Help! chronic migraine sufferer
So ever since I got a concussion in the pool, (accidently elbowed by some random dude), I have slowly been getting horrible migraines. At first I thought it was bad sinus infections but now I know I have evidence of spots on my mri and episodes of kigraines. Today though has been the worst. I didnt feel 100% this morning..yesterday I had stayed home from work because I had a migraine and generally not feeling well.
But this morning after I dropped my son I got suddeb glitter effects and had to pull over to ensure I wouldnt crash my car. I pulled into walmart because I am waiting for a new prescription to be filled of my fioricet emergency meds. I took my last one after the glittering started. It usually helps me a lot but this morning I am in serious pain in my left side temple abd behind my left eye. Im surprised im typing this as I sit here waiting foe the pharmacy to open actually. Im used to enduring in the pain I guess.
But I was wondering if anyone has anh input or aadvice. Since im missing another day of work I really need some help as to what I can do to lessen my attacks. Its starting to take over my life. Right now I am so nauseated and the glitter in my eye is so annoying.
I feel like I am loosing hope. And I really dont want to try the daily meds I my doctor prescribed because it has a ton of scary side affects.
Any advice is welcome and sorry if my spelling is off I am using my phone while waiting for the pharmacy and my migraine Is pretty bad.
Starter questions:
~ How long ago was the concussion?
~ How often are you having migraine attacks?
~ Is fiorcet the only medication you are using right now?
~ Is there a reason why your doctor has not recommended one of the newer triptans instead?
~ What daily medications has your doctor suggested?Your answers may change some of what I have to share, so I'll try to keep this generic for the moment. In general, migraines are best treated with a combination of lifestyle changes and medication management.
Lifestyle - Finding out what your triggers are is critically important. If you can discover certain things tend to trigger attacks, you can try to avoid them, minimize your exposure, or at least be prepared. Keeping a detailed log of your attacks can help this a lot. It will also help you and your doctor track the effectiveness of treatments.
Medication - This is a 3-pronged approach using:
1) Abortives like the fiorcet, or better yet, one of the newer triptans (Imitrex, Maxalt, Relpax, Frova, Amerge, Axert, Zomig, etc.) An abortive actually stops the migraine process.
2) Preventives reduce the frequency and severity of attacks. This is likely the "daily" medication your doctor suggested. There are over 100 possibilities in several classes of drugs. If you are concerned about one, ask for another suggestion with fewer side effects.
3) Rescue medications are those that help us rest and relax during those times when the abortives don't work (it happens to all of us on occasion). These medications don't stop the migraine -- just make it easier to tolerate. These can be muscle relaxers, anti-nausea meds, or other pain killers
Also, using comfort measures (ice packs, heating pads, muscle rubs, TENS units, herbal teas, etc.) can help ease our discomfort during the migraine and recovery period (called the postdrome).
Headache experts discourage us from taking any kind of pain medicine (abortives or pain killers) more than twice a week. Long term excessive use of pain medicine puts us at risk for Medication Overuse Headache which can be complicated to treat.
Are you seeing a headache specialist or just your PCP? It is very important to get an accurate diagnosis, especially after a head injury. You may or may not have migraine. The proper diagnosis can make a huge difference in the recommended treatment. The sooner you get the right treatment, the sooner you can get better management of the problem and start feeling better.
Here are some quick links to sections of our site you might find useful to help you get started learning more about migraine and headache disorders. Feel free to write back with any questions.
~ Treatment overview: https://migraine.com/migraine-treatment
~ Details about triptans: https://migraine.com/migraine-treatment/triptans
~ Details about preventives: https://migraine.com/migraine-treatment/prevention-medications
~ Trigger information: https://migraine.com/migraine-triggers
~ How headache specialists are different: https://migraine.com/blog/how-are-migraine-specialists-different
~ Resources for finding a specialist:
~ ~ http://migraineresearchfoundation.org/resources-links.html
~ ~ http://www.headaches.org/physicians
~ ~ http://www.achenet.org/resources/healthcare_professional_search
~ ~ http://www.helpforheadaches.com/doctors/migraine-headache-specialists.htmI know this is a lot to take in all at once. Please take your time. You deserve to be well-educated about your condition! We are all here for you.
Tammy Rome
Patient Advocate
