What can I do for my migraines?

[jen030770]

I am 40 yrs old I had an MRI done past Dec of last year, they say I have Rathe Cleft Cyst in my piturary gland. (5cm) I had several doctors saying they are not causing the migraine.  Now, before I had the MRI, I was complaining of having severe migraines for the last 2 yrs.  I was taking Imitrex for a while but, I did not like the way I felt-it caused my heart to beat too fast, felt I was surley gonna pass out.  I am still taking Topamax to help preventing these headahces.  It don't seem to help me.  It is progressing, I had a hysterectomy last year of June of 09.  I had Fibroid tumor in my uterus, I get severe cramping and migraines.  I was pleased the cramping is no longer there but, I still get these terrible terrrible migraines. It made a lot worse.  That is a reason I had the MRI done trying to figure out why and its happening to me.  I have seen 2 neosurgeon about my problem, one of them says could be stress-not true. My husband bought me a cat to help me to calm my nerves and which it did but, I get these migraines anyway.  The other one says could be Estrogen.  Could be?  I'm not for sure, he also mention does anyone else has migraine.  My mother, hers are not worse as mine.  It could be hereditary.  I had another MRI and I have to wait till next month to see the doctor and I will get the results.  I have notice every 21 to 28 days, I get these severe migraines and I ended up in ER. They gave me medications to help me relieve the pressure -Fioricet and Compazine and Benadryl. It is so ridiculous, I am constant paying these bills every month I get these terrible terrible migraines.  Could anyone give me an idea what can I do and stop the suffering?

[Archie2004]

Gosh, the ER visits with migraine are an expensive ordeal! And you may ask for prescriptions for Fioricet and Compazine suppository.  Benadryl can be purchased at any grocery or pharmacy.  The Compazine is for anti-nausea, and can make you either sleepy or sort of hyper, hence the Benedryl? The whole point is to somehow get your stomach to calm down and get you to sleep, so the migraine process will stop, without narcotics (if frequency is an issue).  I have been given prescriptions for Fioricet (in my case with codeine), in very small quantity, Phenergan suppository, used only when Relpax fails to stop the migraine and pain and nausea are just not responding.  You may be able to get small prescriptions for the Fioricet, Compazine (suppository) and purchase Benedryl.  Believe me in the face of migraine and the ordeal and expense of the ER, use of a suppository is nothing.  The nausea lets up, medication starts working, and you fall asleep in your own bed, waking with relief, to an undepleated bank account.  Please try getting records of ER visits, take them to your Doctor, and have a talk about prescriptions.  Best of luck, and here's hoping you can forget what that ER waiting roomlooks like!

[marileew]

Hi jen030770!

Yes, migraines are hereditary! Migraine is a genetic disease. Some people are born this genetic disease, in the same way that some people are born with diabetes or epilepsy.

There is no cure for migraines, but there are very effective treatments.

You are currently trying one preventative treatment and it is not working. You should talk to your doctor about switching to a different preventive treatment. There are four classes of preventative migraine medication: antidepressants, anticonvulsants, beta blockers and calcium channel blockers. You are currently taking an anticonvulsant. Since it is not working, you should try a different class of preventative migraine medication. There are also multiple medications within each class, so even if one doesn't work, it is very likely that another medication will. Botox Injections are also used to prevent migraines and it is quite effective for most.

Yes, estrogen is connected to migraines. That is why some women only experience migraines around their menstrual period, sometimes women will find that their migraines stop after childbirth, and some women find that their migraines get worse after childbirth. Hormones are very much connected to migraines. But, estrogen is not the cause of migraines, it can just be a trigger. Migraine disease is the cause of migraines. It is possible for headaches to feel like migraines, and have them actually be secondary headaches. This could be possible since you have a cyst, but if you have had several doctors tell you that the cyst is not causing your migraines, then it is very unlikely that the cyst is causing your migraines. It is more likely that migraines are causing your migraines.

A side effect of Imitrex is that it can cause you to feel as if your heart is beating too fast. Many people who have this side effect decide to stop taking this medication. Thankfully, there are a total of 7 triptans on the market. Not only does Imitrex have this common undesirable side-effect that you mention, but it is also the most ineffective triptan when taking in tablet form! Most people find that the other 6 triptans do not have the same undesirable side-effects, and they are also statistically much more effective. You may want to speak to your doctor about trying a different triptan.

You could also want to consider a combination of medications, since combination treatment is usually more effective for treating migraines than any single medication alone. Only combine medications if a doctor has prescribed them to you in that way, and always ask a pharmacist prior to purchasing and combining medications. The antiemetic Metoclopramide is a useful medication for those with migraines. Metoclopramide stops vomiting/nausea which can be associated with a migraine and it also makes other migraine medications more effective! Some doctors will prescribe a combination of Metoclopramide with a pain killer such as Tylenol with Codeine. Combining Metoclopramide with a triptan is also very effective. You could ask your doctor about Metoclopramide.

I hope this information is helpful! Keep in touch!

- marilee