Benzodiazepines

If you are on day 59 of migraine, and your migraine has not ceased for at least 4 hours time, it is necessary and your right to ask for more aggressive treatment. Whenever you have a migraine which lasts for 72 hours without a break, you may need to be admitted to the hospital for treatment by IV by a medication such as DHE, Valproic Acid, or a number of other medications.

At the very least, ask your neurologist to try a steroid dose pack to break the current cycle.

You also may want to ask if you can be referred to a pain specialist to receive treatment such as a Greater Occipital Nerve Block.

Your neurologist is using the two of the medications shown to be most successful in preventing migraines and/or reducing the pain associated with them. Keep in mind it can take at leastthree months for your neurologist to be able to tell whether or not your current preventative regime is likely to benefit you. There are many, many, many other preventative medications out there. I know the trial and error process we go through is beyond frustrating and frequently heartbreaking when medications don't pan out. Just know that you are not at the end of the line yet.

Treximet and Maxalt are part of a group of abortive medications called the triptans. Treximet is simply Imitrex with Naproxen (the active ingredient in Aleve). Naproxen is an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory). NSAIDs are used in treating migraines because they deal with the inflammation which is part of the migraine process, as well as reducing prostaglandins - which are chemicals in the body which play a large role in pain and the sensitivity the body has to it.

Besides Imitrex, Treximet, and Maxalt - there are other medications in the triptan category. One of them may work for you - and keep in mind, you can always speak to your doctor about adding Naproxen to any of the triptans. You may even ask if injectable Imitrex while taking Naproxen.

A list of the other triptans: Zomig, Axert, Amerge, Relpax, Frova

If you haven't already, begin keeping a headache diary. Even though you are in pain every day, it is still important to keep the diary of how you are doing, how active you are able to be, and where your pain levels are at. By doing this, you may be able to see overall patterns - such as if your current preventive regimen is beginning to slowing work, or find triggers you may be able to avoid.

Keep in mind that there is a type of chronic migraine called Medication Overuse Headache. Medication Overuse includes the use of OTC medications such as Tylenol, as well as prescribed painkillers which contain narcotic medications (codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone) AND Tylenol. Medication overuse is also associated with overuse of triptans. You are a good candidate for chronic migraine due to medication overuse if are taking these types of medications more than 3 days a week to more than 15 days a month. The only way to determine if Medication Overuse is the culprit is to remove the offending medications completely for several months. It is very, very hard, but worth it when after that time there is a reduction in the number of days you are in pain.

When keeping a headache diary, you may wish to begin documenting the medications you are taking to abort or relieve your head pain, because many times - when you take something in the depths of pain - all you are thinking of is getting relief, and you may not realize how many days out of the month you are taking these medications.

It is a completely normal feeling to want and seek relief of the pain you are experiencing, and medication overuse headache is not an addiction disorder. It simply means that your body has become entrapped in a headache cycle due to becoming accustomed the medication you are taking.

Natural Methods:

Note: Please note that you should still be informing your neurologist of all Vitamin/Mineral and Herbal supplements you may decide to take. (For example, feverfew is an herb used to abort migraines - it works as a vasocontrictor - which the triptan medications also do. So it may not be wise to take them together).

There are a number of natural ways to try and help yourself prevent migraines or at the very least reduce your pain levels. Some of these are Vitamin B2, Magnesium, Fish Oil, and Vitamin D. These have been found in scientific studies to be beneficial in the treatment of migraines. People with chronic pain, as well as people who are in chronic pain from other issues, are often found to be deficient in magnesium and Vitamin D. Both of these necessary nutrients have been shown to reduce pain or increase the pain threshold in patients.

A more recent natural ingredient used to treat migraine is intranasal capsaicin. Yes, capsaicin is the ingredient in hot peppers. Feel free to cringe at the idea of inhaling it. However, studies have shown that it may have an immediate ability to abort migraine and cluster headache, and even if it cannot successfully abort migraines or cluster headache, when it is repeatedly used over time, it can significantly reduce the two pain disorder's ability to be triggered. This is because repeated use of capsaicin against the nerve fibres it comes into contact with toughens them up - not only so that the capsaicin doesn't burn as much anymore, but that the nerves are resistant to other stimuli as well.

There are different companies that make capsaicin nasal sprays and they are not insanely expensive. Please be aware of other herbal ingredients some of them contain.

I am adding a link to this question that you most definitely should check out - a website created by a sufferer of migraines who is intensely knowledgeble and an advocate. She has things on her website such as downloadable diaries and lists of the medications used to treat migraine, including a list of IV medications that can be used in the hospital to try and break intractable migraines.

I know it is not easy - but don't give up. You still have so many options before you.