Oh yes, was going to get rid of my headaches, Back in 1980 I went to total of 18 drs, dentists & chiropractors. Worse of the lot was the headache clinic, they gave you a long survey to fill out(do you hate your mother, father, is everybody against you, I thought I was getting help for a headache, I filled it in, I am well adjusted & don't hate anyone) so only thing I got was a EEG to see if I Had something wrong with my brain, apparently not, just daily pounding migraines, when he insisted I strip to my panties I was shocked, claimed it had to do with balance then told me to sit on exam table & whipped out a camera, my arms flew up. I went straight to my allergy dr. & I was shaking like a leaf. So now you know why I didn't name the place. It was a 1 dr. operation & no nurse either(red flag) Allergy dr. said he had heard things about the guy. So the thing we need to know is what kind of headaches you have, are they migraines? I get more help from Butterbur an herb from Germany than all the drs, put together except my regular allergy dr. He told me never to give up & that new things will come along. I have midrin made up but am down to about 200 a yr instead of several daily. Main problem is it is inherited, 7th person to have migraines from my dad's side, he didn't but all the women did. His sisters, mom & my cousins. What brings mine on is temperature changes, & any kind of smoke plus long list of plant & food allergies, MSG, nitrates, feverfew(drives me crazy cute little tiny daisylike plants, marigolds, Timothy grass, sage, maples, lot of other trees, hot dogs, lunch meat, ham(can boil it 3 times- rinsing it each time) & use in scalloped potatoes & ham) bacon, BBq smoke, forest fires, or cigarette smoke all drive me to bed & doesn't take more than couple of puffs near me, if I take a midrin & get out of there that will usually stop it. The Imitrax people got midrin taken off the market, used to be next to aspirin, allergy dr. told me he stocked it in drug store he worked at in HS, then they made it prescription & did away with it except some compounding pharmacies. So headaches are complicated & you need to describe yours & we might be able to help!

Thanks so much sunnyca_gw,

My headaches are the result of an auto accident 6.5 yrs (car rear ended by a city bus). I had periodic headaches before. We think they were undiagnosed migraines, but not treated. Since the accident, I now have had a headache almost every day of my life. My Dr (neurologist) treats them like migraines without aura, except that nothing we have tried gets rid of them. We have been doing Botox for 3 yrs, but that is only minimally effective...about 20% effective. I have just decided not to do Botox anymore. What is the point? I have been to 2 headache Drs, a pain mgmt Dr who did various injections RFA's (only thing that really helped but wore off after 4 mons), physical therapy which left me headache free for a few days each wk, TMJ dentist which helps for the headache some, chiropractor (currently not helping), massage therapy (headache free for 2 hrs). I am at my wits end with this horrible headache (range always 2-6) everyday of my life, and am grasping at straws trying to help myself (chiro, massage). One headache dr suggested that I go to MIND Clinic at Cleveland Clinic, a few yrs ago, and I am so desperate for a solution that I am considering going. I would appreciate any help, comments that you might have for me. Thanks so much!!!

Hi sunnyca_gw,

Please let me know where you order butterbur from. I want to try it, but I want to get it from a safe site. I'll speak to my Dr about a script for midrin...I have access to a compounding phar. Thank you so much!

Being in an accident helps explain your headaches. They may be similar to what I used to have. I rode in a bus that skidded off an icy road and hit my shoulder. Years later in college I started having severe headaches. It turned out that I have an underlying muscle that if I became really relaxed or moved just right when I was waking up slipped between a tear in the overlying muscle. That muscle would then tighten pinching the part of the muscle that protruded through it. After a while it would effect the nerves causing terrible headaches. Have someone feel the area, above and below for a knot. If any are found you can either mark area with a sharpie and bring to your doctor's attention. I now use the knuckle to apply pressure to the knot until it relaxes. I do not suggest doing the pressure application but have your doctors office work with ultrasound and heat. It can hurt like you have never felt pain before so it is better to have someone with you. The knot does not have to be in a shoulder where mine was but in other parts of the upper torso such as over the collar bone.

Hi sunnyca_gw,

Yes, it helps me greatly. I'm going to try Butterbur. I live on flexeril 3 or more days per wk. While I am on it, I am a zombie, unable to drive, work, etc. I am also going to talk to my Dr about Midrin. Yesterday, went to Internist who gave me referrals to new Neuro & Pain Mgmt Drs. Need to try to get some of my life back. Also, thank you maifleur01, going to talk to Drs, to see if anything similar to what you discovered could have been missed, and insist upon CT, exam, etc. I keep going back to this accident, that caused the injury because I didn't have a constant headache before.

Have you had an MRI of your neck? Since it started with an accident, and physical therapy did help (if only transiently) that tells me that the problem is musculo-skeletal. You may need a long time to retrain the muscles and re-align the bones with exercises, massage, traction and so forth.

Reread what I wrote above, made a lot of mistakes, need to reread before I click!! I had CAT scan without dye because dr thought I would have bad reaction to it. EEG of my brain, didn't show anything. Several female relatives including dad's mom had migraines & 2 of dad's sisters & 2 cousins have them, so inherited. Midrin was taken off the market as Imitrix people are pushing hard for all their drugs to corner the market so only way you can get it is if they will compound it & I found 1 pharmacy that will(my dr. also called them & asked them if they could so his input helped) I had called about 15 pharmacies & all I got was NO so when I got them to make it up, my dr. called & said, have you got it yet & I had & he told me a Dr. friend showed him flyer he wrote up to let his patients know he had to quit because of migraines, my Dr. said the guy was thrilled that he didn't have to give up his medical practice. Repeated little of this but hope I made it clearer. Been on Butterbur daily 200 mg & I went out to dinner at bro's house AC on & we ate outside about 6:30 & had cooled off but I only had to take 1 midrin, go out to get paper in morning without covering up my face most mornings & don't have to take anything. I feel so much more normal. Can't get near pool or lake or if I water early like 6am that will start headache so try to wait until temp. outside is little warmer & then do better. No rain at all this summer out here so only problem was the Sand fire, air wasn't too good 1 evening & had to take a pill & 1 day in afternoon. Fire we had in same area when folks were alive, I had to take pills 3-4 times a day & still didn't feel good, it was about 2 yrs before I started the Butterbur. This yr. fire I think 3 pills all week. Huge difference & they stopped the pain. Bottle of 60 Butterbur lasts 15 days for $18.99 at Whole Foods, so much cheaper than prescriptions & safer. I found I gradually got better over a year. It's not instant & you have to take the Butterbur every day. Good Luck