My Stanford Hospital Visit
 

Ok everyone, I just want to share with you what happened on my visit today at Stanford. I went to see my family doctor there. I was seeing another doctor at another medical organization called PAMF in Northern California. However decided to go back to Stanford to get a second opinion.

My doctor said that I have been the worst case that he's seen so far considering my daily chronic debilaiting migraines since being hit on the head Feb 21st. He bascially went through a whole long list of different drug combinations and the ones I can try. I was given the option of noritryptalin or propolin. I voiced my concerns about taking antidepressants. So he suggested propolin in combination with Excedrin. He also even suggested narcotics such as Vicodin which I didn't want to consider. He suggested a tapering up of propolin over a month period and then when my headaches get better a tapering down. My doctor did say that I will get better with time.

I was then referred to the HeadAche Clinic at Stanford. But my doctor basically said that at the headache clinic they will just try other different drug therapies that may not be so conventional. So he wanted me to try a few drugs first while I wait for my appointment at the HeadAche Clinic.

Anyway, from what I gather from my visits to various medical doctors, it doesnt seem like theres a whole lot they can do on the healing level. It seems like they can only perscribe different drug combinations to combat the symptoms which I found very sad:( All of them said that I will be healed with time.

I think this forum is a great place to share experiences and information but I realized everyon'es body and healing journey is different and people responnd to different things. My own story is my own journey and my own body. But I would just like to share it with everyone.

Thank you for your support.

When someone finds a medication that will help an mTBI heal, you can expect the trumpets to sound.

Treat the individual symptoms, learn to moderate stress and get quiet rest when possible is about all that is known.

Dear Mark,

Thank you for your support and feedback. I feel i'm still learning and going on the earlier stages of this journey. Thank you for your help. It really is comforting and giving me hope.

Thanks for the post. My situation was very similar to yours.

I went through about 6 months of PCS before trying medication. About 3 weeks ago I was perscribed 2x10 mg of nortriptalyne at nigh and 2 x 40 mg of proponanol during the day. Ofourse at first I was sceptical of anti depressants, but I know that at this stage I was anxious and depressed and anything to calm my stress down would be good. It has been 3 weeks since then and I have gone from about 10% functioning to about 60% now and feel better each day. Ofcourse I have good days and bad but I am having alot more good days. I am even completely symtpm free at times. My doc wants me to start tapering off over the next few months which I agree with but for the time being i am seeing improvement and am happy with what Ive been prescribed.

If you are still in the Stanford area you are really close to us. We have tried a number of doctors and I will reply with more names but PLEASE check out the integrative clinic at Stanford. My daughter has PCS for almost 2 yrs. We are now making headway but she did do the acupuncture at the integrative clinic and had huge relief for a few days at a time to her symptoms pretty much right away.I will write more tomorrow...it's a bit late right now

regards,

Thank you!! Yes I'm in Palo Alto! I would really appreciate your help! I feel there are so many doctors out there and I feel so confused. Thank you for telling me about the integrative clnic. I will definitely look into it.

Regarding your doctor's acupuncture treatments. How often were they done? Were they done everyday?

Thank you so much.

Thank you for your post.

I am actually so afraid of medication and the type of person who won't even take anything for a cold where meds are the absolute last resort. So when the doctor read off all these medication names it scared me so much and made me sad. I think I have this feeling where taking medication is like a sign of failure:((

But thank you for posting about your mediation experience. I think I need to take a more positive view towards meds and that meds are there to help me.

Thanks again.

I went the rounds at Stanford (I'm in San Mateo) about a year ago and heard almost the identical story. They can poke at the symptoms (I get migraines also), but there's essentially nothing they can do for the underlying causes at the current state of technology.

I am not sure if you are Japanese (it's the hiroko part of blue hiroko), but I wanted to add that if you do medications you may want to start out with the lowest dosage possible.

I am half-Japanese and my neurologist explained that often Asian women are very sensitive to the dosage requirements (which are often calculated and metabolized differently for caucasian women).

Yes I'm Japanese. Thank you for that tip. The predisone didn't work so my neuro is starting me on nortiptalyn. I'm not sure if i'm going to take it. I've begun to see a Chiropractic Neurologist in Redwood City and yesterday was my first visit and so far feeling a bit better. Going to see how it goes.

Thanks again!

Have you gone to see the headache clinic at Stanford? or What about UCSF brain and spine injury clinic?

Thanks!

I haven't yet, though it reamins an option. As luck would have it, just as I was about to investigate headache clinics, the migraines backed off. I went from having one virtually every day, to 2-3 a week and much less severe. That's where I am right now, not having fun but it's manageable.

I'm half Japanese, also. Other half is Chinese. My screen name is the Chinese spelling of a Japanese given name.

Hi Kenjhee,

Wow that's great! How long have you had headaches for? May I ask your treatment plan? My headaches are every single day and on the left side:( Are you born in America?

Thank you!

Thoughts
 

Sorry to hear of your frustrations. I think that Drs. know nothing about PCS and only treat the symptoms - I don't think my Dr. even believes my struggles with PCS - so frustrating.

Hang in there.

my stanford visit
 

I also go to Stanford. the neurologist is a specialist in tbi and pcs. you would not know it. I read her reports and wonder if I was at the same appointment. I say I have been drinking less she writes I have been drinking more. how in the world do I get that corrected. after 3 visits she truly believes I have pcs and says see you in 6 months. that is the action plan. I feel like its me and the internet with this one.


me.... mva. fractured c2. herniated c7. concussion. 10 days later walked into a pole. gave over. daily headaches now. confusion. numbness. getting lost. insomnia, sleepiness. isolation. good psychiatrist who is my best friend for $200 per hour. 57 y/o pharmacist that now can not make change at a drive thru.

Oh, sorry, didn't see this originally. I've had migraines since the accident. So I've been battling these incredibly painful occurrences for some 37 years. They are almost always on the left side as well.

Their frequency goes through cycles. I'll have attacks every day for a while (the longest while being 2 years). They they may back off to alternating days for a period. Haven't been able to correlate this behavior to anything in particular.

I have been using Imitrex very effectively for the past few years. It works about 90% of the time. I take the Imitrex with some Ibuprofen so it works faster (basically manufacturing Treximet in my mouth). Lately I've been adding Dilaudid to my "cocktail", a trick I picked up on my last visit to the emergency room.

I am half Japanese and half Chinese, and was born in the SF Bay Area. I speak just a little Japanese and have been to Japan 4 times (each time I nearly killed myself as my constitution can not bear the strain of international travel :().