ANA Discussion Forum
Post-Treatment => Headaches => Topic started by: Dita on September 21, 2011, 02:18:06 pm
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Hello to everybody in this forum,
I am 6 months post-op and getting pretty desperate. I have seen specialists in Boston who have a lot of experience with post-op headaches in AN, however they were not able to come up with anything that would work for me so far. I have tried all kinds of medications but the bottom line is that I get migraines about twice a day for an hour regardless of what I do. One as soon as I get up the other one about 12 hours later. No triggers that I can figure out.
The only thing that helped a little bit was Botox. I had one round of injections and then I moved to Long Island. Which brings me to my question. Does any of you have a good doctor in NYC who does Botox injections for migraines? My insurance does not cover them (apparently I don't suffer enough :) so I could see anybody who would take me.
Thank you for your help, Dita
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Sorry, I don't have any info on NY docs.
You mentioned that your headaches happen as soon as you get up. Could going from a horizontal position to a vertical position trigger your headaches?
I used to get head pain every morning when I got out of bed. I had an artery that was aggravating a nerve. It caused excruciating pain that lasted about 20 - 40 min. These were different than my migraines.
Janet
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Hi Janet,
Thank you for your response. I don't think my headaches are position related because these headaches are not on the same side of the head, are associated with photophobia, sensitivity to sound and nausea which is more typical for migraines than head pain. Also, I tried to sleep almost sitting up and it made no difference.
Did you find anything that works for your migraines?
Dita
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I use Maxalt 10mg MLTs for migraines at the very start of a headache. They are very effective on stopping my migraines.
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I suggest you get bossy with your insurance company!!! Botox has now been accepted by many professional groups including the FDA for the treatment of migraines. I know what it is like to wake up with a slamming headache every morning--I did it for years. I had to wait till I got disability and Medicare to get Botox covered. Be a squeaky wheel with your insurance co or get your new headache doc to do it for you. I'm sure there are many headache clinics in NYC and a lot of the time, they will be an advocate for you and get bossy themselves because they want you as a client!
There shouldn't be an insurance co in this country that feels it can deny a legitimate FDA approved treatment to a suffering patient!!! Grrrrrrrrr!!!!!
Capt Deb(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee60/Captdeb_photos/pirate-4.gif)
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PS
For my headaches that I can specifically identify as migraines I use injectable Imitrex which you can get two ways--both are in a pen form and one, Sumavel DosePro, is needle-free. Oral triptans (Imitrex, Maxalt ,etc.) have never worked very well for me. Since I am 9 years post-op now, my headaches are few and far between, but no less intense. I'm able to get samples from both my GP and my neurologist--enough to get me through.
Capt Deb(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee60/Captdeb_photos/pirate-4.gif)
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There are many pain specialists in NYC who give Botox injections. There are also headache centers associated with all the hospitals. So depending on where you want to go, you can call the neurology department of that hospital and ask them for their recommendaton. I have been to the headache center at Roosevelt Hospital on West 58th and 10th Avenue and I also had a pain specialist at Mt Sinai (Dr. Serban) who I really liked. I was also treated with Botox injections along my jaw, and temporal areas by a dentist who only specializes in facial pain. He is terrific- Dr. D. Tannenbaum.
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I just got Xeomin two weeks ago for Cervical Dystonia. It is a form of Botox and is paid for. There also is a program from Botox that you fill out and the doctor's secy sends to the company for payment. Ask about this payment program.
I haven't received much relief from the injections which were in the side of the neck and both sides of the shoulders. They were afraid to go higher because they didn't want to shoot through my Titanium mesh and have me Code. It is just this place where they are afraid to inject that is so painful...it's stinging and on fire.
Try the headache centers and the staff will have you approved for Botox within three weeks. I find that the staff in these centers know how to file.
Sincerely,
Mei Mei