Good news (for a change). Improved health

[Reverend Conehead]

For decades I've had a serious migraine problem. It's been so bad sometimes that I thought I would not be able to work and was going to have to apply for disability. However, with improved insurance around 2013, I was able to go to pain clinics and got treatment that helped. Some. I've used various anti-depressants or bipolar meds to prevent headaches. They did prevent the headaches, but at a big cost of other side effects. One med made me forget everything. When I was on that, I went to endorse a check, but I could not remember how to sign my name. Another med made me tired all the time and made me gain weight. Some other crap made me tired all the time and then hallucinate. Everything I tried helped with the headaches, but there was always a big gotcha. The most recent crap as another anti-depressant that would make me super sleepy. I would get off work and then go lie down for a short nap, but then not wake up until after midnight. And I would end up sleeping all weekend. It basically prevented the headaches at the price of stealing most of my free time and making me feel exhausted all the time.

Finally, a week ago, I went into the doctor to try a med I've never tried before. It's a monthly shot that prevents headaches for a month; then you get another shot. So far, it's been great. I've gone through my first week in decades with no headaches without having to take a regimen of pills with awful side effects. I'm optimistic that I'll do just fine for the rest of the month and then go in for my next shot. This has worked well for my sister, who of course is related to me and had the same headache problem. This has been my first week in decades where I've felt great with no headaches, but had plenty of energy to do the things I want.

We've had enough bad news this year. So finally some good news. I spent the week learning some software I've intended to learn for years and playing my guitar more than I've played it in years. I feel like I've gotten my life back.

 

[Them]

...So you are related to you sister...eh?...Glad you now have some relief...2020 has been a real headache all on it's own!...Keep playing the guitar..."music calms the savage beast!"...I mean Conehead!!!

 

[Runwildboys]

That's great news, Rev. Headaches - especially migraines, from what I hear - can be absolutely debilitating. I'm glad the shot didn't give you a month's worth of forgetfulness!

BTW, I have two sisters and a half sister....Her husband is a really bad magician.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

...So you are related to you sister...eh?...Glad you now have some relief...2020 has been a real headache all on it's own!...Keep playing the guitar..."music calms the savage beast!"...I mean Conehead!!!

Well, if one of us were adopted, she could be my sister that I'm not actually related to. I have a niece whom I'm not biologically related to.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

That's great news, Rev. Headaches - especially migraines, from what I hear - can be absolutely debilitating. I'm glad the shot didn't give you a month's worth of forgetfulness!

BTW, I have two sisters and a half sister....Her husband is a really bad magician.

Yeah, a migraine can completely kick your butt and make you bedridden unable to do anything. It was an awful feeling when I thought I was going to have to be on disability and unable to work for a living and just subsisting on Social Security disability and whatever family could help with. My life could have been one totally controlled by these stupid migraines and either in massive pain or all doped up on crap that makes me totally forgetful or exhausted all the time. In this week, I've also improved my diet and have done just regular walking for exercise. It's amazing how much it can help to just be more lucid.

 

[Runwildboys]

Yeah, a migraine can completely kick your butt and make you bedridden unable to do anything. It was an awful feeling when I thought I was going to have to be on disability and unable to work for a living and just subsisting on Social Security disability and whatever family could help with. My life could have been one totally controlled by these stupid migraines and either in massive pain or all doped up on crap that makes me totally forgetful or exhausted all the time. In this week, I've also improved my diet and have done just regular walking for exercise. It's amazing how much it can help to just be more lucid.

Well that explains the non-nonsensical thread!

 

[Reverend Conehead]

Well that explains the non-nonsensical thread!

Not really, that's just a result of my warped sense of humor. When times are tough, it helps to find stuff to laugh at, and I've always been able to, even when my health sucks.

 

[Runwildboys]

Not really, that's just a result of my warped sense of humor. When times are tough, it helps to find stuff to laugh at, and I've always been able to, even when my health sucks.

Yeah...I was kidding.

 

[Londonboy]

Amber has been busy, She'll turn Her attention back to You and the new meds will suddenly stop working.
Her Ju-ju powers remain undimmed, Her capacity for mischief undiminished,

 

[Runwildboys]

Amber has been busy, She'll turn Her attention back to You and the new meds will suddenly stop working.
Her Ju-ju powers remain undimmed, Her capacity for mischief undiminished,

Unless the medication works.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

Amber has been busy, She'll turn Her attention back to You and the new meds will suddenly stop working.
Her Ju-ju powers remain undimmed, Her capacity for mischief undiminished,

Good to know. If I start getting headaches again, I'm going to hold her personally responsible. I don't know why that ***** hates me so much. What did I ever do to her?

 

[Londonboy]

Good to know. If I start getting headaches again, I'm going to hold her personally responsible. I don't know why that ***** hates me so much. What did I ever do to her?

Evil don't need no reason Bruv.

 

[Crazed Liotta Eyes]

For decades I've had a serious migraine problem. It's been so bad sometimes that I thought I would not be able to work and was going to have to apply for disability. However, with improved insurance around 2013, I was able to go to pain clinics and got treatment that helped. Some. I've used various anti-depressants or bipolar meds to prevent headaches. They did prevent the headaches, but at a big cost of other side effects. One med made me forget everything. When I was on that, I went to endorse a check, but I could not remember how to sign my name. Another med made me tired all the time and made me gain weight. Some other crap made me tired all the time and then hallucinate. Everything I tried helped with the headaches, but there was always a big gotcha. The most recent crap as another anti-depressant that would make me super sleepy. I would get off work and then go lie down for a short nap, but then not wake up until after midnight. And I would end up sleeping all weekend. It basically prevented the headaches at the price of stealing most of my free time and making me feel exhausted all the time.

Finally, a week ago, I went into the doctor to try a med I've never tried before. It's a monthly shot that prevents headaches for a month; then you get another shot. So far, it's been great. I've gone through my first week in decades with no headaches without having to take a regimen of pills with awful side effects. I'm optimistic that I'll do just fine for the rest of the month and then go in for my next shot. This has worked well for my sister, who of course is related to me and had the same headache problem. This has been my first week in decades where I've felt great with no headaches, but had plenty of energy to do the things I want.
We've had enough bad news this year. So finally some good news. I spent the week learning some software I've intended to learn for years and playing my guitar more than I've played it in years. I feel like I've gotten my life back.

One of my Brothers has frequent migraines and it has really affected his ability to live a normal life. The only time I ever had one, I ended up in the ER. I had no idea what was happening to me other than my head hurt so bad that I couldn't think. Since then, I've been greatly sympathetic to anyone who has to deal with them on a regular basis. Some people who have never experienced it think it's just like a regular headache and wonder what the big deal is. It's absolutely not like a regular headache.

Do you mind sharing what the medicine is that they are giving you in the monthly injection? I try to suggest treatments to my Brother who will not take any of the usual medicine they try to prescribe for the same reasons you listed. I'm hoping for you that you finally found a good treatment.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

One of my Brothers has frequent migraines and it has really affected his ability to live a normal life. The only time I ever had one, I ended up in the ER. I had no idea what was happening to me other than my head hurt so bad that I couldn't think. Since then, I've been greatly sympathetic to anyone who has to deal with them on a regular basis. Some people who have never experienced it think it's just like a regular headache and wonder what the big deal is. It's absolutely not like a regular headache.

Do you mind sharing what the medicine is that they are giving you in the monthly injection? I try to suggest treatments to my Brother who will not take any of the usual medicine they try to prescribe for the same reasons you listed. I'm hoping for you that you finally found a good treatment.

It's named Emgality. So far it's the best migraine prevention med I've ever used. The only down side is cost. It's very expensive, but I'm lucky to have insurance that covered it with only a $45 co-pay. Fort-five bucks a month and a monthly shot to not have migraines --- I'm so in. There's also another monthly shot med that's similar and is supposed to be as good, its name escapes me. But if his insurance covers that one but not Emgality, he might try that one. I think the main reason mine covered me is I have this long, provable track record of having tried numerous other meds.

Another thought if they didn't cover it would be to see if you could buy it from a Canadian pharmacy that sells to Americans, but be careful. There are some scam organizations out there that purport to do that, so you must find a legit one. There are legit ones. That was my Plan B if I didn't get covered.

Edit: It is also possible to give the shot to yourself. I had my doctor do it because I didn't want to give myself the shot the first time. I could in the future give it to myself if I want. On the other hand, my doctor allows me to do a shot-only appointment where I only see a nurse for the shot and have no co-pay, so I'll probably do it like that. But I've seen people on Youtube give themselves the shot, and it seems totally doable. The shot barely even hurt. It was just like a little pinch.

 

[Crazed Liotta Eyes]

It's named Emgality. So far it's the best migraine prevention med I've ever used. The only down side is cost. It's very expensive, but I'm lucky to have insurance that covered it with only a $45 co-pay. Fort-five bucks a month and a monthly shot to not have migraines --- I'm so in. There's also another monthly shot med that's similar and is supposed to be as good, its name escapes me. But if his insurance covers that one but not Emgality, he might try that one. I think the main reason mine covered me is I have this long, provable track record of having tried numerous other meds.

Another thought if they didn't cover it would be to see if you could buy it from a Canadian pharmacy that sells to Americans, but be careful. There are some scam organizations out there that purport to do that, so you must find a legit one. There are legit ones. That was my Plan B if I didn't get covered.

Thanks, Rev. This is good information and I'm going to let him know about it. Please update me on how this works out for you in the next couple of months.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

Thanks, Rev. This is good information and I'm going to let him know about it. Please update me on how this works out for you in the next couple of months.

I will. I'm hopeful. My sister said that toward the end of the month when she was getting toward her shot due date she started feeling some of the symptoms start to mildly come back, but then she got her shot and was great again.

But if your brother has a medical history of having tried a bunch of different treatments, I would definitely have his doctor include all that info when applying for Emgality coverage. You're way more likely to get approved for coverage for it if you can show that kind of history.

 

[morasp]

My wife suffered intense migraines so I told her the to get her homocysteine checked. It was well above the upper limit so I told her to start taking a B-complex from pure encapsulations once a day and she hasn't had one since. It's also worth getting your serum DHA levels checked also as many people are deficient in Omega-3 EFAs.

 

[CouchCoach]

Good news, Rev. I had a bud in high school that had them so bad, he'd have to be put in a totally dark room and remain still for days at a time. At 17, he looked like he was in his 50's with the wrinkles on his forehead and permanently furrow brow because of the intensity of the migraines.

They've come a long way since back then in the prevention and treatment of something that really puzzled them.

I developed ocular migraines about 8 years ago and freaked me the hell out when the wavy lines showed up and flashes of light and when the waves got to the middle of my cornea, nothing but blackness. I am lucky because I do not have the pain that usually follows that but it is still a really weird feeling.

 

[Hardline]

Is this medicine something new on the market or something that your doctor gave just started treating you with?

If it's new it sounds like a great new medical advancement.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

Is this medicine something new on the market or something that your doctor gave just started treating you with?

If it's new it sounds like a great new medical advancement.

Emgality hasn't been around that long. I'd need to look it up, but I think maybe about 4 years. There is no generic version. It's expensive and sometimes hard to get covered by insurance. The other meds similar to it are named Aimovig and Ajovy. I've never taken them, but I've read they have similar effectiveness. I'm not a biology expert, but I hear the meds are special proteins that somehow bind to stuff that cause inflammation and prevent that inflammation. If I understand it right, anyway. So far this thing is a God-send for my sister and I. It doesn't work for everyone. It didn't work for a coworker of mine. His migraines are caused by a head injury he got while serving his country in Iraq. I think it works for my sister and I because we've essentially inherited migraines. I think the binding to that stuff that causes inflammation helps us whereas my coworker's headaches have an injury cause and so it doesn't work. If I understand all this correctly. Like I say, I'm not a biologist or a medical professional.