Migraine Days are Much More Manageable
Michelle was living in California when her migraines started to take over her life, putting a serious strain on her career and her marriage. Eventually, she moved back to the Pittsburgh area to be closer to her adult children so they could help care for her.
Michelle says she experienced just about every migraine symptom imaginable: a pounding head, memory problems, and speech impairments, eye “floaters,” vertigo and nausea, eye tremors. Plus lights, sounds, and smells all seemed to amplify the pain. It got to the point she could not even cook for herself because the smells caused the pain to get worse. Before coming to AHN, she tried over forty different medications, spent countless nights in the ER, and once spent twelve consecutive days in the hospital.
Finding someone to listen felt good
Michelle eventually found Dolores Dominguez Santamaria, MD, neurologist and director of the AHN Headache Center. For the first time, Michelle felt someone truly listened to her and seemed willing to try different combinations of treatments and therapies until they found the perfect one for her. Michelle said it was just so refreshing to have found someone, “who understands me and tells me I’m not crazy.” Michelle now sees Dr. Santamaria on a biweekly basis for trigger point and nerve block injections. She administers her own monthly injections at home and is prescribed rescue medications she takes when absolutely necessary. Michelle says she used to live her life at a pain level of ten and now most days are a two or three, which she can handle.
Taking better to the next level
Since getting her migraine pain under control, Michelle has gotten back to exercising and eating healthier, discovering that some foods like sugar actually made her headaches worse. In fact, she’s lost a whopping sixty pounds and has never felt better. She goes to church, enjoys music, movies, and visits with her children and grandchildren. And she never misses an appointment at the AHN Headache Center. Smiling, Michelle shared, “I feel like I finally have my life back. I do.”
Getting control back from pain
While it’s easy to assume that a headache will eventually go away on its own, that’s not always the case. Some primary and secondary headaches, ones that result from an underlying condition, need medical intervention. That’s where the AHN Headache Center comes in. No one treatment plan is right for everyone, so our headache specialists work with every patient to devise a personalized plan, which often includes a combination of in-office trigger point and nerve block injections, rescue medications, monthly at-home injections, lifestyle changes, and more.
The experts at the AHN Neuroscience Institute can help you or your loved one get control back, too. Call (412) 578-3925 or request an appointment to learn more about AHN headache care.
