Migraine

Hi, I'm Charlie! About 10 years ago now I was rushed to the hosptial with an asthma attack so bad I couldn't tell them what I was allergic to (all the rescue asthma meds, I wear a bracelet now). I was given the typical stuff to get my asthma under control and shortly after started having seizures.

Let's make this shorter. With the seizures came headaches so bad all I could do was rock myself while I fought not to vomit. They couldn't figure out what caused any of it, the symptoms were too strange. They did an angiogram and said I have an AVM that is constantly leaking blood into my brain.

Since that time I have been diagnosed with migraines too. None of the neuros can agree if the migraines are caused by the AVM or if the migraines are unrelated. I am in the hospital several times a year for migraine treatment, spending sometimes up to a week or more admitted.

I have currently had this migraine for almost 2 weeks, almost no let up at all of the pain. The neuro has put me on Imitrex as a preventative, 2x a day, and it's not working. The neuro I am going to is supposed to be a headache specialist, but he even said he is as baffled as I am as to why nothing seems to help.

I go through the memory loss, the speech problems, the new one is vision loss in the opposite eye from the migraine. Constantly sick to my stomach, and now it's looking like my 12 year old daughter is getting them too. She just spent a week in the hospital with a headache that she couldn't even sit up because of.

Now that I have typed you a book...sorry...Just nice to know that there really are people out there that understand.

Hi Charliegirl, welcome to the forum. This is a great forum and place to get information.

I am not sure, but Imitrex is not a preventative but an abortive. Over use of Imitrex is setting you up medication overuse.

I am sure that the moderators will be along to talk to you and give you info.

Mary in NM

Hi, Charlie, welcome to the forum. Feel free to type us a book anytime; there are no space limits on our forum. We're glad you found us. Take a few minutes to look at the Start Here folder so that you get the most out of your forum experience.

Imitrex is an abortive. The only triptans normally used as preventives are Amerge and Frova, and that is limited to a woman's period time. Using Imitrex daily could put you at risk of Medication Overuse Headaches, and compound your problem:

Medication Overuse Headache - When the Remedy Backfires

Not all "migraine specialists" are created equal. Take a look at this list:

Patient Recommended Migraine and Headache Specialists

It's really urgent that you get this migraine broken. Keep after your doctor, and use the Emergency Room if you have to. Here are a couple of articles you could share with your doctor:

IV Treatment of Refractory Migraines

IV Lidocaine - Effective Treatment for Refractory Migraines in the Clinic

Here's an article to explain the role of different types of meds your doctor may employ:

Preventive, Abortive, and Rescue Medications - What's the Difference?

And at the risk of overwhelming you, I'll give you one more link along with a very warm welcome:

Learning About Migraines and Headaches - Where To Start

Take care!

Thank you guys so much for the welcome and the information. It's amazing to me the number of people out there, my own family included, that just don't understand Migraines. Back in May I woke up with lightning flashes in my left eye (my migraines are always focused on the right side of my head) and a drastic loss of peripheral vision along with spasms of the eye. I dealt with it for a few days before going to the opthamologist. He sent me in for a bunch of tests and has decided its one of two things optic nueritis or optical migraines.So he has decided to treat me as though I had the beginning stages of MS even though all the tests results for MS came back negative.

The neuro/headache specialist tried me on Topamax, which I had already been on for seizures, but that didn't work for either, switched me to depakote but couldn't function at all on that, tried lamectal but that put me into a horrible depression, was on Frova and t hat didn't help at all. Imitrex was the only thing that helped and now that's not even helping. So it's a nightly cocktail of muscle relaxers and pain pills in the attempt to let me sleep. It's very frustrating and there are days I just want to scream.

I work in a high stress job, in a very small advertising company, heading up the new internet marketing division. I am the only one that works there with my expertise, so even missing a day puts my job on the line. Not to mention that I am a single mom so even missing one day puts the bills behind.

Good grief! I sound like such a whiner...sorry.

Charlie, we don't mind if people complain. We even have a whole folder for Support and Gripes. We call it venting. When it turns to whining is when you complain but don't do anything to improve your situation. We try to do our part by informing you and helping you to feel empowered. I hope you will find doing your part exciting and rewarding!

I really think you need a new doctor. Around here, we call it "firing the doctor's sorry butt." Take a look at the list I linked above. Some of our members travel long distances, even by air, to see their specialists. Some put aside a little money each month until they have enough to see the doctor they are interested in, if that doctor doesn't take their insurance.

There are many preventive options other than the ones you have tried. You can print this article and take it with you to the doctor:

Migraine Preventive Medications - Too Many Options To Give Up!

Keep after your doctor, and fire him if he's out of ideas. Your situation is not hopeless. We will be here to support you as you make positive changes in your situation.

Hi Charlie!

Welcome to the forum!

I see you stated your eye doctor thought you may have "optical Migraines" - that is not a standard diagnosis accourding to the International Headache Society.

Please see these links:
Ocular, Optical, and Opthalmic Migraines

Retinal Migraine - The Basics

As Nut said, if you are taking medications such as narcotics, OTC's and/or abortive medication daily - you put yourself at risk of Medication Overuse Headache - aka Rebound Headache. I strongly encourage you to read the link Nut gave you about this. If you are in MOH - preventives will not work for you until the cycle is broken.

If you are having sleep issues - you really need to talk to your doctor about that before self medicating for sleep reasons. Lack of sleep or unrestful sleep is a huge Migraine trigger for a lot of us!

Please let us know if you have any questions about the information we have provided. We are here to help each other!

Hi Charlie! Welcome to the forum family We're so happy you found us. Rest assured you've come to the right place for information and support. We're here for you and we understand what you're going through. You're never alone here.

I'm one of the members that travels by plane to see my Migraine Specialist. It was a decision that my DH (husband) and I made when my local neurologist had run out of ideas. So, now, I have two doctors to help me treat my Migraines. Before seeing my Specialist, I was getting a Migraine every three days like clock work. They lasted for two or three days and they were so intense all I could do was sit in bed and cry. It was terrible. I ran the risk of Status Migrainous.

Now, with the help of my Specialist and this forum, I've become educated about my Migraines and have become a part of my health care team. It is a wonderful feeling to know that I am part of my own health care decisions. I'm always learning something new here. After you've taken a look at the list of Migraine Specialists, take a look at this article too:

Headache and Migraine Specialists – What’s so Special?

Do you keep a Migraine Diary? It is a great tool to use to track triggers, the effectiveness of medications, and any patterns to your Migraines and headaches. You can get a free downloadable diary Here

Again, welcome to the forum. If you have any questions, just ask!

Thank you all so much. I have printed out so many things to take with me to the doctor. I just wish he had given me this kind of information instead of just giving me a new prescription to test out. I admit that I am not an easy patient given my other issues, but some information would have been nice. The occular migraine diagnosis was just last week from the opthomologist who even said he couldn't make up his mind between that and optic neuritis. At this point though the vision is improving even as the pain gets worse.

As I said, I am so glad to have found this place filled with so many understanding and knowledgable people willing to share their ideas and their trials. Thank you.

You're welcome, Charlie! Keep those questions coming.

Welcome to MyMigraineConnection, CharlieGirl!

You mentioned AVM, do you mean you've been diagnosed with Arteriovenous Malformation? After doing some quick reading, symptoms of AVM can be headaches and seizures. We have some information HERE you may be interested in reading.

If you have some questions, please feel free to let me know. And again, welcome to the forum!