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Migraine Headache
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Posted 11/5/2006 5:21 AM (GMT 0)
Hey all. I'm 23 years old and have suffered from migraines since FOURTH GRADE..yes..since i was like 9 years old. Way to spend over half my life suffering right?

Well..we've tried many different things. I've taken blood pressure medication as a preventative (worked for two weeks.then didn't work anymore), tried Relpax, Imitrex, etc. I had an MRI a few years ago, and I had sinusitis, but nothing came up on the MRI.

Recently, I graduated college, and i'm currently a third grade teacher! This is my first year and I've already had to use a sick day to stay home with a migraine, and almost had to take another one last week. I have a job where it is really hard to just up and leave, 'cause i have to prepare plans, get a sub, etc..and it's not only hard on me..but also on my students!

I need to find something help. Well, recently, within the last couple months I have been getting the migraines at least 3 times per week. Way worse than before. I also got a migraine last night, took imitrex..it did nothing. I woke up this morning with teh migraine, immediately took Aleve Sinus Headache (the only thing that relieved my pain last week), and went back to bed. That didn't work..so then i got up and took Vicodin. NOTHING...didn't work. Took Imitrex. Nothing. later later later: Vicodin again. NOTHING!!!

Spent the entire day on teh couch. Waht do you do when NOTHING works? How do you temporarily relieve your pain? I tried ice cold cloths on my forehead, took a shower and a hot bath, just laid on the couch all day. It's been really hard to accept that this is soemthing i have to "deal with" forever.

I used to take like 3 excedrine's a day..and recently decided this is not good and I need to be more cautious and try to get myself off them. I just went and bought a multivitamin i'm gonna take every day, and I bought magnesium tablets..hoping this could help.

I've thrown out the idea of drinking pop every day..and it's hard for me to accept the fact that i need to avoid cheese and chocolate (my two favorite foods!! lol), but i'm willing to do it for relief.

I need your ideas and support guys! I don't know what to do..but i have a classroom of kids who are depending on me too!

Thanks in advance!

Miranda
Posted 11/5/2006 1:08 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Miranda,

Welcome to Healing Well, sorry you are going through this. First of all may I say you have our support. I am the Manager of a Pre-School so I understand how difficult it must be where your job is concerned. I am very fortunate to have a colleague who is my co-Manager which takes some of the pressure off, but at the end of the day if I am taken bad a work there is always a problem as someone has to cover me immediately (usually not possible) because of legal ratios. I usually try to wait until there is a point in the session where good ratios can be maintained (usually the second half) before I go home (not always possible though!). Then you have to address the fact that any meds needed to be taken should have been taken probably hours ago if they are to work well!!

I am constantly having to review how my situation is dealt with!!! Thankfully I have a fully informed and supportive staff which does help. Now here come the questions.....

Have you seen a Neurologist, or a Neurologist who is a Headache Specialist? If not you need to see preferable a Headache Specialist as soon as possible as they are the best person to help you get your balance of treatment right!

Do you keep a Headache Diary? - Doctors like these as they are able to make better judgements of what you are going through and the best possible treatment. I was not taken seriously until I did this!!! Also sadly you need to look at your diet for food triggers. This does not usually mean you are allergic to foods just sensitive where migraine is concerned. There is much more than just cheese and chocolate to consider.

There is a heap of info on this site so please click around and read as much as you can to educate yourself!

Be upfront with your employer and maybe discuss options if you are taken bad at work - yes, I know the options will be very limited but your employer should be grateful of your honesty!!! and hopefully willing to support you!

Keep in touch and let us know how you get on, take care

Ann
Posted 11/5/2006 5:45 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Miranda -- I sympathize with you. I used to take everything under the sun trying to aleviate my migraines. Now, I just take a triptan at the first sign of pain. Did you know that caffeine is in Excedrin and that can cause rebound?

Ann- My docs never bother to look at my endless pages of headache diaries. They just want to prescribe me preventatives which never work or I can't tolerate the side effects. When you keep your diary, how do you track food triggers? It's really hard because I have read that the food trigger can cause a migraine as late as 48 hours later. I get so frustrated trying to figure out my triggers because sometimes I eat chocolate - no migraine. Other times I eat chocolate - migraine. Do you have any advice about this?
Posted 11/5/2006 6:26 PM (GMT 0)
Hopeful, I have not been able to track the food with the headache diary as like you say it's almost impossible to tell side by side as there can be a very delayed reaction.

Think of the food sensitivity as a graded scale or steps. For instance I react to cheese, chocolate, citrus, coffee, MSG. there are many others too but this will do for now. There are also other factors in our lives like stress, excercise, bright lights, cold etc.

Say for example you need 3 steps to trigger an attack!

Day 1 - Good day everything running smoothly feeling well, have bar of chocolate - no reaction

Day 2 - A little stressed but ok as busy day send out for pizza! - still ok!

Day 3 - Good day everything running smooth again, meal out - got msg in it - bang headache!!!!


To unravel each attack is almost impossible, especially as we do have attacks that are just gonna happen anyway even if you avoid the foods that trigger and have a nice peaceful non-stressful time!! It is a pain to avoid all these things and sometimes it is impossible, but if we can it does minimise the possibility!

There are also the obvious triggers like for example for me citrus (orange juice especially) produce instant headache or within a half hour, so does warming up after being very cold and alcohol!!! So these triggers I will go out of my way to avoid if I can - again not always possible!!!

I must stress this is what happens for me, and this is my opinion, you must make up your own mind about your own situation. It just maybe there is something in my experience that you can relate to.

As for Headache Diaries, your Doc should be looking at some of it at least. At the moment my Headache Specialist is asking me to keep an hourly diary and send him a copy before I see him again in a couple of weeks!!

Hope this helps, take care

Ann
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