![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Dr. Bob on August 3, 2004, at 17:36:32
In reply to HRT and migraines » partlycloudy, posted by shortelise on August 3, 2004, at 15:18:43
Posted by shortelise on August 3, 2004, at 15:18:43
> HRT gives some migraines. Others it helps control them. For others still, it makes no difference.
>
> Shorte
Posted by partlycloudy on August 4, 2004, at 15:18:32
In reply to HRT and migraines « shortelise, posted by Dr. Bob on August 3, 2004, at 17:36:32
How many Babblers also suffer from migraines, and how do you deal with them?
Posted by gardenergirl on August 5, 2004, at 9:05:17
In reply to Migraines in general - a survey, posted by partlycloudy on August 4, 2004, at 15:18:32
I do, although much less often now that I am on Nardil. Didn't know that was a benefit. :)
I use execedrin, and I sleep.
gg
Posted by Dinah on August 7, 2004, at 22:44:08
In reply to Migraines in general - a survey, posted by partlycloudy on August 4, 2004, at 15:18:32
I do. They tend to come in groups where I get them for a week or so, then I don't get any for a few weeks. The Frova has helped a lot. I know that you can't take tryptans with some psych drugs, and I've ruled those drugs out forever. That stuff is a lifesaver. And I think they were only recently invented?
Anyway, that usually does the trick for me now. Maybe not immediately, but soon. And I no longer get the migraines that seem to last for days with only brief respite.
I tried biofeedback, but biofeedback guy is the only person offering it, and he caused me too much stress.
If I wait too long to take the Frova, and before I had Frova, I either gutted it out or went and lay down in a darkened room. Gutting it out wasn't easy, especially with the visual disturbances.
I've just recently read something about migraines and memory loss. It's truly amazing the wide spectrum of ails that are really migraine spectrum symptoms. I sometimes manage to find it really really cool. When I get a migraine, sometimes I become really aware that what I'm seeing isn't real, it's only the light bouncing into my eyes as a reflection of what's real. It's just an image. And solid objects look rather insubstantial. Everything vibrates.
Sometimes I get optical migraines with no headache at all, just spots of vision loss.
I used to get really worried about all these things until I read Oliver Sacks book on migraines and realized how common they were. I went to see a headache specialist neurologist, but I'm doing well enough now that I've been formally assessed and put on the proper medication that I've been released to my primary care physician.
Posted by Aphrodite on August 8, 2004, at 14:00:42
In reply to Migraines in general - a survey, posted by partlycloudy on August 4, 2004, at 15:18:32
I've suffered for as long as I can recall. They usually come in clusters, and then I won't have one for weeks. They are often stress-induced. Zomig is the only thing that works for me, but the trick is to take it as it's coming on. After it's a full-blown migraine, nothing works except a cool dark room with no noise and waiting it out. I find an ice pack over my forehead helps, too.
Posted by gardenergirl on August 9, 2004, at 4:09:34
In reply to Re: Migraines in general - a survey, posted by Aphrodite on August 8, 2004, at 14:00:42
Thanks for reminding me of something I forgot. With the excedrin, I also need to make sure I catch it and take it in time. Otherwise the migraine is a runaway train.
gg
Posted by Lonely on August 12, 2004, at 18:35:56
In reply to HRT and migraines « shortelise, posted by Dr. Bob on August 3, 2004, at 17:36:32
I've been on HRT for 3 years and did not notice any effect on headaches. I think mine are mainly chronic sinusitis anyway (that's what catscan shows) but once in a while are so severe I'm nauseated but it was like that long before HRT.
Something I have learned, though, from a doc who was a full prof at a major med school for many years ... HRT varies a great deal from doc to doc. I'm on ethinyl estradiol (used to be brand name Estinyl but don't think it's made any more) which is completely different than the most popular estrogens now prescribed such as Premarin. Ethinyl estradiol is a PRECURSOR to estrogen. Also, about every 5 weeks I add on a natural form of progesterone (lozenge that dissolves under the tongue) for 10 days to be sure uterus empties out completely (period) to avoid endometrial carcinoma. What gynecologists do to women really runs my blood cold! I'm really glad this is one time I have exceptionally good care! And, I might add, that the so-called research that indicated all the bad things about HRT were highly flawed. A large percentage of those women already had heart disease and HRT most assuredly will not cure it.
> Posted by shortelise on August 3, 2004, at 15:18:43
>
> > HRT gives some migraines. Others it helps control them. For others still, it makes no difference.
> >
> > Shorte
>
Posted by karlak13 on August 21, 2004, at 21:12:55
In reply to Migraines in general - a survey, posted by partlycloudy on August 4, 2004, at 15:18:32
I used to get around 8 migraines a month and 8 cluster headaches a day, year round. I have found that botox injections prevent my migraines. I have tried over 35 different meds to prevent my cluster headaches and nothing works. Including biofeedback, chiropractor, message, magnets, magnesium, feverfew, acupuncture, etc. The only thing that gives me any relief is methadone or duragesic patch.
Posted by Jai Narayan on August 22, 2004, at 17:13:26
In reply to Re: Migraines in general - a survey, posted by karlak13 on August 21, 2004, at 21:12:55
Migraines: I have had these for years but for the last 17 years I have had a respit.
What I ended up doing is:
as soon as the aura (visual disturbance) would hit I'd pop 200mg of Natures Plus Niacin. I'd go home and rest. Within a few minutes I'd get a niacin flush. This flush would redistribute the blood to the surface of my skin. The sensation is like a prickly rash. I would wake up and feel a slightly disassociated all the next day. But no headache.
I no long can tolerate the sensation because of my skin rash so thank god I don't get the headaches anymore.Cluster headaches are a whole different ball game. As far as I know there is nothing for them yet. They are the worst.
Posted by florence on September 18, 2004, at 18:39:39
In reply to Re: Migraines in general - a survey, posted by Jai Narayan on August 22, 2004, at 17:13:26
I suffered with menstrual migraines for over 20 years. They lasted days and days-the intensity lessened toward the end of my period. I found Provera and other symthetic progesterone made them WORSE. My headache specialist was up on the "latest" treatments: I was one of the first persons in the country to take Prozac. It helped for about a year. Then I tried, Zoloft, Vivactil, etc. There was supposedly a serotonin connection with migraines. Nothing worked. I tried at least 40 different medicines. I waited 2 years for Imitrex to be put on the market. It did nothing.
I wish I had known that migraines are complex medical conditions for which there is no cure. I am angry that I was never given fiorinal for the pain-my sister has taken it for at least 20 years. (But she lives in a different city so I couldn't see her dr.) I finally did my own research becuz I couldn't understand why menstrual migraines were the most difficult to treat: after all, I knew EXACTLY when they were going to occur.
I ended up seeing a top gyno who put me on Lupron and these shots stopped my period. FINALLY some relief! Yet, I think the Lupron triggered my Hashimoto's disease and/or depression.
I don't get migraines now since I spontaneously went into menopause after stopping the Lupron.
My migraines seemed to come about when my estrogen levels fell. Now, I am so fatigued and depressed: My estrogen level is virtually non-existant so if I try to take some estrogen to help with depression or energy, I am afraid of getting the migraines again.
Has anyone tried bioidentical hormones?
Posted by Lonely on September 18, 2004, at 19:07:06
In reply to Re: Migraines in general - a survey, posted by florence on September 18, 2004, at 18:39:39
If you're post menopausal and uterus has been removed you could be on low dose estradiol (preferably ethinyl estradiol) all the time.
You've had some complex issues here with the thyroid disease being thrown in. I had a failing thryroid a couple years ago but through a thyroid releasing hormone challenge test (hard to find someone to run it because it's different than the standard tSH test),it was identified before I entered full blown hypothyroidism. And hypothyroidism DOES cause DEPRESSION. My endocrinologist/reproductive medicine specialist of 27+ years has told me that most depression in women (I believe he meant post menopausal) is caused by a lack of estrogen so that tends to add up in your case. Also, estrogen tends to make blood vessels more elastic so that might be a factor too.
You might try seeing a reproductive medicine & endocrinology specialist. It doesn't matter that you're not trying to have a baby (I wasn't, either). The fact is, that hormone screw-ups have a major impact on the psyche and the body. The brain is part of the body! Gynecology, by the way, is a surgical specialty and doesn't work well for hormone issues. And it's also a fact that anti-depressants are just crutches, useful and life saving crutches for many people, but they do not cure the true underlying disease. Probably because in part no one fully understands the underyling disease.
Best of luck to you.
_______________________________________________________________> I suffered with menstrual migraines for over 20 years. They lasted days and days-the intensity lessened toward the end of my period. I found Provera and other symthetic progesterone made them WORSE. My headache specialist was up on the "latest" treatments: I was one of the first persons in the country to take Prozac. It helped for about a year. Then I tried, Zoloft, Vivactil, etc. There was supposedly a serotonin connection with migraines. Nothing worked. I tried at least 40 different medicines. I waited 2 years for Imitrex to be put on the market. It did nothing.
> I wish I had known that migraines are complex medical conditions for which there is no cure. I am angry that I was never given fiorinal for the pain-my sister has taken it for at least 20 years. (But she lives in a different city so I couldn't see her dr.) I finally did my own research becuz I couldn't understand why menstrual migraines were the most difficult to treat: after all, I knew EXACTLY when they were going to occur.
> I ended up seeing a top gyno who put me on Lupron and these shots stopped my period. FINALLY some relief! Yet, I think the Lupron triggered my Hashimoto's disease and/or depression.
> I don't get migraines now since I spontaneously went into menopause after stopping the Lupron.
> My migraines seemed to come about when my estrogen levels fell. Now, I am so fatigued and depressed: My estrogen level is virtually non-existant so if I try to take some estrogen to help with depression or energy, I am afraid of getting the migraines again.
> Has anyone tried bioidentical hormones?
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Health | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.