Migraines can be some of the worst possible pain and when you get them daily or on a regular basis over many years, you can find yourself looking for any method of reducing the number of migraines you get or getting rid of migraines completely.

After 15 years of migraines, including migraines every day for over a year, I had joined a new HMO and was sent to their neurologist that handled migraines.  The neurologist wanted me to start on a medication called Topamax as a preventative, then did a procedure in-office called Occipital Neural Blocks (sort of a head epidural).  They worked within one minute to cease the migraine I had and stopped my migraines for several weeks.  It was wonderful.  For some of his patients, it works for a full year.  For me, it appears I have to get the neural blocks 3 times a year and that helps.  I still get some migraines from time to time and that can be due to change in weather, food (I can't eat anything with chocolate in it), if I around someone smoking, etc. but the migraines have decreased greatly in frequency.  Other people have told me that their neurologists won't do the Occipital Neural Blocks, and they have to go to a Pain Management doctor in order to have it done.  

 In addition, the neurologist has me take the following upon getting a migraine:  one Imitrex 100 mg pill, one Metoclopram pill (to stop nausea and vomiting) and two over the counter Aleve pills.  The neurologist said that research shows that Aleve gets the Imitrex to work faster.  That is true and when researching a month ago, I read that Imitrex will be coming out with a pill that already has Aleve in it.

Please remember that I am not a doctor so I do not give medical advice.  I do express my opinion and what works for one person may not work for another.  What you may decide to do is discuss these options above with your doctor to see if anything would be appropriate for your migraine care.

Love, Suz, Leader of Permanently Disabled Butterflies