PCS migraines
 

Hi there, I'm new to the board but not new to PCS. I was in a car accident March 2011, hit by a drunk driver in the middle of the day. I currently suffer from the typical symptoms of PCS and am on day 18 of a killer migraine. I've been in and out of my neurologist's office more than I want to admit in the last week for two shots of DosePro, two shots of DHE and three rounds of IV meds and nothing is working on top of the regular drugs I'm already on.

I've been through 30+ day cycles of headaches before but none were ever this bad. I'm already depressed but these migraines are making a bad situation even worse. My neurologist has prescribed an at home nurse with the DHE pump for me but that probably won't happen until next week. I'm at my wits end with the migraines.

I'm at month 11 now since the accident and am really desperate that there's hope for me some time soon. Please tell me that there is.

For anyone suffering from migraines that meds don't work on, how do you get by?

Thank you.

On a scale of 1-10, how bad is your headache? At worst? At best? Most of the time?

I had a non-stop headache for pretty much 6 months after my injury. It varied between 3 and 8. Vicodin could get it to back off for a while but also started causing rebound headaches after a while.

Amitriptyline helped me have some headache-free days and I'm now transitioning over to Topamax hoping that it may help me have more. Are you on any migraine-preventive medications like that?

I had constant headaches(felt like head was in a vice) for 3 months after my accident. I started with vicodin and then switched to vicoprofen. I usually don't have a day without headaches but they different than before. When they come on they're extremely sharp and painful. OTC headache relievers doesn't get the job done and I don't like the effects of the vicoprofen. How does that differ from Topamax? I might ask my neurologist if I can switch.

What about percocet? Its oxycodone and tyelnol as opposed to vicodin having hydrocodone. I find much stronger relief on the percocet....but u gotta worry about the rebound headaches afterwards. Vicodin makes me nauseaous, but percocet doesnt. So i would try and alternate with ibupofren or fiorinal in between doses of percocet. I am also on daily Nortriptyline 80mg. This was started when i felt like my head was gonna explode on an everyday basis and within a few months of going up and up and up on the dose, i finally found relief pretty consistently as long as i wasnt pushing myself too far as to bring on a headache. Currently, i am only on the nortriptyline since my migraines have finally gone away. I no longer need the percocet. just occasional OTC meds now. But i am also on my 9th month and recovering well at this point. Hope you find the right combo of meds for you!


QUOTE=todayistomorrow;849784]I had constant headaches(felt like head was in a vice) for 3 months after my accident. I started with vicodin and then switched to vicoprofen. I usually don't have a day without headaches but they different than before. When they come on they're extremely sharp and painful. OTC headache relievers doesn't get the job done and I don't like the effects of the vicoprofen. How does that differ from Topamax? I might ask my neurologist if I can switch.[/QUOTE]

I find that the Vicodin cause my headaches to rebound and when they do they are more painful. I dont know why that is. They do give relief but the next day they are worse. I have decided not to take them anymore. My doctor increased my Amytriptaline to 100 mg at bedtime. I'm on day three since the increase. I am very tired but it takes a couple of weeks to get used to the increase. I think that may be a good thing because sleeping is great for us.

I was getting a daily workout in, walking or something but since the increase and the headaches being as bad as they were I had stopped.

Perhaps they can review your treatment plan or a second opinion. I have two MD's and they always differ from each other.

I hope you feel better soon!

My current migraine ranges from a 3-9 depending on the time of day. They seem to get worse as the day goes one.

The drugs like vicoden and others didn't put a dent in my headaches in the past so I'm not even touching them this time around.

Current mediciations include: 10mg of amitripline for help with sleep, 100 mg of zoloft for depression, 100 of topamax daily and am now receiving 4 mg of DHE by pump.

Am finishing up day 2 of the pump with the DHE and I still have the migraine. The intensitity has lessed a little at times but it is still there. Today is day 22!!!

I just wanted to drop in and say you have my support...I know how bad those headaches can be and how much it debilitates you. When I was having those type of headaches I just couldn't function at all...it would take over my life. Thankfully I found out it was a tooth infection that was intensifying them. They eventually went away completely and now I'm just stuck with this dreaded and crippling cognitive deficit and anxiety disorder...which is just as bad, let me tell you....

There are lots of other people on this forum that deal with similar headaches to what you described. I'm sure these people will help you to cope or give you some ideas on what type of medicine or remedies they used.

I just know you'll find something that works for you.

Kccat,

I am so sorry for all of the pain that you are having. I have been suffering from horrible migraines since my accident, but none lasted quite as long as yours.

What I have found that has helped me is acupuncture and Chinese medicine. I still get headaches, but they have been milder and don't last as long since I have been going for acupuncture.

I was considering trying Botox injections if the acupuncture didn't help. Botox has been okayed for migraines, so many insurance companies will cover it if the neurologist says that you need it.

There is also preventative stuff to try. You can read online about vitamin B-2, magnesium, CoQ10, feverfew being used to help prevent migraines. If you want to try any of them, I would recommend trying them one at a time to see if they help. And it takes awhile to start to work.

I hope that your doctor can find something to stop the migraines. They are awful and awfully debilitating as well.

By the way, there are also plenty of websites about migraines. One website that comes to mind is called Magnum, I believe. People write in about what works for them.

Good luck. Please let us know how you are doing.

ShellyK

Sorry to hear about your migraines. I hope you get some relief soon. Like many on this board, I have had headaches nonstop since my accident, varying in levels of intensity by day. I have had a few moments where I thought the headache was gone but it returned within a few minutes. I have found a cold compress to help. Sometimes strong pain killers are needed, but, as some have attested, these can cause even worse headaches in the long term. Acupuncture is good for at least relaxing for an hour, even if its effects are unproven. What are you eating? Your diet can exacerbate the problem.

Wow, so sorry to hear of all the pain you're having! That sounds really miserable.

My headaches typically get worse as the day goes on, too.

I can get some relief with ice packs on my head and/or neck. I also usually lie down in a dark, quiet place when I have a headache.

Have you tried any Imitrex or similar meds that are supposed to arrest the migraine once it starts? Also wonder if asking about a higher dose of amitriptyline would be worth it?

Other complementary ideas are massage, acupuncture, and dietary supplements such as algal DHA, vitamin B-complex, acetyl-l-carnitine.

Hope you get some relief soon.