Question:
In a survey taken several years ago, all incoming freshman at MIT were asked if they expected to graduate in the top half of their class. Ninety-seven percent responded that they did. Think…doctors.
THINK…..DOCTORS I’m not sure, but wasn’t that sign in Dr. Jekyll’s office, right before he split? ; ) Anne Suzie Melbourne, Australia There are three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood and the crown of royalty; but the crown of a good name exceeds them all. Pirke Avot 4:19.
"You must see the infinite, i.e., the universal, in your particular, or it is only gossip."–O.W.Holmes, Jr.
Response:
In a survey taken several years ago, all incoming freshman at MIT were asked if they expected to graduate in the top half of their class. Ninety-seven percent responded that they did.
Think…doctors. Suzie Melbourne, Australia There are three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood and the crown of royalty; but the crown of a good name exceeds them all. Pirke Avot 4:19.
Response:
I’ve been looking at this newsgroup for over a week now and I get sick reading repeats of the frustrations and experiences I went through for over six years. I visited this newsgroup over 2 years ago when I was looking for solutions to my migraines. All I could find mostly was that finding the right medications is the answer. I never found the right medication. This is a summary of what I went through. Does it sound familiar? I have almost constant migraines. Went to doctor. It’s tension, try this relaxant. Tried the medication. Didn’t do a damn bit of good, but made me numb all over. Prescribes something else over the phone. Went back to the doctor. Prolactin level high, but doesn’t diagnose me with anything. Went to another doctor. Took an MRI. You have a small prolactinoma on your pituatary, take this medication. Did that for 6 months with worse nausea and aches than before. You should see an endocronologist, keep taking the medicine. Husband tells me not to complain to him. Son keeps me smiling. Took it for another year still suffering through the nausea and aches. Had another MRI. No significant change. Prolactin level back down. Still had migraines. Went off the medication. Went back to the endocronologist and was told if I had any major pituatary disease the effects wouldn’t be evident for a few years. That pissed me off. Stop complaining. Get no sympathy or support. Relationship deteriorating. Get somebody to clean my house. I can’t handle it anymore. Went back to my doctor to complain about migraines. Told I was stressed and depressed, try this antidepressent. Didn’t work. Went back again. Tried for at least 3 months. You are depressed, try this med. Didn’t work. Went back again. Tried for at least 3 months. You are stressed and depressed, try these meds. Tired and worn out. By this time I want to quit working. Husband won’t let me. Says we need the money, when we could get by. Had another yearly MRI. No significant change. By this time I notice the left side of my body is getting weaker. Meds didn’t work. Recommended to a neurologist. You definitely have hormonal migraines. Last thing I wanted to hear. Examined. No obvious neurological problems found. Given the migraine diary, exercises, posture forms, filled out the questionaire. Prescribed three different medications (preventative and abortive) after going through the list of antidepressants/beta blockers/headache meds I had already tried. Did the migraine diary and food intake list. Learned and researched migraine triggers and learned how to prevent some of them. Checkup a month later. Meds not working. Doc doesn’t like the looks of the diary. Try to figure out how I can go out on disability. Going to work is getting to be too much. Recommended to keep taking for 2 more months. Still not working. Go back. Prescribed more meds. Orders a spinal tap to check for pressure. Doctors/Insurance argue which hospital I should go to for the test. Takes weeks to get one of the drugs approved by the insurance. Pick up meds at pharmacy that I’ve been going to for years. Treated like a drug addict. Spinal tap done. Simple procedure, right. Wrong. Took an hour for them to get the needle in using a special x-ray machine to do the tap. Out of work for 3 days. Everytime I sit up I have a severe migraine. Can only stand complete darkness. Called neuro every day telling him I don’t feel right. Told it will take 48 hours for the migraine to go away. Third day, I call. Still don’t feel right. Doctor’s / insurance argue which hospital I should go to. Finally get a call back. Told to go to ER. Anesthesiologist calls me, asks me if I get a migraine when I sit up, but OK lying down. Yes! I’m told I’m leaking spinal fluid. My friend drives me to the hospital. Given IV with fluid. Anest. does the blood patch. I’m dehydrated and don’t have much spinal fluid. Deadly experience #1. Anes. talks to me about my migraines and tells me how he did surgery on this woman’s nerve in the back of her neck and she doesn’t have migraines anymore. He gave me his card. Thought seriously about calling him back and asking him to do the procedure. I feel much better the next day. I go back to work though I should rest for fear I will get fired. Went back to doc for results. He immediately gets defensive. I didn’t even say a word. Go every three months trying different drugs to no avail. Stop going for a year trying preventative trigger type stuff. Go back to neuro asking for recommendations to other neuro. Again docs and insurance companies argue over approvals. Recommended to neuro and migraine clinic 2 hours away. Go thinking they have different answers. Same story. Examined. Very noticeable weakness on left side. Told not to worry. The migraines aren’t doing that. Prescribed 3 different meds .By this time I’m losing it and express myself. I never talked so disrespectful to a doctor in my lfe, but it felt good. Try meds for a few months. Getting dryness in chest after a couple of weeks. Develop bronchitis and borderline pneumonia. Experience very bad asthma attack. Go to ER. Stay home one day. Go to work for fear of getting fired. Get yearly MRI and find I also have sinusitis. Never had four different illnesses in one. Deadly experience #2. Wish I did. I can’t stand it anymore. I have figured out by now how I should commit suicide in sick detail. Neuro appointment again. Don’t make it due to killer migraine night before. Talk to neuro’s nurse. She suggests IV therapy and discusses risks and side effects. I hang up yelling in frustration asking her if she wants to kill me this time. I’m at rock bottom. No more meds for me. Go to Chiropractor. My medical insurance doesn’t cover chiropractor’s. I decide, heck my medical insurance hasn’t done me much good for over six years. I decide to bite the bullet for three months. My life starts to turn around. I start to get better. My migraines and headaches lessen. Other weird symptoms disappear. I’m able to exercise again without getting a migraine most of the time. I continue to go to the Chiro. I continue to exercise. I do what he tells me just like any other doctor. I feel invincible. I feel that this really works. I can’t believe it. I stand up to my husband on the cost. I get his support. I go for two years and continue to get better and better. No more migraines. I still go to a Chiropractor. I get the feeling that most of you in this newsgroup have a much longer list with it repeating over and over in what seems to be an endless cycle. A chiropractor stopped the cycle for me. A lot of you have a lot more persistence and patience than I do and I’ve always thought I was as persistent as they come. The meds lowered my immune system and gave me very bad side effects. They didn’t work for me. I tried something different and it worked for me. It wasn’t easy. I had to keep an open mind because I was taught that you go to an MD for all ailments. I have found that this is not true and hope that you do, too. I’ve heard other people say that acupuncture works for them. I just wanted to let you know my experience. I have no financial relations with chiropractors or their associations. I’m just your average 39 (and holding) year old woman who suffered through many years of constant pain. I was lucky to find something that worked for me and I wanted to let you know in the hopes that you try something completely different this year and have your best year ever. –mary
Response:
Hi Mary, Well I think your story represents what a lot of us go through in our search for life with pain. I am a chiropractor believer, but he hasn’t been able to do anything about my hormonal migraines. I had to work through another doctor to find results with that. It is a process of trying different things and being open sometimes when we are at wits end. Your story represents just that. Since you have been looking at the newsgroup, then you may have seen comments from a few people about the difficulties in helping patients with migraines, headaches, clusters, etc. It’s very complex and we are all so different in what triggers our migraines and/or is the prime culprit (don’t we wish we all knew). I actually found great relief for my weirder tension headaches that blew up into migraines by getting regular massage…especially after the end of every semester. It worked wonders. Thanks for offering your success story as I know there are people who will open themselves up to that idea if they haven’t tried it already. Michelle – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve been looking at this newsgroup for over a week now and I get sick reading repeats of the frustrations and experiences I went through for over six years. I visited this newsgroup over 2 years ago when I was looking for solutions to my migraines. All I could find mostly was that finding the right medications is the answer. I never found the right medication. This is a summary of what I went through. Does it sound familiar? I have almost constant migraines. Went to doctor. It’s tension, try this relaxant. Tried the medication. Didn’t do a damn bit of good, but made me numb all over. Prescribes something else over the phone. Went back to the doctor. Prolactin level high, but doesn’t diagnose me with anything. Went to another doctor. Took an MRI. You have a small prolactinoma on your pituatary, take this medication. Did that for 6 months with worse nausea and aches than before. You should see an endocronologist, keep taking the medicine. Husband tells me not to complain to him. Son keeps me smiling. Took it for another year still suffering through the nausea and aches. Had another MRI. No significant change. Prolactin level back down. Still had migraines. Went off the medication. Went back to the endocronologist and was told if I had any major pituatary disease the effects wouldn’t be evident for a few years. That pissed me off. Stop complaining. Get no sympathy or support. Relationship deteriorating. Get somebody to clean my house. I can’t handle it anymore. Went back to my doctor to complain about migraines. Told I was stressed and depressed, try this antidepressent. Didn’t work. Went back again. Tried for at least 3 months. You are depressed, try this med. Didn’t work. Went back again. Tried for at least 3 months. You are stressed and depressed, try these meds. Tired and worn out. By this time I want to quit working. Husband won’t let me. Says we need the money, when we could get by. Had another yearly MRI. No significant change. By this time I notice the left side of my body is getting weaker. Meds didn’t work. Recommended to a neurologist. You definitely have hormonal migraines. Last thing I wanted to hear. Examined. No obvious neurological problems found. Given the migraine diary, exercises, posture forms, filled out the questionaire. Prescribed three different medications (preventative and abortive) after going through the list of antidepressants/beta blockers/headache meds I had already tried. Did the migraine diary and food intake list. Learned and researched migraine triggers and learned how to prevent some of them. Checkup a month later. Meds not working. Doc doesn’t like the looks of the diary. Try to figure out how I can go out on disability. Going to work is getting to be too much. Recommended to keep taking for 2 more months. Still not working. Go back. Prescribed more meds. Orders a spinal tap to check for pressure. Doctors/Insurance argue which hospital I should go to for the test. Takes weeks to get one of the drugs approved by the insurance. Pick up meds at pharmacy that I’ve been going to for years. Treated like a drug addict. Spinal tap done. Simple procedure, right. Wrong. Took an hour for them to get the needle in using a special x-ray machine to do the tap. Out of work for 3 days. Everytime I sit up I have a severe migraine. Can only stand complete darkness. Called neuro every day telling him I don’t feel right. Told it will take 48 hours for the migraine to go away. Third day, I call. Still don’t feel right. Doctor’s / insurance argue which hospital I should go to. Finally get a call back. Told to go to ER. Anesthesiologist calls me, asks me if I get a migraine when I sit up, but OK lying down. Yes! I’m told I’m leaking spinal fluid. My friend drives me to the hospital. Given IV with fluid. Anest. does the blood patch. I’m dehydrated and don’t have much spinal fluid. Deadly experience #1. Anes. talks to me about my migraines and tells me how he did surgery on this woman’s nerve in the back of her neck and she doesn’t have migraines anymore. He gave me his card. Thought seriously about calling him back and asking him to do the procedure. I feel much better the next day. I go back to work though I should rest for fear I will get fired. Went back to doc for results. He immediately gets defensive. I didn’t even say a word. Go every three months trying different drugs to no avail. Stop going for a year trying preventative trigger type stuff. Go back to neuro asking for recommendations to other neuro. Again docs and insurance companies argue over approvals. Recommended to neuro and migraine clinic 2 hours away. Go thinking they have different answers. Same story. Examined. Very noticeable weakness on left side. Told not to worry. The migraines aren’t doing that. Prescribed 3 different meds .By this time I’m losing it and express myself. I never talked so disrespectful to a doctor in my lfe, but it felt good. Try meds for a few months. Getting dryness in chest after a couple of weeks. Develop bronchitis and borderline pneumonia. Experience very bad asthma attack. Go to ER. Stay home one day. Go to work for fear of getting fired. Get yearly MRI and find I also have sinusitis. Never had four different illnesses in one. Deadly experience #2. Wish I did. I can’t stand it anymore. I have figured out by now how I should commit suicide in sick detail. Neuro appointment again. Don’t make it due to killer migraine night before. Talk to neuro’s nurse. She suggests IV therapy and discusses risks and side effects. I hang up yelling in frustration asking her if she wants to kill me this time. I’m at rock bottom. No more meds for me. Go to Chiropractor. My medical insurance doesn’t cover chiropractor’s. I decide, heck my medical insurance hasn’t done me much good for over six years. I decide to bite the bullet for three months. My life starts to turn around. I start to get better. My migraines and headaches lessen. Other weird symptoms disappear. I’m able to exercise again without getting a migraine most of the time. I continue to go to the Chiro. I continue to exercise. I do what he tells me just like any other doctor. I feel invincible. I feel that this really works. I can’t believe it. I stand up to my husband on the cost. I get his support. I go for two years and continue to get better and better. No more migraines. I still go to a Chiropractor. I get the feeling that most of you in this newsgroup have a much longer list with it repeating over and over in what seems to be an endless cycle. A chiropractor stopped the cycle for me. A lot of you have a lot more persistence and patience than I do and I’ve always thought I was as persistent as they come. The meds lowered my immune system and gave me very bad side effects. They didn’t work for me. I tried something different and it worked for me. It wasn’t easy. I had to keep an open mind because I was taught that you go to an MD for all ailments. I have found that this is not true and hope that you do, too. I’ve heard other people say that acupuncture works for them. I just wanted to let you know my experience. I have no financial relations with chiropractors or their associations. I’m just your average 39 (and holding) year old woman who suffered through many years of constant pain. I was lucky to find something that worked for me and I wanted to let you know in the hopes that you try something completely different this year and have your best year ever. –mary
Response:
If you were on a path of being pissed off by a doctor’s honest diagnosis, failed to follow up on a possible surgical fix, disrespected a new neurologist on your first visit, and later chewed out his nurse for suggesting an IV therapy that’s been successful for a lot of people, developed a major attitude about prescription drugs, had a tenuous situation at work, and a deteriorating relationship with what sounds like an unsupportive husband, AND insurance/money hassles, were depressed, combative and fairly put upon from all sides…? I’d just bet that chiropractor did more for you with a warm, caring, supportive attitude, than with manipulating your spine. After all, you said in an earlier post, you went to the chiro "wanting to get better". Maybe it was a self-fulfilling prophesy. Whatever. If he helped you, fine. But chiropratic manipulation has been tried by a wealth of people on this ng. You might reach some newbies, but – with varied success – a lot of us have been there, done that. In my case, my neck was out of sorts, and creating all manner of tension headaches and shoulder pain. My chiro got rid of that over time, but never made one DENT in my migraines. YMMV. Ginnie
Response:
It’s funny, but I’ll go to Dr. Wu’s acupuncture, but I won’t touch a chiropractor. I did once, but I stopped the session after the first pop and I needed ice bags and days for the swealing/soreness to go away. Perhaps just a bad experience, but chiropractors are just way to aggressive for me. I prefer a more gentle "eastern" medicine approach that brings the body back into harmony (with self, creator, and world). Massage is very nice. If you can find a good therapist (you need to hunt a little), it’s a great way to work out those knots, (no knots; back feels great; erik happy), and a perfect example about what I’m talking about. Non-aggressive, healing touch…. Why punish our bodies? Haven’t we already had enough? Erik – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve been looking at this newsgroup for over a week now and I get sick reading repeats of the frustrations and experiences I went through for over six years. I visited this newsgroup over 2 years ago when I was looking for solutions to my migraines. All I could find mostly was that finding the right medications is the answer. I never found the right medication. This is a summary of what I went through. Does it sound familiar? I have almost constant migraines. Went to doctor. It’s tension, try this relaxant. Tried the medication. Didn’t do a damn bit of good, but made me numb all over. Prescribes something else over the phone. Went back to the doctor. Prolactin level high, but doesn’t diagnose me with anything. Went to another doctor. Took an MRI. You have a small prolactinoma on your pituatary, take this medication. Did that for 6 months with worse nausea and aches than before. You should see an endocronologist, keep taking the medicine. Husband tells me not to complain to him. Son keeps me smiling. Took it for another year still suffering through the nausea and aches. Had another MRI. No significant change. Prolactin level back down. Still had migraines. Went off the medication. Went back to the endocronologist and was told if I had any major pituatary disease the effects wouldn’t be evident for a few years. That pissed me off. Stop complaining. Get no sympathy or support. Relationship deteriorating. Get somebody to clean my house. I can’t handle it anymore. Went back to my doctor to complain about migraines. Told I was stressed and depressed, try this antidepressent. Didn’t work. Went back again. Tried for at least 3 months. You are depressed, try this med. Didn’t work. Went back again. Tried for at least 3 months. You are stressed and depressed, try these meds. Tired and worn out. By this time I want to quit working. Husband won’t let me. Says we need the money, when we could get by. Had another yearly MRI. No significant change. By this time I notice the left side of my body is getting weaker. Meds didn’t work. Recommended to a neurologist. You definitely have hormonal migraines. Last thing I wanted to hear. Examined. No obvious neurological problems found. Given the migraine diary, exercises, posture forms, filled out the questionaire. Prescribed three different medications (preventative and abortive) after going through the list of antidepressants/beta blockers/headache meds I had already tried. Did the migraine diary and food intake list. Learned and researched migraine triggers and learned how to prevent some of them. Checkup a month later. Meds not working. Doc doesn’t like the looks of the diary. Try to figure out how I can go out on disability. Going to work is getting to be too much. Recommended to keep taking for 2 more months. Still not working. Go back. Prescribed more meds. Orders a spinal tap to check for pressure. Doctors/Insurance argue which hospital I should go to for the test. Takes weeks to get one of the drugs approved by the insurance. Pick up meds at pharmacy that I’ve been going to for years. Treated like a drug addict. Spinal tap done. Simple procedure, right. Wrong. Took an hour for them to get the needle in using a special x-ray machine to do the tap. Out of work for 3 days. Everytime I sit up I have a severe migraine. Can only stand complete darkness. Called neuro every day telling him I don’t feel right. Told it will take 48 hours for the migraine to go away. Third day, I call. Still don’t feel right. Doctor’s / insurance argue which hospital I should go to. Finally get a call back. Told to go to ER. Anesthesiologist calls me, asks me if I get a migraine when I sit up, but OK lying down. Yes! I’m told I’m leaking spinal fluid. My friend drives me to the hospital. Given IV with fluid. Anest. does the blood patch. I’m dehydrated and don’t have much spinal fluid. Deadly experience #1. Anes. talks to me about my migraines and tells me how he did surgery on this woman’s nerve in the back of her neck and she doesn’t have migraines anymore. He gave me his card. Thought seriously about calling him back and asking him to do the procedure. I feel much better the next day. I go back to work though I should rest for fear I will get fired. Went back to doc for results. He immediately gets defensive. I didn’t even say a word. Go every three months trying different drugs to no avail. Stop going for a year trying preventative trigger type stuff. Go back to neuro asking for recommendations to other neuro. Again docs and insurance companies argue over approvals. Recommended to neuro and migraine clinic 2 hours away. Go thinking they have different answers. Same story. Examined. Very noticeable weakness on left side. Told not to worry. The migraines aren’t doing that. Prescribed 3 different meds .By this time I’m losing it and express myself. I never talked so disrespectful to a doctor in my lfe, but it felt good. Try meds for a few months. Getting dryness in chest after a couple of weeks. Develop bronchitis and borderline pneumonia. Experience very bad asthma attack. Go to ER. Stay home one day. Go to work for fear of getting fired. Get yearly MRI and find I also have sinusitis. Never had four different illnesses in one. Deadly experience #2. Wish I did. I can’t stand it anymore. I have figured out by now how I should commit suicide in sick detail. Neuro appointment again. Don’t make it due to killer migraine night before. Talk to neuro’s nurse. She suggests IV therapy and discusses risks and side effects. I hang up yelling in frustration asking her if she wants to kill me this time. I’m at rock bottom. No more meds for me. Go to Chiropractor. My medical insurance doesn’t cover chiropractor’s. I decide, heck my medical insurance hasn’t done me much good for over six years. I decide to bite the bullet for three months. My life starts to turn around. I start to get better. My migraines and headaches lessen. Other weird symptoms disappear. I’m able to exercise again without getting a migraine most of the time. I continue to go to the Chiro. I continue to exercise. I do what he tells me just like any other doctor. I feel invincible. I feel that this really works. I can’t believe it. I stand up to my husband on the cost. I get his support. I go for two years and continue to get better and better. No more migraines. I still go to a Chiropractor. I get the feeling that most of you in this newsgroup have a much longer list with it repeating over and over in what seems to be an endless cycle. A chiropractor stopped the cycle for me. A lot of you have a lot more persistence and patience than I do and I’ve always thought I was as persistent as they come. The meds lowered my immune system and gave me very bad side effects. They didn’t work for me. I tried something different and it worked for me. It wasn’t easy. I had to keep an open mind because I was taught that you go to an MD for all ailments. I have found that this is not true and hope that you do, too. I’ve heard other people say that acupuncture works for them. I just wanted to let you know my experience. I have no financial relations with chiropractors or their associations. I’m just your average 39 (and holding) year old woman who suffered through many years of constant pain. I was lucky to find something that worked for me and I wanted to let you know in the hopes that you try something completely different this year and have your best year ever. –mary
Response:
In my case I went to the chiropractor first, before I started seeing a doctor about my migraines. Unfortunately I saw absolutely no improvement. My body was a bit more aligned (this was highschool and I had been carrying a backpack full of books on one shoulder…cuz that was cool 
Jasmine – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve been looking at this newsgroup for over a week now and I get sick reading repeats of the frustrations and experiences I went through for over six years. I visited this newsgroup over 2 years ago when I was looking for solutions to my migraines. All I could find mostly was that finding the right medications is the answer. I never found the right medication. This is a summary of what I went through. Does it sound familiar? I have almost constant migraines. Went to doctor. It’s tension, try this relaxant. Tried the medication. Didn’t do a damn bit of good, but made me numb all over. Prescribes something else over the phone. Went back to the doctor. Prolactin level high, but doesn’t diagnose me with anything. Went to another doctor. Took an MRI. You have a small prolactinoma on your pituatary, take this medication. Did that for 6 months with worse nausea and aches than before. You should see an endocronologist, keep taking the medicine. Husband tells me not to complain to him. Son keeps me smiling. Took it for another year still suffering through the nausea and aches. Had another MRI. No significant change. Prolactin level back down. Still had migraines. Went off the medication. Went back to the endocronologist and was told if I had any major pituatary disease the effects wouldn’t be evident for a few years. That pissed me off. Stop complaining. Get no sympathy or support. Relationship deteriorating. Get somebody to clean my house. I can’t handle it anymore. Went back to my doctor to complain about migraines. Told I was stressed and depressed, try this antidepressent. Didn’t work. Went back again. Tried for at least 3 months. You are depressed, try this med. Didn’t work. Went back again. Tried for at least 3 months. You are stressed and depressed, try these meds. Tired and worn out. By this time I want to quit working. Husband won’t let me. Says we need the money, when we could get by. Had another yearly MRI. No significant change. By this time I notice the left side of my body is getting weaker. Meds didn’t work. Recommended to a neurologist. You definitely have hormonal migraines. Last thing I wanted to hear. Examined. No obvious neurological problems found. Given the migraine diary, exercises, posture forms, filled out the questionaire. Prescribed three different medications (preventative and abortive) after going through the list of antidepressants/beta blockers/headache meds I had already tried. Did the migraine diary and food intake list. Learned and researched migraine triggers and learned how to prevent some of them. Checkup a month later. Meds not working. Doc doesn’t like the looks of the diary. Try to figure out how I can go out on disability. Going to work is getting to be too much. Recommended to keep taking for 2 more months. Still not working. Go back. Prescribed more meds. Orders a spinal tap to check for pressure. Doctors/Insurance argue which hospital I should go to for the test. Takes weeks to get one of the drugs approved by the insurance. Pick up meds at pharmacy that I’ve been going to for years. Treated like a drug addict. Spinal tap done. Simple procedure, right. Wrong. Took an hour for them to get the needle in using a special x-ray machine to do the tap. Out of work for 3 days. Everytime I sit up I have a severe migraine. Can only stand complete darkness. Called neuro every day telling him I don’t feel right. Told it will take 48 hours for the migraine to go away. Third day, I call. Still don’t feel right. Doctor’s / insurance argue which hospital I should go to. Finally get a call back. Told to go to ER. Anesthesiologist calls me, asks me if I get a migraine when I sit up, but OK lying down. Yes! I’m told I’m leaking spinal fluid. My friend drives me to the hospital. Given IV with fluid. Anest. does the blood patch. I’m dehydrated and don’t have much spinal fluid. Deadly experience #1. Anes. talks to me about my migraines and tells me how he did surgery on this woman’s nerve in the back of her neck and she doesn’t have migraines anymore. He gave me his card. Thought seriously about calling him back and asking him to do the procedure. I feel much better the next day. I go back to work though I should rest for fear I will get fired. Went back to doc for results. He immediately gets defensive. I didn’t even say a word. Go every three months trying different drugs to no avail. Stop going for a year trying preventative trigger type stuff. Go back to neuro asking for recommendations to other neuro. Again docs and insurance companies argue over approvals. Recommended to neuro and migraine clinic 2 hours away. Go thinking they have different answers. Same story. Examined. Very noticeable weakness on left side. Told not to worry. The migraines aren’t doing that. Prescribed 3 different meds .By this time I’m losing it and express myself. I never talked so disrespectful to a doctor in my lfe, but it felt good. Try meds for a few months. Getting dryness in chest after a couple of weeks. Develop bronchitis and borderline pneumonia. Experience very bad asthma attack. Go to ER. Stay home one day. Go to work for fear of getting fired. Get yearly MRI and find I also have sinusitis. Never had four different illnesses in one. Deadly experience #2. Wish I did. I can’t stand it anymore. I have figured out by now how I should commit suicide in sick detail. Neuro appointment again. Don’t make it due to killer migraine night before. Talk to neuro’s nurse. She suggests IV therapy and discusses risks and side effects. I hang up yelling in frustration asking her if she wants to kill me this time. I’m at rock bottom. No more meds for me. Go to Chiropractor. My medical insurance doesn’t cover chiropractor’s. I decide, heck my medical insurance hasn’t done me much good for over six years. I decide to bite the bullet for three months. My life starts to turn around. I start to get better. My migraines and headaches lessen. Other weird symptoms disappear. I’m able to exercise again without getting a migraine most of the time. I continue to go to the Chiro. I continue to exercise. I do what he tells me just like any other doctor. I feel invincible. I feel that this really works. I can’t believe it. I stand up to my husband on the cost. I get his support. I go for two years and continue to get better and better. No more migraines. I still go to a Chiropractor. I get the feeling that most of you in this newsgroup have a much longer list with it repeating over and over in what seems to be an endless cycle. A chiropractor stopped the cycle for me. A lot of you have a lot more persistence and patience than I do and I’ve always thought I was as persistent as they come. The meds lowered my immune system and gave me very bad side effects. They didn’t work for me. I tried something different and it worked for me. It wasn’t easy. I had to keep an open mind because I was taught that you go to an MD for all ailments. I have found that this is not true and hope that you do, too. I’ve heard other people say that acupuncture works for them. I just wanted to let you know my experience. I have no financial relations with chiropractors or their associations. I’m just your average 39 (and holding) year old woman who suffered through many years of constant pain. I was lucky to find something that worked for me and I wanted to let you know in the hopes that you try something completely different this year and have your best year ever. –mary
Response:
If you were on a path of being pissed off by a doctor’s honest diagnosis, failed to follow up on a possible surgical fix, disrespected a new neurologist on your first visit, and later chewed out his
All I said is "Is that all you have to offer? More meds?" I was in tears. I was told by my neuro that the other neuro could help me and had something different to offer only to find that he had nothing different to offer. I had a killer migraine when I drove up there. Waited over an hour for them to take me. I was 30 minutes early. I tried the medication he prescribed with an open mind and it killed my immune system. He once again, went through the list of meds I had already tried. nurse for suggesting an IV therapy that’s been successful for a lot of people,
Well, when she started asking me if I had any history of heart problems and high blood pressure and had to stay up there for two days when I was already very sick from the last set of meds, still on antibiotics the neuro gave me, yeah I decided to turn it down. And I’m glad I did. At this point I had started looking into a chiropractor. I took that road instead of the IV. developed a major attitude about prescription drugs,
Why not, they didn’t work? The pharmacists were treating me like a drug addict. had a tenuous situation at work, and a deteriorating
Corporate world, honey. They work you to the bone. They don’t care about you or your life. It gets worse every year. I got reorg’d to an old style face-time manager, who thought that woman shouldn’t be in the workplace. I found a new boss and transferred. relationship with what sounds like an unsupportive husband,
Yeah because I was getting no sympathy, concern or help. Our relationship has improved. AND insurance/money hassles,
And you don’t? I bet everybody in this ng does. Don’t forget to mention the unprofessionalism of the insurance and doctors (GP, neuro) fighting about which ER I should go to, getting the referral to the other neuro, not faxing forms to the right place and following up, and losing records. were depressed,
and you aren’t with your pain. combative
That’s harsh. I was no where near that. I was frustrated. and fairly put upon from all sides…?
I had a bad experience. I’d just bet that chiropractor did more for you with a warm, caring, supportive attitude, than with manipulating your spine.
I resent that. Not true. How can you even suggest that knowing what you’ve been through. After all, you said in an earlier post, you went to the chiro "wanting to get better". Maybe it was a self-fulfilling prophesy.
Yeah, when I got to the end of the line. It was the postive attitude towards the treatment that helped me get better, absolutely, and not listening to my instinct that GP’s and referrals to other doctors are the answers. I had a positive attitude towards the other treatments until I got 4 years into it. Whatever. If he helped you, fine., but chiropratic manipulation has been tried by a wealth of people on this ng. You might reach
But, for how long? It’s not a quick fix. I got a good benefit going for a year. I had to go two to three times a week for about 8 months. Now I’m down to once every other week. some newbies, but – with varied success – a lot of us have been there, done that. In my case, my neck was out of sorts, and creating all manner of tension headaches and shoulder pain. My
I still have my neck and shoulder pain. This is going to take the longest to fix. But, I’m sticking to it. chiro got rid of that over time, but never made one DENT in my migraines. YMMV.
Gee, maybe I should try another Chiro that can fix my neck and shoulder pain faster. How long did you go for? Have you been back? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Ginnie
Response:
Hi Mary, I detect a fair bit of anger in here. It’s normal given what you’ve gone through, but not fair to both yourself and the professionals that you’ve worked with. I’d recommend that you get some assertiveness training or read some books on the subject. It’s very easy to lash out as a victim, but much more effective (respectful and honest) to be assertive and help guide your care the best you can. All of these books (that I’m aware of) will talk about taking responsibility for your situation and working within your boundaries. You’ll get much better care when the medical staff isn’t defensive, and sooner or later all of us will need to go back to the doc (crawling, whimpering, or otherwise) for help. I’m glad you found something that works for you. Thanks for letting the group know. Erik – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve been looking at this newsgroup for over a week now and I get sick reading repeats of the frustrations and experiences I went through for over six years. I visited this newsgroup over 2 years ago when I was looking for solutions to my migraines. All I could find mostly was that finding the right medications is the answer. I never found the right medication. This is a summary of what I went through. Does it sound familiar? I have almost constant migraines. Went to doctor. It’s tension, try this relaxant. Tried the medication. Didn’t do a damn bit of good, but made me numb all over. Prescribes something else over the phone. Went back to the doctor. Prolactin level high, but doesn’t diagnose me with anything. Went to another doctor. Took an MRI. You have a small prolactinoma on your pituatary, take this medication. Did that for 6 months with worse nausea and aches than before. You should see an endocronologist, keep taking the medicine. Husband tells me not to complain to him. Son keeps me smiling. Took it for another year still suffering through the nausea and aches. Had another MRI. No significant change. Prolactin level back down. Still had migraines. Went off the medication. Went back to the endocronologist and was told if I had any major pituatary disease the effects wouldn’t be evident for a few years. That pissed me off. Stop complaining. Get no sympathy or support. Relationship deteriorating. Get somebody to clean my house. I can’t handle it anymore. Went back to my doctor to complain about migraines. Told I was stressed and depressed, try this antidepressent. Didn’t work. Went back again. Tried for at least 3 months. You are depressed, try this med. Didn’t work. Went back again. Tried for at least 3 months. You are stressed and depressed, try these meds. Tired and worn out. By this time I want to quit working. Husband won’t let me. Says we need the money, when we could get by. Had another yearly MRI. No significant change. By this time I notice the left side of my body is getting weaker. Meds didn’t work. Recommended to a neurologist. You definitely have hormonal migraines. Last thing I wanted to hear. Examined. No obvious neurological problems found. Given the migraine diary, exercises, posture forms, filled out the questionaire. Prescribed three different medications (preventative and abortive) after going through the list of antidepressants/beta blockers/headache meds I had already tried. Did the migraine diary and food intake list. Learned and researched migraine triggers and learned how to prevent some of them. Checkup a month later. Meds not working. Doc doesn’t like the looks of the diary. Try to figure out how I can go out on disability. Going to work is getting to be too much. Recommended to keep taking for 2 more months. Still not working. Go back. Prescribed more meds. Orders a spinal tap to check for pressure. Doctors/Insurance argue which hospital I should go to for the test. Takes weeks to get one of the drugs approved by the insurance. Pick up meds at pharmacy that I’ve been going to for years. Treated like a drug addict. Spinal tap done. Simple procedure, right. Wrong. Took an hour for them to get the needle in using a special x-ray machine to do the tap. Out of work for 3 days. Everytime I sit up I have a severe migraine. Can only stand complete darkness. Called neuro every day telling him I don’t feel right. Told it will take 48 hours for the migraine to go away. Third day, I call. Still don’t feel right. Doctor’s / insurance argue which hospital I should go to. Finally get a call back. Told to go to ER. Anesthesiologist calls me, asks me if I get a migraine when I sit up, but OK lying down. Yes! I’m told I’m leaking spinal fluid. My friend drives me to the hospital. Given IV with fluid. Anest. does the blood patch. I’m dehydrated and don’t have much spinal fluid. Deadly experience #1. Anes. talks to me about my migraines and tells me how he did surgery on this woman’s nerve in the back of her neck and she doesn’t have migraines anymore. He gave me his card. Thought seriously about calling him back and asking him to do the procedure. I feel much better the next day. I go back to work though I should rest for fear I will get fired. Went back to doc for results. He immediately gets defensive. I didn’t even say a word. Go every three months trying different drugs to no avail. Stop going for a year trying preventative trigger type stuff. Go back to neuro asking for recommendations to other neuro. Again docs and insurance companies argue over approvals. Recommended to neuro and migraine clinic 2 hours away. Go thinking they have different answers. Same story. Examined. Very noticeable weakness on left side. Told not to worry. The migraines aren’t doing that. Prescribed 3 different meds .By this time I’m losing it and express myself. I never talked so disrespectful to a doctor in my lfe, but it felt good. Try meds for a few months. Getting dryness in chest after a couple of weeks. Develop bronchitis and borderline pneumonia. Experience very bad asthma attack. Go to ER. Stay home one day. Go to work for fear of getting fired. Get yearly MRI and find I also have sinusitis. Never had four different illnesses in one. Deadly experience #2. Wish I did. I can’t stand it anymore. I have figured out by now how I should commit suicide in sick detail. Neuro appointment again. Don’t make it due to killer migraine night before. Talk to neuro’s nurse. She suggests IV therapy and discusses risks and side effects. I hang up yelling in frustration asking her if she wants to kill me this time. I’m at rock bottom. No more meds for me. Go to Chiropractor. My medical insurance doesn’t cover chiropractor’s. I decide, heck my medical insurance hasn’t done me much good for over six years. I decide to bite the bullet for three months. My life starts to turn around. I start to get better. My migraines and headaches lessen. Other weird symptoms disappear. I’m able to exercise again without getting a migraine most of the time. I continue to go to the Chiro. I continue to exercise. I do what he tells me just like any other doctor. I feel invincible. I feel that this really works. I can’t believe it. I stand up to my husband on the cost. I get his support. I go for two years and continue to get better and better. No more migraines. I still go to a Chiropractor. I get the feeling that most of you in this newsgroup have a much longer list with it repeating over and over in what seems to be an endless cycle. A chiropractor stopped the cycle for me. A lot of you have a lot more persistence and patience than I do and I’ve always thought I was as persistent as they come. The meds lowered my immune system and gave me very bad side effects. They didn’t work for me. I tried something different and it worked for me. It wasn’t easy. I had to keep an open mind because I was taught that you go to an MD for all ailments. I have found that this is not true and hope that you do, too. I’ve heard other people say that acupuncture works for them. I just wanted to let you know my experience. I have no financial relations with chiropractors or their associations. I’m just your average 39 (and holding) year old woman who suffered through many years of constant pain. I was lucky to find something that worked for me and I wanted to let you know in the hopes that you try something completely different this year and have your best year ever. –mary
Response:
Hi Mary, Well I think your story represents what a lot of us go through in our search for life with pain. I am a chiropractor believer, but he hasn’t been able to do anything about my hormonal migraines. I had to work through another doctor to find results with that. It is a process of trying different things and being open sometimes when we are at wits end. Your story represents just that.
Thanks for your support and understanding. Since you have been looking at the newsgroup, then you may have seen comments from a few people about the difficulties in helping patients with migraines, headaches, clusters, etc. It’s very complex and we are all so different in what triggers our migraines and/or is the prime culprit (don’t we wish we all knew).
Yes, I know. Which is why I’m here. I want to provide some support based on my experience. I’m no expert on meds or chiropractors or what’s best. All I know is what worked for me. I have a very complex situation and it took some time to make the necessary changes in my life all around. I’m still making them. I actually found great relief for my weirder tension headaches that blew up into migraines by getting regular massage…especially after the end of every semester. It worked wonders.
I tried that too for a few months. It made them worse in the end, made me nauseous (I drank plenty after), and I got a major nose bleed once (from eucalyptus I think it was, very little). It probably just caused the sinusitis to flare up. I have fragance sensitivities, too, but nothing like the last post. That’s awful. I haven’t been back. It did help the tension. My new boss gives me shoulder massages from time to time. It’s great. She’s taking a Massage Therapy course for her next career. I voluteered to be her guinea pig if she needed any. Another boss, comes by, too, once and a while. She’s great. It helps her arthritis. Both are Directors. I did the eye doctor thing, getting my visuals (I forget what it’s called) checked and the dentist with the night guard, too. I’m actually going to switch eye doctor’s as I don’t think he’s getting my prescription right. The last checkup I got, I couldn’t stand wearing my glasses. Things were just off. No way to explain it. I’ve had a store clerk and a co-worker tell me that they found that their eyeglasses caused their migraines. New eye doctor, new prescription, all gone. If it were only that simple for everybody here. Thanks for offering your success story as I know there are people who will open themselves up to that idea if they haven’t tried it already.
That’s all I hope. That it will help somebody else who is sufferer and has poor quality of life. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Michelle I’ve been looking at this newsgroup for over a week now and I get sick reading repeats of the frustrations and experiences I went through for over six years. I visited this newsgroup over 2 years ago when I was looking for solutions to my migraines. All I could find mostly was that finding the right medications is the answer. I never found the right medication. This is a summary of what I went through. Does it sound familiar? I have almost constant migraines. Went to doctor. It’s tension, try this relaxant. Tried the medication. Didn’t do a damn bit of good, but made me numb all over. Prescribes something else over the phone. Went back to the doctor. Prolactin level high, but doesn’t diagnose me with anything. Went to another doctor. Took an MRI. You have a small prolactinoma on your pituatary, take this medication. Did that for 6 months with worse nausea and aches than before. You should see an endocronologist, keep taking the medicine. Husband tells me not to complain to him. Son keeps me smiling. Took it for another year still suffering through the nausea and aches. Had another MRI. No significant change. Prolactin level back down. Still had migraines. Went off the medication. Went back to the endocronologist and was told if I had any major pituatary disease the effects wouldn’t be evident for a few years. That pissed me off. Stop complaining. Get no sympathy or support. Relationship deteriorating. Get somebody to clean my house. I can’t handle it anymore. Went back to my doctor to complain about migraines. Told I was stressed and depressed, try this antidepressent. Didn’t work. Went back again. Tried for at least 3 months. You are depressed, try this med. Didn’t work. Went back again. Tried for at least 3 months. You are stressed and depressed, try these meds. Tired and worn out. By this time I want to quit working. Husband won’t let me. Says we need the money, when we could get by. Had another yearly MRI. No significant change. By this time I notice the left side of my body is getting weaker. Meds didn’t work. Recommended to a neurologist. You definitely have hormonal migraines. Last thing I wanted to hear. Examined. No obvious neurological problems found. Given the migraine diary, exercises, posture forms, filled out the questionaire. Prescribed three different medications (preventative and abortive) after going through the list of antidepressants/beta blockers/headache meds I had already tried. Did the migraine diary and food intake list. Learned and researched migraine triggers and learned how to prevent some of them. Checkup a month later. Meds not working. Doc doesn’t like the looks of the diary. Try to figure out how I can go out on disability. Going to work is getting to be too much. Recommended to keep taking for 2 more months. Still not working. Go back. Prescribed more meds. Orders a spinal tap to check for pressure. Doctors/Insurance argue which hospital I should go to for the test. Takes weeks to get one of the drugs approved by the insurance. Pick up meds at pharmacy that I’ve been going to for years. Treated like a drug addict. Spinal tap done. Simple procedure, right. Wrong. Took an hour for them to get the needle in using a special x-ray machine to do the tap. Out of work for 3 days. Everytime I sit up I have a severe migraine. Can only stand complete darkness. Called neuro every day telling him I don’t feel right. Told it will take 48 hours for the migraine to go away. Third day, I call. Still don’t feel right. Doctor’s / insurance argue which hospital I should go to. Finally get a call back. Told to go to ER. Anesthesiologist calls me, asks me if I get a migraine when I sit up, but OK lying down. Yes! I’m told I’m leaking spinal fluid. My friend drives me to the hospital. Given IV with fluid. Anest. does the blood patch. I’m dehydrated and don’t have much spinal fluid. Deadly experience #1. Anes. talks to me about my migraines and tells me how he did surgery on this woman’s nerve in the back of her neck and she doesn’t have migraines anymore. He gave me his card. Thought seriously about calling him back and asking him to do the procedure. I feel much better the next day. I go back to work though I should rest for fear I will get fired. Went back to doc for results. He immediately gets defensive. I didn’t even say a word. Go every three months trying different drugs to no avail. Stop going for a year trying preventative trigger type stuff. Go back to neuro asking for recommendations to other neuro. Again docs and insurance companies argue over approvals. Recommended to neuro and migraine clinic 2 hours away. Go thinking they have different answers. Same story. Examined. Very noticeable weakness on left side. Told not to worry. The migraines aren’t doing that. Prescribed 3 different meds .By this time I’m losing it and express myself. I never talked so disrespectful to a doctor in my lfe, but it felt good. Try meds for a few months. Getting dryness in chest after a couple of weeks. Develop bronchitis and borderline pneumonia. Experience very bad asthma attack. Go to ER. Stay home one day. Go to work for fear of getting fired. Get yearly MRI and find I also have sinusitis. Never had four different illnesses in one. Deadly experience #2. Wish I did. I can’t stand it anymore. I have figured out by now how I should commit suicide in sick detail. Neuro appointment again. Don’t make it due to killer migraine night before. Talk to neuro’s nurse. She suggests IV therapy and discusses risks and side effects. I hang up yelling in frustration asking her if she wants to kill me this time. I’m at rock bottom. No more meds for me. Go to Chiropractor. My medical insurance doesn’t cover chiropractor’s. I decide, heck my medical insurance hasn’t done me much good for over six years. I decide to bite the bullet for three months. My life starts to turn around. I start to get better. My migraines and headaches lessen. Other weird symptoms disappear. I’m able to exercise again without getting a migraine most of the time. I continue to go to the Chiro. I continue to exercise. I do what he tells me just like any other doctor. I feel invincible. I feel that this really works. I can’t believe it. I stand up to my husband on the cost. I get his support. I go for two years and continue to get better and better. No more migraines. I still go to a Chiropractor. I get the feeling that most of you in this newsgroup have a much longer list with it repeating over and over in what seems to be an endless cycle. A
… read more »
Response:
I know another person, similar situation as you that tried it when she was young and said it didn’t work for her either. It’s best to go to a chiropractor when you are young. It’s easier to make the manipulations. She found medications and shots that help her. Her husband has a tough time getting her out of bed in the morning, but she comes around. They have a good sense of humor about it. –mary
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – In my case I went to the chiropractor first, before I started seeing a doctor about my migraines. Unfortunately I saw absolutely no improvement. My body was a bit more aligned (this was highschool and I had been carrying a backpack full of books on one shoulder…cuz that was cool Jasmine I’ve been looking at this newsgroup for over a week now and I get sick reading repeats of the frustrations and experiences I went through for over six years. I visited this newsgroup over 2 years ago when I was looking for solutions to my migraines. All I could find mostly was that finding the right medications is the answer. I never found the right medication. This is a summary of what I went through. Does it sound familiar? I have almost constant migraines. Went to doctor. It’s tension, try this relaxant. Tried the medication. Didn’t do a damn bit of good, but made me numb all over. Prescribes something else over the phone. Went back to the doctor. Prolactin level high, but doesn’t diagnose me with anything. Went to another doctor. Took an MRI. You have a small prolactinoma on your pituatary, take this medication. Did that for 6 months with worse nausea and aches than before. You should see an endocronologist, keep taking the medicine. Husband tells me not to complain to him. Son keeps me smiling. Took it for another year still suffering through the nausea and aches. Had another MRI. No significant change. Prolactin level back down. Still had migraines. Went off the medication. Went back to the endocronologist and was told if I had any major pituatary disease the effects wouldn’t be evident for a few years. That pissed me off. Stop complaining. Get no sympathy or support. Relationship deteriorating. Get somebody to clean my house. I can’t handle it anymore. Went back to my doctor to complain about migraines. Told I was stressed and depressed, try this antidepressent. Didn’t work. Went back again. Tried for at least 3 months. You are depressed, try this med. Didn’t work. Went back again. Tried for at least 3 months. You are stressed and depressed, try these meds. Tired and worn out. By this time I want to quit working. Husband won’t let me. Says we need the money, when we could get by. Had another yearly MRI. No significant change. By this time I notice the left side of my body is getting weaker. Meds didn’t work. Recommended to a neurologist. You definitely have hormonal migraines. Last thing I wanted to hear. Examined. No obvious neurological problems found. Given the migraine diary, exercises, posture forms, filled out the questionaire. Prescribed three different medications (preventative and abortive) after going through the list of antidepressants/beta blockers/headache meds I had already tried. Did the migraine diary and food intake list. Learned and researched migraine triggers and learned how to prevent some of them. Checkup a month later. Meds not working. Doc doesn’t like the looks of the diary. Try to figure out how I can go out on disability. Going to work is getting to be too much. Recommended to keep taking for 2 more months. Still not working. Go back. Prescribed more meds. Orders a spinal tap to check for pressure. Doctors/Insurance argue which hospital I should go to for the test. Takes weeks to get one of the drugs approved by the insurance. Pick up meds at pharmacy that I’ve been going to for years. Treated like a drug addict. Spinal tap done. Simple procedure, right. Wrong. Took an hour for them to get the needle in using a special x-ray machine to do the tap. Out of work for 3 days. Everytime I sit up I have a severe migraine. Can only stand complete darkness. Called neuro every day telling him I don’t feel right. Told it will take 48 hours for the migraine to go away. Third day, I call. Still don’t feel right. Doctor’s / insurance argue which hospital I should go to. Finally get a call back. Told to go to ER. Anesthesiologist calls me, asks me if I get a migraine when I sit up, but OK lying down. Yes! I’m told I’m leaking spinal fluid. My friend drives me to the hospital. Given IV with fluid. Anest. does the blood patch. I’m dehydrated and don’t have much spinal fluid. Deadly experience #1. Anes. talks to me about my migraines and tells me how he did surgery on this woman’s nerve in the back of her neck and she doesn’t have migraines anymore. He gave me his card. Thought seriously about calling him back and asking him to do the procedure. I feel much better the next day. I go back to work though I should rest for fear I will get fired. Went back to doc for results. He immediately gets defensive. I didn’t even say a word. Go every three months trying different drugs to no avail. Stop going for a year trying preventative trigger type stuff. Go back to neuro asking for recommendations to other neuro. Again docs and insurance companies argue over approvals. Recommended to neuro and migraine clinic 2 hours away. Go thinking they have different answers. Same story. Examined. Very noticeable weakness on left side. Told not to worry. The migraines aren’t doing that. Prescribed 3 different meds .By this time I’m losing it and express myself. I never talked so disrespectful to a doctor in my lfe, but it felt good. Try meds for a few months. Getting dryness in chest after a couple of weeks. Develop bronchitis and borderline pneumonia. Experience very bad asthma attack. Go to ER. Stay home one day. Go to work for fear of getting fired. Get yearly MRI and find I also have sinusitis. Never had four different illnesses in one. Deadly experience #2. Wish I did. I can’t stand it anymore. I have figured out by now how I should commit suicide in sick detail. Neuro appointment again. Don’t make it due to killer migraine night before. Talk to neuro’s nurse. She suggests IV therapy and discusses risks and side effects. I hang up yelling in frustration asking her if she wants to kill me this time. I’m at rock bottom. No more meds for me. Go to Chiropractor. My medical insurance doesn’t cover chiropractor’s. I decide, heck my medical insurance hasn’t done me much good for over six years. I decide to bite the bullet for three months. My life starts to turn around. I start to get better. My migraines and headaches lessen. Other weird symptoms disappear. I’m able to exercise again without getting a migraine most of the time. I continue to go to the Chiro. I continue to exercise. I do what he tells me just like any other doctor. I feel invincible. I feel that this really works. I can’t believe it. I stand up to my husband on the cost. I get his support. I go for two years and continue to get better and better. No more migraines. I still go to a Chiropractor. I get the feeling that most of you in this newsgroup have a much longer list with it repeating over and over in what seems to be an endless cycle. A chiropractor stopped the cycle for me. A lot of you have a lot more persistence and patience than I do and I’ve always thought I was as persistent as they come. The meds lowered my immune system and gave me very bad side effects. They didn’t work for me. I tried something different and it worked for me. It wasn’t easy. I had to keep an open mind because I was taught that you go to an MD for all ailments. I have found that this is not true and hope that you do, too. I’ve heard other people say that acupuncture works for them. I just wanted to let you know my experience. I have no financial relations with chiropractors or their associations. I’m just your average 39 (and holding) year old woman who suffered through many years of constant pain. I was lucky to find something that worked for me and I wanted to let you know in the hopes that you try something completely different this year and have your best year ever. –mary
Response:
I heard that some chiros can be pretty heavy handed, too. I wish mine was some days. It’s not supposed to hurt. I had a good first experience. It felt like a bunch of locks and chains were released. I was so content that night. I slept great that night. Maybe that’s why I continued to go. I never had that same experience. It’s just like some people like deep massages vs. softer massages. –mary
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It’s funny, but I’ll go to Dr. Wu’s acupuncture, but I won’t touch a chiropractor. I did once, but I stopped the session after the first pop and I needed ice bags and days for the swealing/soreness to go away. Perhaps just a bad experience, but chiropractors are just way to aggressive for me. I prefer a more gentle "eastern" medicine approach that brings the body back into harmony (with self, creator, and world). Massage is very nice. If you can find a good therapist (you need to hunt a little), it’s a great way to work out those knots, (no knots; back feels great; erik happy), and a perfect example about what I’m talking about. Non-aggressive, healing touch…. Why punish our bodies? Haven’t we already had enough? Erik I’ve been looking at this newsgroup for over a week now and I get sick reading repeats of the frustrations and experiences I went through for over six years. I visited this newsgroup over 2 years ago when I was looking for solutions to my migraines. All I could find mostly was that finding the right medications is the answer. I never found the right medication. This is a summary of what I went through. Does it sound familiar? I have almost constant migraines. Went to doctor. It’s tension, try this relaxant. Tried the medication. Didn’t do a damn bit of good, but made me numb all over. Prescribes something else over the phone. Went back to the doctor. Prolactin level high, but doesn’t diagnose me with anything. Went to another doctor. Took an MRI. You have a small prolactinoma on your pituatary, take this medication. Did that for 6 months with worse nausea and aches than before. You should see an endocronologist, keep taking the medicine. Husband tells me not to complain to him. Son keeps me smiling. Took it for another year still suffering through the nausea and aches. Had another MRI. No significant change. Prolactin level back down. Still had migraines. Went off the medication. Went back to the endocronologist and was told if I had any major pituatary disease the effects wouldn’t be evident for a few years. That pissed me off. Stop complaining. Get no sympathy or support. Relationship deteriorating. Get somebody to clean my house. I can’t handle it anymore. Went back to my doctor to complain about migraines. Told I was stressed and depressed, try this antidepressent. Didn’t work. Went back again. Tried for at least 3 months. You are depressed, try this med. Didn’t work. Went back again. Tried for at least 3 months. You are stressed and depressed, try these meds. Tired and worn out. By this time I want to quit working. Husband won’t let me. Says we need the money, when we could get by. Had another yearly MRI. No significant change. By this time I notice the left side of my body is getting weaker. Meds didn’t work. Recommended to a neurologist. You definitely have hormonal migraines. Last thing I wanted to hear. Examined. No obvious neurological problems found. Given the migraine diary, exercises, posture forms, filled out the questionaire. Prescribed three different medications (preventative and abortive) after going through the list of antidepressants/beta blockers/headache meds I had already tried. Did the migraine diary and food intake list. Learned and researched migraine triggers and learned how to prevent some of them. Checkup a month later. Meds not working. Doc doesn’t like the looks of the diary. Try to figure out how I can go out on disability. Going to work is getting to be too much. Recommended to keep taking for 2 more months. Still not working. Go back. Prescribed more meds. Orders a spinal tap to check for pressure. Doctors/Insurance argue which hospital I should go to for the test. Takes weeks to get one of the drugs approved by the insurance. Pick up meds at pharmacy that I’ve been going to for years. Treated like a drug addict. Spinal tap done. Simple procedure, right. Wrong. Took an hour for them to get the needle in using a special x-ray machine to do the tap. Out of work for 3 days. Everytime I sit up I have a severe migraine. Can only stand complete darkness. Called neuro every day telling him I don’t feel right. Told it will take 48 hours for the migraine to go away. Third day, I call. Still don’t feel right. Doctor’s / insurance argue which hospital I should go to. Finally get a call back. Told to go to ER. Anesthesiologist calls me, asks me if I get a migraine when I sit up, but OK lying down. Yes! I’m told I’m leaking spinal fluid. My friend drives me to the hospital. Given IV with fluid. Anest. does the blood patch. I’m dehydrated and don’t have much spinal fluid. Deadly experience #1. Anes. talks to me about my migraines and tells me how he did surgery on this woman’s nerve in the back of her neck and she doesn’t have migraines anymore. He gave me his card. Thought seriously about calling him back and asking him to do the procedure. I feel much better the next day. I go back to work though I should rest for fear I will get fired. Went back to doc for results. He immediately gets defensive. I didn’t even say a word. Go every three months trying different drugs to no avail. Stop going for a year trying preventative trigger type stuff. Go back to neuro asking for recommendations to other neuro. Again docs and insurance companies argue over approvals. Recommended to neuro and migraine clinic 2 hours away. Go thinking they have different answers. Same story. Examined. Very noticeable weakness on left side. Told not to worry. The migraines aren’t doing that. Prescribed 3 different meds .By this time I’m losing it and express myself. I never talked so disrespectful to a doctor in my lfe, but it felt good. Try meds for a few months. Getting dryness in chest after a couple of weeks. Develop bronchitis and borderline pneumonia. Experience very bad asthma attack. Go to ER. Stay home one day. Go to work for fear of getting fired. Get yearly MRI and find I also have sinusitis. Never had four different illnesses in one. Deadly experience #2. Wish I did. I can’t stand it anymore. I have figured out by now how I should commit suicide in sick detail. Neuro appointment again. Don’t make it due to killer migraine night before. Talk to neuro’s nurse. She suggests IV therapy and discusses risks and side effects. I hang up yelling in frustration asking her if she wants to kill me this time. I’m at rock bottom. No more meds for me. Go to Chiropractor. My medical insurance doesn’t cover chiropractor’s. I decide, heck my medical insurance hasn’t done me much good for over six years. I decide to bite the bullet for three months. My life starts to turn around. I start to get better. My migraines and headaches lessen. Other weird symptoms disappear. I’m able to exercise again without getting a migraine most of the time. I continue to go to the Chiro. I continue to exercise. I do what he tells me just like any other doctor. I feel invincible. I feel that this really works. I can’t believe it. I stand up to my husband on the cost. I get his support. I go for two years and continue to get better and better. No more migraines. I still go to a Chiropractor. I get the feeling that most of you in this newsgroup have a much longer list with it repeating over and over in what seems to be an endless cycle. A chiropractor stopped the cycle for me. A lot of you have a lot more persistence and patience than I do and I’ve always thought I was as persistent as they come. The meds lowered my immune system and gave me very bad side effects. They didn’t work for me. I tried something different and it worked for me. It wasn’t easy. I had to keep an open mind because I was taught that you go to an MD for all ailments. I have found that this is not true and hope that you do, too. I’ve heard other people say that acupuncture works for them. I just wanted to let you know my experience. I have no financial relations with chiropractors or their associations. I’m just your average 39 (and holding) year old woman who suffered through many years of constant pain. I was lucky to find something that worked for me and I wanted to let you know in the hopes that you try something completely different this year and have your best year ever. –mary
Response:
had a tenuous situation at work, and a deteriorating Corporate world, honey. They work you to the bone. They don’t care about you or your life. It gets worse every year.
Don’t I know it, from a 28-year career with a major company. But my migraines are what made me retire early. I couldn’t keep expecting them OR me to get by on my reduced productivity. The pressure from their end was no worse than the strain to keep up on my end. AND insurance/money hassles, And you don’t? I bet everybody in this ng does. Don’t forget to mention the unprofessionalism of the insurance and doctors (GP, neuro) fighting about which ER I should go to, getting the referral to the other neuro, not faxing forms to the right place and following up, and losing records.
That’s a given. If anyone participates in the American healthcare system, the costs, the bureaucracy, the payments, the hassle factor gets every last one of us. were depressed, and you aren’t with your pain.
That’s also a given, although I’ve been through pain and anger management with a real mensch psychologist. And while I DO get down, I know when to yell for serious intervention and help, before that light at the end of the tunnel goes out. combative That’s harsh. I was no where near that. I was frustrated.
You *sounded* combative. But maybe you’re just so angry, you don’t realize *how* angry you are. That’s the danger of letting anger and frustration take over – it made me unaware of how brittle and wrought up I was all the time… before the shrink… it all felt like normal to me. and fairly put upon from all sides…? I had a bad experience.
Yes, you did. But that makes you one of the migraine club. 
I’d just bet that chiropractor did more for you with a warm, caring, supportive attitude, than with manipulating your spine. I resent that. Not true. How can you even suggest that knowing what you’ve been through.
I said it, because of the caring way my chiropracter treated me. He’d tell me a joke to get me laughing, he’d get me to vent. Quite a different experience from most MDs. And because I’ve met the "evil twin" doctors; and know firsthand what a shock it is to *then* meet an MD who actually smiles and treats me like a human being, instead. Maybe you just haven’t been as lucky… or spent the *years* I’ve spent searching and changing doctors, until I finally found real human beings to be my MDs, and fired the ones who weren’t. But, for how long? It’s not a quick fix. Gee, maybe I should try another Chiro that can fix my neck and shoulder pain faster.
Who said anything about a quick fix? I went to my chiro twice a week at first, then at least once a week, for a year and a half. Have you been back?
He died. Then I tried 2 more chiro’s, and found myself in Quack City. It taught me even more what a fine man my original chiro was, in that he focused on manipulating my spine, and didn’t jazz up his practice with questionable advice on all manner of things, that the two others couldn’t possibly be as well-trained on as an MD. Ginnie
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I just wanted to let you know my experience. I have no financial relations with chiropractors or their associations. I’m just your average 39 (and holding) year old woman who suffered through many years of constant pain. I was lucky to find something that worked for me and I wanted to let you know in the hopes that you try something completely different this year and have your best year ever. Everyone is different. We all need to experiment to find what works. Many people here have tried a variety of natural and alternative methods. Chiropractic care works for problems I have relating to several accidents I’ve had over the years. It may work for certain headaches and I encourage people to try all avenues. There are various forms of massage which would help with certain headaches too.
I agree, everybody’s situation is complex. It is all trial and error. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have seen several excellent chiropractors who have had people travel several hundred miles for treatment. They have helped many people but know the limitations and will be honest with patients. They constantly keep up with new ideas through conferences and reading. I am glad chiropractic care helped your pain but it has not helped my migraines. I go regularly and it does help my back and neck after it has knotted from hours or days of migraine. My only solution to totally eliminate migraines is to avoid leaving my allergy free home. My triggers are mainly odours as well as barometric pressure. I do know a number of people here who do go regularly to the chiropractor. While it does not assist their migraines, it does benefit them in other ways. One must be careful as there are certain cases in which chiropractic manipulation is definitely contraindicated. I think chiari is one. I think you got off on the wrong foot as your posts sounded like you were insisting that chiropractic would help everyone and allow them to eliminate meds. I am sure this was not your intention but when one is in pain, we tend to skim long posts. We’ve also read all kinds of hype, preaching and snake oil posts over the years. This causes one to be suspicious of anything that sounds like a sales pitch.
I just wanted to let people know that it helped me in the hopes that maybe they’d be able to eliminate some medications. I responded to a couple of posts initially that had similar experiences as I did, then I just wanted to get my story out in the hopes it would help others . I’ve learned from this ng that a diagnosis can have it’s varied complexities behind it and that the same treatment for a diagnosis doesn’t always work. I’ve had migraines for years (at least 30, though think closer to 40). My husband and I believe in holistic medicine and finding natural alternatives if possible. However, when people have spent 40-50 years searching and trying various alternatives as many have here, sometimes the best solution is to take whatever meds will allow them to improve their quality of life. Years of pain takes its toll on the body.
Don’t we all know that. I do agree that we should be willing to try new approaches but also that we do our own research and take what we read on the internet with a grain of salt. Find a doctor you can work with and who is also willing to try new ideas and treat you as an intelligent partner in your treatment.
Absolutely. Your path is the right path. You have to go with your gut feeling. Only you know how you are feeling and what you think will work for you based on past treatments. Meds were not working for me. My family has a history of severe reactions to them, so the genetics was probably a big part of it. Everybody’s make up is different and that’s why I had to take a turn. I think I failed with my GP, neuros and other docs because I had difficulty communicating how I was feeling and communicating how well or not the meds were working. The good ‘ole what is your pain level from 1 to 10 question, for example. That’s going to vary for everybody depending on their pain tolerance level. Then, the neuro has his own definition of it. It was hard, when I’d meniton something and they’d just shrug their shoulders. A couple of bad experiences turned me off. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Kadee
Response:
had a tenuous situation at work, and a deteriorating Corporate world, honey. They work you to the bone. They don’t care about you or your life. It gets worse every year. Don’t I know it, from a 28-year career with a major company. But my migraines are what made me retire early. I couldn’t keep expecting them OR me to get by on my reduced productivity. The pressure from their end was no worse than the strain to keep up on my end.
I was lucky. I always did the work of 3 people, so it wasn’t noticeable from the productivity side. It was very difficult to go to work. I was exhausted by the time I got home from fighting the pain and trying to see straight and work. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – AND insurance/money hassles, And you don’t? I bet everybody in this ng does. Don’t forget to mention the unprofessionalism of the insurance and doctors (GP, neuro) fighting about which ER I should go to, getting the referral to the other neuro, not faxing forms to the right place and following up, and losing records. That’s a given. If anyone participates in the American healthcare system, the costs, the bureaucracy, the payments, the hassle factor gets every last one of us. were depressed, and you aren’t with your pain. That’s also a given, although I’ve been through pain and anger management with a real mensch psychologist. And while I DO get down, I know when to yell for serious intervention and help, before that light at the end of the tunnel goes out. combative That’s harsh. I was no where near that. I was frustrated. You *sounded* combative. But maybe you’re just so angry, you don’t realize *how* angry you are. That’s the danger of letting anger and frustration take over – it made me unaware of how brittle and wrought up I was all the time… before the shrink… it all felt like normal to me.
I will keep that in mind. I probably was angry because nobody could seem to help me get better. Pain does funny things to you. Now I’m better, but still skeptical of going to a doctor unless I have something major wrong with me or know I need to get a checkup. I will be switching doctor’s before my 40th check up – back to my clinic that helped me manage my care better. I hope I have a better experience. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – and fairly put upon from all sides…? I had a bad experience. Yes, you did. But that makes you one of the migraine club. I’d just bet that chiropractor did more for you with a warm, caring, supportive attitude, than with manipulating your spine. I resent that. Not true. How can you even suggest that knowing what you’ve been through. I said it, because of the caring way my chiropracter treated me. He’d tell me a joke to get me laughing, he’d get me to vent. Quite a different experience from most MDs. And because I’ve met the "evil twin" doctors; and know firsthand what a shock it is to *then* meet an MD who actually smiles and treats me like a human being, instead. Maybe you just haven’t been as lucky… or spent the *years* I’ve spent searching and changing doctors, until I finally found real human beings to be my MDs, and fired the ones who weren’t. But, for how long? It’s not a quick fix. Gee, maybe I should try another Chiro that can fix my neck and shoulder pain faster. Who said anything about a quick fix? I went to my chiro twice a week at first, then at least once a week, for a year and a half. Have you been back? He died. Then I tried 2 more chiro’s, and found myself in Quack City. It taught me even more what a fine man my original chiro was, in that he focused on manipulating my spine, and didn’t jazz up his practice with questionable advice on all manner of things, that the two others couldn’t possibly be as well-trained on as an MD.
I guess I was lucky to find a good chiro the first time, too. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Ginnie
Response:
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