Migraine help?
#180427 - 05/20/05 05:05 PM
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atomic rose
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 7013
Loc: Maine (IBS-A stable since July '05!)
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Not for me, but for Adam, which is bad enough. I was going to try to email LauraSue for resources but alas, she's taken her email out of her profile. Then I figured that there's enough people on here who suffer from the cussed things that someone might be able to offer some help.
Basically, I'm looking for good message boards and websites for dealing with very frequent migraines. Adam's had MRIs and such and they've basically ruled out everything, so he apparently has migraines.
They prescribed him Imitrex, which works like an absolute dream. The problem, though, is that they can't give him enough of it. His prescription is for 9 pills a month. He blew through those 9 in 2 weeks. The insurance won't allow him a refill until it's been a month, so he went to the doctor, and they gave him 5 samples to tide him over. Well, he has 1 left, and a wicked headache, and he can't get a refill for another 6 days. That's a lot of freakin' pills in a month's time, so it's obvious that SOMETHING else has to be done to try to get this under control.
I know I could Google, but I figured I'd ask you guys first. If anyone can point me in the direction of some good migraine-management websites that don't have contradictory information to confuse me, that would totally rock.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
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Casey,
I don't know of a message board for migraine's. I know that LS does and hopefully she will check in and see your message.
I suffer from migraine's and also take immitrex. Sometimes that works for me if I catch the headache soon enough but if not taking immitrex does nothing for me. Migraine's are very complex and there are so many triggers out there. Have Adam start working on what triggers his headaches. If he can figure some of the triggers he can avoid whatever it is. They are very painful and many times I have to just live with the headache until it goes away, mine usually last for 3 days.
My triggers are wind, not eating, letting myself get dehydrated, when the barometric pressure changes and really cold or hot weather. There are many foods that are also migraine triggers. Can't always avoid them but sometimes it does help to know what they are.
When I have a migraine I always have to drink Dr. Pepper. It is a comfort thing for me and sometimes the caffein helps. I have read that taking aspirin at the onset of a migraine can help and I just read in Women First Magazine that a daily does of magneisium can help.
Do some research on line and you will be able to find all kinds of info and hints about avoiding migraines and meds to take. I am really sorry that Adam is going through this because they are extremely painful. I don't know how he feels but when I have a bad headache my who body hurts. Insurance companies do stink sometimes and immitrex is very expensive to buy on your own. Is there a chance he can go back to the Dr. who may be able to recommend something else when the immitrex runs out?
I'll be thinking about him and I'll do a little research to see what I can find out about a good message board. I have plenty of time today to hang out on the computer.
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Janey
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Casey,
Sorry Adam has migraines, they are horrid!!! I don't know any websites but has he tried feverfew. Ruchie takes it and swears by it. I lay down in a dark room with a hot towel on my face and for some reason Benadryl Sinus and Allergy works for me when Extra Strength Tylenol or Excedrin Migraine won't. I hope he feels better soon.
Christie
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Christie
~Hoping and Praying for Sleep!~
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Casey
#180471 - 05/21/05 08:37 AM
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Janey
Reged: 10/25/03
Posts: 1716
Loc: Maryland
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Check out Migrahealth. It is riboflavin, magnesium and fever few. You can buy it on line and I also read at Riteaid and Walmart. The woman who wrote about this takes it and says it works.
Other message boards are not as easy to get around as this one is. We sure are lucky.
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Janey
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Fraid I don't know any info sources. I adore Imitrex too. Solpadeine (pref. soluble) is also VERY helpful...I take it (well now I take the generic caffeine-fee type that isn't so strong  ) as soon as I get a headache and often it stops the migraine from developing. Also, it's the only thing to dull the pain of a full-blown one for me. I have to sleep to get rid of migraines, even with the Imitrex, and the solpadeine usually dulls the pain sufficiently for me to get to sleep.
Has his doc not suggested any preventatives? I was on one when my migraines were really frequent, but that was years ago and it's all improved loads since then. I know! I'll email you LS's email address. 
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Nah, the doctor just said to take the imitrex at the first sign of a headache... that's as much "preventative" as he got out of him. The part that frustrates the daylights out of me is that I can't get him to call the doctor back and say he needs something more. Argh, men.
Anyway... I got your email... thank you much! 
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Janey
#180581 - 05/22/05 06:29 AM
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atomic rose
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 7013
Loc: Maine (IBS-A stable since July '05!)
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Yeah, we are definitely lucky! When I say this is the best message board on the 'net, I'm not joking.
I will definitely check that out! I know Ruchie (and now Tissy) have recommended feverfew, so I bet that does help. Anything is worth a try at this point, for sure! Thanks!
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Is the benadryl sinus and allergy something different than plain ol' benadryl? Because he does take that almost every day for sinus trouble (the regular benadryl, I mean), and it hasn't seemed to make a difference.
Excedrin Migraine is like sugar pills for him - he's taken 6-8 at a time and they don't even touch it, so I know he knows how you feel.
Anyway, I'm going to make him try feverfew or something containing it... can't hurt! Thanks for the suggestions!
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Hi Casey,
This isn't exactly an answer to your question in that I can't recommend any websites, but I can recommend a migraine treatment. My husband used to get cluster migraines that would lay him out for a full day. I am a graduate of an herbal medicine school and started giving him an herb, Clematis, that I learned about in school. It's the wild form of the common ornamental plant. As long as he takes it as soon as he feels a migraine coming on, it's almost always gone within 20 minutes. This herb has not been studied as far as I know, and is pretty obscure and not available in stores. Lack of studies means lack of safety data. I believe it to be quite safe, based on what I learned in school. It acts by dilated the blood vessels in the head. If you're interested in trying it, I can give you a couple of websites that sell it. You can PM me if you wish; I'm a newbie here and don't know the ethics of promoting a product (not mine!) on the boards. It has made my husband's life a whole lot easier.
-Annika
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I don't know if this will help Adam, Casey, but it sure helped me. I was in the emergency care center, then my family dr., etc. and no relief. Finally I thought, what have I got to lose. So I had a massage and he did mostly cranial sacral (?) work. 4 days later I went back for a second one and the next day it was gone. That was over a year ago, and I've only been back once. Basically it just means he worked on my head, face, neck and shoulders. No full body massage. 
If you can find someone in your area (I know you live in a remote area) that specializes in cranial sacral therapy, that would be the way I'd go.
Anymore if I get the aura that lets me know one is coming on, a couple of Advil seems to take care of it. Good luck to Adam.
Cindy
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Casey
#180743 - 05/23/05 08:27 AM
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Tissy
Reged: 07/15/04
Posts: 773
Loc: Baltimore, MD
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Yes the "Benadryl Maximum Strength Severe Alergy and Sinus Headache" is different then regular benadryl. It comes in a green box. I get migraines as well as sinus "like" headaches. (My doc said for me it is really not sinuses problems but a fibro problem but the Benadryl Sinus stuff works.) I take Extra Strength Tylenol for my migraines and lay down in a dark room with a warm cloth on my face and try to sleep'em off. The sinus "like" headaches I take the Benadryl Sinus stuff and that usually knocks right out.
Christie
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Christie
~Hoping and Praying for Sleep!~
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No suggestions but give him a big hug for me. Migraines must be very hard to manage.
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Re: Migraine help?
#180894 - 05/24/05 07:16 AM
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byard
Reged: 05/19/05
Posts: 6
Loc: oklahoma city, ok (transplanted from California
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I too have migraines. Imitrex is a Godsend. I also take two Alleve twice a day when I can't use the Imitrex. I take them at the onset of the headache and they will stop them before then get bad. He really shouldn't take more than two Imitrex in a 24 hour period. Good luck to him (and you).
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Casey,
Sorry I have been away for awhile and just saw your message. My sister and I both suffer from severe migraines and both take Imitrex for them. We were going through them at the same rate that Adam seems to be going through them. Mine are triggered by bright lights and lots of heat/sunshine that cause me to wind up being hospitalized for the pain and dehydration that occur. We had our doctor contact the insurance company and let them know that the MRIs showed nothing wrong, other than we suffered from migraines. With a report sent to the insurance company documenting the problems we were experiencing, the cost of having us hospitalized versus the cost for the medication, the insurance company put in an override into the system that allows us to have a monthly supply of one per day or 8 per week. This has helped tremendously since we no longer have to suffer. Course now under my new insurance plan (since I am no longer under Mom and Dad's) I had to do the same thing in order for them to allow me to get the number I needed. Course I am sure they hate the fact that I get 35 tablets for $25.00- which is much better than the four or six times a year with a hospital bill for $500/visit. But I also only fill the prescription four to five times a year since the migraines have decreased except for certain periods of time (Dec-March & Jun-Sept) when the sun is bright or there is snow glare.
I will warn you that it takes time to get the process in place, but Blue Cross and Blue Shield will do it.
Additionally, I tried a trigger book for a few months keeping track of everything until we figured them out. While I am not sure if it helped or not, since I started yoga the number of attacks went down.
I hope Adam has good luck with getting what he needs to feel better. Let me know if you need any additional information on what we had in the report to the insurance company.
Michelle
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Hi Michelle!
I think that, mostly likely, the insurance company override thing isn't going to do him a lot of good right at this moment, because he's on Medicaid and the state is notoriously a lot more difficult to reason with than even insurance companies are. (I couldn't even get them to cover the birth control patch for me when my IBS was bad and I was afraid that the pill wouldn't be effective because of the D... it appears they'd rather have welfare babies than pay the $40/month. But I digress.)
*However*... he should be eligible for insurance with his new job within the next couple months, so the information might definitely be helpful for then. If you'd rather, you can email - my address is in my profile.
Thanks bunches! 
PS - I'm so sorry you suffer with these cussed things too!
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