Hi,
I am new and haven't posted but once I think. I've had a concussion for almost a year with daily, horrible headaches. The day after xmas I was hit from the side by a big pick up truck (uninsured driver) and my headaches (and neck) are even worse. Luckily, my 3 year old twins weren't in the car so I can't complain. Anyway, I am finally going to my appointment with the pain management doctor and I'm a bit panicked I'll wasted my 1 hour and not ask the right questions or minimize the horrible pain I've been in for so long. I'm nervous and feel stupid complaining I guess. Does anyone have any question suggestions I should ask? No big deal. I know everyone is busy. I just don't trust my darn brain to work. Thanks and take care everyone. I'll share with this site what I learn.

I've been in your situation many times in the past... my first suggestion would be to try and remain calm during your appointment. Far too often we have the tendency to look forward to new doctor appointments with so much excitement that by the time we get there we're complete scatter brains. Before you know it, you end up running your mouth on some tangent that's really not important at all while completely forgetting to mention some incredibly important aspect of your condition.

Take notes on yourself before your appointment, if you experience some pain that makes you think "I should mention this to the doctor", then write down a short description of that pain so you won't forget it. Of course, you should probably write down the most basic elements of your situation too, just so you don't forget any of that either.

Thanks for your post. Glad I didn't get my hopes up. The dr. recommended Morphine. He didn't even want to know the meds I've be on in the past. Just went straight to Morphine.
I wonder if I should live with the pain and forget the doctor appt's. So far they haven't helped one tiny bit but to make be feel hopeless,pathetic and a bit crazy.

Sounds like a typical worthless/piece of garbage doctor... pity our country only has about 50,000 of them, our lovely insurance companies could certainly use a few more with their outlook on human health

It took me 3 years after my injury to look into alternative therapies, and it's only been through those alternative therapies that I have found any relief (and there has been a lot of it). A well trained bodywork specialist could likely do WONDERS for your pain, and wouldn't leave you in perpetual catatonia like your lovely pain specialist's regimen would either.

Just food for thought... not all "alternative" therapies are based on astrology and BS, in fact the vast majority of them, at least from my experience, are FAR more effective than anything that the western medical community has to offer.

Cathy... so sorry to hear of your experiences ..... persistant [head] pain and finding relief can be "challenge" , crazy making and very frustrating, as well as other aspects & manifestations of TBI....

I wanted & tried to respond to your post earlier...(did write some stuff on headaches but Lost post then "misplaced" ? in anothers thread on Pain MGT. Again, sorry to hear of this experience but sadly not surprised.... I've been to many DRs/specialists inc. "pain mgt" -- most have been very disappointing ..... and felt like waste of time, energy and $$$

I've seen many DRS.... for headaches , other chronic pain & neuro issues --that began 12 yrs ago when I was hit by a car as pedestrian. My PCP at that time was wonderful --not only in validating my issues & concerns but also working w/ me-- to find relief.
Tried many meds (some helped; others made worse) --more on this later....

"alternatives" as PCS McGee addressed-- may be good-Best option--if you can find/access appropriate interventions and "good" therapists/practioners.
CranioSacral and other theraputic massage helped much at that time. I was also going to PT--specifically warm water -aqua therapy and had access to many other alternatives. I was living in Hawaii then. Many of treatmts were "covered" by my insurance.

Since I moved -back to my parents home--haven't been able to find desired alternatives ( but I'm still looking & researching.)
I've been living in a "more stressful" environment & sitaution--also have incurred additional head & other injuries ( pieces of My story's been told in other posts at various times..... don't want to get more sidetracked..... which is as easy as rambling on....)
Topic here is headaches/pain mgt.

headaches continue to be a BIG problem for me too as has accessing viable treatments and relief. another recent head injury has exacerbated these along w/ other problems.

I'm getting a bit overwhelmed & "confused" --trying to stay on track .... want/wish I could share someting that can/wil help you....

I've gone in circles.... here and w/ medical systems...
have tried many various meds--inc. narcotics--which while have helped some of my pain, NOT good for my headaches.
I've tried various "rescue" -immediate relief (OTC, RX, herbs--w/ varying success & relief; as w/ prophylatic (preventive) meds ---these have included AED (anticonvulsives) like Topamax. and other meds like Inderal.

What has given me best relief has been nerve blocks; but varied in duration. my "headaches" --Dx'd: occipital neuralgia... my neuro feels Botox would be best Tx and I'm waiting to get, try....and will update

I did address this in thread on Pain Mgt. few days ago?? Sorry if I'm repeating . that's another ting I do -- "blame" TBi for this & other dysfunctions. I come here to this forum.... where others who Know & understand, empathize, share experience and offer support & info. I've not found elsewhere.

Unfortunately this alone may not "fix" problems or provide relief desired but it helps...

I hope you find what you need...and Deserve!

I need to stop now... but hope to continue ... w/ more... later...


ps... I wanted to add that my PCP who has been great recently referred me to [another] Pain Mgt. I don't know if I will go... too many disappointmets & frustrations. I'm putting my hope on my neuro's treatmt suggestions and other "alternatives" --- that I'd like to discuss ....more ...
as well as other issues, concerns, or questions you have & want to share?

Praying for BEST for ALL.. .

Cathym, I too have been excited about seeing different specialists in the past and have felt totally let down afterwards. Often I think they are merely doing what the insurer programmes them to do! I was given morphine once when I was exhausted and my blood pressure went crazy, and was hospitalised. My head felt like it would explode, apparently I was lucky not to have had a stroke. My GP had a fit and took it off me - I must admit that I was pain free for the first time in 6 years!

Over all I believe that I have found more information on the internet and on this site than I have obtained through specialists. The other thing that I have noticed is that some seem to resent any intelligent questions and once I was criticised for having a good knowledge of PCS. Also I have had more satisfcation from independent specialists.

Lynlee

From my personal perspective.....

I went through the headache relief effort for almost 6 years, nothing ever worked except one thing.....and I just don't like it.....The choice is yours to make, but either way there is a price to be paid

There is a reason, and a very good reason why the doctor went straight to morphine.....

Morphine quite simply works, period. If you tolerate it well, it works better than any other legal painkiller you are ever going to be prescribed.

If you went and told him that the headaches are terrifyingly intense and continuous, and that there is never any relief, he, in my opinion anyway, did exactly the right thing.

You are going to require some sort of daily pharmaceutical regimen for maybe the rest of your life. Either that, or you are going to have to accept "it" as a daily part of your personal reality and just learn to live with "it" as best you can. That is just the way life is sometimes. For TBI people, sometimes "it's" just something we have to live with, whatever your personal "it's" may be.

No going through almost 30 kinds of anti-everything, various pain "relievers", prophylactic prescription regimens.....No forget all that, if you just want relief and want something that is, oddly enough considering morphines' reputation, relatively safe and side-effect free, take the morphine. It works, period. That I cannot emphasize enough. The stuff just plain works.

That doctor was trying to do you a favor. I would take him up on it if I were you.

But then, I quit taking morphine in spite of the fact that it works so well. I don't like life in a daze, though admittedly a rather pleasant daze it is....If you are tough enough to handle the headaches and remain somewhat functional and WITHOUTt thoughts of suicide taking over when you have them, then I say, "don't take anything!". It never gets any better, you just get better at dealing with them, maybe "living with" them is more correct, as time goes on.

Morphine is and deserves its' reputation as a highly addictive substance, if you start taking the stuff and keep taking it, as time goes on you will develop some tolerance to it and require larger doses to achieve the same effect, but it will keep right on working and working really well too.

Just don't try to quit all at once and on your own.....

Why I refuse to take morphine any more is about me and how I choose to live my life. Everybody has a different capacity for pain, and a different set of parameters for what they consider acceptable. What I or anybody else can handle, or thinks, or will or won't anything has nothing to do with you...If you can't take the pain, if you don't think living with it every day is reasonable, if you are tired of the debilitating effects and just need relief and need it now and forever more, then just take the stuff...If morphine was introduced yesterday, it would be considered a miracle drug and you would be begging your doctor for it.
Sometimes it's all about perception. I have had people taking oxy-codone tell me that they would never take OxyContin(tm), when they are both for all practical purposes the same exact thing....

Whatever life brings your way it's your burden alone to bear and your decision alone to decide, but always remember that it's not you alone who suffers when you have the headaches.
And don't forget too, that having and living with the headaches extracts a price too....And the price the headaches demand are not exclusive to you alone you know.
Are you reasonable and tolerable and fully functional around and with your children and friends and family when you have these things? Being alive is one thing, Living is another. If morphine helps you to be a better parent, spouse, friend, whatever, maybe should should think about taking it, and not worry at all over what those who don't now and will never know might think......
People take Lipitor everyday and most who take it could solve their medical issues with diet and exercise alone. You on the other hand have a problem that may never be resolved with any medical anything. Unless there is something that will magically cure all your ills first thing tomorrow morning without some sort of daily dosage, maybe you should rethink taking the morphine....

Just my $.02 worth anyway......

Cathy....
Headache is such a common complaint/ symtptom that often can be quite complex to treat as well as painfull , debilitating & crazymaking. do you know what type or kind of headaches you get? was DX given? or more details, specifics about your headaches that you can share???

I've been researching headaches and there are so many kinds--often knowing what type/kind of headache or addressing more aspects/details -- HOW it hurts {dull, throbbing, stabbing, burning, etc]
WHEN {constant, intermittant,morining, wake at nite with, etc]
WHERE {temples, back of head, neck, radiating into other areas....

IMHO & experience dealing w/ many DRs/specialsts for many & various manifestations of headache pain may facilitate better, or more appropriate treatment IF/when these details are relayed.
Some [better] DRs will ask but many don't inquire about the details that could result in DX and most appropriate treatments & interventions for You.

I have long Hx of Migraines (w/out aura) also episodes of cluster type. I 've been treated for "mixed HA" . In past few years my Neuro added DX: "complex Migraine" (too complex to describe but this Migraine has extra symptoms not experienced in "classic" & "common" Migraine.

Recently I was given name/DX: Occipital Neuralgia - for these crazy head & neck pains I've had for 10 yrs, since car accident w/ TBI. got much worse last year after another head injury.
I thought were separate issues/problems---the neck pain --even tho would radiate up into back of my head, which is always very sensitive & painful. often developed Migraines (w/ throbbing temporal pain nausea, vomiting, photo & photo phobia & other common Sx)
all these together = Occipital Neuralgia (including the injurys)
Most headache & migraine meds don't help me. What was best were nerve blocks but duration of relief varied {i shared this before??--if so, sorry to repeat.
I'm scheduled to get Botox this week. sounds very promising --per DRs & others that have gotten

I've been doing more research on these headaches. Having a name/DX does make seeking info easier but getting DX can be difficult.
If interested I can/will share some of the Better sites/Links ... let me know


some TBI research --esp from a few litagation sponsered sites, w/ much more detailed info. than many of "medical" ones--expressed that headaches/pain after TBI different than other types of headaches and can be challenge to treat .
Many here simple say I have headaches, or even Migraines, but it may be more...and diffucult to get interventions that can help

my recent "headache" DX acknowlege head/neck injury as a cause
Now hope the treatmt options offered will help, at least w/ this aspect of TBI/PCS -- perhaps one of the most debilitating

wishing you ALL the Best

Hi Arthurhlevine,

Thank you for your response and the time you took to write it. I have thought a lot about what you wrote and I appreciate your honesty very much. What you wrote was hard for me to hear but lot's of things you said are right on.
I still don't know about taking the Morphine. Naturally, it's a personal choice and all of our situations are different.
Cathy M

Make sure to get your female hormones checked. I have constant headaches and it was due to estrogen deficiency. Feel better now that I take yep birth control pills.