My pharmacist suggested the daith piercing because he knows that pain meds don't work for me and he's had other customers who've had it done with success. Sounds weird, but I went to a tattoo parlor to have it done. I had it done on the right because I get most of my headaches on the right. You can't sleep on that side of your head for two weeks, which is hard to deal with, but it was worth it.

Acupuncture is definitely difficult to get used to, but at this point, it's my only choice so I tolerate it, and I'm finding that I am showing progress. I just don't look at the needles while they are in me.

Sometimes, caffeine helps my headaches, but Mayo figured out that caffeine and I don't get along genetically, so I try to avoid it. With that said, it might help you.

Though people have always told me to put ice on my head, I find that heat helps my head and cold makes it worse. And definitely darkness and quiet. You have to figure out what works best for you.

Yeah, even percocet doesn't do anything for me, and now we know why: cytochrome P450 liver enzyme polymorphisms. I had the pharmacogenomics tests done at Mayo Clinic's Center for Individualized Medicine in Rochester, MN on March 1, 2016. They are partnered with a company named OneOme in Minneapolis, and OneOme now has more tests available than when I had them done and at a *very reasonable* price and by mail order. I actually just asked one of my Mayo doctors to order the newest kit for me, which arrived in the mail yesterday. I'll just swab my cheek and FedEx it back, and they'll send the report to my doctor. (I live in New York, and physicians in my state aren't legally-allowed to order the kit for me due to genetic testing laws, BUT since my Mayo doctors are located in a certified state, they are allowed to order it for me, and I asked my Allergy/Immunology doctor there.)

There are also many other private companies that do pharmacogenomics testing, but it seems that you always need a doctor to place the order. The pricing used to be extremely-high, but now the prices are coming down significantly for many companies. You can Google and check out all of the different places; I suggest googling "pharmacogenomics testing" or "PGx testing" or "pharmacogenetics testing". On the web sites, they all offer very educational information to help patients, physicians, and pharmacists learn more about this issue (though pharmacists are absolutely the most knowledgeable because they take a ton of classes about this). The sites usually provide guidelines regarding how to ask your doctor to order the tests.

And it's not just pain meds that are affected by these genetic polymorphisms; it's tons of different kinds of meds (GI, endocrine, psych, etc., etc., etc.). I also learned that many drugs inhibit these enzymes from working properly because they speed them up or slow them down, which makes the enzymes process other medications the patient is taking too slowly or quickly. Actually, foods can affect these enzymes too. This is what medication TV ads are talking about when they mention not drinking grapefruit juice.