Migraine or what

I’ve got a bit of a conundrum and was wondering if anyone had any advice. Was diagnosed about three years ago with RRMS and on Copaxone and have now for the third time in colder weather had neck, eye and headaches, dizzy, sicky etc. This goes on er, from about Oct to Feb. Went to doctor, physio, eye doctor to no avail, got new glasses. My usual neuro (now on maternity leave) said it’s not an MS symptom, her replacement agreed. Now a third listened a bit more and seems quite sure it’s Migraine due to weather change and should keep a diary. Aspirin doesn’t work, Ibu a bit. Am on Nortryp now as they kind of worked before but seems all a bit worse this time. Is this more lesions or just unrelated? Do I want another MRI scan (neuro said in letter to doc if it ‘develops’ what ever that means) - not sure if I want to know. Or is it pre menopausal (am 44)? Sorry long query but am a bit frustrated and low.

I’m not sure if your headaches are constant but I do suffer with migraines and mine didn’t start until I reached 40 and they are definitely linked to hormones although I am not menopausal yet (I have had blood tests to prove it!). Apparently women do have a surge of hormones in their early forties as their bodies’ last ditch attempt to conceive a baby (no, thanks). I have tried all sorts of migraine tablets as normal painkillers do nothing for the intense pain of a migraine, which in my experience is normally one side of my head, typically in my jaw, ear and temple and behind one eye accompanied by nausea and fatigue (great, more fatigue!). I now take a tablet daily called topiramate, the lowest dose took away the nausea but left the pain so my GP increased the dose and so far I haven’t had another migraine.

If your symptoms are similar, it may be worth trying these tablets or just making repeat trips to your GP until you find one that does work. I was coping quite well with the migraines when it was just one per month but when I developed MS as well and the migraines increased to 2 or 3 per month I decided to become a nuisance until my GP found a tablet that works. I decided that the patients that get results are the ones that are constantly at the doctor’s making a pest so I have become one of those people - although I can now just sit back and continue to reorder the tablets as long as they continue to work.

Good luck, hope you find something that gives you some relief.

Tracey

I couldn’t agree more Tracey.

Your GP is only as good as the info that you give them.
If they prescribe tablets and they don’t work – go back and say so.
Sure as eggs are eggs the GP won’t follow up with you to check. If they don’t hear from you again they will assume that you are OK and that the prescription is working.
I don’t want to be a nuisance but it’s my health and I have found GP’s very supportive when I go armed with detailed info about the effects (or failures) of the medication they have prescribed

Jane

Thanks very much, you two and sorry for the late reply (thought I’d get notifications on my mobile…which I perhaps opted out of)! Appreciate your input and info re pre menopause hormone surge. Ditto: Never wanted kids either! The pain has somewhat eased off a little but will bear the Topiramate in mind for the future aargh!

And yeah, you have to be a nuisance otherwise you don’t get anywhere.

Erika

My migraine has recently become very much worse (much like you describe as well). I did a wee bit of research and found that the reason painkillers don’t work is because migraine nausea shuts down the digestive system. So, if you are someone who gets nausea with migraine, you need to take an anti-nausea pill before you take any painkillers - because if the digestive system isn’t working, oral painkillers don’t get digested!

My neuro also prescribed topiramate for me, but I’ve had a weird reaction to it so I’ve had to come off it (which is a damn shame as it causes weight loss in about 10% of people and I definitely wouldn’t mind that side effect!). At the moment I am treating my migraines as and when they happen - using domperidone to stop the nausea and get the digestive system working again, then sumatriptan for the pain. I wanted rizatriptan, aka Maxalt (it’s awesome!!!), but it was too expensive for my GP :frowning:

If you get your migraine a lot, then you should probably go on a preventative. If you get them less often, see if your GP will go for Maxalt wafers (they dissolve on your gums so bypass the stomach). If they’re too expensive then it’ll have to be an anti-nausea med and one of the “triptans”. You have to take them early in the migraine though - don’t wait until the pain is bad - they tend to stop it from happening rather than act as a painkiller.

Karen x

Jane - glad the migraines have eased off a bit. If they come back then you do need to pester your GP and work through the meds available. I’m no longer prepared to suffer in silence!

Karen - I never realised that’s why normal painkillers don’t work. I used to try them but the nausea always won! I used to take Maxalt melts but in my case they only ever worked when I had got to the nauseous, have to lie in a dark room stage and never worked at the early onset of a migraine so that’s one of the reasons why I went back to the GP especially when the migraines became more frequent. The topiramate is working well especially given the stress I have experienced in the past 6 weeks and they have kept the migraines at bay. At worst all I have had is a normal headache which I can cope with.

Tracey

Hi Erika,

I know am a man but no one can tell me why this is not even my neuro but I used to suffer about once a week from a sore head and a really bad migraine about once a month they used to rule my life no pain killers could ease the migraine just left alone in a cold dark room was the only thing I could bare but I had what I didn’t know at the time was my first relapse in August 2006 and was diagnosed in October 2006 but from my first relapse till this day I never had a sore head or migraine I had 1 headache in April 2010 thats when my grandad died I think crying and stress brought that on.

I’m very sorry I know thats not of much help to you I just feel for you I’ve had them since I was a kid I remember having to be collected at school I was so sick and I thought my head was going exploded I suffered like that till I was 30 :frowning:

Mark x

Nothing to do with migraine, sorry!

Mark - just saw your photo - you look exactly like my mate Mark who runs a pub in Somerset! You sure you used to drive trucks? LOL!

Karen x

Karen I never ran a pub I was in plenty but lol

I just drove trucks I did deliver Guiness with my truck for almost 2 years but 10’000 litre tankers lol

Mark x

karen

im amazed about the digestive system shutting down.

i have to say i absolutely love all your bits of information, you are a star !

tried to just quote the first paragraph but soon gave up

thank you very much

mandy xxx

How small is this world?! I used to work for Guinness too :slight_smile:

Kx

Hi Mandy - I knew next to nothing about migraine a couple of months ago, but am having to learn fast! Belinda (Brog64) has been brilliant - I’ve learned loads from her. I also found a migraine forum which had stuff all about the nausea / digestive system thing - useful things, forums…

Kx

My GP prescribed domperidone too after a particularly bad 3 day migraine, I was very sceptical, but what a difference! No painkillers touched it before, now I take that followed by Naratriptan. Like Karen said, as long as you take it early enough, you’ve got a fighting chance. Miserable though aren’t they?