Monday, June 1, 2009

Things I Have Tried to Treat These Headaches

I thought it would be good to include a list of things I've tried over the years to treat my headaches...both treatments and tests. When I tell people I suffer from headaches, everyone seems eager to repeat something to me that they've heard about headaches and their "cure." I try to take their comments graciously, even though honestly, when I've suffered this long, I've tried pretty much everything mentioned. I suppose that sounds snotty but it's the sad truth. So anyway, I'll make a list of my trials, in case it might help someone else figure out a new treatment for themselves. This is in no particular order. (This list may be edited in the future as I remember more things.)

Treatments
  • Diary--tracking foods, weather, hormones in an attempt to define headache triggers
  • Diet changes--reduced or eliminated foods to see if there was any improvement, including caffeine, sugar, wheat, dairy
  • Daily "preventative" drugs--anti-epileptics, anti-depressants, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, steroids, NSAIDs
  • "Rescue" drugs (i.e. triptans)--tried them all, the only one that worked was Zomig
  • Herbs--I went to an herbalist who recommended things for the particular needs of my body
  • Supplements--potassium, magnesium, lecithin, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B-12, CoQ10, butterbur, fever few, etc., and a few herbal mixes designed specifically for migraine treatment
  • Biofeedback
  • Chiropractic
  • Cervical traction
  • Massage
  • Acupuncture
  • Oxygen therapy
  • Physical therapy
  • Exercise
  • Wisdom teeth removal
  • Dental biteguard (NTI--supposedly particularly effective on migraneurs)
  • Nerve blocks

Tests
  • MRIs--head and neck, on several occasions over the years
  • CT Scans
  • Discography--one of my MRIs showed a bulging disc in my neck; this was to rule it out as a source of pain
  • Blood tests
  • Hormone level tests

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