Let the Updates Commence

I saw my neurologist again yesterday.  I had the beginnings of a migraine while I was in his office and he got to experience some of my mental mix up.  We talked about how I feel during some of my migraines, which he said were normal for migraine sufferers.  While I know in my head that I'm not alone, it was good for my heart to actually hear this.

We also talked about my medication.  Since the Gabapentin is working for my restless leg issues, we are leaving that alone.  As for the Topamax, he started me out on the lowest dose, so it has now been doubled.  One of the things he asked before upping the dose was if I had noticed any tingling or numbness in my fingers, which I hadn't.  I think I jinxed myself because this morning the tip of my right ring finger was pretty tingly.

We also talked about where to go from here.  I asked about feverfew and magnesium, since I had read a few things about them.  He said, between his experience and the research he had done, feverfew wasn't helpful at all.  As for magnesium, while it is good if I have a migraine bad enough to send me to the ER and they give it to me with iv fluids, it does nothing in small doses to prevent migraines.  We talked about the new Cephaly device.  He is still researching that, but is willing to try it if my insurance will cover it.  In the research he has read so far, it is only marginally helpful (1-2 less migraines a month), but that is better than nothing.  

I go back in 3 weeks.  By then, I will also have the results of my sleep study and we should have a better idea of where we can go from there.  So, fingers and toes crossed!

And Another New Medicine

So the experiment with Dexamethazone didn't go so well.  It's one of those steroids that can inhibit your sleep.  It also gave me horrible night sweats.  Needless to say, the pain did not go away.  By Tuesday, I needed some relief.  On the doctor's orders, I headed to ER.  Since I live in such a small area, that was a strange trip.  After registering, I was taken to the clinic across the hall as a walk in.  Turns out there were 3 ambulances on the way and they didn't want me to have to wait.

I get back to a room and the nurse is wonderful.  She has migraines herself and knew what to say and how to say it.  Then the doctor came in.  I was sure I would puke right then and there.  What doctor wears that much perfume?!  It might just have been my sense of smell at the time since Ted couldn't smell anything.

It was decided we would try Toradol and Promethazine.  Now I knew that the Promethazine would work for the nausea, since that is what I take at home.  I've had Toradol shots before and they usually work as well.  We decided to try them and then wait a half hour to see if they would work.

The Toradol did nothing.  It was time to try something new, Dilaudid.  I had heard of Dilaudid, but had never tried it before.  Knowing me and pain medications, I was hoping the Promethazine would continue working.  I really hate nausea and pain medications tend to make migraine nausea worse.

The good news is that the medicine worked.  The bad news is that the anti nausea did not.  The really bad news is that after the Dilaudid wore off, I was in pain again.  And I was still vomiting every time I sat up.  

This was all on Tuesday.  On Wednesday, I called my neurologist to see what I should do.  My luck, he was out of the office attending a meeting for the day.  My options were to wait until Thursday or go back to ER.  I decided I could wait for one day to see what he wanted to try.

Today is Thursday and I have been prescribed Topamax.  I'm hoping that this medicine works AND that the side effects aren't horrible.  There are too many things that could go wrong with this one.