I'm 38 years old, and for as long as I can remember, I have been getting migraines. When I moved to Colorado 3 years ago, my family and husband at the time thought it was the high altitude. I tried pretty much everything to get rid of these. I tried Imitrex..which almost gave me a heart attack. It did nothing but increase my heart rate and dull my migraine or make it worse. I also tried Zomig and Maxalt and a couple others that I can't remember the names of, and they all worked once, but wouldn't work again after that. I haven't had a CT scan yet. That's mostly because I'm currently unemployed and don't have any health insurance. I had several severe migraines during 2003, mostly due to going through a divorce, and almost losing my job at the same time. When I was put on Prozac for a chemical imbalance, I noticed that the migraines were not as often, but still coming around two to three times a month. Before the Prozac, I had a couple that lasted up to 3 weeks. I'm now back in Arizona where I was born and raised, and am still experiencing some severe migraines. Does anyone know what else I can try? It's not food related, but I have narrowed it down to it being more intense just before my period. And I'm not on the birth control pill, because I discovered a few years ago that the bc pills were causing some very ugly and evil migraines the day before my period. I have found that nowadays many doctors will agree with this, where as almost 7 years ago I had a OB/GYN laugh at me when I told him the pill had caused me migraines.

Carolyn Weber <Colbrunnfan@aol.com>
Monday, November 15, 2004 at 00:06:33

Hi all. I'm 22 now and have had migraines for as long as I can remember. Lately, since the end of my college career, I have noticed they have intensified. Many people say they should get less intense but I am finding the opposite. I have gone through many medications, 2 CT scans in the last 3 years and several doctors and cannot get answers. I am now out in the field I went to school for, a special education teacher.
To say the least stress does not help a migraine and people keep giving all their suggestions like cut ALL caffeine, which in all reality many foods and drinks contain this. Some people say use heat or use ice, which ice helps more and heat makes it worse. Sound is horrible, light is horrible and strong scents are horrible. My migraines also seem to last for long periods of time, 1-2 weeks.
I'm looking to see if anyone has heard the theory that a migraine is a headache but rather a disease. This means that the headache is the side effect, kind of like a seizure to that of epilepsy. It still holds that the levels of the serotonin work against you but also that the vessels in the brain expand therefore creating the pain. The migraine is always there just not apparent until the dialation takes place. Let me know if you have any ideas or know of it. Thanks! Lisa

Lisa Balaban <lisieeyore@yahoo.com>
Saturday, November 13, 2004 at 12:28:15

Hi everyone. Iv'e been reading your stories and its weird to know that I understand exactly everything your talking about. I am 16 and have been getting headaches since i was 4. When dignosed around 8 or 9, i started taking inderol which prevents headaches and imitrex to get rid of one when i have it. That was fine until about last year when they seemed to stop working all together so my doc took me off all the medication except imitrex. Ive been getting the pain on the sides of my head about where the eyes and the temples are and it feels like constant, painful pressure. I get the attacks about 4 times a week on average and can last anywhere from 4 hours to 2 or 3 days. My doctor understood when i told them that i didnt want to take anymore medicine. Even over the counter medication hasnt worked for me for years. My doctor recommeded a docotr who speacializes in teaching people with migranes how to control them and get rid of them when you can feel them coming on. He teaches you how to control your blood pressure and even your heart beat to get rid of your migrane before they get out f hand, without any medication. I didnt believe it would work but because i didnt want to take medication anymore i tried it and was so happy because it really did work. I have also heard about other people using this as an alternative method to getting rid of migranes and they like it too. If you want more information on the doctor please feel free to email me.

Melanie <divas4evear@yahoo.com>
Thursday, November 11, 2004 at 16:14:34

Hi, I am a 21 year old migraine sufferer. I remember having migraines as far back as second grade. I have been taking 100mg of Imitrex as needed for about 5 years now. I also end up taking 2-5 excedrin as well. I feel like the excedrin helps more than the imitrex does. I am not sure the imitrex has really helped me at all.
My migraines tend to come and go in spurts. I will have 1 or two in a sixth month period and then all of a sudden, I'll have 5 or six in a week. I have tried to pinpoint my triggers but I am still unsure.
Growing up we always had a dog and a cat in our house, and now that I have moved away from home I have found that my migraines are a lot less frequent.
I can usually feel an attack coming one to two days in advance. I get a disconnected feeling and have trouble getting my eyes to focus on anything although I usually have perfect eyesight.
I am very sensitive to scents also. If I smell something strong, I get a headache which can lead into a migraine.
Loud noises like concerts or music can also lead into a migraine. I also usually get one 2-7 days before I get my period.
I have found that falling asleep often helps my migraines, although most of the attacks I have wake me up in the middle of the night and then I am unable to go back to sleep.
I have found that the things that help me the most are
1. a dark room
2. complete quiet
3. throwing up-it seems like my migraines are a result of an excess of pressure in my body and after i throw up the pressure is released

Kristin <kehoward@umd.edu>
Thursday, November 4, 2004 at 01:16:43

I have been reading the posting in the Journal for a few months now and boy can I relate to the pain. An entry by Sonia peaked my interest because running/exercise and Imatrex seem to be my savior. I can remember as a child getting these intense headaches, my mother tieing a tight handkerchief drenched in alcohol around my forehead and lying down (My mom and grandfather sufferd with migraines). But I never thought anything of it. Eventually they went away until about 2 1/2 years ago. I started to get these headaches. At first they weren't bad, I would take an aspirin and that would be it. But eventually they became worse and more often, so that I would get nausus and dizzy and have to lye down. There was no rhyme or reason as to why I would get them-no triggers that I could put my finger on. But like Sonia I found that if I ran a few miles and worked out at the gym the migraines would go away. I am a very active person but when I am at work I can't just go for a run. And when I am home it's hard to get out with the kids pulling at you. But I need to find out why I was getting these headaches plus I wanted to rule out anything bad like a thoma. So finally I went to my family doctor who started me on Maxalt Melt tablets which seemed to help at first (but tasted bad) and she told me to get an MRI. So that's what I did and the results showed I had chronic sinus disease. I thought I had my answer to my problem.So my doctor put me on Allegra D and some kind of nose spray for allergies.Wow, I thought no more migraines. Well I got another head banger not to long after I started the allergy meds. OK so maybe it's not in my system yet..waited...but I still continued to get them. My doctor than referred me to a neurologist. Went to see him and he went through his checklist. He than perscribed me Imatrex 100mg. It was a life saver. I couldn't believe how great they worked. Within and hour or two my migraines subsided. Very rarely would I have to take two-the most you can take. I still run when I can at the first twinge of a migraine even if I had already taken a pill (which I really hate taking any type of meds). I don't know if the running opens up the blood vesels in the brain or it has something to do with the serotin and endorphins but it seems to work! Now my migraines are about once a week or once every two weeks which I can live with.
This Site is GREAT and so is the advice! Good Luck to everyone! Jude

Jude <artmysterj@haiggraphic.com>
Tuesday, November 2, 2004 at 13:11:46

Hello folks. I am a 27 yr old female. I have been having these migraines for just over 2 years now. I of course began with sudden onset. I guess I am not supposed to call them migraines as of late my Dr's are saying that they are New Persistent Daily Headaches with Migraine Characteristics. What a mouthful.

Like many of you I have had all the tests done. I am almost out of medications to try. Currently I take injections up to 3 times a day. My life has changed drastically. I cannot hold a job, I can't do the things I used to and I am not liking any of this. It is very frustrating to feel like you are missing so much of your life. Every time I break down and convince myself to accept living with this constant pain, my will just won't let me. I keep fighting and trying new things, meds, treatments, Doctors. I feel like there has to be something. If I were the only one in agony then I might be willing to accept it. I am not alone, and with so many others out there there must be something I can do.

Pre-headaches I was just beginning life in a new marriage and had so much to look forward to. Now I look only a day at a time. I am sure others feel this way too. I just wanted to get it out. Thanks Steph good

Stephanie Good <StephGood@sbcglobal.com>
Monday, November 1, 2004 at 09:12:50

I recently happened upon this website when looking for more information on migraine headaches and what causes them. I am a 29-yr-old woman and have suffered from right-side migraines with no aura but with nausea for about 7 years, and I'm always looking (but not finding) answers and help. My mother also suffers from migraines, though less often and less severe. I think I've probably tried most of the same medications and techniques that all of you have, but one entry in this Journal in particular caught my attention - that of mikki@mwt.net (sorry to call you by your email address - I don't know your full name). Although I don't have daily head pain, I get migraines that generally last one-two days about once a week, maybe once every two weeks. When I first started getting migraines, I didn't know that there were any special drugs to help (clearly all of you have noticed that most doctors - except dr. ilovevettes@msn.com of course! - do not know much about this affliction, or maybe even believe that migraines are different from 'regular' headaches). So I came up with my own way to get rid of migraines, pretty much accidentally. I ran. I was a pretty regular runner anyway (20-30 miles/week), and when I'd feel a migraine coming on, I would go for a particularly long and fast run. At first, every step magnified the pounding in my head (just like you on the dance floor, mikki@mwt.net - it's excruciating), but eventually I'd run the headache away. I have no idea at all why this worked - I've heard everything from muscle relaxation to 'balancing my chakras' and don't know what to believe.
When I finished grad school and started working, of course I couldn't just jog out the door when migraines hit. I started taking Maxalt, Relpax, or Imatrex/Imigran for migraines when I finally found a doctor who didn't prescribe vicodin or some other powerful painkiller that had nothing to do with migraines. These were miracle drugs to me. When a friend gave me a couple of his Maxalt pills when I was literally in tears with the pain one night, I found like I'd found the answer - I could finally be free of these horrible migraines that were taking over too much of my life. The only unfortunate effect was that after I started with the prescription meds, my running cure no longer seemed to work as well. I can't imagine why that would be. In any case, it seems that if I get some exercise every day, I am much less likely to get migraines during any given week.
Most of you are probably working people and, like me, will still have to rely on medication sometimes. And I hope you will find one that works for you (thanks for your advice on various alternative remedies like taking Vitamin E, low-dose asprin, or feverfew each day). Don't put up with doctors who don't listen, or don't take all the factors of your life into account! I wish we could all have a doctor like ilovevettes@msn.com, who knows what a migraine attack is like. And while I don't have any miracle cure that will work for everyone, I'd recommend trying about 30 minutes of pretty intensive exercise - running, swimming, boxing, whatever - every day. For me, a *regular* exercise routine definitely cuts down on the number of migraines I get per month. Not that I always take my own advice, but then I really do notice an increase in attacks. So that's my idea for your Journal. Thank you for all of yours!

Sonia <smartin@chfserbia.org>
Thursday, October 28, 2004 at 03:18:51

After several years of searching, I have eliminated most of my migraine triggers - (thanks to a list of possible allergy triggers from my allergy dr.)my worst is Yellow #5- which is in many foods- someone else may need to watch for this or check with an allergist for such a list. I have now narrowed my migraines to about once amount (menstrual time)however they are still as severe. Am currently trying neurontin 200mg and not seeing any results. Has anyone found a solution to this monthly migraine besides the anti seizure meds ??
Thanks for any help!!
Tbright

tb <tbrightali@yahoo.com>
Wednesday, October 27, 2004 at 15:44:35

I have narrowed my h/a to about once amount (menstrual time). Am currently trying neurontin 200mg and not seeing any results. Has anyone found a solution to this monthly h/a, besides the anti seizure meds ??

tb <tbrightali@yahoo.com>
Wednesday, October 27, 2004 at 15:35:43

If you�ve ever had a migraine, no, I mean ever �Really� had a Migraine, then you�ll have an appreciation and an understanding of what this is all about.

I�m not talking about a little Tylenol Gel Cap migraine. I�m talking about a full out �somebody�s after a godamned core sample from my hypothalmus via my cranium, if I had a rocket launcher I wouldn�t be after the South American governments I�d be wiping out children�s choirs and televising the massacre, kind of migraine.� The kind that dupes you into thinking that just a little more darkness and silence will bring relief. And then you find yourself four feet into the closet with every blanket, pillow and mattress in the house piled on top of you, you can�t breathe anymore, and you realize it�s the sound of your own crying that you can�t escape. That�s the general idea of what we�re going to take a look at here.

Now, being male, I have no way of comprehending the extremes of childbirth but the excruciating aspects of that experience have been cast in my face on many occasions when the topic of pain surfaces in mixed company. I have been told in two different emergency wards, by two different doctors, both female, that adult migraines are more common in women but when suffered by men, they are more severe. That is the one thing that did bring about a half a miligram of relief. Just knowing that I don�t ever again have to listen to the line about men not knowing true pain. No I�m not comparing the two or lessening the effects of pain on anyone. But I do have a reply now.


So, the other morning I�m sitting at my desk planning the day�s activities, when I get a visit from the migraine fairy. The only thing to do when she comes to visit is go for the ride like it or not. I�ll tell you a little bit about her. She�s not what you would normally expect out of a little fairy. Not the Tinkerbell, flit around the room with a trail of pixie dust kind of fairy. No, although the Migraine Fairy may come from the same enchanted forest as all those bears, ogres and other talking insects, she never made it through the casting calls at Disney when Walt was around. Today, if she had the interest, she�d probably land a part or two but she�s far too busy with the niche market she�s carved out for herself with individuals like me to harass. She doesn�t look much like Tinkerbell either. I�m probably one of the few that have ever seen her. Unlike the youthful Tinkerbell, or even the tooth fairy for that matter, the migraine fairy looks a little more like a cross between Bea Arthur and a mosquito. She never wears white. Also she�s been around longer than those other two put together, giving her the time to perfect her visits, or attacks as they should be referred.
You don�t see her but you know the exact instant she appears. Something like a shadow with no darkness that crosses your line of sight. Her venom is a carefully concocted mixture of chemicals with characteristics of posphors seltzer and magnesium which are neatly packaged for time release. Before she even appears, her sights are set and the target is locked. You are defenseless. As she crosses your view she carpet bombs your retina with a shower of granular explosives. They are not physical grains per say but hold a consistency of light without brightness. Some explode on contact emitting a wonderful little fireworks show across your vision. Others are quickly washed down the drain of the optic nerve where they collect at the junctions of the first synapses of the brain. It can take anywhere from ten minutes to a half hour for this regrouping to occur. If you�re new to the game, you watch the fireworks with confusion. If you�ve been through it a couple of times, you spend the time in disbelief and denial. If you�re experienced in the process, you�ll be cursing and getting your affairs in order.
Then the collective bomb goes off. The next twelve to eighteen hours will have an effect that will make slamming your finger in a car door a day at the spa. That fairy bitch is nowhere to be found. Probably too busy a schedule or perhaps she�s just locked into a contract and not actually ghoulish enough to want to hang around to witness the effects. Makes you wonder what she does in her spare time.

If you could turn your line of sight 180� without turning your head you�d probably see the shockwave travel through your head. Like a surrealistic, detached view of Hiroshima on that fateful day. But like a nasty case of the bed-spins, it has no beginning, no end and mysteriously, no reset. Just a sense of perpetual suspended animation of the senses. But this one�s not motion, its pain. It�s physical pain without a specific location although seemingly somewhere in the middle of the brain. The odd thing about this is that surgery can be performed on the brain without any feeling whatsoever to the patient. That�s why this one�s more of a pain of your consiousness not of your physical body.
I figure that�s why the medical profession can�t nail it down to a specific cause. Oh there�s food or barometric pressure or the ever favourite fallback for all of today�s problems, Stress.

Whatever.

But wait, the fun�s not over yet. There�s other neat little swerves from normality that depend largely on which side of the brain the emergency crews get called out to. The little fireworks show in your vision can turn into complete quadrant blindness. Go ahead pick your corner � won�t matter. Milder versions of this can usually carry on for days afterwards as the hangover wears off. There�s also numbness of the extremities, I like that one, and nausea of varying degrees. That�s a common one, kind of a migraine standard, there for everyone.
Once I could smell my dog from clear across the room as if he�d just crawled out of the lake and was lying across my face. No amount of shuffling could lessen the impact of that until he was ushered out and the door was closed. Even then it lingered on as I drifted in and out of consiousness. It�s that type of sensory amplification that can turn the sound of heels on hardwood into pile drivers on bedrock.

Then there�s my favourite of all. This one is designed so perfectly for the event that dare I say, words can almost not describe... (No pun intended) It�s none other than loss of speech. No-no, you don�t become a mute! It�s better than that. Words get mixed up somewhere between the syllable / sentence assembly line and the shipping dept of the larynx. Maybe it�s the debris field from the earlier explosions
Anyway it goes something like this;
For example, you think of saying �it was an accident�.
Under normal circumstances the thought would cross your mind it would be assembled, packaged, shipped and presented all in the blink of an eye. The reply would be received and then the reciprocation and so on. Voila, you�ve got a conversation�
Here on Roller Derby this is what you get�
It all seems OK until you begin to hear what you�re saying. �It was an�� comes out alright as it�s made up of single syllable words. But a multi syllable word like �accident� will get hung up. Your operations jam between speech and the sound of that speech. The first couple of syllables will get out before an override shuts down the exits. �Accident� becomes �Ack Syd� then �Ack� then �Ack� again maybe �Ack � Syd� once more as you take another run at it. Frustration will give an exit pass to a word like �xxxxxxxx� which jumps out there once or twice and that�s when the last syllable makes a break for it, charges out and you hear yourself say �Dent�. A single syllable word on its own that has no invitation to this party but does trigger a memory.
Now the conductor�s frustration of the orchestra not playing the music properly shifts to confusion because suddenly there�s a spotlight on the guy with the washboard.
What guy with a washboard? Orchestra�s don�t have guys with washboards. . .

Meanwhile �Ack� and �Syd� are still locked out on the doorstep repeating themselves while trying to get back inside so they can take up their proper places in line again. �Dent� is sitting on the steps laughing. While you�re remembering the car you had in high school and Bugs Bunny�s Tuxedo is getting very rumpled on stage.
So we�re down to single syllable words now. Many of which begin with �F�!

This is when a message is received from the sentry�s making note of the patience of the other beings in the room. Be they hospital staff, spouses, children or pets. You acknowledge this and then try to stay quiet.

Sleep is best.
Don�t forget lots of water. Dry heaves will make you feel like you�re vomiting through your forehead.
Get warm. Do whatever you have to short of lighting yourself on fire.
Stay still. Very still. And Horizontal. Very Horizontal. If there�s a phone by your bed disconnect it or you�ll be buying a new one should it happen to ring.

When you wake up, dollars to donuts it�ll be dark out. That�s a good thing. What ever you do, do it slowly. It�s funny, (literally), the entire world will somehow hold a rather satirical type of humour to it and you�ll find that you�re laughing at a lot of things. Oddly enough after a brief explanation, others completely understand where you�re coming from. It�s good time to watch the news.
Eat something. Junk food is good. Watch a movie and go back to bed. Hug your dog.
Dog�s are good for migraines, despite the smell. They will sleep an entire day with you and they�re always warm. Good traits for a migraine companion until they sneeze.

Greg Henderson

Greg Henderson <hendershone@sympatico.ca>
Wednesday, October 27, 2004 at 09:06:21

Hi!, I never had a migraine until I was 37 and it was a whopper!! I've been battling them for 7 years now with the same neurologist. A strange thing happened when I started getting them, I started getting all kinds of weird neurological symptoms like MS, still no diagnosis. We have tried everything in the beginning, inderal - all the way up to depakote which made me sicker than a dog. Imitrex never worked < Migrnal worked great for the first 3 times I took it, the 4th time I took it I had a stroke like attack at work of all places!! That's when the doc told me I should told him I go numb on the right side during a migraine. So, it's narc's for me. I try to time my migraines or when I can hang on to go to my doc's office for a demerol shot, to avoid the ER. Not only do I have to suffer in silence for hours waiting in the lobby, but then you get the ER doc who knows more than your neuro, and gives you the 3rd degree. My triggers are weather changes, lack of sleep, beer (I abstain from all alcohol). CRT Glare I use a laptop, since I've been on Topamax, I can actually open my curtains again and for a while the amount of migraines requiring an abort injection subsided!! But, due to some heavy family stress which I sought counseling for to reduce it. Spiked it up again then a few months later due to MS I started having muscle spasms in back, keeping me up at night for 2 mos. They even thought I had kidney stones because of the Topamax. I got chckd. out and am ok. But lack of sleep is one of my biggest triggers, I always try to keep reg. bed rout. and since I couldn't sleep, well you can do the math. The last time I was in the ER, I explained everything to the doc, plus the part where my doc was going to send me to physical therapy. And he told me "I'm going to give your injection, but send a recommendation to your neuro that you see a pain spec.". I am disabled due to both the migraines and the poss. that I have MS. I get so tired of being treated like a junkie when I hate having to take narc. But when you're vicodin/phengran isn't working and you're BP is 146/80 from the pain and you feel like you've been hit in the eye by Pedro Martinez Fast Ball and that pain never stops, you'll take it. He was really surprised by neck was stiff or tight, mine hardly ever does. Before the topamax my migraines could last for weeks. Now, they can grind on for about a week, but my neuro has a cut off of 5 days, because of the stress it puts on my body. How I which I didn't have to take narcotics - but I don't want to have a stroke either. It's just really tiring to have to educate everybody, There's so much ignorance and arrgonance in the medical field.

Brenda <militarymum@earthlink.net>
Sunday, October 24, 2004 at 15:57:02

I have been suffering from migraines for about 12 years now, beginning when I was about 16. I am positive that they are mostly hormone related although some are food related (pepper, spices etc.). I have found that Relpax has been a big help. I couldn't take Imitrex without throwing up. I also took Frova but I couldn't only take it when I was about to go to sleep because it made me so drowsy. The only problem with Relpax is that it is very expensive. In the US, about $35 for 6 pills. But I had my Dr. modify my script for $35 for 18 pills. Which last much longer. I normally only have to take one with my migraines and it goes away in about an hour.

I was on the pill when I was 18 to 22 and although the Drs. claim that it should help the migraine it made it much worse. I would have to go the ER for Imitrex shots. So if you are on the pill and having extreme migraines I suggest that you see your Dr.

And check out Relpax. I love it.

Good Luck.

Katherine <vaterp27@hotmail.com>
Monday, October 18, 2004 at 09:22:34

I've had migraines for years on and off. I experience auras with blind spots usually in the opposite eye that the pain is in. When it first happened I thought I was going blind and went to my eye doctor. He told me it was a migraine. One time I had one so bad I couldn't see at all. Static blocked my vision for about an hour and then the king of migraines hit. It was so bad I had to make myself vomit. Fun stuff! Yesterday I woke up with a blind spot that I discovered while trying to put on my makeup. I knew what was coming so I called in sick to work. I slept for a couple of hours and felt fine. I had no real headache. At least until 1am. It woke me up out of a dead sleep and lasted 3-4 hours. It was so strange that it took so long to happen. They usually happen right after the aura. This headache hit about 18 hours later. Anyway, if anyone experiences auras or homonal headaches, any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

Teri

Teri C <teri0322@aol.com>
Friday, October 15, 2004 at 12:30:19

Dear Fellow Sufferers,

At the age of 23, my family doctor put me on birth control pills, when I got married. A year after, I got pregnant and for some reason I started having dibilitating migraines. Being pregnant I could not take more than extra strength Tylenol, if even. I suffered through most of the pregnancy, barely enjoying the pregnancy experience; this was the beginning of about 20 years of pain and suffering. I have not been able to work and my quality of life in general, had been reduced. Within this time, I tried Sandomigrain, Demerol, other major pain killers and migraine drugs, several visits to the hospital emergency for injections, and acupunture; NOTHING worked. In fact my health was further comprimised by the terrible side effects of the prescription drugs. Last year I had a minor stroke. This was a direct result of a medical drug. Frustrated and at my wits end, I decided to try Homeopathy as suggested by a friend. I could not believe the immediate relief. After much perserverance, I can truly say that today I am MIGRAINE PAIN FREE and swiftly recovering from the stroke. I can't believe the results. From what I've learned, Homepathy CURES. It does not just relieve or suppress the symptoms like drugs do. It gets to the cause and actually CURES! I also went to a Naturopathic Doctor who did TBM Modifications and a detox on my bodily systems of all the prescription drugs, and especially the birth control pills. The birth control pills caused an imbalance in the hormones creating an 'estrogen dominance' in which migraines was a major side effect, as well as strokes and heart attacks. Hormonal imbalances can cause a lot of problems. I am angry at how medical prescription drugs ruined my life. I wasted years, lost my career, couldn't be a full time mother to my children and nearly lost my life. My faith in the medical field has been deminished. I've learned first hand that medical doctors are nothing else but 'legal drug pushers', giving no thought to what they are actually doing to already sick people. Drugs are Chemicals, Chemicals are Toxins, Toxins are Poisons. That's a fact. I'm so sorry I didn't realize this earlier in my life. I could have saved myself a lot pain and suffering. I have learned to take my life into my own hands. I read up on everything, and I ask questions and I research my problem before making any decisions. I will no longer take prescription drugs. I believe that the body is a natural being, so therefore why not treat it naturally. I just wish that the medical society would give up their pride and greed and bend a little. Medical doctors are very intelligent people, but most of them are very narrow minded and ignorant to alternative healing methods. If they lowered their pride and tried to join forces with Naturopathic Doctors, we'd all be in better health and the costs would come down dramatically. After having done much reseach, except for a few provinces in Canada, we are very behind in our health care system, compared to the rest of the world. The Royal Family has been on Homeopathics since it's conception, what does that say? Homeopathy has been around for over 200 years, BEFORE, the chemicals (sorry 'drugs) came around. Drugs, unfortunately are all about money, not about curing people, despite their false claims. Naturopath and Homeopath is gaining strength and the drug companies are pushing more than ever. The drug companies are willing to risk our lives for their revenue. It became a vicious cycle for me. I started on one medical drug to treat one thing and then I had to take another to correct what the last one had done to me. I was being poisoned, slowly but surely. I however, can speak from experience that there is hope. I'm a mother of two beautiful children. Unfortunately, I did not have the good fortune of pursuing my career because of my poor health. I have lost a lot, yet I have learned a lot. There is an answer out there. I am glad to share this with all of you who are suffering. I'm glad there's a forum like this. I know what it's like and I share your pain. Now I'd like to share my joy. I hope that I have enlightened you somewhat to at least do some research and take charge of your own bodies. Don't give them up to trials and errors. We should not be experiments for the drugs companies or pawns for the government and the medical doctors who support them. Be cautious, be aware and be strong.

Thank God my friend referred me to Naturopathic and Homeopathic Doctors...they saved my life! Wishing you all the best in health and in life.
Lucy.

Lucy M <lulu_maz@hotmail.com>
Wednesday, October 13, 2004 at 18:04:50

well I am/have been in all these places that everyone else on here has been. I really hate being treated like a drug addict when I have to go to the er. So I just don't go until hubby or someone comes and hauls my butt out and does it for me. That is how much I hat eot go there. Anyhoo........ About 6 months ago my arm and hand started to go numb. And then it just stayed that way. YUCK! So the doc sends me to a neurosurgeon..... scary as it was. He tells me that I have dumb discs that have decided to bulge and rupture. Not in those exact words but still there were there. I had to have cervical fusion done. NOT FUN! But for a bit my headaches got a lot better. At first I thought it was a pulled muscle from the gym or something but after 2 weeks I knew better. Then came the numb. Now in the past month I feel like I have another pulled muscle and WALA the headaches are back. Guess where I get to go AGAIN. I just thought I would tell you all that maybe some of these damn things are coming from stupid other parts of our bodies making these things happen. I know this is not gonna be a miracle cure as nothing is with these monsters. But it did help mine for a while. I have had these things for 18 yrs and I know that my neck problems are not the only factors but it was making mine worse to the point of me not being able to keep a job. HTH someone.

nikki <sonflr@aol.com>
Sunday, October 10, 2004 at 21:14:19