Severe Chronic Migraines

[hawaii2484]

I have suffered from Severe Chronic Migraines for 14 years. I experience rigorous unilateral pain on my temporal and frontal bones, earache, and neck pain. I cannot see or walk straight, and I experience intense nausea. The head, ear, neck pain, and nausea will last for days after an initial episode. I do not experience triggers, but I do experience auras, to that which involve intense temporal pulsing and tunnel vision. Last year, I was involved in a minor car accident at home. An intense aura caused me to drive into the side of my garage, and from that point, I decided to seek professional help.

 

My MD prescribed 5.0mg Hydrocodone and Imitrex. The Imitrex was $200 for 9 pills, and it made me faint, so I discontinued use. When I called for an Rx refill, my MD prescribed 7.5mg Hydrocodone at $5 for 60 pills. I've tried Maxalt (did nothing for the pain, but made my chest and breathing tight), Corgard (made my blood pressure drop and I passed out), Imitrex (too expensive), and Sarafem (made me depressed), but my body only responds to the Vicodin in regards to knocking out the pain. This cannot go on forever. I have been on Vicodin for 8 months, and I do not want a life dependent on pills. My liver cannot handle it. I need to try something completely different – something natural and safe.

 

I had my medical records sent to the Troy Center for Compassionate Care, and I was denied admittance into the program. I didn't know that denial/acceptance took place over the phone. I thought that they'd at least see me and listen to me. I myself am a pre-med student, and I was taught that treating a patient begins with listening to them. I asked the Care Center why I was being denied, and they responded by saying there wasn’t a reason to be given.

 

Am I going about this the wrong way? Is my condition not considered treatable via medical marijuana? I would greatly appreciate insight, Dr. recommendations, other remedies, etc. Without some type of pain management, I am at risk of losing my job and having a normal life, pain free.

 

I have horrible insurance, my deductible is extremely high, and I cannot afford a neurologist. Please, I would appreciate advice and someone who will listen.

 

Thank you,

hawaii

[+Annnie]

Let me suggest just trying another clinic.. Your condition qualifies and it is confusing that they didnt sign your certification. Unless something isnt on the up and up.

[thanks2]

Yeah, what Annie said.

[Guest Marywanna]

Go to the Migraine Headache Clinic at U of Michigan. Info on their website.

[hawaii2484]

Thank you for your replies. I will take all of the advice to heart. I have been receiving primary treatment the moment I could afford it, January 2010. I am not a smoker, so I don't know if this treatment will work for me. Too many remedies have failed.

[jinx]

Was your condition made worse with the "minor" accident you had in driving into your garage ? If so, contact me re pm asap !

[hawaii2484]

Thank you, again.

 

I will investigate the UofM clinic. I can part with a few hundred dollars, but not a thousand. I just don't have it.

 

I used to see a chiropractor from [i believe] '98 to '04. When I was no longer on my dad's insurance, I had to leave the practice. The Dr. conducted several x-rays over years of treatment. Should I submit these records along with my present migraine treatment?

[+wolfgang]

I too am a migraine sufferer,and chronic headaches,since I was a child,I was qualified in Jackson

[1337Gr33n]

So sorry to hear, Hawaii. My ex-wife suffered from migraines for years and years. There is a clinic in Chelsea that is run by some doctors from Ann Arbor, but i am unsure on whether they are affiliated with U of M or not. I know that Dr. Bix (see AKenewell above) is a great reference for a compassionate clinic that will take your health very seriously.

 

But AKenewell is right, you should also make some attempt at finding your triggers. That is what almost all headache clinics attempt to find. They just examine and document EVERYTHING about your life. They look at your diet, your sleep regime, your drinking habits or preferences, environmental factors at your home and workplace, and on and on. If you can document these to the Nth degree, chances are good that you can find at least some of your triggers that cause your migraines. But, you still need pain management. My ex-wife found Canna-brownies to be very effective in managing her pain.

 

I have also heard the there are two main types of headaches treated in opposite ways. Some headaches are caused by too much Vasal Dilation, and the others are caused by Vasal Constriction. (one makes your head hurt if the vessels open up too much and blood flows too quickly through them. Whereas the other causes pain when the vessels are too constricted, and the blood is bottle-necking in them.) If you find that certain classes of medicine tend to be more helpful for you than others, this may give you a clue to some part of the root of your headaches.

 

You may have already heard a lot of this stuff already, either through your doctors, or online. But i can feel for you and what you're going through. So, i just want to throw out all kinds of stuff to you. Take the meat, and throw away the bones. I am hoping you find some relief, and of course, some compassion, along the way.

 

(i edited my misspelling of AKenewell's name!)

Edited August 3, 2010 by 1337Gr33n

[tooldini]

I am confused as to why you did not qualify. If you have chronic pain and documentation to verify this you should be OK. I went to the clinic in southfield.They were nice and treated me well

[cantibliss]

I got my rec from a Doctor in Sterling Heights for Migraines.

 

He accepted my paperwork, some news clippings, and a prescription for the Migraines my family practitioner prescribed.

 

Dr. Frederic Neuman

39880 Van Dyke

Sterling Heights, MI 48313

(586) 939-9060

[Mememe]

Neuro-biofeedback helps me sometimes, but it wears off after 2 days max. Moonshadow-(Chemo X Hash)X Cinderella 99 can take away a headache in minutes that would sometimes take me out for 4 days. I have Frontal/temporal lobe damage and a couple of bleeders from a car accident.

[cantibliss]

I am confused as to why you did not qualify. If you have chronic pain and documentation to verify this you should be OK. I went to the clinic in southfield.They were nice and treated me well

 

Probably from the legal pressure the compassionate medicine doctors face. Not so much as the condition for which is applied, but, the other end of the scope.

 

Try going to the Dr I mentioned in a earlier post.

[sknkwrks]

Thank you, again.

 

I will investigate the UofM clinic. I can part with a few hundred dollars, but not a thousand. I just don't have it.

 

I used to see a chiropractor from [i believe] '98 to '04. When I was no longer on my dad's insurance, I had to leave the practice. The Dr. conducted several x-rays over years of treatment. Should I submit these records along with my present migraine treatment?

 

hawaii, I get clusters bad so i feel your pain and that of others. mine are so bad that i now take my doctor medication threw injections. I noticed that you said you have bunny muffin insurance and that you could come off a cpl hundred not thousand and if thats the case dont even look at UofM. I just went to my last appointment last thursday and i am really no better off. Please dont missunderstand what im saying they didnt do any wrong nor were there any problems I got top notch insurance and the copays from UofM were killing me its your copay then hospitial charges because all there testing must be done at UofM hospital and not any of the clinics. Now i have seen them all the best treatment i received was from a doctor from the DMC he was the one that got me into UofM he went to med school with the head doctor of the headache clinic.thats the other thing you cant just call them and make an app. you gotta get a referal from another doctor then wait 4 months for an appointment. like i said i dont want it to seem like im trashing them im not its just more of a headache then the headaches to deal with the place and its gonna cost no matter what insurance. PM me some time ill give you my number and i may be able to help out in some way and as far as getting turned down thats sum BULL S@*# !!!

[Medology]

Hawaii,

 

I too suffer from sever and chronic migraines and have been on every med you mentioned including a couple others. I also suffer from 10+ years of insomnia sleeping 2 to 4 hours per night which tends to lead into small headaches almost daily. I qualified. My primary physician didn't approve me, she refused to even discuss MMJ with me. I mentioned that I had tried it, and that it worked and she instantly dismissed it. I mentioned it to a neighbor who then referred me to a Dr. in Rochester Hills that checked out my records and approved me. PM me if you are close to that area and would like his contact info.

 

Just as an fyi to whether it works or not.... yes it does. If I inhale it as I'm experiencing aura effects, it reduces the migraine to a bad headache, which I can then knock out with a couple of Excedrin or just take a nap. As for insomnia, inhalation works great, but I've found edibles works better and the sleep is longer, or just more sound.

 

I hope that helps. As a fellow migraine sufferer, I feel your pain. They sometimes wake me up in the middle of what little sleep I get with a mad dash to the toilet to vomit. Nothing sucks more than that....for me anyway.

[GanjaWarrior]

go to dif doc...i got in for same reason u didnt

[hawaii2484]

Thank you for all the great advice and suggestions.

 

I was given a recommendation to the Pain Management Clinic of Rochester Hills. Has anyone heard of this place? Are they understanding and compassionate, or will they throw more pills my way? The cost of treatment will determine if I can go. I would like to avoid pills if at all possible.

[Phil78]

you do realize that treatment with marijuana is not cheap, either, right?

 

have yourself checked out. masking issues with mj can get you dead. you could have signs that are alerting you, but not "see" them. know your problems.

 

you also need to keep in mind that while it is legal in michigan to use mj for medicinal use, michigan's employers do not have to allow you to use it. meaning, just because you have a card, doesn't mean you'll be able to get/keep a job if the employer finds out. i doubt that would change even if it were totally legal.

[Guest Marywanna]

Hawaii,do you mean Dr Vijay Thomas and Dr Kerkar in Rochester Hills? If you do,start with Dr Kerkar. He is the greatest guy and works with a very knowlegable Neurosurgeon, Dr Robert Ho. They practice at Crittenton and Troy Beaumont. Yes, I would reccommend them,Dr Kerkar is the one you want. Dr Thomas is okay,but has the personality of a dishrag. Also,at U of M,I am pretty sure you do not need to have insurance,it is a teaching hospital. If you can't get in there,go to their ER next attack you have. Cleveland Clinic is also a teaching foundation,so they take pts without insurance too and also have a great Migraine Program at their Neuro Dept. I don't know if MJ will help you,but you need to see someone about these dangerous migraines. MW

[NEDMBlitz]

I too have experienced extreme migraines for most of my life. Usually on an everyday basis I have some form of headache, the worst of which leave me in a pitch black room for days on end not even able to move my eyes without horribly debilitating pain.

 

When my parents still had insurance I was taken to a St. John's clinic where I was prescribed various drugs such as isometheptene, dichloralphenazone, amitriptyline, and acetaminophen, none of which seemed to help. The amitriptyline would make me slow and useless and the others just didn't help, they didn't seem to do anything.

 

When I hit my "rebellious," you could say, teenage years I began experimenting with marijuana only to find out that it not only would ease the pain of my worst headaches but it would completely get rid of the lesser ones. To this day I still self-medicate with the drug with fabulous results, but I'm tired of constantly risking my freedom and my career just in order to keep something as simple as headaches at bay.

 

I know marijuana works, I just don't know where to start to legally medicate. I don't know who to talk to or what steps I need to take. If anyone could take a few minutes and help, I would be infinitely grateful.

[Letterhead954]

Hey Hawaii. I suffered from severe migraines for 27 years. A few years ago they just stopped, so there's hope for you in the future. I went for many years to the Michigan Head Pain and Neurological Institute in Ann Arbor. They tried medication after medication with me, usually switching every year. Perhaps it helped some, but sure didn't solve the problem. They were quite stingy with pain meds. I sure wish I had mmj then. Those years sure would have been more tolerable if I had effective pain control. MHNI does offer biofeedback however. I don't know how effective that is but it might be worth checking out. The clinic is pretty expensive though. Best wishes in your search for help. This isn't a condition I would wish on my worst enemy, if I had one:)

[Guest drcanna-pest]

I have suffered from Severe Chronic Migraines for 14 years. I experience rigorous unilateral pain on my temporal and frontal bones, earache, and neck pain. I cannot see or walk straight, and I experience intense nausea. The head, ear, neck pain, and nausea will last for days after an initial episode. I do not experience triggers, but I do experience auras, to that which involve intense temporal pulsing and tunnel vision. Last year, I was involved in a minor car accident at home. An intense aura caused me to drive into the side of my garage, and from that point, I decided to seek professional help.

 

My MD prescribed 5.0mg Hydrocodone and Imitrex. The Imitrex was $200 for 9 pills, and it made me faint, so I discontinued use. When I called for an Rx refill, my MD prescribed 7.5mg Hydrocodone at $5 for 60 pills. I've tried Maxalt (did nothing for the pain, but made my chest and breathing tight), Corgard (made my blood pressure drop and I passed out), Imitrex (too expensive), and Sarafem (made me depressed), but my body only responds to the Vicodin in regards to knocking out the pain. This cannot go on forever. I have been on Vicodin for 8 months, and I do not want a life dependent on pills. My liver cannot handle it. I need to try something completely different – something natural and safe.

 

 

 

I have my card for having Migraines specifically. If you are near West Michigan area let me know...I can lead to you basically the only physician in Muskegon that will sign the papers...

I had my medical records sent to the Troy Center for Compassionate Care, and I was denied admittance into the program. I didn't know that denial/acceptance took place over the phone. I thought that they'd at least see me and listen to me. I myself am a pre-med student, and I was taught that treating a patient begins with listening to them. I asked the Care Center why I was being denied, and they responded by saying there wasn’t a reason to be given.

 

Am I going about this the wrong way? Is my condition not considered treatable via medical marijuana? I would greatly appreciate insight, Dr. recommendations, other remedies, etc. Without some type of pain management, I am at risk of losing my job and having a normal life, pain free.

 

I have horrible insurance, my deductible is extremely high, and I cannot afford a neurologist. Please, I would appreciate advice and someone who will listen.

 

Thank you,

hawaii

[Indicat]

GO TO ANOTHER CLINIC.

 

i qualified for MMJ for migraines. there is a doctor out there who will sympathize with you, trust me.

 

im amazed that the seriousness of your condition wasn't enough for them. truly amazed.

 

best of luck.

[Guest drcanna-pest]

If you are in Western Michigan Call me!!! I have my card specifically for Migraines and know a physician in Muskegon who will sign your papers no problem!!!

[+ladyherb]

I qualified for migraines- and I can honestly say it is the one and only thing that is 100% effective.

 

I have been to every type of doctor and specialist you could think of- and been inpatient twice for a month at a time to study my migraines...... WITH NO SUCCESS. (the only thing I hadn't tried when I discovered MMJ was acupuncture)