I have experienced migraine headaches even as young as ten years of age. I probably only had one or two a year then after I got in to my late teens, experienced more severe migraines. At first, I could get rid of them by drinking cokes with aspirin. By the time I reached twenty five I had to start getting prescription medication. The medication I first received was Cafergot. It relieved the headache but made me nauseous and my ankles would ache when I put my weight on my feet due to the effects on the blood vessels. The doctor then prescribed me Fiornal with codeine. This medication had side effects that made me dread to take it. Even when taken the headache would still last up to 72 hours or more with the medication being taken every 6 hours or so.
I have also tried bio-feedback therapy. This method was so new at the time that I went to Menniger's clinic in Topeka to learn it. It helped some to take some for the severity away. I still practice it as a method to relax or to go to sleep easily, but it never relieved the headache.
I also have had acupuncture, acupressure, ultra-sound treatment, intense massage and have seen a chiropractor. The massage and the ultra-sound were performed because of my hospitalization.
I went to a dentist in Phoenix, AZ for TMJ treatment when I was in my late 50's. I remember relaying to others that my headaches were much more serve and occurred more frequently then the others in the group. The doctor's plans for me were to wear the appliance that he had made for me, braces and then have my teeth capped if that worked. I went through the braces procedure about the time that I moved to Flagstaff. The doctor decided not to go ahead with the treatment plan and cap my teeth. To this day I am still not sure what his reasoning was.
I have had treatment from two different headache clinics. One of the things that I learned from the last clinic I went to was that certain foods will trigger my migraines headaches. Those include MSG, nitrates or nitrites and artificial sweeteners. However, staying way from those foods wasn't the answer. I still had to be taken to the emergency room several times because of the severity of my headaches. Even after getting injections for the headaches which made the edge go away, the headaches could last a couple days or more. They also can be triggered by any illness I may have, stress, and getting extremely sleepy and not going to sleep because of the circumstances present at the time.
I started taking Imitrex in 1993. This medication definitely got rid of my headaches but did not prevent them from coming back. In 1993, from April until December I spent over $4,000 on Imitrex alone.
I never went anywhere without having an ice pack available and having taken an Imitrex with me. I never made an appointment or took on responsibility in the morning because I almost always woke up with a migraine and it would take a while for the Imitrex to work. A few of these times I was able to get rid of the headache by eating and doing a routine of exercise without using Imitrex.
I started taking 'Migrahealth' in September, 2003. I purchased a book prior to that time: "What your doctor didn't tell you about migraines." The concept of that book was that migraine-prone people have a low level of magnesium and that is partly the cause of the migraine headaches. MigraHealth contains magnesium, vitamin B2 and feverfew.
In December, 2003 I had a stomach disorder and lost 10 pounds. I went to a medical doctor and he suggested it might be caused from taking "MigraHealth". The magnesium in the MigraHealth could act like milk of magnesium- since that is what is basically is. I stopped taking it and the stomach disorder cleared up immediately. Since I felt I might need the magnesium, I started taking it again in May 2004 and don't seem to be having any side effects.
I started a comprehensive diagnosis with an OBI trained dentist in early in 2004.
I haven't had to take any Imitrex for the relief of migraine headache pain during the months of February to October, 2004. During that time, I wore a MAGO appliance to stabilize my jaw position. It was determined that my lower jaw position did not match up with the position of my teeth. Once my jaw joints were stable, I then proceeded with dental treatment to correct the problem.
About ninety percent of my migraine headaches must have been caused by dental disorders that have been corrected through the treatment by my OBI dentist. I experience waking up without migraines headaches now where, prior to the treatment, there was hardly a morning that I did not awake with a migraine.
I have had a few migraine headaches since this treatment began, but I can trace it directly to eating a food containing one of the ingredients that trigger headaches with me. I have been able to get rid of them by exercising where as before, no matter how careful I was with my diet I still woke up with a migraine.
Having experienced pain of migraine headaches for so many years, I have been very reluctant to even admit to myself that my headache pain is finally under control.
My OBI dentist and his staff have been so dedicated to my treatment and my comfort all through the treatment I can't thank them enough.
I would like to add that I thank God for having given the gifts and talents to these people to help others in the way they do.