Headache and Migraine Group: Let’s connect

Thank you for sharing, and I’m sorry to learn what you’re going through. Good that you are getting some relief from Butorphanol.

Migraines started for me when I entered menopause. Before then, I didn’t know what a headache was. I thought there was something wrong with my right eye since the pain was in that region. I was seeing a neurologist for degenerative disc and joint disease when I brought up the ’face aches’ and started Emgality. This took me from 3-4 migraines/week to 3-4/ month. Then it stopped working and I started new medications until they stopped working, and so on to trial and error

I was also taking Tramadol and still do for the arthritis/degenerative disc disease. I had previously been taking nearly 2,000 mg./day of ibuprofen for the arthritis, setting me up for kidney disease, when my doctor started me on Tramadol. Now I get raised eyebrows and recommendations to lower my dosage of 100mg 3 times daily from my providers. It’s interesting that Tramadol helps my arthritis, but does nothing to relieve the migraines. I’ve also received epidural steroid injections (for the arthritis pain), once with great success until it wore off, and again with no results. It’s turned into a game of hit and miss. I hate spending my days with migraine in bed, cancelling plans, etc. The ‘monster’ came to visit last month, landing me in the ER, and five days inpatient while they tried different meds. I was sent home with three different meds. One of them, Depakote, appeared to be working until the side effects kicked in. After five days of taking it at home, I discontinued it without even consulting my doctor. Now I’m taking physical therapy to restore my gait and balance. I’m happy for those who are getting relief from it, but I’ll never take it again.

I was still taking antibiotics for the UTI; after hearing several doctors and nurses tell me that ‘monster’ migraine might have occurred due to the UTI, I started to believe them. If bad weather can bring on a migraine, I suppose an infection elsewhere in the body can do it too.

Something that frustrates me is my inability to get a nutritious diet on the table. I’m certain that fruits and vegetables, etc. play a role in well being. My husband, who is otherwise very supportive, only knows how to make pancakes and hamburgers. It feels like a triumph when I can cook a simple healthy meal. At the grocery store, I went to get some cherry tomatoes - $6.99 for a small package, so I bought the $1.98/pound regular tomatoes for sandwiches and to incorporate into a simple hot dish that we both like.
Something I’m grateful for in addition to having a great husband: our cat gets on the bed and sits close by when I’m having a migraine episode. It’s so comforting.

Thanks for reading. It’s been therapeutic putting this in writing. No individual is on an identical journey with migraine, but there are so many similarities that I can relate to what you and others are going through. Take care. SJD

I am so sorry for the loss of your husband. I don’t know what I would do if my husband wasn’t here. I hope you have friends and family to talk with and to help out. Or a professional counselor. I smiled too at the cereal and the pbj sandwiches. I’d love to make a nice breakfast, but I eat cereal for breakfast too. And my share of pbj’s. When i do food prep I chop vegetable, etc. so I won’t t have to prep them for each meal. And when I cook, I make a lot so it goes for 2-3 meals. And then I have to lay down afterward.

Thank you for your good advice to get outdoors. It’s in the 90’s and humid where I live right now. I understand what feeling down and stuck is like too. I didn’t plant my annual container garden this year, but there is still a little time to do some. I put my pots on the deck so the deer and rabbits won’t eat them. Containers are easier to keep watered and fertilized on the deck. I had to cancel a trip to visit my son in Atlanta when I was hospitalized, and hope to try again for a Sep visit. He had migraines too when he was in high school, and they stopped when he started college.

I hope you start to have more good days too. Peace and blessings to you as well. SJD

I get the injections in my upper back, shoulders, neck and scalp. Done every 3 months, and effectiveness lasts all but the last week. I have occasional breakthrough headaches, but they are controlled by taking Ubrelvy

I do Botox shots also in my scalp, forehead, and back of neck. My doctor got them approved for every 10 weeks (instead of every 12) because they were wearing off at the 10-week mark. That solved the problem of breakthrough migraines and really improved my quality of life. I think there was some prior authorization paperwork my neurologist needed to complete. If your Botox is wearing off, remember to tell your doctor that so they can document it and get a 10-week cycle approved. Best of luck to everyone dealing with migraines.

Couldn't get your top link to work. Considering holistic approaches to daily migraines.

Try eliminating sugar and processed foods. Sugar gives me an instant migraine. The existing nurse at MDA tells breast cancer patients not to consue sugar; she says cancer grows with sugar.

Put greens into a smoothie.

Wow! Good for you, getting your garden in shape. Hope that tomato plant does well. I used to hear my Dad cursing under his breath when the squirrels got to his tomatoes. They would take one bitefrom a still green tomato and leave it on the ground. Years ago, we had a vegetable garden at our old house. We pulled into the driveway one night, and there were four rabbits feasting in the there. Caught in the act, they froze for a few seconds and took off. They were so funny; different sizes and colors. One reminded me of the March Hare from Alice in wonderland. Our next door neighbor here kept chickens, and the raccoons kept getting in and killing them. He kept fortifying the coop, and the raccoons kept getting in. Finally, he got it secured so the chickens were ssafe. He had heat and electricity in that coop. Once in a while, they brought eggs over. They were so good. What a difference from the eggs you buy at the store!

I had a few bad days last week too. The Imitrex ‘rescue’ med works really well on the headache, but I still feel lousy when I get migraines. They only give nine tablets per month, so I
have to be selective about taking them. They do have undesirable side effects when taken in larger quantities. Interesting that the rescue med that required prior authorization before Insurance would pay, and cost more doesn’t help, but Imitrex has been around a long time, and is very inexpensive.

I have two weeks of physical therapy to finish. It’s supposed to help my gait and balance. It’s working; I just wish I was more motivated. One thing I don’t want happening is to fall. So far, I’ve been lucky.

I talked with my friend from our college days last night. She has Multiple Sclerosis. Talk about a bad deal. But she has a good attitude, and takes each day as it comes. I also want to call my first friend, since we were six years old. She’s a lawyer, and was a judge in a large city, and now she’s having difficulties with her memory. We had talked about taking a trip together after her last child was out of college, but between her situation and mine, we’ll have to be content to talk on the phone. My husband and I flew back east three years ago, and she was supposed to be one of our stops, but she wouldn’t answer her telephone because she didn’t recognize the name of our hotel. I may have mentioned already that I’m planning to visit my son In Atlanta later this summer. This PT I’m practicing will hopefully help me navigate the airport. Have fun with your garden. I prepared three dinners this week, which made my husband happy. Stay well, and enjoy the good days. SJD

I already like green vegetables, and incorporate them into our daily meals. We’re trying to eat less meat and a more plant- based diet. It’s tempting to get those processed foods to make mealtime easier, but all I have to do is read the label to see how much fat, sodium and other undesirable ingredients are in there. Giving up sugar is a whole other prospect. Getting my husband to take a sugar vacation will be a challenge. He’s in great shape, weighs the same as when he graduated high school, walks or runs every day, and never gets cavities. But does he ever have a sweet tooth. So I will have to take that challenge on my own. Stopping sugar would probably make a lot of things better. Do you have an aversion to sugar after being away from it for a while? What do you do for dessert or a treat? Thanks for the tips! SJD

Hi, @highlands1946 - my error. It was indeed the wrong link, and I've amended it in my post above.

Here is the right one:
Evidence-Based Guidelines for the Chiropractic Treatment of Adults With Headache https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0161475411000686?via%3Dihub

highlands1946, I noted you mentioned some dietary changes that help you with migraine prevention. What other holistic medicine approaches are you considering for migraine prevention or management?

Hi, I'm also 75 and a retired professor. I failed so many Rx for my chronic migraine and then tried Botox. Injections (so painful)-- scalp, shoulders, neck, forehead. At the 3 month mark, I had the second round of injections. I'm not even kidding--I looked like a Neanderthal because my forehead dropped so dramatically. Not trying to throw shade on Neanderthals, but that's not the look I'm going for. Anyway, I was still having multiple migraines per month and did not get the injections at the 6 month mark. But I do know that Botox does provide relief for many people. Just not me.
Karen