Migraine
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Migraine Community MyMigraineConnection Non-Migraine Headaches It turns out that mine are ALL migraines|
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Sage |
I've thought for years that I had 2 kinds of headaches -- tension-type and migraine attacks. Much of my head pain starts in my neck and the back of my head, and I considered that tension-type.
I saw a new specialist this week, Dr. Jan Lewis Brandes in Nashville. She says that ALL my head pain is migraine, whether it starts in my neck and whether it's classic migraine pain or not. So I'm to consider all head pain to be migraine and treat it as such. At 1 to 3, I hit the pain with Skelaxin, a muscle relaxer. At 3 to 5, Imitrex, Skelaxin, and a whopping dose of ibuprophen. A completely new strategy. We'll see how it goes. Gretchen in Mississippi |
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Wizard |
Well, that's certainly a big change in diagnosis. How do you feel about your new MD and new instructions?
BTW, a lot of my migraines start with neck pain when I wake up and a muscle relaxer works pretty good. Deb [url=http://www.TickerFactory.com/]  |
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Forum Moderator Grand Wizard  |
My neurologist says the same thing about my head pain. Mine start in both temples, and are rarely one-sided. She wants me to assume that they are always migraines. I think she's right. In fact, I've never been particularly prone to tension-type headaches, although I suspect I've had some in my lifetime.
Nutcracker Forum moderator  |
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Sage |
Hey, Deb!
I like Dr. Brandes very much. She seems very much on the ball. What I've been doing hasn't been working for me, so I'm VERY willing to go with a new theory. Gretchen |
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Grand Wizard |
I'm starting to think mine are all migraines too.
 -MJ my blog: http://rhymeswithmigraine.blogspot.com/ Why do I capitalize Migraine? Hope can grow from the soil of illness! http://www.InvisibleIllness.com "What will you do, if it does not turn out how you expect?" "I do not know. Nor shall I worry about it until it happens. I still have an action left to take; until I have exhausted it, I shall not despair." - Robin Hobb, Assassin's Quest |
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Grasshopper |
Some HA specialists, but not all, believe that most headaches, excluding cluster headaches and those from secondary illnesses, stem from the mechanism of migraine.
It sounds like your doctor is one of them. I tend to believe that too because my headaches don't always fit into neat little categories and be it tension or migraine, are nearly always helped with migraine medicine like Maxalt or Imitrex. The headaches don't have to be earth shaking, dark room, pulsating... but the mechanism is the same, the triggers are the same. Dr. David Buchholz explains it in his book Heal Your Headache: The 1-2-3 Program for Taking Charge of Your Pain. While I don't agree with him on everything he's says in his book, it is interesting. And Teri Robert did a great review on the book as well. |
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Forum Moderator Grand Wizard |
My neurologist wants me to assume all head pain is migraine. Part of the reason for that is to stop me sitting around trying to figure out whether it's migraine before I take my medication. She wants all head pain treated as early as possible. And generally, I think she's right, because it nearly always responds to the Axert.
Nutcracker Forum moderator |
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Grand Wizard |
I talked to my neuro about this at my appointment yesterday. My headaches/migraines have changed pattern over the last 6 weeks or so. My CDH is almost non-existent. Instead, I wake up with migraine pain every day (hurts along the trigeminal nerve on my right side, especially at the back of my head and behind my eye). My new treatment plan is to take Imitrex at the first sign of migraine pain, whether I wake up with it or it develops later in the day.
I haven't tried the Imitrex yet because it will be a new med for me, so I'm waiting until the weekend in case it knocks me out or causes unpleasant side effects. -MJ my blog: http://rhymeswithmigraine.blogspot.com/ Why do I capitalize Migraine? Hope can grow from the soil of illness! http://www.InvisibleIllness.com "What will you do, if it does not turn out how you expect?" "I do not know. Nor shall I worry about it until it happens. I still have an action left to take; until I have exhausted it, I shall not despair." - Robin Hobb, Assassin's Quest |
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Newbie |
I have this same issue...I've never had a "regular" headache in my life. Any headache I have turns into a migraine. It may start as a tension headache, but sooner or later migraine symptoms begins - nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and noise, etc.
I've never had a headache that didn't progress into those symptoms. Since finding Imitrex, I've never had a headache that didn't react to the Imitrex... I find myself jealous of my friends that get a "little" headache, take ONE Advil and they're fine...never in my life has that happened, never. Before Imitrex, it was Tylenol 3, Mountain Dew (for the caffeine), 3 or 4 Advil, dark rooms and hot baths, hours of vomiting and dry heaves and finally submitting to sleep until I could sleep it off. Better living through chemistry I say. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If women are expected to do the same work as men, we must teach them the same things ~ Saul Bellows |
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Maven |
What's a "regular" headache anyhow?   People always make a mou and say, "Awwww, it's a migraine? Not just a regular headache?" A thousand answers go through my head, as you who know me can imagine.  But I just gently say, "No, it's a migraine, I'm afraid." At least you know for sure now, gwp.   http://sparklingwithcrystals.blogspot.com/ basilar-artery migraine, MAV, BPPV, migraine with and without aura, cluster headaches, but no tension headaches! W00t!  |
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Apprentice |
I know I haven't had a "regular headache" in the last 9 years that Ive had migraines. I thought for a while that some of them were sinus headaches, but nope, those were migraines too. Luckily I learned that so I can make the pain go away.
I don't remember anymore, what is a regular headache like? I think if I ever had one again that I wouldn't even take the tylenol/advil because I would be like.. hey, this is nothing at all, not worth taking meds for. So this is what it's like to have my head hurt and not be nauseated! Laurelin |
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Sage |
This is very interesting - couldn't get an answer on it myself since my PCP doesn't know and neuro rushed by so quick I didn't get to ask (yes, I'm firing him) - but lately I notice I have at least a little pain over one temple or the other most days - often it doesn't progress into anything worse, but i've been unsure whether to consider that the "first sign" for triptan purposes.
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Community Manager Guru  |
I'm not sure I've welcomed you yet, so here is a big MyMigraineConnection Welcome!!
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Grasshopper |
wow. that's the way most of my headaches are. start at the base of my head in that big knotty area right where my head meets my neck. then it goes around my head like a hat. i always assumed those were tension headaches.
need to make a note to ask the doctor about that -- whether to treat as migraine, and if so exactly how, b/c i have these almost every day and you can't take the axert every day. thanks for shining light on this. |
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Forum Moderator Guru  |
Please keep us posted what your doctor says when you get a chance, k?
When is your appt? All my best!
Laura Forum Moderator ***You're welcome to enter your birthday, etc in the Celebrate folder so we can party with you!! =) ***  |
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Migraine Community MyMigraineConnection Non-Migraine Headaches It turns out that mine are ALL migraines
