Migraine help please!

[greybantha1]

I had been having headaches for a few months two to three times a week.  I went to the neurologist who put me on topamax.  After seven months I had a very bad reaction to the med.  I gave me anxiety attacks and severe depression.  I had never been to a doctor other than annual check ups and had never been on medication before this.  I have never been diagnosed with anxiety or depression.  My GP said I needed to wean off the topamax immediately and we did that over five weeks.  I have been off of the Topamax fo three months.  My headaches are so different now.  I get sharp, second long pains and severe pressure behind my nose and eyes.  My tongue and left eye have been twitching and sometimes it feels like my whole throat and jaw is locked up.  My new neuro has done an MRI and MRI w/o contrast and blood work from the summer showed nothing out of the norm.  My anxiety is better, but fluctuates with the headaches.  I am on Anaprox for the aches, but I am trying to avoid another round of meds due to the bad situation with the Topamax.  I can wake up in the morning and my day starts with a headache.  My quality of life has been severly effected and I am 32 years old with two little girls that I am constantly telling to lower their voices and all they want is their mommy to play with them and I can't.  I am so upset over this situation.  I am in the middle of therapy to try and get through some the depression that this situation has caused.  Please if you have any advice.  I just wish I could go back to the dau before I took the first Topamax.  I could deal with those headaches.  
thank you!

[greybantha1]

I thank you so much for your post.  Part of my problem is that I am a control freak and I was really on a high before all of this happened.  This completely shook me up and now I find that I have to take my days hour by hour.  I have had the complete gamut of testing and at my next neuro visit I am going to ask her to run blood work more for my anxiety thatn anything else.  I feel like I am such a different, affected person after the topamax and I need to forgive myself for taking it.  It seemed like the best answer at the time.  Lately my headaches have been every other day which is exhausting and that is with these sharp, second long pains on the good days.  I try so hard not to give into the anxiety and stay on top of the cycle, but some days it just gets the better of me.  I am going to try the holistic approach for the next few months.  I am very optimistic that the the answer will be in a change in lifestyle, more excercise, better eating habits.  This situation has just been so off putting, I need to get used to this different person that I have become and see myself with kinder eyes.  It has affected my confidence, energy and personality.  Thank God for the greatest and most patient husband in the world.  thanks for everything!

[sjcountrygirl]

I have migraines but what you mention doesn't really sound like migraines. Ask your family doctor for a sample of a migraine medication such as ( Zomig,Imitrex,Ralpac etc)Take at the onset of a headache if it is a true migraine you should feel relief within 30 minutes to 2 hours. I couldn't take Topamax either but didn't develope the depression afterwards.

[needanswers54]

Hi!  I have suffered many forms of migraines for over fifteen years.  Yes, they can be depressing.  Yes, I have found medications to help me but not be the cure-all.  I also believe therapy/chiro and holistic measure help.  I do worry about your developing depression because it is a two-headed axe.  The pain and lost of enjoyment and the anxiety can lead to depression.  It is believed by many neurologists that pain decreases or imbalances your neurtotransmittors which complicates your illness if nothing else in as much as depleted/imbalanced neurotransmitters such as seratonin (and probably dopamine and GABA among others) prevents your body from quenching pain.  It also leads to depression, which as a result of a similar cycle to the above makes you perceive more pain.  Then, some people quit exercising due to the pain and depression and then the endophins go down even more.  The cycle can just go on and on and on and you can just keep feeling all the more depressed with continuing ongoing pain.  That is why, many neurologists had treated migraines with anti-depressant medications long before Topamax was ever on the scene.  There are also other drugs to try such as beta-blockers, calcium-channel blockers, and pain relievers such as the triptans and allergy meds, anti-emetics, etc..  It is important not to mix certain types of medications--so ALWAYS check with your pharmacists.  Also, sometimes you have to wait before trying another medicine due to interactions.  Also, and importantly, treating your migraine with OTC or just continuous pain control can cause what is termed "rebound headache" and they can be really awful, also.  I do believe that the naturalremedies help many people lessen either the quality an/dor quantity of their headaches.  Also, changes in your menstrual cycles or taking the pill can affect your migraines.  So can smoking and your diet and sleeping habits and stress levels.  It is so confounding!  D#*@ it!

Try to get someone who is attentive to your needs to help you.  Usually a neurologist is good.  They should probably do MRI(s) and various other testing.  

Please try not to let yourself become depressed.  I have been down that road and it is not fun.  Try to take care of yourself as best you can and still enjoy yourself.  Sometimes we just have to give in to what our bodies are telling us and adjust ourselves to them.  I certainly hope you can find your migraine "cure".  

Finally, keep a journal of your health, meds, meals (including drinks and snacks), environment/weather, stressors, infections, dental work/surgery, anything that may relate to your migraines.  Keep notes on dosages, timing, effects, etc. This can often help the doctor and it can certainly help you maintain comparisons down the road if you have to try many strategies to try to overcome and prevent your migraines.

Keep in touch and let me know how you fare.  Perhaps you already knew all the above, but, I was not sure.  Maybe you may learn something that helps the rest of us.  Looking forward to hearing back from you!  LOL!

[greybantha1]

Thanks so musch.  I have been going to a chiro for two months and found a therapist who does a technique called EFT.  It helps people who may have let emotional stress manifest into physical pain.  She does a combo of massage and EFT.  You can read about it at wellagain.net.  I have only been once and had a few good days, but then got a whopper migraine which brings the depression back.  My biggest frustration is do I go to another neurologist or at some point do I just accept that I have these pains and headaches with no real answer?  I am trying to let go of the fact that I went on that stupid medicine, but I am having a really hard time forgiving myself.  I just ordered some migraine  and anxiety remedies from naturalremedy.com someone on another board said that the combination has all but taken her migraines way.  I will try anything at this point.  I wish you luck.  I don't think people understand that a headache can effect someone's quality of life as much as they do.  thanks again.

[EGfl]

I have had headaches almost everyday since July.  Gone to every doctor you can think of, GP, eye doc. ENT, dentist, neurologist.   Have had MRI, CT MRA, Blood work  an All tests are showing nothing bad. Doc's say migranes. They also put me on topamax.  It changed my type of headache and I told them that, they told me to take more....... I tried that and it about killed me the pain was so bad. I was only on topamax for about 3 weeks total but then stoped.  I am now trying massage just to get me through because I was getting so depressed.  It has helped some..........it has given me SOMEhope the depression seems to have lightened a little.  I am also going to a chiropractor but I have only been 1 time. That didn't do anything yet but at this point I will try a few more times because I can't go on like this.  Maybe talk to some people you know and see if they know of some good massage places, I wouldn't just go to anyone, I would do a little homework and find someone that really knows what they are doing. This type of medical help really isn't my thing but at this point I have to try anything because the real medical docs. don't seem to know what is going on.  I will still go to both.I'll tell you just the little relief I have gotten from the massage has been so helpful!!  . I too have a child (10)  an I know they need us sooo bad, they realy do.  It's so hard when this is ging on.  I hope this might help some, I realy fee for you!

EG
EG