Migraine Sufferers and Chronic Headaches

Hello there fellow migraine suffer...I too have had headaches as long as I can remember. Four years ago I was put on Amitripline. This medication in doses under 150 mg can be used to block pain. This has helped with day to day migraines. This year my doctor went one step further, gluten free diet. MSG is also a type of gluten fyi. This may be why restraining from MSG may help. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, oats, and grains. Gluten is processed in the small intestines. However, our bodies sometimes have difficultly breaking down the glutens (they are like glue!). This causes inflammation, in turn can lead to headaches. Taking out most of the gluten can also lessen anxiety. People who can not toerate gluten usually suffer from Celiac's Disease. All I can say is research Amitripline and see if it will work for you. My breakthrough med is Relpax. It's a bit newer to the market. I don't tolerate tripins well. Amertrix doesn't work for me. I end up vomiting from the meds not the headache. Try taking gluten out of your diet and see if it helps.

Is there a test for gluten sensitivity or is it an elimination process of discovery? Relpax is the one Triptan I take when I get desparate - you know, that point before you want someone to take you to the ER and knock you out or just cut your head off. Amitriptyline (originally Elavil) is something else I've tried in the past although I don't know if it was for depression or migraines, either way, it didn't help me. I see my doc in a couple of weeks. Thanks for replying!

I had a headache that started last October and pretty much lasted until April of this year. It got better and worse but was always present. Not sure why, but the doctors had a hard time believing that was true, and I often got asked, "How many headaches do you typically have in one week?" I pretty much gave up on the continuous headache thing and just said I get one every day. Anyway, after many months, many trips to my primary physician, and being diagnosed with migraines, then hemicrania continua, and finally just chronic daily headache, I was referred to a neurologist. I was put on nortriptyline, which is similar to amitriptyline. I had to get off all NSAIDs and taper onto the med, but once I hit 50 mg, no more headaches! It was such a relief.

I didn't start using MFP or start really trying to lose weight until July 2010. I can't tell you what effect eating healthy and exercise has had on my headaches, but I really want to try to get off any meds now that I've drastically improved my lifestyle and my overall health. I might need some support if I try this, so I'll be posting if I do.

It helps to know that I'm not the only one who has tried multiple medications with varying degrees of success. I hope you find relief, and soon!

Don't think I've tried any of the 2nd generation TCA's but not sure. So many things over the years, really should have kept a list somewhere. I absolutely know a headache can last for months since I went through the same thing you did, at least 6 months. Butalbital reduced the severity but didn't take it away. That's when I started meeting with a researcher at the UT Health library and he found out about rebound headaches, it was in the 90's. That's why the pain was constant. So I had to taper off the medication and haven't taken it since. Ergotamine is an old one and it worked some for me too but I got ergot poisoning (at least at toxic levels) from taking too much. Thankfully I was hospitalized at the time and they were monitoring my labs and caught the excessive levels before I had major symptoms. What does one do when the migraines are sooooooo frequent? I looked up hemicrania continua since I'd never heard of it and that's not me either. My migraines do switch sides. About 80% on right but will switch to left. You are blessed you've found something that helps. I try from time to time to go off some of my meds and it backfires and my doc reminds me that, in my case, at least for now, they are necessary. I do not take anything without researching it though and she knows I can be non-compliant if I don't understand or have too many questions about a drug. She's great about spelling it all out for me, showing me the literature and said she's just grateful we've found some things that I'm willing to take for now. Maybe I'll get some new info when I see her next month.

Hello there hunny, and all the other poor hunnies with chronic migraines...

After my hysterectomy in November of '09, it was like a switch was flipped and suddenly I had a migraine constantly. I started up with the whole doctor routine and they started me up with different drugs. Now I'm not very educated when it comes to headache medications, but the only thing I do know is they could not give me anything that could have a risk of stroke or be given to someone with prior stroke experience. That knocked out a lot of options for me.

However, they (neurologist) started me on Topiramate (Topimax.) My dosage has changed on and off again over the past year but it has done wonders for my migraines. I still get the occasional throb and I have something or another to help me through that. While my headaches began at the beginning of my weight loss journey, my weight loss journey began RIGHT after my hysterectomy so I doubt that change in hormone helped.

You are not alone darling. I remember before I found my cure two ER visits where if anyone talked over a whisper I wanted to cry. I know some people report headaches when they start dieting like sugar or caffeine withdrawals. My husband is one of these people but they pass. I had already cleared a majority of these things from my diet when the headaches started. Have you ever consider doing some sort of detox? Cut out gluten, dairy and sugar. Starting from scratch with veggies and one meat like chicken. See if this takes your headaches away and then add in one food at a time to see if anything triggers it. I've had to do this before so I know how hard it is and I'm not pretending to know how hard it is to live with migraines as long as you have. This is merely a suggestion. )

God bless you hunny and I'm praying you find an answer for your headaches! )

Topamax greatly reduced the frequency and severity for me too. Unfortunately about a year after taking it, I went to the doc with a list of problems and she sadly shook her head and said hold on a minute. She stepped out for a reference book and came back and said, just as she'd suspected - I had to go off the Topamax due to cognitive issues, memory loss, words coming out in the wrong order or not at all, numbness and tingling, etc. I had the good side effect of weight loss and not so much that it was a concern but the others made it impossible to continue functioning in my job at the time. I had to be able to think and express myself.

I've tried colonics, coffee enemas, iridology, muscle-response testing, acupuncture (probably not long enough to know if it would help), doc prescribed massages and although they felt great, no relief. Haven't gone so far as having a chicken swung over my head by a witch doctor, just kidding. Have pleaded with the Lord. I have considered detox (beyond the colon cleanses). Was tested for food allergies. None. When I cut out the sugar, as you said, I get a horrific headache. Same with all caffeine. Also when I decide to behave and stop all pain meds, even OTC, there's a withdrawal period where my headaches intensify. I have been told by a pharmacist and 2 other people that when they eliminated processed sugars their migraines disappeared. So, why haven't I tried it? Very hard. Don't know much about elimination diets. Not sure where to start. You are now the 3rd person to mention gluten today.

So all veggies are safe in the beginning? How do you feel about juicing? For a couple of years I used my Champion juicer and had my fav cocktail of carrots, spinach, garlic, celery, parsley and an apple for a juice. Changed it up slightly depending on what I wanted. Loved it. Can that count as veggies? What about complex sugars? Are they okay? All the specific, step-by-step info the better, especially since you've done the elimination before. I will talk to doc about it too.

You are in my prayers too. I appreciate you!