Selection of a migraine doctor is often the most difficult and timely thing you will do if you are having migraines. Many people go to whomever their general practitioner recommends to them. This is a good place to start, however , in many cases one will only be as good as the other. Neurologists treat migraines, that is the first thing you need to know.

Check with your local pharmacist whom you use and trust. Ask them who prescribes the most migraine treatments in your area. Why is this important? Many neurologists do not beleive in medication for migraines. Migraine patients are one of the highest groups of patients to suffer from addictions to pain meds. You want a doc who will prescribe preventative treatments as well as rescue medications so that you don't get as many headaches and when you do you can get rid of it fast.

When you call the doctors office to make your appointment, ask and make sure that this doctor treats migraine patients. Some do not, or not very many.

In many large areas there are university hospitals, in New Orleans there is Tulane University med ctr. There is a headache clinic there. That is where I started treatments until Katrina came along. I found the doctor who was ranked two or three in the nation in treating migraines. I have been told that Cleveland headache clinic is the best, too far for me.

Is your doctor a member of ache? Does your doctor run mri, eec,tilt table tests, cat scan, and xrays as well. If not, get out of there and find a new one. If your doc tells you they don't treat migraines with anything but imatrex or maxalt get out of there. You are not in the right place. Migraines are multi faceted and take alot of prevention to get them under control. Accupuncture is a big help, massage, and preventive meds all at the same time. Find a pain clinic if you have to, many are run by neurologists, those will help you more than you know.

So, how do you do all of that and not get addicted? In my case I keep one prescription for pain meds and give it to my parents to hold all but a few of them. That way, if the headaches are too bad and there is always that time then I have to go to the doc or the emergency room before I take too many in one day or week or month. Self monitoring is dangerous, it is good to have a partner in this . It is nothing to play with.

Good luck to you and message me if I can help you in any way with this.

Hannah