3 week migraine...please help me!

I am 21 years old with a history of migraines. I used to get the aura and h/a 3 days prior to menstration every month. My doctor put me on the depoy provera shot and the h/a stopped. I recently became ill with a sinus infection and had a terrible nonproductive cough. Then an awful h/a developed. Over the course of 5 weeks and 5 different antibiotics the doctor put me in the hospital for iv meds (levaquin & tobromycin & solumedrol & morphine). I received a ct scan of the sinuses which came back normal. I was released a few days later with levaquin, prednisone, loretab, phenergan, and nasal spray. I was told I had chronic sinusitus and to see an ent. When I got home I started seeing the aura again and my ears felt like they were going to explode. Then the pain started in my temple and forehead, then my nose and cheeks feel Luke they are just going to pop open from the pressure. I get hot and sick to my tummy and have vomited several times. I wake up with this and go to bed with it everyday for 3 weeks...it has basically stopped my life. My doctor ordered an mri which was also normal. By now my cough was almost gone and my flu seemed to be better but the h/a remained. I saw an ent and he said my nose and ears looked fine and so did my tests. He saw that I was in so much pain so he called a neurologist that saw me the same day. He concluded migraine and put me in the hospital on Dhe, reglan, dilaudid, and phenergan. While I was getting the Dhe my headaches seemed to subside. 3 days later he came by to see if I felt I could go home. I said yes. He said he felt I was anxious and stressed and he was going to give me effexor. An hour after I got home the headache was back in full force. My insurance co. (bcbs) does not want to pay for the effexor so its a week later and my head is still pounding and I still have no effexor. I called the neuro and its another week before he can see me again. I am in so much pain I have been to the er 3 times this week for some relief. It's only lasted a few hours. I called my family doc and he saw me again...my bp was 140/104 and I weigh 130. My bp is usually perfect. He prescribed propanolol and depakote....they are not working either! I'm at a loss and I do not know what to do next...they back of my head has begun to hurt and the pain is moving into the left side of my head. I have hurt to the point I'm ready to scream...what should I do for this headache?

[mcamp]

sorry for all your pain... hope you find some relief soon. I take 12 mg of dialudid as soon as mine start and that gives me a measure of relief. I eventually had to go to a pain management doctor instead of a plain old neuro. I now use a neuro, a family doctor and a pain management doctor. people always say, oh don;t take this or that, but if they had to live with one of my headaches they would take anything within a couple days I guarantee it. on occasion a very good, fast acting med for quick relief if stadol NS, but it is very easy to become addicted to so if you get it use it only as directed and no more than two vials per month. bcbs covers it also that's my insurance carrier.

[lindseylou08]

Thank you! I am going back to the neuro tomorrow...I wish they understood the pain. People think its just a headache but its so much worse.

[hava]

November 30, 2010
Do this pranayam for 30 minutes, twice a day, and it will help the migraine very much. This  works gradually so allow a few weeks to notice benefits.Let me know how you feel after 9 days of pranayam.
Build up your timing gradually.If you feel tired or dizzy, stop and resume after one minute.
Anulom Vilom pranayam –
Close your right nostril with thumb and deep breath-in through left nostril  
then – close left nostril with two fingers and breath-out through right nostril  
then -keeping the left nostril closed  deep breath-in through right nostril
then - close your right nostril with thumb and breath-out through left nostril.
This is one cycle of anulom vilom.
Repeat this cycle for 15 to 30  minutes twice a day.
Children under 15 years – do 5 to 10 minutes twice a day.
You can do this before breakfast/lunch/dinner or before bedtime or in bed.Remember to take deep long breaths into the lungs.You can do this while sitting on floor or chair or lying in bed.

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How are you? Were you able to see your neurologist? If the prescribed medications are not working, inform your doctor about this. A change of medication and dosage may be indicated. There are plenty of medicines available in the market today and sometimes, the best treatment suited for you is obtained after several tries. Hang on and stay positive. Work with your doctor to achieve the management suited for you. Aside from medications, you can also try complementary and alternative medicine such as biofeedback therapy. Take care and do keep us posted.

[mcamp]

i agree with Rowena, always, always keep those medical professionals in the know, tell them waht works and what does not, dont hesitate to say it does not work, you have to tell them or they wont know how to help you, keep them aprised of everything that helps or hurts with your headaches and things WILL get better.

[lindseylou08]

just and update since i posted this!

I went to this neuro with a pounding headache and bp through the roof...he said he felt like there was nothing he could do. I almost felt like he didn't want to help. So this headache actually lasted 6 whole weeks before i got any relief! My family doctor (which is a dear friend) took me off the depakote because it was causing some AWFUL side effects. He put me on topomax (topamax). It worked at first, but i felt like i was always in a fog and i couldn't think clearly. I am still having headaches every week. The right side of my face swells up, my nose closes up, my gums swell, and my ears hurt terribly. Now the auras are so bad i can't see and my right side of my face and my arm is going numb and tingling.

One day my family doctor was looking at my nose (since it stays clogged up from the headaches) and saw it was coated in blood. He did a culture and it came back Staph. It was something weird that could only be treated the 2 antibiotics by mouth, one i was allergic to. We thought we had figured out what could possibly be causing so many sinus infections and contributing to the headaches! Well....2 weeks later the antibiotics weren't working. So went to an ENT. He checked my sinuses with a CT scan and said i was clear, but swollen on my right side. He checked some muscles in my mouth, and triggered a migraine. He concluded I had migraines also, but that i too had the worst case of TMJ he'd ever seen.

The ENT then sent me to a new neuro, which was in another town. He said he was the best and this is who he would take his children to if they were in this much pain. I am seeing him now and so far I am loving him! He took me off of the topamax and started me on Zonegran and i am also on propanolol 4 times a day. I feel like i am always popping pills.

Last saturday I had an attack that has really knocked me off my feet. I called his office and he recommended an occipital nerve block. I was absolutely desperate, so today i drove an hour and half so this doctor could stick a three in. needle in my head (what migraine sufferers will do huh?). It was amazing! I have felt great for about 7 hourse, but now I am feeling the facial pain and headache returning. I do not know what I will do next, but this doctor seems to be helping.

Thanks for your encouragement to stick it out. Its hard to do when you can't work or go to family functions because your head is pounding so bad. I am running low on funds, but keeping a job is rough, its hard to rely on me. I never know when I will be in pain and can't make it. I'm not sure what I will do then...but that is something I will have to worry about another day!

And also, have any of you every had the occipital nerve block? Was it helpful? I am worried it is already waring off and I really want this to work!
thanks again!

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
Thanks for the update. How are you? Immediately after the injection, the pain may be gone due to the local anesthetic injected but may wear off in a few hours. The steroid starts working in about 3 to 5 days and its effect can last for several days to a few months.
If you respond to the injections, additional injections may be given when the symptoms return. Do keep us posted on how you respond to the nerve block. Take care always.