Re: Thank you, Laurie. How medical knowledge changes: migraines

[Guest guest]

I wish I had known that this information would have been helpful to you

before. When son was 15 and he is now 30, he was hospitalized in a unit

specifically for head pain sufferers that hadn't responded to out-patient

therapy or had daily headaches for more than 3 weeks. His had been daily for

6 months, so they didn't even attempt out-patient therapy. They were

required to attend classes 2-3 times per day and families were invited to

join them. This connection between depression and migraines was one of the

first things that we learned. It is often the same chemical malfunction that

causes both and this is why an anti-depressant is often one of the first

meds they use for preventative treatment. Since these migraines can evolve

into seizures in certain people, they often try anti-convulsants as well.

laurie

> From: BDS31@...

> Reply-To:

> Date: Sat, 16 Oct 2004 09:20:16 -0400

> To:

> Subject: Thank you, Laurie. How medical knowledge changes: migraines

>

> Dear Laurie,

> Once again, thanks for your comments. Yesterday I was sent a neuro

> monthly update. One article said that they have ascertained a connection

> between migraine and depression. It went on to say that migraine that

> moves from episodic to daily, increases the risk for depression! Imagine

> that.

> I remember once watching some talk show when my girls very little. It

> was about migraine. A pompous PhD said that if a person gets migraine,

> that person is giving it to herself or himself! I had to restrain myself

> from assaulting the TV.

>

> What he said would make migraine sufferers among the most mentally

> unbalanced people in society, true masochists.

>

> Of course, they know it is strongly genetic. My neuro says they know now

> where migraines start, deep within the brain. They can watch it evolve

> on some brain scans. I never accepted the old over-simplification of it

> being caused by tight muscles and constriction of those area blood

> vessels.

> Just had to get that off my chest.

> Thank you.

> S.

>

>

>

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>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Laurie,

Thanks for the info, which certainly proves the chemical basis for

migraine.

Also, who would not get depressed, getting such incapacitating pain so

often?

I just wish every doctor to get migraine-like symptoms for just once,

only for 15 minutes.

I think one of the reasons better migraine care is happening now (after

having had much agony for 35 years) is that there are many more female

physicians, and it being well-known that women are the major portion of

the patient population with migraine. Both my lady neuro and

gynecologist have suffered migraine.

I remember teaching high school English, and praying to get to the end

of the period so that I could throw up in the bathroom, and not in front

of 35 sophomores.

Can your son take the triptans, Laurie?

If so, do they help? I cannot touch them because of Prinzmetal's angina.

Thanks for the post.

Sincerely,

S.

[Guest guest]

He did not do well on them. He can't even handle the IV ergot that they use

to break a long term migraine. They had to use IV steroids to break it. He

was hospitalized 4 times for migraines, but always left with good control.

One reason that treatments (preventatives) stop working is that the body

tries to fix itself and throws the neurochemicals out of whack again. He was

migraine free for about 5 years, but is again getting them, but not as

severe.

laurie

> From: BDS31@...

> Reply-To:

> Date: Sat, 16 Oct 2004 13:29:15 -0400

> To:

> Subject: Re: Thank you, Laurie. How medical knowledge changes:

> migraines

>

> Dear Laurie,

> Thanks for the info, which certainly proves the chemical basis for

> migraine.

> Also, who would not get depressed, getting such incapacitating pain so

> often?

> I just wish every doctor to get migraine-like symptoms for just once,

> only for 15 minutes.

> I think one of the reasons better migraine care is happening now (after

> having had much agony for 35 years) is that there are many more female

> physicians, and it being well-known that women are the major portion of

> the patient population with migraine. Both my lady neuro and

> gynecologist have suffered migraine.

>

> I remember teaching high school English, and praying to get to the end

> of the period so that I could throw up in the bathroom, and not in front

> of 35 sophomores.

>

> Can your son take the triptans, Laurie?

> If so, do they help? I cannot touch them because of Prinzmetal's angina.

>

> Thanks for the post.

> Sincerely,

> S.

>

>

>

>