Okay, after 2 very severe migraines and one fairly bad migraine in the last 2 weeks, I’ve finally broken down and made an appointment with a neurologist.
I’ve had migraines as long as I can remember; I definately remember having them in junior high and high school…but then they were just headaches that wouldn’t go away with aspirin or Tylenol.
I can remember having headaches as a child; the kind of headache where I just wanted to lie down in the dark and rest.
I currently take 150 mgs. of Atenolol daily. It’s a beta blocker normally used for high blood pressure. Both my mother and MIL take 25 mgs. daily for high BP. My mother is horrifed that I take 150 mgs.
I also have Imitrex, the nasal spray, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. I have some pills (forget the name) that is butabital, aspirin, caffeine and codiene for pain.
I was wondering…what happened when you went to a neurologist? What kind of tests did he do? What kind of meds do you take or have you taken?
I assume he will want to do a CAT scan or MRI. I had a CAT scan about 3 years ago in the ER, which nothing abnormal.
I went to one (and a psychologist with experience in migraine “personalities”) two years ago. The neurologist did an MRI and at CAT scan to rule out physiological defects, and consulted with my GP to get the right mix of medication. They had me on alternating Midrin and Valium for a while, neither of which did very much to prevent the headaches. They did, however, make me useless for anything for up to eight hours after taking the medication-real fun when you’re trying to work, go to school and have a relationship and the migraines happen for up to three days.
They final verdict was inconclusive, but the psychologist did suggest biofeedback, which worked better at prevention than anything, and also reduced my stress levels, which were contributing to the frequency. I can vasodilate at will now, which heads off 98% of the migraines, as well as being a cool party trick. The neurology consult was fairly unsettling, as the neurologist was REALLY concerned with what he might find and spent 20 minutes talking about possible causes and therapy (“We might have to drill a hole in your skull to relieve the pressure if they keep coming as often as they have been”)but in the long run, I’m glad I went.
Thanks for your answer.
What is “vasodilate”?
How did the biofeedback work? I always thought that was sort of in the “crystals and aromatherapy” group of medical treatment.
Did the psychologist do the biofeedback with you or do you go to a Biofeedback-ologist?
Vasodilation is constricting or opening the blood vessels in your head (which can impact on the migraine. Sort of like self hypnosis. The psychologist was trained in biofeedback, but if he hadn’t been, I’m sure he would have been able to recommend someone else. He was sort of “New-Agey”, but hell, if you’d told me that the only way to stop getting eye-popping, head-quaking, hurts-so-bad-you-yark migraines that I was getting up to three times a day was to fellate a deer. Bambi would have been at my door within 24 hours.
The biofeedback I went through was akin to meditation, but sometimes the practitioner will perform physical stimulation to let you know what you’re supposed to make your body do. Sort of like a combo of meditation and yoga. Actually, the thing it was MOST like was ninjitsu meditation, where you control your breathing and can slow and speed your heart. Sort of dangerous and shouldn’t be attempted lightly.
Any more (or longer info and you can email me.
This article was pretty good at discussing up to date studies. The Discover website doesn’t have the whole article on-line, but they have a good link to the Mayo clinic.
I did have a CAT scan when I was in high school and no congenital defects were found. Over the years the frequency of my migraines has decresed from about every 6 weeks to 3 or 4 a year.
I’ve had migraines my entire life - I remember getting them when I was a toddler, though of course at the time I didn’t know what they were.
I finally diagnosed myself in college, and started seeing a neurologist about 8 years ago when the the frequency and intensity got too difficult to cope with - my G.P. said I needed to be on preventatives.
My neuro has probably prescribed 10 different preventatives or more over the last several years, of which 5 or so have been effective. My typical pattern, once I found one that works, is that I need more and more to be effective, and eventually the side effects became bad enough that I had to be taken off the meds and put on something else.
I’ve had two MRIs for my migraines - one when I first went to the neuro, and one when I had a very horrible one that didn’t fit my usual pattern. Both came back normal. They tried to run an EEG, but the results were useless because I could not relax despite the sedatives they gave me.
I have also tried relaxation/biofeedback therapy, but it didn’t seem effective, and I didn’t keep up with it. Last year I tried acupuncture combined with chiropractic treatments, which also didn’t seem to help. As a matter of fact, I had my worst migraine episode about two months after starting the acupuncture/chiropractic - 8 days of migriane with an ER visit on day 2.
My reaction to painkillers is minimal. Vicodin Extra Strength only lasts for 2 or 3 hours and then the migraine comes back. At my last ER visit, they had me on an IV and gave me two doses of Demerol, which made the migraine tolerable and alleviated my severe nausea, but did not get rid of it. So I find the pain-management aspect to be challenging, and many doctors are reluctant to prescribe strong pain-killers. I had to fight tooth-and-nail to even get him to let me try Percocet, and unfortunately it was no more effective than the Vicodin.
My suggestion is to educate yourself as much as possible and to find a neuro who isn’t intimidated by a knowledgable patient. And investigate any meds that are prescribed on your own - the doctors generally only tell you about the most common side effects.
False God, was the Midrin a preventative? Meaning, you took it everyday? That’s what I take the Atenolol for.
I took Midrin once, for pain, and was so deeply asleep (drugged) my hubby almost called 911. He could barely rouse me, and I never took it again. It took me nearly two days to shake the effects.
I’ve never had Vicodin (is that the one that is really easy to get addicted to?), but have had Demerol, which I don’t like. I hate that dopey, druggy feeling. I “borrowed” some of my husband’s codiene (Oxycodone) pills left over from his knee surgery and they worked quite well. The pain was diminished enough for me to function.
porcupine, I know I had them as a child. I can remember being 6 or 7 and telling my mom my head hurt and she would say, “Children don’t get headaches.” I love you, too Mom. :rolleyes:
I’ve always had this irrational fear that a neuro would want to drill holes in my skull or give me a lobotomy, so I’ve put off calling one.
I’m just a big chicken.
::bwaak, bwaak::
I got my first migraine a couple of years ago – one that had me contemplating my reflection in the cool, clear water of the toilet bowl for hours until I could summon the strength to go to the doctor and get a shot of my painkiller of choice, Toradol (generic name Ketorolac). Thankfully, I don’t get them too often and when I do is dissolve-on-your-tongue Maxalt is usually good enough for me, but since I get about five other kinds of headaches as well I guess I make up for it.
I’ve never been to a neurologist, though a doctor did once tell me he was going to refer me for an MRI, which as far as I can tell he never did. And incidentally, butalbital, aspirin and caffeine is Fiorinal (got it once for a tension headache induced by a caffeine withdrawal headache). I dunno if it goes by a different name when it’s got old buddy codeine with it. Good stuff.
I’ve never entirely understood the concept of getting hooked on Vicodin. I myself have been pretty underwhelmed by it, except as a sleep aid. Oxy, on the other hand, is the latest hip drug on the street, from what I read in Newsweek. I have yet to try it but hey, I’m visiting my doctor in a couple of weeks to get some pre-emptive painkillers for when I break my caffeine habit, so who knows.
Dragonblink
