I had gotten my migraine level down to a manageable 1-2 migraines per week, which I could totally handle, thanks to 150mg of Topamax per day and a little bit of sleep each day, Biofeedback, and decent (if not completely adequate) painkillers for the migraines that did sneak through. But for the last 3 weeks solid, I have had a migraine every single day. It might just be one solid migraine. I can’t even tell anymore. It never quits. I wake up with a migraine. I go to sleep with a migraine. I spend much of my day cringing in pain with the migraine. I can barely function most nights because of the migraines.
I know if I could just break the cycle, I could probably get free of it for a while. But how?
On my way down to Richmond yesterday, I called my neurologist out of desperation. Normally, I’d wait until I was due to go in and see him, but I’ve been doing so well, I’m actually not due to see him again until January. He called me right back (thank heavens for cell phones, right?) and suggested that I raise my Topamax dosage to 200mg per day for a couple of days and hope that it doesn’t make me too loopy (Topamax is not called Dopamax for nothing). If that doesn’t help within a couple of days, I should come into the office and we’ll consider putting me on a course of Prednisone for a few days to try to break the cycle. For some reason a steroid course often breaks these cycles.
We’ll see what happens. I’m betting I’ll be in his office on Friday afternoon. I just need some relief. I’m not sure I can make it through another weekend of this, and that’s saying a LOT. I’ve been getting migraines since I was two years old and I have been dealing with this kind of cycle forever. You would think I could with this by now. But this time, with my reserves so low, I’m just not prepared to deal with it.
ChezPerky 
oh no, i am so sorry you are dealing with this! i hope that the extra topomax works and you are feeling better soon! i don’t get them more than once a month or so, but when i do get a migraine it kicks my butt.
I wish I had some assvice on that one – but nothing. It just sucks ass.
😦
uggg…sorry. I get one or two a year and I think that is just miserable. Hoping the extra meds work their magic for you
Karen – I’m so sorry you have to deal with this! Makes caring for the kiddos that much harder. I will be praying for some kind of answers and relief! I don’t get them but I have a strong family history – dad and grandma who do and I know what its like to suffer with them.
gosh, so sorry. migraines suck. I hope you get it figured out soon.
Hi Karen – Ugh. How awful to have a migraine for so long. Although you’ve been experiencing them since age 2 I’m sure it doesn’t make them any easier. My 8-year-old daughter has suffered from occasional migraines for two years now. Her doctor says hopefully she’ll outgrow them. I’m still crossing my fingers.
Man, that stinks. I hope that you find relief very soon. Have you thought about any alternative treatments like accupunture? I haven’t done it for migrains but I did do it before my last FE transfer…the one that worked. Anyway, I have heard of people doing it for pain.
I’ll ditto the rec for accupunture althought I can imagine it would be difficult to fit that into your schedule.
Regardless, I hope you find some relief soon!
I am SO SORRY you are in pain. I have been having regular migranes lately, so I know the pain. I hope your migranes go away soon! Praying that they go away soon!
12 migraines a week? Jesus girl, you’re totally justified in not being able to deal with it – that’s an insane amount of migraines.
Oh no! Poor you. I had relatively minor migraines for 9 weeks straight when K was 6-8 months old. With just 1 and not having to work, it was beyond unbearable. And since my boobs were broken, I could take any medication the doctor wanted to try me on. I just can’t imagine.
At its worst, I took codeine and even percocet (which didn’t help much, except that it made me able to sleep some nights)
My assvice – your body chemistry has changed, it’s theoretically possible that a medication that didn’t work well before could work now.
Feel better and email me your Hebrew name – I’ll ask my husband to make a mishe berach (for non-Hebrew speaking readers: it’s a type of blessing made at the time of reading from the Torah)for you on Shabbat (Sabbath).
Here is my only assvice. Have you considered a pain specialist? Has your neurologist spoken to you about injections for the migraines when they hit a cycle like this? I used to work for a pain management specialist and he dealt with migraines all the time. He did things like the Topamax for prophylactic purposes but also injections when migraines didn’t respond to medications. Good luck!
I hope you get some relief from your migraine pain soon. One a day is something no supermom should have to suffer through!
I am so sorry you’re dealing with migraines on top of having 4 kids. I don’t know how you do it. I’ve had migraines for 10 years and found Topamax 3 months ago, it’s been wonderful EXCEPT my hair started falling out a few weeks ago so back to the drawing board. The prednisone is the only thing that will break the cycle for me. You can also go to your regular doctor and get a shot of toradol (not sure if you can have that while nursing though) to take the edge off but the migraine usually comes back full force eventually.
Just thought I’d delurk to try and help!
Headaches are the worst thing to me. I’d rather have my hand sawn off. Um, as long as it could be reattached, I guess, because migraines do at least go away. Let’s say sawn off and reattached with function intact but no anaesthetic. I hate headaches that much. Goes for my foot as well. Which is all to say… I hope the medication fiddlings help!
Bea
I’ve been thinking of you and hoping you got some relief — please update us.
Constant migraines are the worst. I had one for 8 weeks straight once and it was pure hell. Thankfully, I rarely get them anymore.
I hope you have found a way to break it and that they stay away for a bit.