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Migraine...?
Hi, So my girlfriend has been having these strange "migraine" like problems...on going for at least 3 years now. Shes been to multiple doctors and they all say nothing is wrong when there obviously is. It doesn't happen at any specific time that we know of but, when it does happen it's on the right side of her head and its extreme pain. A few times she was even in tears. Sometimes even lights, sounds and even activity makes it hurt worse. She would try to sleep to make the pain go away but it's still there even when she wakes up. If anyone has any ideas or thoughts or would like more information to help us please post... I'm trying to do anything I can to help her. Thanks
I have suffered from migraines since I was somwhere around the age of 15 or 16. I am now 29 and they have gotten worst for me since I started having children. I found my best care so far not from my PCP but from a neurologist who specializes in Headache disorders. Depending on where you live, you might have a Headache Center near you. I am fortunate enough to have two within a 3 hour drive of me. My neurologist is truly a gift from God at some points. Lately alot.
I suggest that maybe you find a neurologist who specializes in Headaches. They are the ones who seem to take migraine sufferers for real. They won't look at your symptoms as being a complainer but want to help you relieve your symptoms.
Let me know how it goes. If you need help finding a center, message me on here and I can help you.
Sheila
I suggest that maybe you find a neurologist who specializes in Headaches. They are the ones who seem to take migraine sufferers for real. They won't look at your symptoms as being a complainer but want to help you relieve your symptoms.
Let me know how it goes. If you need help finding a center, message me on here and I can help you.
Sheila
Hi,
Thank you for responding. This is actually the one suffering from these headaches now. It's easier for me to respond. I have seen many doctors about my headaches and they have had me go for an MRI to check for any brain tumors and that is all. After the MRI came up negative, they basically told me nothing was wrong with me and it was nothing to worry about. Considering this is still happening, there is more than nothing wrong. I have looked up all the symptoms and I seem to have multiple from migraines as well as tension headaches, hence not knowing exactly what to do. I am afraid to go to another doctor for fear of them doing the same thing over again. It was a complete waste of time for me. I guess I'll have to look into getting to a neurologist.
Thank you.
Thank you for responding. This is actually the one suffering from these headaches now. It's easier for me to respond. I have seen many doctors about my headaches and they have had me go for an MRI to check for any brain tumors and that is all. After the MRI came up negative, they basically told me nothing was wrong with me and it was nothing to worry about. Considering this is still happening, there is more than nothing wrong. I have looked up all the symptoms and I seem to have multiple from migraines as well as tension headaches, hence not knowing exactly what to do. I am afraid to go to another doctor for fear of them doing the same thing over again. It was a complete waste of time for me. I guess I'll have to look into getting to a neurologist.
Thank you.
Hi justin80199,
Thank you for coming here to try to help your girlfriend, that was very kind of you to do.
I would just like to confirm a few details. When you say that she has been to a number of doctors and they have all said nothing was wrong, what do you mean by that? Did the doctors diagnose her with migraines?
The reason why I ask is because if you mean that they have diagnosed her with migraines but then said nothing else was wrong, well, migraines are a neurological disease and nothing else has to be wrong to have migraines. I am not a doctor so I cannot diagnose your girlfriend, nor could a diagnosis be made by anyone online, although when multiple doctors have made the same diagnosis of migraine I tend to trust the diagnosis, especially when the diagnosis is accompanied by the symptoms you are describing.
The symptoms you have described such as pain on one side of the head and severe pain are all symptoms of migraine headache. I will often cry and scream from the pain during my migraine headaches. Also, photophobia, being sensitive to light, is a classic migraine symptom. Other senses such as sound are also known to make migraines worse for some people.
Many people try to sleep off migraines but this is not a good way to treat a migraine. Your girlfriend needs an acute treatment plan for her migraine headaches. It sounds like she has not seen any neurologists because a neurologist should have given her an acute treatment plan for her headaches. Actually, I am surprised that none of the doctors prescribed her an acute treatment plan... although this unfortunately can still happen sometimes because not all doctors clearly understand migraines and how to treat them.
Your girlfriend needs a prescription for a migraine medication. It is often suggested that over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, are avoided since they can cause rebound headaches. Over-the-counter medications are not migraine medications even if they claim to be a migraine medication. Please get your girlfriend to go to her doctor and to ask for a prescription migraine medication, such as a triptan. There are seven triptans currently on the market, plus one triptan that is mixed with naproxen. I personally suggest the fast acting triptans as they work to stop the headache in a matter of minutes (30 minutes at most usually) instead of a matter of hours (2 hours at most for the regular tablets). Fast acting triptans come in orally disintegrating tablets and nasal sprays. I personally use Zomig Nasal Spray and find it works best for me. Another triptan I think is very good is Maxalt-MLTs. Although, you can probably find at least one person who uses one of the seven triptans here on the forums so different triptans work well for different people, ask your girlfriend to speak to her doctor about if triptans are appropriate for her and what the most appropriate triptan would be.
If she cannot take a triptan for a specific medical reason, there are other options such as the NSAID Naproxen (which is less likely to cause rebound headaches then the other NSAIDS and it is also stronger then over-the-counter NSAIDS) or anteimetics such as Metoclopramide. Please have her discuss all her options with her doctor.
Again, migraine is a genetic neurological disease that results in acute migraine attacks that can be very severe and disabling. Acute migraine attacks can have four phases: The Prodrome (where a migraineur can sometimes feel the migraine coming on, fatigue, changes in mood or food cravings are sometimes symptoms during this phase); the Aura (almost always a visual aura, the migraineur will see lights or shadows or distortions in their visual field, often scintillating scotoma); the Headache (often a severe headache); the Postdrome (often described as feeling like a hangover). Not all of these phases have to take place in order for it to be a migraine. Migraine medication should be taken at the first signs of an acute attack in order to stop of the migraine.
If your girlfriend still does not think she suffers for migraine headaches, then she can request specific tests to rule out other diseases that may cause similar symptoms such as a CT scan or an MRI of her brain, a full blood panel and a neurological exam. If she has already had other diseases ruled out by these methods, then I think that you can be relieved that nothing else is wrong other than migraine and begin a proper treatment plan for her migraines.
Hope that helps!
- marilee
Thank you for coming here to try to help your girlfriend, that was very kind of you to do.
I would just like to confirm a few details. When you say that she has been to a number of doctors and they have all said nothing was wrong, what do you mean by that? Did the doctors diagnose her with migraines?
The reason why I ask is because if you mean that they have diagnosed her with migraines but then said nothing else was wrong, well, migraines are a neurological disease and nothing else has to be wrong to have migraines. I am not a doctor so I cannot diagnose your girlfriend, nor could a diagnosis be made by anyone online, although when multiple doctors have made the same diagnosis of migraine I tend to trust the diagnosis, especially when the diagnosis is accompanied by the symptoms you are describing.
The symptoms you have described such as pain on one side of the head and severe pain are all symptoms of migraine headache. I will often cry and scream from the pain during my migraine headaches. Also, photophobia, being sensitive to light, is a classic migraine symptom. Other senses such as sound are also known to make migraines worse for some people.
Many people try to sleep off migraines but this is not a good way to treat a migraine. Your girlfriend needs an acute treatment plan for her migraine headaches. It sounds like she has not seen any neurologists because a neurologist should have given her an acute treatment plan for her headaches. Actually, I am surprised that none of the doctors prescribed her an acute treatment plan... although this unfortunately can still happen sometimes because not all doctors clearly understand migraines and how to treat them.
Your girlfriend needs a prescription for a migraine medication. It is often suggested that over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, are avoided since they can cause rebound headaches. Over-the-counter medications are not migraine medications even if they claim to be a migraine medication. Please get your girlfriend to go to her doctor and to ask for a prescription migraine medication, such as a triptan. There are seven triptans currently on the market, plus one triptan that is mixed with naproxen. I personally suggest the fast acting triptans as they work to stop the headache in a matter of minutes (30 minutes at most usually) instead of a matter of hours (2 hours at most for the regular tablets). Fast acting triptans come in orally disintegrating tablets and nasal sprays. I personally use Zomig Nasal Spray and find it works best for me. Another triptan I think is very good is Maxalt-MLTs. Although, you can probably find at least one person who uses one of the seven triptans here on the forums so different triptans work well for different people, ask your girlfriend to speak to her doctor about if triptans are appropriate for her and what the most appropriate triptan would be.
If she cannot take a triptan for a specific medical reason, there are other options such as the NSAID Naproxen (which is less likely to cause rebound headaches then the other NSAIDS and it is also stronger then over-the-counter NSAIDS) or anteimetics such as Metoclopramide. Please have her discuss all her options with her doctor.
Again, migraine is a genetic neurological disease that results in acute migraine attacks that can be very severe and disabling. Acute migraine attacks can have four phases: The Prodrome (where a migraineur can sometimes feel the migraine coming on, fatigue, changes in mood or food cravings are sometimes symptoms during this phase); the Aura (almost always a visual aura, the migraineur will see lights or shadows or distortions in their visual field, often scintillating scotoma); the Headache (often a severe headache); the Postdrome (often described as feeling like a hangover). Not all of these phases have to take place in order for it to be a migraine. Migraine medication should be taken at the first signs of an acute attack in order to stop of the migraine.
If your girlfriend still does not think she suffers for migraine headaches, then she can request specific tests to rule out other diseases that may cause similar symptoms such as a CT scan or an MRI of her brain, a full blood panel and a neurological exam. If she has already had other diseases ruled out by these methods, then I think that you can be relieved that nothing else is wrong other than migraine and begin a proper treatment plan for her migraines.
Hope that helps!
- marilee
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