Occipital Nerve Stimulator

I have hemicrania continua, and now am having some fairly severe gastric results from indomethacin (pancreatits, gastritis). The indomethacin has helped, but I can't keep taking it and I have failed many other type of pain control for this condition, but I can't have my pancreas failing either...

My specialist suggested getting an occipital nerve stimulator implanted, but didn't try to make any arrangements just to say she was willing to do a referral.  After some research I think I know why - I can't find anyone that does this for hemicrania continua pain as a regular procedure.

Does anyone out there know anyone in the United States that does this procedure?  There is a study currently being done but I beleive it is for refractory migraine not hemicrania continua....

I've only come up with three names, one does not do the procedure anymore as he is in a private practice and is concentrating on deep brain implants, and it might be a year to get into either of the other two physicians.

Thanks -

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi,

Thanks for writing in.

You have not mentioned the names of the two specialists that you know. These are two doctors who have been doing remarkable work with Occipital Nerve Stimulators for chronic headaches.

Dr. Jasper is Medical Director,
Advanced Pain Medicine Physicians,
Tacoma, WA.

Dr. Salim Hayek is with the Division of
Pain Medicine, Department of
Anesthesiology, University Hospitals
of Cleveland, Cleveland, OH; and a
member of the Outcomes Research
Consortium, Cleveland, OH.

http://www.painphysicianjournal.com/2008/march/2008;11;187-200.pdf

Hope this helps!

[mle134]

Dr. Noopur:  Forgot to ever update you.  Thank you so much for your reply because it pointed me in the right direction!!

I went to the Cleveland Clinic (which is near University Hospitals) and was accepted into an occipital nerve study there in 2009, Dr. Nagy Mekhail was my physician.  

I have had an occipital stimulator since June 2009 and have had very good results, with daily pain levels going from an average of 8 on a scale of 1-10 to a 3, which is a life changing difference.  I do have to run mine 24/7 without interruption because the pain comes back quickly if i do not.