Home after 5 days of DHE

Well, it's 12:40, and I am sitting up at home. Just got out of the hospital today (Friday) after going in on Monday. This time's DHE treatments with a different doctor were very different.

It started out with 15 minute prior push of Zonfran, then a saline push, then an hour of DHE drip, then 15 minutes of sterioids, and some more saline. They did that at 6am, 2pm, and 10 pm. At 10:30 am I had an hour of Magnesium Sulfate every day.

I'm puffy from the sterioids, No Headache though, My mouth taste like I've been eating chalk, No headache though, and my pulse is down to 40 (they say thats normal with DHE) but no headache.

So basically I feel a little like a deflated or infalted tire, I can't decide which one. But still no headache.

I start on two preventives tomorrow, one being Topomax, which I've taken before. I'm then supposed to start a 1 month rehab program in pain management that is outpatient, 5 days a week 8-3 which involves Phyiscal therapy, Occupational Therapy, Aquatic Therapy, and Biofeedback as well as migraine/headache education classes. We'll have to see how much insurance will pay.

I'll let you guys know how the coming days go...

Wishing you all pain free days,

LL

This sounds fantastic. I had a many years of daily migraine pain stopped by similar DHE treatment (just DHE injections 3 times a day for 5 days but no other tretment at the same time). This was followed by a preventative and this works for me well. Things have improved greatly and I have much of my life back..

Your treatemnt sounds even more thorough, covering wider issues and I think you really have an excellent chance of serious reduction in your migraine frequency and reduced levels of pain. I am so glad that somene is taking an overall view of treating migraine - I am convinced this is the only way.
It sound as if your doctor is covering all angles and knows what he is doing.
I am very pleased for you, LL and wish you a very Happy Easter - must rush to do more cooking
Senna

This sounds great. I wish they had something like that here.

I'm so happy for you Brown-Eyes! It sounds very comprehensive. I love how you wrote "no headache" four times! It's almost like you can't believe it. Believe it, Girl! Yippee!

So glad you are having some positive results. Hopefully this will be a trend for you.

[i] Well, I've got to confess I'm happy for you and that you got some relief because I'm deathly allergic to DHE 45.

Brown Eyes,

I'm so happy you've had pain-free days as a result of your DHE treatment. I pray it continues because it's priceless.

Becky

Sounds like you are feeling the pros and cons ... But overall ... Mission accomplished. No head pain!!
please keep us posted, as many of us ( me included ) contemplate the headache clinic journey, but have heard varying feedback.

I am interested to follow you on this journey and am in your corner rooting for victory

Thanks all for your comments. Since leaving the hospital on Friday i've been on an up and down roller coaster. I haven't had the headache, but I've felt like i've been run over by a truck. I guess it's all the sterioids and stuff, but I've been short of breath, had back pain, and my pulse has stayed in the low 40's. I keep being resassured that this is normal.

Tonight, (Sunday night) I'm finally feeling somewhat normal again. But to be honest with you all, I told my husband if they ever wanted to inject me with DHE again, they'd have to catch me first.

The week wasnt bad, I mean while I was in the hospital I felt pretty decent, but no one really prepared me for the side effects i'd feel coming down off all the meds.

I go to a consult with a neuro psych tomorrow for cognitive testing. I'm not sure why, but it's all a part of the program. I'm wondering if I'll be in a padded room looking at black and white blobs telling them what I think they look like.

I really honestly want to take the time to tell you all out there that I think we're pretty strong people. No one that doesn't suffer from constant migraines knows what our lives are like, or what it's like to be in our bodies. We can't just "Suck it up and push through" a headache. It's really dibiltating and no one knows that but us.

You've got that right: anybody who's never had one doesn't know. And I'm still amazed at how the Govt doesn't want to recognize Chronic Pain as a problem. Guess none of them have never had any pain period.[i]