My Case

Hi everyone. I'm new here. Anyway, I wanted to get some opinions on my case.

I'm 22 years old and a migraine sufferer. I started getting migraines when I was about 17 years old. I have been on a number of prescriptions to prevent and ease the pain. When I first started getting them, I would take ibuprofen and that was it. Then when ibuprofen wouldn't help, I would go illegally buy hydrocodone because that was the only thing that got rid of them. I did this during my college years as well. I went to a "migraine specialist" where I went to school and the medicine he prescribed me made things worse. I went thru finals with a 5-day migraine. It was horrible. Recently in February, I was at my internship and got a sudden, really bad migraine. I also noticed my heart was beating very fast. I collapsed and was rushed to the ER. The ER doctors told me I had almost had a heart attack because of my severe energy drink addiction. They also said the stress of my heart beating very fast could have induced a worse migraine. They gave me the "migraine cocktail" (as they call it), and sent me on my way. Even that did not get rid of my migraine fully. The next day I went to see a doctor at my family doctors office. She prescribed me amitriptyline for a preventative and sumatriptan for onsets. It was working. I noticed less migraines and less severe ones. Although I was still getting them, I only used the sumatriptan for the ones ibuprofen couldn't take away because I hate the way it makes me feel. I went to see my neurologist a few weeks ago and told him everything that's happened since February. He told me I shouldn't be getting migraines as frequently as I still am and that apparently I'm allergic to sumatriptan (I told him it makes my tongue feel like it weighs 10 lbs). He gave me tramadol instead for when I get an onset and told me to cut in half my dose of amitriptyline because it makes it very hard for me to wake up on the morning. I'm still getting frequent headaches and the tramadol does nothing. It's like there's no effect whatsoever. I'm so tired of being in pain all the time and just taking a pill and hoping it works. What do you guys recommend for onsets of migraines? Do you have any tips for me that helps you when you have a migraine? I use an ice pack and it helps significantly but more advice can never not help. Please and thanks in advance.


Frustratedly yours,
AnitaFaye

Yes, I stopped drinking them but take a caffeine pill (the same as a cup of coffee), because if I don't have any caffeine it triggers a migraine.
I also found out a really nasty side effect of tramadol is sleeplessness. I had to take one yesterday after I got home from work and didn't sleep at all. I was so tired but just couldn't fall asleep. The insomnia also brought on paranoia with noises I would hear thinking there was a mouse in my room (my cat has caught a few in the house). I am not taking tramadol anymore and really wanted to know what works well for anyone else who takes something for an onset migraine.
Please let me know, I'm desperate to try anything (within lines of reason).