These idiots still don't get it

My all time favorite goofy migraine solution was suggested to one of the posters on this forum. It was suggested that she put a banana peel on her forehead. I guess it isn't any sillier than some of the other "cures".

I had totally forgotten about that "banana peel cure!"

That was so funny.

I have been to so many doctors over the years, neuros, Headache Specialists, etc.

Some of what I heard:    They are stress related.
                                 You must have sinus trouble.
                                 Must have a low tolerance for pain.
                                 Cut down the amount of meds you take.
                                 Triptans should work for your pain.
                                 You need to see a chiropractor.
                                 Just learn to live with them.
                                 You can't keep throwing meds at them.
                                 Looks like you have tried just about everything, I can't
                                 help you.
                                 Let's start over from the beginning with preventatives.

There are many more, but that's what I can think of off the top of my head.

That's why for so many years I stuck with my MD because bless his heart, he tried everything he could think of to help me.

One time, he decided to send me to a psychiatrist just to see if they could teach me some relaxation techniques thinking it was at least worth a try.

I went for 5 sessions and the first session he wanted me to write a letter to my Mother (not actually send it though) basically telling her how she screwed up my life!  I have wonderful parents who didn't screw up my life in any way whatsoever!

I kept going back for the 5 sessions because I thought we would eventually get to what the Doctor sent me there for in the first place.

Well, when he was still trying to get me to talk about how my family screwed up my life after 5 sessions I decided enough was enough.

I really don't know what all that had to do with my migraines but when I went back to my MD and told him what transpired, he couldn't believe it.

He told me that he wrote on the paperwork he sent to this psychiatrist that he wanted him to teach me relaxation techniques only.

He felt really bad that I had wasted any money on that and told me if he ever sent me to a doctor again that didn't seem to be going in the right direction or that I just didn't like, to let him know immediately.

I told him that since he has been so good at letting me try anything that I wanted to as far as meds go, that I wanted to try to do anything he asked me to.  I felt like if I didn't go at least a few times, he might feel like I wasn't really giving it a chance.

Anyway, didn't mean to write a book here!

Take care all,

Cindy

I have another one - my pediatric neurologist eventually referred me to Duke pain clinic after he couldn't think of any more meds for me to try. The doctor at the pain clinic not only didn't precribe me anything, he told me that I should get aerobic exercise 3x a week. Because "studies show" that people who do that have fewer migraines. I now exercise 8hrs a day 5 days a week, being a zookeeper and walking around constantly. Unfortunately just one more useless piece of advice that doesn't work for me.

The pain clinic doctor also referred me to a biofeedback instructor, after only seeing him once. Obviously he didn't want to actually do anything with me and just wanted to push me onto someone else. The biofeedback instructor did teach me how to do biofeedback - which had no impact on my migraines since they have nothing to do with stress, however it is good for falling asleep. But she also tried to get me to tell her how my mother is a horrible person. Cindy, I don't know what is with therapists. They are more obsessed with our mothers than we are!

Thanks Seaine for that post.

I am glad to hear that the "Mother" thing is just something some therapists do.

When I was there and he was trying to get me to tell him some of the terrible things my mother supposedly said and did to me, I just couldn't figure out why he was doing that.

So many things went thru my head, like did my MD say something to him that I am not aware of?

Where did he get this idea from?

Your post makes me feel better that it isn't just me.

He also had like a 10 page questionare that I had to fill out on the computer before he would talk to me.

Most of it seemed to be based around  whether you were suicidal or not.

This is my only experience with a psychiatrist so I thought it was kind of strange.

Anyway, thanks.

Cindy

Ya i get that. i was 11 years old when i started getting them constantly and i put in therapy, asked if i was faking it for attention, that i must be having other problems like bullying and (since i was throwing up) called bulimic and asked if i just didnt want to go to school. Children with migraines get swept

under the rug and if a medication doesn't work or like me you are allergic they throw there hands up in the air and say they cant help. I got cleared by a psychologist, psychiatrist, and a nuro-psychiatrist and they still send i need to see one, It is crazy how idiotic doctors can be.My mom yelled at a lot of them lol

Cindy, I can relate to your bad experience with the psychiatrist only too well.

In addition to migraine, I also have severe endometriosis (severe menstrual cramps). A friend of mine gave me the name of a psychiatrist, telling me that this shrink could help me with my cramps and my migraines. I had money then, so I figured it was worth a try.

First the shrink tried to blame my migraines and menstrual cramps on "severe guilt due to being raised Catholic"! There are a billion Catholics in this world---do they ALL have severe migraines and/or severe menstrual cramps?!---NO! Then the shrink tried to tell my that my painful periods were caused by "sexual repression". I was 17 and had never had sex---my personal choice! But this psychiatrist advised me to get out there and start sleeping around! Yeah, like that's going to cure ANYTHING.

Then the shrink went to the "mother" stuff. I actually have always gotten along well with my mom; it's my father whom I've had problems with. Still, the shrink focused on my mom. He asked me what my mom had told me about menstruation (first memories). I told him when I was about 8 or so, I found a box of sanitary pads that my mom had bought and proceeded to ask my mom what they were for. "They're bandages", my mom told me. (My mom was embarassed and didn't know how to talk about these matters. I don't blame her for that).

But the shrink jumped on this tidbit of information. "AHA! Bandages connote illness. Your mom convinced you that menstruation was an illness, hence your subsequent painful periods". What a bunch of B.S., not to mention a HUGE waste of money!

A year later, I learned from a gynecologist that I had several PHYSICAL reasons for my intense cramps. They did an ultrasound and I had to have two surgeries. It turned out I had endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and even a torsed ovary that could have killed me had it not been removed promtly.

So yes, I also am extremely disillusioned with the psychiatric profession. I could write an entire chapter on the nutty and weird experiences I've had with psychiatrists/psychologists. A shrink CANNOT cure a physical illness! I wish I could get my money back.

Best Wishes,
Brenda

It bothers me that people still think that migraine is a "bad headache." There is new research all the time that proves otherwise. Head pain is just one of the things that happens to us, and it is so much more than that. And I definitely agree that the best doctors are those who have migraines themselves -- I never got the right meds until I finally found a neurologist who gets migraines too. I feel so bad for her!