Hi, Everyone. I haven't been here for a very long time. I am hoping to find a few peole I have connected with over the years. Estelle in Ma, Denise In Texas, and anyone who remembers me.

I have been suffering from migraines since I was about 3 years old. About 5 years ago I was finally taken seriously that I did suffer from chronic migraines about 3 times a week instead of being told I am a drug seeker. I was put on Methadone from a pain management clinic. It worked wonders. It was actually a miracle drug. But after awhile you can't even function being on the stuff. I found out that it was just synthetic heroin. I tried to get off of it, but got very sick. Than the doc that gave me the methadone told me I was addicted and I needed to go into a treatment program so I could withdraw from it safely. I did so. The withdrawals were horrible. Now that I went into a treatment program for addicts, I can't find a doctor that is willing to treat me again. I guess what I am trying to say is I am so frustrated with life, and now I have to suffer again. I am looking for any advice anyone has. Also be careful out there so if or when a doctor might prescribe something for you that you can become addicted to, they take no responsibility for you being addicted and you have to suffer all the consequenses that comes your way. To all of you reading this I hope there is a miracle out there for you and you re willing to share your secrets with me. After 35 years of this I have really really had enough. Pain free days my friends.

Berta <Thezipper1968@aol.com>
Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at 00:14:16

Hi, I've been getting migraines since I was about 16. I had them just once a year and then they became more frequent, sometimes a few a month. But I'm 27 now and I moved to Chicago about 2 years ago and have only had 1, until a couple weeks ago. I've started having migraines almost every other day. The first was horrible and my headache lasted for hours. But every one since then just starts with the flashing light and then a little headache, sometimes even no headache, just the flashes of light. I gave up caffeine and fried foods for lent and then recently started eating them again. Could that be the cause?? But I've done that every year for lent and never had them so frequently. Any advice or recommendations would be great, thanks:)

-Lindsay

Lindsay <chicagolindsay@yahoo.com>
Monday, May 1, 2006 at 16:49:36

I just wanted to say that I am surprised, after reading these entries for an hour or so now, that I have found only one person who had found relief through accupuncture. I have suffered with migraines all of my life, however it is only in the past year or two that I have had HA's lasting for several days. When I was pregnant, I tried accupuncture,and in order to avoid drugs and it totally helped me. I have recently returned to try it again. I have about 2 migraines a month and lately it has increased to 3 or 4 a month and I am having rebound from the drugs, and often thay aren't working anymore. Anyway I have high hopes for the accupuncture. My father used to suffer from cluster headaches, from the age of 15 until he was almost 50. He was treated by an accupuncturist and has been headache free for 15 years!!!
dhall

d Hall
Friday, April 28, 2006 at 22:41:54

I want to say hello and to maybe pass on information that could help a fellow migraine sufferer. I had a 25 year history of migraine. 3-5 times a month. The kind that were disabling for a day or two. They have been gone now for 6 months. How? I discovered I was allergic to artificial sweeteners. All of them. Sacharin, Nutrasweet (aspertame), Splenda. Silly me had to prove that could not be the cause so I tried just one diet Coke. Had a headache the next day. I know better now that for ME, I cannot use them if I want to stay headache free. If you have not yet tried this, what do you have to lose? Sincerely, Audrie bethke

Audrie bethke <abethke1112@earthlink.net>
Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 21:49:53

Thanks Kim for the input on Ronda's migraine journal. I will definitely
take a look at the book "All in my head". Haha, reminds me of some
doctors comments from way back when, before they began to come out of
the dark ages.

All the best to you,
Franco
Franconian@hotmail.com

Framcp <Franconian@hotmail.com>
Thursday, April 20, 2006 at 21:32:21

Just a note, I take the drug effexor-xr and was reading up the side effects on your site. One of the biggest side effects that I and others I have talked too that take this drug is #1-IT GIVES AN ENHANCEMENT OF O. C. D. in a bad way, meaning habits become worse than ever. Examples are-nail biting till your fingers bleed, smoking increasing at least double the amount you ever smoked. People taking this drug that had low O. C. D. for hair pulling now pull there hair out in amounts they never have,bacially people that have any habits/O.C.D. this drug can make it 10 times worse to control them! I've been taking this drug for a long time and spoke with many, many people along the way (friends,neighbors,family,people on line, PTO member of my children's school, ext) and the number one draw back of this drug is that fact that any habits one may have will become much more increased! This is should be posted as the #1 side affect and it is not posted at all ?!
Again this is a note from a consumer, that takes Effexor-xr, knows the side affects first hand and thought you should know this valuable information.
The withdraw side effects from Effextor-xr
(Sever dizziness and a constant zapping sound in your ear) Has cause myself and many others such difficulty that we can't take it and just keep taking this drug. I think it's something in the XR part of this drug that makes the withdraw more difficult, it's just an educated guess on my part.

My doctor prescribed this drug for post/menapause and trouble sleeping .I did not want to take valume or sleeping pills which he first suggested, being that there habit forming and have withdraw effects, he said Effexor-XR did not.

Please, Please let your consumers be aware of these facts. I wish I knew all this before I stated taking this drug, the information would have been so valuable to me.

Thank you for your time,
A concerned consumer

Terri <terzi2me@aol.com>
Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 13:26:05

Help!
I am new to migraines and had my first 4 nights ago in the middle of the night. I woke up with my eyesight messed up with blank areas that have not gone away afer 4 days. I went to the Dr and he told me what I already knew,that I had a bad migraine. Can anyone please give me an idea if this partial vision loss for 4 days is normal,or do I need to be concerned that my normal vision will never return. Has anyone on the board ever had this happen to them.

Thanks for any help or support you can offer.

Rob Sauder

Rob Sauder <robsauder@cs.com>
Monday, April 17, 2006 at 09:54:39

Hi,have been having classic migraines now,for 20 years,have recently got worse,last weekend having had five,one each day two on the one day.They are severly disrupting my life,have heard that acupuncture is good,to cure this,just started the course,would love to hear other peoples experiences,ie does it work,anything is worth a try.

sarah dutton <sarahdutton@blueyonder.co.uk>
Sunday, April 16, 2006 at 08:52:14

Hey all.
I was searching around the internet for some kind of blog/forum for me to discuss my worries about my migraines, and I found this spot.

I'm a 20 year old female who lives in Nova Scotia, Canada. I've suffered with migraines for about 2 years now. I'd get them mostly if I drove at night. I had my eyes checked and they were fine. I'd get the auras a little bit, but my eyes would mostly just hurt.

About 2-3 months ago, my migraines started to become much worse. I started getting them everyday. Now, I have around 3 migraines a day. I'll wake up with one, I'll cry myself to sleep with one and I'd have one through out the day. I used up all my sick days at work and ended up quiting because I couldn't focus, or work at all for that matter, when I had one.

I went to my doctor and some blood tests were done to see about diabetes (which runs in my dad's side of the family) but those results aren't back yet. We've also ordered a CAT scan because my mom's mom died of a brain aneurism (spelling might be wrong). I'm so worried. I've also had my birth control changed from the patch to the ring, which lets out less estrogen. I've also cut caffeine out of my life, as well as starch, MSG, fried food, and I'm trying to quit smoking.

If there is anyone out there who has any suggestions for me, you can write me or add me to MSN at eco28@hotmail.com

Thanks.
-Tanya

Tanya Reid <eco28@hotmail.com>
Saturday, April 15, 2006 at 22:24:44

Franco, Have you read "All In My Head" by Paula Kamen? I haven't finished reading it yet, but your symptoms sound similar to hers. You might want to check it out. She's a really good author.

Kim <raders328@verizon.net>
Monday, April 10, 2006 at 21:08:14

I have been taken topamax off and on for two years. so Im back on my problem is the tingling .Im on 50mg per day.any advise for this?

janie luna <janiegluna2379@sbcglobal.net>
Saturday, April 8, 2006 at 21:48:10

Hey fellow sufferers---anyone here get the daily, intractable migrainous headache, WITHOUT the nausea and vomiting. That is the 24/7, constant headache that is always on one side---mainly around and behind the eye, and temple area? My scale of pain is about 7 or 8 when I do not take anything for the pain. With pain medicine, I can get it down to a 4 or 5, but even then, it significantly interferes with all aspects of my life, including social.

If anyone out there in electronica land has this type of headache please contact me or respond to my journal entry, here at Ronda's site. Would love to hear from you so that we may hone in on our problems and hopefully help each other in major ways.

Thanks much,
Franco (I've been here before)

Franco <Franconian@hotmail.com>
Saturday, April 8, 2006 at 01:56:01

Hello there I haven't found any help for my miagrains yet.I recently went thru the DHE treatment at home and it made me very I'll and the headache worse .This is the longest one I have had yet, they usually just last for a few days at a time but this one is going for a record..It is so hurtful that when you ge to the Er hey think your there as a whinner who can't handle pain even though your throwing up all over. or if you go more than once in a month they just asume your there for a high from the drugs , but in reality demmoral, morphine etc. does nothing for the pain I just wish at that point they could give me asesteshia (sp) to put me completely under so I could go to sleep .. some times the way they treat you is so hurtful all I can tell them is to take a hammer and slam it as hard as you can on your thumb an immagine that being your head for a while all throbbing and stuff.I have had these horribl things since i was a little girl but since about the age of 33 they have gotten alot worse each year somtimes it's just 3 or 4 a mont to almost all month you become afraid of going outside in the bright light or to go to the mall and smell something ar afraid to eat the wrong thing afraid it will just set one off ..somtimes it hurts so bad I'm scared that if I had a gun I would end it all you can't think straight sometimes you don't even know your own name but my nuroligist has not found a cure yet.. I just hope she does soo before my little boy grows up and I'v missed ou on so much of his life ..
Somtimes I feel like a test tube for all the new drugs on the market I just wish God woul find one to work..good luke to the rest of us misunderstood people. Michelle

Michelle K <poohbear1197@yahoo.com>
Thursday, April 6, 2006 at 20:33:45

Hello everyone,

I just thought I would share some possible good news with everyone. My brother has posted on this forum several times, (he suffers from 2-3 migraines a week, and just had his first migraine free month since childhood. What is he doing differently? He's eating 2 bananas a day. He heard about it on the radio and gave it a try, and it worked. I get migraines also, but I get them far less often than he does, coincidently, I've been eating bananas regularly for about ten years, and it's been these last 10 years that I've seen a drastic reduction in migraine.

It's up to you, but 79 cents a pound seems like a small price to pay if it works! At worst, you'll get a good source of potassium. At best, you win the Grand Prize!

TC

TC <tc_triple3@yahoo.com>
Wednesday, April 5, 2006 at 23:00:40

I have apparently been suffering from migraines since I was six years old, but I only found out just last night what it was. I have had these horrible headaches for years, but my adoptive mother always just told me to chock it up it was a head ache get over ect ect ect, so I did, I let it go on until well yesterday, 27 years old banging my head off of a hospital bed crying because it hurt so bad to hear them come in and tell me hey, you have a migraine. So, now I know. Suffice to say its daunting to learn that this is something you have had for so long, that it is not just a normal headache that you are not a wimp because this pain puts you in bed. I suffered for four days with this migraine before it finally was just to much to take any longer. I kept telling myself every night as I got in bed I will go to the doctors tomorrow, and then I just put it off. While in the er they gave me demoral and turdol or something like that, and sadly it didnt even take the edge off, they prescribed fioricet which seems to be helping more, anways I just wanted to share this experience and I am glad to know that there are so many others out there like me.

Amanda Thurston <mandifox78@hotmail.com>
Monday, April 3, 2006 at 23:08:49