Migraines

"I have been dealing with headaches since I was 12 years old.  I had a headache about once a month, and although I was in slight pain it didn’t stop me from any activities or studying.  The headaches went away in a day, in some cases two days. In my early 20’s I would still get headaches about once a month, but now they were slowly turning into migraines...

Although the pain was stronger, I never called in sick.  I would then start taking over the counter pills.  At the same time I started to get allergies, I had sensitive issues with smoke and continuous odors such as perfumes.  Due to my allergies there were times I would call in sick.  I literally could not lift my head and this would last for days.  I was then prescribed pills for my allergies that I took daily.  In my late 20’s my allergies got worse so I was then given a stronger daily pill.  I attempted a no wheat diet but nearby stores were not available so, the no wheat diet did not last long.  In my 30’s I was still taking a daily pill for my allergies, and the intensity of my migraines would make me vomit.  After numerous doctor visits and many different pills over the years, nothing seemed to work.  By my mid 40’s allergy pills were gone, but I still had some congestive problems.  My migraines were now happening three times a week.  I would then have to go to the emergency to get a shot of really strong Motrin or Morphine.  After the second incident of getting Morphine I stopped, I was afraid of becoming dependent on it.  My life was miserable, I always had a migraine and I was always getting sick.  I had to cancel events with my friends, family and I had to carry medicine on me, since I didn’t know when an onset of a migraine would occur.  I knew taking all this medication was not good for my body. Right before I saw Dr. Brass and Dr. Conger I got an intense soreness in my neck, sometimes it was difficult to sleep and the pain was continuous.  A friend told me about a dinner talk lecture on migraines at Buca (at this point I had nothing to lose. I tried medicines, acupressure, acupuncture etc.) I went to the dinner and met Dr. Conger. I eventually made an appointment. I knew that it was not going to be a quick fix, with all the years of being in pain and all the medication I had taken. After a month of visit’s the pain and stiffness in my neck was completely gone, after four months I stopped taking my preventative migraine medicine. I was still getting migraines and trips to the emergency room but not as often.  It took me longer than I had expected to stop drinking soda and eating the “bad fats.” I drink a lot of water, I always make sure that I have water with me. It took me awhile to realize that my salt intake was also causing my headaches. It has been approximately five months and counting since I have had a migraine and that is progress for me. I’m also not as sensitive to odors. Since Maximized Living for me is a new concept, it took a lot to convince me and time that Maximized Living does work!"

- Lori M.