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MIGRAINES THE PAIN CAN BE DEBILITATING Searching for relief MIGRAINE TRIGGERS

July 8, 2007 12:35 am

BY KATE HARMON

What starts with discomfort on one side of the head can lead to pain, nausea, light intolerance and a general desire to hide in a dark room until the distress is over.

Migraines interrupt a sufferer's life, causing absences from work and school and leaving them not only with physical pain, but the anguish of trying to find a cure.

Nearly 30 million people suffer migraines in America, making me feel like just a statistic.

I got my first migraine at age 12, and they have yet to stop. As a child, I was convinced that I had an invisible brain tumor.

During my sophomore year of college, I had to be taken to the emergency room because I had a migraine for five days.

After cutting caffeine from my diet, trying every daily medication available to treat migraines, and seeing a chiropractor, I've gotten to the point where I ignore the migraines until I can't function.

My situation shows that sometimes no matter what you do right, migraines just can't be treated.

Without insurance, I can't afford many pain pills, so I have to pick and choose which migraine is bad enough for medication.

Not all migraines are the same, though.

Some cause aura vision, which can make sufferers feel as if they're looking at a light after spending too much time in the pool.

Many are accompanied by nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light.

But the most common symptom is pain. For some people, it's minimal. For most, it's paralyzing.

There is hope for migraine sufferers--there are pain relievers and preventive medicines, non-drug treatments and specialists who can help sufferers find the right solution.

Spotsylvania County resident Tanya Farris, 42, said she has had migraines most of her adult life. They've gotten to the point where taking 10 over-the-counter ibuprofen at a time doesn't ease her pain.

Farris has changed her diet, lowered her caffeine intake and seen a chiropractor, but nothing has seemed to work.

Farris said her doctor has been understanding of her frustration, and he's helped her as she's searched for the most effective and affordable medication.

"Thank goodness he had samples," Farris said.

Farris said her doctor is now thinking about putting her on daily preventive medication.

"We'll see," she wrote in an e-mail, about whether the medication will help.

For a headache to qualify as a migraine, there must be throbbing pain on one side of the head, along with sensitivity to light, sound or both, according to headache foundations.

Dr. Michael Cohen of Stafford Neurology treats migraine sufferers on a daily basis and knows how painful migraines can be.

"Most people can be treated with medication to get headaches under control," Cohen said.

But for some, medicine doesn't work. For others, finding the right medication can take patience and time.

Pennie Finley of Stafford underwent tests at George Washington Hospital to learn that her seizure-like symptoms were a result of her body not being able to handle the pain of her migraines.

Finley, 46, had her first migraine at age 13.

She has finally gotten them under control by taking Topamax, which her doctor prescribed for pain. It's a daily medication that can affect cognitive abilities, so patients can have trouble adjusting to it. When Finley doesn't take it, she said she has aura headaches, which she described as "freaky episodes."

She has a backup medication in case the Topamax doesn't work.

Medication has also brought some relief to Fredericksburg resident Jenn Ziegenmeyer, but finding a solution hasn't been easy for her, either.

Ziegenmeyer, 35, said her migraines intensified with pregnancy. After ending up in the hospital because she couldn't stop vomiting because the pain was so severe, Ziengenmeyer knew she had to do something.

She began treating her migraines with Imitrex pain-relieving shots, but at $20 for two, she said they were too expensive.

Now, she said she is on Topamax, which has controlled a lot of her symptoms. She said the relief she has gained is worth the numbness and confusion that has come with upping her dosage.

Medication--both preventive and after-the-fact--is just one way to minimize migraines.

Massage therapy, chiropractic visits and acupuncture are among the list of treatment options for migraine sufferers.

Muscle relaxation and rest are often good preventive measures, as are exercise and avoiding foods that can be triggers.

Cohen, the doctor, said it's important for people with migraine symptoms to see a neurologist to get the best treatment for them.

As for me, although my father keeps urging yoga, I keep my Imitrex samples handy because the migraines keep coming.