Hi all,

I have PTM (post traumatic migraine, as a result of an accident). When I have a migraine it only affects the left side of my face/head/neck. I have triggers that I've come to recognise, one of which is a stiff neck. However, yesterday the usual triggers began and my eyes became sensitive to light, ringing in my ear etc... but what I noticed was not only was my neck becomming stiff but the muscle(s) in my left shoulder were beginning to ache. A new symptom. It's been 2 yrs since my first migraine and this has never happened. I'm on Topamax as a preventitive measure and Zomig when I need it. Usually with this the symptoms disappear. But with this muscle spasm (for lack of a better term), the migraine seems to have persisted and for the first time since I started the Topamax/Zomig regmieme I've had a migraine that has lasted more than 2 days.....

Does anyone out there have any muscle pain connected with their migraine? Any advice or maybe alternative treatment you can recommend? I've got a Neuro appointment in January.... but that's nearly 2 months away!! Need something before then if this persists....

I was told by my Neurologist that I have what he calls.......Constrictive muscle migraines, caused from the muscles tightening in my neck. Who knows, all I do know is that I am so sick of headaches, migraines, stiff necks, and sore muscles that I could scream......

Hope you feel better soon.

I was in car accident in 2005, found out I had fibro in 2006---My pharmacy carrer was ended----I have headpain every day since 2006----I have left neck and shoulder pain and burning feeling all the time--I keep it covered or heating pad--

I get nerve blocks from rheum---I take midrin and Imitrex 100mg when I can no longer stop from crying----I am so frustrated----I wake and go to sleep with this headpain, earpain, loudnoises and sounds bother me--earplugs are used always---I want to know if there is an end to this pain----

I have muscle spasms also---I have tried soma, zanaflex, flexeril nothing seems to work, I want to chriopracter--he hurt me more---

I am with you---Larac...

Your story sounds so familiar to mine.... and I really truly understand your frustration because I feel it too. I'm sick of medication so I tried an "alternative" and I went to get a massage last week to try and ease the pain in my shoulder/neck and it was so much worse. To try to get the "knot" out the person went harder than they should have and finally gave up because the muscle didn't budge.... I ended up having to go back to the doctor to get a valium because I could barely have clothes touch my skin it was so bad. I have to wait until my Neuro appointment in January and the spasms seem to be getting worse and occurring more frequently. I just really don't understand where this has come from... I finally have the headaches under some kind of control, well reduced from once every six-eight days to about once a month.... and now this.

I just am sick of being sick.

For many years I would get shoulder and neck pain, so I got the "Shower Massage" that I put in my shower and I set it to pulsate hot water and sit in the shower chair with steam rising and let it pulsate on my shoulders, neck and head. Many times it has helped to lessen the pain. Sometimes there was so much inflammation from the knots that they needed to be iced and I would use the gel ice packs and put a light towel between the gel pack and me. Sometimes alternating 10 minutes of moist heat and 10 minutes of gel ice packs could sometimes help. Many times it was different and I had to find what worked that time.

When I fell a few years back and became mobility disabled with my back, the fall also caused tinnitis to start and sometimes I get sharp ear pains and it seems to be for no reason that the doctor can find. I have a "moist heating pad" that has that "deadman's switch" on it (so if you fall asleep you don't hold it down and thus can't get burned). The moist heat makes a big difference for muscles and sometimes when the ears get too much pain, I use the moist heat on them and it seems to help.

Many years ago a wonderful friend was taking massage therapy and took me in late afternoon to work on me. She was a top student and said I had knots at my shoulders and neck and some of my back and she was working so hard to get them out. It was a killer, but I thought it would be good. Later that day, I developed a super whooper of a migraine and I couldn't go to work the next day as the migraine meds weren't working. My friend told me she hasn't thought about it, but when she worked on the muscles so hard like that, the muscles release a chemical and the more knotted muscles, the more chemical and it can cause someone to get migraines, etc. I haven't had a massage since, but my friend that has CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) had accupunture and has been swearing by that.

I think that each of us may have some twists to what medication works and so different non-medication ways of relieving pain may differ too. One person I know puts Vicks on her nostrils as she said it helps with her migraines--for me Vicks on my nostrils risks me vomiting. But each person is very different.

My one cat is so sensitive to me having migraines that I will be in bed and he will get on top of my head. He has long fur, a purr like a valve knock and he gets on top of my head and it feels so good and he creates a vibration of sorts on my head with his purr, but he's warm, soft and almost hypnotic because his sound is rythmic with his valve knock. They said cats have a "healing purr" and he has helped during my migraines. But I wonder if through the cat's eyes, how he sees my migraines, whether he seems them as an "aura" around my body, or if he can pick up the beating pain it causes in one side of my head (remember animals have highly developed senses).

[This Message was Edited on 12/03/2008]

I have had fibromylgia and chronic fatigue and pain syndrome since 2005, due to car accident--I worked in pharmacy business for 20yrs until my rheumo dr. said I needed to resign as of aug 1, 2007--I was working in pain every day---I would come home and be in bed--it went on for 2 yrs---it was awful the headpain has been with me always and the left shoulder and neck are so painfully it feels like I am on fire---

I am always using heat-on my neck--I get nerve block needles---they help--I know the Fda are looking to release 20 new meds for fibro--soon---

My ears are also awful--I get alot of pain when noise is around loud sounds, sometimes even people's voices bother me...babies crying---I wear ear plugs---

My heapain has been with me for about 3yrs---I go to bed with it and awake the same--I take midrin and imitrex 100mg--Imitrex helps but I get only 12 a month---they are expensive, even the generic...

Larac--we should really talk--have never met anyone with same symptoms as I have--

I was interested TwoCatDoctors by what you said about your cat... I have a dog and I swear (although everyone thinks I'm insane) he knows when I have a migraine. He's a big lab and is full of energy but seems to instinctively know when to tone down the energy when I'm not feeling well... rather than bounding around, jumping after toys etc. he comes in at night and will either lie on my feet or leave his head in my lap (not like him at all, he has his own bed etc...). I'm intrigued by what you said about maybe they see the aura or can pick up on the pain.... My mother has noticed his change in behaviour around me when I have a migraine, it's almost like he feels sorry for me!

A friend's husband has MS and he swears by "alternative" treatments to help his symptoms, he uses massage, acupuncture and has a modified diet among other things.... I agree that the alternative treatments vary as much as the medications for people. The chemical released after the massage definitely rings a bell with me and would certainly explain what happened to me after my "massage". I'm looking into upgrading my shower to get something similiar to what you said you have... at the minute I've just been putting the water on as hot as I can stand it and while it works for a few minutes, as soon as I'm out of the shower the pain is back....

I guess it's just going to take awhile to find something that works. It's just frustrating when I thought the headaches were getting somewhat under control for this to start.... I will be interested to see what my neurologist makes of the whole thing....

I agree too about what you said about your dog toning down his energy. My one cat that helps with my migraines normally is a clumsy clown and jumps up on the bed without grace or agility and flops on the bed and I can feel he has jumped up (like a small earthquake)--but when I have migraines, he jumps up so carefully and quietly and with such stealth and grace that I don't know he is there and he very carefully and gently gets onto my pillow. For this cat clown that has no grace or agility to do all this, shows me he sensed my migraines even before he was up on the bed, but in what way. No one has been able to tell me that. Is is electric impulses? I mean dogs can sense oncoming seizures, so what does a migraine produce and is it electrical energy that an animal can pick up? Who knows. Sometimes I wake up at 3:00 am with a bad migraine and sure enough my cat is on top of my head--we didn't go to bed that way but he gently and quietly got on top of my head and didn't wake me up. Did he sense it in advance? Oh, I have so many questions on this.

The Shower Massage and other makes have various settings, but I have found the "pulsating" setting really helps the most. The pulsating seems to set off streams of water that pulse at different times from each other and it creates a good massage like feeling in the muscles. I have had extreme migraines and not got showered, but sat in the shower just to use the pulsating feature of the Shower Massage to start to ease the muscles.

I usually "see" you on the S/W board , but I have been hopping around to other boards to stretch my legs , so to speak.

Anyway , I have had classic migraines ( with an aura where I go almost totally blind for 30 minutes) since I was 11. Seems like we have this nasty migraine thing in common ,and I will keep you in my prayers.

So , the thing that caught my eye is your cat that goes on top of your head . This is SO PRECIOUS ! I truly believe that God knows just the right animal to put in our lives. My daughter had a cat for 14 years that would be a nurse cat to both my daughter and I . She laid on my daughters chest all day when she had the flu. The cat didn't get up to drink , eat or use the litter box for over 10 hours ; Just lay on my daughter and occasionally cleaned her face and hands.

I love animals. Sometimes I think that some are little angels that are a gift that God has blessed us with ( I mean real animal-type angels : )

See you 'around ' !

Holly

Hi,

I used to be on these boards for years but than took a break as "life" got in the way, so sorry this response is late.

I am 34 and have had fibromyalgia and myalgic encephalomyelitis/CFIDS since I was 25. I also suffer from chronic, incessant head and neck pain on my right side.

I thought I had the "head pain attacks" under control, but they've changed and are more frequent and different in nature for the past ten months.

My right shoulder, right side of my neck and head hurt like the dickens, and at first my neuro thought it was postural...she was correct to a degree...but even with PT which helped, I still have these attacks...twice a week...I'm literally going out of my mind, and I've been through a lot already in my life. Just when I thought I was "stable" and "used to" my symptoms/illnesses if you know what I mean, I developed this new and really debilitating head pain.

Many people find certain muscle relaxants helpful since often the neck spasms can trigger the migraine as you probably already know.

Some muscle relaxants or meds that also act as muscle relaxants are: Zanaflex, Baclofen, Klonopin, Skelaxin, Soma, Flexeril, etc.

Acupuncture can be very helpful as can myofascial massage...not "regular" massage. There's a huge difference.

It sounds like you're suffering from Occipital Neuralgic Headaches like me...I get those, migraines, muscular-like ones and the every day "tension/pressure" type ones...

I hope you find some relief...I've tried literally everything...even been in studies (i.e. Lyrica, Lunesta which was called Zopiclone back in the day, etc.).

To better health,
LBG34

Hi there. I get the occipital neural blocks (needles) from the neurologist and they remind me of an epidural as they knock out the pain within 2 minutes (and can last for a few weeks to a few months). I take the generic Klonopin at bedtime, but not for migraines.

I really believe that eventually they're going to find something in the brain that clicks on and starts the migraines whether with auras or without them. Once they find that, then they have to figure out how to keep that turned off. The migraines are with such fierce pain that they frequently put us out of commission and I hope and pray within 10 years they'll have the research done to figure this out. They have done scans to see brains while deep in migraine pain and that helps, but that is only one key.

that very neck shoulder pain today. I had heat on my neck and shoulder area all day. Used one of those therma things. They stay warm qutie a while.
TwoCats, I've heard of the nerve block. Have had that in my lower back, but didn't know they were doing this in the neck area. Will have to think about that one. Two months? Pain Free? How would it be?
Cynthia

I get a painful burning numbness in my face and ears and down my left arm. It's a really weird feeling and a lot of pain.Just spent the whole day in bed and am really tired now. Do you get the strange numbness feeling. Spacey

First me, now two of my daughters, have ocipital neuralgia migrianes. They are horrible, as the rest of you know. As a matter of fact, that's why I happened upon this board tonight.

I have never found any medication to really work for me other than Excedrin Migraine if I catch it early enough...and unfortunately, I had to take them so frequently to get rid of the pain that I ended up with rebound migraines. No prescribed med has ever helped.

The Thermacare heat wraps do help me also IF I get them on soon enough. Also, if I sit outside with my back to the sun in the summertime the warm sun helps. I can't do airconditioning...it seems to trigger the pain, especially in a vehicle.

I've spent many nights sitting up with my head in my hands because the pain is so severe that laying down is not an option. My migraines usually begin with the knotted muscles in the back/shoulder area, then neck, then side of the face and over the entire left side of my head. My jaw actually will feel as though it's been used as a punching bag, and I'll have numb spots on my face. But it will always affect both eyes for some reason.

My daughter goes to a chiro...an especially good one...who is working on her occiput area, and is relieving her headaches a lot. It's taken quite a few treatments, but is now paying off. She had seen several chiros in the past who unfortunately only made matters worse.

If you do get a massage, be sure to drink an entire glass of water as soon as finishing, because it helps flush out the released toxins from your system.

Interesting about pets.... they are very intuitive....love, Jole