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Celena Jul 12, 2006

I am sorry to bring this up, a non bear related matters here...but really don't know what to do any more or who to see to address my MIGRAINE issue.  Had it since I was 19 and now I am already an OLD 36.  And it getting worst, had seen many doctors, said the same things, stress and blah blah blah...now doctor put me on carforgot and valium (to knock me out every night, to stop my brain from working i suppose) BUT i still wake up feeling throbbing pain on my right temple!  Had so-called migraine injection already too, not helping much.  The doctor decided to diagnose me as anaemic, low blood pressure     Oh, my knee decided to play "pain" games with me too and also recently my back is hurting...what else?

But migraine is the main issue that really make me sooo mad, would really appreciate if any one could advise me on any other possible medication in other countries that doctor is using which my doctors here in malaysia are not into it yet or not aware of...or any herbal remedy that could help.

Sorry for bringing this up, I really don't know what else to do or who to seek advice from any more 

Thanks.

Beary hugs
Celena

Dilu Jul 12, 2006

Oh Celena!

I am so terribly sorry.

I have bad headaches too-  Caffergot is an older style medication-ask your doctor about the newer migrain medications:

Maxalt
Imitrex

(There's another but I can't remember. )

The rule of thumb with these medications is that if they work it truly is a migraine and if they don't?  Dig deeper.

Maxalt costs $20.00 a pill.  But you can contact the company and they will help people who can't afford $20.00 a pill.  It disolves instantly in the mouth, tastes really awful, like sucking on a sacharine tablet, and I always think I am going to vomit, but I never do, and the pill works!!!

It's worth every penny!

Happily most US insurrances cover these medicines.  But I don't know about where you are.

In the states it is not

STRESS

that is seen as the

cause of migraines and there is a lot of studies and research to support that.  I am angry that your doctor tells you this.  Can you find a doctor who specializes or try a neurologist?

    Stress doesn't cause migraines.  It does cause other headaches but gollygeewhiz honey, if your doctor can't get his headaches straight and the causes for them how can he treat you?

If you want more info PM me and I will send you links to medical research to support what I am telling you.  Have you googled migraines?  There is a ton of great stuff on the web to help you understand what you are going through

Knowledge is Power!

An old time headache helper:

feet in hot water, as hot as you can stand with ice packs-on your head...the theory is that the hot water draws the blood away from your head and the cold packs help keep it away....

I don't use hot water, because it's a bother, I wrap my feet in a heating pad....it helps stress headaches for me.

Sinus headache?  Elevate the head of the bed about 3 inches-it truly aids in the drainage of the sinuses during the night...also there are pressure points on your face that you can press that help with sinus headaches.

allergy headaches:  those are harder, because ultimately you will need to find the cause of the allergy

why am I telling you about other headaches?

Frequently people who get migraines get other kinds of headaches too, and sometimes the pain just gets so bad and goes on for so long that you don't know what kind of a headache you have.....you can barely think at all...

I hope this helps a little---

by the way getting drugged sleep from the valium but still hurting while you are sleeping is pretty awful....and is just about as bad as no sleep at all....which will make you more susceptible to more headaches....so your doctor still needs to come up with a more viable alternative....

keep us posted, Celena, I am so sorry you are suffering so terribly.....several of us have migraines here, we understand.

Jellybelly Bears Jul 12, 2006

Sorry Celena I don't know how to help but sending you hugs  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:
xo Sarah

bearlyart Jul 12, 2006

Hi Celena,

Sorry to hear you are not feeling well!  Also consider a possible sensitivity / allergy to something in your environment or something in the food that you eat.  I've known of women who got migraines from certain perfumes, for example.  My mother developed a severe milk allergy later in life, and when she went on soy products instead, the soy gave her horrific migraines that lasted for weeks.  Turns out she is also sensitive to soy!  If you haven't already tried it, experiment with your diet to see if there is anything you are reacting to, remove things one at a time and see if you get better without them.  The weird additives, preservatives and color dyes they put in processed food now can be very scary stuff, people do react to them!  Things like caffeine and refined sugars can also give some people nasty reactions...

Best wishes,
Kelly

Cleathero Creations Jul 12, 2006

My dad is on medication to stop a migraine.  He has to take it each day so he doesn't get it..... will have to ask him which one it used to be Sandomigran but that was years ago.

SueAnn Help Advisor, Banner SponsorJul 12, 2006

Sending big hugs, Celena, and hope you find a solution quickly!  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

Daphne Jul 12, 2006

Celena,

I have to offer a different approach to this.

You must have chiropractors in Malaysia, right? (Sorry to sound so stupid!!) Have you been to one? I have been going to one since the age of 8 due to scoliosis. The chiropractor kept me out of a back brace and as I got into my teens helped with the awful sinus headaches I'd get from allergies. Still today the chiropractor helps with stress headaches, neck and back pain and lately (I'm also an OLD 36!!) my knees have bothered me. The new chiropractor I'm seeing has started adjusting a place in my lower back that is not only helping my knees but has aleviated some of my PMS back ache too! I SWEAR by chiropractors!!! I'm all for taking less medication as the more you take, the more side-effects you get and thus more meds you have to take.

My medical doctor did indeed tell me that my headaches were caused by stress and were called migraines. Oddly, my husband's doctor told him the same thing a year before. Well, it seems that 'migraine' is the term for any headache these days. A term used much too loosley.. just so the pharmeceutical companies can make money, if you ask me!

Do look into other causes for your headaches and other remedies too! You could quite easily have a problem in your neck.... pinched nerve or vertebra out of place deminishing blood supply, causing pain. And the fact you mention back and knee pain makes me think this could be skeletal, that your spine may need adjusting to free up muscles and nerves, increase blood flow, etc.

I spent 3 years trying to talk my husband into seeing a chiropractor. His whole family had always scoffed and shunned the idea. Well, once I FINALLY got him to go to one he's felt SO much better and come off migraine meds and anti-inflamatories. Now even his stubborn old father goes to one and that's saying a LOT!!!!

Anyway, what ever you try, I hope you find something that works!

Daphne

Celena Jul 13, 2006

Dear Dilu, Thank you SO much for your kind information...oh boy! now I know Caffergot is an OLDER style medication! That doctor of mine said it is the best and not even mentioned to me that there are others latest medication beside this...only told me about Imigren Injection, which cost a bomb!     I am going to ask him about Maxalt and Imitrex, if he doesn't know about this...then it is about time I change my doctor.

Yesterday, I was sent home from work again...as my migraine got worst and I nearly fainted in the office, my eyes went blurry...and went back to the same doctor, and he gave me an injection and had to stay in the clinic for a while...so now, the same doctor said if by this week it doesn;t clear off...I have to be admitted to a hospital for a MRI Scan and other tests...i am scared of tests, even the simple blood test would make me a bit panicky...as most of the time, the lab technician have problem drawing blood from me.  They seem to poke poke poke from my arms to my feets!  I could see my skin goes blue black from it     Now I am back to work, feeling much better but I can feel the mild pulsating pain...praying hard it won't develop into another full blown migraine later  :pray:

Sarah and Sue Ann, Thank you soo much for well wishes and hugs...really need it soo much..really scary being sick alone and not knowing what to do most of the time...except lying in bed and hope it will go away   

Bronwen, Thank you for help...I really appreciate it very much.

Yes, Kelly you are right on the allergy things too...I have allergy towards the smell of "durian" and unfortunately certain mixed of chocolates...these are the known trigger factor for my migraine..and I hadn't touched or come near any of them...so now I am wondering whether there are new allergy I had developed too..thank you so much Kelly, appreciate your input.  I really need to list all these down.

[b]Daphne[/b], yes we have chiropractor but quite limited actually...I haven't been to one, I should consider going to one now after what you said.  At this point, I would try anything to get rid of my migraine if not totally, at least make it manageable.  Thank you so much Daphne.

[b]Lisa,[/b] thank you for your suggestion...I have tried reflexology, but not accupunture and meditation yet...I will check out acupuncture too and i wonder have you hear about the acupuncture that use mild electricity current. 

Once, THANK YOU MY DEAR FRIENDS FOR ADVICES AND CONCERNS  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:   Now...I keeping my toes and fingers crossed that today and for the rest of the week...it will go away...I am really scared of going to hospital. 

Beary hugs  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:
Celena

Donna Jul 13, 2006

Celena,
My mother-in-law had migraines and she would go to the hospital and get the injections.  I suggested that she try acupuncture and allergy testing.  She did have some food allergies and with the acupunture she was migraine free for three years before she started adding food back into her diet that were known to trigger the migraines.  Give it a try.  Hope you feel better soon.
Donna

chrissibrinkley Jul 13, 2006

Hi Celena,
I feel for you, so much.  I was seeing a neurologist for migraines.  He wanted to try a few different medications, but I'm pretty sensitive to medications so I sought a more holistic doctor.  I found a doctor who is on the board of a well known hospital but he practices in "preventative medicine" as well.  Prevent it rather than just treat it is the overall idea. 
Long story short I was put on what's called the elimination diet...eliminating foods known to cause reactions and then gradually reintroduce them to see what the trigger food/item may be.  For me we did allergy testing and knew I had wheat and dairy allergies so we started there.  After doing this diet for 3 weeks I felt so much better that I decided to not even reintroduce the wheat and dairy back into my diet. I eat no wheat and no dairy ( I do eat occasional eggs in items I prepare..why are eggs considered dairy?? never got that one).  I don't eat refined white sugar and no preservatives.  MSG alone will put me in bed for 2 days..it's a very bad additive for many people.
This is not an easy diet, but it was so worth my health.  I've done it for nearly 3 years I think.(??)  I will still get a minor migraine maybe once every couple months due to weather (I'm sensitive to pressure dropping) but I do not suffer from the migraines that I did before.  Occular migraines (where your vision gets blurry) are very scary, I understand.  MRI's are very simple tests..loud but simple..don't be afraid of those.  It's a good test to have with migraine symptoms.
This is just one other idea too...I'm a terrible teeth clencher/grinder.  If you're grinding your teeth in your sleep that can mess up your jaw and the muscles to your temple area. I think it's called TMJ.  Now that's a stress thing, but it can be prevented with a bite guard.  Simple ones can cost nothing, custom made by a dentist can cost hundreds.  Just a thought to help the tension part at night.
Take care and feel well.
~Chrissi

doodlebears Celebration AmbassadorJul 13, 2006

I have no answers that are different to what has already been sugested Celena. I am sending you a huge hug and I hope that you soon feel much better.

     

Hugs Jane.    

Eileen Jul 13, 2006

Celena, I'm so sorry!

I don't suffer from migraines, but I know people who do, and they're horrible--I hope some of the good advice here works for you :hug:

sarahjane Jul 13, 2006

Celena I"m so sorry to hear about your migraines...  :hug:  :hug:

I used to get them all the time when I was younger and it seems that the contraceptive I was on was making them worse, also not getting enough sleep or drinking too much coffee     makes them bad also.

Now I only have a migraine 2 or 3 times a year....much more managable!!!

I hope you can find a solution soon, they are caused by so many different things that it can be hard to track it down....good luck :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

heartsez Jul 13, 2006

Celena a friend of mine needs b6 or b12 shots on a regular basis as that defieciency is the main cause of her horrid migraines! other advice was great too,,i think they covered it!  good luck and i wouldnt wish that kind of pain on anyone! i have the allergy kind and i could honestly shoot myself when i get them! ice works better than a bullet however! :):) less side effects!:):):)  deb

krystolla Jul 13, 2006

I started getting migranes in second grade, when I was seven years old. Until two years ago I'd have one or two migranes a year, then for some unknown reason they started picking up and now I get them once or twice a week. So I've got lots of migrane information, *sigh*.

For migranes you need two types of medications, one preventative to reduce the frequency of the migranes and one acute to take when the migrane is just starting. Once a migrane starts there isn't much that really helps (as you've probably found) even the hefty pain-killers that the hospitals give you only really make you not care that you are in pain rather than take the pain away.

As an aside, I've been to the emergency room a few times when the migranes got out of control. If it's been more than 24 hours, the symptoms are different than your usual headache, or you are having memory problems/dizziness/vision problems/heart problems etc get yourself to the hospital.

The preventative medications are the important ones, they are basically anti-depressants, anti-convulsants or beta-blockers. The last one I was on was Nortriptyline, and now I'm on Topamax (which is an anti-seizure medication) but I don't remember any of the others I've tried.

The acute medications are the ones that get all the press coverage, when there are TV commercials that's the ones they are advertising. Imitrex is the big one, it comes in a pill, nasal and injectable form. Obviously if your nausea gets really bad when a migrane starts then a pill isn't going to help much. I've tried all three and Imitrex doesn't work for me but I know it works for lots of people. Migranal worked for me for about six months but then stopped working. Other options are Zomig, Amerge, Maxalt, Relpax, and Frova. There are probably more out there, nothing works on all patients and lots of the drugs sort of "wear off" after a while. It's a big market.

The biggest migrane triggers for me are missing sleep or meals. Combine either of those with a bit of second-hand smoke or somebody wearing too much perfume and I'm stunk in a dark room for two days.

Another thing to watch is weather. Heavy humidity and storm fronts are big nasties. Not that there is much that one can do about the weather, but if you know a storm is coming you can make sure to avoid any other triggers (make sure you get to bed early, have an extra snack handy etc).

Stress, of course, the most famous trigger. I think mostly because it's usually accompanied by lots of missed sleep, missed meals, and possibly lots of the other possible triggers -- alcohol, caffeine, sugar binges . . . Basically, don't miss the sleep or the meals and de-stress as much as you can (legally!).

Personally I think food allergies are overhyped as migrane triggers. A lot of the research pushing allergies as triggers has some unlikely demands (like it takes six months to a year before you see results) and my own neurologist didn't support it. Wheat allergies are REALLY rare.

There are health supplements that are supposed to help with migranes that I haven't tried (I was worried about side effects with the other stuff I'm on). If you can't get ahold of perscription stuff these might be worth trying even though there isn't a clinical background:
B2 / Roboflavin 400mg per day
Magnesium 360 per day
(look for "Migrelief" from "PR Osteo" in Westlake Village CA, it contains the above two in one pill)
Coenzyme Q10 300mg per day
Petasites hybridus root (Butterbur) 75 mg 2 times per day (there are liver concerns)

Other stuff to know: No alcohol (it dehydrates you), no smoking, and no caffeine. Migrane medications tend to contain caffeine so having it other times dilutes the effect of taking it when you need it. Regular exercise (helps you sleep). Treat depression if you have it. Treat even non-migrane headaches as soon as possible, because mild headaches can become major headaches. I've found that Tylenol makes my migranes worse so I avoid it even for backaches and sore muscles.

Good luck,

-- Erika
Fuzzbutt Bears

krystolla Jul 13, 2006

Oh, forgot something! If you go to see a massage therapist or chiropractor make sure it's one who has experience with migraneurs. Apparently some of the therapies that work on non-migraneurs will trigger migranes in us unfortunates. Make sure you do the research!

-- Erika

lapousmor Jul 14, 2006

Dear Celena,

I wish i could help you with great advices...

I happen to have small migraines sometimes, but really that's nothing compared to what you are suffering from... So I never required strong medication for that.

Seing how a small migraine can be annoying, I guess what you are suffering must be horribly hard to live with!

Take care Celena and I am sure you will find out great advices among all these answers you already got!

be careful though each time you want to try new medicines in case if you had some allergic reactions or use two medicines that are not compatible!

Keep us posted about it, as we look forward to ear you found beter ways to fight your migraines.

              :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

Beary hugs,
Sophie.

Celena Jul 16, 2006

Dear Donna, Chrissi, Sarahjane, Deb and Erika....THANK YOU SO MUCH for your kind advices...You are all so kind, sweet and great people.   :hug:

Oh my sweet Jane, thank you so much for the hugs.  You have been such a lovely friend to me.  :hug:

Dear Eileen and Sophie, thanks for the well wishes and hugs...you all are so lovely and real great friends to have.  :hug:

I am now making a list of what I should be doing and things I should observed; from all these advices I received from you GREAT friends at TT here and also the links that Dilu had sent me and her wonderful advices.  Honestly, these advices which I get from you all ARE much more explainable and understandable than from the doctors! and more latest than the OLD medication information I receive from my doctor. 

Now, I will find a good neurologist first and probably do a brain scan to rule out turmour...as when I was about 6 months I had a surgery to remove a growth from my forehead...a big and growing growth which has sort of root spreading over the right side of my forehead. Meanwhile, I also got a notebook to note down the foods i could be possibly allergic to, beside relooking into my vitamin supplements and of course, a date with the soooo limited chirocpractor in KL for my backache,knees and shoulder spasm.

ONCE AGAIN, A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL MY LOVELY TT FRIENDS HERE!  :hug:

Beary hugs
Celena

Daphne Jul 16, 2006

Great Celena!
Sounds like there is now every chance and hope possible that you will get to the root of your headaches and the other aches and pains too!
You are so good to be so diligent! I always get so frustrated when people just listen to whatever their doctor says and don't question anything.
Keep us posted on what you learn!
HUgs,
Daphne