Migraines - what can I expect from my GP?

[Tarrarra]

I've been suffering with migraines for years now. I'm managing them with Sumatriptan on the whole, but taking a fair amount of it. I've been proactive in looking for remedies - daith piercing, acupuncture, hypnotherapy, physio and osteopathy. I have had bloods and hormone levels checked . I have also had eyes and teeth checked. I've had food intolerance tests and eliminated and gradually reintroduced foods and not found any obvious trigger there. I do clench my teeth at night and wear a mouth guard to stop damage to teeth. I am also taking supplements as recommended - riboflavin, coenzyme Q10 and magnesium. It's costing me a fortune and I am on an agency contract so don't get paid for time off so when I can't work I don't get paid.

My GP has prescribed topiramate (couldn't function on it, felt like a zombie), beta blockers (complete lack of energy and strange effects in my legs and finally I am amitriptyline (drowsy in mornings and a bit lethargic, but ok otherwise). None of these have had an impact on the frequency or severity of the migraines. I don't want to continue the amitriptyline as after 6 weeks, it hasn't improved things for me and in fact things are a bit worse. I feel like the GP has pretty much given up on me and suggested that they are "stress related".

Am I missing something to try? Is there anything I can do? I feel like life is just passing me by as I hate making plans that I usually have to cancel and seem to be missing out on family time and just having a level of quality to my life.

What more can I do, or ask the GP to do? I think his next idea will be to refer to another GP with an interest in migraines who runs a headache clinic and I'm happy to do this, but I just want to go to my appointment with a bit of an idea of where to go next - Help please!?

Thank you!

Well if your GP's anything like mine, they could suggest you attend a talking thing, where people with headaches get together to talk about them. WTF?

Dehydration and low blood sugar are both triggers for me.

My osteopath also suggested that my muscles were tense at the top of my shoulder. Sometimes I've been able to turn down the intensity of a migraine by massaging the area gently.

Thanks, I do get neck and shoulder pain which is why I tried physio and osteopath and I do regularly stretch and do exercises from the physio as well as pilates and massage with a little handheld shiatsu massager, but it doesn't seem to stop them or alleviate them when it happens.

Get referred to a hospital migraine clinic and see a neurology consultant who specialises in this area. There are new treatments coming along and also possibly botox injections. Good luck!

Thank you. I'm going to ask for the referral to the migraine clinic.

While you wait for a referal, it may be worth making sure you take an A-Z multivitamin every day.
I had just not long started to take vitamins every day, after having 4 migraines in 2 weeks. I actually had two attacks in one day, which had never happened to me before. Since about month 2 or 3 of being on vitamins every day without fail, I've had zero migraines, and that was 7 months ago.
Could just be a massive coincidence, but I could have been deficient in something. It can't hurt you to try if you aren't already on a daily supplement.

I'm so sorry, just reread the tail end of your post... Brain fart.

I hope you find a solution to this, it's honestly so awful

I’ve found out that I also have fibromyalgia, which was making my muscles more tight and therefore causing more migraines...not suggesting this is what’s happening for you, more that it’s important to see the neurology consultant to get underlying causes properly investigated.

virginpinkmartini Thanks for taking the time to reply - yes, I take a daily multivitamin in addition to the riboflavin, magnesium and CoEnzyme Q10. Bloods did show a folate deficiency but that is all resolved now and the migraines continued.

@JontyDoggle37 I have had a slight worry that there might be something else underlying all of this. I am trying not to google but there seems to be something muscular causing it. I don't think GP will refer to neurology but hoping that if I can get a referral to the migraine clinic they can investigate further and refer on again if needed.

@Tarrarra I got a referral to neurology from my GP. If not, the migraine clinic can always refer you on.

My migraines had crazily increased over the last 6 months and I’ve decided to try cutting caffeine out completely - not had one since I’m fairly tired tho without but would rather be tired than having horrific migraines

I saw an article in Tech Crunch the other day where the journalist’s wife suffered debilitating migraines very frequently and was much improved using a new app called Curable. I’m seriously allergic to woo but this wasn’t woo - based on research into chronic pain and how our brains interpret and process pain signals. Was quite interesting, worth a look anyway.

I'll try anything. Certainly worth a look, thanks Sinkgirl.

Interesting about the caffeine, comeongordon, I've cut right down to one or two a day but I can give it a go.. Probably not till half term though!!

JontyDoggle37 will ask the gp next week. Thank you.

I was also only having one or two cups of black tea a day and not every day but seems amazing to think that was maybe enough to give me migraines. I had thought it was alcohol but did dry January and still had migraines at the beginning of Jan

How do you sleep? Have you thought about keeping a headache diary? Anxiety and stress factors can have an enormous impact on suffering from headaches and migraines.

please insist on a referral to a neurologist as well as a brain MRI. after 20 years of being fobbed off i insisted on a MRI. my GP refused and in return I refused to leave the practice without a referral.
this did the trick, he referred, the MRI showed up the reason for 20 years of migraines. i had to have surgery which was pretty tough but i am now migraine free.

don't want to scare you but in my migraines were 'diagnosed' as due to stress and lifestyle choices without adequate medical test for more than 20 years. if just one doctor would have ordered an MRI i could have lived migraine free much sooner.

Stop all hormonal contraceptives immediately!!

Off the top of my head - gluten free entirely? Probiotics and improved microbiome? Both have various studies showing a link.

What multivits? You might need methylated forms of B12 and folate (“methyl” in front of). More expensive unfortunately.

Hormones - is there any connection to your cycle?

Blood sugar levels - are you maintaining consistent levels? So good proteins and fat at breakfast (rather than cereal), avoiding sugary snacks?

Inflammation levels - do you eat oily fish?

gluten free entirely

I went gluten free 5 years ago and haven't had a migraine since.

Mumof1andacat I have the Migraine Buddy app and use this along with the Fitbit app to track food and drink as well.

bestinshow1999 thank you for sharing your experience. I am really frustrated that there has been no referral in all the time that I have had the migraines. I can't believe that there isn't a "reason" why I should suddenly start having them after years and years of not having them. I think I need to be a bit more assertive.

minesadecaf Do you mean any hormone replacement? Am menopausal and have been prescribed Estrogen patches and a mirena coil to alleviate symptoms, but had been on this for at least 3 years before migraines started.

Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow have read some things and bought some pre and probiotics so will start taking them. The trouble is there are so many things to try to take or eliminate that I try and do it one at a time so that I know what has helped or not helped. Don't think it is cycle related as am menopausal. I don't eat oily fish much but try and eat well and regularly... I think I will ask about the B12 and folate levels again on Tuesday. I was prescribed high level folic acid for 3 months and then came off them and onto the normal vits. I take the Well Woman multivitamins as they seemed to have everything I needed in them, and take additional coenzme Q10, magnesium and riboflavin.

Silvercatowner Interesting. I did cut out gluten for a time with no impact.

Op I'm going through the same thing I've tried, sumatriptan, rizatriptan, zolpatriptan, propanalol amiltriptaline and now on topriramate, back and forwards to my gp, and A&E, migranes we're giving me hearing problems, vision problems, memory loss, speech problems, paralysis amongst other symptoms, i had one solid attack lasting 2 whole weeks just before Xmas, for the last 2 months I've only had a few migrane free days. I get all the aura symptoms, nothing has triggered mine off it just came out of no where, I have two young dc and could barley function, I was told in my area 12-18 months to see a neurologist on the nhs, I've had no choice but to borrow money from my dad and go private because it was affecting all areas of my life, within 2 days of going private I had an mri scan, I'm awaiting the results, due to get them this coming week, the treatment has been incredible and I feel like I've finally been listened too and not fobbed off, it will take me a while to pay my dad back, I understand not everyone had this option and I'm so grateful to him because I was at my wits end and feeling very low, there are some great support groups on fb Aswell op

Also to follow what pp said, when I started getting my attacks I came off my contraceptive pill, stopped caffeine (don't drink tea or coffee anyway but had the odd Coke Zero), cut out processed food and most diary, I am already vegetarian so I was pretty much only eating a plant based diet and it did zero to affect my symptoms

Go with a summary of your migraine diary. I found being able to say ‘I had 5 migraine days per week for the past 3 months’ got a lot more of a response than ‘i have a lot of migraines’. It will help when you ask for that referral to migraine clinic (or neurologist? I’m not in the uk so don’t know what the next step will be).
Propranolol works v well for some. For me it did absolutely nothing.
I know you said you’ve tried an osteopath and physio, but have you tried chiropractic treatment? It’s been the single most successful factor in reducing the frequency of my migraines.

Just to add to the voices saying get a referral to a neurologist. My husband was having debilitating migraines 5 years ago. To the point he had to quit his job and was sat in a dark room for the majority of the time. Went back and forward with the GP on different medications and nothing helped. We were desperate so paid for a private referral. One appointment was life changing. The consultant could feel the migraine in my husband's head. Combination of physical assessment and conversation with my husband he wrote out a treatment plan for the GP that was specific to him, rather than the generic NHS one. His migraines had gone within a couple of weeks. He's had the odd one again since, but nothing like that.

Mummyoftwo91 good luck with your mri results. Did you have to pay for the MRI as well as the private consult?

Honkingallthewaytothebank I have a print out of my report from Migrainebuddy ready to go which shows attack days, likely triggers and also pro and post drome periods so will go armed with this. I haven't tried a chiropractor yet, as I've heard good and bad things about what they can do. I'm a little bit wary, but it's on my list of things to try.

Wow Discoballs that sounds really positive. What treatment did he have that helped? I know different things help different sufferers and it's not a one size fits all, but would be interested to know?

Yes had to pay for the mri Aswell, was all done at the same private hospital, I work for the nhs, had never considered private care before but I just couldn't wait 1/2 years to be seen