
Reply: Migraines w/ puking
Sorry you're having such a terrible time with your migraines now. Unfortunately, the...
Posted by allie_bf
Sorry you're having such a terrible time with your migraines now. Unfortunately, the nature of migraines is such that they won't show anything on the imaging studies; those are done so that the doctor can detect brain tumors, or other emergency conditions that might exist. Once those are ruled out, you get to work with finding out how to cope with the headaches, which boils down to how to minimize how often they happen, and how to survive when one hits. After 6 months, if your primary care doctor hasn't gotten far in selecting both a preventative treatment and an active headache treatment, it's time to consider seeing a neurologist.
Even with a neurologist, however, it can take a lot of trial and error in picking out drugs and having them either work (or not.) Keep a headache diary so that you can better identify your triggers (like the alcohol, but there are bound to be more.) The FMLA paperwork is a nuisance, but it's necessary to protect your job while you get things under control. Fortunately, most managers are pretty understanding, as long as you keep them informed of how you're doing, and conspicuously make a effort to minimize your headache-related absences on the team (making that effort can help you, too, so that you feel in control at work, and are less prone to stress-related headaches.) Sadly, there are some bad bosses out there, too...but that's what employment attorneys are there for.View Thread
Posted byallie_bf
Even with a neurologist, however, it can take a lot of trial and error in picking out drugs and having them either work (or not.) Keep a headache diary so that you can better identify your triggers (like the alcohol, but there are bound to be more.) The FMLA paperwork is a nuisance, but it's necessary to protect your job while you get things under control. Fortunately, most managers are pretty understanding, as long as you keep them informed of how you're doing, and conspicuously make a effort to minimize your headache-related absences on the team (making that effort can help you, too, so that you feel in control at work, and are less prone to stress-related headaches.) Sadly, there are some bad bosses out there, too...but that's what employment attorneys are there for.View Thread
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Reply: Headache help
Stress can definitely cause daily headaches, at least over a period of days to weeks...
Posted by allie_bf
Stress can definitely cause daily headaches, at least over a period of days to weeks (probably not so much of a factor over the long term.) This is also a time of peak allergies for fall/winter mold problems. Even though you have a new CPAP set up, it wouldn't hurt to clean it again to eliminate that as a possible cause.View Thread
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Reply: confusing Migrane or regular headaches
It does sound like, whether or not it ended up as a migraine, it started as a sinus...
Posted by allie_bf
It does sound like, whether or not it ended up as a migraine, it started as a sinus headache. The location, across your brow, the improvement with warmth, and the worsening with lying down all suggest sinuses. You could try a decongestant along with Tylenol or aspirin, and using a warm compress on your sinuses. If you have a thermometer, check your temperature when you feel hot next time. If you have a fever, and continue to have sinus pressure and pain, call your doctor.View Thread
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Reply: Kidney BUN level & Migraines
Dehydration, which will show up as an increased BUN, is a pretty well known trigger for...
Posted by allie_bf
Dehydration, which will show up as an increased BUN, is a pretty well known trigger for migraines, especially in the summer months.View Thread
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Reply: I have frequent migraines
Unfortunately, finding the right combination of medications for migraines in each person...
Posted by allie_bf
Unfortunately, finding the right combination of medications for migraines in each person is a trial-and-error process. If you have been on your current preventative for a while, and it really isn't working, you may have to speak with your doctor about trying something else. Some people get lucky the first time around, but they're the exception, not the rule. Keep in mind, too, that the goal is to have fewer migraines; expecting to have none sets an unrealistic goal that, in itself, can produce stress, and perhaps more migraines.View Thread
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Reply: hemiplegic migraine in child
Sorry this is late, hadn't seen your post earlier. I hope that, by now, things are looking...
Posted by allie_bf
Sorry this is late, hadn't seen your post earlier. I hope that, by now, things are looking better, and your son has been back to his doctor. One thing worth considering, if you haven't already addressed this, would be to ask your son's doctor about a consult with a pediatric speech therapist (also a physical therapist if he's having problems with the affected arm.) If your son's pediatrician is interested but doesn't have a specific recommendation, you can usually find a therapist at your local children's hospital. You could also ask the rehab department at a community hospital without specialized pediatric services since they probably still knows who works with children.View Thread
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Reply: always in pain
Daily headaches can happen with migraines, especially when they are rebound headaches...
Posted by allie_bf
Daily headaches can happen with migraines, especially when they are rebound headaches associated with OTC pain medication overuse, as noted above by carpetcrawler5. If you have a previous history of migraine, and you don't have any new and/or unusual physical symptoms, it's extremely unlikely that an extensive workup will be helpful. The ER's time (and yours) is better spent on getting you comfortable, then sending you home. Seeing a clinic doctor for preventative therapy would be helpful, and probably less expensive than you expect. Certainly, if you are working, the cost of going to the doctor is a bargain, compared with losing days at work (or even losing productivity at work because you are in too much pain to do your best work.) Since many of the migraine drugs are now available in generic form, their cost is substantially less than it was only a few years ago.
In the meantime, it might be worth trying to keep a detailed migraine diary to see if there is some new trigger that is prompting you to have so many headaches. While triggers are usually fairly stable, they occasionally can change, and you may be doing something (or eating something, or smelling something, being somewhere, etc.) that is creating unnecessary problems for you.View Thread
Posted byallie_bf
In the meantime, it might be worth trying to keep a detailed migraine diary to see if there is some new trigger that is prompting you to have so many headaches. While triggers are usually fairly stable, they occasionally can change, and you may be doing something (or eating something, or smelling something, being somewhere, etc.) that is creating unnecessary problems for you.View Thread
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Reply: Complex & Confusional Migraines
Just a couple of thoughts here: 1. If the "whole family" has something, it sounds like...
Posted by allie_bf
Just a couple of thoughts here:
1. If the "whole family" has something, it sounds like environmental factors need to be considered (e.g. did they consider carbon monoxide poisoning, for example.) Even given the strong tendency of migraines to run in the family, it's not all that common for every child to have migraines.
2. Do his doctors know that he is having significant symptoms of depression? Lots of men won't level with their doctors about this, so they end up continuing on medications that can aggravate an already bad situation (e.g. propranolol.)
In the meantime, try to take care of yourself, and protect your job. Even if you are using FMLA to cover your absences from work from a HR point of view, they will add up (certainly in your coworkers' and managers minds.) Is there a neighbor or a relative who could help take care of the children? Are you getting enough exercise and recreation time? It may seem like you can't afford it at a time like this, but you do have to have some way to cope with stress yourself.View Thread
Posted byallie_bf
1. If the "whole family" has something, it sounds like environmental factors need to be considered (e.g. did they consider carbon monoxide poisoning, for example.) Even given the strong tendency of migraines to run in the family, it's not all that common for every child to have migraines.
2. Do his doctors know that he is having significant symptoms of depression? Lots of men won't level with their doctors about this, so they end up continuing on medications that can aggravate an already bad situation (e.g. propranolol.)
In the meantime, try to take care of yourself, and protect your job. Even if you are using FMLA to cover your absences from work from a HR point of view, they will add up (certainly in your coworkers' and managers minds.) Is there a neighbor or a relative who could help take care of the children? Are you getting enough exercise and recreation time? It may seem like you can't afford it at a time like this, but you do have to have some way to cope with stress yourself.View Thread
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Reply: Extreme Menstruel cramps
Moderate exercise will help a lot, but she will probably need encouragement to stay...
Posted by allie_bf
Moderate exercise will help a lot, but she will probably need encouragement to stay physically active when she is feeling so bad. Using a hot pad will help, too. With kids, it's usually best to limit medications, but if she can't tolerate the cramping, you could check with her pediatrician to see what would be the next step.View Thread
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Reply: Negative Reactions To Analgesics
If you are taking all of these together it makes it harder to isolate which remedy is...
Posted by allie_bf
If you are taking all of these together it makes it harder to isolate which remedy is causing you the most difficulty. Also, even given your body size, if you take average to large doses of aspirin and ibuprofen or another non-steroidal together regularly, you are setting yourself up for some gastrointestinal unpleasantness. You may want to try single ingredient analgesics for a while,and even switch brands around, to see which analgesic you can best tolerate. Everyone has formulas that work better, and worse, for them. When you get to that appointment with your doctor consider asking about other medications that can help you minize the need for the analgesics that are bothering you now.View Thread
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