Migraine Sufferers (Charlotte, Concord: dermatologist, college, allergies)

[kja25]

Any other Migraine Sufferers out there? If so, can you recommend a decent doctor?

I have Migraines with aura and before I moved to Charlotte had a primary care doctor that prescribed me rescue-packs. I want to get on daily meds since the frequency is picking up again It has also been a few years since my last CT.

Please help!

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

I used to have severe migraines until my mother showed me a report in her NY Life Ins newsletter about feverfew; I figured they didn't want to pay out any sooner than they had to. There are at least 3 double-blind placebo controlled peer-reviewed studdies that were published in the Lancet (British journal) that showed the frequency and severity of migraines was diminished by taking feverfew on a daily basis. You can also take it only when needed. I checked with my internist and he said it couldn't hurt me. You can get it in any Whole Earth type grocery, even GNC carries it. It comes as a liquid, which I prefer, and in pills. The liquid tastes nasty but I used to take one dropperful per day. I went from 3-4 Immetrex injections per week (having rebound headaches) to one about 8 yrs ago. I occasionally feel a migraine coming on and I take it as a precaution. It was truly amazing. Everyone I've convinced to try it has become a believer!

[Hoagie58]

If you can do it homeopathically, awesome! My wife's neurologist put her on Cymbalta- 60mg to start, down to 30mg daily now. She's not had any migraines since starting. No side effects that we've noticed. Good luck and good health!

[sheenie2000]

I used to get little headaches when chewing gum. I didn't think much of it. Then I started getting major migraines while eating certain types of ice cream and yogurt. I realized aspartame were causing my migraines. I cut out sugar free gum and everything else w/ aspartame in it and I have been migraine free!

I know this doesn't answer your question but maybe it's being caused by a food?

[shefixit]

Try a chiropractor. I know this sounds nuts but I went to the chiropractor when I threw my back out and he asked me "Do you have a migrane?" I had the migrane on and off for about 2 years or so. So I asked him the obvious question "How do you know that I have a migrane?" and he pointed to the xray that he had taken and said ... look, you have a pinched nerve right here. Needless to say he adjusted my back and the migrane was gone! So whenever it comes back, I go to get an adjustment.
A few months later I was visiting a friend in CA. and he complained about his migrane. I told him what happened to me and he went to the chiropractor that week. He called me over the weekend to tell me that miraculously his migrane was gone.
This may not be your case of course but I would certainly look into it. What's the worst that can happen ... even if your headache isn't cured, you're back will feel great
Good luck.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Originally Posted by Hoagie58

If you can do it homeopathically, awesome! My wife's neurologist put her on Cymbalta- 60mg to start, down to 30mg daily now. She's not had any migraines since starting. No side effects that we've noticed. Good luck and good health!

Just a clarification - feverfew is an herb and not a homeopathic treatment. It is full strength.

[BlueLily7]

You are in Concord? You MUST see Dr. Bridget Bongaard, she is excellent and very knowledgable on many many many different medications for migraines, both daily to prevent, and ones to rescue a headache.

If you need a neurologist, Northeast Neurology is very good, I have seen Dr. Russ Bodner there for migraine.

I've suffered for many years. Everyone's headaches are different and will respond to meds differently, but for me after years on end of suffering I found that the magic bullet for me to stop a severe migraine and stay out of the ER, is Relpax taken in combo with some form of pain medicine. I prefer something such as 600mg Motrin but sometimes my headaches have been so severe something narcotic works better but only 1-if taken with Relpax (or Imitrex or any of those type drugs- a narcotic taken alone can make my headache worse, actually, and rebound headaches happen- so the Relpax is a must)..and 2-if I can lie down and sleep it off. For daily medication for prevention, I found that after trying 100 antidpressants and antiseizure medications, as well as Inderal, what worked for me was Verapimil. I'm just telling you this in case you might be looking for meds you haven't tried before, you might ask about sampling these. Because I had tried Imitrex pills, injections, and nasal spray, Amerge, Maxalt, and several other triptans, they all worked similarly, but for some reason Relpax (the same type of med) seems to work MUCH better for me. Any of them work to some extent. Relpax just seems stronger. And as for the verapimil, go figure, I don't know why, but I had tried probably 20 other medications first including ALL the standard migraine meds doctors will give- Inderal, Elavil, Pamelor, Topamax, etc. Verapimil works best.

But seriously, Northeast Neurology's Dr. Bodner, and Dr. Bongaard (who works at the new Integrative Health center at Northeast Medical Center) are both so very good at managing migraines. Also, Dr. Bongaard has made a really bad headache go away in her office before, using massage. I never would have believed it. She is definitely worth seeing. She's a very good primary care physician too.

[BlueLily7]

Feverfew does not work for me at all, but I think it's worth trying. I've also known several people who got help for their headaches by having either dental issues (TMJ) or chiropractor (back, nerves) issues resolved. So for the original poster, it MIGHT be worth going to see a chiropractic doctor or dentist in this area. I will say the primary care dr. I recommended is really good at helping ID triggers- she doesn't just want to bandaid the pain or medicate you, she looks at the whole picture. The feverfew reminded me that over the past few years she's gotten training in some more natural areas- Quantum Touch being one of them. So she (Dr. Bongaard) is one of the very best doctors I think one could be, because she looks at the whole picture and believes in natural and alternative treatments as well but also is knowledgable in traditional medicine as well. This is a rare quality. Usually doctors are hung up into a niche- they either tend to be heavy medication prescribers rather than looking for alternatives or keeping current on their knowledge, or they tend to be too conservative about prescribing medications or using medications for off label use in ways that might be helpful. Or, they're so into alternative health that they shy away from traditional things. Dr. B. is the most well rounded doctor I have ever seen. I quit seeing neurologists when I started seeing her because she is adept at handling ALL of it, no need to refer much to specialists because she's able to handle so much herself. It eliminates a bunch of run around and doctor-go-round. Before her, I had doctors who wanted me to see specialists for everything (Need a mole removed or have a skin issue, go see a dermatologist. Need anything "female" related, let an OB/GYN handle it. For migraine, see a neurologist. Have allergies, see an allergist etc. I love that one doctor was ale to handle it all and resolve things. But yet if something truly warranted seeing someone specialized, of course she'd refer. It's just so nice for a dr. to have such a wide base of knowledge. Plus. she's very caring.

That is how Northeast Neurology was as well. I mean, if you're to the point of seeing a neurologist they're obviously looking at medications, but they are knowledgable about causes and triggers for migraine. I always recommend these 2 places when I see people in that area in need of a dr.

[ECM08]

I know this does not really address the OP's question, but since we're talking about migraine treatments: I've had luck controlling my migraines with caffeine. I've had headaches since before I can remember, when I was a young child. They occurred randomly, sometimes several times a month, and sometimes I wouldn't have one for a month or so. In college I discovered Imitrex and although it worked for me, after a few years I was taking it 4-5 times a month (more than I was comfortable with).

After doing a lot of research, I cut caffeine entirely out of my diet. (This was difficult, since I was a big Diet Coke drinker!) When I feel a migraine coming, I CHUG caffeine (force myself to drink 3-4 cups of coffee even though I hate it). Since my body is no longer used to it, the caffeine hits my system and knocks out the migraine.

It sounds crazy until you realize that one of the main ingredients of Imitrex, Zomig, etc. is caffeine! I've been able to control my migraines like this for the last 2 years. I still can't believe it.

[halliho]

Migraines all through menopause, finally, sublingual Maxalt gave relief, esp if taken early onset. (but the price now, OMG!)

Mostly over them now, thank goodness.
Keep looking for the answer for you, and good luck.