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Migraine Relief- Help

Hi all,

I'm 29 years old and had my first migraine 5 weeks ago. I had stroke-like symptoms (left side tingling/numb, forgot words, slurring words, vomiting, nausea and then the worst head pain I have ever had in my life). I went to Urgent Care then the hospital and was discharged the next day with instructions to f/u with a neurologist. All tests done at the hospital (MRI, CAT Scan, chest x-ray) were clear. While waiting for a neuro appointment, I had the exact same symptoms/auras followed by migraine 5 days later.

I finally saw a neurologist and was diagnosed with migraines. I received a new FDA approved injection (will have 3 of them once a month for prevention) after pills didn't help and so far I haven't had a full blown attack since the second one (it's now 4 weeks later) BUT almost everyday I have a pounding headache (or migraine). I've tried Nortriptyline, Rizatriptan, advil, Imitrex, Excedrin, Toradal injection and acupuncture.

My migraines/headaches started out of the blue and I can't seem to shake these pounding headaches. My doctor said botox may be the next thing I try. Thank Gd I haven't had the fullblown attack since but these pounding headaches are not fun.

Any recommendations, advice, tips please?? Thanks in advance!

  1. Welcome to the migraine.com community! We are glad you're here. I'm sorry you are suffering from migraine attacks. Migraine can impact our lives in so many ways. I'm glad you have sought out treatment quickly. Is your doctor a headache specialist? Being treated by a specialist in this area provides you with a wealth of treatment options specifically tailored to what you are experiencing. Tracking your attacks in a journal or using an app like Migraine Buddy is a great tool to help you and your doctor create an effective care plan based on your experience during your attack cycles. There may be a good bit of trial and error as you work with your doctor to find the right therapy or combination therapy that is most effective for you. Stay positive and never lose hope! Medicines like NSAIDs(Advil, Tylenol, Excedrin) and triptans(rizatriptan) can cause headaches if you take them too frequently. For some, this can be a little as two times each week. Make sure to track how often you take those and share that information with your doctor. Today migraine has so many treatment options, both through medicines and non-medicines, and many people find they can effectively manage attack cycles through a combination of therapies. I hope this helps you, and as always, we are here to support you along your journey. Warmly, Cheryl migraine.com team

    1. So glad you chimed in to share some of your journey with us. Definitely sounds like it's time to move to a preventative protocol due to the frequency of your attacks. Botox can be a great strategy. I've been taking it for over 20 years. Here's a video that shares my experiences with it: https://migraine.com/video/20-years-of-botox.
      The symptoms you are describing are neurological in nature and therefore often appear in relation to migraine which is a complex neurological disease. Sometimes an attack can appear with or without head pain- or with or without those other symptoms. Glad you are working with a neurologist who sounds well-trained in migraine and that you have had solid evaluations related to the scans you mentioned.


      It can be so tough when migraine arises sometimes seemingly out of nowhere and takes over. All we can do is respond and try to figure it out, sort it through - and try to be open to learning what it may have to teach us. So glad you've found us here as it can be isolating to navigate this condition. We are here for you- living it alongside of you- and here to provide you with compassion and support. Please stay in touch. Warmly- Holly -migraine.com team.

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