Migraine Headaches Support Group
Migraine is a neurological disease, of which the most common symptom is an intense and disabling episodic headache. Migraine headaches are usually characterized by severe pain on one or both sides of the head and are often accompanied by photophobia (hypersensitivity to light), phonophobia (hypersensitivity to sound) and nausea.
I tried DHE as an ER treatment for the first time in a year on Sunday........
Background: I was told by my first neurologist after I had been her patient for about 5 months or so that I should not take triptans of any sort because she suspected that I have Basilar Migraines. Triptans weren't working anymore anyway and I needed them too often and I was told that pretty soon they would end up doing more damage than good because of how chronic my headaches/migraines had become. So, on one visit to the ER about a year ago the ER doc tried DHE and it Worked. I needed another visit a few weeks later and the DHE worked again. Then about a month later...the DHE was not working. I saw my neurologist for my botox injections and she told me that I was NOT to use DHE anymore anyway for the same reason I was not supposed to use triptans....basilar migraines. She said it was potentially dangerous.
FF to this year. I see a new neurologist and he suspects that I DO NOT have basilar migraines but should still stay away from triptans because of the chronic nature of my migraines...in that sometimes they never go away and if a migraine is not "caught" at the first sign, often the triptans won't work. The point for me here is that using triptans is a moot point for me. I also told him about my story about the DHE. However he said that if I wanted to try it again, I shouldn't be in any danger if I get a treatment of DHE. So, on Sunday...I went to the ER and convinced the doctor to try DHE on me. I had brought this up at the beginning of the ER visit and told him my whole history and that I was at my wits end and DHE was something to try again. It took the doctor a long time to get around to this....he basically gave me three treatments of 4mg dilaudid before he finally gave me 0.5mg of DHE. My migraine had been (and still is going on) for weeks. In the end, the DHE did NOT work. it just ended up sending me back up the pain scale that the dilaudid had begun to chip away and and work its way down. The Doc gave me my last dose of dilaudid, another 4 mg, and I went home in almost the same condition as I arrived....pain wise.
I wish he had tried it at the beginning, usually doctors don't start you off with narcotics except the one time that you ask for something else! I kept asking if he would give me the DHE BEFORE trying the dilaudid because If he had started with the DHE and then realized it didn't work then I still would have had at least 3 treatments of dilaudid to take the pain down. However because he waited I was "maxed" out on the other pain meds. Typical.
So, this is getting very long...my main question is, has anybody else had DHE work and then not work anymore? Or has anybody had DHE stop working and then after not having it for a while, have DHE start working again?
Obviously, I should probably stay away from it (it never did work when I used it as Migranal at home)...I am just wondering what other people have experienced with DHE. Any similar experiences? Different experiences? Any input would be appreciated. I know this post was long, but thanks for getting to the end of it!
WhiteRose
Background: I was told by my first neurologist after I had been her patient for about 5 months or so that I should not take triptans of any sort because she suspected that I have Basilar Migraines. Triptans weren't working anymore anyway and I needed them too often and I was told that pretty soon they would end up doing more damage than good because of how chronic my headaches/migraines had become. So, on one visit to the ER about a year ago the ER doc tried DHE and it Worked. I needed another visit a few weeks later and the DHE worked again. Then about a month later...the DHE was not working. I saw my neurologist for my botox injections and she told me that I was NOT to use DHE anymore anyway for the same reason I was not supposed to use triptans....basilar migraines. She said it was potentially dangerous.
FF to this year. I see a new neurologist and he suspects that I DO NOT have basilar migraines but should still stay away from triptans because of the chronic nature of my migraines...in that sometimes they never go away and if a migraine is not "caught" at the first sign, often the triptans won't work. The point for me here is that using triptans is a moot point for me. I also told him about my story about the DHE. However he said that if I wanted to try it again, I shouldn't be in any danger if I get a treatment of DHE. So, on Sunday...I went to the ER and convinced the doctor to try DHE on me. I had brought this up at the beginning of the ER visit and told him my whole history and that I was at my wits end and DHE was something to try again. It took the doctor a long time to get around to this....he basically gave me three treatments of 4mg dilaudid before he finally gave me 0.5mg of DHE. My migraine had been (and still is going on) for weeks. In the end, the DHE did NOT work. it just ended up sending me back up the pain scale that the dilaudid had begun to chip away and and work its way down. The Doc gave me my last dose of dilaudid, another 4 mg, and I went home in almost the same condition as I arrived....pain wise.
I wish he had tried it at the beginning, usually doctors don't start you off with narcotics except the one time that you ask for something else! I kept asking if he would give me the DHE BEFORE trying the dilaudid because If he had started with the DHE and then realized it didn't work then I still would have had at least 3 treatments of dilaudid to take the pain down. However because he waited I was "maxed" out on the other pain meds. Typical.
So, this is getting very long...my main question is, has anybody else had DHE work and then not work anymore? Or has anybody had DHE stop working and then after not having it for a while, have DHE start working again?
Obviously, I should probably stay away from it (it never did work when I used it as Migranal at home)...I am just wondering what other people have experienced with DHE. Any similar experiences? Different experiences? Any input would be appreciated. I know this post was long, but thanks for getting to the end of it!
WhiteRose
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I have been here before, a long long time ago and now I am back.Forgive me for not just saying what I want to say,even under a triple dose of antidepressants it is still raw and seeping and I am hesitant at revealing it as at least under the bandages around my heart I don,t have to look at how raw and wounded.My child was cleaved from my heart by his own actions. my child of ten,turning eleven...
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theatre and I are there already. I'm having a very berry tea with crackers, cheese and cherry tomatoes and she's having a joint with some beer and we're both on really comfy recliners on thick pile carpet. we need some help with the decor if anyone is around??
(And I've had triptan that worked for me begin to work again after a few years. And then stopped again. Might be slightly helpful for you, even if it isn't an ergot. It is still a vasoconstrictor. Still works with serotonin. So, not the same drug - but some mechanisms are similar. )