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Migraines Pain Management Docotor
updated: Sep 30, 2012, 1:01 PM

I have severe chronic daily migraine, and I've had this for years. Is there a pain management doctor in the area who specializes in treating this condition?

Places People Are Talking About:

Dr. David Kudrow

Dr. Mizes

Kathleen J. Zisser MD

What People Are Saying:

COMMENT 326298P	2012-09-30 01:12 PM
I saw Dr. Mizes after suffering with chronic migraines for years, he's not a pain management Dr., but he also has migraines and he has an amazing understanding of them. I tried Topomax and I haven't had a single migraine in three months. I realize that medications aren't for everybody, and some people don't want to deal with side effects, but this has truly been a life changer for me, personally. I feel like a totally new person and I don't live in fear of the next migraine. I hope you find relief, I truly empathize with you!
COMMENT 326299	2012-09-30 01:12 PM
Without knowing what you have already tried, I can only recommend my neurologist at Sansum, Paul Willis. He has treated myself and my son. We are not entirely migraine free but nothing like in the past. There are so many preventative treatments, as well as rescue meds out there. I wish you good luck as only one who has suffered similarly can understand the debilitation this brings and havoc on every aspect of life. Take care of the whole you, however, as depression is a side effect of chronic pain and can make the migraines worse.
COMMENT 326304	2012-09-30 01:17 PM
Anti-depressants are now widely used in pain management. They mediate the perception of pain, even though they don't stop the pain itself so they are an adjunct therapy not a corrective therapy. Do your homework with your doctor before you choose which brand of anti-depressants if this is presented as adjunctive therapy. Some of them are mean machines.
COMMENT 326312	2012-09-30 01:50 PM
Have you had an EEG? That's what solved my CHRONIC migraines, and if my small-town doctor hadn't recommended it yet, I'd probably still be suffering to this day.
COMMENT 326326P	2012-09-30 02:44 PM
My condolences. I've been diagnosed with episodic migraines and know of what you suffer. My migraines come in 6 months episodes every 2-3 years. When I have them I have to go on a salt free diet and cut out certain foods like potatoes, bananas, apple. These foods among others tend to trigger my migraines. Salt becomes a poison to me. What helps me is pure oxygen, I have an oxygen machine by my bed I use when one comes on. I can get them 2-3 times a day. For medicines I use Excedrin migraine with 5mg Valium tablets. (Doctor prescribed of course). I've have had mine for 20 years now and after many episodes this is the treatment plan I've worked for my self after many filed doctors visits. Hope this helps. Good luck.
COMMENT 326328P	2012-09-30 02:45 PM
No personal experience, but this doctor might be interesting. She's an MD who specializes in acupuncture and pain management: Kathleen J. Zisser MD, 15 W Los Olivos St www.ewmedicine.com (888) 569-4716
COMMENT 326333P	2012-09-30 03:03 PM
Dr. Robert Harbaugh. Have had migraines since I was a very small child and went thru all of tests and more before I finally got better control of them with his help. My most frequent ones grab me out of nowhere, throw me to the ground and stomp on me for days, and leave me feeling like I had swam up a very long way thru a pool of thick Jello, and wiped out. My wish to all sufferers out there is to somehow find a drug to stop them altogether. Until then we need to hang in there and surround ourselves with people who understand and don't treat us as of we are displaying "drug seeking" behavior, or trying to get out of doing things. Migraines are a disease and is recgonized as such and should be treated as such.
COMMENT 326342	2012-09-30 03:27 PM
I've had chronic migraines for 15 years. You did not mention your gender or age. If you are over 30 and female, be sure any doctor you see, regardless of specialty, tests for thyroid. adrenal, and hormone levels. All play a huge part of causing migraines in women as they approach peri-menopause (and, it seems, the 25 years leading up to it)!
COMMENT 326362	2012-09-30 04:04 PM
I can sympathize with 333P and have a family member who saw Dr. Harbaugh. Wonderful man. 333P describes the life of a migraneur very well. Topamax saved my life at one point, as did Depakote before that. Migraines were annual at best until a few years after my child was born, then returned with a near daily vengeance. I've learned to take meds and get on with my life whenever possible. Do the simple things around the house and at work so I can pay the bills. But some days, I simply cannot get out of bed. Swimming through jello with superhuman powers to see, hear, taste, smell, feel everything on an extreme level and not filter it out. Maybe this is what shaman go through in other cultures and are revered. We are treated like whiners and refused pain meds. Get a good support system and educate yourself and others. It is a debilitating disease. And it's not all in your head. :)
COMMENT 326376P	2012-09-30 04:59 PM
A Santa Barbara dentist helped my daughter's frequent migraines with a combination of precise bite adjustment and corrective massage. The hormone-related ones continue, but she can anticipate and minimize those. I will post his name when I can locate it.
COMMENT 326383	2012-09-30 05:11 PM
I started getting migraines when I was in my late twenties. First one I had was right after eating at Fuddruckers. My boyfriend looked at me as I slumped down below the passenger seat in his truck, and said, " you're pathetic".
COMMENT 326388	2012-09-30 05:52 PM
re: 342---it is necessary to know gender and age. I suffered terrible migraines, sometimes days in bed, with lower back pain besides.I also was irregular and had many {11} bad pregnancies. Had a hysterectomy, removing just the uterus.,aged 30. A few months later, I visited my former OB-GYN In Minn. and he asked me about the headaches. My goodness, they were gone! No idea what is relative here , but what relief.
COMMENT 326407P	2012-09-30 06:32 PM
Did you know that Alice In Wonderland was based on the symptoms that the author had with his own migraine attacks!? Way back then they really didn't understand them at all. Can you imagine what they went through then? I often experience many of the same things with my headaches that perfectly healthy people take illegal or modified drugs to experience. To me they are frightening. To others they are a "trip." To each his own.
COMMENT 326413	2012-09-30 07:04 PM
weed
COMMENT 326422	2012-09-30 07:54 PM
My daughter has had terrible migraines. The kind good neurologists could not help despite trying a ridiculous amount of supposed migraine medication. What did help? Acupuncture with Shana Lauer-who in addition to being an expert in Chinese medicine, also has a degree in pharmacology...and Chiropractics with Jim Weston. Our experience with local medical doctors is that they just give drugs, and the drugs have terrible side effects, and don't really mask the pain. The acupuncture and chiropractics cure it. That is our experience.
D8VANILLA	2012-09-30 08:11 PM
Neti Pot. as seen on Oprah. After I started using a Neti Pot, my headaches went away. But, you really need to find out the source.
COMMENT 326429P	2012-09-30 08:16 PM
376P again, the dentist whose treatment has worked for my daughter is Dr. Michael Thompson on Arrellaga Street. Google TruDenta for information about the treatment process.
COMMENT 326431	2012-09-30 08:27 PM
Before I moved here I saw doctors that were from a major research clinic for migraines. I have had migraines since 8yr old and have been hospitalized a couple of times. I have tried all of the meds mentioned above plus about 20 others. I have to take daily preventative meds as well. I saw harbaugh and he tried to give me four narcotic prescripts. Those don't work for me. Finally saw his partner Delio. He is cutting edge and used Botox injections. I had never gone a day without a migraine until then. Delio is known as the best in the migraine community Good luck.
DANCING SHADOW	2012-10-01 06:25 AM
Changing to a plant strong (vegan) diet eliminated my migraines after 45 year of suffering. See "Forks Over Knives".
COMMENT 326451	2012-10-01 06:36 AM
I say Neurology Associates, as well!!
COMMENT 326454P	2012-10-01 06:53 AM
I had migraines since my early teens. I'm surprised you aren't aware of the foods and drinks to avoid list: A Tyramine and Phenol-Free Diet. These substances can cause changes in the blood vessels surrounding the brain with resulting vascular or migraine-like headache. When I eliminated Chocolate, beer, wine, oranges and some of the other items on the list, I no longer had migraines! I've given this list, which is in the Physicians Desk Reference, to many people who suffer from migraines. Those who changed their eating and drinking habits have been relieved (reduced or completely), but it is surprising how others prefer to keep on ingesting what they like and suffer the migraines. Check it out! Abstain from all the items for a month and see the difference!
COMMENT 326455	2012-10-01 06:58 AM
Elimination diet. Paleo diet has helped many.
COMMENT 326471P	2012-10-01 08:46 AM
Best doctor in the universe for treating migraines is Dr. David Kudrow, http://www.drkudrow.com/index.htm. Went to a million doctors in SB and LA to help my daughter who had daily migraines and some migraines that went on for a week non-stop. No one could help and then a doctor at UCLA told us about Dr. Kudrow. He knocked them out, she has maybe one migraine every year or two now, and no heavy duty drugs with lots of side effects. He is the best, oh and btw yes he is Lisa's brother. Good luck!
COMMENT 326555	2012-10-01 11:06 AM
Such an array of choices: I suggest that you orchestrate your care from many angles and then eliminate when you can. Looks like ABC's now that I write it, Acupuncture, Botox, Chiropractic -not previously mentioned up to this point, that I noted-Dietary Changes/dentistry evaluation, Eyes:have your eyes checked.../exercises for muscle and stress reduction (provided that you have a working diagnosis and have been cleared of Tumors and other medical conditions ie: thyroid et al.)
RESIDENT	2012-10-01 11:27 AM
Has anyone tried marijuana for migraines? It seems to help many people going through cancer treatment so it might be a viable option.
GARFIELD	2012-10-01 12:07 PM
My random Common migraines stopped after the dentist adjusted my bite by some microscopic amount. I was/am a night teeth grinder. I had always felt like my jaw was too far back when my teeth meshed. It still feels that way, but not as much. This was back in the '80s. He ground away a small amount on my crowns to let my jaw settle slightly more forward that it had been. I did not request this because of the headaches, but because it just did not feel right. It was several years later that I noticed the lack of headaches, after reading an article that described this as a cure. He would not have modified my bite if he had to grind on the original tooth enamel. I had a full mouth of crowns, probably the result of crunching on ice when I was a kid. So he was grinding away on gold and silver. Good luck.
COMMENT 326587	2012-10-01 12:12 PM
If you use Botox for your migraines, look into fixing whatever is wrong with your muscles instead of paralyzing them. Mary Wright helped a friend of mine get rid of her shots and she helped me after a car accident. She is a massage therapist and a nurse. Worth googling, probably under pain.
COMMENT 326616	2012-10-01 02:02 PM
BRIER RANDOM - Exactly how did an EEG help you? An EEG is just a test, not a treatment. What did it find? What was the follow-on treatment that helped you? Because if your headaches went away after the EEG then they were all in you head to begin with. RESIDENT - Sure, lets try some random, totally unproven drug as a treatment. Because as we all know, marijuana cures everything from nausea to hangnails. D8VANILLA - Neti Pot only works if your migranes are sinus related. Unfortunately, there's a multitude of migrane triggers.
COMMENT 326652	2012-10-01 03:31 PM
I'm sure there are a lot of doctors out there willing to prescribe one form of prescription drug or another, and that's perfectly fine for those who choose to seek that route. If you're looking for something more holistic you should watch a video called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. It's about a guy who cured some pretty serious aliments by going on a juicing diet. Along his journey many others followed his suit (including chronic migraine sufferers) who all yielded equally amazing results. The video is currently free for viewing on Hulu. There is also an amazing chiropractor in town named Dr. Glenn Larsen. His emphasis is on over all health and well being and has done wonders for myself and many people I know regarding a litany of ailments. Check out his client testimonials at drlarsenchiro dot com /testimonials/ Tell him Kymberli recommended a visit and he'll give you a consultation AND adjustment for $20. Best of luck to you!
COMMENT 326692	2012-10-01 04:27 PM
616 is a know-it-all.
COMMENT 326720	2012-10-01 05:25 PM
If you have ever been in so much pain from a migraine and nauseated, yes, medical mj works! Don't knock it!
OLDLAWOMAN	2012-10-01 05:32 PM
Here is another vote to Dr. Robert Harbaugh. He is amazing, skilled, he listens when no one else has, and will work with you until he finds the answers. I was at the end of my rope until I met him. Thank God for Dr. Harbaugh.
COMMENT 326915	2012-10-02 11:38 AM
Mmj prevents migraines. When you are having one, the last thing you want is a hit.
COMMENT 327003	2012-10-02 02:49 PM
Have you been seen by a neurosurgeon to rule out Chiari Syndrome? Google it. People live with it for years...decades...before they're diagnosed.
COMMENT 327048	2012-10-02 04:24 PM
I, too, had daily endless migraines that ran my life. Spent two years trying everything neurologists could throw at me. Some of that stuff was extremely toxic. Then one day I tried marijuana. It worked, immediately, with no side effects. People need to understand that marijuana is extremely useful and does not need to be ingested in large enough doses to get "high". At small doses it's very effective and does not leave you compromised in any way - no more than a strong cup of coffee.
COMMENT 327128	2012-10-02 07:18 PM
616- Some migraine sufferers have been found to have a small hole in their heart which can be repaired and typically the migraines then go away. (Before getting pregnant) I was on Depakote and didn't like itV didn't work that well and had big weight gain. Then switched to Topamax and was happier with it (weight loss) and less severe migraines though they never went away. My mother-in-law also takes it and it seems to help her though she still has flare ups. The thing that helped me the most was trigger point injections every three months to my neck and shoulders, as well as massage.