Chronic Pain Support Group
Physicians and professionalsdefine pain as chronic if it lasts longer than three to six months and is persistent. It's distinct from acute pain that is a direct result of injury or trauma. This support group is dedicated to those suffering from chronic pain. Discuss treatments that have worked for you, find advice for your specific experience, and find support. You're not...
Background...
A year and a half ago, my daughter started on birth control pills and had a bad reaction to them. Three days after she started them, she lost her balance in the ice and fell, hitting her head on the SUV door frame hard enough to black out for what is guessed to be about ten minutes. Then my idiot child drove home with her vision going in and out... grrrr.
Once she got home we took her to the ER. They did a CT scan and found nothing and sent her home.
Flash forward a few weeks and she started having seizures. In spite of Dr intervention, they got worse, to the point that she would get apnea during the seizures. She actually had one during her EEG. She got put on antis-seizure meds. While at her 'boyfriend's place' she fell and lost 9 months of memory. A week long stay in the hospital got her diagnosis changed to pseudo-seizures brought about by a trauma (hubby and I think it was due to boyfriend). A med change and she began to have fewer seizures, but more and more migraines. Her memory has been coming back in bits and pieces.
When she moved out and away from a-hole boyfriend, she went down to only very mild attacks that more resemble my panic attacks than seizures and triggered by stressful situations. So, thank goodness that relationship is now over and she is actually going to move back in to help me pack - I just can't do it by myself and hubby gets distressed every time he tries to pack, which equals him getting sick.
And if anyone is still reading.... here is the issue. Other than when triggered by stress, her only symptoms she has left are increasing migraines. They are bad enough that we had to cut our trail ride short today.
She was on Topiramate 25mg TID. She stopped taking them as they were not helping anymore.
She has no insurance, so it is go to doctor at paycheck time. Any suggestions? Thoughts of what might work? What not to do? What to do?
Yadlim
A year and a half ago, my daughter started on birth control pills and had a bad reaction to them. Three days after she started them, she lost her balance in the ice and fell, hitting her head on the SUV door frame hard enough to black out for what is guessed to be about ten minutes. Then my idiot child drove home with her vision going in and out... grrrr.
Once she got home we took her to the ER. They did a CT scan and found nothing and sent her home.
Flash forward a few weeks and she started having seizures. In spite of Dr intervention, they got worse, to the point that she would get apnea during the seizures. She actually had one during her EEG. She got put on antis-seizure meds. While at her 'boyfriend's place' she fell and lost 9 months of memory. A week long stay in the hospital got her diagnosis changed to pseudo-seizures brought about by a trauma (hubby and I think it was due to boyfriend). A med change and she began to have fewer seizures, but more and more migraines. Her memory has been coming back in bits and pieces.
When she moved out and away from a-hole boyfriend, she went down to only very mild attacks that more resemble my panic attacks than seizures and triggered by stressful situations. So, thank goodness that relationship is now over and she is actually going to move back in to help me pack - I just can't do it by myself and hubby gets distressed every time he tries to pack, which equals him getting sick.
And if anyone is still reading.... here is the issue. Other than when triggered by stress, her only symptoms she has left are increasing migraines. They are bad enough that we had to cut our trail ride short today.
She was on Topiramate 25mg TID. She stopped taking them as they were not helping anymore.
She has no insurance, so it is go to doctor at paycheck time. Any suggestions? Thoughts of what might work? What not to do? What to do?
Yadlim
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I had a few migraines that included a visual ribbon of distortion going thru my vision....on these sometimes followed by much pain and others not....
I do not know what to tell you but there was a med that the doc gave me to take when having a migraine and it kicked its ass fast and good....I do not remember the name of it now which is my memories gave way by age....aLOL NOT!
hope someone with better knowledge than I will come rescue you with an answer....hugs
My Cluster Migraines and Seizures started in conjunction with each other also. I come from a family of Grand Mal Seizure Epileptics, so a Seizure Disorder wasn't a real big shock for me...but the Cluster Migraines, which can last up to 13 days, do get worse when I have a seizure and then the seizure's make the Migraines worse, it's a crappy Neurological circle.
Your daughter was a low dose of Topomax as a Anti -Seizure Med or even a Migraine Preventative, which is the 2 things it's generally used for. 100mgs is a standard starting dose for a Preventative. And if she wasn't on any other meds to control the Seizures, then trying to get coverage for both issues out of a low dose of Topomax....that's pretty hard pressed.
I would get with the Neurologist and get on a good Migraine preventative and have a good drug for Migraine onset. As for the seizures, once you get that label, it's very hard to get it taken away, due to the nature of them being so erratic.
Take care,
Kat
they really are pretty mind blowing and the vomiting makes my back 10 times worse so I'm going to keep an eye on this post and see if anyone suggests a med that might work for me too. I'm glad your daughter is out of a bad situation with her ex and is home and safe with you now.
As of the last time she saw the neurologist, her official diagnosis was pseudo-seizures, not actual seizures - though they sure look like seizures to me.(though so do my panic attacks to people who don't know me) The Dr even released her to drive. He seemed to think that though the migraines were due to the smack on the head, the pseudo-seizures were due to mental trauma... did I mention that I have had to bodily stop hubby from killing ex-boyfriend? He sent her on her way saying that only therapy would stop the episodes.
Needless to say as her job is just barely covering her expenses, there is no extras for therapy.. though now that she is back with me we may look into what the county has to offer. She gets paid on the 1st, I am wondering if we should take her to another neurologist for the headaches or a GP...
And yes, I am so glad a-hole is out of her life!!!
Also, psychological trauma can manifest in many different ways. Maybe it is psychological as well. I hope you get her some help for her past relationships. Does your daughter qualify for Medicaid? If you can get her on Medicaid, she can see more doctors, and get better treatment You guys need to be very proactive in getting to the bottom of why these things are happening. A lot of doctors are lazy and do not want to investigate all of the symptoms. Any how, I will keep your daughter in my prayers. Hugs!
Jeremy!
2 onset meds that I switch between throughout the year are Imitrex and Maxalt, I've also used Axert. These are all good onset Migraine meds, but I have to use 1 too often so I rotate them.
There are also 2 simple things that tend to help with migraines, a small piece of chocolate and a Coke or any soda with Caffeine. Take these with your onset meds when you first get that Migraine aura.
The strange thing about the Boyfriend DX is that her seizures didn't start with him, they started when she smacked her head in the parking lot. If the pseudo seizures happen only when she hits her head....that's a physical symptom not a mental/emotional symptom.
I'd get a 2nd opinion with a good Neuro and see what they think of a Preventative/Onset cocktail and see if the Migraines can be gotten under control. That would be my first order of business, when on limited funds. Then I'd tackle the emotional/therapy angle.
She also should start keeping a Headache Journal to dictate when her Migraines hit, what she was doing, eating, what the weather was like, etc. How long they lasted and what symptoms accompanied them, blurry vision, vomiting, etc.
Migraines usually have something that set them off...like mine go nuts when the Barometric Pressure goes up and down, and in Spring when I have a really high allergy issue.
Any information she could take to a Neuro appt would be a great help for them.
Kat
I'm really sorry you have so many painful medical issues but I'm glad you're part of this group because I've learnt alot from your posts over the years!
I have to agree with Kat, if the seizures started with the hit to the head, they are physical not psychological. If she still has seizures, I would think they need to have her on seizure meds. As far as the headaches if they are migraines then she needs to follow a migraine suggested diet and do the journal so she can see if she finds any triggers. Chocolate is a big trigger for me. Salt is totally out of my diet plan.
I hope she can get onto Medicaid and find a second opinion. Will be praying for both of you.
Hugs-RJ
1) get her to journal
2) research a good neuro
3) look into medicade for her - she has been on food stamps before...
Her job is going to take her up and down the West Coast for the next month, then she will be heading back here officially to help me pack - realistically because living with her grandmother did not work out. That and I really do need help.
She will be back here for real end of next month - but here most of the time for the next two weeks. That is not making any sense. Let me try it this way... Here is where she works. When the season is over she will be back!
http://greathorrorcampout.com/
She still has events in Portland, San Diego, and San Bernadino.
yadlim
Well we did PT and other stuff. They gave her tramadol and muscle relaxers. It took a therapist to figure out that she was having panic attacks related to school mainly. They put her on Lexapro for the anxiety and tramadol and something else as migraine relief. She still gets them occasionally, like this morning, but I can usually tie it to something that is going on in her life.
The second incident you describe is definately psychological. I wonder if the first one was an attack as well that she might not remember. If she can get some medical coverage she should look into a psychiatrist. They can coordinate all of her care since they are MDs.
Find a Health Center-
http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/Search_HCC.aspx?byCounty=1
I'm surprised your daughter was given Tramadol or any other narcotic type pain med. Most Neuro's won't prescribe them because most of the time they have no effect on Migraines. And they have a tendency to cause Re-bound headaches which muddy the field of "what are my real headaches and what are caused by the meds?"
Normally for Migraines you get a Triptan, like Imitrex, Axert or Maxalt, those which know how to work on the on the blood vessels around the brain and also are able to reduce the substances in the body that trigger the migraines.
Hope your daughter is doing well in school and health.
Kat
When I was talking to her this morning about it, she told me that originally she was on a higher dose of Topiramate (no clue what that is the generic of), but she was having trouble with short term memory retention. This was a huge issue with 9 months of memory completely missing.
Right now she is using Excedrin Migraine to control the pain, but like I said, it is not doing enough - to the point we called the four hour trail ride at 2 1/2 hours.
Right now is was supposed to be getting her residency in CA, which takes a year, then going to the local University with free tuition as part of my VA benefits... but it has flat not worked out having her live with grandma. They can't get along at all. For the next month she is touring with the company she is working for, then she is going to come back and help pack up the house.
I don't know what we are going to do, but we will figure it out as it comes.
yadlim
I think a visit to a neurologist would be good and get off the birth control if she hadn't yet.
It does seem related to the b.c. And fall to me.
Good luck