this an old topic but it is never fixed....

[meg321]

Headaches, headaches, headaches......i am so tired of them and I am tired of Dr's not wanting to deal with them or even trying to off suggestions.  I would like to give them one !!

It makes it hard to do anything, to know how the rest of you feels even.   I am thinking about going back to the pain clinic for help. Or maybe an allergist.....or just how to get a pill for pain..

Just wondering if anyone has a suggestion ...

hugs, meg

[missy72450]

Hey meg, I hope your HA is better today. Topamax is the preventative of choice. Verpamil is used at times. Other seizure meds are used as well. The thing with imitrex or maxalt is it needs to be taken at the time the HA starts not after it gets bad. Then it is too late and it takes longer. I hope you feel better

[meg321]

What great responses..a lot of information and I really do appreciate it.  

Its very difficult to find answers for headaches..and Drs do not seem to persue answers.  I do know a lot of mine are allergy related and barometric pressure really affects me.  But I have always been able to deal with those and they would come and go.  

Now I have them all the time it seems from mild to severe.  I don't take the pain pills unless I really need one.

Its funny how they send you a message reminding us to thank all of those who responded to your question..a good idea, since I can forget abou it easily...

so Thank You....hugs,

meg

[JemmAus]

I love how Drs just whack you on nasty drugs straight up.......I get headaches, weird migraines, and typical migraines. I googled stacks of info and there is a lot of evidence supporting Magnesium supplements as a migraine preventer/reliever. Funnily enough, a hospital will often give intravenous magnesium as a migraine treatment.

It works as a smooth muscle relaxant, good for your heart, circulation etc.

So i decided to try it. Initially 3 500mg tablets twice a day, but that gave me a runny bot, so I cut it to 2 twice a day.  I have only had two "OH DEAR GOD I CANNOT STAND THIS PAIN" type migraines in the two years since I started it, and that was after I had forgotten my magnesium dose a couple of times.

You have to use the "amino acid chelated" tabs so they are absorbed better.

Anyway, worth a shot. Only side effect is potential diarrhoea if you have more than your body can deal with. Even that can be dealt with by staggering the tablets throughtout the day.

No clue if it helps with "normal" headaches but sure seems to help with migraines...

http://www.relieve-migraine-headache.com/magnesium-migraines.html

[Sparkysarah]

I realise that we probably all have different reasons for our headaches..but I will add my recent experience around the time of dx. I had had constant headaches for about ten weeks and felt concerned that I kept taking painkillers. My consultant said they were not related to MS and were probably stress induced..but I was not convinced as I had not been stressed all this time.

So I went to see a nutritionist and she did allergy testing on me using kineasiology (not sure if I have spelt this right?) To cut a long story short she said that I had candida of the gut and she suggested that I exclude all yeast from my diet.

She also told me I was too acidic and to cut out citrus fruit and red meat. I followed this diet for 2 months, started feeling better, my irritable bowel syndrome disappeared and the headaches went.. I have not had a headache since (except just before my period),  and I realised how much I had just got used to the pain.

Many friends hae been sceptical and suggested that maybe I experienced the placebo affect..but I am convinced that for me this worked and now the candida has gone I have resumed a normal diet again.

So just thought I would add this one into the discussion and for me I am just relieved to not be suffering. My sympathy is with you and I hope that your headaches disappear soon.

Sarah

[Ginosmommy]

I was diagnosed with Cluster headaches/tension stress headaches when I was 16 and after trying all the drugs available at that time I gave up on trying to get rid of them and just dealt with them.

After being diagnosed with MS and being put on a DMD they reminded me they were still lingering with a vengance! I know the DMD's have a side effect of headaches but I was in tears daily with these darn things. After notifying my neurologist about them she took me off of ibuprofen and put me on naproxen (I know, what?)

After humoring her for a couple of weeks, I told her that wasn't helping and she put me on the topamax. I have been on that for just over a month now, so I am up to the full dosage. While I still have the occasional knock-you-on-the-butt headache, they are no where to the existence of where they were before I started taking the topamax. I enjoy having a doctor who finally put me on a preventative for once in my life!

Hope you get some relief soon.  MeLissa

[tjj3761]

Hi,

Sorry to hear about your terrible headaches.

I have had migraines since about the age of 9.  Head pain is no fun.  I have taken Imitrex shots for the past couple of years, but not a whole dose.  It does help tremendously.

I also have heard Topamax is great for migraines.

I wonder if maybe taking your Vicodin with a muscle relaxant might help.  I know when I get the optic neuritis type of head pain, Vicodin and Flexeril is the only thing that helps me.

Hope you feel better soon....

terri

[HVAC]

There are Neurologists that just deal in headaches. I ended up with one during my MS diagnosis. She had me do a headache calendar, My triggers are my period,allergies, and barometric pressure. It is trial and error with medications. Topamax was suggested I have not tried it since Immitrex works fine for me. Beta blockes are used as well.

I try to use Alieve first. I do not use medications all the time due to the rebound affect.

Alex

[meg321]

Maybe  should just take two and not waste anymore time...my Dr. did give me a prescription for vicodin yesterday...Thank God.

There is still a small one but I can live with that.  I really don't understand headaches..not at all.
But the Dr's dont seem to want to take it on.  I woke up feeling like I have a cold, i could finally feel it after the headache was better.

My husbands family suffer migraines, mine are not migraines..

hugs, meg

[gypcwmn]

Oh how i can relate! My headache lasted for 8mths 24/7. I was given a multitude of drugs nothing helped. Headache and ear pain were my 1st symptoms which prompted my pcp to send me for MRI`s Imagine my surprise when i got the results. LESIONS!
    
   Anyway many meds later anti-convulsants, seizure meds, pain meds with no relief. I was given Hydrocdone for pain 1 pill every 4to6hrs One day i just could not take the headache any longer i took 2 of the hydrocodone instead of the prescribed 1 pill and voila! No headache since. Don`t know why that took away the headache when nothing else would, but i am grateful it did.  I hope you get some relief soon. All the best. Linda

[daisy.girl]

Do you have migraines? I have a long history of severe migraines 2-4 per week. If I could get my headaches under control....I don't think I would complain much about any other MS symptom.
My neruo thinks I may be having seizures too and they may be causing the migraines, he just started me on topamax 2 weeks ago...so I will let you know how it works. It is used just for migraine preventation alone too. The side effects can be awful. Right now, I am having a terrible taste in my mouth and a feeling of not being here, just a bit loopy.
Also, he is having me take zanaflex nightly as it has been shown to be a effective as a migraine preventive too.
I do use zomig or maxalt for the migraines, they work sometimes.
I do hope you find something that works....I feel your pain.

[meg321]

I just called my DR. and just asked for a pain pill, I never just ask directly.  Interesting concept huh?

We will see what he says but that could be days..

It seems that almost everything says it causes dizziness and I also have it 24/7, it doesnt seem to make it worse, as if it could.  It may not have that side effect for everyone.

hugs, meg

[Audrey_M]

I can empathize with you in terms of headaches. When I get them, they are daily and last for 3 to 6 months.

They are never quite the same either from one round to the next.

I'm not dx'd with MS. One neuro that I did see wanted me to try Depakote. I read up on the drug and decided against it, because one of the side effects is dizziness. That is one of the sx that is most debilitating to me, where I cannot drive when I have a very bad day. With a long commute, I can't add anything that could increase dizziness.

Hope you get some answers that will give you avenues to persue. And feel better!


Audrey