Hi peoples!!

My name is Jennie I'm 22 years old I have been having migraines ever since i was in year 3 (8 or 9 years old!!).
I first started as just my right hand being numb and then the migraine.. then over the years i have seen spots, lines, half of people's faces missing, hand, arm, face (cheek, gums, tounge)go numb and it is normaly my eyesight first then the numbness but it has swapt a couple of times.

My Nan, Dad, Uncle, his daughter, my aunty, and my 3 sisters have all had their bouts with migraines!!

I started pupity when i was in year three but never got my periods until i was 12 years old, my migraines then come every 3 months so did my periods but i still don't think that they are linked as there is no regular patten with both!!

I have tried alot of drugs to try and help make the come less often but instead they made my tired,cranky and dizzy oh yeah and hungry therefore weight gain...

I had been on the pill since i was 16 until 8 months ago.
I tried the inplant for the pill and i went through depression, i put on 16 kilos in 8 months and had 18 migraines in just 8 months, in this time i had a couple of pethodine (think that's how you spell it!! anyway one time i had the pethodine i had the migraine on oneside and it let up just in time for another one to come on the otherside..

My migraines on average last for 3-4 hours where i have to lie down after that i have a migraine hangover which can last for days on end. I can normally handle light ALOT better than noise, too much noise and i'm sick.

I forgot to say I have only had 2 migraines in the past 8 months which is great!! and they were not every bad..

but that is all i have time for to night thanks for reading!!

I hope i have helped someone drop me a line if you want to talk.

Jennie <jenn8981@hotmail.com>
Wednesday, April 7, 2004 at 07:13:42

Hello One and ALL!

DeeDee <stnkrbell@hotmail.com>
Wednesday, April 7, 2004 at 06:19:58

Hi! I was just searching the web and was amazed to see your site! Although I am sad that there are so many people out there who are hurting and debilitated by migraines, I am relieved that there are people out there who are experiencing the exact same thing that I am. I keep on praying for the pain to go away, and even have prayed that God would just take me onto heaven. I have seen many doctors lately and the last one accused me of being a drug seeker. I just got out of the hospital, and today I saw a pain management specialist, and he is sending me to a different doctor. For the first time, I felt like some one believed me. I'm a 36 year old female, live in the South, and have had several jobs in the past few years that I've had to quit due to illness and headache pain. I am so anxious to hear from other migraine sufferers. Please write: debbie0967@yahoo.com thanks a bunch! this really made my day!
Debbie

Debbie <debbie0967@yahoo.com>
Tuesday, April 6, 2004 at 23:27:46

Update on my new regime: So far I have avoided a migraine. It has been close to two months; I am keeping my fingers crossed. To reinterate, my new regime is: Doubled my Atenolol dose and take one Darvocet when I feel the SLIGHTEST aura or feeling that I may be getting a headache or migraine. I have taken a second Darvocet a few times when I still felt like the migraine might break through. This is not a heavy dose of meds, so I am lucky. I am hoping this works for a while.

Dennis McCowan

dennis mccowan <dennismccowan@yahoo.com>
Friday, March 26, 2004 at 10:50:05

Hey Everyone,

I was wondering if any of you knew of stress relieving ways to overcome migraines. Unfortunetly medication doesn't work unless I sleep, sleep the whole day way and then its gone when I wake up. All the doctors insist it must be due to stress or lack of sleep, and as this year is my year 12, what the hell am I meant to do?

I'd like to know if there are other people in year 12 that suffer from migraines, and what you're doing to help the situation. I'm worried about exams, studying and the pressure and stress, What I wont need is to be unable to perform my best on the end of year and mid-year exams becase of a migraine. This is the rest of my life we're talking about!

Thanx,
Katherine

katheriny <katheriny_7@yahoo.com>
Tuesday, March 23, 2004 at 22:52:49

Please enter a message. :-)I SUFFERED FROM MIGRAINES SINCE AGE 15 NOW 48 . I STUMBLED ONTO A MIRACULOUS COMBO. TAKE MIDRIN 2 AT FIRST THEN 1 EVERY HOUR UP TO SIX. BUT...... YOU MUST TAKE IT WITH PARAFON FORTE ONE EVERY FOUR HOURS. YOU WILL NEVER EVEN NEED NAUSEA MEDS BECAUSE THE HEADACHE NEVER GETS TO THAT POINT. WORKS BETTER THAN IM OR IV MEDS AT DR. OR ER. IF NAUSEA OCCURS GET A VISTARIL 50 FROM YOU DOC, TOO . THIS IS MAGIC . EVEN MY DR. TELLS OTHERS ABOUT THIS . I HAVE A VERY SEVERE CHRONIC BACK PROBLEM AND WOULD LAUGH IF SOMEONE EVEN SUGGESTED PARAFON FOR MY BACK BUT WITH MIDRIN, FOR MIGRAINES ,I THINK IT IS THE MISSING LINK SO MANY ARE LOOKING FOR. HOPE THIS HELPS SOMEONE. I HAVEN'T HAD A HEADACHE BAD ENOUGH TO GO TO DR. OR GO TO ER SINCE 1990!

Please enter your name. :-)OKNOW
Monday, March 22, 2004 at 13:03:07

I FOUND MIDRIN MANY YEARS AGO FROM MY DR. NEXT DOOR. HE TOLD ME THE PROPER WAY TO TAKE MIDRIN IS 2 CAPS INITIALLY THEN ONE CAP EVERY HOUR UNTIL PAIN RELIEVED OR UP TO SIX CAPS DAILY. WORKED ,BUT STILL HAD NECK AND NAUSEA PROBLEMS. ONCE, WHEN AT THE DR, I TOLD HIM THIS AND HE GAVE ME PARAFON FORTE TO TAKE WITH THE MIDRIN AS PRESCRIBED ABOVE BUT ONLY TAKE ONE TAB OF PARAFON FORTE EVERY SIX HOURS. MAGIC!!!!!!!!!! EVEN WHWN HOSPITALIZED MY GASTRO GAVE ME DEMEROL AND PHENERGAN IV. I BEGGED IN ANGUISH UNTIL THE PHARMACY BROUGHT MIDRIN AND PARAFON FORTE. THIS WORKS SO GREAT I RARELY NEED NAUSEA MEDS BECAUSE THE HEADACHE NEVER GETS TO THAT SEVERE POINT. HOWEVER, IF IT DOES I HAVE VISTARIL 50mg .I HAVE VERY CHRONIC BACK PROBLEMS AND WOULD LAUGH AT ANYONE WHO SUGGESTED THAT PARAFON FORTE WOULD WORK FOR MY BACK. HOWEVER, FOR MIGRAINES THIS COMBO IS SO GREAT EVEN MY DR. SUGGESTS IT TO OTHERS BECAUSE HE COULD NOT BELIEVE IT WORKED BETTER THAN MEPERGAN OR DEMEROL AND PHENERGAN. BUT,IT DOES,IT DOES, IT REALLY DOES. IHAVENT HAD TO GO TO RHE ER OR DR. FOR AN IM SHOT IN 8 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

oknow
Monday, March 22, 2004 at 12:48:10

Hi There, After reading 4 pages of migraine letters, i could not believe that EVERYONE was on medication.

WHY?
My migraines are stress related and no amount of medication helps. The next step is finding how to overcome them in some other way.

I know if events are coming up on the calendar my migraines intensify, i try not to worry, but my subconscious takes over,
I am currently organising a trip to Europe for my husband and myself and they are happening BIG TIME, even though i have everything booked and supposedly under control.
I think it is a form of insecurity.

Mind you i tried medication but only threw it back up and injections don't seem to help either they just leave me very hazy for days.

So i would be interested in hearing from someone else who suffers in the same stress related way.

Thankyou for reading my letter, i feel for you all.
Patty,
email: boyer@gcom.net.au

Patty <boyer@gcom.net.au>
Sunday, March 21, 2004 at 00:07:58

I have suffered from migraine headaches since I was in junior high. I am now 27 years old and an elementary teacher. My headaches have always been debilitating, where I would need to lie down in a dark room and sleep off my headache. When I was younger, the headaches would last for 24 hours and include episodes of throwing up. Now that I am older, the headaches seem to be an everyday dull pain on either side of the head. Just this year, I saw a neurologist who concentrates in migraine headaches. I have had my eyes and teeth checked. I have also had an MRI to rule anything out. I currently take Doxepin every evening and Imitrex tablets/shots with the onset of the headache. I feel like a am taking pills all the time. You could pick me up and shake me. Now that I am married (no kids yet), I have noticed my migraines to be more intrucive than just pain. It invades my social life and scares me to think what my headaches will be when I have kids. My one concern is: How do you get your family members to be supportive and understand that this is not just another headache? I don't want my headaches to ruin my life, but on many occasions it does. Help!

Gina James <ginaejames@msn.com>
Tuesday, March 16, 2004 at 19:33:45

Hello,
I posted here about 2 months ago. I visited a neurologist about that time. She prescribed Axert(sp?) but after some thought and re-discusssing this family of meds (same as Imatrex)w/ my primary care doc I decided not to fill it, as I am afraid of the heart attack risk. The neur. told me some of the side effects can be chest pain, locking jaw muscles and I do not feel like waiting to see if these are from the med or an actual heart attack. My primary care doc and I have discussed Imatrex(sp?) since it came out and she has always been adamant I not take it as my father had heart disease and some of my relatives on his side do as well. I am healthy, but don't want the risk, unless nothing else will work. At this point, I demanded better pain meds from my primary care doc, as all she would presribe in the past was fioinol, fiorinol w/codeine (sp?). I got some Vicodin and it seemed to help, if I took it at the first and slightest hint of aura. After, a couple of times, I had a pretty good migraine coming on and ended up taking 2 Vicodins w/in several hours and had to leave work because I ended up getting so sick from them: nausea, cold sweats. I had to drive home with the car window rolled all the way down to let the feezing air keep me from passing out. I threw out the Vicodin and got a script for Darvacet and doubled my beta blocker dosage. For the last month of this regime, I have not had a migraine break through. I have the onset or aura quite a few days a week but have been able to prevent them by taking a Darvacet at the first faintest feeling of aura (sometimes a 2nd, w/in a few hours). I don't know if it is a combo of doubling my beta blocker dose AND the Darvacet or not. I am also hesitant to breath a sigh of relief until I have made it a few more months, as it could all go down hill. I will let you all know. Oh, I have also quit drinking coffe; I only drank 2-3 cups Mon-Fri but think this may have helped, too. Who knows?!

Apparently, my migraines are not as intense as some of you but I have had them for over 40 years (I am 50) and they have surely messed with the quality of both my personal and work life.

Dennis

dennis <dennismccowan@yahoo.com>
Tuesday, March 16, 2004 at 16:40:11

Hi all,

I am 19 y/o turning 20 in two months. I had my first migraine attack about a month and a half ago. First, I had a slight pain in my head behind my eyes which progressively worsen. As it worsen, my vision also became blurry. It eventually led to vomiting. At the time, I didn't realize they were symptoms of migraines. I didn't realize until I had my second migraine attack three days ago. Again, experiencing the same pain and symptoms. I talked to my friend who also has migraines and he was 85% sure that I also have migraines. I learned that migraines is usually genetics. My parents don't have migraines. So why me? In college, I have many things to handle. School work, student organizations, and work. I rarely stress on any of these things. I try to handle each task with patience. I aim for 6-8 hours of sleep every night. If it's not genetics, not stress, and not for the lack of sleep, then what is causing me to have migraines? I'm having final exams next week. I hope my next migraine attack won't occur during that week.

Dickson Cheung <got_ryce@hotmail.com>
Friday, March 12, 2004 at 19:51:56

Hello! everyone,

I am 37 and had severe migraines since i was 11.
I get severe ones almost every week they last for
2 to 3 days I cant do anything, I stay in bed i
vommit, i get hot and cold sweats.
IT has ruined my life in keeping a job,
relationships. I have tried meds to trigger point
injections in back of head, physical therapy.
nothing so far has helped.
I know god is here for us and there must be a
reason why we suffer, hope to get a response
from a fellow sufferer.

stephanie <Loveanimals222@aol.com>
Thursday, March 11, 2004 at 10:24:45

My migraines were absolutely terrible a few years back. Saw doctor after doctor, taking test after test, med after med. Finally, one doctor suggested that I modify my diet and cut out caffeine (found in coffee, tea, soda, chocolate, etc.) alcohol, aspertame and MSG. I can only tell you that after a few weeks, I felt like a completely different person. I still occasionally get a migraine, but not to the extent I had been suffering with them. Just passing on the info to the group in the hopes that it helps someone.

Jay
Sunday, March 7, 2004 at 18:33:25

My name is Gina. I am 45 yrs. old. I have a slow progressive eye disease. It started affecting my eyes 10 years ago. About 2 years ago, as my eyes got worse I started haveing headaches. These headaches are not part of the disease, but rather a result of it. I am lossing my central vision, so I see everything very strange. This puts much stress on my eyes. I have also become very light senative. Almost any type of light causes me pain, even with blue blockers on. Not only do I have these headaches, but my eyes also hurt. Just touching my eyes lids, or moving my eyes around hurts. I was finally put on Pain Pills, Lorcet 7.5. These help, I can finally function on a daily bases due to them. I can finally remember what life was like without pain. However, I'm scared of these pills. I'm only suppose to take 2 a day, but that does work anymore. I have to double the dose to get rid of the pain. I don't want to become addited to pain pills, but I don't want to have the pain either.
These pills only last for a few hours, then the pain comes back.
My family keeps hearing about all these people and how they got hooked on pain pills. They want me to stop taking them, but their not going through the pain, they don't understand. I think I would rather be hooked on pain pills than to deal with the headache pain I have. Just having to deal with lossing my central vision is on thing, but going through this pain is something much more terrible. What should I do. I don't know much about being on pain pills. I've only be on them for about 8 months. Would love to know what other people have to help them. I don't even know what is the most you can take in a day. I don't want to overdose on 4 pills. If you can help, contact me at dbaumer2@charter.net

Gina <dbaumer@Charter.net>
Saturday, March 6, 2004 at 07:53:55

it was great to see that i was not alone that suffered from these headaches. i am almost 37 years old and i had them since i was 4 years of age. i have been on most medicines. i have been recently hospitalized for a bad migraine where they thought that i had a stroke. the doctor actually accused me of being on illegal drugs and that i was going through a withdrawl. right now i am going through a research study where one year ago i had surgery where they removed my frowning muscle , detched my muscle from the nerves in the temple areas and partial removed a muscle in the back of my head. it helped to the degree where i am not getting the headaches in those areas but now i am getting them severly behind my left eye. i am going to have a second surgery on march 16 where they are going to remove a blockage in my nose and straighten my septum. hopefully this will work i need my life back. i had to quit my last job because of them.

bev <bevneff@yahoo.com>
Thursday, March 4, 2004 at 12:09:15