Migraine

I've been out of commission the past few days, due to the beastie of course. It has not been a good week for me.

I had another migraine hit on Thursday afternoon. I had a two-day break, which is good for me, but the beastie came back like always. Thursday night, my DBF got sick with stomach ickies, and I, well, freaked out.

My migraine had been getting steadily worse all afternoon. By that night, it had escalated to a 6/10 - not terrible, but enough to make me pretty unhappy. I also had some pretty serious nausea going on. When my DBF first started complaining about his stomach hurting, I couldn't muster up much sympathy for him. (I hate even typing this, but I want to get it off my chest.) It's just that I feel nauseous every single day, in addition to the CDH and migraines, and that night it was particularly bad for me.

Well, he got sick. Spent the night in and out of the bathroom. I spent much of the night crying, feeling HORRIBLY guilty for not being sympathetic to him, or able to take care of him.

To make matters worse, I took my preventive meds on an empty stomach. Because of the awful nausea, I only ate some corn chips. Couldn't stand the thought of anything else. I waited a few hours before remembering to take my meds. Well, the verapamil did quite a number on me.

Within an hour or so, my heart was racing and I was twitchy. Horribly so. Probably should have gone to the hospital, but I had no way to get there. I couldn't sleep. I tried everything I could think of, relaxation, music... nothing helped. And I was freaking out. I finally fell asleep around 5:30 am.

Woke up on Friday morning at 8 when my alarm went off. The mig was still there. Debated going into work. Don't have any more time off. Called in and told my boss I had a bad reaction to my meds and couldn't come in, would try to come in after lunch. Slept for a few hours. Woke up at 11:30 and felt a little more human. Pain and nausea had subsided some. Bonus - my DBF was feeling better and the worst of his sick had passed.

Went into work for a half day. (Lucky for me, as long as I work one hour during the day, I don't have to take any time off for the hours I missed.) Actually had my boss and some of my team members ask if I was ok. (I rarely call out, even with how miserable I've been feeling.) Managed to work a 4-hour day. Went home. Still not feeling great. Remembered to take my drugs with some food.

Yesterday was a little better. The mig pain subsided most of the afternoon, but started up again right before the company holiday party. Went anyway, for about three hours. Ate about a quarter of my dinner - DBF finished the rest for me. Came home and relaxed on the couch. I remembered to take my meds right after dinner.

But, couldn't sleep last night. Not at all, until 4:30 am. The verapamil was giving me this weird electrical buzz. Not quite twitching, just felt like an electrical current was running through my body. Was nauseous, too. Ate a heavy (for me) meal at dinner, which didn't help. Tried relaxation techniques. Helped some. I would sleep for about 45 min to an hour before waking up again. No good.

So. I've decided I'm calling my PCP on Monday to ask her about a referral to a headache specialist. There is a good one not that far from me, who takes my insurance and is on the patient-recommended list on this site. I was putting it off, but I am fed up. I'm also calling my neuro to let him know that the verapamil is not treating me well.

This is disappointing to me. The acupuncture I started a few weeks ago was helping a lot, especially my sleep, but these past few days have been bad. I think a lot of it is med-related. So first thing tomorrow I'm making some calls.

*sigh* Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. I'm feeling better today, but the mig is still there a little bit. I'm planning on doing nothing today to try to recover for work tomorrow.

If you cried so much over not being able to help out your boyfriend, it sounds as though you had plenty of sympathy for him--you just couldn't express it the way you would have liked.

If you are having cardiac symptoms, there's always a way to the hospital. Take an ambulance. Granted, that probably wouldn't fly with a migraine, but with cardiac or breathing issues, no one would deny you an ambulance.

I feel as though I'm being overly preachy and blunt, and you've had a bad week already. I really hope you start to feel better. I'm glad you are taking some steps toward seeing a headache specialist. Your idea of doing "nothing" today in order to finish recovering sounds great. I know you know what you need.

Take care. Hang in there.

Thanks, nut. I forgot to put in my original post that I did talk to my boyfriend on Thursday night and apologize that I couldn't do anything for him. He gave me a hug and kiss and said he understood. He always is so loving and compassionate toward me, it still amazes me. His birthday is next week so I'm trying to figure something out extra special for him.

You are right that there's always a way to the hospital. When I woke up the next morning I realized I should have gone. You know how it is with migraines though, sometimes don't think so clearly.

I am doing much better today. My mig seems to have passed. Finally. Hopefully taking it easy today will help me to get through the work week.

Thanks again.

MJ--

I'm glad you're going to see a specialist. It sounds like you and your current neurologist have gone as far as s/he can take you. I just saw a new specialist, and it's great to hear new ideas and to be taking new steps toward feeling better.

It sounds like you've got a wonderful guy. There's really nothing you can do for a stomach virus but let it pass. I keep thinking of things to do for a birthday but can't think of any other than cooking his favorite meal or taking him out to his favorite hangout. It's hard having a birthday so close to Christmas.

You said you didn't eat much dinner? Are you eating enough? I know that missing meals or not eating enough can trigger me. I wonder if some yogurt or an apple or Coke and crackers might help. I'm doing Diet Center (22 pounds and going!), and they advocate healthy snacks to keep you from getting famished between meals. I keep Gatorade around, but I don't drink it much.

Real Coke -- out of a bottle -- and saltines are my comfort food when I'm slammed at 5am with a nasty. I keep my private stash of Real Coke in my bedroom so that DS's Dungeons and Dragons friends don't find it.

I hope this week is better!

Gretchen in Mississippi

MJ,

I am sorry you have had such a tough time this week. And you have been encouraging me!! What a great friend you are!
Obviously, you felt sympathy for your boyfriend, you just couldn't do anything for him. And you should not feel guilty for not being able to help him, with the shape you were in. But I do think you should have gone to the hospital with the symptoms you were having!! And make sure you get on the phone to make an appointment with the new specialist a.s.a.p We all know it can take a while to get in, so the sooner you call, the better.

I hope your recovery day went well and I hope to see your ticker moving back up tomorrow!

MJ,

Yikes! Tough week is right. Hope this coming week is better for you. I think you're making the right decision on seeing a specialist.

Please keep us posted?

A quick update:

I called my neuro's office this morning to let them know I'm having trouble with the verapamil. He suggested I decrease the dosage. I had been taking 120 mg of the extended release formulation, once a day. Tonight I will be decreasing that to 40 mg of the single release formulation, twice a day.

My two-month follow-up appointment with my neuro is scheduled for next Tuesday the 18th. While I'm not happy about staying on the verapamil, I can deal for another week. This way I'm at least tapering the dose so the side effects should be better. Before I go in, I'm going to make sure I bring a copy of my headache diary for him, as well as a list of questions and concerns.

Also, I called my PCP about getting a referral to the Swedish Headache Center in Seattle. Hopefully I can get that set up soon. I think it will probably be a while before I can get an appointment as a new patient, but it is absolutely worth the wait to me.

I am feeling a little better today. I at least feel like I'm doing something toward finding a good treatment plan. I'm not happy with what I have so far, but I'm hopeful that a headache specialist will be able to improve on what I have.

I have another acupuncture appointment scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, which should help the on-again, off-again migraine I've had.

Thanks, everyone, for your wonderful support. I'll try to post again later today. For now, I'm just trying to get through the work day.

I hope you breezed through this day, and that your wait for an appointment at the headache center will go as quickly as possible. It sounds like you're very much on top of things. That makes all the difference when you're in hurry up and wait mode. As long as you've got at least some semblance of a plan it's not as hard to do the waiting.

*droolie smooshes for MJ!*

I found out some good news (for a change) from my insurance: I don't need a referral to see the HA specialist. I called in today and left a message on their new patient line. Hopefully I'll get a call back from them tomorrow so I can schedule my first appointment.

Gretchen - you are right that I have a wonderful guy. I'm going to take him out to dinner at his choice of restaurant for his birthday. We haven't been going out much because my head has been so bad, so it will be a special treat for both of us. And as for the food, not eating is also a trigger for me. It's hard sometimes to balance the frequent nausea and not wanting to eat, with the need to eat to avoid more migraines. My DBF has been helping me to remember to eat, even if it's something small, to keep my blood sugar up. I don't know what I would do without him!

Sherry - I know I said this in your thread, but thanks again for your kind thoughts and words. Reading through the gripes folder helps me not think about my own upset for a while, stop concentrating on it so much, you know? I don't know what I would do without this forum family. You are right that I should have gone to the hospital. And in the future I will. It was just a combination of things between DBF being sick, and me migraining so I wasn't thinking clearly. I'm reducing my verapamil dosage tonight so hopefully the side effects will ease soon.

Teri - it took me some time to come around to it, but I think a HA specialist is what I need. I am very fortunate to live so close to a good headache center, so I may as well take advantage of the best healthcare that insurance can buy.

Droolie - thanks times a million for your droolie hugs! It always cheers me up to see your scaly self around the forum. I agree that a plan, no matter how small, makes the waiting that much easier. And by the time I finally get in with my new specialist, I'll have a very detailed history for her!


Thanks again to everyone! If I have to be stuck with migraines, at least I have a wonderful family here who is always so supportive.

Hopefully tomorrow I can set up my appointment with my new specialist, and then I will change my ticker to count down to that appointment.

You guys are the best!

Hi MJ,

Glad to hear you are sounding better. Let us know about your appointment.

Well, I decreased my verapamil dosage last night per my neuro's instructions. I took 40 mg at night, just after dinner. Within about an hour, I started having pretty bad side effects. Pounding heartbeat, weakness/tingling on the entire left side of my body, some chest pain, I was shaky, extremely nauseous, and ended up with some heartburn by the time I went to bed. I called my pharmacist to ask if I needed to get checked out, and she said that if the side effects get worse or more bothersome, I should, but otherwise just to tell my doctor. So last night was another bad night for sleeping.

I called my neuro's office this morning first thing and let them know the verapamil was treating me badly. Also mentioned to them that I was reluctant to retry the cyproheptadine I had tried a few months ago, because it made me extremely dizzy and nauseous even at a very low dose.

I just got a call back from his nurse. He's having me taper off the verapamil over the next three days and continue the nortriptyline. Next week at my follow up appointment, he wants to discuss my treatment options since "a number of medication trials have failed". (No kidding.)

It makes me very happy that he's not pushing me to stay on these meds that are making me feel so much worse. When I see him next week, I'm going to talk to him about seeing a HA specialist. I don't need a referral for insurance coverage, but I'm thinking I may get a faster appointment with a referral from my neuro. I haven't heard back from the HA specialist scheduler, so I may have to call them again this afternoon.

He's been a great neuro, and I don't want to fire him, but I get the feeling he's not sure what else to try with me.

The meds I've tried: Topamax, nortriptyline, cyproheptadine, gabapentin, verapamil

By no means an exhaustive list of preventives, but I've had intolerable side effects with two of them, and pretty bad ones (but more tolerable) with the other three.

I'm trying to stay optimistic, I am, but I woke up feeling pretty discouraged this morning. Luckily I have acupuncture tonight, so I'm hoping that knocks off this intermittent migraine I've had.

Finally. My acupuncturist did her magic again - it seems like she's knocked out my migraine. At least for now. And I'll take it.

quote:

...The verapamil was giving me this weird electrical buzz. Not quite twitching, just felt like an electrical current was running through my body....

I get those weird electrical buzzes too. I've had them for years before I started taking verapamil. Not sure what causes mine but they're annoying.

I tend to get them when I've either accidentally missed a dose of Effexor or when I'm under extreme stress.

My mother things my migraine symptoms are God communicating with me. Maybe He's striking me with lightning for not living right.

Aw MJ ss you really been through it too! Im so glad you finally decieded to go to the HA specialest, and your insurance takes it!
I too have had some issues with the varapimil, due to my DR upping it drastically with this ongoing migraine, but still NOWHERE near the problems I had with nortriptaline and especially topamax! I know what you mean about electric buzzes. I do that too.

Kep us posted on when you go to the Swiss clinic! I got an appt. with Dr. Leonard from Legacy Good Sam. but the soonest they could set me was Feb. 6th. I am on his cancelation list, and We are trying to get My neuro to call him and discuss other options to stop this current 3 week migraine.

So glad your doin better hun!

Hi there,

I don't mean to sound like a broken record, so if I do please forgive me.

For me neurontin, tripetal, depkote, zonegran, and topamax were all a bust. But now I am on Lamictal (same class- antiseizure) and have fairly good results. So when the doctor says we are running out of options, a gentle reminder with this list of preventives may not be a bad idea.

quote:

Originally posted by MaxJerz:
Well, I decreased my verapamil dosage last night per my neuro's instructions. I took 40 mg at night, just after dinner. Within about an hour, I started having pretty bad side effects. Pounding heartbeat, weakness/tingling on the entire left side of my body, some chest pain, I was shaky, extremely nauseous, and ended up with some heartburn by the time I went to bed. I called my pharmacist to ask if I needed to get checked out, and she said that if the side effects get worse or more bothersome, I should, but otherwise just to tell my doctor. So last night was another bad night for sleeping.

I called my neuro's office this morning first thing and let them know the verapamil was treating me badly. Also mentioned to them that I was reluctant to retry the cyproheptadine I had tried a few months ago, because it made me extremely dizzy and nauseous even at a very low dose.

I just got a call back from his nurse. He's having me taper off the verapamil over the next three days and continue the nortriptyline. Next week at my follow up appointment, he wants to discuss my treatment options since "a number of medication trials have failed". (No kidding.)

It makes me very happy that he's not pushing me to stay on these meds that are making me feel so much worse. When I see him next week, I'm going to talk to him about seeing a HA specialist. I don't need a referral for insurance coverage, but I'm thinking I may get a faster appointment with a referral from my neuro. I haven't heard back from the HA specialist scheduler, so I may have to call them again this afternoon.

He's been a great neuro, and I don't want to fire him, but I get the feeling he's not sure what else to try with me.

The meds I've tried: Topamax, nortriptyline, cyproheptadine, gabapentin, verapamil

By no means an exhaustive list of preventives, but I've had intolerable side effects with two of them, and pretty bad ones (but more tolerable) with the other three.

I'm trying to stay optimistic, I am, but I woke up feeling pretty discouraged this morning. Luckily I have acupuncture tonight, so I'm hoping that knocks off this intermittent migraine I've had.