Chronic migraines, unfortunately the norm for me

My name is Leilani and I have been dealing with a minimum of 15 (but I swear it is more like 20) migraines a month for the last 14 years. I am only 36 years old. I might normally say 36 years YOUNG, but with chronic migraines, let's face it, I feel exhausted and just plain OLD some days. It effects my life in so many ways.

I have 3 children of my own, two under the age of 10 and one teenager. I also teach remedial 2nd and 3rd grade elementary school kids. So let's just say the noise levels at school, sunlight at recess, can all very quickly trigger a migraine. My migraines started the same time I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis back in 2000 which I might add was 8 months after my oldest was born.

 
My doctors tell me the migraines are probably secondary and there is nothing that can be done other than pain management. Some medications have caused rebound headaches that are just as bad as a full blown migraine. An absolute no go for me. The medication I am on now is 10mg of Maxalt and 250mg of Naproxen (together). And sadly while it is the most effective I have been on, I find that I have to double the dose. I was also told to take 4mg of Chlorpheniramine every night at bedtime...to prevent migraines.Well at a minimum of 15 migraines per month...I say it doesn't work. So after a year, I stopped the bedtime medication.

As I stated before, I have Ulcerative Colitis, and I take medications for that. I have to take medication for chronic insomnia which was also triggered by my Colitis. I am on one too many medications and half the time none work as effectively as I need them to. I have a friend who told me about a product she uses for her migraines (in addition to her prescribed meds) called Ausanil (not a prescription, and created by a nuerologist). It is a spray you use in your nose for all types of headaches and migraines. She swears by it. Is there some hope to tackle a migraine head on? I can't say for sure.

I took my maxalt just a little over 10 minutes ago and used the spray, which you don't inhale...but it caused my eyes to water and caused a half sneezing half coughing fit (such a wonderful feeling when your head feels like it is going to explode!)...oh and the stinging,but non painful sensation is a little weird (the package states that sensation lets you know it's working and the intensity of it lessens with repeated use but does not go away).

However after a few minutes, everything subsided...including the full blown migraine that had me sick to my stomach and sitting in the dark with no sound whatsoever. A very rare and tricky feat when you have 3 kids and a dog! So does it work? I can't swear by it after one try, but the combination between it and the maxalt (skipped the naproxen to see if the spray would work)...migraine's butt is kicked. Well, for the moment anyway :-) Now that I feel like a normal person, it's off to be Supermom...and enjoy this sunshine as long as I can. Here is to a blessed and hopefully pain free day!