Migraine

Hi Debbie,
Welcome to the group. I feel for you - my boss really doesn't understand my problems either, and with only 3 people in my department none of us can really afford to be sick or else we end up falling way behind in our work. Not good. There have been many days I should have been home in bed trying to sleep off a migraine, but I've been at work until it literally got to the point if I waited any longer to leave, I wouldn't be able to see anything.

Definitely listen to your doctors, but if they aren't finding a solution for you, look for a better doctor. I've gone thru 3 different neurologists where I am (it's about 1 1/2 hrs to the next city that has well-respected docs of any kind, and most of the ones here don't have great reps, though my 3 (PCP, nueor & endo docs) do have good reps), and am starting to look for another since they can't fix this for me. It seems more and more like we have to demand the things we want to try and get our health problems under control.

The group here is great for offering shoulders and advice.

Hope you're doing better soon!

-Jane

Hi Nancy,
Well, it's actually back to the drawing board again unfortunately.

Going on the Lamictal was apparently a bad move for me. As I started increasing the dose (as directed, 1 tab/day/week, 2 tabs/day/week, 4 tabs/day/week, 8 tabs/day/week), I started having heart palpitations, the insomnia came back and the migraines came back (several per week, when I'd been down to maybe 1 every other month prior to going on Lamictal).

My PCP didn't think that a med should do that, but just to be safe ordered a Holter monitor for 24 hrs and then an EchoCardiogram. The monitor showed that my heartbeat was a bit erratic (sometimes hitting 120 while resting, when it should be around 70), but didn't really tell them a whole lot. The Echo, though, showed something. I have mitral valve prolapse (basically, the valves "over-shut" which can cause some backflow of blood and an occasional skipped heartbeat - it's kinda scary watching your heart pause for a second before resuming beating!). So, add a Beta Blocker med to my cocktail every night.

Went to my neuro last week and they looked at some info. Apparently amitriptyline and Lamictal can interact and cause heart arrhythmias, so wean myself off of that one. They suggested Topamax again, but I absolutely will not take it. It doesn't do a darn thing to help me, and with working with power tools, needing to use math daily and working with people (language), the side effects make it absolutely beyond what I can tolerate. So..... Increase the amitriptyline to 50mg each night (had been at 20mg) - still a low dose, but hopefully will get me back to sleeping again, which hopefully will stop the migraines again. I've been getting between 1 and 3 hours of interrupted sleep each night lately, so I'm crossing my fingers, toes, eyes and anything else in the hope that this will work!


Something I haven't been able to get an answer on yet, and I don't know if anyone here would know, is whether the mitral valve prolapse could cause lower blood pressure, and if low blood pressure could cause migraines. I had my PCP look back in my medical charts and before I started getting the migraines all the time (almost 4 years ago now), my blood pressure was always in the 120's/70's. Now, it is usually 90's/60's (though on Wed morning it was 110/44!). I asked my PCP if he thought that it could be connected, but he doesn't think so. Any ideas who/where I should ask beyond him? It isn't that I don't trust him, I just think that what's going on with me is so far beyond what he normally deals with that I'd like to get another opinion.


Hubby's still unemployed, and worrying more than ever about medical bills. Doesn't help that he's been feeling ill for the last week - I think I've got him talked into finally going in tomorrow to get checked over. I know stress doesn't help, but the strange thing is that I don't really feel stressed. It's strange. I know that I am stressed, I just don't feel it like I normally would. Maybe I've gotten stressed to the point that my brain's decided that it won't accept any more at this point.

I don't know. I'm at the end of my rope, but just can be bothered to care about it I guess. Not a good mental state to be in, but it's better than some of the alternatives!

If anyone has suggestions for me, please, feel free to share them. Although, I have to say, some of the homeopathic stuff that's been mentioned to me by a co-worker really comes across to me as a bunch of baloney. I'm willing to consider almost anything at this point. I know I can't keep forcing myself to work at a normal "healthy" level of work that I used to do for much longer without crashing and burning.

Thanks for letting me vent!
-Jane

Ask your docs about something like Ambien or Lunesta or Sonata for sleep. I've been taking Ambien for about 6 years, and it's an important part of my migraine strategy. It got to where it wasn't enough, and we added Moban, which helps tremendously.

Do you keep a migraine diary to track your triggers? It can be very useful. I keep one on a calendar. It's very simple.

Also, have you thought about seeing a specialist? I started seeing one 6 months ago, and I'm seeing improvement. As you know, it sometimes takes a cocktail of meds to bust the migraines.

FWIW, Topamax was a total bust for me. Made my head worse and gave me flu-like symptoms, including a low-grade fever.

Hang in there!

Gret

Hi Jane,
I would concetrate on the sleep aspect in your life. Getting good sleep is going to be key mangaging. If I might ask why 1 to 3 hours only of interrupted sleep?

If that means you need to see a sleep specialist to rule out things I would. If Cindy's ideas of the ambien and lunesta don't work, then don't give up on other anti-siezure meds. like neurontin or trileptal, that maybe your best bet.

I have taken a combo of anti-seizure, and amitriptylene and that has been the best sleep treatment for me because it calms down alot of the restless leg type spasms I have and also calms my mind for sleep.

Your brain really might be stressed to the point it can't handle things. You may need to address anxiety and depression issues to remain in control, instead of reaching a point of breaking by denial.
Unfortunately, these are all issues we need to be active about and not reactive. The "nervous breakdown" is never something any of us have time for. Totally been there done that,

Mary in NM

Hi Jane,

Has anyone really looked at that "thing" in your brain, or whatever it is "causing" the elevated prolactin. I did a little reading just now, and I saw something about prolactin levels and epilepsy - ever heard that before. You might want to look into that since that seems to be a path you are on now.....

Thanks for letting us know how you are. I've been thinking of you.

Stay out of the hospital will ya?