Ongoing Constant Sudden Migraines

Hello...I am 25 yrs old, I am a smoker and I occasionally have a drink, literally occasionally, almost never....maybe once in 6 months....I have 4 children.....just to give a little background info...


My question is what could be causing these and what kind of doctor might I need to see about it???

The problem: I have migraines constantly....I usually get them suddenly, their very painfully excruciating,sometimes it affects my left side or just my right side or sometimes both.....when I get one, it can last anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks (minimum though have been known to last a lil longer rarely)...Everything affects it, light,sound,taste,smell, even me talking....they get so bad I cant hardly get out of bed and always end up vomiting before the night is over with... I have tried everything i can think of, medicines, massaging the sore spots, laying down in a dark quiet room sometimes helps it subside for a few minutes but does not take it away, taking a warm bath and soaking in it, i have tried heating pads, hot and cold washrags on my forehead, whatever else I can think of at the moment...nothing really really works.....

the only thing that helps it subside a little bit is excedrin migraine and pushing in on the very back middle of my head and i have to push in really really hard for it help at all and even then only helps for about 10 minutes.....

I also have neck,shoulder,back and knee pain really bad and some chest pain......

I have tried keeping a migraine journal but when they come on they hurt to bad for me to even think about why I might be getting one and when it finally goes away i cant remember what might have triggered it...

I also have some kind of problem with rolling my eyes, like literally its constant, imagine someone rolling their eyes and then imagine someone rolling their eyes right after another like constantly......i cant stop it and i dont know how i started it but sometimes it hurts my head but just gives me a headache not the migraine....
I also grind my teeth while i'm sleeping and sometimes i catch myself doing it when i'm awake and through the day and i cant stop it i dont know how....i got one of those teeth protecter thingys from wal-mart but i sleep with my mouth open and it generally doesnt stay in my mouth and i dont know how to stop sleeping with my mouth open cause i'm such a hard sleeper, apparently i also snore and talk in my sleep and thats probably why i cant keep mouth closed when i sleep....

History: almost my whole family has diabetes(father, uncles,aunts,grandma,etc...) my mother was a borderline diabetic, who also had COPD, Lupus, arthritis, hernias, ulcers, breast cancer, and numerous other things I cant remember the names of.....she died 6 years ago of a hiadel(dont know how to spell it) hernia outpatient surgery gone wrong.....
Can anyone plz help me?????

[marileew]

Hi there!

I am 25 as well. I also have chronic migraines.

You need to see your GP (family doctor) to get a referral to a Neurologist. You might have to wait a LONG TIME to see the neurologist so I suggest doing the following things in the meantime:

- See if your GP (family doctor or a clinic doctor if you don't have a family doctor) can give you a diagnosis of migraines as this is what you say you have and also what it sounds like you have. It is possible you might have something else which is why you need a doctor to examine you and why you need to get a diagnosis from a doctor.
- If your doctor gives you a diagnosis of migraines, get MIGRAINE MEDICATION such as triptans to take when you have a migraine. This will work MUCH BETTER than over-the-counter medication. You must take the triptan as soon as you feel a migraine coming on for the triptan to work.
- Your GP might suggest daily medication... but it is more likely that they will wait for the neurologist to do this. Although, since you have chronic migraines, especially if you are getting 15+ a month, they will suggest that you go on daily medication. Daily medication helps many people. It can be a trial and error thing though... you may have to try a few different kinds before you find the one that works for you, so don't give up! If you don't get 15+ a month... it is just that when you get one, it last for DAYS or WEEKS... and you aren't currently using triptans to stop your migraines when they start, then taking triptans to STOP a migraine should actually stop your problem entirely and you probably won't have to take daily medication or anything like that.
- Ask your GP to order an X-Ray and a CT scan AND an MRI for you to make sure that there isn't anything else wrong.  The X-Ray will happen right away. You will have to wait a month or two for the CT scan and you might have to wait up to a year for the MRI. This is why I suggest ordering all three. The MRI will show the most information. BUT an X-RAY can show some types of abnormalities so it doesn't hurt to get an X-RAY first since you can get one right away. But if the X-RAY doesn't show anything, you should still get a CT scan and an MRI. IF you live in America and you have really good health insurance and for some reason can get an MRI right away... then you don't need to get the X-RAY and CT scan first. If you live in Canada or any other country, or you live in American and have regular sort of health insurance or bad health insurance... you probably want to get the X-RAY and CT scan first.
- Don't try to keep a diary while you have a migraine. Write down everything you remember after the migraine. I know how difficult this can be, I have the same problem. But, try... and even if you miss some information, or a migraine, or a few days, don't throw out the journal or give up... just put down as much information as possible and note that you left some out, this will help the doctors.
- IF you ever experience pain that you cannot handle because...
a) it has lasted too long and you feel at risk of suicide or self harm
b) the pain is the "worst pain you have ever felt before" and the headache in a new type of headache <- VERY SERIOUS EMERGENCY
c)  the pain is at a 9 or 10 out of 10 and you feel at risk of suicide or self-harm
... then DO NOT HESITATE to go to the ER. They will give you a triptan if you have not already taken a triptan. If you already have taken a triptan, they will probably give you morphine. Ask for hydromorphone... it is more expensive, BUT most people find that it causes less nausea and that is very important if you already feel sick from a migraine.... you don't want to be puking EVEN MORE because of what they give you!!! If they ask you WHY you want hydromorphone instead of morphine, explain it is because you are already feeling nausea and you have a history of nausea with morphine. They will also give you a CT scan and/or an MRI right away. You will be seen by a neurologist on staff at the hospital most likely (only for a brief moment... but that will be reassuring) AND you will get bumped up on the waiting list to see a neurologist as a regular doctor.

So. These are my suggestions. If you ever want to talk... please don't hesitate to message me. I am 25 and suffer from chronic migraines so I really empathize with what you are going through... migraines are awful and debilitating. But, with help, we can find ways to lessen the disabilities we face and take our lives back!

[marileew]

Also, since your mother had Lupus, you probably should get tested for that if you haven't already. Migraines and headaches can be symptom of lupus. Although, it isn't as common a symptom as other lupus symptoms. Still, since it is part of your family history, you probably want to get it ruled out so you can focus solely on treating the migraines as migraines and not as a possible symptom of something else.

[mommyof4_93]

I also have 4 children, I suffer from Migraines and I am on 5 different meds a day.  My mother also has lupus and cancer runs like wild fire in her family.  First sweetie, please try hard to quite smoking.  I don't know how you can smoke when you suffer so badly with migraines.  Cigarette smoke is a HUGE trigger for my migrianes.  They have been so bad that I had to be take to the hospital by ambulance because I could not sit up without throwing up.  I litterally crawled back and forth to my bathroom on my hands and knees.  It was horrible.  I have had so many shots in my hips that they are now constantly numb from all the meds being injected.  I abstain from all drugs, alcohol, cigarettes etc.  There are some food smells that will give me major headaches or migraines.  I find staying away from ALL orange artificial flavoring helps.  There is a chemical in it that is a known trigger for migraine sufferers.  Also those new energy saver light bulbs/florensant lighting can trigger migraines in us sufferers.  But the big one is to get healthy first by cleaning you body from the toxins of cigarettes, especially with a history of lupus.  Lupus is and can be a deadly disease.  I have lost a friend to Lupus.  It does kill.  Your babies need their mom....please consider finding help with smoking.....Hugs Carolyn