40+ years of chronic jaw pain and headaches
I was pregnant with my son at 29 and the worst headaches started. O..f course I could only take Tylenol, so I suffered. When I was 32 chronic jaw pain started; I have had 4 surgeries and I still live with that and the headaches have worsened. I tried an infusion to prevent headaches, but it didn’t work first time round. I can’t get a good specialist and I live with daily pain. It has caused dreadful depression and I am a caregiver to my husband who had a stroke. It is hard to take care of myself and another. I could sure use a CT scan or MRI, to put my mind at ease.
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I hear how difficult it is to live with so much pain and be a caregiver to your husband - that's exhausting and stressful. Do you have a good support network to lean on? Please know we're here to support you in any way we can! There are caregiver support groups (virtual as well) I can direct you to if interested.I applaud you for seeing a specialist, but do wonder if that doctor is an expert in treating migraine and headache disease? It can be a long arduous process to find a great doctor, but they can have a huge impact in our life, mine sure has. Let me share information on expert migraine/headache doctors I hope you find beneficial;
https://migraine.com/living-migraine/evaluating-doctor-patient-relationship-right-fit
https://migraine.com/blog/really-find-headache-specialist
https://www.ucns.org/Online/Online/Diplomate_Directory.aspx?hkey=f8f00552-f924-4ef6-a9bb-6023b1cd341b
https://migraine.com/living-migraine/how-to-find-a-neurologist-or-headache-specialist
Please don't lose hope - there are over 100 medications, supplements, devices, complementary therapies and lifestyle modifications that can be used to manage migraine disease and most of us are on a combination of these. I sure am. My current management routine includes Botox every 12 weeks, Cefaly at night for prevention and occasionally to stop an attack, sumatriptan as an acute medication and cannabis when that doesn't work.
https://migraine.com/blog/migraine-preventives-startLet me know what you think and I'm sending you wishes for a low pain day, Nancy Harris Bonk, team member
hi there. I am sorry you are having a lot going on. It can be so hard when we need to be a caregiver, but, have our own issues as well. I see that you have some jaw pain. Have you seen a dentist about the jaw pain. There can be a connection between migraine and TMJ. I wanted to share this link with you about this: https://migraine.com/living-migraine/link-between-tmj.
You are absolutely right in that an MRI or CT scan may be helpful. When we have symptoms like these, it is best to get it checked out to see if anything else is going on. I hope your provider can order that for you. This site may be able to help: https://www.patientadvocate.org/
There is also the Migraine Care Line: https://migraine.com/living-migraine/free-case-managemnt
Please know that you are not alone. Someone here will always see your post and respond. Also, you can send a private message on our Facebook or other social sites. Hang in there. (Tonya, team member).
