Guest guest Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 A postscript re mito and headaches. I've recently found an unexpected " cure " for my migraines---none for 6 weeks now and they had been occurring at the rate of one or two per week for a long time. For reasons unrelated to migraine, I had increased my night-time tube-fed calories from 450 to 600. Ever since this change, I've had no migraines. They stopped suddenly and I wondered why, of course. It took quite a while to connect these two events, as there were other variables at the time. Then once for a few days I went back to the 450 calories at night and bingo, another migraine. Now that I'm back on 600, my head is free of that dreaded left-sided throbbing. I will talk to my neuro about this next week but I do think this represents real cause and effect, not coincidence, even though he has not wanted to connect the migraines with my mito diagnosis. My brain has always had major problems with overnight fast--early morning SLEs, etc---and somehow I think the increased metabolic derangement at night must secondarily encourage migraines. Anyway, shall see what Dr. C says. He is more open than your headache doc and will listen respectfully, if nothing else. Not that my story helps your headaches, of course, but is just another illustration of how mito can intertwine secondarily with so many other things. Barbara > This response from Columbia was very hopeful for me, especially since I just today > visited a neurologist here on Cape Cod, for headaches. This guy ignored most of > what I tried very diplomatically to show him. He HAD heard of mitochondrial > diseases, but characterized this as " muscular dystrophy " and therefore certainly not > the cause of my headaches (a bizarre conclusion IMHO). One of his rationales was > that I had mito only in the last five years, but I had these headaches all my life. I > tried to explain that my mito was an inborn mutation that typically shows severe > SYMPTOMS only later in life, but to no avail. He confused my strength with my > reported exercise intolerance, as have most doctors. He even dismissed my MRIs > which clearly show big lipomas on the back of my head, with obvious potential for > mass effect on blood vessels and nerves. He didn't really hear me when I told him > that I USED to get tension headaches but now it was quite different. So I ended up > with a scrip f > or Elavil, and another appointment in two weeks. I'm debating whether to continue > with this probably useless doc. Any thoughts? > > Steve D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 Barbara, I get headaches during the day if my meals aren't what they should be or not when they should be. Your poor head with saying: feed me!!!!!! It is wonderful that you made the connection and it is a positive find to boot. That would make a great deal of impact on quality of life issues I would think. When I get a migraine, you might as well mark me totally " off " until it is gone. Hugs, Barbara Seaman wrote: >A postscript re mito and headaches. I've recently found an unexpected " cure " >for my migraines---none for 6 weeks now and they had been occurring at the >rate of one or two per week for a long time. For reasons unrelated to >migraine, I had increased my night-time tube-fed calories from 450 to 600. >Ever since this change, I've had no migraines. They stopped suddenly and I >wondered why, of course. It took quite a while to connect these two events, >as there were other variables at the time. Then once for a few days I went >back to the 450 calories at night and bingo, another migraine. Now that I'm >back on 600, my head is free of that dreaded left-sided throbbing. I will >talk to my neuro about this next week but I do think this represents real >cause and effect, not coincidence, even though he has not wanted to connect >the migraines with my mito diagnosis. My brain has always had major problems >with overnight fast--early morning SLEs, etc---and somehow I think the >increased metabolic derangement at night must secondarily encourage >migraines. Anyway, shall see what Dr. C says. He is more open than your >headache doc and will listen respectfully, if nothing else. > >Not that my story helps your headaches, of course, but is just another >illustration of how mito can intertwine secondarily with so many other >things. > >Barbara > > > > > >>This response from Columbia was very hopeful for me, especially since I >> >> >just today > > >>visited a neurologist here on Cape Cod, for headaches. This guy ignored >> >> >most of > > >>what I tried very diplomatically to show him. He HAD heard of >> >> >mitochondrial > > >>diseases, but characterized this as " muscular dystrophy " and therefore >> >> >certainly not > > >>the cause of my headaches (a bizarre conclusion IMHO). One of his >> >> >rationales was > > >>that I had mito only in the last five years, but I had these headaches all >> >> >my life. I > > >>tried to explain that my mito was an inborn mutation that typically shows >> >> >severe > > >>SYMPTOMS only later in life, but to no avail. He confused my strength with >> >> >my > > >>reported exercise intolerance, as have most doctors. He even dismissed my >> >> >MRIs > > >>which clearly show big lipomas on the back of my head, with obvious >> >> >potential for > > >>mass effect on blood vessels and nerves. He didn't really hear me when I >> >> >told him > > >>that I USED to get tension headaches but now it was quite different. So I >> >> >ended up > > >>with a scrip f >> or Elavil, and another appointment in two weeks. I'm debating whether to >> >> >continue > > >>with this probably useless doc. Any thoughts? >> >>Steve D. >> >> > > > > >Medical advice, information, opinions, data and statements contained herein are not necessarily those of the list moderators. The author of this e mail is entirely responsible for its content. List members are reminded of their responsibility to evaluate the content of the postings and consult with their physicians regarding changes in their own treatment. > >Personal attacks are not permitted on the list and anyone who sends one is automatically moderated or removed depending on the severity of the attack. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 12, 2006 Report Share Posted January 12, 2006 Hypoglycemia can certainly cause headaches... Take care, RH > > A postscript re mito and headaches. I've recently found an unexpected " cure " > for my migraines---none for 6 weeks now and they had been occurring at the > rate of one or two per week for a long time. For reasons unrelated to > migraine, I had increased my night-time tube-fed calories from 450 to 600. > Ever since this change, I've had no migraines. They stopped suddenly and I > wondered why, of course. It took quite a while to connect these two events, > as there were other variables at the time. Then once for a few days I went > back to the 450 calories at night and bingo, another migraine. Now that I'm > back on 600, my head is free of that dreaded left-sided throbbing. I will > talk to my neuro about this next week but I do think this represents real > cause and effect, not coincidence, even though he has not wanted to connect > the migraines with my mito diagnosis. My brain has always had major problems > with overnight fast--early morning SLEs, etc---and somehow I think the > increased metabolic derangement at night must secondarily encourage > migraines. Anyway, shall see what Dr. C says. He is more open than your > headache doc and will listen respectfully, if nothing else. > > Not that my story helps your headaches, of course, but is just another > illustration of how mito can intertwine secondarily with so many other > things. > > Barbara > > > > > This response from Columbia was very hopeful for me, especially since I > just today > > visited a neurologist here on Cape Cod, for headaches. This guy ignored > most of > > what I tried very diplomatically to show him. He HAD heard of > mitochondrial > > diseases, but characterized this as " muscular dystrophy " and therefore > certainly not > > the cause of my headaches (a bizarre conclusion IMHO). One of his > rationales was > > that I had mito only in the last five years, but I had these headaches all > my life. I > > tried to explain that my mito was an inborn mutation that typically shows > severe > > SYMPTOMS only later in life, but to no avail. He confused my strength with > my > > reported exercise intolerance, as have most doctors. He even dismissed my > MRIs > > which clearly show big lipomas on the back of my head, with obvious > potential for > > mass effect on blood vessels and nerves. He didn't really hear me when I > told him > > that I USED to get tension headaches but now it was quite different. So I > ended up > > with a scrip f > > or Elavil, and another appointment in two weeks. I'm debating whether to > continue > > with this probably useless doc. Any thoughts? > > > > Steve D. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 12, 2006 Report Share Posted January 12, 2006 True, though I've never heard of it triggering migraines, have you? My headaches are so very textbook typical of migraines, says my neuro. I do have genuine hypoglycemia with several 30s recorded, but the drops don't coincide with the migraines. Still I believe there is some connection....just maybe not that direct. Perhaps something to do with my hyperinsulinism? I'll see what my neuro thinks. Barbara > Hypoglycemia can certainly cause headaches... > > Take care, > RH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.