Stubborn migraines, Unsympathetic Dr's…

Question:

Hi, I’m 27, and have suffered from migraines since I was in grade 6. My migraines have always been bad but as of this spring they started to get much worse. I now get them at leats 5 times a week…. I’ve tried almost every drug on the market and also tried other forms of pain management but with no success. I am currently in school and as it stands, I WILL flunk out of school this year if something doesn’t change. My problem, is that even though I’ve tried everything, and am currently seeing a specialist, nobody will give me painkillers… I am well aware of the risks and problems they can and will cause, but I currently have no other option. My options are either painkillers, or suffer in pain, and flunk out of school. I couldn’t even hold down a job if I left school… I’ve talked about all this to both my normal Dr and my specialist, and they both tell me to get the painkillers from "the other Dr". They’re basicly pushing me off on eachother back and forth like garbage while my future goes down the toilet… What the hell am I suppose to do? BTW I am in Toronto Ontario Canada if anyone has any specific suggestions for my area. I’d rather have a medically supervised dependancy then spend the rest of my life in a welfare appartment in agony… to bad the Dr’s think the welfare/pain option is better for me…. Thanks

Response:

hi, thanks for all your responses. I have told my school and they are helpful, but they can only bend so far… Even if they gave me all the time I needed, there would still be a final date that the marks had to be in by. I have tried Imitrex, cafergot, and many others. I wish I could remember them all, but there have been so many over the years. I also just recently tried novo-pranol which I think is a Triptan. Heck, I remember way back when they were giving everyone beta blockers… I also have tried the intervenous drugs that you can get in Emerg with no success. I’m not sure why my migraines are so subborn, but they always have been. I was told by 1 specialist that I’m in some sort of 5 or 10% bracket of people who current drugs don’t seem to work on… As for the usefulness of painkillers, I know they don’t work great, but they do at least let me function. I would guess that they take away about 30-50% of the pain. Enough for me to function, but obviously I would much prefer something that totally removed the problem… I know these Dr’s are just trying to save me from a dependancy, but whats the point if I spend my life in pain and without a job or a future? I’d rather become dependent on the drugs and then come off them later if something is ever found that works on me… I even hear they have something now called "rapid detox" that cleans you up in a matter of hours…. I’d even pay for that. It would be worth it if I could finnish school and have a job… I really don’t understand why this is such a hard concept for a Dr to understand. Thanks

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You don’t say precisely what "every drug on the market" means, but as a lifetime migraineur, I have found that pain relievers, per se, have never relieved my migraine pain. At the frequency you note (5 X a week) you should be on some kind of preventive regimen. There are many preventives on the market, & new ones coming out all the time, so you may not have tried them all. Probably none of them actually prevent migraine, but they can & often do help to reduce severity and/or frequency. As for pain relief, most people have better results with abortives than with pain relievers. I have had reasonably good luck with cafergot and Imitrex. The problem is that no migraineur is exactly like another & what works for me may not work for you, but as others have said, you first need a cooperative doctor. Good luck & welcome to ASHM & migraine world.

Response:

There’s a remarkable number of people, not just doctors, who act hostile towards those suffering from serious pain problems like migraine. All they’d need is to develop a pain situation of their own and they’d understand as simple as that. I have had a persistent and worsening headache problem for almost 15 years. I’m prescribed Zomig, which is non-narcotic. I am considering trying accupuncture, which is said to give very positive results in situations like these. You may want to investigate that, yourself.

Response:

You don’t say precisely what "every drug on the market" means, but as a lifetime migraineur, I have found that pain relievers, per se, have never relieved my migraine pain. At the frequency you note (5 X a week) you should be on some kind of preventive regimen. There are many preventives on the market, & new ones coming out all the time, so you may not have tried them all. Probably none of them actually prevent migraine, but they can & often do help to reduce severity and/or frequency. As for pain relief, most people have better results with abortives than with pain relievers. I have had reasonably good luck with cafergot and Imitrex. The problem is that no migraineur is exactly like another & what works for me may not work for you, but as others have said, you first need a cooperative doctor. Good luck & welcome to ASHM & migraine world.

Response:

I totally understand. I’ve been in college since ‘98; first working on the bachelor’s degree and now on two masters. It takes a lot of time, dedication, and suffering sometimes just to manage the deadlines. I remember one night after being in the ER with a terrible episode, coming home and writing a paper that had to be turned in. Amazing what we can do even when we want to die. Have you gone through the preventive list they post on here? Also, have you tried the antiseizure meds like Topamax, Tegretol, Zonegran? Just wondered. If you’re in a cycle like that, have they tried to kill the cycle with steroids or DHE; in patient care? Are you in the US, if so have you tried one of the good in-patient clinics? Just some more ideas. I totally understand and sympathize. I know school can only go so far and they all usually have some sort of disability statement as well and will make accommodations, but as you say, grades have to be turned in at some point. I have two classes this semester, I’ll be praying for you. Michelle

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – hi, thanks for all your responses. I have told my school and they are helpful, but they can only bend so far… Even if they gave me all the time I needed, there would still be a final date that the marks had to be in by. I have tried Imitrex, cafergot, and many others. I wish I could remember them all, but there have been so many over the years. I also just recently tried novo-pranol which I think is a Triptan. Heck, I remember way back when they were giving everyone beta blockers… I also have tried the intervenous drugs that you can get in Emerg with no success. I’m not sure why my migraines are so subborn, but they always have been. I was told by 1 specialist that I’m in some sort of 5 or 10% bracket of people who current drugs don’t seem to work on… As for the usefulness of painkillers, I know they don’t work great, but they do at least let me function. I would guess that they take away about 30-50% of the pain. Enough for me to function, but obviously I would much prefer something that totally removed the problem… I know these Dr’s are just trying to save me from a dependancy, but whats the point if I spend my life in pain and without a job or a future? I’d rather become dependent on the drugs and then come off them later if something is ever found that works on me… I even hear they have something now called "rapid detox" that cleans you up in a matter of hours…. I’d even pay for that. It would be worth it if I could finnish school and have a job… I really don’t understand why this is such a hard concept for a Dr to understand. Thanks You don’t say precisely what "every drug on the market" means, but as a lifetime migraineur, I have found that pain relievers, per se, have never relieved my migraine pain. At the frequency you note (5 X a week) you should be on some kind of preventive regimen. There are many preventives on the market, & new ones coming out all the time, so you may not have tried them all. Probably none of them actually prevent migraine, but they can & often do help to reduce severity and/or frequency. As for pain relief, most people have better results with abortives than with pain relievers. I have had reasonably good luck with cafergot and Imitrex. The problem is that no migraineur is exactly like another & what works for me may not work for you, but as others have said, you first need a cooperative doctor. Good luck & welcome to ASHM & migraine world.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I’m 27, and have suffered from migraines since I was in grade 6. My migraines have always been bad but as of this spring they started to get much worse. I now get them at leats 5 times a week…. I’ve tried almost every drug on the market and also tried other forms of pain management but with no success. I am currently in school and as it stands, I WILL flunk out of school this year if something doesn’t change. My problem, is that even though I’ve tried everything, and am currently seeing a specialist, nobody will give me painkillers… I am well aware of the risks and problems they can and will cause, but I currently have no other option. My options are either painkillers, or suffer in pain, and flunk out of school. I couldn’t even hold down a job if I left school… I’ve talked about all this to both my normal Dr and my specialist, and they both tell me to get the painkillers from "the other Dr". They’re basicly pushing me off on eachother back and forth like garbage while my future goes down the toilet… What the hell am I suppose to do? BTW I am in Toronto Ontario Canada if anyone has any specific suggestions for my area. I’d rather have a medically supervised dependancy then spend the rest of my life in a welfare appartment in agony… to bad the Dr’s think the welfare/pain option is better for me…. Thanks

hi there, I’d request seeing a neurologist and get some paperwork from the doctor saying you are ill, pass it to the school so they know your working on the problem, kick and scream if the school bitches and moans, your sick, its NOT your fault and don’t let them screw you over. I know that’s no help but been there in my youth as well, migraines are much better understood now and go see the schools’ councilor and such and tell them what is going on, disabilities are not something they can laugh off. and chronic pain is a disability. try changing doc’s if neither will help, I know that’s a bitch to, but you got to do what you got to do, and you have to function. maybe someone else in the group from Toronto might know a local doctor who understands migraines and such and I wish you the best of luck btw often awake 3 am or 3pm with a migraine so you need someone to scream at use my email ANYTIME. vent, whatever, anyway I can help, speak up. Robert

Response:

hey there. if you’re in Toronto, try John Edmeads at Sunnybrook. he’s very nice, though i don’t know where he stands on the painkiller issue. i saw him only once (since i’m now down in the states) but he was very sympathetic. when i had a migraine on a camping trip (absolutely WORST place to get one), a friend gave me a Vioxx. it really helped. i haven’t asked my Dr about it, but maybe it would help you too…? as for your school problems, have you talked to anyone there about getting an extension or making up lost assignments? i find that even between headaches i’m unable to focus or concentrate (and computer screens and fluorescent lights are terrible!). your performance at school could be suffering even when you don’t have a headache. if you see Edmeads, be sure to tell him if you’re having "cognitive difficulties" between your headaches. it’s weird because some people say "oh, a headache. big deal." what they don’t understand is how it affects every part of your life, every single day. it sounds like you’re getting even more stressed out, which is probably not helping. can you take a sick leave from school? maybe you need a few weeks to chill out, slow down, convalesce. good luck and let me know what happens. -RM – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I’m 27, and have suffered from migraines since I was in grade 6. My migraines have always been bad but as of this spring they started to get much worse. I now get them at leats 5 times a week…. I’ve tried almost every drug on the market and also tried other forms of pain management but with no success. I am currently in school and as it stands, I WILL flunk out of school this year if something doesn’t change. My problem, is that even though I’ve tried everything, and am currently seeing a specialist, nobody will give me painkillers… I am well aware of the risks and problems they can and will cause, but I currently have no other option. My options are either painkillers, or suffer in pain, and flunk out of school. I couldn’t even hold down a job if I left school… I’ve talked about all this to both my normal Dr and my specialist, and they both tell me to get the painkillers from "the other Dr". They’re basicly pushing me off on eachother back and forth like garbage while my future goes down the toilet… What the hell am I suppose to do? BTW I am in Toronto Ontario Canada if anyone has any specific suggestions for my area. I’d rather have a medically supervised dependancy then spend the rest of my life in a welfare appartment in agony… to bad the Dr’s think the welfare/pain option is better for me…. Thanks

Response:

This document is one I post from time to time on alt.support.headaches.migraine. I would suspect you are already familiar with most of the ideas on the list, but please scan down it anyway; it is surprising how often people wha have been through the mill, as you have, have nevertheless missed one or another promising prophylactic measure. This was compiled with the help of participants here. Migraine Prophylaxis On alt.support.headaches.migraine (ASHM), we frequent

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Stubborn migraines, Unsympathetic Dr's…

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