Return of the constant migraines?
A few years back, I was having migraines every single day for three months straight. Sudden onset, no family history.
Was suggested that I see a Neurologist and I did. Along with a CT scan during an ER visit for a migraine so bad I was in tears, I had an MRI with contrast and a lumbar puncture to rule out anything and everything that could possibly be causing my migraines and be seen on films or in test results. According to my neuro, nadda.
Was put on Imitrex. Did nothing. Absolutely nothing. Tried Fioricet. Another dead end. Excedrin, Advil, Tylenol; all sadly no help. Was given a shot in the butt (no idea what the drug was called) which relieved no pain but left me drowsy. Was put on Topiramate which did seem to work for some time but then my hormones went nuts and I was having the worst mood swings and breaking out like I was 14 again and my period stopped coming.
Eventually, I stopped the topiramate, seeking instead to try other remedies. Stumbled, by mistake, upon gluten being one of the causes. I had originally eliminated gluten from my diet to help with some eczema that had showed up and it ended up easing my migraines.
For quite some time, I had been migraine free. Until this year. For the past several months, the frequency of my migraines have increased and I feel as if, slowly but surely, I'm making my way into daily migraines again.
I don't know what to do at this point. As I'm typing this, I'm having another one, so bad that I'm close to crying half the time. It's lasted for several hours now, getting worse as the day's gone on. It was almost bearable earlier but now it's ranking with my top five worst migraines. These usually lead to an odd sensation of needing to scratch the inside of my skull, like needing to grind one's teeth but...inside my head?? It's the only way I can describe it.
What has helped for you and has anyone experienced something similar?
Thanks in advance♥
I recently adjusted my diet to food that had no preservatives, no wheat, no very little dairy, and low sodium. Also, i focused on easily digestible foods, so low fiber, veggies i cooked myself and fruit that i blended into smoothies. So it was really like baby food but I cooked it all myself to avoid preservatives. I noticed some difference in my pain, maybe it was because I didn't have such a hard time with slow digestion, which, for me, triggers pain. I dont know if this issue is one you have, but I also lost weight, which was good for me. I went on this diet for a different medical problem, but I noticed the slight improvement in my pain and the overall improvement in my health. I, too, have such horrific pain and I cry and throw up most days of the month. I am going back to my dr. again to see if we can do something different to control the pain. I know how exhausting it is. You just have to keep trying with your dr. Ice packs on the back of my head (where the occipital nerves are) seems to help when I am going to lose my mind. Hope something here helps. Good luck.
Avianchild,
I'm really sorry that this is happening to you. Constant Migraines can be maddening.
What type of doctor do you see? Is it a neurologist? You may want to try to find a headache specialist. These are neurologists who only work with Migraine patients. They are best equipped to help you navigate new meds and treatments. Here's info on headache specialists:
https://migraine.com/blog/how-are-migraine-specialists-different/Like Teri mentioned, figuring out the reason and finding meds that work for you may be a long road. There's a lot of trial and error in the process, which can be super frustrating.
For me, Botox has been very helpful in lessening the severity. I also take a few OTC supplements (like magnesium), I have a few preventatives I take every day and then I have multiple abortive medications at the ready. If Imitrex didn't help, there are other drugs in the same category that could work better for you. Also a drug called DHE is used when triptans don't work. That's maybe something to talk to your doc about.
Bottom line, I think you really need to find a headache specialist as soon as you can since your Migraines are worsening. Let me know if you have any other questions.
-Katie
Migraine.com ModeratorYes, absolutely similar. Some years ago my migraines became chronic and going off wheat/gluten for an unrelated condition had the happy surprise of curing my migraines (or so I thought). I had several years of migraine-free bliss.
Now my migraines are back, chronic, and nothing I do on my own is making a significant or lasting difference. They're like the Borg, always adapting so that something which gives sweet relief one week is worthless the next. Next up on my agenda is taking matters up with a specialist.
I wish I had something useful to offer beyond my understanding. Hope you find the help you need soon!
Thank you all for the replies. At the moment, I'm having yet another bad migraine, coupled with nausea, what I would classify as extreme fatigue and pain everywhere else in my body. Feel like I am sort of battling the flu but I'm not.
I was suggested by a friend to look into medical marijuana as an aide with the pain and it seems like an idea, considering most medications don't work and I really don't want to be prescribed norco. One can't function on that stuff, in my opinion.
I have surgery in a few weeks to widen the entrances into my sinuses and I've heard some people claim it lessened their migraine frequency. Here's to hoping I'm one of the lucky ones, lol
I also see my primary doctor soon as well and I'll be telling him how my attempts at relief have been entirely thwarted. And then, I'll most likely seek out a headache specialist if nothing changes.
♥
