Daughter suffering with daily migraines

[hannasnana]

It seems that a person that suffers regularly from migraines needs combinations of meds. Carscheles, what do you use the prozac for? I know it only as a anti-depressant. How does it help you? What do you mean by fioricet as a rescue?
My daughter starts the day with a low headache. As the day progresses into the nite its usually at its worst.......We have been off of the axert for a few days because the we switched pharmacies and they had to order it.

To you both, did you have problems with memory or (as I call it, brain scrambling) after the severe headaches started. I tell my daughter things and it gets mixed up in her brain. I think that might be part of her memory problem. Its almost like she has had brain damage. She has not done drugs..;o) She is a homeschooler and since being ill with the headaches she never leaves home very much anymore. She is studying at the local high school to get her GED. Sometimes she makes it twice a week. Also with the headaches she is nausiated alot.......dizzy and she seems to be having eye problems.

Thanks for listening....;o) I feel helpless as a mom...........

[hannasnana]

Mother of Six., Thank you for sharing. You have been more help than our neurologist. I'm afraid he doesn't explain very much. AND I know, thats the time to find a new Dr. I'm learning more from the internet than from him and paying him double a normal Dr.

Won't I have to get a prescription of Amerge from a DR?
Thanks!

[mother of six]

You're welcome hannasnana . I'm glad I could help in some small way. I'm sure you have heard that certain foods trigger migraines. Your daughter may want to monitor her diet. Maybe it's something she is eating or drinking. I was just told the other day that aspertame in diet soda gives some people headaches. You will need a script for Amerge. I believe it's fairly new. My family doctor gives me the prescriptions because I no longer feel the need for a neurologist. I know how difficult it is to watch someone you love suffer needlessly. You sound like a very loving, caring and strong mother and like you I have found these boards to be very helpful. Best of luck to you and your daughter !

[mother of six]

I just thought of another remedy I have tried and you may want to look into, Botox. I believe it was approved for the use of migraines. I actually had it done once. I had a shot of it right into the side of my head. I did feel relief but I had some numbing in my face where I received the shot. Best of luck to you again!

[carscheles]

hannasnana,

The doctors use a "step" approach in treating chronic migraines.

The first step would be a daily preventative. There are actually no FDA approved migraine preventatives so the doctors prescribe medications that they know relieve migraines but are not actually considered migraine medications. These could be SSRIs (Prozac, etc), Anti-epileptic medications (Topamax, etc), Heart medications, and so on. The added benefit of giving Prozac is that there is medical evidence that a great number of people with migraines also have depression.

Next step would be an abortive. You would take this on the days your daily preventative wasn't working. Usually these are in the drug class of Triptans. Some Triptan names are Axert, Amerge, Imitrex, Zomig, Frova, and so on.

Third step would be a rescue medication. If you took your maximum dose of abortive and still had a whopper of a headache, this is where you take something to "rescue" you. Fioricet is a mild sedative, acetaminiphin, and caffiene combination. Fioricet/Fiorinal (aspirin instead of acetaminiphin) are the most common rescue medications for migraine because they seem to work for most migraine patients. Other rescue medications would be your pain killers & muscle relaxers.

Obviously the most important step is to find a great preventative which would cut down on the use of abortives and rescue meds.

Yes I have memory problems, dizzy problems, and ocassional naseau too. When you say she has eye problems do you mean the headache is in her eye area or do you mean that her vision gets distorted? I am one of those people who have Classic Migraine which means I get a visual aura (bright shining wavy lines) before a migraine.

Has she had a CT Scan yet? I would request one if she hasn't - just to rule out anything else.