Never ending migraines

By migraineur_mzpfxo

1 min read

I had my first migraine at age 13 and just turned 65. I average 24 headache days a month. I no longer desire a relationship as that person never understands migraine. Even ER doctors still say oh you have a headache. I have vomiting, light issues and crippling pain. I also still fight with insurance to get the medicine I need... most of which I pay for. I know now that I will have them till I die.

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Member
Hello. I just started getting migraines recently. I am 17 years old. Do you have any advice of how to deal with them?
1. b0qr9b Member
 Hi, I am 49 and I have been suffering with chronic migraine for 6 yrs. One of the treatments that have been most helpful is acupuncture (but make sure it is someone who studied with someone from China). Massage therapy is also helpful. Additionally,supplements include magnesium (500 mg), B2 (400 mg),B12 (5mg) CoQ10 (200 mg) melatonin, and vit D3 which has shown good success in refucing migraine. Some people swear by butterbur and
2. b0qr9b Member
 see my post above and best wishes. I can imagine living with this nightmare at the age of 17!
Katie M. Golden Moderator
It's true, you may have them the rest of your life, however you can learn better ways to cope with them or try a combo of meds and natural methods. It sounds like you don't have a great doctor, or at least not one that is aggressively seeking new treatment plans for you. That's when it's time to get a second opinion. Im not sure what type of doc you are seeing now, but a headache specialist is your best chance in getting the care you deserve. This might be a starting point for your research: <a href='http://migraine.com/blog/how-are-migraine-specialists-different/' target='_blank'>http://migraine.com/blog/how-are-migraine-specialists-different/</a> Best wishes, -Katie
tracynick Member
I feel for you. I truly do. I am sitting here with a migraine ( it's day 3) and I truly feel like taking drugs to put me to sleep. I am not coping. I don't know how you do it with that many. I was even today wishing my friends would all get migraines so they can understand me! How's that for a pity party! No one understands what it's like. Even some migrainers don't. It's that pain that they don't get. It's like someone drilling right through your eye and out the back of your head. Katie is right tho, try another doctor or a headache specialist. There must be someone out there that can help you!
sbopip Member
Nancy, I'm so sorry and I do understand. I've had them since I was 16. I'm 48 now. In the last five years they have been chronic and refractory. I, too, go less than a few days at a time without pain. I have been on all kinds of meds, combinations of them and dosages, sometimes they worked then stopped. Other times they didn't work at all. I've been scanned, rayed, poked, prodded, infused, pulsed and every other medical verb you can think of -meds, biofeedback, Botox, DHE infusions, the Cefaly, nerve blocks, etc. Nothing stops them from occurring, nothing aborts them. I saw a group of drs last year who were amazed at everything I had tried and told me I absolutely qualify for the implant. Unfortunately, ins won't pay and its a $60k procedure. I am sick and tired not living. And I'm sick and tired of ppl within the profession telling me to keep trying because there are too many drugs and combinations that can work!!! The side effects of them, the depression and disillusion that follow when they don't work, everything about it pisses me off. And I do have depression and anxiety outside the migraines. So dealing with those meds plus migraine meds was extremely difficult and maddening. I will say that the nerve block shots are the only thing that has had somewhat of an impact. The first time I did it, I had an 8 migraine. Literally within minutes after it was down to a 3. And it stayed between 3-5 for about a week. Then the ugliness reared its head. You can get them with steroids, which is suppose to aid in the duration of the effect. However, since it didn't help me for very long, my dr told me I can get them every week without the steroids. The problem again is insurance. I can't afford it that often, and we pay out the butt for good insurance because of me. The shots are a little uncomfortable, but lidocaine is used and I've never felt any pain. I sit on the table for about 5 mins after, and then I drive myself home. The Botox shots are very similar, there's just a lot more of them. They feel like pin pricks and some areas are more sensitive than others. However, I felt no pain, just some discomfort. My neuro said if that didn't work after two rounds, it wasn't going to. It didn't and that's when I went to a neurological headache clinic in Dallas. They were of no help either other than to check off even more items/procedures to which I don't respond. After all of this, I'm just about easing the pain. I know the studies about narcotics for migraines and I know all about rebound migraines. But I don't care because that's all I have left. I wish I could give you positive advice or some miracle that I have found. But I can't. All I can tell you is that you are not alone, I know how you feel, and I'm here if you need to talk or vent or whatever.
1. mike1875 Member
 Have you been in a motor vehicle accident? I too am a near daily Migraine sufferer and until the herniated discs in my neck were treated properly nothing worked well. Particularly Botox. What made me ask this is that I go for nerve blocks as well, however once a year I get a procedure done called a rhysotomy. The doctor inserts a needle with a sound wave attachment and slowly burns out the nerves where my discs are herniated. I have 5 bad discs. Once this has been done, I can drive home and I feel almost instant improvement. I'm Canadian and all of this is covered by our system of health care. My question for you is still have you had your neck checked for damage from a car accident or sports injury. I suffered till age 45 before discovering this, Now 58 with at least a reasonable quality of life. My first Migraine was age 3. We can only hope for help not a cure.
chack Member
Ladies, I had my first "m" at age 4 and will turn 50 this year. Mine are induced by barometric AND hormonal fluctuations. Being a female and living near the east coast means that I get them often - I average up to 22 per month. I didn't begin taking an Rx for them (sumatriptan) until 2 years ago. They work very well when I need them. That said, in the past year I began taking "Butterbur with Feverfew" a 3 times per week and have reduced migraine frequency to approximately 5 per month. On top of that, when I do get them I now only take 1/2 a sumatriptan tablet and get the same (beautiful) relief. As each of you know, migraines and the relief thereof is on an individual basis. My hope is that the Butterbur with Feverfew may work for you, too. That combination is reported to help relieve seasonal allergies/hayfever as well. I tried taking Topamax as a preventative but found the side effects miserable! I was hungry all of the time (thus gaining weight) and the tingling in my fingers and toes drove me berserk! On top of that I still had the migraines. No. Thank. YOU!
rellenh Member
Living with pain that never quits, pain that is with me every waking moment of my life. I am so tired.
b0qr9b Member
There is a book called The Migraine Cure by Sergey Dzugan, MD. In it he claims to have 100% success in treating migraine. I haven't decided yet if I am going to try this method, but there's a lot in it that makes a lot of sense. It revolves around deficiency of certain hormones which is caused by adrenal deficiency. I see an acupuncturist regularly and this is completely consistent with the approach taken by Chinese medicine in treating migraine (improving liver and kidney function). I highly recommend acupuncture - it has done more to help reduce the severity of my migraines than anything else. I also take the usual prescribed supplements of magnesium, B2, B-12, melatonin, CoQ10, and
b0qr9b Member
continued from previous post..........I also started taking vit D3 about a year ago and it has helped. I am going to pursue the hormone angle starting with my MD and if that doesn't get me anywhere I will go see a naturopath. I have had chronic migraine for 6 years and I have about 28 headaches per month. I am totally exhausted, barely able to keep my job, and feeling like I am just existing, not living. But I'm not giving up and won't leave any stone unturned.

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