Migraines (and medications for them) Stopped When Sleep Breathing Disorder Fixed
An RNI Headache Center patient got rid of her migraines and migraine medications when her sleep breathing disorder was diagnosed and fixed at the RNI Sleep Center. This example of the treatment of migraine and sleep disorders shows how RNI’s cross-disciplinary approach brings results, and how RNI’s original migraine research helps headache patients directly.
A while back, J.H. came in for re-titration of her CPAP machine, and she couldn’t stop talking about how much better she feels when she is consistently using her CPAP therapy. She agreed to tell her story on camera so that other patients might summon the will to find the success she did.
J.H.’s medical history list was extensive, but the list of medications that she was taking was even longer. Many of those medications, both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC), were actually causing additional health problems. After several years of battling daily headaches she felt that she had tried just about everything possible and nothing seemed to help. The prescription Topamax that she took for her migraine made her “stupid” and unable to function at her job. The Advil and Tylenol resulted in a stomach ulcer and acid reflux that required yet another prescription.
As J.H. explains in the video, she battled depression and anxiety plus she had difficulties sleeping. For years she believed that her sleep problems were a result of anxiety and depression, rather than than a cause. It wasn’t until she had a sleep study that she realized that she had a sleep breathing disorder. Like many people who snore, J.H. knew that she would awaken herself 3 or 4 times per night with a “snort”. What the sleep study revealed were the 40-90 times per hour that she was unknowingly being aroused by her own body’s response to a narrowing airway – robbing her of the deep, restful and restorative sleep that her body and brain needed. CPAP fixed her sleep problems – her anxiety, depression and migraine were resolved as well – and she was able to discontinue her headache medications.
You can see her energy level and enthusiasm in the video, what a difference that quality sleep has made in her life. She also talks about the depression and anxiety that are no longer present and the medications that she no longer needs.
The Sleep Center and Headache Center at Rowe Neurology Institute would like to thank J.H for sharing her story on video. If you know someone who suffers from similar ailments, please share this with them.
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