Bring on the cocktail

January 2013
First medicine Dr. Williams prescribes is Felodipine (generic for Plendil).  It's a calcium channel blocker just like Verapamil.  I had luck with a calcium channel blocker in the past, maybe I'll have luck again. 
Nope, no luck.  I thought maybe I saw a very slight decrease in headaches so we stuck with it. And no side effects, fortunately.

So the thinking is this.... Topomax is like 6 drugs combined into one.  So if it worked, but the side effects were awful, then maybe we can recreate it.  Get the relief without the side effects by introducing one medicine at a time until we find out which combo does it for me.

February 2013-May 2013
Second medicine (added to the Felodipine) is Acetaloamid.  I am told this is a medicine for altitude sickness.  Well! We've found what part of Topomax causes the tingling in my face and fingers. But there is no decrease in my migraines/headaches at all.

March 2013
I've had an Occipital Nerve Block before, but it was in the greater occipital nerve and Dr. Williams believes the problem isn't my greater occipital nerve, but may be my lesser occipital nerve. Based on where the pain is located I believe she may be right so I get another nerve block, but this time in my lesser occipital nerve - nothing.

April 2013
I love Dr. Williams for so many reasons and one is that she never runs out of options or ideas.  Another is that she is CONSTANTLY reading about new procedures, new causes, attending meetings and conferences, having pow-wows with other headache specialists.  Something she just learned about days before my appointment is that some migraines are caused by the release of histamine.  It can be seen by a hyper-sensitivity.  Tags in clothing drive people crazy, they have been diagnosed with IBS because their stomach is a mess, etc.  I fit the bill so we decided to try a Histamine-2 Blocker.  This is added to Felodipine and Acetazolamid for 1 week to see if anything happens.
Nope.

May 2013
I stop taking the Acetazolamid and instead start taking a Gabapentin (Neurotin).  In case neuralgia is the cause of my migraines.  No change at all.

June 2013
I do experience some level of nervous energy.  We add Mirapex to the cocktail.  If we can stop the restless leg syndrome and I can get enough sleep each night, then maybe I'll have fewer migraines. 
After one month we stop the Mirapex as it's obviously not helping at all.

June 2013
Another component to the Topomax was a tricyclic antidepressant so we add Amitriptyline to the Felodipine and Gabapentin. 

June 2014
I have been on my medicine cocktail for over a year. I have gone from a headache 30-31 days out of the month to about 25 days a month.  But that's all the relief I've gotten.