Letters to M.A.G.N.U.M. from
Migraine Sufferers and Others

I found your web site from a letter to the editor in Newsweek regarding the article on migraines.

I am a registered nurse who suffers from migraines and chronic daily headaches, sometime 2-3 a week, with headaches of 14-24 hour duration. These are often prostrating attacks that require absence from work. To add to all of this I am an emergency nurse. Needless to say I am insured by the same hospital I work for. I have had to come into my own ED twice now for these HA's. It is cumbersome and embarrassing to be treated in my place of employment. I am lucky that my co-workers and managers are supportive. I have, as you suggested, given my manager a letter from my neurologist stating that I am being treated for this condition and I may have occasional absences from work. It also states that I may need additional parental medications. Coincidentally, and luckily, my neurologist also suffers from migraines. This leads to a much more empathetic treatment. My main reason for writing is that I have tried all of the prophylactic and abortive measure except for MAOI's. I am not sure I want to go that far. My question, after all of this rambling, is that I am on 8mg/day of Sansert for a prophylaxis and use Imitrex SQ and intranasal DHE for abortive measure. They are about 50% effective. I understand that Sansert can cause retro peritoneal fibrosis and I am concerned. What symptoms do I need to look out for? I know that proteinurea can be a late sign, but elevated BUN and creatinine are also somewhat diagnostic. I have looked all over for this info and cannot find out anything. I have asked three internists and a myriad of ED physicians this question to no avail. Even the neurologist was rather non-specific. Lastly I want you to know that our ED takes pain relief for migraines seriously and the patients are treated well. I attempt to be a strong advocate for my migraine patients and speak with the docs to get pain/nausea relief for these people as soon as necessary. If you need and ED view from a nursing angle, which is much different than a medical angle, please feel free to use me as a resource.

Thank you for this web site and the information herein,

Sincerely,
Rob