not what I believe but what many of us are told.

Since there seems to be quite a few of us on here with Migraines, I thought maybe this thread would be a good idea.

My thoughts about this thread:

We can post our history of migraines, things we have tried, meds or not, things that worked or didn't, meds we have been on, meds we are interested in, etc. We can come here to ask questions of each other, get support (which is sometimes hard to get for this), rant, vent, whatever we need to do.

I'll post my history soon, probably in parts, it is so long unfortunately. Please include how long you have had headaches, the types of headaches-even include specific symptoms. You never know, someone might have some good info for each of us.

So, let's compare notes!

And yes, IMO this IS chronic pain, I have been dealing with these things since I was 4 or 5, this is pretty chronic to me.

This is a very interesting article about migraines. It appears there may actually be a structural difference in migraine patients. Further research may provide some answers.

http://neurologynow.com/pt/re/neuronow/f...1195628!8091!-1
Neurology Now:Volume 4(1)January/February 2008p 13
The Migraine Brain
[DEPARTMENT: THE WAITING ROOM: THIS WAY IN]
Smolinsky, Mike

People with migraines have differences in an area of the brain that helps process sensory information, including pain, according to a study published in the November 20, 2007 issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study, which was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Swiss Heart Foundation, and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine Dean's Award, found that part of the cortex area of the brain is thicker in people with migraine than in people who do not have the neurological disorder.

Comparing 24 people with migraine to 12 people without migraine, the study found that the somatosensory cortex area of the brain was an average of 21 percent thicker in those with migraine.

Repeated migraine attacks may lead to, or be the result of, these structural changes in the brain, says study author Nouchine Hadjikhani, M.D., associate professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. Most of these people had been suffering from migraines since childhood, so the long-term overstimulation of the sensory fields in the cortex could explain these changes. It's also possible that people who develop migraines are naturally more sensitive to stimulation.

Dr. Hadjikhani says the results indicate that the brain's sensory mechanisms are important components in migraine. This may explain why people with migraines often also have other pain disorders such as back pain, jaw pain, and other sensory problems such as allodynia, where the skin becomes so sensitive that even a gentle breeze can be painful.

What this means for people with migraine, says Dr. Hadjikhani, is that pain should not be ignored or dismissed. Pain might have negative consequences on the brain, so people should treat early. Don't play it tough, Dr. Hadjikhani says. You could be training your brain to tolerate pain better, and this might not be a good thing.

Mike Smolinsky

Copyright Đ 2008, AAN Enterprises,

I saw some article in my doc's office years ago, a copy of a JAMA article, about a doc that could pick out a migraine suffer by their CAT scan/MRI....wonder if it has anything to do with what you posted. This was at least 15 years ago and it wasn't taken as fact, something docs were just looking at. I don't remember everything the doc said he could see, but each time he was correct, he picked out the CAT scan/MRI of the migraine suffer.



You know, this part reminds me of something I heard a long time ago and had forgotten about. I heard or read somewhere that migraine suffers had more "brain freeze" or ice cream headaches than people that didn't have migraines. Seems to make sense in light of that article. I know I have them a lot, more than most people I know.

I'll have to do some reasearch and see if I can find anything on that.

Thanks for the info!

It makes sense to me. I can remember even as a very, very small child having blankets 'hurt' against my skin. Back in the fifties and sixties, they didn't even give a kid an aspirin.

They experimented with my eyes and put hard contacts on when they first came out hoping to stop the progression of the myopia and astigmatism. I was legally blind w/o glasses by the age of 12. They had just come out. I was literally forced to wear them at least 20 minutes a day.

It was like having ground glass in your eyes. It took 3 years and countless regrindings to get the fit right, but they did seem to prevent the cornea from curving more. In 1989 the local eye doc used me (again) for the radial keratotomy surgery (the forerunner to laser). The eye surgeon that performed the procedure had it done to his eyes and it worked, so having nothing to lose by that time, did it. I haven't worn glasses since then. And I had severe astigmatism. I remember being able to see as soon as they did it. I cried because I could see my boys' picture across the room w/o glasses--I was that happy. And on a lot of valium before they did it!!!

My son had the laser done about 5-6 years ago and drove cross country the next day. It's a miracle in my book.

Well I'm going back to the doc today. I've been off preventative for a few years, but I'm giving in, going back on it.

I'll post what happens tonight.

I disagree with the "not really pain" statement! When you have a headache, you don't feel like doing anything. In a way, it's the worst kind of pain but at least it goes away at times, unlike my back pain!

Oh, I agree, I was being a smart [censored]. I actually had a doc tell me once it wasn't REAL pain.

Sitting in the waiting room at the docs now, we'll see. I have a lot of job stress and I think it is responsible for my HA's getting so bad again. Oh the nurse already weighed me, tomorrow is 2 weeks since I was here.....I've lost 9.5 lbs since then. All from puking from my HA's the last 2 weeks.

Ok, couple of things. I mentioned to my doc about reading where they are seeing changes and differences in the brains of people with migraines. He said, yes they are, they are even seeing changes similar to what you see with stokes, but on a smaller level, like mini strokes. He thinks having migraines all the time is not healthy for the brain, that there are very real physical issues that can go with that.

He thinks my HA's right now are stress related also. He said I need to take something for the stress and asked if I thought I needed something everyday, I said not everyday. BTW, I told him I am also grinding my teeth really bad (I have TMJ also-wonder how many migraine people have TMJ) and he said that was a sure sign I'm under a lot of stress. He wants me to take xanax for the stress. Guess I can join you kserah in the high hopes.

I also told him for the last two weeks I have required some type of medicine every day for my HA's and if I'm gonna have to do that, I prefer it be preventative, he agreed. My plan is this, if the stress (which doesn't look like it is going to be better anytime soon) doesn't get better then I am going to change jobs. He said if I felt I needed something for stress everyday that anti-depressants generally were better for you. I said well anti-depressants also work for HA prevention and he said yes, so I said let's try that also. So he wanted to me try a low does of Zoloft for a short time. If the stress gets better and I'm still having HA's like I am now, he would prefer for me to try Topomax at that time. I've never been on that one, anyone been on that one and know anything about it?

So following are the meds I'm one right now.

Zoloft 50 mg daily (I think) starting with half a pill right now.

xanax .25mg as needed...he has NO idea how much I might need it. Also taking this daily for the next 3-4 weeks waiting for the zoloft to kick in.

Midrin - up to 5 over about a 3 hour period as needed.

Migranal as needed, only 1 time in a 24 hour period. This has actually worked best for the HA's that are already very bad and have me very sick, doesn't work for the ones that are just starting. If I am throwing up my toenails, this will generally have my HA completely GONE withing 2-3 hours.

Lortab 10 mg when needed

Phenergan Suppository 50 mg when throwing up. He said I am NOT to lose anymore weight because I am throwing up so much. If I want to diet, that is fine, but he really went to the edge about the 9.5 lbs weight loss and me not dieting. Not a good/healthy way to lose weight he said.

So this is my new treatment plan, I was hoping to get back into this slowly. Two weeks ago, I had one med I took everyday, now I'm back up to all these. All aren't daily, but I hate to have to be on this many meds. I know it's not a lot compared to what a lot of people have to take, but the bad thing about having these HA's, I absolutely HATE having to take the meds. One of the things that bothers me so much about preventative, and this is the first doc that has understood this, is the feeling that something (the HA's) have control over me. They have control to the point that I have to take a med to try and prevent them. I would prefer to be in control rather than controlled.

My migraine history is so long. I do remember as a child suffering horrible head aches . I had to lay down all day. I also got car sick easily. I remember that I would be in a blank state sometimes and then come out of it and my ears would ring. I never told my mother because she would get angry. She could not take stress. I learned a few years ago what I had sounds like epilepsy the kind that goes away as an adult. They did go away. I read migraine patients are more prone to strokes.

I had anti depressives and they did not help me. I have not found a Dr who has the patience to stay with me and help me. I had the preventatives but my M's I wake with and once you have a migraine it is too late to try many drugs.

I had allergy shots for ten years. I was told that would help. They did not help. I then was told to try hypnosis and bio feedback and acupuncture. That failed also. I was given Triavil and the cafergot meds. I also was given atenenol. Still no help. MY physicians seem to think I am lying because nothing has helped and I cannot get any pain medication. They all want me gone. They want the ten minute office visits and then you are to go home. It is mass production even with good insurance. I tried many Drs who feel I may be drug seeking. That really hurts. I gave up.

Doctors don't understand migraine. They have no idea what they are like. They would treat the nausea and not the pain. I have thrown out my back from vomiting so violently.

As I grow older they are not as severe but I still cannot function. I feel nauseated and cannot eat and my stomach is also very messed up. It is a horrible thing to deal with.
Stress causes me to get a migraine.

Do you have a headache clinic near you? Some neurologist are good to treat HA, some not.

As a migraine sufferer for years (they get further apart after menopause), I am so glad to hear you have a physician that is current with new findings and really, truly treating you from all the angles!

I cannot tell you the hours of laying in a dark room with cold packs and begging for something. Sounds like those days are over for people. Migraines are REAL and not necessarily related to stress! Mine would come when I least expected them. He is so smart treating the vomiting--that potassium/electrolyte balance is so important. I can tell that you're a busy, busy working lady. Let us know how it works out.

Until this new job, about one year now, I had been down to a bad HA a couple of times a year and really bad one every 2 years. They are still the same, no differnce in how they feel, no new symptoms, etc.

Usually I'm an after the stress is over I fall apart type person. My worst HA's would be on the weekends. I guess since the stress is not ending now, they just happen all the time.

So far I'm very pleased with the Migranal. It gets rid of the really, really bad ones like a big shot of narcotic, but it takes a bit longer. It could keep me out of the ER.

This doc is an Internist but he did more than an hour in Residency on HA's which is what most PCP do. He goes to conferences several times a year for HA's and knows quite a bit about them. I don't have to ask for meds, he offers them. My last script of 30 hydro is almost gone, he gave me another script today with refills. I have my 2 scripts from frontier and SP for backup. I wasn't going to ask him for any hydro but he said since I had been taking so much med this last couple of weeks I must be low. I also think if that stops working he will give me something stronger.

He is my Dentist's doc, my dentist's daughter (the dentists assistant) also goes there and they referred me.

He's really nice, better than any specialist I ever saw. It makes me wonder if he has someone close to him that has HA's.

Thanks for starting this topic!

I remember exactly where I was when I got my first migraine...3 days before my 21st birthday (I'm now in my mid-40's). From talking with other people it seems that they are very unique to each person...no one else is going to have the exact same symptoms, triggers, etc. as I do.

Long story short - I've been on Midrin, Caffergot, Amitryptiline, Darvocet, Fiorinal, and more that I can't remember. I was on Inderal daily for prevention but it made my blood pressure very low so my Dr. switched me to Verapimil. Worked great. The best invention in the whole world is Imitrex. I use the injection and is a miracle drug in my opinion!

I also needed to identify my triggers. Mine are - waiting too long to eat, being in the sun, change in air pressure (flying), roller coasters, too much of certain foods (chocolate, peanut butter, cheese), sinus pressure, or just no reason at all.

I get nauseaus, spacey, and lose fine motor skills with the migraine. Sometimes after my Imitrex, the pain will be gone but I'll have a "body migraine".

Edited to add: I weaned off of Verapimil and don't see an increase in migraines.

It was interesting to read about migraine sufferers and external stimulation. I can't stand bright lights, loud noises, crowds, too much noise, etc.

Wow...this is the most I've ever written!

Stacy,

I do not know of any head ache clinics around at all.

To be honest I have been turned away so often I don't think I could stand it any more and spending money on treatments I know do not work is not what I want to do.

I handle my migraines myself. I know what not to eat and drink and there is a lot I have discovered and of course I stay informed on new treatments or drugs.

I looked up migranal and was excited about that drug never having used it but it is an ergotamine drug. I get very sick on it so I am disappointed.

I see so many similarities here. The foods and the week end migraines and getting them after dealing with a stressful situation. I have encountered all of this.

My sister is on Topamax and has had migraines for probably 20 years. Hers are so bad that she literally can't get out of bed and can't stand any noise at all or lights.

If you don't want to lose weight, don't take Topamax. It's a wonderful preventative migraine medicine and my sister has no migraines while she is on Topamax, but she is currently just bones with skin stretched over them. She has to stop taking them occasionally just so she can eat. She is also on Tylenol 3's, demerol pills and Ultracet. She has run the gamet of migraine medicines with the same doctor and her current regime seems to work the best. We really worry about her since she started taking Topamax. She wants to keep taking it because her migraines are so bad, but she's down to 90 something pounds and she is 5'5". She stopped taking the Topamax when we were on vacation and had a migraine 2 days later. At least her doctor gives her pain medicine every month too, but she's had that doctor since she started going to one for migraines so there's a lot of trust there.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that for her the Topamax eliminates the migraines as long as she takes it everyday, but you'll probably keep losing weight if you take it.

Gosh, I've been on all these meds and more, but I've only used Imitrex only once.

Foods don't seem to bother me, but being out in the sun a long time, sometimes walking down the fabric softner aisle will get me if I'm in that "trying to get a HA but don't have one" mode.

Ergotamines have been great for me, I hate you can't take them. Are you sure it was the ergotamine and not one of the other ingredients in the med?

There was another drug I used a long time ago, Bellergal. I don't remember if it was an ergotamine or not, I do know it had Belladonna in it.

I'm off today, I've got a few errands to run, but I'm going to post my history today. I'll also try and look up some of the drugs I have used over the years and maybe you will find one on the list you haven't tried that will work for you.

Are you on preventative?

I don't have a problem with losing some weight, my doc doesn't either. He just doesn't want me losing all that weight because I have been throwing up so much I wasn't getting any food to stay in me.

Something else I just thought about. There used to be something like a Headache/Migraine Foundation that could give you a list of docs in your area.

I'll look online this afternoon and see if I can find it. There are some PCP docs out there that are very good with Migraines, it doesn't always have to be a specialist.

I'll see if I can find a link to the foundation and post it for you. If you can find a doc that is good with headaches and they want to treat those, you might find a good doc.

I don't want you to give up, I know it's hard sometimes but I believe eventually you can find a doc that can and will help you.

Stacy,

Bellergal and Belladonna ( extract? ) are names of drugs I have had. They did try drugs that were related to ergotamine but they failed me and my niece also has had no pain relief from any of those and Imitrex helped twice and then failed since. Right now she is on atenenol and I cannot take that . She thinks it is helping. I know it slows the heart rate.


I am very allergic to many drugs. They are all derived from plants and I am so allergic. I had allergy shots for many years.

Hey, I'm not giving up, I'm still gonna look around and do some research.

Has anyone tried Topomax as a preventative, I was on it for about a year and a half, went off due to my insurance.. Well I think it really helped. By bf says he definately noticed that I had fewer migraines (note I still had migraines), only problem I felt the dose was wearing off and I am wary of using too much topomax (called dopomax by some ) due to its side effects.
i only took 125mg a day - lost some weight, a positive side effect - so I could have gone up prob to about 250.
I have a girlfriend who takes something similar (starts with a z, not zoloft) and she gets botox shots all over her scalp (she has a severe headache problem caused by a botched surgery) - she also lost weight, almost too much, kind of a weird side effect.
I take fiorocet for pain - only thing that works. The newer migraine meds dont help at all and make my bp skyrocket.

I haven't tried Topamax but my doc is considering that for me. I'm gonna do some research on it, I haven't been on preventative for years until just recently. Topamax is one of the new drugs to me, I've heard of it but don't know anything about it.

Stacy,

You go girl.

Hmmm....just looking at some info on Topamx. Not sure if that is going to be an option for me. I've had a few kidney stones in my life, haven't had any in several years. I hadn't even mentioned that to this doc.

Since I read that I remember now several years ago about a preventative my then doc talked to me about taking. I couldn't take it because I was having a lot of kidney stones at that time...I bet that med was Topamax.

So which pain is worse - renal colic or migraine?

I actually woke up this morning with a migraine and just really have zero meds at all right now. My Dr is scheduling me for another MRI, visit with a neurologist and Physical Therapy, etc. but didn't mention anything about pain meds. I tried a new med last night to help with sleep, Lunesta, and woke up today with a migraine. I'm typing now with my eyes shut, but wanted to get my mind off my head. I hope migraines are not gonna be a side effect of this med.

Yes, topamax, or dopamax as we say, was decent for my migraines, though I was only on 50-75 mgs at the time. My neurologist at the time didn't know anything about it, but tried it on my suggestion. I did not lose weight, and only quit taking it when my insurance was dropped.

Nephro, as to your question, I would rather have a migraine than kidney stones, though others may disagree. Both pain is almost intolerable, but when I had kidney stones, I could not stand up, walk, keep my head up, vomiting,etc. I have some of the same problems with migraines, but I just remember the kidney stones being so much worse.

Hi, this is the first time i've written on here. I was looking up info on getting meds for migraines and found this thread. I have had migraines since i was 15, i'm now 57. Fiorinal worked for many years, then stopped. Since then i've tried Darvocet, Imitrex (none of the triptans work for me), codeine, percocet, vicodin...the last 2 help, but hard to get. I've also tried all the preventative meds, like verapamil (which made my bp too low) and Topamax (felt like a zombie) and many others. I feel VERY frustrated and wonder if any doctors will order pain meds for migraines. It seems they used to, but now that you can't "prove" it by x-ray or whatever, then they don't believe the pain exists.

However, i am interested in a couple posts here that mention changes in the brain on MRIs in people with migraines. Both my MRIs show "multiple foci (lesions) in the white matter" and can be indicative of vasculitis, or lyme disease, among others... but after ruling out the others, my neurologist has said that it was probably a result of severe migraines over the years. So isn't this some kind of proof that my migraines are for real? Had anyone else had this show up on their MRIs? THey also mentioned that my cerebellar tonsils are more "low lying" than the norm.

I'd be curious to know if anyone has either of these findings. And also if anyone knows of any place that will take migraines seriously and order some pain meds.

Thank you,
mooya

I know I cannot imagine a pain worse than one of my stones, but I have had one migraine in my life. It was strange because at the time I had no clue what was happening. I had been playing football and was driving home, when suddenly I couldn't see any of the oncoming traffic. Half my vision had gone.

Firstly I got home and was a bit worried because I thought I was going blind or something, so I rang the hospital. They said it was a migraine and nothing to worry about; I had always thought of migraines as headaches up to that point.

They said just let it wear off, and for some reason I felt the need to lay on my bed in the dark, which I later learned was what migraine sufferers do. It went just as strangely as it came.

It was just good fortune that it wasn't painful in my case and didn't make me sick, and it was just a one-off. People who suffer the works have my utmost sympathy, especially since the modern treatments cost a small fortune.