See All
Preferences
My Communities
My Discussions
My Email Digests


I have never heard of x-rays being used to diagnose headaches. MRI, MRA or CT scans, yes. But all that does is rule out serious problems like a tumor or multiple schlerosis. Then the doctor diagnoses based on the symptoms.
Typically daily preventative migraine meds are used first to treat headaches as often as your boyfriend's are. If they weren't prescribed, get another doctor.View Thread

You don't say a thing about what precautions are being taken to prevent you from having another stroke.
Yes, the symptoms you describe are exactly what a stroke survivor experiences--facial droop, difficulty walking, losing balance, falling, etc.
Topomax is a normal daily preventative migraine medication. Have you tried any others? Why can't you take normal migraine meds? If not, then why haven't you tried Botox injections?
Get another neurologist ASAP.View Thread

If you are having your migraines that often, do you know that taking any pain relievers more than 2 times a week can risk you getting rebound migraines?
Petadolex (an herbal med) has been tested and found to reduce migraines by 72%. Namenda (off-label) at 25% of the dose given for what its usual use is for, has helped me a lot. My Headache Specialist said that it was good with "central migraines", whatever that is.
Also have you tried Butrans patches? They have kept me out of the ER!
Let me know what you have tried.View Thread

I only take Namenda 5 mg once a day which has helped so much. My Headache Specialist, which are very rare to find, told me that 10 mg would be the highest that he would prescribe. But I am also getting Botox, nerve block and trigger pt injections, Butrans patches, an anti-depressant, Petadolex and now Baclofen (for my neck tightness). But my migraines are especially hard to treat because they were caused by a major stroke.
The Botox could not make you sick. It had to be something else. And the first time that I got the Botox, I had no relief. That's not unusual, because then they give you a higher dose plus the repeated injections increasingly help you. Yes, I felt the same thing, that that very brief pain from the Botox was nothing compared with my 10 level migraines. Let me know what dose level of Botox that you got. Or perhaps you need a better Botox doctor.
Yikes, you had nerve blocks under your eyebrows!! That sounds really painful. Mine are above my eyebrows, the sides and back of my head, my neck, shoulders and back. That's because I have very tight neck and shoulders which contribute to my migraines big time. They only hurt on my face.
Let me know what all you have tried. There has to be an answer to relieving your migraines.
SaraView Thread

I am being treated in a pain management clinic at one of the top university medical systems in the country. I get nerve block and trigger point injections every 4 weeks in my forehead, sides and back of head, neck, shoulders and back area. I get no steroids in these injections. I get more of them than any of their other patients and every 4 weeks, whereas some of the other patients only get them every 3 months. They have helped me enormously.
I didn't respond to any of the daily preventative migraine meds, so I responded very well to Botox injections which are most likely to help people who have not responded to these meds.
I wear Butrans patches which have kept me out of going to the ER about every 3 weeks and I can walk more than before.
I just started an off-label medication a couple months ago called Namenda which has helped me significantly.
I only use the abortive pain meds 2 or 3 times a week at the most because otherwise you risk rebound migraines. Many weeks I don't have to use any pain meds.
That's a far cry from the severe 24/7 migraines that I started with almost 5 years ago.
Any questions, post me back. I try to share what has helped me because migraine pain is terrible. I would greatly like to hear from anyone who is interested or who wants to try any of these.View Thread

Thanks so much for your response. I only just got an email alerting me to it. What has helped me even more since my last posting, is an off-label medication called Namenda. You take it at a very low dose 25% or 50% of the dose that it is usually given for its intended use. The Headache Specialist, (very few of them out there), told me that it had helped others with what he called were "central migraines"... whatever that is. Insurance won't cover the herbal one, Petadolex, but it would cover Namenda.
Also Butrans Patches, which give very low doses of opiates 24/7 have also helped me a lot.
And since you are hurting most of the time, have you tried Botox injections? Or are you needle resistant? You can tell me
Hope that you will find some relief very soon. It's so very difficult to be hurting most of the time.
SaraView Thread

And just to let you know, a Headache Specialist prescribed on off-label medication called Namenda which he said he had seen significant relief in those with what he called "central migraines". That medication has helped me. Have you tried that medication?View Thread


See Related Pain Management Communities
Women's Health Newsletter
Find out what women really need.
Other Migraines/Headaches Information
More Related Communities
The opinions expressed in WebMD User-generated content areas like communities, reviews, ratings, or blogs are solely those of the User, who may or may not have medical or scientific training. These opinions do not represent the opinions of WebMD. User-generated content areas are not reviewed by a WebMD physician or any member of the WebMD editorial staff for accuracy, balance, objectivity, or any other reason except for compliance with our Terms and Conditions. Some of these opinions may contain information about treatments or uses of drug products that have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment.
Do not consider WebMD User-generated content as medical advice. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider because of something you have read on WebMD. You should always speak with your doctor before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your care plan or treatment. WebMD understands that reading individual, real-life experiences can be a helpful resource, but it is never a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified health care provider. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or dial 911 immediately.
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
©2005-2013 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.



