Sweetz
Diamond Mind
Reged: 05/11/02
Posts: 765
Loc: Texas!
|
|
In addition to that advice, the phenerghan in IV form or in the butt works better than the supp. or pills (at least for me). It burns a little in the behind, but it's nothing compared to a migraine. I've never had them give me compazine in the hospital, just Zofran.
--------------------
"If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice."
|
lakjaw
Veteran
Reged: 11/22/02
Posts: 545
Loc: Planet Zartran
|
|
Hi, Saraba~
I have a friend in SoCal who has been going to a wonderful GP for 30 years, and he is quite compassionate. If you'd like, I will get his name and PM it to you for consideration.
The recommendation that you add ibuprofen to acetaminophen just boggles the mind! If you do that, you'll soon need a liver transplant and kidney dialysis! Pardon me for my language, but that quack you're seeing is the south end of a north-bound skunk. Please *don't* take that kind of medication. You might try getting a generic form of Excedrin Migraine, use a couple of those, some Dramamine, and consider ordering products online. I just got something I specifically needed for migraines, from within the US, without consult, and it's excellent.
--------------------
When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Usually,that individual is crazy.
|
lakjaw
Veteran
Reged: 11/22/02
Posts: 545
Loc: Planet Zartran
|
|
Hi, Sweetz~
"My PCP also suggested that 4 tylenol and 4 ibuprofen has helped some people with migraines. Truth is, I don't think they really know exactly what causes them and basically go with what has worked in the past for *some* people."
I used to work for neurologists, and overheard them b*tching one day about the two types of patients they absolutely hate: those with MS and those with migraines; they can't cure them and they can't get rid of them! I was appalled! (well, I was only 21, and used to the compassion of my physician father)
Doctors do *not* want to deal with people who have chronic pain, especially women with migraines. However, advising a patient to take huge quantities of acetaminophen and ibuprofen is malpractice, not to mention just downright stupid. One upchucks enough with the migraine; one doesn't need to upchuck meds, too.
As for their latest "quick fix", of course, there are patients who have had an idiosyncratic side-effect of lessened migraines while taking calcium channel blockers or beta blockers or antihistamines or Vitamin B-6! However, it *is* idiosyncratic, and should never be ordered for those who do not NEED calcium channel blockers or beta blockers or antihistamines for conditions requiring those meds.
As for the "suck up" attitude toward the vomiting, if I were to visit that doctor on a day I was vomiting, I'd take the opportunity to vomit on him and then tell him to suck it up!
--------------------
When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Usually,that individual is crazy.
|
keystone
Veteran
Reged: 09/05/02
Posts: 586
Loc: Arizona, USA
|
|
Quote:
As for the "suck up" attitude toward the vomiting, if I were to visit that doctor on a day I was vomiting, I'd take the opportunity to vomit on him and then tell him to suck it up!
Well said.
--------------------
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was to convince the world he never existed.
|
saraba
Member
Reged: 01/27/03
Posts: 183
Loc: west coast
|
|
Very funny!
|
milali
Stranger
Reged: 08/16/03
Posts: 13
Loc: S.E. Michigan
|
|
My heart goes out to you, Aara... I've had opthalmaplegic migraines for over 30 years and tried everything. Because I have high cholesterol and High BP, My neuro guy will not prescribe any of the sumatriptans for me. However, I have been on stadol for several years now. I only need to use it once every few weeks, so I've not had any problems with addicition. It tastes terrible and has given me terrible nasal congestion, but it works. I also have to use compazine suppositories (ugh! but they stop the Nand V).
I've recently tried Nubain -- it was given to me in the hospital ER -- and though my Neuro guy was reluctant, he finally prescribed it for me. It is in injectable form so this may not be to your liking. But IT really works and is not as sedating as the Stadol. Sweetz and I have discussed this at length, so I hope I've been a little help.
PM me and let me know how you're doin'.
|
Stacy
Enthusiast
Reged: 11/15/02
Posts: 245
Loc: USA
|
|
Nubain is great for the ER visits. It works better than Demerol and docs don't mind giving it.
I forgot the name of the person that started this thread, I'm sorry.
Get your records together and go to Southwest Medical Group and get a consult. The doc will give you hydro and will give you something for the nausea, they are also giving Stadol to their migraine patients.
|
Firefairy
Member
Reged: 11/26/03
Posts: 147
Loc: Mississippi
|
|
You mention Imitrex, have you tried the newer one called Axert?
It is the first besides Imitrex that has ever worked for me. It is apparently working for others in my town because they always end up owing me half my script when I get it filled.
I find that if I also use Vicks nasel spray on the side of my head that has the migraine it can help make it bearable till the Axert or Imitrex kicks in. No other brand does this, it is the cooling effect of that brand.
|
Purple
Enthusiast
Reged: 07/15/03
Posts: 233
Loc: Midwest
|
|
My Neuro has just given me some samples of the Axert. I have high BP so he monitored me in his office. I did not have any side effects and my BP did not increase. It did not "knock out the migraine when I was in the office".
When I tried it at home another day, no relief either. So I am awaiting my next appt with him next week. If I get another migraine, I will give it another try & let you know.
|
gaby22
Stranger
Reged: 11/24/03
Posts: 11
|
|
Ive had one long headache for 13 years due to a head injury it is always there in some form or another and Ive been on every type of med known to man I cant take imitrex or any of the other commen migraine meds ( I have a severe reaction ) I used to end up in the emergency room once a month finally my Dr. prescribed a medication called toradol it comes in pill form but is not very effective that way but if you can tolerate it it also comes in shot form.It has been a life saver my husband gives me shot about once every 9 days the generic name is ketorolac tromethamine its not a narcotic and it has no backlash.I used stadol for about a year and it worked a little but as soon as it wore off the pain was worse. Most doctors arent real comfortable giving shots for home use but see if he will try it in his office and if it works maybe he will prescribe. Good luck!
|
night_shade
Threadhead
Reged: 08/26/03
Posts: 907
Loc: The State of Hockey
|
|
Just another example of how mileage varies.
Toradol was completely and utterly worthless for migraines in my experience. But if your headaches are tension or muscular in origin, Toradol may well help you with it's NSAID class anti-inflammatory effect.
For me, the worst ones are only helped by Demerol or Stadol (but Stadol is out for me now with the meds I take) in combination with a parenteral antihistamine.
--------------------
Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity.
|
gabzi
Enthusiast
Reged: 02/04/02
Posts: 219
Loc: florida
|
|
In response to the isssue of migrane treament. I have been dealing with migranes for manyyears,sometimes theyare caused by trigers such as second hand smoke or if I eat really bad food with msg (yes they still put it in somefood) espeically restaurants and frozen
food. If your headaches start in your sinius?
backof neck try to narrow down when you feel one coming How do you know? what feels bad first your stomach or which part ofyour head.I wake up with them in the middle of the night usally full blown by then ,I get it all puking sweating ,pounding in my head chills thenhot. Sometimes it can be your blood sugar either to high or too low or hormones I think they say too much estorgene can release and cause them as far as blood sugar I myself have low blood sugar which means I have to eat every two to three hours some sort of protien to keep my sugar level,it is the oppisite of diabeties.
My remedy have been numerous.
Stadol n/s as the last resort
Phenergan suppositories second last resort.
Phenergan pills
if i can catch it in time.also ther is a medicine that works wonders for me and it is not used much anymore it is called "Cafergot" it has caffine and then another med to off set the caffine.So it lets you sleep it comes in supossitories for the full blown ones I can tell you within minutes it will start shutting it down.
Also they make pillstoo. They are great to have a a prevenitive.
I used all these med for about three years now. I have good months and then some are bad.I also use sudafed when my sinisus start feeling strange.I get the 12 hour time release for bad days and it seems to help prevent them,
For the ones in the back of the neck due to stress I use benedrlyDiphenhydramine hydrochloride 25 to 50 mg it will make me sleepy also if i catch it time.When I wake with them I go right for the caffergote supositories and the stadol n/s and I never have had a problem with getting dependent on the nose spray ,over the years I have i try to prevent them to a point sometimes there is no stopping them,some also say it can be due to the pressure changes in the air when stroms are on there way.Hope this helps some.
|
Sweetz
Diamond Mind
Reged: 05/11/02
Posts: 765
Loc: Texas!
|
|
Yeah, it really is a "try it and see if it works on your headaches" thing. I think Toradol was the first thing I was ever given for headaches, even before they were diagnosed as migraines. shots too. No good. After I saw the neurologist and were diagnosed with migraines, we tried Cafergot supp. as my first med. I tried it and went to a Baseball game. I threw up the whole game! After that, I never tried a new med anywhere else but home. Has anyone had Thorazine given to them in the hospital for migraines? I had an icky reaction to it in the ER last time. Only thing that helps me is tons of Stadol, or Morphine. Demerol isn't doing the trick lately. One doc gave it to me, and I drove myself home with his blessings. It didn't even knock the headache out, just took the edge off a little bit. I'm being sent to the University here in town since I have those "hard" headaches!
--------------------
"If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice."
|
saraba
Member
Reged: 01/27/03
Posts: 183
Loc: west coast
|
|
The last time I went to the ER for a headache, they tried Toradol and Ativan, then Demerol. I had already taken Imitrex hours before and kind of knew it wasn't a migraine. I still had a headache 5 hours later when I went home. It finally went away. So I don't know if it was the Toradol or the Demerol or the Ativan or what, but whatever it was it took a LONG time to work.
I have found out that if I get enough sleep and eat at regular times I definitely decrease the frequency of the headaches. Not getting dehydrated helps a lot too.
(By the wayt, thanks again for all the suggestions. It gives me something to arm myself with the next time I see the doctor. And thanks to a DB member, a couple of doctors in my area have been recommended. I love this board...
|
lakjaw
Veteran
Reged: 11/22/02
Posts: 545
Loc: Planet Zartran
|
|
Hi, Saraba~
I'm sitting here, shaking my head, remembering all the silly tricks used on people actually in agony when they finally resort to an Emergency Department.
Toradal was first developed to be used for surgical patients, in an effort to diminish their post-surgical pain without the massive use of narcotics, which tend to cause decreased respiration which, in turn, increases one's chance of post-operative pneumonia. And it does a good job. If it's not contraindicated by other systemic conditions. However, it wasn't long (as usual) before Toradol was being used, willy-nilly, in the ERs, along with ergotamine and Reglan, in "treatment" of migraines. And if it didn't work, then you were given the fish-eyed look and suspected of drug-seeking behavior. What's even worse is if one has Crohn's disease and NSAIDs are absolutely verboten, plus having an allergy to ergot, and severely adverse reactions to Reglan!
However, I did come across a very innocuous treatment which sometimes helps, sometimes doesn't: nasal cannula oxygen. If you can catch the migraine early enough, you can try that for about 20 or 30 minutes, along with any relaxation technique which may have worked for you in the past. However, if the pain persists and you're puking on someone's shoes, holler for whatever drug works best for you - Imitrex, Zomig, Stadol, Demerol, morphine (the latter two make my migraines *worse*), Fiorinal/Fioricet, plain or with codeine.
I've had killer migraines since age 13, which have only gotten worse over the decades, and now include cluster headaches. I've tried everything. . . and nothing. The "rebound" headache is, for the most part, absolute bunk where I'm concerned because I don't have fewer or less intense headaches during prolonged periods without meds. In fact, the first ten years I had migraines, my doctor father treated me with absolutely nothing! (that was back in the bad old days when "kids" were never supposed to be treated with strong pain meds) My mother took pity on me once and gave me a Darvon: it might as well have been filled with sugar, as it did absolutely nothing at all. I'm always surprised when I find that people become "addicted" to Darvon/Darvocet.
Well, enough rambling. Hope you find something which will help,but if you ever go to an ER with migraine complaint, before anyone can treat you like a "drug-seeker", cut them short by asking them to simply allow you to try oxygen, first!
--------------------
When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Usually,that individual is crazy.
|
bunnymom1
Stranger
Reged: 12/04/03
Posts: 6
Loc: New Jersey
|
|
My neuro had me on Midrin too- for all the good it did, I could have been taking gumballs. Ran all the tests- twice- all negative. This was over a span of 8 years and about 6 different doctors. All wanted to blame it on my period (how can it be my period when I have a migraine for 28 straight days!) or "stress". Tried the imitrex, pill and spray, with no relief (though the spray was so god-awful tasting that you forget you have a migraine because of all the gagging). Tried the zomig and a couple of others. Did the chiropractics, the deep tissue massase, reflexology, acupuncture, etc. I'm thinking of finding a new neuro again as the migraines are getting bed again. Any recommendations after all else I've tried?
--------------------
The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it. -George Bernard Shaw
|
Sweetz
Diamond Mind
Reged: 05/11/02
Posts: 765
Loc: Texas!
|
|
Just found this post and I hate to say I spent the afternoon in the doctors office getting a shot of Stadol. We decided to try something differnt to get rid of it: sleep. So, home I came, 50 mg. of compazine supp., 2 mg. of Klonopin and 2 ambien. That was at 7 pm by the time I got all settled. I'ts 9:47 now and I'm up eating a salad. I'll write more when I'm more alert, ok. I won't forget, or if you like, sent me a PM,then I really won't have an excuse. There's more than one thread on here about this subject and tried solutions, so you might try doing some researech. Also, Dr. Hochman has a wonderful section on his site about migraines. His link is down below in the PM South section. Sorry I'm not being very helpful, I'm starting to hurt again and I'm just icky. Please excuse the typing.
--------------------
"If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice."
|
Firefairy
Member
Reged: 11/26/03
Posts: 147
Loc: Mississippi
|
|
I told the ER doc I was allergic to phenergan and that my GP (same hospital) told me not to take anything in the same class of drugs as I would most likely have the same reaction. The snotty nurse comes in a few minutes later with an injection. "What is it?" I ask. She sniffs and reply's "Compazine and Benedryl, it is a very good combination and no migraine could survive it." Twenty minutes later I am thrashing, screaming, twitching, itching, fussing, jerking, and wishing I would die. The nurse comes in, looks at me in disgust, and says "THAT is not a TYPICAL reaction to that drug!" The nurse and intern are offended that I have had a reaction to the compazine so they give my another shot of benedryl, then knock me out with Thorazine so they don't have to listen to me complain. I still have a copy of the ugly letter my doc sent to the intern.
|
Sweetz
Diamond Mind
Reged: 05/11/02
Posts: 765
Loc: Texas!
|
|
Funny thing, at the ER I was given Thorazine and told that it worked on really bad migraines. I had a reaction to it! I got all restless, I couldn't swallow, I just had to move my whole body, it was strange to say the least. I finally got morphine though, that and some more benadryl. Strange how they like to lump all migraines together, isn't it? I hate it. I'd have a really hard time if I were allergic to Phenergan, Compazine, or Zofran. That would suck bigtime! I would get a lot more dehydrated than I do now! I just wish they would LISTEN!
--------------------
"If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice."
|
night_shade
Threadhead
Reged: 08/26/03
Posts: 907
Loc: The State of Hockey
|
|
Firefairy-
Yep- sounds like the typical "this works for 99%" spiel they like to give. It basically translates to "take 2 aspirin and DON'T BOTHER US AGAIN."
My favorite line "is this how you would treat your FAMILY member if they came in and had the same problem?" Usually shuts em up.
--------------------
Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity.
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit 
Reply 
Quote 
