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        New Message Board Archives >> 2002 Posts >> This is what the Doc told me.
        
(Message started by: bartman on Nov 13^th, 2002, 7:59pm)

Title: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by bartman on Nov 13^th, 2002, 7:59pm

After ten plus years of what I thought was bad sinus headaches, I stumbled across this site. I was floored when I read the symtoms of a cluster and realized what I had been suffering from all these years. I quickly made an appt. with a nuro. I met with him this morning and he told me I had a form of migrane. He told me to pick up a box of "Exedrine Migrane" and that usually does the trick. If it didn't work "call him in the morning". I just came down from a doozy after leaving his office 5 hours ago. The advise didn't work. Should I try a different doc or go back for more advise?

The Bartman

Title: Re: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by Hound_Dogg on Nov 13^th, 2002, 8:04pm

I think you answered your own question. You need to find another Doctor. Excedrin Migraine is good for a tension headache and nothing more. I don't even think it works on Meegrainers.

Are you sure it's CH? What did your Doctor diagnose it as? What are the headaches like? Give us a little more to go on, so we can answer your questions.

Title: Re: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by bartman on Nov 13^th, 2002, 8:14pm

I'm sure it's a cluster. I took the quiz on both web sites. It's behind my right eye (and has only been in my right eye for the last 10 years) and goes into the back of my neck. It last for about and hour and is the worst pain I've ever felt in my entiire life. I blew out my knee in high school and thought that was bad. Anyway...the doc said that migranes were blood vessels in the head that were expanding for unknown reasons and thats what caused the pain. I mentioned clusters to him and he said " Cluster headaches are a form of migrane". So off I went to the drug store to by $6.00 worth of Excedren Migrane"

Title: Re: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by Mark C on Nov 13^th, 2002, 8:21pm

Welcome to the board, sorry you need us. I am sorry about your doctor also, good ones are rare. You got to start somewhere so I suggest educating yourself so you can educate your DR. Hopefully one with more skill and compassion. I attached a link that may help in the short term.
Good luck,
Mark

http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/talktodoc.htm

Title: Re: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by bartman on Nov 13^th, 2002, 8:26pm

Thanks for your support Mark and Hound Dogg. Boy do I need it. Between the wife freegen out the past month and the pain every night its been tough. Comming across this site has been great. If anyone knows of any doctors around the North West Florida area.....let me know.

The Bartman

Title: Re: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by Mark C on Nov 13^th, 2002, 8:38pm

Florida

Steven Wheeler
Miami
Todd Koch

steven wheeler
miami
susan simon

Steven Kobetz
Miami
Fred Grayson

Frank Wierichs
Venice
Stuart Faison

Michael L. Waters
Jacksonville
Todd Valentini

John F. Wilker (Family Practice Associates)
St.Cloud
William Stroupe

Dr. Todd Hartley
Maitland
Candace Houk

Sam Synder
Ft Lauderdale
Suzy Elwood

James L. Cimera
Ft. Lauderdale
Suzy Elwood

From The OUCH site.

http://www.clusterheadaches.org/doctors.htm

Good luck!

Title: Re: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by Jarvis on Nov 13^th, 2002, 9:01pm

Doc sounds like the one in the price for a brain thread.

Title: Re: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by 2late on Nov 13^th, 2002, 9:19pm

get a new doc, I don't think you've been dealin' with clusters for ten years without any effective meds, just doesn't seem possible to me, when this shit started hittin' me it couldn't be explained away as sinus headaches, i thought for sure i had a brain tumor, what else could hurt this bad!!! after seeing a few docs and an m.r.i. a neuro diagnosed me chronic cluster. welcome to the board and don't stop until you get the right diagnosis, then you should get relief. ..........2late

Title: Re: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by Mark C on Nov 13^th, 2002, 9:36pm

on 11/13/02 at 21:01:26, Jarvis wrote:

Doc sounds like the one in the price for a brain thread.

LMAO!!

Title: Re: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by Charlie on Nov 13^th, 2002, 11:48pm

Time to find a new doctor. Most are good and want to help. You need a good neurologist. There are some great ideas on this board.

Good luck and keep in touch. We're here for you.

Charlie

Title: Re: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by David Shea on Nov 14^th, 2002, 12:19am

Bartman- You should see A nurologist ther are a few
listed here near Navare But they are in Alabama.
I went untreated for many tears as well. Ha was for only 4 to 5 weeks lasting 30 to 45 mins. And not really
bang your head on the wall type.

Let us know what the nurologist says after you are check out. I think someone could be suffering CH for years and never been treated for the pain, AS I was.
So this will be interesting for some here to see your
results. I should say interesting, for me to see if you have had Ch and not been medicated.
Wish you the Best, David

Title: Re: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by epic2002 on Nov 14^th, 2002, 12:35am

Bart, wow - about six years ago I could have written word for word, your initial post.

years of 'sinus headaches' and then a trip to a neuro.

here's where our stories are different. after quizzing me for what seemed like an hour, my neuro handed me a trial sample of imitrex injection. and when i had my next CH, the shot worked in six minutes. I was floored and life has been much better with imitrex.

Title: Re: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by OneEyeBlind on Nov 14^th, 2002, 5:14am

If you think the neuro will listen to you with info printed from this sight, then just make another appointment. If you don't think he'll change his mind, find a new one !!

Good luck ... and stick with it. There are doctors out there they do know what they are doing (few and far between but they are there !!).

Title: Re: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by jonny on Nov 14^th, 2002, 2:45pm

First 14 yrs no meds and chronic to boot. Plenty of coke, pot, beer, whiskey, ups, downs, LSD and all that good stuff....oh ya, handfulls of asprins that did shit....LOL

....................jonny

Title: Re: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by bartman on Nov 14^th, 2002, 8:16pm

Because my headaches last 45 min - an hour and 4-6 weeks a year I somehow made it through with no meds for the last 10 years. I was always thinking that winter was here and my sinus was acting up.
Went back to the doctor today and he prescribed imitrex (pills)......that didn't work. He said he would prescribe verapamil if that didn't work. So off I go tomorrow to try again. An eye doctor friend of mine said steroids are a common prescription. Has anyone tried it?

Thanks for all the input

The Bartman

Title: Re: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by 2late on Nov 14^th, 2002, 8:25pm

not sure about steroids but i can tell ya that i tried immitrex pills & nasal spray that did nothin' for me, but the injections work in about 5 mins. for me. good luck!! ...........2late

Title: Re: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by Not4Hire on Nov 14^th, 2002, 10:37pm

on 11/14/02 at 14:45:23, jonny wrote:

First 14 yrs no meds and chronic to boot. Plenty of coke, pot, beer, whiskey, ups, downs, LSD and all that good stuff....oh ya, handfulls of asprins that did shit....LOL

....................jonny

well, at least ya figured out the aspirin don't work ;D

Title: Re: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by BobG on Nov 15^th, 2002, 4:16am

Am I reading this right? You say the doctor will prescribe verapamil if the imitrex doesn't work?

That's two different medications. Imitrex is an abortive. It is used to stop an attack that is happening now.

Verapamil is a preventative. It is used to to prevent future attacks form happening. And it may take a week or more before you know if it will work.

Eye doctor, steriods? Click the medications button on the left side of the screen, scroll down to the current statistics bar and click it, then scroll down to the part about steriods. It doesn't look, to me, that steriods would be the way to go.

Title: Re: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by David Shea on Nov 15^th, 2002, 12:15pm

Bartman-Your history with this sounds very much like mine. No meds for me because the first time it went
away and the second time it went away( for years)..
And the HA was only about 30 to 45 mins, Kip7 and lasted about 4-6 weeks. The only problem with me life
sucked for 4 to 6 weeks a year. My cycle was in remission for 6yrs and just came back this fall. Because life sucks for 4 to6 yrs in the cycle, I came here forr help.

Bob G gave you inportant info. in his post. Read it A couple of times. You will have to learn for your self how
to treat this curse. That way if you are suffering from
CH you will know what is what. Inportant because the doc. your seeing does not know the steps to take. Bob
has already told you the correct steps.. Prevent and abort. Hope your not suffering with clusters.
David

Title: Re: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by SommelierCH on Nov 17^th, 2002, 12:53pm

Bartman

Your path is similar to mine. Got hit the first time in 1986, self diagnosed myself, after research, with clusters (episodic, 8week cycle every 3 years, now less than 2 years). Didn’t get my first script meds. until December 2000. What works for me is a triptan, Maxalt MLT 10mg. (fast acting, under the tongue dissolving tablet) combined with oxygen therapy. You can’t get many Maxalt tabs from insurance (6 per month max. for me) so you have to save those for the Big One and you can’t take more than 2 in any 24 hour period, so the oxygen is absolutely necessary for all the other times you feel the shadows creeping in. Go to the search button in the top right corner and type in “oxygen” and read up. This site is your one stop information resource, so start reading all the categories on the left hand side of the page, read it all, the more knowledge you have the better you can communicate with the medical community. Be sure to read about and do a search for “triggers”, these are catalysts that can really set us off. My major ones are alcohol, bright light entering my right eye and some times flickering florescent lights. Avoiding triggers during your cycle can dramatically affect the intensity, duration and number of attacks.

Finally listen to these people here, they were sent by God to help people like you and me.

Good luck,
David

Title: Re: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by Drk^Angel on Nov 19^th, 2002, 4:13pm

Welcome to the board! Sorry that the beast is throwing bad docs at you, trying to split your cranium. Good luck!

PFDAN................................. Drk^Angel

PS... All docs suck, but the very least any of us deserve is the best of the bad. Hope ya find one that works for you soon.

DA

Title: Re: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by cerebus on Nov 19^th, 2002, 5:29pm

bummer bart! the story is also similar to mine but I get em every year, and this year for longer than normal.

Haven't had to deal with this for 10 years yet but I got the sinus runaround for the last three till this year, somehow I suspect I developed this earlier but my memory isn't always it's sharpest.

Imitrex does wonders for me in TWO forms (subcutaneous and pill) and I take Verpamil and Indocin as well. But It was an Oxygen treatment as well as the Symptoms that convinced my Doc.

Sorry you have to be here but welcome anyhow!
Cerebus

Title: Re: This is what the Doc told me.
Post by Heidi_B on Nov 19^th, 2002, 5:49pm

Bartman - Prednisone (steroids) is my wonder drug at the moment...it is supposed to kind of tide you over until another preventative kicks in...60 mg got rid of the worst headache i've had and kept them away the whole time i was on the prednisone (2 weeks)...but the doctor didn't know enough to start me on another preventative at the same time, and then the headaches returned...so i'm doing that whole process again to see if the new stuff works...it's worth a try i guess! Good luck!