hemicrania

[tex123]

Hello
about 2 yrs ago I started getting severe headache that started from a sinus inf.It lasted 3 months.Went to many Dr and was told migrains and to take elavil but I didn't.I am extremely sensitive to meds. I went into hosp for 3 days and they kept giving me all kinds of meds.Headache went away.Christmas day I had bad sinus inf and head started again.I haven't gotten rid of it yet.I am seeing a Neurologist and had EEG and sleep study done.Dr says its hemicrania continua and put me on verapamil bad med.I see there is a pill  indomethacin but I am sure that I won't be able to take it.I always get bad side effects.Does anyone else have this.

[19Buttercup58]

I have had nonstop headaches for 23 years. A 10 out of 10 headache was the norm.  They have been controlled with Indomethicine for the past 10 years.  It is the ONLY medication that works.  I had been hospitalized on several occasions (prior to discovering Indocid) and been given much more potent narcotic medication and it did nothing.  I have no idea why this works but it does.  I take prevacid daily as well, to protect my stomach. I am now going to look into melatonin to see if it is effective for me as it would be safer.  I also hope to find out if I am a candidate for occipital nerve stimulation.

[mle134]

I have been having a non-stop headache for nine months sometimes severe, and have just been diagnosed with hemicrania continua myself.  Indomethacin (which I took some months ago and was take off of for no real reason I could discern) actually helped and I am now returned to it at a higher dose.  I found steroids of assistance (but you can't be on them for very long), and believe it or not, fairly high doses of Vitamin B12 (5000 mcg per day).  Toradol (keterolac) injections also helped when I wasn't taking indomethacin but there are side effects to everything.  Verapamil was tried but dropped my BP too low to keep on trying.
I also tried chiropractic care, accupuncture, and biofeedback.  All three I found to help with muscular pain, but didn't do too much for the actual headache.

[tex123]

TY for responding.
The verapamil might have worked but the side effects were horrible.I couldn't climb out of bed it knocked me out.I also got bad palpatations as I do most drugs.
The elavil is the only one so far that doesn't make me feel as bad.I never really gave it a chance.I started taking a low dose last night 10mg to see how it affects me.
I saw that indomethacin is the drug of choice but seems there are way too many side effects.
I have been seeing a chiropractor for yrs for adjustments on neck and bk but haven't gone in about 9 months.
Do you think the elevil has a chance to work along with chiro ?I am thinking about making appt to get adjusted

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi,

You have mentioned of recurrent sinus infections.Have you visited an ENT specialist for this? I suggest that you have your ears and nasal passages thoroughly assessed.The sinus infections may be contributing to your headaches.


If this is hemicrania continua and you do not seem to respond well with verapamil you may need to discuss the advantages of indomethacin with your physician.This seems to be the drug of choice for the condition.Hemicrania continua may recur and continue to occur in clusters or attacks.Medical therapy may be necessary.Discuss with your physician the advantages of physical therapy,acupuncture and adjunct behavioral or cognitive therapy.

Was your cervical spine evaluated?