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1635132 tn?1305063930

Best place in USA to live for migraine/headache sufferers?

If migraines and headaches are affected by air pressure, humidity, etc., then where would be the ideal place to live for someone who suffers from migraines and headaches, and also allergies?  Any ideas?
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Avatar universal
Greetings,

When we are young the cranial bone is still growing to accommodate our personal growth rate.  More important but less diagnosisable is what can occur to brain and menges tissue from such accidents.  As we now witness with professional football players, brain matter and nerve tissue can find ways to reconnect communication pathways.  The unknown is what changes when the pathways reconnect.  In many cases neurons die off but new duties can be assumed by other Neurons.  The problem is that this may also change the pathways and possibly double duty is required by the neurons.   Medical science is a long way off to developing tools to analyze these tears.  

I would suggest that you look into a treatment protocol called EEG Neurofeedback.  This noninvasive technology is provided by state licensed Psychologist and Psychiatrist.  I have witnessed first hand the treatment of  a migraine patient that suffers from chronic headaches (more then 15 days a month).  This type of treatment focuses on helping the brain settle back into a normal wave pattern.  I've come to realize that there is no nirvana to escape docile weather patterns so I guess it is safe to say there is no best place to live.  If you would like to learn more about EEG Neurofeedback and find a provider in your area, do a search engine query on the following term ISNR Neurofeedback.  Explore the site and somewhere there there is a listing of providers listed by State.  If you need more information just write back and I'll do the best I can to help you.  Good luck!
Ed
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Avatar universal
Hi. I found this by typing in a phrase that asked about where is good place to live with migraines. I am 18 years old and have been suffering with them since I was five. I've had an MRI to see if the problem was cancer related or anything else. Nothing has shown. However I do remember when I was five I ran into a metal exercise machine. Is it possible I have had a small concussion or fracture that healed and isn't readable now? Unfortunately I have no medicine in the world that helps except maybe vikadin...however mine tend to me really bad when I'm stressed or really bad when there is a sudden change in air temperature from warm to cold. Have you got any advice to maybe help me?
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Avatar universal
I just saw your message to me today.  Sorry that I didn't know earlier.  Sorry to hear about your family's lack of understanding.  That must really hurt. I tell people how I get Botox injections, nerve block and trigger point injections every 4 weeks, plus take about 6 medications daily (some of them vitamins recommended by my neurologist) and that usually shuts them right up.  Have you tried the Botox or other injections?  They have really helped me.  Good luck to you.
Sara
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Avatar universal
Hi,

I've always wondered if Hawaii would be nervana (sp?).  I wish I could afford (time and money) to try a month or two there to see if it would help my wife.  Our added burden would be to find an area (island) there that would be rural with few cell towers or other electronic equipment.  Since your there already, any advice on locations would be helpful.
Thanks.
Eddie
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Avatar universal
I have baromtetric headaches/migraines, was hospitalized for a week. Was having headaches every day and migraines once a week. moved to Hawaii, Not a single headache since... there is your data
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Avatar universal
Sorry to hear about your migraines.  I hope you find my comment helpful in some way.  The pressure you sense in a jet is adjusted for a certain altitudes, for example, cabin pressure is typically set at about 7,500 feet for an altitude of 30,000 feet (I'm simplifying greatly here because there are other calculations that pilots or nowadays computer systems need to make for this adjustment).    

You are right about non-supportive people and businesses but also government agencies.  I'm currently trying to get the Federal Communications Commission to force nearby cell towers to modify their operating power.  We have now doubt that these cell towers are among the chief triggers for my wife's migraines.  Our town and neighborhood was recently without power and all lights were out except for the cell towers as their warning lights and transmitters were the only thing operating.  As my wife used this occasion to look outside and she was blasted by the cell tower fields (the tower is approximately 3/4 of a mile away).  This raises a fundamental human rights question: Who has more rights to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness, the cell operator or an individual?  Wonder if I will ever get the FCC to answer this or help us!
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Avatar universal
I'm a 59 yr. old woman who has suffered with migraines since 8th grade. A few yrs. ago I went flew back and forth to Diamond Headache Clinic and I always arrived with pain. I know weather is a trigger and to told Dr.s at clinic that take off and landings in plane where always painful.  I thought everyone felt the cabin pressure change like I did to some degree. I told them I felt like an elevator was ontop of me and pressing down!  Medication has been difficult to determine because of violent vomiting so some of my meds or shots through my muscle.  I even had a life port implanted to infuse fluids quickly because sometimes I lose fluids rapidily and can interfere with my pacemaker/defib which can go off-not good!  Now my deductible is $10k. Family still don't try to understand how my life is controlled by this problem.  Thank goodness my husband has stayed by my side for 39 yrs. and has witnessed the pain and  supports me. Wish people were more supportative and educated about this terrible condition!
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Avatar universal
P.S. to my comment above.

You mentioned earlier, "As far as Botox, we considered this option but what concerns me is that it only treats nerve and scalp muscle above the skull.  It never gets through the blood brain barrier so that's why I can't see how it can work.  Additionally, some individuals end up with far worse migraine/headaches and to me that's scary."

My migraines were caused by my stroke which has affected my brain.  So I wonder if Botox could help your wife.  Even the latest MRI/MRAs showed that my carotid artery is still nearly completely shut, which my neurologist said is the reason why I still have these severe migraines--no blood flow into the brain.  But Botox has greatly helped my migraines.  I believe that it is very rare for Botox to cause migraines to be worse. I can understand your caution.  I would check with your source about how long Botox could make the migraines worse, if that were to happen.  There are many meds that can make migraines worse.  But the great results that many have make it a truly wonderful treatment.  Good luck with your wife.
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Avatar universal
Thanks Eddie.  I copied everything you wrote in your postings to run it by my neurologist at my next appointment.
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Avatar universal
Look for trans cranial direct stimulation.  Be advised it is not a DIY treatment despite what you may read.  As you know what a little static electricity can do to memory chips and motherboards so can just a little voltage can fry a neuron.  Just read a non public report on it that advised caution by using a medical professional but generally trended towards the positive side even though this treatment is in the early stages of research.  I'm not noticing that Neurologist are embracing it yet (that's because they rely on medical based evidence) but PhD trained Psychologist are trying it out cautiously on eligible patients.  Hope this helps you to know who to look for in your area.
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5092217 tn?1367266627
Wow. Very interesting Eddie.

Was in bed with headache most of the day and just woke up feeling pretty good at 1 am. Thank heavens! Have a referral to the UW Medical Center but its been three weeks and they haven't set an appointment yet. I got a "don't call us, we'll call you" letter the first week, but no call. Monday I will call and say, "excuse me..."  See if I can light a fire under them.
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Avatar universal
I wish there were an easy answer but just like finding migraine triggers is complex so is trying to find the best place to live.  Weather happens everywhere.  If you've tried most medical options, I would suggest something a little different.  We have decided to try fighting fire with fire by using a treatment called EEG Neurofeedback.  We are having some early success with this treatment and so far we have noticed a almost 50% reduction in the longevity of my wife's migraine episodes.  The treatment consists of using electrical waveforms to help retrain the brain to ignore sensory triggers it cannot interpret and understand such as smell, taste, eyesight, hearing etc. for which it can interpret and make sense of.  It is hoped that her brain will learn how to deal with nonbody generated electrical waveforms.  This makes sense so to speak if someone buys in to electrical imbalances.  For example if a muscle contracts because the brain sends a electrical impulse it must also sense when it should relax the muscle and that is what EEG Neurofeedback tries to provide.  Hope this helps.
ED

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Avatar universal
You owe it to yourself to take an extended trip to some place, like Illinois where you were migraine free to test your theory.  Interesting question.  It might be worth moving if that were the case.  Don't know what constraints you have to consider with moving.  If not, did you consider any of my suggestions right above your posting?  (In my case, they know that my severe migraines were caused by a major stroke.)
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Avatar universal
I am reading this with interest as I have been trying to find an answer for almost life-long migraines. Two of my children, now teenagers, have them. I am sick right now! Mine have always seemed to be mostly weather related which means I fight these daily. Could it be EMF's? Please keep me posted. I have always wondered that, if I should move from southern NJ, my pain would lesten? I lived outside of Chicago,Ill.in Elmhurst for nearly a year with NO migraine. But it may have been hormonal as I was a brand new mother. The day I visited Jersey I hit the floor, literally, with a migraine.
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Avatar universal
Oh you are so right about the herbals.  My nephrologist said absolutely no to herbals for that reason.  Then my neurologist pointed me to Petadolex, a butterbur herbal which is made in Germany where they do evaluate all of their herbal medications. So this one does not have toxins.  In fact other butterbur herbals can have impurities in them that can be hazardous.

Do you have any neck or shoulder tightness?  Have you tried nerve block or trigger point injections?

Even if the Botox does give you improvement, you may still need your daily preventative med to help you further.  Keep in mind Namenda too.

Yes, I do know about how severe migraines can be.  When I can't stand the pain and am vomiting, I go to the ER and then get meds by IV that my neurologists hate for me to get because they think it sets me back.   A Butrans patch single handedly stopped me from going to the ER, although I've had some close calls.  If your migraines are so terrible, maybe you could get them, but if you go in specifically asking for a specific pain med, they can think that you are drug seeking.  But tell the doctor that you are thinking about suicide when they get so terrible.  And say that you need more.  Look up Butrans patches on-line.  They give you a very low dose of opiates 24/7, so no rebounds from them.  

Hope that you can get your migraines better.  
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5092217 tn?1367266627
Thanks so much Sara. That is really good to know. I am not sure the dose, but I think it might be on the paperwork I have at home. I will definitely try it one more time, at least.

I have gone through all of the required protocols (beta blockers, neuro pain blockers, calcium blockers, etc.). I'm still on Amitryptiline although I don't think it helps. I'm afraid of going off of it because if it is helping, I can't imagine how much worse it could get.

I have had a few stretches of good days that make me very hopeful. If I were to be very honest I would say that perhaps my good days are better, with some periods of no discerinble headache up to level 3 of 10. But the bad days are not any better. This week I had four good days, with 2 really good days, and three bad days.

I have not tried any herbal supplements. I have a lot of concern about taking herbals because they are not deemed safe or effective by the FDA (doesn't mean that they aren't, but there is a lot of quackery going on out there). I will read up on Petalodex and will ask my neurologist about it. Thanks for your help.
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Avatar universal
To msteechur,  The first time I got Botox, it didn't help me either.  Doctors tend to start at lower doses, then increase them.  The second time I got more units and got tremendous relief.  Find out how many units of the Botox you got and let me know. Also repeated doses help.  And occasionally, Botox doesn't work, so I wouldn't give up on it yet.  But it's up to you.

I'm assuming that you have tried at least several daily preventative migraine meds that didn't work.  Those are the people that are most helped with Botox.  I didn't respond to the daily preventatives until I took Petadolex (an herbal one) and off-label Namenda.  You only take 25% to 50% of the dose usually given to Alzheimer's patients, but it did work for my migraines.
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5092217 tn?1367266627
Just wanted to update. I had the Botox treatment about a month ago and have not noticed any improvement. SSDD I guess. Head is the same; weather stabilizes and I'm good with low pain, but when it changes the pain soars.

Beginning to wonder if I am going to live with this forever. That is not a happy thought.

I am an IT teacher (aka Nerd Herder) to students who are interested in a career in IT. In fact, lunch is over and I can hear them coming in so I suppose I should get off the computer.
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Avatar universal
The same situation occurred for both my Mother and my Grandmother-In-Law, however, an interesting correlation between both were that they worked until age 65 at which time both retired.  Their migraine episodes also stopped at that age.  It's my belief that hormones or menopause wasn't the cause for their relief, but that both left work environments whereby they were exposed to electric fields all day, every work day.  One worked in a large retail store having large and numerous floursecent (sp) lights and the other worked in a garment factory surrounded by electric motors, fans humming all day long.  I've long advocated that EMF's are at the root of migraines for quite a few reasons.  I am also consulting with a Neuropsychologist currently whom is using EEG coupled to a small stimulating electric currents that help bring the brain neurons and central nervous system back into a harmonious balance as it would be in it's un-assaulted state.  The first treatment of a patient yielded some amazing and unanticipated positive results.  I'd like to discuss this treatment more but the data is proprietary and I don't have permission to discuss it.  I hope to be able to have more information after a few more treatments with this patient.  Let me also say that the triggers you mention all have substances in common with each other.  
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the posts.  I had migraines starting before age 5, had chiropractic and they stopped from 6-20 when I had a car accident.  I've since been bothered by them with differing frequency, duration, debilitation, etc.  Subscribe to the theory William Walsh, M.D. has that it's a combination of factors--Barometric pressure changes are the leading culprit for me along with food or airborne allergens (including fragrance), with stress the icing on the cake. I had hoped aging would make them less frequent (as my mother suffers less post menopause) but so far not the case for me.  Moving from MN to CA has helped, although the weather changes enough here (95350) to still cause outbreaks.  
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Avatar universal
I get the acronym now :)  That's interesting, I too taught computer science courses about ten years ago as a adjunct, I really enjoyed it but had to give it up.  Maybe some day I'll restart it again.

Just as a FYI, I read a report yesterday about botox now causing some residual problems for some patients.  The topic dealt with the body developing antibodies to the toxin and it not working.  If you do a web search you may find additional information about this subject.

My wife is in the 2nd day of a migraine and this morning she developed a severely painful pinched nerve just below the neck.  What a double whammy!  I was able to get her good relief by applying a strip of a Lidoderm patch that I use for certain joint aches and I used it in the past for a stiff neck as well and it worked for both of us.  She got such great relief that she asked if she shaved her hair, would it work for her migraine pain.  I didn't know but tomorrow I will ask her Neurologist whether a similar medication could be specially compounded and applied as a gel so she won't have to cut her hair.  

So you see, innovation isn't for technology only.  If it can be done and we get it I will let you know.  (Give my regards to your live-in Doctor :)        
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5092217 tn?1367266627
Thanks Eddie. I'll look that up. It's interesting because when I first brought up that I noticed pain changes in relation to weather my doctor disagreed. (Because you know he was living in my head.) I'm not a complainer by any stretch of the imagination so when I say I'm in pain, I am in pain. As an athlete I listen to my body very closely and have a high pain tolerance. (I am a long distance runner. Ran a 50k yesterday, in fact. Had headaches off and on throughout, but it was manageable.) Right now there is a storm blowing through and my head is KILLING me.

Anyhow, finally after a year and after he had another patient who had the same residual chronic headaches, he's starting to believe me. I will have Botox treatments on Thursday. I'm not sure if they will be the answer, but I do like the idea of not having to (eventually) take medications daily.
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Avatar universal
No obvious cause, so each head pain episode is scary, WOW.  The only foreign object would be the residual discharge.  I've read that it takes quite a while for it to be reabsorbed - so it must be something related to the blood brain barrier.  Just as an FYI, the University of North Carolina/Duke describes Magnetohydrodynamic effects when an electrically conductive fluid, such as blood, endolymph fluid, or aqueous fluid flows within a magnetic field, an electric current is produced, as is a force opposing the flow.  I can't provide much more on this effect because my research is limited to metal devices in the cranial environment but maybe this might provide you a lead as to why your head pain occurs.  Most folks are apathetic to ambient environmental effects as a cause of their headaches, but I place quite a bit in the credence in electromagnetic fields as a primary cause because I see it occur first hand.  Apparently the research at Duke understands some element of it as well.
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5092217 tn?1367266627
That is very scary to me as well, Eddie. I did not have clipping or coiling as my SAH was perimesenphalic (no underlying AVM or aneurism, although there may have been an aneurism prior that burst).

My neurologist was very honest that they don't know why Botox works, but for some patients it does. He said his theory is that it breaks the cycle of the brain pain --> tension --> increasing pain but that he honestly doesn't know.

I have a good friend who also had an SAH about nine months before mine. We have very similar lifestyles (avid runners, healthy eaters, so active and tons of energy). She had Botox and it didn't help. She also got the rebound headaches. I feel like I have to try anyhow. I have no choice. If that is not the answer then when summer break comes I will seek out headache specialists in Seattle.

Today we have a storm blowing through and my pain woke me a number of times last night. I'm not at work because it hurts to lift my head or move, and not moving only means the pain level goes down to an 8--and that's after 2 doses of pain meds. (I am careful about those so I do not have rebound headaches.)

With just about 16 months I feel completely defeated--I don't know how your wife handles 19 years. I'm the most up, Pollyanna in the world but this has got me so far down I don't know how to even look up.
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