Migraine -had severe headaches since neck surgery, tried Fioricet & Imitrex, any other suggestions?

13 Mar 2012

Meds don't help me much either. The best solution for me has been controlling environmental triggers (light, heat) and tyramine-based foods (no red wine, MSG, anything aged). There are plenty of other meds you could try also, but Neurologists are the best to consult on which are best for your situation. Are you seeing a Neurologist?

14 Mar 2012

Dear hillbillygirl45,
Hello. My doctor prescribes me Topamax on a regular basis and Fioranal for when I get a severe migraine. He also gave me a tens unit to put on when I am having one. Some people say they aggrivate them, and some people love them. They help mine go away. Different things work for different people I guess. Just thought I would throw that out there though for you to think about. I wish you the best of luck and hope you find something that works. Theres nothing like a migraine, I know. Best wishes. Ruth

14 Mar 2012

It's interesting that you got these headaches since your neck (fusion?). My husband has had a headache since 1992, & even Mayo Clinic couldn't figur it out. He has had two neck fusions & for one day after the first fusion he didn't have a head ache, but it was back the very next day. Have you ever had a CT or MRI of your sinus & pituatary done? He also had a pituatary tumour that had wrapped it self around the optic nerve & grew into the bone, but even surgery to remove it didn't help the headache. I wish you the best & will think on this a bit. Are you sure it's a migraine, & not cluster headaches? I don't know where you live, but there is a place in Chicago, that specializes in nothing but headaches, & I hear it's very good. ..Mary

14 Mar 2012

Hi, I tried a lot of things for my constant Migraine headaches. The onlt thing that has worked for me and gave me a few weeks relief is DHE therapy, with Maxalt MLT's (melts) for break through pain. I have had the DHE therapy done at the infusion center and had to have a chest port fitted, but today I am going to try the therapy at home, and I am going to try and give the DHE by injecting myself in the thigh. This medication is an old one, and it isn't a first choice for many Dr's. But because it has taken nearly a year to find something that gives me some sort of relief I am willing to try anything, so good luck in finding something, I feel for you I know first hand how bad it is. Liz.

14 Mar 2012

I've had migraines for a long time, so I feel your pain! I've been on everything under the sun, and the only thing that ever worked for me was an herbal med called Fever Few. You can get it at any herbal store. I would take it at the onset of a migraine and it hopefully should knock it right out! :D

17 Mar 2012

Hi Hillbillygirl45, I was wondering how you were today and if that headache was any better. I was thinking about you because I really do know what you have been going through, and how bad things can get. Take care, Liz.

27 Apr 2012

As others have stated you can use Maxalt but you will only get about 18 pills for the month. Another option that has been talked about is DHE-45. What has not been discusses about DHE-45 is that you can take this as a self-injection or nasal spray. Most people that I know that have tried the spray have not found it helpful over a long term, but each person is different. If you take the injection you will need to take an injection of Phenergan BEFORE you take the injection of DHE-45 so that you do not tear up your stomach and digestive tract. If you don't do this you will be sorry. Another option is Botox injections. Yes they really work and they are approved by the FDA for this indication. The problem is that some insurance companies do not want to pay for this medical indication so the out of pocket costs paid to your doctor can be expensive. These are given by your neurologist in their office and typically last for a few months or more at a time. Hope this helps with your discussion with your doctors. Good luck.

27 Apr 2012

I take Maxalt for my migraines and it works great! I have the aura ones and it stops them in about 10 minutes. If it's from neck pain you may be better off with physio and/or massage therapy. Acupuncture is another option. I have a friend who was in a car accident (hurt her neck & shoulder) and now gets injections of Botox into her neck for her migraines, she says it works great. Hope you find some relief, I know how debilitation migraines can be. Kim.

26 Jul 2012

Hi hillbilly. Have you tried Inderal (propranolol)? It is a beta-blockers affect the heart and circulation blood flow through arteries and veins. I have tried numerous of headache meds both acute and chronic.

There are many medications that treat migraine headaches. The first thing you do is, indentify where the pain is and its or triggers.

I hope somebody gets relief... I've been fighting with the attacks they keep on coming back. I see my neurologist on Friday a follow-up, see what the doctor says.

Good luck.
-Abby

27 Jul 2012

You don't say how often your migraines are and how often you take your abortive medications. But from the way you worded it, it sounds like it is almost constant. Fiorcet in particular causes extreme rebound migraines if you take it more than twice a week. Imitrex, I don't know, but any pain reliever that you take 3 times a week or more will also give you rebound headaches.

If you need pain relief at least that often, you should be tried on a daily preventative migraine medication to prevent migraines. If one doesn't work, they should try you on another one. If that doesn't work, there are a lot more treatments.