Best place in USA to live for migraine/headache sufferers?

[Aldika1956]

If migraines and headaches are affected by air pressure, humidity, etc., then where would be the ideal place to live for someone who suffers from migraines and headaches, and also allergies?  Any ideas?

[Lars149]

Is your wife still saving relief from pamalor  for her migraines? Where have you found good doctors? My daughter has had a migraines daily or over 3 years

[Eddie1994]

Hi Lars,

Pamalor hasn't quite worked out because the side effects (sedation etc) were just to much for her.  We have determined that her migraines are triggered because of the wire sutures hold a bone flap together in her head.  Apparently flawed sutures were installed back in 1994 when she had brain surgery and unfortunately the infection risk of replacing them is too great.  We hope to try neuro biofeedback as soon as she can be approved.  By the way, has you daughter had any head injuries such as concussions or contusions?  Depending on her age, stress is another factor especially kids in college.

As far as speciality headache practices, it is my opinion that a good well trained Neurologist is just as good as a headache center.  

[phirefly]

I was diagnosed with Migraines at 5 years old. I've never met anyone who started this young with them. As a kid, it was all food triggerd and I suffered a lot. Today I am 33 and still suffer from them, but not as often. Hormones seem to play a role, as I have been using hormone cream to stabelize my levels. I'm not satisfied though because the headaches pop up even when I've been consistent with the cream. I've had anxiety for as long as I can remember and have been treating that with stress reduction and 20mg of Paxil.  I've also experienced the effects of atmospheric pressure on the headaches. It's been so maddening to try and figure out how to stop suffering; especially when it seems to involve so many components. I'd love to hear anything you have to contribute here. Thanks, Beth

[Eddie1994]

I too had migraines at that age and up till about 8 years old after which I never had another until about 6 years ago.  I can also attribute mine to certain weather patterns and interestingly mine are different then my wife's.  Her migraines are very debilitating but we can predict ahead of time when she will get one.  By being able to predict them, we can at least get important medication before nausea sets in.  If I were wealthy, I could also fly my wife between weather systems but alas I'm not monetarily wealthy.  That would be the best medicine for her.  

[msteechur]

My headaches are slightly different and are not considered migraines, but chronic daily headaches. However I do find a direct and replicable connection to pressure. Unfortunately I live in Western Washington where the weather can change multiple times in a day. I'm not exaggerating.

My headaches started after I had a subarachnoid brain hemorrhage in January of last year. Since that day I have been not one single day without headaches. At this point it's being treated with migraine products as a migraine because the neurologists I've seen don't actually understand why I still have the headaches. I have a friend who I met sub-SAH who is very similar to me; avid ultra marathon runner, very healthy diet, super duper active, and lives in the PNW. She had her hemorrhage about 9 months before mine and likewise, has never had a day without headaches. However both of us had a good period last summer from August through mid-September when we were singing praises to the lord because we were feeling SO much better. Once our first Fall storm hit, it was back in the dumper. The difference? We had our most stable period of weather in over 50 years during August and into Sept. Nine weeks without rain, clouds. It was clear and sunny and we have found that regardless of temperature, clear and sunny is our best head. Snow is like torture, rain hurts as it comes in but if we get a longer period of rainy weather we can adapt and have very low grade headaches. Thunder storms are also torture. Sunday when we had three low pressure fronts come through I honestly wanted to kill myself. (This is not a cry for help--but if every day were like that, I would be seriously considedring it.)

She is in the fortunate circumstance where she can travel to the southwest and stay for periods of time trying to find the weather where she feels best. Her doctor is truly at a loss for how to proceed. Mine s a bit behind hers and next step is Botox. It did not help her but I'm still hopeful.

[Eddie1994]

Ditto for my wife, 19 years since her SAH and clipping surgery.  This is what we learned.  The metal used in coiling and clipping is not pure titanium or platinum.  Even minor traces of impure metals having a carbon base such as chromium or nickel can react to electrical field influences.

So why weather such as you mentioned?  This is a complex discussion so let just summarize by saying that the combination of atmospheric particulates creates atmospheric voltage.  This voltage, the same as any electrical voltage, can cause nerve impulse or muscle contractions.  That is why on a clear day you were willing to sing praises.  Again this is a complex issue that transcends what Doctors are trained to understand and treat medically.  If you would want to know more, I'm willing to have this discussion.

As far as Botox, we considered this option but what concerns me is that it only treats nerve and scalp muscle above the skull.  It never gets through the blood brain barrier so that's why I can't see how it can work.  Additionally, some individuals end up with far worse migraine/headaches and to me that's scary especially with the number of episodes my wife has had to date (2,574 medication days since 1999- and that's not a typo).