New med plan

I saw my Neuro/Pain Man. for our second visit together. I had discontinued the Zonegran because, as those of you I chat with frequently know, It made me nutzo...just like the Topomax.

I was feeling discouraged and angry and had 25/28 days of headache in between appts. I was not in a good place. Luckily, my doc was very understanding when I vented my lack of confidence on preventatives due to my trials and tribulations...all with very many side effects and very little relief. SO he thought outside of the box a little, we did some awesome chatting about research and homeopathy and just lots of topics (he makes me feel as if I have as much time as I need...I love that).

So after putting our heads together, our new plan is:
-Naproxen (500mg) every day when I wake up with some food (and a Pepcid if my tummy hurts )
-Relpax for Triptan (as it is the only one that has ever worked even sometimes) WITH one Naproxen when I can catch one early enought to feel a Triptan could work. (as needed)
-Migranal DHE nasal spray (my life saver) to abort the bad ones WITH one Naproxen (as needed no more than 3-4 times per week)
-Magnesium supplent (3 pills daily with food)
-Lortab-AS needed for pain

I felt like this was different form things I've tried before. I'm hopeful, and if nothing else, pleased to have a doc who treats the individual, case-by-case, and hears my concerns and works with them.


I will let ya know if I feel relief. Haven't really started the new plan yet due to some crazy other health obstacles this week (saving that for it's own post )

Jess

So glad it went well, Jess! That's why the man is worth a six hour drive for me. He listens. Plus, it's nice when we compare notes to see he's not using a cookie cutter approach with us. You're regime is very different from mine and we've each only seen him 1-2 times.

Keep us posted.

Jess,

Sounds like a good plan to me.

I am so happy that you have found a good doctor that LISTENS to what you are saying and thinks outside the box.

We are all so different and it takes different plans to work for us.

Let us know how you get along with your new meds.

Cindy

Hey Jess,

Glad you've got something that will hopefully work for you. I had a feeling your trial of the anti-convulsant went as well as mine - huge strike out. At least after that failure, my neuro realized that it was the wrong way to go and no more of those suckers!

So starting to wish I had a doctor that listens as well as yours. I've come off a horrid week and have a moderate one tonight (starting to feel rather miserable). He doesn't want me to take any thing more than necessary for abortives/pain meds...which sucks - don't know why I'm listening to him. I know the frustration of preventatives - on a mix of beta blocker and anti-depressant and perhaps it hasn't been long enough but I could take tic-tacs with the same effectiveness.

Do keep us posted as to how things are going as I've been wondering how you are.

Becky

Hey Becky,

He doesn't take out of state patients, but I have an appointment with him on the 19th. Would you like me to ask him if he can recommend someone in your area? They're so close to the border, he may be able to.

Hey Charlotte,

I just get frustrated - I am in a bad streak, feel like crap, and know none of my stuff really works. I haven't been pain free in a long time (don't really have anything that even takes the edge off - naproxen and gabapentin - yeah whatever), the triptan - sort of helps for about 3 hours and it comes raging back. Even though it helps, can't take it often. The anti-nausea meds are a complete joke...

I don't know that there even is anyone else out there that I can see - I know my neurologist looks at my case as a tough one because I don't respond well to most of the preventatives (either horrid s/e, do nothing or I can't function). He also has given me the impression that he thinks I'm taking too many pain/abortives. Not sure if he meant it that way or if it was an internal musing that he needs to find something to get this all to stop. I guess part of it is my fault because I haven't expressed that the meds don't work...