Answer/Reply:

I have been seeing a neurologist in Dallas, Tx and he is considered one of the top experts in the migraine field. You might try "Googling" him and read about his pain clinic and lectures around the US as well as in Europe. He specializes in patients with chronic pain from any source (ie., accidents, MS, fibromyalgia, and especially migraines).
People come from all over TX and even fly in from out of state to receive IV treatments to stop the cycle of recurring "rebound" migraines, etc.
He is a caring man passionate about helping people relieve their pain.
Good luck and May God Bless you.

59 year old Female

Posted: 2008-07-27 03:12:51

Answer/Reply:

I forgot to include his name (DUH!):
John Claude Krusz, MD, PHD
He also is in About.com About Headaches:Biograhical Headaches and Migraines

59 year old Female

Posted: 2008-07-27 03:17:21

Answer/Reply:

I am a 28 year old female. I take a form of this drug that contains butabital, acetamenaphen and caffine. The brand name is Fiorcet. It works very very well for me. The only negative is the sedating affect it can sometimes have.

29 year old Female

Posted: 2008-11-19 18:18:40

iGuard.org Answer/Reply:

A patient, generally speaking, with both conditions can have individual tension headaches and individual migraine headaches and tension type headache symptoms that proceed to a definitive migraine and this can be the warning of the migraine headache about to take place. The tension type headache can definitely be a issue along with migraine headaches.

Posted: 2008-06-24 12:08:38

Answer/Reply:

My migranes became less frequent postmenapause over the past 7 years. I still have them, but less severe and they don't last as long. My psychiatrist put me on Topamax and it has been a life saver. Before Topamax I rarely felt any symptoms of the migrane coming on unless it was caused by a tension headache or sinus headache. Now when I feel one coming on I have time to stay in a dark quiet place. Ear plugs have been very helpful over the past 25 years. Also having a quiet fan on to circulate the air seems to help. I also have problems with nausea and dizziness which can be tiggered due to sensitivity to smells.
Dr Christiane Northrup has great insight to women's health and wellness. I learned a lot from reading her book. You can find out more about her on the internet. I wouldn't have figured out that I was perimenapause in my early 30s and that was causing more frequent and severe migranes. Doctors kept telling me I was too young. She gives information on different ways to help get through the symptoms of menapause through medicine and holistic alternatives. Walking and swimming helped me. Also giving up caffeine and soda pop also helped a lot, which also helped me loose weight. I hope this information is helpful. Menapause is different for everyone. Good luck.

52 year old Female

Posted: 2009-03-03 01:47:48

iGuard.org Answer/Reply:

Triptans were the miracle of the late 1980's and 1990's. Just because one triptan has failed, does not mean that another will not work. The are admonitions to triptan therapy such as significant heart disease, significant possible allergic reactions and although rare can occur. If you have failure with one triptan, try another. Trexomet has naproxen with Imitrex in the tablet. This may result in better and longer lasting relief. A lot of clinical trials have been done on this combination triptan and it has been shown to be very effective. For people who do not respond to triptans at all, there are other alternatives including ergots, prophalaxysis, and pain medications.

Posted: 2008-06-24 15:06:54

iGuard.org Answer/Reply:

Topamax has been approved in prevention of migraine headache. Topamax works well though it is not a primary prevention medicine. Primary prevention medicines in migraine headache that are the gold standards are beta blockers such as Inderal, Metoprolol, and Tri-Cyclec antidepressants such as Elavil and Nortriptyline. Dosages used for prevention in migraine are different then when the medications are used for different conditions. Topamax is very effective but people may experience cognitive problems such as confusion and inability to think correctly. This generally subsides with time and generally is not a problem when appropriate doses are used. The dosing of Topamax should be done very gingerly starting at a low dose level and escalating very slowly. Other medications in this category such as Depakote has proven effective in clinical trials. Complications of Depakote can include weight gain, lethargy, and hair loss. In the new formulation this has been largely avoided. Keppra, an anticonvulsant that has been used in the treatment of migraine headache and this might be a consideration. It has not been as rigorously studied as Depakote and Topamax.

Posted: 2008-06-24 15:05:04

iGuard.org Answer/Reply:

The aura of migraine headache is a neurologic disfunction and can encompass or embody any part of the Central Nervous System. You can have a disorder of thinking, vision, hearing, speaking, as well as disorder of smelling. During the migraine headache there can be photophobia (light sensitivity), phonophobia (sound sensitivity), and osmophobia (smelling bad things or having a disorder of smell). This needs to have preventative treatment and not be treated with acute medications.

Posted: 2008-06-24 12:15:51

iGuard.org Answer/Reply:

Rebound headaches can occur with any type of medication dealing with pain. That is the most important point when dealing with these type of medicines. Anything that delivers with pain relief can also result in a rebound phenomenon. It's not just anogesic such as aspirin or tylenol, fiorinal, fiorinal with codeine or even the narcotic anogesics can have the same effect. All of these medications including triptans can result in rebound phenomenon especially if too much is used. If you have taken 2 triptans in 24 hour period and it hasn't worked, you should not take any more. If 2 pills don't work, the likelihood that anything else will be effective in just wiping out the migraine headache pain is low. What is recommend is that people take an anogesic medication such as codeine, vicodin, or hydrocodone along with some sleeping medication and rest up and in most cases the headache will respond.

Posted: 2008-06-24 14:56:16

Answer/Reply:

you're having rebound headaches from the use of all your medicines.

31 year old Female

Posted: 2008-06-17 20:34:12

iGuard.org Answer/Reply:

The most effective form of this medication is injectable. Studies have been done on nasal and oral forms. It appears that the nasal and oral forms just don't work as well as the injectable form. The emphasis on DHE therapy has really been using injections of the medication perhaps twice a day, one milliliter per day if being used chronically. Some patients may require more or less. New research has been done in delivery systems such as inhaled routes which increases the absorption of the medication to almost intravenous levels. Work has also been done with delivery devices that deliver compazine which is an anti-naseua medication used to treat migraine headache in the emergency room and reseachers have been able to obtain blood levels that are close to intravenous administration of the compazine. Those routes of administration are very exciting in terms of getting the medication to the brain in the trigeneral vascular area where migraine headaches takes place. One of the complications of DHE include vasospams which is the closing up of the arteries or veins which is a significant problem but is rare in occurrence and usually subside with discontinuation of the medicine.

Posted: 2008-06-24 12:18:42

Answer/Reply:

i have had migraines since 1972. i've been seeing the same neurologist since 1990. we have found only 2 drugs that work for me: a rescue drug called stadol ns (nasal spray) and toradol, a pill (nsaid). the stadol is highly addictive and the toradol can be harmful to the gi system. but they are the only drugs that work! i've found that the migraines have tapered off since menopause began, about 3 years ago. but, however, they are still as painful, intense and debilitating as ever. i only use them for migraines, never for a headache.

49 year old Female

Posted: 2009-06-26 19:30:25

iGuard.org Answer/Reply:

I've found that I am highly sensative to MSG and the other names that it goes by in the listed ingredients on food packages. If you think you might be too you might want to take a look at this web site www.msgmyth.com/hidename.htm.

I was getting a Migraine headache 2-3 times a week. Right now I am watching my diet so closely. Reading every label and most contain ingredients I can't have. I'm eating so much healthier now, many more fruits and vegetables and I'm shopping at a store that helps reduce the risk because many of their products are organic and don't contain these chemicals. However, many still do even there. The rule of thumb is - If there's even one ingredient that you can't pronounce or that doesn't sound natural, don't eat it until you find out first what that ingredient is and that it's safe.

If I eat something questionable I pay really close attention, so that I know almost immediately if a headache is coming on. Many times if I catch it at that point I can get rid of it with Aleve, within an hour or two and it never gets very bad. I also soak my hands and forearms in hot, hot water for about 10 minutes, which seems to help to. Also, rolling 'Head On' onto my head helps until the medication kicks in. I'm down to 1, maybe 2 a week that I'm able to get rid of within an hour or two without serious medication. I've had some weeks now without any. Each time I've been able to pin point my headache to something I ate. Going out to eat is a big problem. I don't trust any seasonings or flavorings or the oil they use.

I would like to find out why I'm prone to getting them in the first place. Several years ago I was getting terrible pains in my left side. Over a period of 10 years the pain started occurring more frequently, until it was 2-3 times a week like my migraines have been these past few year (never hade these before - but did get sinus headaches). I found that foods that contained MSG (and other such ingredients) were causing me to have this pain. I was poking around on the internet and thought I might have a gallbladder problem. I did. I had a gall stone. They removed my gallbladder and I've never had this pain again.

Recently I had an MRI and so I know I have a sinus cyst. I also feel like I have a lump on the left side of my neck. I would be willing to bet this is causing my Migraines now when I eat MSG ingredients, just like the gall stone did with my gallbladder. I haven't found a good doctor yet to help me figure this out.

They say that even people who don't show signs of being MSG sensative are being poisened just the same. Even if I do find I have a removable cyst or one that can be drained and my migraines go away, I still won't feel comfortable going back to eating the way I did in the past. I sure wish something could be done to rid our food of all these chemicals.

I hope this helps you or someone else. If anyone has any information that they think might help me please email me at: Deborah805@sbcglobal.net

Posted: 2008-08-29 03:27:50