Does anyone suffer from debilitating migraines. I have had several over the last few weeks, this last one since last Thursday. I've been to A&E twice, and been prescribed Tramadol and Metoclopramide, these ease the intense pain and aversion to light for a while but does not last. They now think I have a pinched nerve in my neck. I am not so sure, as I think I would feel a pinched nerve and most of the pain is in the frontal lobe and behind the eyes. Any thoughts or suggestion on some remedies.
I suffered from almost daily . I migraines for years, and I finally got imitrex.akoa sumatriptan. There’s no medicine that helps as much.
I tried for years to get Botox shots but couldn’t through my insurance. It has now been approved by the FDA for use on migraines. I get 31 very shallow shots in about two minutes maximum and it doesn’t hurt after that. I have about five migraines A month now, usually caused by changes in the weather. Then I take a Imitrex pill and it goes away. I hope this information helps you. When great-grandmother apparently suffered from migraines the way I did before I got the Botox shots. I get very stiff shoulders and neck when I get migranes, they seem to go together. I went to a chiropractor a few years ago and she helped make my shoulders relax finally for the first time in years.
Dear Bones,
So very sorry to hear you are having these headaches! I have headaches, but they are not the traditional migraines. I get them about once a month. I have been told I have arthritis in my neck and that they could be the cause, but like you, I am not sure. Mine only last about a day. I hope you will keep us posted on any information you find out. I get some relief by breathing in steam when I first feel one coming on. I have pain behind my eyes, but more on the left side and down into my left ear. I have had them look at my ear and sinus and so far nothing unusual has appeared. I usually take Excederine Migraine when I can find it. I also try 2 ibuprofen and a decongestant, which takes the edge off but does not take the pain away. I have also taken tramadol with the same result.
I’ve been getting them more frequent nothing seems to help I have to stay in bed until gone really is bad when you have to keep calling off work
Thanks everyone, I'm sort of lucky by not being in paid employment, but do a lot of volunteering. I feel so guilty and like a hypochondriac when I have to say sorry can't come in today. Feeling a bit better today, but still have that pressure behind the eyes.
I have been on and off migraine sufferer for many years.
No idea why, but triggers for me include fragrances, allergies, thyroid hormone levels (Hashi's AI), changes in barometric pressure (weather) and preservatives such as found in processed foods.
Maxalt-MLT OD (brand, not generic) is very effective for me. I am also on Keppra-XR.
Now, I will mention this also, as it is another type of headache related to neck. Similar to migraine but different and that would be occipital neuralgia. For that, I am on home traction, and usually that helps to alleviate a flare in conjunction with moist heat and PT individualized home program. If that doesn't work, pain management doc does trigger point and/or nerve block injections.
Usually I can't tell the different between migraine or occipital neuralgia initially - if the Maxalt doesn't work to alleviate it, then I know it isn't migraine then switch initially to pain med and the other modalities.
C-spine problems can cause a plethora of pain issues.
As to a punched nerve in your neck, I would encourage you to have that assessed more fully. There are a lot of nerve roots that branch out from the c-spine. In my case, I don't have a pinched nerve but I do have bulging disks at every level. I think if memory serves me right the greater occipital nerve is around c-2. Also, inflammatory issues can result in compression on the nerve roots.
I also suffer from a condition called cervical radiculopathy - which originates from my c-spine (neck), and that is one painful "puppy" when that acts out. Whole left arm becomes basically useless from the severe pain...but the root cause is in my neck.
It's well worth at least ruling out neck issues as the cause of your migraines. For one thing, to various degrees many of us do develop neck issues as we get older. Mine are secondary to trauma so degenerative process in my c-spine is more accelerated.
But if it does turn out to be neck in your case, much easier to catch it and manage it sooner than later.
I also suffer from migraine, now for 20+ years. I went to a neurologist who specialized in migraines and balance disorders. There are meds that you can take to prevent the migraines from coming on. He also told me to try caffeine at the onset. I have added sitting in a tub of HOT water as deep as I can get it. The theory is that inflammation leads to blood engorgement which causes the pain. All I can say is for me when I get an "aura" i.e. distortion in my vision I take one of two Tylenol and drink a high caffeine soda. I have also found a combination of Tylenol and caffeine at WalMart in the pain reliever department. I doesn't work as fast but does work well for me. Another doctor suggested to me that I eat some protein which helps some people.
My neurologist also told me that for some people certain foods can be a trigger. He suggested that I keep a food dairy to see if I could see any correlation. Unfortunately I haven't be able to identify any food triggers but I do find when the barometric pressure drop with an incoming storm that I have headaches more often.
I recently took a friend of mine to urgent care with a severe migraine. They gave her a "cocktail" of three drugs: Toradol, Benadryl and an anti-nausea drug. It worked. You might check that out.
I hope you find some answers soon. Migraines are miserable.
Hi Bones,
Had an MRI lately? I don't know if mine are really migraines, but they're skull crackers. My headaches are from collapsed discs in my neck that go all the way up into my head. One is collapsed on the right, the next on the left, 2 down on the left, another on the right... and there is spinal stenosis there too, so I know where mine are coming from. My hands and fingers (especially the outer fingers) go numb too, my rheum pointed out which part of the spine that was...
For the longest time, nothing was as bad as my SI joints, but I have to tell you, there are times these headaches are worse. I can no longer go to the Chiropractor, I have reached that point, unfortunately, so I don't have that relief available anymore.
I hope you can find the source and somehow get to a better place. It's tough to live with these.
Wishing you well,
SK
Thanks SK, Chiropractors in NZ are only there to make money, I used one about 15 years ago and after 12 weeks @ $75 a week there was no difference ( this was for a slipped disc in my lower back), They don't have a very good name here. I haven't had a MRI, you have to really push to get one. The Dr at A&E suggested the Chinese massager in our local shopping mall, he's not badly priced, but as with most things will have to wait till next pay day. (10 days away)
So what does that mean, they think these headaches are from muscle tension, and a massage will do the trick?
They are grasping at straws and suggested I give that ago
I have a bulging disc C5-C6; I had a massive muscle knot around there too, which gave me pain from occipital neuralgia; I got horrendous headaches left side only, and over my eye, usually on waking up with a stiff neck too, so I presumed that the muscle knot was squeezing the occipital nerve. I had physio to do on my neck, which has helped tremendously! (Just gentle tucking chin down towards chest, gentle turning to each side laying down, just a few times but regularly through the day). Dewidiya's right about necks causing a lot of headache pain, definitely worth checking out..
Dewidiya said:
I have been on and off migraine sufferer for many years.
No idea why, but triggers for me include fragrances, allergies, thyroid hormone levels (Hashi's AI), changes in barometric pressure (weather) and preservatives such as found in processed foods.
Maxalt-MLT OD (brand, not generic) is very effective for me. I am also on Keppra-XR.
Now, I will mention this also, as it is another type of headache related to neck. Similar to migraine but different and that would be occipital neuralgia. For that, I am on home traction, and usually that helps to alleviate a flare in conjunction with moist heat and PT individualized home program. If that doesn't work, pain management doc does trigger point and/or nerve block injections.
Usually I can't tell the different between migraine or occipital neuralgia initially - if the Maxalt doesn't work to alleviate it, then I know it isn't migraine then switch initially to pain med and the other modalities.
C-spine problems can cause a plethora of pain issues.
As to a punched nerve in your neck, I would encourage you to have that assessed more fully. There are a lot of nerve roots that branch out from the c-spine. In my case, I don't have a pinched nerve but I do have bulging disks at every level. I think if memory serves me right the greater occipital nerve is around c-2. Also, inflammatory issues can result in compression on the nerve roots.
I also suffer from a condition called cervical radiculopathy - which originates from my c-spine (neck), and that is one painful "puppy" when that acts out. Whole left arm becomes basically useless from the severe pain...but the root cause is in my neck.
It's well worth at least ruling out neck issues as the cause of your migraines. For one thing, to various degrees many of us do develop neck issues as we get older. Mine are secondary to trauma so degenerative process in my c-spine is more accelerated.
But if it does turn out to be neck in your case, much easier to catch it and manage it sooner than later.
I have severe migraines and trigeminal neuralgia/neuropathy. I take Lyrica and tramadol, plus I have Zipsor and a nasal inhaler for the migraines. They have eased after being on Topiramate for a few months. It seems to have broken the vicious cycle, but Topiramate is strong medicine, so not something I want to be on constantly, if I do not need to.
I have had migraines for 25 years. I have tried most of the Meds offered. I take the generic for Amerge which is Naratriptan at the first sign of a migraine and it works 95% of the time. I also get adjusted regularly, my husband is a chiropractor. I would not let your first unsuccessful experience with chiro taint the entire profession. I work with my husband and see success stories every dsy. I have also seen cases that did not respond or were beyond his care and needed other methods like surgery, etc. much like not every med helps everyone, chiro isn’t for everyone. I hope you can find something that works.
Gluten is one of my triggers, and I eat a gluten free diet. It is also a trigger for autoimmune stuff. My other known triggers are lack of sleep, weather, lights, certain smells like cigarette smoke, some perfumes, or gas fumes, and noise. I know I have to watch my caffeine intake, too. I mention these more to illustrate just how far reaching migraine triggers are. They are weird beasts.
I have had migraines just after the onset of SS, age 31 , they were so bad,,, I would need complete darkness,,, no noise,, I could not talk I was in that much pain,, I would vomit always , I would have to get a wet flannel and put it on my head and go to sleep,,, In the finish I was getting them every Sunday when I would wake up on a Sunday they would last all day,, at about 8 o clock at night they would start to wear off.. I never took any medication for them,, because if I did try to take medication It would make me vomit,,, and any sort of coffee made them twice as bad, just drinking water would make me vomit .. I am now 52 and have been going through menopause, after having a hysterectomy , so they have been a lot less the last 5 years, I still get them but about one every six months, I do not have any remedies, but just wanted to say I have been through these and I know what you are going through,, I would look at what you are eating,,,or drinking... I did not have a computer, years ago, so now I google everything looking for my answers, and alturnative treatments,, I hope you find something that can help Chrissy
Hey bones are you from New Zealand??? I live in Canterbury
Yeah, I'm in Manawatu. Nice to have someone else on here from NZ. Thanks for your reply. I'm 44, had a hysterectomy 3 years ago. I've always had headaches, but a couple of panadol and they are gone. These are horrendous though, noise and light I can't bear, I'm nauseous but not vommiting, although I wish I would. Last couple of days haven't been to bad, so fingers crossed I'm getting over this bought and don't get them again (wishful thinking). Toni
exjbnz said:
Hey bones are you from New Zealand??? I live in Canterbury
Botox on forhead and along hairline helps prevent migranes for me
I get them really bad it's awful! I'm so sorry your going through this! I'm on a migraine preventive, but mine are really sever i have a high pain tolerance and pass out before i realize i even have one. It causes me to have tia (stroke) type symptoms i guess its rare but yay me. I've been on many diff migraine meds.
The hospital gives me a combo of zophran toradol and benadryl but that doesn't work all that great for me
I've tried imitrex pill form which didnt work for me at all
I've tried maxalt,it worked for a while, It just took a few pills to get it to kick in.
Now it's imitrex injections hourly up to 6 a day if that is failing it's zomig which is new. I have to get it from my neuro, I just stop in and his nurse gets it for me. It's a nasal inhaler kinda weird the way it works
sitting in a luke warm bath in the dark very quiet then when you get out lay in bed in the dark silent room with everything but your feet covered. this is what helps me the best.