Quote:
Originally Posted by Wren
I saw my neuro for adult epilepsy on June 10 and spoke very briefly to her about my headaches. She asked just a few questions and - wow - I'm being put in the hospital's headache clinic. That's a big deal.  You don't get in because you want in or ask .... it's sort of "Invitation Only".
I'm still waiting for the call but I know it will come. |
Headache clinics r very common at major teaching hospitals.........hospitals that r affiliated with major universities. They r staffed by neurologists........but headaches r the only things they treat. When u see a regular neurologist in your town they treat a little bit of everything. But in these clinics, Headaches are their complete focus! This is awesome b/c there r usually many of them in practice together and they know about the new treatments for headaches. There r many different kinds of headaches and they r very knowledgeable about diagnosis and treatment. Many times u can even get in a clinical research trial if they do research on headaches there!
They aren't by "invitation only"
U usually have to be referred there and have records transferred there so they can review them b4 u can get an appt. there.
So many patients go in there with rebound or medication overuse headaches. When u take too many meds 4 a headache, whether it is OTC or prescription..tylenol or vicodin, etc. u can make the headache worse than the one u started with. It can turn episodic headaches into chronic ones.
If u go in and r in a headache cycle they will try to break it..........often it takes IV meds......but that can usually be done as an outpatient.
Then they get u on a good prevention routine. They prescribe different kinds of blood pressure and seizure meds to prevent as well as supplements like Magnesium Oxide and Enzyme COQ10. I actually take an ALZHEIMER'S drug 4 prevention. It is not FDA approved 4 that purpose.......but 4 me and many others it is a life-saver!
Then they work to find a good abortive.........something u take when u get a headache. Most specialists will NOT prescribe narcotics, like vicodin. They can cause rebound. They prescribe things like Imitrex, Treximet, Relpax, Zomig, etc.
I was very fortunate and was referred very quickly to a headache clinic when I got REALLY sick with migraines. They weren't helping me in Pittsburgh so after almost 2.5 years i went to the Cleveland Clinic last August and I have gone from having 2-3 migraines a week plus some kind of headache every other day to having had maybe 9 in a year! I don't think I have even had to go to the ER for a really bad one because my med routine worked!
So if u aren't getting anywhere I would suggest getting to a headache clinic if u can!