My Journey
I was referred to a neurologist due to the severity of the migraines. He ran some tests, prescribed gabapentin, which had no effect whatsoever. Then he decided that I needed Botox treatments. He gave me the cliff notes version of what was to take place. It was one of the worst decisions I’ve ever made. The first treatment was bad. The second treatment, I got up from the chair, went straight to the ladies room and vomited. It was so very painful, it looked as if I had been attacked with a ball peen hammer along my forehead. I was black and blue for about a week and it didn’t help the migraines. It was the last time I went back to him. Currently I take Rizatriptan to help manage the pain. Has anyone else had a similar experience?
Thank you for reaching out and sharing your difficult experience with us. I'm so sorry you've had trouble getting treatment for migraine disease and a rough time with Botox. I don't believe gabapentin is a first line treatment for migraine prevention. Having said that 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! Here is information to start you off;
https://migraine.com/blog/migraine-preventives-startI can tell you I've been getting Botox since 2016 and it's been a game changer for me. I've gone from 25-28 migraine days a month, to just over 15. I know 15 is still a lot, and I must say my acute medication (those that stop the migraine process) seem to work better. It's also VERY important a skilled clinical in the Botox protocol for migraine administer the injections - it makes a world of difference. I've had bruising from time to time, but nothing too extreme. The other thing I wanted to mention about migraine prevention medications is they take time to work and are not curative, as there is currently no cure for migraine disease. When we start Botox, it could take three, four maybe more rounds before we see improvement. It's also important to mention when we start new medications it can take up to 90 days at the therapeutic dose before we see results.
I'm wondering if it's time to seek out help from a doctor who is well educated about treating migraine and headache disease. Here's the thing - general neurologists may be fine doctors however it's difficult for them to be experts in one disease state as they treat so many including stroke, MS, epilepsy, Parkinson's and more. Migraine/headache experts have extra board certification in headache medicine, not all neurologists have this extra certification, and treat migraine and headache all day, every day. They can have a huge impact in our care. I can tell you first hand these experts have made a positive difference in my quality of life. Let me share some of our articles on this topic:
https://migraine.com/living-migraine/evaluating-doctor-patient-relationship-right-fit
https://migraine.com/living-migraine/how-to-evaluate-doctor
https://migraine.com/blog/really-find-headache-specialist
https://migraine.com/living-migraine/hiring-right-doctor
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
I hope I didn't overwhelm you too much and look forward to hearing back from you. I'm sending you wishes for a low pain day, Nancy Harris Bonk, Patient Leader/Moderator (team member)
