Migraines - some people just can't get relief

Migraines are such a nasty companion. They can sneak up on you or they can surprise you and drop in unexpectedly. They can make your life inconvenient or they can turn your life upside down. Whichever they do - they are distinctly unwelcome guests.

Why is it that we have so many treatments available and yet, there are so many migraineurs who can't find relief from their agony?

Some people are fortunate and can find relief with over-the-counter medications. They often have to combine this with lying in a dark room or some other similar action, but the pain will go away. Others are able to take abortive drugs, which means that if they feel the migraine coming on, they take this medication - if all works well - the migraine is stopped before it can take hold.

For those who can't use abortive meds and for whom OTC medications don't work, there are stronger prescription medications. There are also preventative medications, often medications for high blood pressure (antihypertensives) or depression (antidepressants). That's not to say that the migraines are because you're depressed - it's because the researchers and doctors have found that there is something in the antidepressant that can work on migraine pain.

If you're one that opts for alternative or complementary medicines, there is acupuncture, reiki, chiropractics, and others. And then, there's those who can't find relief from anything they've tried. I've considered using acupuncture for my migraines, I'm very pro acupuncture now - but I wonder if you have to go when you have one or you can go at any time in the hopes of preventing one. I'll have to look into that.

I am lucky, my migraines have dropped from almost every day, when I was in my early twenties, to only a couple of times a month - and some months it's only once. I'm hoping it's the hormonal thing we women go through eventually. :-) I'm not at that point yet, but I'm sure things are starting on the most basic chemical levels.


Today at Help My Hurt:

Ergonomics: a brief video of author Deborah Quilter
Pros and cons of ergonomic products
Random thought - why does predisone taste so bad??
Press release: Treximet (Sumatriptan and Naproxen Sodium) Approved by FDA for Acute Treatment of Migraine
Exercises to reduce the risk of RSIs

News for Today:

Kids' asthma rates up, symptom severity down: report
Vitamins A, E and beta-carotene increase mortality, not longevity: study
Low-calorie diet may help stave off skin cancer: study
Many factors influence preemie survival: study
Latest rheumatoid arthritis drugs compared
Low vitamin D levels associated with an increased risk of peripheral arterial disease
Women more likely to comply with stroke prevention despite being more depressed
70% of Multiple Sclerosis Patients Are Relapse-Free After 3 Years on Fingolimod
Considering Weight Loss Surgery? What You Need to Know
New Guidelines On Use of Psychiatric Meds During Pregnancy
Chemo May Not Affect Memory in Breast Cancer Patients

Do you have a pain story to share?

Do you have chronic pain or a story about pain that you would like to share?

As some of my regular readers know, I also have a blog called Help My Hurt, which is about pain. We talk about causes of pain, management, treatment, prevention, news releases, and whatever else may come up. We have a few giggles too, with our Friday Funnies.

Every Monday, we have a feature called Company's calling. This is an interview with someone who has chronic pain or is living/helping with someone who does. We've heard from people who have back pain, knee pain, endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, and so on.

Do you have a story to tell? Would you like to be interviewed for the feature? If so, please email me at sesesi(at)yahoo.com (take out the (at) an replace it with @) .

You can check out previous features (the site looks funny now, there's something wrong with the servers, but you can still access it):
Company’s calling - a mom’s pain gone undiagnosed and unmanaged
Company’s calling - back pain
Company’s calling - a journey with fibromyalgia
Company’s calling - the road to a diagnosis for endometriosis
Company’s calling - living with migraine pain
Company’s calling - living with the pain of interstitial cystitis
Company’s calling - 6 weeks of pain so far
Company’s calling - a guest discusses living with pain


News for Today:
Hormone replacement therapy appears to have no effect on risk and severity of rheumatoid arthritis
U of Minnesota study finds thalidomide shows promise for treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer
Chewing gum -- the new post-operative medicine
Does gingko biloba affect memory?
Drug-resistant TB at all-time high: WHO
Neurofeedback may decrease autism symptoms: study
All kids 6 months and older should get flu shot: U.S. panel
No proof of heart risk from Nexium: Health Canada
Experts Are Concerned Court Case May Scare Off Potential Organ Donors
Robot as good as real dog at easing lonely hours