I'm new to this forum; thought I'd tell me story thus far..would love some feedback.

[shaespitzer23]

[size=18] Hey, First I have to say that I'm thrilled to find a forum

for migraines sufferers.

I grew up having "headaches" as a child, some years they were more

frequent that others. After I got in jr high I had my first massive "migraine." I

use the quotation marks because the doctor who wrote "Heal Your

Headaches", says that all of the smaller "headaches" are just smaller forms

of "migraines"..nevertheless, I averaged about 1-2 migraines a year, which

seems like a great number to me NOW. By the time I was in highschool I had

some weeks where I had "daily chronic headaches." Looking back, I'm

assuming this was because of medication, stress, foods, etc. They were

annoying at times, but still nothing like the ones I deal with now.

I had some rough ones my freshman year in college along with several more

severe migraines, but everything seemed to die down after that semester.

(Not sure why). It wasn't until 2 years later after giving birth to my first child,

that they came back (manifesting themselves as "sinus headaches"). I took

Exedrine everyday for 2 1/2 years to deal with them. I did have sinus issues

for sure, but I also was having rebound headaches and increased migraines.

Of course I didn't even know about "rebound" until recently reading "Heal

Your Headaches 1 2 3 Program." I ended up having to have Sinus Surgery in

October of 2012. At that time I thought the surgery would "cure" me of my

chronic headaches (which by that time had become UNBARABLE!) It took me

a weak to recover, and after that I was no longer taking any kind of pain

medicine. I thought that I had left my problems behind. Over the next two

weeks I experianced 3 TERRIBLE migraines...the first which left me in bed for

3 days and the ones that followed..I drudged through with STRONG meds. I

got a hold of some Bayer Migraine in November and I've been in a viscous

cycle with it every since. I'm up to 8 of them between moring and night to be

able to function. I know I'm in a rebound cycle and they are only making

things worse, but I'm terrified of the 3 days migraine awaiting me without

them. They are def not "miracle" drugs by no means...just a bandaide that

after a two months of use is slowly losing the strong effects they had the

first week of use.

About 3 weeks ago I order the "Heal Your Headaches" book by this

neurologist...David Buchholz and a cook book for the migraine diet by

Heidi Gunderson...GREAT BOOK btw! If you have to eat this way, she

has some great recipies..you can have all the normal things..you just have to

be willing to cook. I've followed the diet to a T for 3 weeks now and read

most of the book. I know that diet probably has little effect on me right now

bc I'm still downing the Bayer Migraine, but its cant hurt..and I wanted to get

used to have to do it.

Anyway, in his book Step 1 is getting rid of the "quick fix" the rebound

causer..the painmeds OTC or prescript. He even says you will go through a 1-

3 week rebound period. I haven't attempted this yet, but I'm trying to find a

good time to do it. Step 2 is following the diet for at least 2 months...then

you can reintroduce things one and a time to find your triggers, also

eliminating triggering med such as some birth cotnrol or anti-depresants...but

he gives you lists of meds that are good..not head causing meds to try....he

has an anti-depresant that works as an anti-depresant and migraine-

preventitive med that he lists...I would like to try this when I get to that step.

He says that some people don't need the prevention meds once they

eliminate their food trigger. In step 3, if you do need a preventitive, he guides

your through finding the right ones so you can work with you doctor and

your not left in the dark, relying completely on just what your doctor tells

you. So far, what I've read I like. I don't like that it's a process and not an

overnight thing...but what is? I really love at the beginning when he critisizes

other doctors. I haven't gone through the three steps yet; I'm just at the

brink of step 1, but I like the book so far. I haven't felt in control as far as my

head is concerned for about 3 years now and there were periods of time

before that. It is frustrated to have to live dif as far as something as crucial

as "food" concerned...but I'll stick with it if it MIGHT work.

Any Advice?? I'm all ears?

[dcook60]

sorry you have to be here. hopefully some members will give you good ideas. but first, you need to EDIT your message. more people will be able to read it, if you do this.

hit enter twice, after every couple of sentences. most of us can't read big blocks of print. i read your story, only because i was able to enlarge the print a bit. still, it was difficult.

in my 44-year history of migraines, i have found that food is ALL-IMPORTANT. for some, it doesn't seem to make much difference, though. there are many causes of migraine, and medical science is really not much past infancy in its understanding of the mechanisms of the pain and suffering.

a food diary is essential, as is reading labels, and avoiding MSG in all its forms. you would be wise to read up on that issue. do a search here, with MSG as a search word, and you will find lots of helpful info.

even after eating a mostly pure and holy diet for years and years, i still get daily pain. but this is likely because i have some abnormal anatomy in my head. i am functional now, and working at age 72, but only because i never gave up.

multitudes of doctors were consulted over the years, and multitudes of books were read. doctors can't really do much except throw drugs at a person, but once in a while, a compassionate one will be extremely helpful to you. it takes perseverance, to say the least.

good luck on everything, dianne

[shaespitzer23]

Thank you for taking the time to read my post. I edited it and I hope it is

easier to read now. I'm truly sorry that you have had to deal with this for

that long. My babysitter is also in her seventies and she just stopped having

them a few years ago and her daughter is in her fifties and still has them.

Also my mom is in her forties and has had them for twenty years...all though

hers are kind of a dif story...they call them "trauma migraines" from one of

her back surgeries gone terribly wrong. They have told her that they come

from her spine, so there for diets, etc wont work for her. I've seen her miss

out on a lot over the years and it breaks my heart. I have gotten pretty fed

up over the years, and even though migraines are extremely complicated

and hard to treat, I feel like mine are on a more treatable scale than my

mom's. I completely agree with you that "food" is important. Even if doesn't

relieve them 100% for me, I will still find it worth it, because after reading

this book and so much other stuff I don't want to put most of that stuff in

my body anymore anyway. I know it's super frustrated, though, giving up so

much. I think one aspect of the diet part (for me and maybe for others) that

gets me excited is that there is something I can do that may help even a little

that is not medicine...although I will probably need some type of meds as

well...the fact that something so natural as eating the write things can

help...is good to hear. Although I hate that it doesn't give complete releif for

all. On the other hand, part of me gets furious at the fact that I have to go to

out of my way to keep so much out of my diet for STUPID headaches.

Nothing as far as food is easy anymore. I cook EVERYTHING homemade out

of this migraine-free cooking book at home almost every night. No more

eating anywhere besides my house...or at least I have no idea how I could..I

have no idea what anyplace puts in their food....and neither do they most of

the time. It's a pain!! I pray it works in time. I try not to get down, because I

already battle depression. Once I can get this Bayer Migraine out of my

system (which I'm terrifired to do) I'm going to see about getting on the anti-

deprsant/migraine preventitive that Buchholz mentioned in his book. Have

you ever been on a preventitive over the years? Have you ever put the pain

pills completely aside and flew solo? (I ask, because I haven't been through

that yet). Lately I feel run-down, exhausted, my neck hurts all the time, and I

feel like I have this migraine trying to escape, but I'm beating it back down

with extra doses of the Bayer. I just don't feel good. I know that when I give

it up I'll have to take a week off work, because I'll go into a full 3-5 day

migrain with nothing for help but a dark bedroom and maybe some nausea

meds to knock me out. I probably wont know if

this diet is helping until I fly solo. I'm very lucky to have a VERY supportive

family. Both my parents and my fiance's parents will babysit ANYTIME but I

don't remember the last time I went out. I don't bother, because I don't feel

good and my head really bothers me in the evenings/nights so I stay home.

I'm 23; I don't really want to ostrisize myself forever. I'm truly scared and

I'm thankful for your wisdom. You've been through ten times more than me

and your seem to have a very positive attitude. I know that important, so

I'm def trying to have that. I know that there are a lot of people on this

forum that are far worse off than I am....so I'm sorry for my

venting/complaining.......but ppl that dont have headaches but like what...a

few times a yr...or ever.........just don't understand.

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