Noggin Doc

I had a recheck at the neurologist today - Dr. Schmolk at Mercy Neurology Clinic. This was the fourth time I saw the good doc. She's the third neurologist I've seen since being diagnosed with migraines.

First I saw a guy doc here in DSM. He had me try a variety of drugs - some to actually prevent migraines. He had me try stuff for depression - which as a side effect is supposed to help lessen debilitating migraines. Unfortunately it didn't work for me. And it made me have truly wacky dreams, and clench my jaw while I slept. So I gave up on those and just stuck with Imitrex - the med I took for many years when I got a headache.

Then I told Dr. Hoyt I wanted to see a woman, so he hooked me up with a really nice woman doc in Iowa City. She was the first one to really "get me". She realized that my headaches were often hormone related. She talked to me as a woman and person, not as a collection of symptoms to shove drugs at.

One year ago, Dr. Schmolk put me on Topamax, a preventative med for migraines. I slowly worked up to a dosage of 100 mg. At first there were some side-effects, but luckily they faded. And thank heaven, the headaches faded too! Unfortunately, the headaches are coming back more frequently lately.

The doc told me sometimes this happens. We're going to try boosting the Topamax a bit and see how that goes. If that doesn't work, I'll give the doc a call. She's nice - she talks to me as a person and doesn't rush me.

If you have any neurological problems-headaches, I would recommend Dr. Schmolk. Don't suffer! Thank God for all the help I can get today compared to 20 years ago.