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Neurology (Expert Forum)
Adult onset of Migrain Headaches
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Adult onset of Migrain Headaches
by NMK, Aug 21, 2005 12:00AM
My daughter-in-law has severe headaches. This all started when she was in the military. She had never had regular severe headaches before this time. They started after she had been in Mexico. Three days out she became very, very sick with a fever of over 103 + degrees F. They were going to airlift her the day her fever broke so she continued back to base. She has had an MRI and CAT scan. They can find nothing wrong. Some possible causes told to her are hormones, swelling of the lining of the brain, emotional reasons, and/or depression. They gave her the normal migraine drugs and anti-depressants, which made her sick. Then the doctor lied to her and gave her a “new med”, but when she went home and looked it up on the internet, it proved to be another “anti-depressant” She became angry and gave it back to the doctor in an angry way. Because these are military doctors and they will not allow her to see another doctor for a second opinion. Obviously, she and this doctor do not have a very trusting relationship as he thinks it is all emotional. She has one every day, some bad some not so bad. Some of them so bad she winds up in the emergency room, is knocked out, and sleeps for two days.
She can tell when a storm or clouds are coming before they arrive. Exercise triggers headaches. She sometimes has low blood pressure. She has had trouble with irregular periods. I would like to know what kind of doctor she should see… endocrinologist, chiropractor (she could have hurt her neck or back on her bunk) another neurologists, disease specialist or ?
She can tell when a storm or clouds are coming before they arrive. Exercise triggers headaches. She sometimes has low blood pressure. She has had trouble with irregular periods. I would like to know what kind of doctor she should see… endocrinologist, chiropractor (she could have hurt her neck or back on her bunk) another neurologists, disease specialist or ?
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW, Aug 25, 2005 12:00AM
Migraine headaches that start for the first time over the age of 40 years are suspicious and should be fully evaluated for another cause ie MRI etc. I do not know how old your daughterin law is.
Migraines can be triggered classically by exercise, stress, illness among other things - we do not know why
Presumably she may have had some kind of infection with the fever - if this infection affected the central nervous system, it could have led to chronic CSF drainage problems and increased rpessure in the spinal fluid space - this can cause regular severe headaches - diagnosis is by doing a spinal tap and measureing the CSF pressure
If migraine, and the headaches are frequent, one should use a mediaction to prevent migraine such as nadolol, topamax, or some meds used also as antidepressants but also effective in preventing migraine (such as amitryptaline, effexor). To treat acute attacks other medications can be used such as triptan, and non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs. A headache neurologist would be the best person to see if one is available.
Migraines can be triggered classically by exercise, stress, illness among other things - we do not know why
Presumably she may have had some kind of infection with the fever - if this infection affected the central nervous system, it could have led to chronic CSF drainage problems and increased rpessure in the spinal fluid space - this can cause regular severe headaches - diagnosis is by doing a spinal tap and measureing the CSF pressure
If migraine, and the headaches are frequent, one should use a mediaction to prevent migraine such as nadolol, topamax, or some meds used also as antidepressants but also effective in preventing migraine (such as amitryptaline, effexor). To treat acute attacks other medications can be used such as triptan, and non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs. A headache neurologist would be the best person to see if one is available.
I think it's possible your daughter-in-law may find what I found, and that is, if she requests her medical records back to high school, she may have had mild forms of migraines all along, just misdiagnosed/mistreated. That's what was discovered in my records. The migraines that send people to the dark, in bed, vomiting, etc...those are the more severe forms of migraine. There are lesser forms. And, people have headaches all the time but may not count them as "migraines" or mention them to their family or doctors until they are severe. I had no idea that was the case. I just never thought about it. I was told I had "sinus headaches" and sinus infections that were chronic, and severe allergies. I was sick all the time. My MRI and CT scans, though, never showed a sinus problem, and my physician never confessed that and sent me to a specialist. It wasn't until my late 20's that I saw a neurologist....and then found out that "sinus headaches" don't exist. They are migraines.
If I can be helpful or supportive for your daughter-in-law in any way, I'd be happy to. I have been told I have no more FDA approved medications for migraines to try. I've been through them all. Nothing has "cured" me. I'm on Topamax, Neurontin, Cymbalta, Metoprolol,and Seroquel all related to my migraines now. I have several other meds for other problems,too. I have similar triggers - weather pattern changes, any scented perfumes, soaps, etc, sleep - too much/too little, bright or flickering lights, loud noises, certain foods... I've tried alternative medicines related to TMJ, accupuncture, trigger point massage, electric sti mulation, chiropractic care, deep breathing, biofeedback, allergy testing, delayed allergy