I’ve had a chronic migraine since I had a baby 8 mo. ago. Tried many meds & many dr.’s but no relief. What now?
When I got home from the hospital after having my daughter 8 months ago, I got a terrible migraine headache with aura and nausea- all the classic symptoms. I have had migraines since i was 11 but only a few times of year. The migraine that I got 8 months ago has not gone away. It has been classified as chronic and I’ve had no relief except when I first wake up in the morning. As soon as I get out of bed and try to start my day it hits me like a hammer. I have been on so many medications that I can’t even remember the names. I’ve tried immitrex, maxalt, migranal nasal spray, intravenous DHE, benadryl, effexor, topamax and more- you name it and I’ve tried it. I was in the hospital recently for a kidney stone, which they think was caused by one of my medications (probably topamax) and they gave me morphine. The morphine helped the kidney stone, but didn’t touch the headache. The doctor at the hospital was baffled. I have seen numerous neurologists. I’ve even tried botox injections which were quite expensive. I went to a new neurologist this morning and within 30 seconds he told me that he thinks I’m anxious and depressed, and that is the reason I have this migraine. I tried to tell him that it was the other way around, but he got very defensive when I questioned him and was extremely rude. He gave me ten “trigger point” injections at the base of my neck and skull. He wants me to try nortriptyline and recommended that I see a psychiatrist. I feel like he looked at my chart, and because I had not responded to any conventional medication, he decided that I must have a psychological disorder. I am willing to face that I may be somewhat depressed as these migraines have made the past 8 months of my life extremely painful and difficult, but I do not feel that depression is causing my headaches. I feel like he made a snap judgment and had no bedside manner at all. I am on a waiting list for a headache clinic, but it is 6 months long and I am physically miserable. I feel like I have so many migraine triggers at this point that I don’t even know what they are. Smells, flashing lights, bright lights in general all make the chronic migraine worse. I have been very disappointed in the doctors I have seen. If they don’t have a medication that works for you they write you off. I had a spinal tap after my daughter was born because one of the doctors thought that maybe my epidural had leaked. It came back clean. My MRI and CT scan are also negative. Is there anyone else out there who is going through this? Am I the only one out there who has had an unresponsive headache for so many months with no relief? I just want to enjoy my family and the activities I enjoyed before this headache took over my life.
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4 comments
Rachel T on June 29, 2009 at 9:24 pm
I know exactly how you are feeling right now. I was in a car accident in January this year where I was hit at 40 MPH head on! There were some visible injuries, like my shoulder and my neck, but there were also some other injuries that could not be seen in standard imaging tests. I developed low blood pressure and a very slow heart beat after the accident. I already had migraines, but they worsened to the point that I had a migraine every day. I went through just about every migraine medication on the market with no relief. I finally ended up being admitted to the hospital in February for an intractable migraine after I passed out and smacked my forehead on my granite countertops in the kitchen. I was there for 4 days on a self administered Dillauded pain pump and several other medications that were given to me by the nurses, like DHE. While I was a little more comfortable, mostly because I was drugged up out of my mind, the migraine was still there when I was finally discharged and sent home. This went on for months. Finally, I was given a tilt table test, and they determined that I had Orthostatic Hypotension which is where your blood pressure suddenly falls after you have been standing for a couple of minutes. Mine dropped down to 52/35! And it was lights out for me. They also hooked me up to a Holter Monitor for 24 hours, which watches every single beat your heart makes while wearing it. They saw 45 Premature Valve Contractions and several times, even when I am awake, my heart rate drops into the low 50’s and mid 40’s. When I sleep it is consistently in the low 30’s. Once I started getting treated for the cardiac problems, the headaches resolved, for the most part. But I had to see, and fire, 5 neurologists before I got this diagnosis. While the problems are somewhat cardiac, they are caused by damage to my nervous system from the car accident, which is why I see a neurologist and am being treated by one of them and not a cardiologist.
I guess what I am trying to say is that your migraines could have a source that is not neurological in nature. There are instances where cardiac issues, such as a small hole in one of the heart valves, can manifest as migraine headaches. Ask you doctor for a few simple tests for your heart, such as an Echo, which is an ultrasound of your heart and the valves, a Holter Moniter, and a Tilt Table Test. Even if you do not pass out, a TTT can pick up problems such as Postural Orthostatic tachycardia, which is where your heart suddenly starts racing when you change position from sitting to standing. This can also cause migraines.
You need to be your own advocate. You know your body better than any doctor every will. If you find a doctor to be rude and disrespectful, fire him. He works for you. Find another doctor that is willing to listen to you and can think outside the box a little bit. These are the doctors that are great and will help you to find relief. Don’t ever let a doctor make you feel like your physical pain is mental if you know very well that it is not. While it is true that psychological imbalances can manifest themselves as physical pain, if you know that your pain is not at all related to your mental health, then you need to make sure you find a doctor that also believe this. If a doctor can not fix your problem with their knowledge and the drugs they know about, then they label you as being a psychiatric patient because God forbid that you have something going on that they are not smart enough to figure out!
TKS on June 29, 2009 at 9:24 pm
I don’t have an answer for you, but I do know that you can’t let the doctor’s giving up on you and labeling you as anxious and depressed make you give up. Keep looking for the answer. Do online searches, check migraine groups and chronic pain groups, and maybe try meditation, tai chi, or something that can give you some relief and a break from the pain. ( It is possible that an antidepressant may help with the pain a little) But don’t give up.
end_4lyfe on June 29, 2009 at 9:24 pm
i have migraines too since i was 4 now im 19…but with mine i have to take 3 or 4 motrin at one time…since our migraines are triggered by the same things, you should try relaxing in the dark or just getting away from all the chaos…it always works for me.
that’s a shame about those doctors though i feel what you are saying, and i wouldn’t waste another dollar on those doctors because they are taking you money and writing you off.
i wish you well!!!!!
Bob T on June 29, 2009 at 9:24 pm
change your diet.