New Here . . . Chronic phase and then some

Hi All,

I was diagnosed over 10 years ago with chronic migraine (had had a headache for 3 months) and over the years have done topomax or imetrex, but currently not on anything. I do take sertraline & ambient daily for something else which is about all I take. The advil or tylonol don't do much, but do take them on occasion (more of that 'maybe it will help this time).

Since the original diagnosis, I have had headaches for the most part all the time. On a scale of 1 to 10, anything under a 5 I just function with. 6 to 9 I look for meds and ice packs. 10s will keep me immobilized in the dark cold cave that is my bedroom.

In the last month, it started with a 6 or a 7 on a Sunday, and by that Thursday, full blown migraine (light sensitivity, nausea, pain, listless, noise). Left work early once the nausea kicked in and went home and put ice packs on my head. The 5 mg hydrocodon didn't even help. There have been a few days of ok in between, but for the most part, headaches for over a month. And yesterday, I woke up from a headache, with nausea, proceeded to vomit and a miserable day in bed.

Still have the headache going on now. I have a doctors appointment on Friday, but only with my GP at first.

Was wondering what else everyone else does. Who else has TMJ or TMJ symptoms or a bite guard (does wearing the guard make it better or worse)? I would like to avoid another medication regiment as we are trying to get pregnant, but trying to get some relief. Anyone done botox, demoral, or any other options. I have 4 ice packs in my freezer that I rotate out whenever I have a headache!!

Have you tried an oligoantigenic diet? It is a diet that excludes common allergens (Milk, Egg, Wheat, Tomato, Beef, Corn, Soy). Research on chronic migraines in children shows that 93% of patients can stop their frequent severe migraines on such a diet (see first reference). There is growing evidence that migraines are an allergic disease.

I used to suffer from chronic migraines for years only to finally learn that they were caused by allergies! I now eat mainly rice, vegetables, and fish and have almost no migraines. It may or may not work for you, but it couldn't hurt to try. I hope you feel better.

Best,
Steven

References:

Egger, J., et al. "Is migraine food allergy?: a double-blind controlled trial of oligoantigenic diet treatment." The Lancet (1983): 865-869.

Mansfield, Lyndon E., et al. "Food allergy and adult migraine: double-blind and mediator confirmation of an allergic etiology." Annals of allergy (1985): 126.

Monro, Jean, Claudio Carini, and Jonathan Brostoff. "Migraine is a food-allergic disease." The Lancet (1984): 719-721.