Suffering with migraines for 5 years now

[Migraine616]

Hoping someone else has went through this. My husband has been battling with migraines for 5 years now. Nothing we have tried has seem to work. The migraines are getting worse. Starts out with pressure behind the left eye, then gets a migraine so bad on the left side only that he wants to pull his hair out. The migraines are never the same but he could have black outs, vomitting, dizziness, numbness (left side only), painful neck pains (only left side) and muscle jerking (left side only). He can't hold down a job, so he gets depressed and worthless. Any advice would be appreciated, because we don't know what to do anymore. We have seen multiple doctors.

[lewmax]

Have you tried the botox?

[Cally01]

Hi

Is his jaw ok? Does he grind/clenched his teeth? Been to the dentist and had a filling or any work done around the time it started?

These symptoms are the same as mine when my migraines changed and became more severe and uncontrollable.

I have TMJD migraines on top of my usual migraines. I get botox into my TMJ muscles (left side). Amazing, feel my left muscle relax in my neck within hrs of the injections, my left shoulder always felt too high.

I had a scan done by a Max-Fac specialist but a dentist would be able to confirm if he has TMJ.

Best wishes.

[ACritical]

In my case to cut a long story short, neurologists found out low vitamins and minerals were the culprits for my neurological symptoms, not only for my migraines. I need to be on a high B12 for the migraines. If I fall under 500-1000 pmol,they start up again. After loading doses I was put on 1 hydroxocobalamin injection per calendar month. After we moved my new GP overruled my neurologist and put me on 1 injection every 3 month. This doesn’t work for me. Now I SI subcutaneously the 2 month I don’t get the injection from surgery. Or I get it done privately, for instance in Netherlands at Doctors Inc. I have my life back and can be relied on at work. I wish this could work for your husband! You have to be patient during loading injections, doesn’t work instantly, migraines were the first of the neurological symptoms to improve, the rest took more then 6 month to get better.

[Advice1 in reply to ACritical]

Hi ACritical i think every 3 months for B12 is the standard GP reply

but fine if you don't have Neurological Symptoms but i pushed the GP for B12 injections every 2 months but a few weeks before the 2 months is up numb hands at night returns so i would agree it should be monthly like ylur professionally qualified Neurologist explained not the GP

who seem to be playing catch up

with B12 and the facts.

Good luck.

[denadico]

None of the triptans worked for him?

[ACritical in reply to denadico]

I was on triptans as well, helped first a bit then made things worse.

[denadico in reply to ACritical]

Still working good for me after 12 years, but rarely need to take twice a week.

Heard they loose effectiveness and give rebound migraines if taken too often.

[timj]

I've been a migraine sufferer all my life, the local migraine clinic sorted me out with a combination of domperidone (for sickness), zolmitriptan for the pain and naproxen. I was taking them all together at the on-set and could virtually guarantee to be pain free in 45 minutes. However, the side effects caused me to re think the treatment as the chest pain from the zolmitriptan was actually angina which the drugs were making worse, so a cautionary note. BUT, since the angina diagnosis I had to stop the migraine treatment total and now take a daily aspirin and a betablocker and by some miracle I have not had a migraine for months! Hope this helps.

[troy04]

Hello Migraine616

Managing migraine is most difficult as it is so unpredictable. Conventional medicines alone cannot solve the problem in most cases. Apart from remedies, your husband has to give a chance to your body to cope with it by trying some simple things:

1) However hard it is, he has to go out and try doing some light exercise to start with such as fast walking or cycling (i.e cardio exercise). After 2 weeks he will see the difference. The more he gets depressed and confines within brickwalls, problem becomes more difficult to tackle.

2) No alcohol, no red meat, no cheese and deep fried food, no spicy food, no nuts and avoid dairy food as mush as possible. Just try for 1 month together with point 1 above. See if it is possible not to eat wheat product (breads, baguette etc).

[You may be wondering what can he eat ! Well, I am sure there are loads of other options such as rice, potatoes, fruits, vegetables etc.]

3) He must be having regular bowel movements. Our guts control many of the migraine related issues, so it is absolutely essential to keep it happy. If you can arrange TRIPHALA (available to purchase online ) and PROBIOTICS supplements then it would be ideal. If you are not sure about Triphala, you can see clinical study here:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

_________________________________________

I made these points assuming they are not been explored already. Please note, to get the desired outcome, all three steps need to be considered together.

I hope he will slowly but sure be able to manage this deadly illness.

/ Troy

[ACritical in reply to troy04]

Probiotics is good advise! Exercise most definitely and after that find your triggers(food and non food). For instance, I can eat French Brie cheese but have a problem with mature Dutch cheese.

[Badknee]

I had migraines for over 40 years. Tried everything. Finally, by physician brother in law recommended Atacand (candesartan). It's a blood pressure medicine. I don't have high BP. It worked. I've thrown up once since January 14, 2014. I've shared it with so many others. It's helped with probably 75% of them. Even the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago (oldest private headache clinic in the US) is giving it now. Good luck.

[Moronkim]

Same same for me, multiple doctors but can you find a headache specialist? I did and I found hope and relief.