44 year old woman, 3 months pregnant, whose suffered from
> migraines since I was 13. Since I became pregnant, I've had a long
> and painful cycle, which brought me to the ER 10 days ago. This was
my
> 4 trip in 15 years. These days, I spend anywhere from 2 to 4
afternoons
> in bed to 3 days a week. Needless to say, my personal, professional,
> and psychological life is heavily suffering and on some days only
> medication can help me through teaching my classes. On the average I
> get a a migraine ever other day if I am lucky, but currently they
occur
> daily.
>
> I was diagnosed with severe migraines in my early twenties and were
> given Fiorinal with codeine then. Looking for ways to treat the
source
> as opposed to the symptoms, I looked for alternative medicine to
> alleviate the pain in my early twenties.
>
> Along the way, I did try traditional medicine and saw multiple MDs,
> Neurologists (3), and a Clinical Psychologist; I had two MRIs,
several
> head CTs, two EEGs, and whatnot. Everything seems to be normal,
> according to doctors.
>
> Since then it's been an ongoing journey to get relief and I try to
> refrain from taking much medication especially now that I am
pregnant.
> My ob/gyn is letting me take Zomig, Fiorinal and Fioricet with
codeine
> to get some relief. Of course I take as little as I can, but some
days
> I need to perform and so I just take it.
>
> In the past 2 years, the Diamond Headache Clinic as well as an
> independent neurologist have recommended preventive treatments such
as
> antidepressants (Vivactil) and/or anti-convulsions (Topomax), which
I
> have turned down as an option, as I was utterly uncomfortable taking
a
> pill each day. Plus the side effects greatly frightened me (possible
> seizures, addiction, cognitive loss, etc). And so I've concentrated
> on seeking alternative medicine like: Chiropractors (x6),
Naturopath,
> Osteopath, Acupuncturists (x3), Electrodermal testing, Ayurveda, and
> Yoga. I should mention that I've taken quite a bit herbal
supplements
> (feverfew, Chinese herbs, lavender, etc.) and vitamins (B3, B6,
> Calcium, Magnesium, and whatnot). Alternative medicine and
supplements
> helped some, but none have been a permanent solution.
>
> In the last 2 weeks, I've decided to seek more alternative help and
> have been seeing a chiropractor/acupuncturist. He recommends
quitting
> coffee as well as taking any medication with caffeine in it. His
> reasoning is that it is a trigger migraines and is bound to cause
> rebound ones. Zomig is fine as long as you take it maximum twice a
> month, he says. Trying to follow his advice, I quit the morning
> espresso, and are trying real hard to refrain form taking any
> medication with caffeine. So far it's been sheer hell and the pain
is
> atrocious. Along with identifying all the food triggers, including
> caffeine, and eliminating them from my daily diet see a long
winding,
> endless, painful road in front of me.
>
> Each day that brings a migraine my spirit, faith, hope, and dreams,
get
> a little more crushed.
>
> Thank you for taking th time to read this long diatribe. I just had
to
> get it out of my system.
>
> Your words of wisdom, comments, experiences, recommendations, are
truly
> very much appreciated.
>
> Best,
> Rosie
>
| |
| Martha 2005-03-29, 7:13 pm |
| Hi Rosie,
You story sounds like so many of those here. I'm sorry that you have
had to seek us out, but welcome!
My advice is to try the preventives. The side effects do sound scary,
but those are only POSSIBLE side effects. The Zomig, Fiorinal and
Fioricet with coedine have side effects as well. The triptan
especially. Why are you willing to take those and not a preventive,
especially since the preventive might provide you relief from your
headaches!
There are more types of preventives besides antidepressants and
anticonvulsants. Talk to a doctor about all of the options and the
fears that you have about taking a preventive. Maybe he/she can work
something out that would be ok with you.
Good luck!
Martha
RosieTomatoe@gmail.com wrote:
> H E L L O,
>
>
> I am a 44 year old woman, 3 months pregnant, whose suffered from
> migraines since I was 13. Since I became pregnant, I've had a long
> and painful cycle, which brought me to the ER 10 days ago. This was
my
> 4 trip in 15 years. These days, I spend anywhere from 2 to 4
afternoons
> in bed to 3 days a week. Needless to say, my personal, professional,
> and psychological life is heavily suffering and on some days only
> medication can help me through teaching my classes. On the average I
> get a a migraine ever other day if I am lucky, but currently they
occur
> daily.
>
> I was diagnosed with severe migraines in my early twenties and were
> given Fiorinal with codeine then. Looking for ways to treat the
source
> as opposed to the symptoms, I looked for alternative medicine to
> alleviate the pain in my early twenties.
>
> Along the way, I did try traditional medicine and saw multiple MDs,
> Neurologists (3), and a Clinical Psychologist; I had two MRIs,
several
> head CTs, two EEGs, and whatnot. Everything seems to be normal,
> according to doctors.
>
> Since then it's been an ongoing journey to get relief and I try to
> refrain from taking much medication especially now that I am
pregnant.
> My ob/gyn is letting me take Zomig, Fiorinal and Fioricet with
codeine
> to get some relief. Of course I take as little as I can, but some
days
> I need to perform and so I just take it.
>
> In the past 2 years, the Diamond Headache Clinic as well as an
> independent neurologist have recommended preventive treatments such
as
> antidepressants (Vivactil) and/or anti-convulsions (Topomax), which I
> have turned down as an option, as I was utterly uncomfortable taking
a
> pill each day. Plus the side effects greatly frightened me (possible
> seizures, addiction, cognitive loss, etc). And so I've concentrated
> on seeking alternative medicine like: Chiropractors (x6), Naturopath,
> Osteopath, Acupuncturists (x3), Electrodermal testing, Ayurveda, and
> Yoga. I should mention that I've taken quite a bit herbal supplements
> (feverfew, Chinese herbs, lavender, etc.) and vitamins (B3, B6,
> Calcium, Magnesium, and whatnot). Alternative medicine and
supplements
> helped some, but none have been a permanent solution.
>
> In the last 2 weeks, I've decided to seek more alternative help and
> have been seeing a chiropractor/acupuncturist. He recommends quitting
> coffee as well as taking any medication with caffeine in it. His
> reasoning is that it is a trigger migraines and is bound to cause
> rebound ones. Zomig is fine as long as you take it maximum twice a
> month, he says. Trying to follow his advice, I quit the morning
> espresso, and are trying real hard to refrain form taking any
> medication with caffeine. So far it's been sheer hell and the pain is
> atrocious. Along with identifying all the food triggers, including
> caffeine, and eliminating them from my daily diet see a long winding,
> endless, painful road in front of me.
>
> Each day that brings a migraine my spirit, faith, hope, and dreams,
get
> a little more crushed.
>
> Thank you for taking th time to read this long diatribe. I just had
to
> get it out of my system.
>
> Your words of wisdom, comments, experiences, recommendations, are
truly
> very much appreciated.
>
> Best,
> Rosie
| |
| Robbie 2005-03-29, 7:13 pm |
| I can truly symphatize with you Rosie.
I am 66 (going on 39 mentally) and I have been "blessed" with migraine
headache for over 35 years. For the past 20 years or so I have
headaches on the average of 14 days a month.
I have also used Fiorinal before 1990 but later switched to Tylenol 3 s
for my "light" headaches and Imitrex for the doozies. I average 28
Tylenol 3s and 7 Imitrex a month.
I have also been seing neurologists, but many times I know more about
headaches than they. I have also been told that in order to get rid of
my "rebound" headaches I have to go cold turkey without them before I
could try the the preventive medicines such as Topomax. Unfortunately
I can not go without my medicines because I just get sick, vomit and
wish I was dead. Perhaps I could do it in a hospital settings but they
can not guarantee that it will work. So I just go on the way it is.
One thing I should mention that I get 90% of my headache in the
morning.
Read a book about headaches which talked about the triggers. Looks
like most experts agree that coffee is a major trigger. So I swore off
coffee since early December 2004. Not much change though the headaches
may not be as bad. I keep daily statistics.
I have not tried acupuncture yet. I do not believe in Chiroproctors
because they think that everthing can be solved by their adjustments.
So I really feel for you Rosie. I really know what you are going
through.
Unfortunately, until the reason of the migraines are discovered, docs
can only treat the symptoms. I am too waiting for the magic day when
someone will discover the cause of our problem.
Keep fighting Rosie.
Robbie
| |
| Dana Taramina 2005-03-29, 7:13 pm |
| On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 16:36:40 -0500, "Mel Lentz" <chop@some.wood.com>
wrote:
>I can sympathize with your situation. I am 30 years old an pregnant
>with triplets. I have had migraines since I was 7. I have had almost
>constant HA's since becoming PG. Triptans don't work for me
>unfortunately, but my OB and Perinatologist does not allow them. I
>can take Tylenol 3, Percocet, and if needed Demerol. You can have
>this med while PG. The doctor says that they have used it more that
>the triptans and have had no side effects. I had it when I was PG
>with my daughter for a kidney stone, and everything was fine. I would
>talk to your OB....mine says it is better to get the pain relief than
>to go through the pain for days on end, because it can increase your
>blood pressure and is not good for the baby.
Well a great big YAY for your doctor, Allison. And you and your many
babies have my very best thoughts...
Dana
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