Chronic Migraines for Many Years
I've had chronic migraines for 40 years or more. When I first started getting migraines I lived on Long Island and I thought they were sinus headaches. One day I noticed my eye pupils were not the same size so I made a doctor's appointment and my primary doctor gave me a referral to go to a neurologist. I had an MRI and everything was okay.
I was wrong...
The neurologist told me they were not sinus headaches, they were migraines. Throughout the years when I got migraines I never knew when I would get one. So many times I had to cancel going to a birthday party or to a get-together. I would stay home and go to bed or curl up on the couch with a pillow I heated up in the microwave.
An unknown challenge when it came to treatment
In later years my migraines got worse, sometimes two or three days in a row. I also tried different medications and found out I was allergic to Topamax, I broke out in a rash from the top of my head down to my toes. I was allergic to Zomig, I could barely walk, the calves of my legs hurt so bad and I had heart palpitations. I was on Amitriptyline for a long time until it affected my mind and suddenly I got lost wherever I drove, and I had trouble thinking clearly. So not only was I hurting from the migraines, but I was also suffering from the allergic reactions from the prescriptions I was taking for the migraine pain.
Wishful thinking
Now I take Nortriptyline and it helps me that I get fewer migraines and sometimes they are not as painful. Other times nothing seems to help. I am 72 now and I am actually afraid to try the new medications that are out there now because I do not want to deal with an allergic reaction again. Maybe someday I will try something new and I'll get fewer migraines or possibly never get a migraine again.
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