Diagnosed with Chronic Migraines
 

Hello, this is my first time posting in a health forum :) I'm 19 years old and last year I was diagnosed with chronic migraines. After I graduated from high school, they put me through a multitude of tests, because they didn't know what I had. At first, an ophthalmologist thought I had a tumor in my eye, or possibly MS, so that lead to more tests. By the time I got to a neurologist, just about every other diagnosis possible had been tested, and the neurologist diagnosed me with inflamed occipital nerves that caused severe migraines. These migraines were so severe and so frequent that I couldn't attend college. He prescribed me with Depakote, which I had bad side effects to, and decided to take me off it. He also decided to give me Occipital Nerve blocks, which did work or lessen the migraine severity for about 2-3 weeks each time.
Unfortunately, however, I lost my insurance after my 19th birthday. My migraines are starting to come back as severe as they used to be, and I can find very little that can lessen the pain. Also, very unfortunately, I only have to do something very little to start the migraines. Crying, moving my head or neck the wrong way, braking frequently while in the car, and bright/flashing lighting. Sudden movements of the neck or head has been causing these migraines much more frequently, something that's been becoming worse as a symptom.
Any help on how to relieve any of these symptoms, or just relieve the pain would be VERY greatly appreciated. I can't find any other the counter medications that help at all. and the only thing that helps remotely is when I put a cold compress on my eyes, since the pain is largely in my neck and in my eyes. I'm back in school, and these migraines are starting to interfere, help me please?

possible csf leak
 

are your headaches worse when you wake up or when in the up right postion? do they get a little better when you lie flat? if you see the headaches getting better while lying flat.. you might just have what is call a cerbrospinal fluid leak.. this is due to a rip in your dura a.k.a. spinal sac, which cause your spinal fluid to leak out side of the dura and cause a low pressue. this cause headaches, vomiting, pressure behind the eyes. I HAD THE SAME THING AND WAS TOLD IT WAS MIGRANES

migraines
 

Sounds really bad, especially at your age when you want to complete your education and make a life for yourself.
Here's a link to read about headaches.
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/cause...article_em.htm

In your case the diagnosis was of little use as it didn't lead to a proper treatment.
You mention concerns with the neck, and how it responds to cold packs.
This is a clue.
On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your stress level?
I'm guessing at least 8.
So what you may have is tension headaches, caused by permanently tight neck, back and shoulder muscles.
These contract and pull down on the head and scalp, put the cervical spine under stress, and bingo you have chronic headaches.

Have a think about your stress levels. Are you ever relaxed, happy, calm?

See if you can put aside 20-30 minutes a day to lie quietly in a darkened room with no sounds, or some quiet music, and relax the entire body. You can easily find helpful procedures for this.
Also examine how you put yourself under stress throughout the day, and try to moderate it.
The best time for a body to relax and rebuild is while asleep, so you need to make sure you are getting proper, sound sleep.
Once again, review your stress levels at bedtime. Try a hot bath.
Change pillows. If too high, will strain the neck.
I have had very similar headaches for many years of my working life. Pain meds hardly made a dent.
I have found 2 things that work on them.
1. Remedial massage should give immediate, if temporary, relief. It will at least confirm you are on the right path.
2. Magnesium. I now take magnesium oil daily, diluted in water, and have had a dramatic lessening in my headaches, which were caused by tight muscles in the back. You can also get it in powder and tablet forms, but they are are slower to work. You can also rub the oil into the skin.
Have a look also at your diet. Ensure it is really balanced and full of nutrients. Avoid manufactured foods, highly processed foods, sugary drinks, sugar in general, take-away-foods, etc. Make all meals from scratch and from fresh things.
Take a multi vitamin tablet with minerals.
Modern diets can be very poor these days, so you have to take control and don't trust the food manufacturers.
Lastly, the medical profession rarely considers the role of soft tissues, such as muscles, in the causes of pain, yet they can often be the prime, if not only, cause.
I strongly suspect that you are under a lot of strain and your muscles are always tense, leading to the headaches.