Migraine sufferer need advice....

Hello everyone, wanted to join and see if anyone had some good advice and am also in need of some support!!! I have been suffering from migraines for bout 3 years now. In the past year and half it has gotten worse. Last year I was hospitalization due to the fact that I had one for over a week and couldnt hold anything down. I've lost 3 jobs due to them. My migraines will normally last about 3 days a week and then go away. But I've had one now for a over a week. My career has me looking at a computer 24/7 and this seems to really be bothering me!! I dont want to loose another job, cause I can't stand the fact of not working, but sometimes I cant even get out of the bed! And employers can only be patient for so long or either they just dont understand!

I've been on lots of preventative drugs and have even had the nerve blocks in the back of the head. I've been to 3 neuro's and the one I have now is absolutely great!!! She really listens to me and is trying everything possible to help. The next step she wants to try is Botox and was wondering if anyone has had this done? If so, have you had any luck with it?

My husband has been great through all of this...I really couldnt ask for anything more from him! But I know he wants me to get well!

Thanks...

Yes, I understand your situation. I do have botox and have for a couple of years now. For me nothing else even really helped at all. the botox has been so life altering for me. I have felt much better. I still have daily pain,but it is at a very tolerable level. For me, it is not a cure. I still have to be conscious of the things I do, but it is a huge help. Good Luck and keep us posted!

Thank you so much for responding Steph and letting me know that Botox has worked for you, that is just great!!! It gives me hope! I'm supposed to get botox this thursday!

I'm just at wits end with all of this and am so worried about my job!!! And only people that suffer with migraines understand. I sometimes have the best day and then its followed by a week of just the worst migraine ever.

Thanks..Kerri

Hello hunter, several people on here have had some botox sucess some just recently. do a search for botox to read the post.

also your Migraine progressing to more and longer duration is not uncommon including myself. Continue to try as many preventives as you can tolerate giving them enough time and dosage to work.

Work will get harder if they progress more and few understand. I would not speak of relief from narcotics if you do get relief that way. Hope you get well soon.

Hi Hunter!

Welcome to the forum! Hope you find the support and information you are looking for. I'm sure you will All of us share your challenges of how to hold down a job or how to complete the tasks you have set for the day while your head is doing everything it can to send you to bed...or even how to get stuff done without triggering another one for tomorrow! We are here for you and want to listen and share your trials and successes. Let us know how it goes with the botox! I haven't had it because it's not approved here in Australia for migraine. Wish it was!

Hi Hunter,
Can totally relate and hope your pain will lessen somehow. I have tried Botox twice; the first before it was approved in the U.S. for migraine, and it was a very low dose - had no effect. Now that it is approved my neuro did a much higher dose in February (I think about 30 separate shots along the right side of my head, because that's where the pain usually is). It does not seem to have helped, but he thinks some people need to have Botox on a regular basis, so I am going to try it at least 2 more times. The insurance ships it directly to him, but the next vial is not coming until May, then probably again in August. He said if I don't notice a difference after August, then he will stop trying (Botox, that is. He never stops trying). I hope this isn't depressing but I only say this because I hope you don't give up if it doesn't work the first time. Sorry, it's late and my grammar is slipping. Totally sympathize about the job situation. Also agree with comments about not mentioning use of narcotics at work etc. I was laid off last June, and have found it really hard to find new opportunities, much less interview, plus I am 54 which apparently does not help. I am fortunate that Imitrex (or generic sumatriptan) still works for me. (Also, if you are in the U.S., migraine is a protected disability, but I would be very discreet at work about looking into this. I think the migraines contributed to my being laid off, even though I showed up every day and worked my b*** off.) Hang in there!!! This is a great forum and there isn't anything out there that someone hasn't tried and can report on.

It is worth trying the Botox. Yeah, look up the post, we talk a lot about Botox in it. Actually there are a couple of them, it will give you a lot of info about what you might be able to expect Thursday. I would go into detail now, but I am having to re-type almost everything!! Good Luck and let us know how it goes for you !!!

I just want to say thank you so much for the kind words of support and for sharing with me your stories!!! Its great to find a place where you feel like people understand you and what you are going through!!! I will definitely let you guys know how it goes thursday!!

Don't know about botox, but probably coming at some point. Nice to know there is some success here. About the jobs, I am on intermittent FMLA for my migraines, and they can't count it against me. Don't know if it's b/c I work for a larger employer, but doubt it. If you have a chronic condition and have to be out for it you just fill out the paperwork, get it to your doctor to complete, and get it to Human Resources. My boss, a cluster and migraine headache sufferer, told me about it and I was shocked. I also took a leave of absence for a month to try some new stuff - nerve blocks - and stop calling in. Thought it would work better, but I'm still calling off some. Hope your botox injections work well for you.