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  • Well, I have an official diagnosis

    My headaches actually are migraines. I wasn't sure because they seemed to match symptoms of cluster and I don't have any of the classic migraine symptoms like aura or nausea. I also thought migraines were bilateral and mine are only ever on the right side behind my eye (like someone is jamming a blunt object in my eyehole). I am having lunch and then off to the pharmacy for my usual scripts and a new one: Imitrex. Doc also said a baby aspirin a day helps.
    "Is it hot in here to you? It's very warm, isn't it?"--Nero, probably

  • #2
    I don't always have classic symptoms but have suffered with migraines since I was at least 10 years old. Sometimes I'll have a visual aura, sometimes nausea, sometimes, nothing and bam! headache!

    I started on Imitrex injections about 10 or 12 years ago and it worked wonderfully. My GP (that I worked for) switched me to the oral version later on for convenience (9 tablets vs 2 injections). I later switched GP's and she put me on Treximet due to some side effects of the Imitrex. Yes, technically they both have the same active triptan ingredient, but the Treximet is a slightly lower dose along with naproxen being added. Those worked even better for me...until my medical insurance decided they weren't going to pay for it anymore and I had to switch back to Imitrex.

    I use mine sparingly since the side effects can sometimes be as bad on me as the headache was. My BP has been elevated slightly since I gained some weight and getting that under control was the biggest help though I do still have the occassional h/a.

    I'm glad you have a diagnosis and a decent medication to try.

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    • #3
      Thanks! I have gotten to 219 lbs but at least my BP is good. That is something to be thankful for. They had previously told me it was on the high end of normal but I think the fact that I'm often in pain when I go in accounts for that. I have scoliosis. I wonder sometimes if that can cause migraines.
      "Is it hot in here to you? It's very warm, isn't it?"--Nero, probably

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      • #4
        Congrats on getting diagnosed. I'm sorry that it was with migraines though.

        I have had them all my life, but they can be caused by all sorts of things and can be in different areas of the brain. Both my parents and sister also suffer from them. No migraine is ever the same as anyone else's.

        Depending on what has triggered mine, I can have pain only across the back of the head, down either side, across the top of eyes/head or all over the head. (The last sucks because even a super soft pillow hurts.) I've not ever had the vision issues, but all light hurts when I have one. I'm also super sensitive to sounds and smells when they hit. The smells issue is sometimes an early warning sign for me.

        I'm one of the lucky one's though. I only get them a handful of times a year and have found good drugs that work. I'm fuzzy headed for 24-36 hours afterward but that is partially the after effects of the migraine and partially the really strong drugs.

        I hope the suggested drugs help you with the pain and don't leave you like a zombie.
        A good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read. - Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!

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        • #5
          Quoth Food Lady View Post
          Thanks! I have gotten to 219 lbs but at least my BP is good. That is something to be thankful for. They had previously told me it was on the high end of normal but I think the fact that I'm often in pain when I go in accounts for that. I have scoliosis. I wonder sometimes if that can cause migraines.
          My weight has jumped up to over 200# the last few years (after I quit running). However my BP is generally in the 120'ish over 80'ish range which would normally be an excellent reading. MY normal is 90/60 so 120/80 was enough of an increase to trigger my H/A.

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          • #6
            I deal with migraines all the time. I even have intermittent FMLA for it, so look into that. It will require a doctor's note of course. I woke up with one at 2am, it's now almost 6:30 and I'm at work just dreading hearing the background noises on the phone with people. Loud noises or high pitched ones will drive me nuts today.
            https://www.youtube.com/user/HedgeTV
            Great YouTube channel check it out!

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            • #7
              Tried generic Imitrex for the first time today. I can't tell if it helped because normally my migraine would have lasted 3 hours anyway. It's possible it took that long to start working because I wasn't sure if it was going to be a migraine or not and I didn't take it soon enough. The one thing I'm fairly certain of is that it was caused by lack of sleep and work stress. (I'll post about that later.)
              "Is it hot in here to you? It's very warm, isn't it?"--Nero, probably

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              • #8
                oddly enough I've never taken Imitrex. I take fioricet. IT's old school I guess but it WORKS. Or at least helps a great deal.
                https://www.youtube.com/user/HedgeTV
                Great YouTube channel check it out!

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                • #9
                  My doc advised a preventative measure: take a low dose aspirin every morning to deal with blood flow. That's what he does. Anyone else hear of that? At least I got to lay down for an hour at work. That helped.
                  "Is it hot in here to you? It's very warm, isn't it?"--Nero, probably

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                  • #10
                    Quoth Food Lady View Post
                    My doc advised a preventative measure: take a low dose aspirin every morning to deal with blood flow. That's what he does. Anyone else hear of that? At least I got to lay down for an hour at work. That helped.
                    Aspirin, and sometimes low-dose aspirin, is often taken by cardiac patients. So I would assume it has something to do with blood flow.

                    So yeah, if you're taking the 81mg, that's probably OK. I'm taking 81mg every day myself, but for a different reason.
                    Skilled programmers aren't cheap. Cheap programmers aren't skilled.

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                    • #11
                      I'm under the impression that cardiac patients take low-dose aspirin as a blood thinner. Wikipedia talks about it a bit.
                      Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, you speak with the Fraud department. -- CrazedClerkthe2nd
                      OW! Rolled my eyes too hard, saw my brain. -- Seanette
                      she seems to top me in crazy, and I'm enough crazy for my family. -- Cooper
                      Yes, I am evil. What's your point? -- Jester

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                      • #12
                        Quoth Deserted View Post
                        I'm under the impression that cardiac patients take low-dose aspirin as a blood thinner. Wikipedia talks about it a bit.
                        That's probably why, yeah. And why it's low-dose. It was prescribed to me after my medical procedure a couple of years ago, along with another drug.
                        Skilled programmers aren't cheap. Cheap programmers aren't skilled.

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