Migraines & Fatigue

Greetings all...
My DH is trying to be very understanding, but I finally decided to see what is happening with others, so here I am.

I had my TAH-BSO on 1/15/07 for the two large fibroids that were keeping me from walking easily or sleeping, and so on, and the every so much fun sudden jabbing pains that would leave me doubled over and out of breath. So for my troubles I carefully planned my TAH beginning in October so I could take Medical Leave in January and not have to worry about teaching during the semester (I am a university professor).

Here is the part where I REALLY REALLY need your feedback...PLEASE!!!
I have been a migraine sufferer for years (the really bad one s) where I take Imitrex shots and prescription painkillers unless it gets really bad and then I just need an ambulance.

Luckily these "Evil" kinds of migraines had subsided with intense physical therapy and Topamax (with the addition of anti-narcoleptics to counter the sleepiness side-effects of the Topamax).

Now I have had the "want to die" kind of migraine four days out of the hospital, so now I have anti-nausea meds too. And found out (after the worst of the migraine) that I could take my Imitrex.

How many of you all are suffering from migraines and headaches?

I figure part of it is from the HRT (01. mg estradiol) that I am now on, and part is the stress of the surgery.

I just really hate waking up with a headache every single day.

I'm new here to the forums. First, let me introduce myself as sulz for short - I had a total total hyst due to suspected endo (my desire, and I just wanted it all to stop, no more!!) I have epilepsy that was worsened by the lengthened cycles with the fact that they were also shortened. Annoying and extremely painful. It also caused these wonderful migraines.

Thankfully not as painful as yours,Lady Gaelic, for I can't use Imitrix - that triggers an immediate seizure. Ugh.

Back to topic, back to topic! My migraines are much worse, much more frequent. I'm much more tired, can't even muster up energy, even though I'm recovered for the most part. (Recovered, for most part, as I had a Da Vinci procedure, and I should be mainly totally fine by now, but I'm not.) I'm exhausted, I can't walk much without feeling like I'm going to collapse. Yet, I'm wide awake all day. All I can do is sit here and be at the computer all day.

Did my medications suddenly become worse for me in terms of side effects after my body stopped producing these ovarian hormones? Should I reconsider my decision on not going on ET? I know epilepsy *****, but I'm already at the end of the line here. You see, I'm considered to have medically refractory epilepsy and I'm on the last resort drug now - Felbaltol (upping it while decreasing Topamax because Topamax is utterly useless for me - found out that I was having constant seizures going on, even though it wasn't visible to anyone or to me).

I guess all I wonder is - am I making the right decision here?

What are the questions to ask myself and my doctors?

Hi suizzz!

Bummer about the epilepsy issue. I assume you have done quite a bit of homework on your particular form and if their are any hormonal effects?

I am still working on the list of questions to take in to my dr when I see him at 6 wks.

I realize that the goal is to check my blood level hormones to see what I am actually getting out of the Climara 0.1 mg patch.

I have hypothyrodism for which I take Levoxyl, and hypertriglyeridemia (a form of hyperlipidemia) for which I have my triglygerides and cholesterol levels monitored, in addition to the migraines.

I see a cranial-sacral therapist who does neuromuscular work and a massage therapist, in addition to my neurologist, for my migraines.

I got things somewhat under control until the fibroids started growing out of control and started sitting on nerves leading into my legs and pushing into my colon. They caused quite a bit of sacral nerve inflamation that set off lesser? migraines.

My husband thinks that I need to walk a bit more to help with the headaches, probably right to some extent - but I am so tired. I may start out okay in the morning (after an Advil and a Vicodin). But I really don't want to take painkillers all the time and want to wean myself off the Vicodin asap (for which my friends argue that I am not being good about pain management - I will put up with too much before I wil do something about it).

Pain is exhausting, the hyster is fatiguing, migraines make you want to sleep due to the brain chemical reactions, so I think that we are doing pretty good if we are not comatose.

Sounds like we have some similar types of concerns with regards to questions to consider.

Want to toss a few questions back and forth to each other to come up with a good list for ourselves and our drs? We can each do a bit of searching on this aand different sites and see what we find. Typing on the computer until my eyes need a break is about all I feel up to right now.

I am also a migrainer with several different kinds of triggers, and sometimes having to go to ER for injections ( which knock me out for a couple days)

I am not on HRT because of endo, however I have had an increase in migraines since my surgery...I just figured it was from the stress of surgery since I am not on HRT. Whatever it is, I just hope it ends soon!

I always got them bad the week of my period so I kind of figured I would be too sensitive for estrogen therapy.

I, too, am a migraine sufferer. I've had them all my life, and NO meds help. Well, topamax worked for a while, but then started poisoning me (numbness in all my extremities, etc.). Acupuncture is the only treatment that has ever helped.

My TAV-RSO was about 7 weeks ago, and I have found my migraines increasing. I was surprised by that, since I still have one ovary, and am not on HRT.

I don't have any especially useful advice, other than to say you're not alone, and to suggest trying acupuncture.

MoonIvy and Tatiyana
Thank you for your responses

I toxed out on Topamax the first time I was on it (final levels were at 200 mg per day) and had to let it clear my system for about 6 months before I went back on it at a greatly reduced level (50 mg per day, 25 mg morning and 25 mg at night).

The six months off Topamax was a living nightmare, and the drugs they had me on in the mean time made me irritable to the point of being downright mean sometimes.

Therefore, I can't see me going to a higher dose of the Topamax.
I haven't tried acupuncture. My cranial-sacral/neuromuscular therapist (also does therapeutic touch energy therapies) is out of town since just before my surgery. She is due back Feb 9 and I am counting the days.

She worked to try to minimize the fibroid pain levels so I could finish out the fall/winter school term. Even so, I had a couple of screamer migraines the weeks before my surgery, probably the stress of getting everything in order, house, bills, job, animals, hubby, etc.

I just can't go back to the migraine levels that I was at 5 years ago, which is what this feels like. The fatigue of the healing process plus the fatigue of the migraines is a bit too much. I try to sleep and end up lying in bed unable to fully relax, and very conscious of the fact. I finally get up because my head starts to hurt more than when I laid down, though now I'm not quite as fatigued.

Sugar helps somewhat so I keep some lollipos around. Theycertainly kept me from getting nauseous when the first "kill me now" migrain struck four days after surgery.