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Does any one suffer from Daily Migraines that can't get releif from any medication?

History:
I am a 28 year old female and 6 months ago I got a severe and sudden headache that never went away. After my Family Doctor realized he couldn't help me because NSAIDs and Pain killers did not help me he referred me to a neurologist in July. I have had several different drugs and treatments (maxalt, nerveblockers, etc) that didn't work or made things worse, but for the most part I have had a constant pain every day in varying amounts. I have tried diets to eliminate food triggers as well as visiting other places to change the climate. Currently I am on Topamax and Pamelor which seem to allow me to live a semi normal looking life now. However I am still in pain every day can't do any physical activity and can't be stepped down off the medication. The only thing that did work was an inj of toradol, but it only lasted for one day, and my doctor said it can cause too much damage to my liver and such to be on long term.
Before you ask, MRI, Spinal Tap, Sleep Ap Study all came up clean.
My Question is there anyone else that has ever heard of having daily migraines that don't respond to any Treatments?  I feel like there is no hope of ever living the life I did before the headache started.
15 Responses
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557119 tn?1225275813
I have had chronic headaches for 9 years.  I am currently taking Relafen with Tramadol.  Tramadol is a synthetic opioid.  It works most of the time for me.  The first thing that has. I've done meditation, chiropractic, and other things, everything except Botox.

I have found that a combination of the meds and chiropractic 2x a month helps.  My chiropractor does not "pop" the neck. He uses some sort of clicking device.  I've had surgery on my neck and have arthritis in it, so I am in a lot of pain.  

Sometimes headaches that cover the entire head originate at the base of the skull.  Do you ever feel sore around the bony area at the base of your head?  If so, it might be that your headaches are coming from that region and the reason you feel them all over is from residual pain.  

If you have had a c-spine MRI and brain MRI, then it is likely that you are having tension headaches, stress related, or that you have some sort of hormonal imbalance that has not been found yet.  Perhaps your cause might never be found, but managing it is top priority to live your life in the fullest extent.  Don't give up hope. There is a web site especially for migraine it is called MAGNUM.  Check it out. They have all the updates on medications, etc.... Best Wishes
Helpful - 0
180749 tn?1443595232
Try this alternative approach and you will notice positive benefit in days.Drink warm water.Keep your eyes closed and concentrate only on the breathing.This works very gradually, so do allow time.
Build up your timing gradually.If you feel tired or dizzy, stop and resume after 1 minute.
Kapalbhati -(Do it before eating) Push air forcefully out through the nose about once per second. Stomach will itself go in(contract in). The breathing in(through the nose) will happen automatically. Establish a rhythm and do for upto 15 minutes twice a day.(Max 60 min/day) Not for pregnant women. Seriously ill people do it gently.

Anulom Vilom -  Close your right nostril with thumb and deep breath-in through left nostril  
then – close left nostril with two fingers and breath-out through right nostril  
then -keeping the left nostril closed  deep breath-in through right nostril
then - close your right nostril with thumb and breath-out through left nostril.
This is one cycle of anulom vilom.
Repeat this cycle for 20 to 30  minutes twice a day(maximum 60 minutes in one day).
You can do this before breakfast/lunch/dinner or before bedtime or in bed.Remember to take deep breaths into the lungs.

Bhramri Pranayam -Close eyes. Close ears with thumb, index finger on forehead, and rest three fingers on base of nose touching eyes. Breathe in through nose. And now breathe out through nose while humming like a bee.
Duration : 5 to 15 times
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Avatar universal
My doctor has switched to Maxalt, away from imitrex inj, I've been reading there shouldn't be a difference (Maxalt is concidered an overall better treatment- just not as fast acting). I will look into the surgery and the implant. I have been holding out on Botox inj, is that the benifit is that people report "getting" less migraines, not stoping a current migraine, and since mine never goes away I am not optimistic. I don't know if I can take Inderal, my BP is actually on the low side not high, oh!! my friend has similar migranes with seizures, and once he went to a new doctor and got his blood pressure and diet under control all the headaches and seizures STOPPED.  

I'll let everyone know if I can figure out anything. I'm making an appt with at Chiropractor that says he diagnosis cervicogenic headaches.
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Avatar universal
I can't remember if you mentioned if you have used the Imitrex injection.
Anyway, I am 58 and have suffered with really sick to going into convulsions type headpain/migraines since I can remember starting at the age of 7. Bad, bad, bad! Yes, I puked with mine for a good 8-12 hours. This lasted I would say maybe up to 10 years ago.
I went on topa which the side effects were the worst for about 1 1/2 years. The topa helps with the frequency, usually no more puking and dry heaves, and usually now when I do an injection of Imitrex I more than not start feeling better in 15 minutes or so. It has been a little more than 7 years since starting topa and I am glad I stuck it out even though I lost more friendships and family relationships becuase of this.
Now I may have a migraine hangover for a couple days or till the next migraine but for what I hve had to deal with in life along with the added pain I must say I really am thankful for what I have.
Sure I may not have much of a life because the triggers keep me pretty house bound. I'd rather have that any day compared to winding up on the bathroom floor for the next 10 hours or so.
No, there is really nothing I am aware of as far as for me anyway that can completely even almost stop the pain.
Have you spoke with any of what is a new form of Doctoring, instead of treating the illnes they work with the patient wellness. There are also surgery's that can be done at the base of the neck and even in the head, and also there is that pump implant now used for migraine pain. Just recently 2 moe meds have come out for migraines.
Another thing I heavily rely on and that is Inderal. I am at 160mg and if I went down any I would feel the increase in no time at all.
Have you been to an Allergist? Now when these or other suggestion(s) are being made there is always the possibility just now one is going to work for you. You may have to juggle more than one type pain reliever and abortive at the same time. Some do well with acupuncture and or Botox combined. Then ofcourse their is the chiro to mix in with everything.
There is really no answer or one answer at this time for you. I even watch a thing on TV here a while back on unexplained illnesses. This lady along with her meds had to move to Mennesota for her relief. Living at the beach in Florida only made things worse for her.

I'll check in on you later and see how you are or most inportantly to read what other's suggestions have been. The good ole snake oil...there just might be something to it.

Take care, Marlene ^"^~~,          
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Avatar universal
Do your headaches ever go away completely? I don't think mine ever do. Maybe once or twice for 20 minutes at the most over the whole six month period. (Except for the toradol inj)
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Avatar universal
Yeah I have been discouraged by chiropractors before too, but I have found good ones two. The more your chiropractor acts like a doctor, X rays and such the better. And Medicine is your friend as long as you are not taking it in excess. Also small things like exercise and posture helped me with my long term back pain.
I think a lot of people here feel your pain. Hope fully your neurologist will find something to help soon. I know there are a lot of options and it may take a while After the first few months of pain and 7 different prescriptions I was really loosing hope, I wasn't even sure if I was going to live some days.  Find a different neurologist, if you need a second opinion. Something will help you, at least so you can feel some what better.
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Avatar universal
I suffer from chronic daily headache syndrome along with complex migraines. I have suffered for the last 2 yrs with a headaches and have 3-4 migraines a week. I have had every treatment for migraines with no relief. I have seen 6 neurologists. I know how you feel no treatment willhelp with my pain. I have even tried other treatments that are non-tradtional with no relief.
My advice keep scanning the internet don't give up. I scan the internet all the time looking for new treatments. Also look up clinical trials too sometimes u can quailfy for them and try meds before they hit the market for free.
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620004 tn?1227825306
I went to a Chiropractor for some serious back pain that I was having, never really experiencing any head problems...and then BAM!  Headaches just as you have described!  Be EXTREMLY careful with the Chiropractor!  My family doc said that NOONE is EVER to crack your neck!  I am not saying that there are no good Chiro's out there, just watch which one you choose, choose VERY wisely!  The one that I went to had me scared to death to take ANY meds, even a Motrin!  My doc gave me antibiotics and I practically hyperventalated!  I too now suffer from SEVERE headaches that control most of my life!  I hope that we can figure this all out and SOON cause I CANNOT take much more!  I too had a complete workup by a Nuerologist, MRI's of Brain and Neck and NOTHING!  HELP!  
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Avatar universal
no Jet,

I was thinking of going to a chiropractor next, but my last one wasn't very helpful so I had avoided going.

Thank you
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449909 tn?1233409897
Started while sitting on a couch watching TV, and then a sudden sharp pain above right eye... pain moves...; can excercise for ony 5 min at at stretch; Sitting still relieves pain: I am led to consider cervicogenic headache.  You are holding the head and neck (and consequently the various joints in the cervical spine) steady, and this may be relieving the headache.

Whatever you have described doesn't contradict a dx of cervicogenic headache.

Now is the problem. You will be lucky if someone can really diagnose cervicogenic headache and treat it. Until you find someone, try to hold your neck steady, while lying down (support on either side and back with small pillows) as well as sitting up. Avoid jarring your head and neck. Whatever small undetect(able)ed injury of the cervical spine is thereby allowed to heal. If it heals, you will forget about the headache like what happens to many headaches over a period of time.

Please give a feedback on this if possible.

It will be ideal if I could examine you, but as I am in a different part of the planet, this seems unlikely. Not so, of course, if you have your own private jet in your backyard :-)

Best rgds,

TA
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Avatar universal
I have read a similar book: Heal Your Headache: The 1-2-3 Program for Taking Charge of Your Pain by David Buchholz, which I totally recommend for anyone.
1- stop taking pain meds- (eliminate rebound headaches)
2- find and eliminate triggers (food and stress)
3- raise threshold (exercise and topamax)

I didn't take pain meds, for headaches before just advil, witch shouldn't cause rebound headaches because it isn’t a pain med. Also I went on a totally restrictive diet from July 1st through August 7th with no changes to the headache at all. And I exercised regularly before the headaches started.
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Avatar universal
Started: Sitting on couch watching TV at home. Sudden sharp pain in the front of the head above right eye. (near sinuses- but sinus meds made much much worse). Nothing makes is better really some relief from sitting completely still void of thought
I have noticed it is much worse with loud sounds and stress, and I can only exercise for 5 minutes at a time. Also most of the drugs I have been given have made it worse also. Advil, maxalt, naproxen,  
Pain: The pain moves. Some times one sided some times two sided. some times at the front of the head, some times at the back of the head, some times at the crown, some times pulsing at my temples.  Couldn't sleep for 4 weeks would wake me up with pain constantly.(This is before the neurologist saw me, pamelor is now helping me sleep)

I'm going to ask the doctor to test my hormone levels, but there is no cycle to them, they are the same every week regardless.

My doctor is supposed to be one of the best, but all he does is switch me from med to med.

I've tried acupuncture and herbal remedies, Meditation, Yoga, Magnesium, completely exclusionary diets.
My sister found some tonic that I'm going to try this week.

My eye sight has been diminishing over the past two years, blurry.
I am hallucinating some times (flashing lights and such), but not like the traditional aura that I used to experience when I had migraines as a kid.
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698747 tn?1228151357
I had daily headaches for MANY years until a client recommended the book "Cure Your Headaches".  I talks about diet (and the constant use of headache remedies) being the #1 cause of daily headaches.  I read it and as long as I stay away from the problem foods - I'm cured!
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449909 tn?1233409897
Do you remember how it started in the first place> where you were, what time was it, what were you doing, what must have started it and also try to answer "what do you think caused it?"

Be glad MRI is normal, now we have time to hunt for whatever is causing the headache. Have you notices if anything makes it worse, and what brings it down, if so.

Where in the head is the pain felt? Any relation if any to the periods? How is your eyesight?

Best rgds,

Thomas Antony
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Avatar universal
anyone?
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