January 28th, 2010
How many Migrainers experience dental pain? Probably more than you think. I just recently started hearing that certain dental pain can be attributed to Migraines, or at least dental pain is a common symptom that is reported. If your like me I’ve talked to my dentists in the past about the jaw pain specifically and they shrug their shoulders and basically ignore me. I’ve brought up the jaw pain with my Endocrinologist as well and they typically say “talk to your dentist”, and again ignore it. I as a patient need to stand up for my rights and start demanding the doctors do the right thing. We as patients must advocate for ourselves and get the medical profession to provide services that they should rather than pushing us through like a bunch of cattle. This starts by getting a good dental plans to find the right dentist.
So I am going to try to find a better dental plan, with a different dentist to see if something can be resolved. I just found a great website that will search for dental plans and dental supplemental insurance in your specific zip code, the website is DentalPlans.com — it seems to be a great place to start looking for an affordable dental care plan. I resolve this year to get to the bottom of how dental pain and migraines are related.
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September 6th, 2009
I’ve had very good health insurance over the years that helped me pay for very expensive prescription drugs. However, in the last 3 years I have been paying for health insurance directly because I am now self employed. I started out paying almost $250 a month for a single male through the NASE which is a group buying plan. The coverage is not even close to the level of coverage I had while working for an employer or while I was on my Mom’s medical insurance.
I don’t take any Migraine prescription medication, just over the counter Excedrine Migraine — that’s a whole other story I’ll write about later. I do have two other prescriptions for my Pituitary Prolactin Macro Adenoma. One of these prescriptions is typically around $250 for 30 days supply. The second is now down to approximately $150 (from $250+) for 8 pills which is a months supply.
My previous insurances usually required me to pay a $30 co-pay for each, but the self-employed plan requires me to pay 75% of the retail price, they pick up 25%.
The Pituitary condition requires that I have blood tests, which is one way they can determine if the medication is keeping the tumor in check. Late last year I went to a new Endocrinologist after being asked to leave the Endo that I had been seeing for about 5 years. They required that I get an MRI every year in order to be one of their patients. This new Endo talked to me for about 45 minutes, possibly an hour which is great. Then the doctor got the paperwork ready for me to go to the lab to get blood tests I’m supposed to have about every 6 months (according to some doctors) and I had my blood drawn.
I ended up getting the bill from both the doctor and the lab and was shocked. The doctor visit was approximately $320 while the blood tests were approximately $680. My insurance ended up paying a tiny portion of these bills and I was stuck with the majority of it. Whereas when I had the good insurance plans I would have paid an office visit co-pay of possibly $20.
Same thing with an MRI, I would typically pay a $50 co-pay per MRI on the good insurance plan. I’m afraid to think what an MRI would cost under my current insurance coverage! My former Endo was at a large University hospital complex, so they had their own MRI equipment. When I was a patient I asked how much the MRI would cost without insurance and they stated it would be a little over two thousand dollars per MRI. With my current insurance I think I’ll look around for a “cheap” MRI provider.
I wanted to bring up my experience with health insurance because I think I have seen both the good and bad insurances and through that experience I feel I can be objective.
I am very concerned with the current plan that the U.S. Congress and President Obama have in the works. I can only imagine it will either be really good for someone with my conditions or really bad. Currently most Endocrinologists with extensive Pituitary experience have a 30 to 60 day scheduling backlog. My biggest concern if these specialists are no longer able to get enough money out of their craft, they will either quit and do something more lucrative or else only accept patients that pay for things without the nationwide health care plan. This happened in a lot of small rural towns with medicare many years ago. I was doing computer consulting work and many clients were doctors and medical supply companies. I had conversations with several of these doctors who said they dropped all medicare patients because they were being financially drained by the low payments from the government — this was over 10 years ago.
I really would like to know how the government thinks they will keep this from happening with their new plan… Maybe at the point of a gun? Just food for thought.
Tags: health insurance, Migraine, prescription
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August 16th, 2009
As a lifelong sufferer of Migrain headaches, I have wondered from time-to-time what it would be like to not have to wake up with a headache or worse… a Migraine. Since I can remember I have dealt with daily Migraines that typically lasted most if not the whole day. How would it feel if they no longer arrived at the blink of an eye or the drop of a hat. What would it be like to not almost want to die because the pain is unbarable? What would it be like to not to have to think about where you can lay down so you can close your eyes for 30 minutes to help build the mental, emotional and physical strength to continue your day. What would it be like if your head was clear and it was firing on all cylinders?
I can only imagine. It must be a great feeling.
I know people that have never even had a headache or a Migraine, let alone an Ocular Migraine or a Cluster Headache. Then one day they get a typical, run of the mill headaches and they can’t believe some of us have this pain or more so frequently. Oh what it must feel like!
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want anyone to have to go through that pain, but don’t you some days just hope some overly confident and cocky doctor gets one? Me too.
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August 16th, 2009
Migraines can cause many problems and be manifested in many ways. Many people report visual disturbances or auras just before a Migraine is about to occur. This can be hours in advance or just before the head pain starts.
I have some auras, but primarily I have distubances in vision that can manifest as darkening of my vision, like a blanket being pulled over my eyes. The symptoms can also include trouble focusing, along with the typical spots or bright lights than many Migraine sufferers report.
As you have experienced, these visual distubances can be annoying and interfere with work and home life. Even though these auras can be short lived, they can make you stop and relax for a while until your vision clears.
Damn those complicated Migraines. As always, if you have any concerns with your health, go see your doctor today.
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August 16th, 2009
Migraine headaches are never fun. When you have a headache that is causing you so much pain, it is important to get it treated. There are many prescription drugs that can minimize, and possibly treat your migraine to give you that little bit of comfort. When you go see your doctor about your headaches, it is best to have a little bit of knowledge about the different prescription drugs that are available to you. Just a few of the prescription drugs to have your doctor help you consider includes:
1. Relpax (Eletriptan) - This fast and lasting pain relief prescription medicine that is given by your doctor has been reported to give you relief within 2 hours. This seems like a lot of time to wait, but it works better than the 4-6 hours before relief of other medications. With Relpax, you can get relief from you migraine headaches and be more active in your life.
2. Inderal (Propranolol) - This is a beta-blocker that helps reduce the occurrence of migraines. This prescription is not for everyone because of the allergic reaction one might get. Your doctor will have all the information and side effects for taking this prescription medicine. No one likes to be in pain. By taking Inderal, you might possibly reduce the occurrence of migraines.
3. Axert (Almotriptan Malate) - is a migraine medicine that is for the acute migraine. Many people find that their Migraines go away completely after they take Almotriptan. Other people find that their Migraines are much less painful, and that they are able to go back to their normal activities even though their Migraines are not completely gone.
These are just a few of the many prescription drugs currently on the market that can help you manage your migraines better. With advancements in Migraine medications and technologies occuring constantly, make sure you never give up the hope that some day you may be free from the pain. In any event, you need to consult your primary care physician or Migraine specialist immediately. You never know if that migraine of yours is a bigger problem until you have seen a doctor who is a migraine specialist. Speaking from experience, I would strongly recommend seeking out not just any doctor, but a doctor who is a practicing migraine specialist. If you have a heart problem would you go to your primary care physician or a cardiac specialist? Get the right help, right now!
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August 16th, 2009
– guest article –
Statistics show that Migraine headache cases are steadily increasing. In the USA alone, it was reported that since the 1980’s, migraine cases rose 60%. These statistics are an eye-opener. Worldwide statistics show that 25% of women get migraines on a frequent basis. 8% of men get migraines once and a while. If these stats continue as they are, there is a projected statistic of a 70% increase in the next 10 years.
There are studies to determine if the headaches that many people suffer from are really migraines. The primary treatment to combat this epidemic is the use of prescription drugs. Doctors and Scientists work tirelessly to trying to find the best treatment for people with chronic migraine headaches. While scientists are working on the next prescription drug, others have found many natural remedies that have been doing a good job in reducing the occurrence of migraine headaches. These migraine medications typically provide migraine relief, not a migraine cure. With migraine statistics climbing, there is a fear that many more will suffer from migraine headaches before a true migraine cures can be found. Migraine pain is something no one should have to live with. Many advancements have been made with migraine treatments, but none have provided the be all end all solution to curing migraine headaches.
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August 8th, 2009
Over the many years I have dealt with Migraine headaches, I have been able to identify several food ingredients that are guaranteed to make my head hurt for hours or days. The first is what I consider the less painful trigger… Xanthan Gum. This food additive is found in lots of foods including Ice Cream, Cream Cheese, Salad Dressing, and drinks of all types, including some popular sports drinks. The second trigger is Guar Gum, which I stay away from like the plague. This is the only ingredient I know of that is guaranteed to give me one or more days of hell that can’t be attributed to my primary Pituitary condition. Guar Gum is also found in all of the products I mentioned earlier. What are your Migraine triggers?
Tags: guar gum, triggers, xanthan gum
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August 2nd, 2009
I don’t know if this is unique to me or if other Migraine survivors experience it as well. Today I was listening to one of the political talk shows and the host started talking about his dreams he has while sleeping. This got me to thinking again about how infrequently I dream while sleeping.
I can literally count the number of dreams I’ve had in the last 6 months on two hands. I have noticed this over the years, but never really bring it up because it doesn’t seem very important. When I wake up, after my alarm goes off for an hour or more, I’m usually very tired and feel like a bus hit me. Is this due to not enough sleep? If I sleep too long I am almost guaranteed to have a headache or a Migraine., but thankfully not always. Is it due to not getting REM sleep, or enough REM sleep?
I also find this weird because everyone in my family seems to always have dreams, most of them are very vivid and they remember them the next day. I realize everyone is different, but am I really that different?
I would be curious to hear from others like me to know if you have noticed a lack of dreaming while sleeping. Post your comments.
Tags: dreaming, dreams, Migraine, sleep
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July 29th, 2009
From day to day it is a constant battle to be functional in your work and personal life. It is one internal struggle over another and the sole goal of the Migraine is to ruin your day. This is the daily battle each of us Migraine sufferers deals with constantly and we don’t even have the choice to turn the pain off.
I may be different from many of the Migraine sufferers because I was also diagnosed with a Pituitary Macro Adenoma in my teenage years. Since I could remember, I have dealt with chronic Migraine headaches. Future posts will discuss some migraine symptoms, migraine treatments, migraine drugs, migraine medications, migraine causes, migraine relief and other issues I have lived with since my early years. I hope this blog will be inspiring at the least to those out there that may all the sudden be dealing with Migraine headaches.
Tags: headaches, Migraine
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