Hi there!
     I'm so thankful for finding this board! I'm jenny and I live here in southern california. I'm 29 and have had migraines for the last two years or so. I recently realized they are what would be categorized as clusters. I get extremely painful headaches over my right eye. I can be ok for a month and then have one off and on for weeks on end. I've been on maxalt for a year and normally it helps. There are some times that nothing works and after days of vomiting and pain I end up in the ER. I normally get shot up with some pain killer and sometimes it makes things worse. Last month an ER Doctor shot me up with twice the recomended dosage. It wasn't a good expeirence. It made things worse.

I've been reading up on oxygen therapy and it's something i'm really interested in. To tell you the truth i would go through just about anything to get rid of these. I hate the fact that I wake up every day asking myself ok do I have a headache. I'm actually getting really emotional right now because my ten year old son has had his life affected by my pain and it's not fair to him. I have an appointment today at 2 with my doctor. Is there anything that has worked for any of you that I may not know about? If you have used oxygen did it work?


thanks so much in advance!

Self-diagnosis and self-prescription of treaments is not wise. (See the PDF file, below.)

So many docs lack training and experience in dealing with a very complex area of medicine--headaches--that, if you have the option, find a headache specialist.
----
LOCATING HEADACHE SPECIALIST

1. Search the OUCH site (button on left) for a list of recommended M.D.s.

2. Yellow Pages phone book: look for "Headache Clinics" in the M.D. section and look under "neurologist" where some docs will list speciality areas of practice.

3.  Call your hospital/medical center. They often have an office to assist in finding a physician. You may have to ask for the social worker/patient advocate.

4. START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE; On-line screen to find a physician.

5. START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE Look for "Physician Finder" search box. They will send a list of M.D.s for your state.I suggest using this source for several reasons: first, we have read several messages from people who, even seeing neurologists, are unhappy with the quality of care and ATTITUDES they have encountered; second, the clinical director of the Jefferson (Philadelphia) Headache Clinic said, in late 1999, that upwards of 40%+ of U.S. doctors have poor training in treating headache and/or hold attitudes about headache ("hysterical female disorder") which block them from sympathetic and effective work with the patient; third, it's necessary to find a doctor who has experience, skill, and a set of attitudes which give hope of success. This is the best method I know of to find such a physician.

6. START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE NEW certification program for "Headache Medicine" by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties, an independent, non-profit, professional medical organization.
        Since this is a new program, the initial listing is limited and so it should be checked each time you have an interest in locating a headache doctor.
----

When you grasp this article you will see just how potentially dangerous it is to not have a good doc doing a good work-up and diagnosis.

---

I'm in San Diego, how S0-Cal are you? Bob's right, there are so many sub levels of headaches it's critical to get with a headache specialist to make sure you get an accurate diagnosis. General Practioners get about 4 hours total education in medical school on headaches. It's not enough to even begin to scratch the surface! ;)

Joe

Sorry for your pain but I know how you feel, I was misdiagnosed for 6 years as a child. Don't know where in so CA you are but the Doctor I see is in Santa Monica and specializes in headaches, his name is Dr. David Kudrow and is listed on the OUCH website. All I can say is he's done wonders for me personally.

Steve's right...if you have access to Kudrow..just wow! :) Hope you check back in with us.....

Joe

I'll add on to what Bob and others said so well because the treatments vary so much depending on the headache type. Also, welcome! -Chris