Is a morphine injection every 3-6 weeks for migraine ok?

[Barbara227]

I get migraines 2 to 3 times a month that may last 2-4 days.  For the past 4 years I have gotten a morphine with toradol injection that works 95% of the time. I treat only 2 of them in a period of 3-6 weeks. I have tried everything else suggested under the sun (migraines since teen years). With the injection I can be rid of migraine within 1 day without injection they may last up to 4 days. Suddenly my doctor has said that the consensus is that narcotics don't work for migraines  and that she doesn't feel it is o.k. even though it works 95% of time (about).  Does this make sense to you?  It has thrust my life back into chaos. After four different surgeries (2 emergency to correct original surgeries)  I have used narcotics successfully for pain with no problem.

[kat875]

are you constipated when your migraine is at its worst?

[Barbara227]

I don't want to use drugs daily. And, of course the methods you discussed have been tried; plus, I am really up to date with latest migraine news.
Thanks for the input though.  Barbara 227.

[Christopher R Newey, DO]

Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with a doctor.

Without the ability to examine and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of the symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.

One of the most common causes of headaches in people with chronic headaches is called medication rebound or medication overuse headache: medications as simple as tylenol or advil if used too much can cause rebound headaches that are even worse then the headaches for which the medications were started for. This is very common and is most likely to occur with use of any medication for your headache more than a few times a week. It can occur with all the commonly used headache medications such as ibuprofen, triptans (such as imitrex), fioricet, and commonly with any type of narcotic such as tylenol #3, dilaudid, percocet, etc. The treatment of these types of headaches is difficult, but basically involves weaning off the offending agent and replacing it with another that is later weaned off, combined with a more long-term solution. This should be done under strict guidance by a specialist, preferably a headache specialist, or else the headache will not improve and withdrawal side effects can occur.

The consensus is that you should not treat headaches with opioids for the possibility of creating a medication overuse headache. However, there are some people that only obtain relief from infrequent use of opioids for their headaches. You may be one of these people. You should continue discussing your concern with your physician.

Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.

[bluefaery]

Do you know why you're getting the migraines?  I've suffered from them since I was 16 (at the time I had a two month long migraine, which I now suspect was due to high estrogen levels).  I never take narcotics for them, I can't imagine they would help me at all.  But figuring out what was causing them was the first step in treating them.

I get them from stress, so I have to manage my stress levels.  I get them from hormonal fluctuations, which are hard to control but I'm working on some issues with hormones right now.  I drink caffeine every single day.  I smoke (prescribed) pot every single day.  Both of these I believe really help prevent the migraines.

I got one yesterday that almost brought me to tears.  I turned off the lights, took an Excedrin for migraine, rubbed my scalp (to move the blood) and ate some food.  Within 45 min I could deal with working again.  I was lucky that time, I had aura a few weeks ago and all I could do is just send myself back to bed to sleep it off.

I have a prescrip for vicodin for ovarian cysts, and have had various drugs prescribed to me for pain management, but I can't think of one time that I would have taken a narcotic to treat migraine pain.  I needed to treat what was causing the pain.  Asprin/Tylonol combo (Excedrine), caffeine, and various prescriptions actually treat what is causing the migraine.  It affects your blood vessels to get the blood flowing correctly again so there isn't pressure to cause the migraine.

The fact that it takes a full day for the morphine to treat the migraine makes me think that it's allowing your body to just relax enough to heal itself.  As I'm sure you know, migraine pain is just not the same thing as other body pain.