News & Updates

May 2023 Newsletter

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Dear Patient,

Good news: our office repairs from our major water damage in late September are nearly complete and we are moving back in. We hope to be operational in coming weeks.  For those preferring virtual phone visits, those will continue to be available.

Due to some ongoing repair work, we cannot allow anyone to enter the office without an appointment. If you want to convert an existing virtual visit to an in-person, please call and request this. Our office phone number continues to be 949-861-8717.

Since our move-out, the address has changed to 41 Creek Road from 33 Creek Road. We are still in the same building and the same #340 suite number. So, the official address now becomes:

Orange County Migraine & Headache Center
41 Creek Road, Ste 340
Irvine, CA 92604

On another note, Dr. Hutchinson is moving into retirement. Dr. Molly Rossknecht, who has been part of our practice for seven years, will take over ownership and management of this practice. Along with this transition, there will be a name change to Orange County Migraine & Wellness Center.  This transition will be effective as of July 1, 2023. A letter with more details will be sent to all active patients.  We will provide continued updates on our website as to details of this transition. We will do everything we can to make this transition as smooth as possible for all of you.

Orange County Migraine & Headache Center opened in February 2007 with the mission statement of helping those with headache and mood disorders. That mission remains with this transition in ownership. We remain committed to helping you, our patient, with alleviating the burden of migraine and/or mood disorders in your life. Our mission lives on.

Warm regards to all,

Dr. Susan Hutchinson, Dr. Molly Rossknecht, & Staff

Orange County Migraine & Headache Center

Orange County Migraine & Wellness Center

 

Miles for Migraine Raises over $8K

This past weekend, the Miles for Migraine community raised $8,885 to support local migraine research & education at the UC San Diego Health Headache Center. Top individual fundraisers were Dr. Hutchinson, Kaitlin C. and Eve H. who combined raised a total of $3,985!!

Photos from the event:

Free Menopause and Migraine Webinar

On Tuesday, October 25 at 8:00 p.m. ET, American Migraine Foundation is hosting a free “Migraine and Menopause” webinar with Headache Specialist and Founder of the Orange County Migraine & Headache Center Dr. Susan Hutchinson. Tune in from the comfort of your home to learn about the interaction between migraine and menopause and what treatments are available for people living with both.

Registration is free and so don’t wait; secure your place now!

Newsletter Fall 2022

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Dear Patient,

Our medical office suite was flooded on Saturday, September 24th, when a hot water pipe from the office above us burst. The water damage is severe. Repairs will take at least two months. During this time the office will remain physically closed.

We are completely operational for virtual visits, prescription refills, email correspondence, filling out forms, and answering questions you may have. Becky, our wonderful receptionist, will retrieve messages and return calls.

We will be subleasing from an established medical practice in Irvine. Initially, the availability will only be with Dr. Molly Rossknecht on Thursdays.  The initial focus will be to accommodate those patients needing Botox and other procedures. We cannot accommodate walk-in patients, pharmaceutical reps, or picking up of samples in this temporary location.

Please understand that Dr. Hutchinson, as owner of the practice, must focus her time & energy on all that is involved in the repair work. She will only be available for virtual visits during this time. We ask for your patience during this challenging time. We look forward to seeing you physically when our office suite is completely repaired and full functional.

Sincerely,

Dr. Susan Hutchinson & Dr. Molly Rossknecht & staff

 

COME JOIN US! Miles for Migraine Event San Diego November 5th, 2022

The 4th Annual Miles for Migraine Event for San Diego will be at Liberty Station Park in San Diego. Our office has formed a team called OC Migraine. Please consider joining and/or supporting our team. All proceeds go to increasing migraine awareness and funding migraine research.

Dr. Susan Hutchinson is the Team Captain. We are currently at the top of the leader board for number of team numbers and amount of money raised. We truly support any level of support you can offer including joining our team & participating in this fun event, joining our team to raise money to support this worthy cause, or donating.

For those interested in participating & learning more about this event, use the following link:

https://raceroster.com/events/2022/58354/miles-for-migraine-san-diego-2022/teams

Our practice will provide and pay for a post-event brunch for all participating with our team. Options for this event include walking a 2K, running a 5K, or simply enjoying some activities at the venue while cheering on those of us running or walking. Booths featuring treatments for migraine will provide educational value to this event.

For those interested in donating to our team or to one of us as an individual, here is the link:

https://raceroster.com/events/2022/58354/miles-for-migraine-san-diego-2022/pledge/team/387564

Thank you for any level of support you may be able to provide.

For any questions, please direct those to our office website: info@ocmigraine.org

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Podcast: Dr. Hutchinson Discusses Estrogen and Migraine Controversy

This week’s episode of Heads UP is on the Estrogen and Migraine Controversy. Lindsay Weitzel, Ph.D. questions Susan Hutchinson, MD, Headache Specialist and author of The Woman’s Guide to Managing Migraine all about estrogen, migraine, aura, stroke risk, birth control, perimenopause, HRT, bioidenticals, etc.

The video version of Heads UP is available on: website, YouTube, Facebook. Download Heads UP on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Newsletter 2022

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Dear Patient,

Happy 2022! We were all hoping that COVID-19 would no longer be an issue but it continues to be a part of our daily lives. At our office, we are continuing to practice safe precautions in limiting any potential exposure when entering our office. To that end, please consider converting a recheck appointment into a virtual appointment. For those of you who are coming in physically for an appointment please notify us if you feel ill in any way and we can reschedule your appointment. Your well-being is our highest priority and much can be accomplished in a virtual visit.

Some updates to share with you:

  1. Prior authorizations will no longer be done for generic medications. In many cases, the cash price for generics may be less than the copay amount. To find the best cash price for any generics you may be on, go to either GoodRx.com or www.Costplusdrugs.com.
  2. For name brand medications, please remember to activate your savings card before going to the pharmacy to pick up your prescription; failure to do so may result in delays in getting your medication.
  3. When you need a refill do not call our office-ask your pharmacy to fax us the request. This lessens the chance of medication error.
  4. All billing will be done by you and your insurance company-we will provide the information you may need to do the billing.

Dr. Hutchinson is on a 6-week Sabbatical to write 2 handbooks on Migraine-one for the individual with migraine and one for the busy PCP. Her passion is now education, teaching, & writing as she moves into semi-retirement. Please know that she has a high degree of confidence in both Dr. Molly Rossknecht, Neurologist with a Fellowship in Headache, and Allison Kennedy, a PA trained in Neurology including headache.

We ask for your patience as the beginning of a new year brings changes in insurance formularies in regards to medications, increased prior authorization requests, and changes in insurance. Please notify us if your insurance has changed as of this New Year.

We wish all of you good health, joyful times with family, and lives free of the burden of migraine & mood disorders.

Sincerely,

Dr. Susan Hutchinson & Dr. Molly Rossknecht & Staff

 

Dr. Susan Hutchinson Contributes to “Migraine Management for the Nurse Practitioner: Acute and Preventive Therapies to Reduce Burden of Disease” Continuing Education

Dr. Susan Hutchinson has contributed to the continuing education webcast “Migraine Management for the Nurse Practitioner: Acute and Preventive Therapies to Reduce Burden of Disease”. The intended audience for this activity is nurse practitioners and other health care professionals involved in the management of patients with migraines. You can learn more by visiting https://www.mycme.com/courses/migraine-management-for-the-nurse-practitioner-8009

Join Us For Miles For Migraine

Miles for Migraine Event San Diego

Saturday November 6th

Join us for the 3rd Annual Miles for Migraine San Diego Event. Due to COVID, this event has been changed to virtual so we won’t be running along beautiful Mission Bay as we did in 2019. However, our practice has still formed a Team and we plan to join together on Saturday, November 6th, for a walk at Crystal Cove followed by breakfast at the Beachcomber.

Our team is called OC Migraine. Feel to join our team and participate with us in person or virtually by doing an activity on your own that day. All funds raised will be used to raise awareness of migraine and to advance migraine research. To learn more about Miles for Migraine, visit www.milesformigraine.org

Donations are welcome and any size donation is appreciated. The link to donate is

https://sd.milesformigraine.org/pledge/team/335299

In coming weeks, we will be asking for donations in lieu of fees normally charged to complete forms and write letters.

For any questions, feel free to email us at info@ocmigraine.org

Thank you!

 

Orange County Migraine & Headache Center

You can also download and print this info here (PDF)

Winter Newsletter 2021

Dear Patient,

Happy New Year 2021! Many of us were glad to say good-bye to 2020 but admittedly, 2021 has had its challenges with ongoing COVID-19 cases, vaccination glitches, political unrest, and financial stress. Our practice is committed to being there for you during this time.

All of us have now been vaccinated and continue to take special precautions in sanitizing our office and limiting the number of you that come in at any one time. Many of you have appreciated the convenience of virtual phone visits for follow-up and we will continue to offer that option for existing patients.

We are very excited to announce the addition of two new staffmembers to Orange County Migraine & Headache Center. Jamie Kolak is our new front office receptionist and works from 8:15 am-1 pm Monday-Thursdays. She brings 14 years of medical front office experience with her and has great communication skills. Aurora continues to work full-time as our certified medical assistant (CMA) and will now be able to devote more time to back office responsibilities, Botox approvals, and prescription refills. Bailey, our other receptionist, is completing her dental hygiene training and has had to reduce her hours; however, she still devotes time to non-Botox prior authorizations and billing. We are proud of all three of them. They make a great team.

Our other new addition is Allison Kennedy, a Physician Assistant (PA), who is available to see headache patients on Wednesday afternoons. She has over 5 years of experience seeing headache patients and is skilled with Botox injections for migraine patients, nerve blocks, and evaluation of headache. We anticipate her hours to increase over time.

Dr. Hutchinson and Dr. Molly Rossknecht continue to provide care for headache and mood disorders. We continue to strive to provide compassionate and state-of-the-art treatment for headache and mood disorders. A patient survey will be offered in the near future providing valuable feedback on how we are doing and what we can do better. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

And behind the scenes is our hard-working office and business manager, Norma Colgan. She continues to be our “silent hero.” Our practice could not run without her.

We look forward to continuing to service you, our patient, in 2021, and welcome your feedback. May 2021 be a year of renewal and healing for us as individuals, for our country, and for our world.

Drs. Susan Hutchinson, Molly Rossknecht & staff

Holiday Message December 2020

Dear Patient,

We want to say goodbye to 2020 filled with COVID-19 invading our lives, economic and political unrest, and just the uncertainty of daily life. We have all had to adapt in ways that have adversely affected our life and caused undue anxiety, stress, and unhappiness. For many of you, your migraine pattern may have worsened.

Our practice has remained open to take care of your needs. We are very grateful that most of you have been receptive to us practicing virtual medicine by reviewing your medical issues over the phone. We anticipate many of you may want to continue handling follow-up visits by phone even after vaccinated for COVID-19. Phone visits can be convenient and still provide a thorough review of how you are doing with your headache and/or mood disorder issues.

For those choosing to come in person we can accommodate you. This has been important for those of you needing a Botox procedure, a nerve block procedure, a Toradol injection, or simply a preference for an in-person visit. We will continue to take your temperature and screen for COVID-19 prior to entering our office. Disinfecting the exam rooms in between patients and disinfecting all office surface areas will continue to be a top priority to help you feel safe in our office.

On an optimistic note, new migraine-targeted treatments have become available in 2020 including Ubrelvy, Nurtec, and Reyvow for the acute treatment of migraine attacks. Vyepti, an IV CGRP targeted treatment for the prevention of migraine, has also become available and is helping many of our patients who like the convenience of an IV medication administered over 30 minutes every 3 months at a local Infusion Center in Irvine that we are affiliated with.

May you & your loved ones have a safe & joyous Holiday Season. We look forward to 2021 and helping you towards improved health.

Warm regards,

Dr. Susan Hutchinson & Dr. Molly Rossknecht

Orange County Migraine & Headache Center

Summer Newsletter 2020

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Summer Newsletter 2020

Orange County Migraine & Headache Center

Today is July 4th, a day we celebrate our country and our freedom. Due to COVID-19, this is a July 4th unlike any we have ever had in our country. The good news is that we will eventually have a vaccine and life can return to somewhat of a new “normal”.

Today can also be a time to celebrate freedom from migraine. Migraine still can not be “cured” but can be much more manageable due to new treatments for both acute & prevention of migraine attacks. These new treatments are target specific for what is happening during migraine and are better tolerated & more effective than prior treatments. New preventive treatments include the injectable CGRP monoclonal antibodies: Aimovig, Ajovy, and Emgality. Recently, the first CGRP monoclonal antibody for IV infusion every 3 months got approved; it is called Vyepti. Many of our patients feel as if they have their life back with this new category for prevention.

In addition, there are new medications for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura and these include Ubrelvy, Nurtec, and Reyvow. All are target specific and good options if the triptan category (Sumatriptan, Rizatriptan, etc.) are not well-tolerated, not effective enough, or for those for whom the triptans are contraindicated due to coronary artery disease or peripheral vascular disease. Unlike the triptans, the new oral medications do not cause vasoconstriction and do not show any evidence of medication overuse headache.

Also, the newest device to come to the market for migraine is called Nerivio and is helping many patients with their migraine attacks. It is a non-invasive pain modulator worn on the upper arm for 45 minutes for a migraine attack. To learn more, watch this short video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkO2A_g7q4Qhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkO2A_g7q4Q

We also want to point out four non-pharmacologic approaches that have helped us personally as well as many of our patients. They include exercise, physical therapy, Pilates/yoga, and meditation/biofeedback/stress-reduction. Exercise in any form can be therapeutic. Dr. Hutchinson loves the out-of-doors so when her gym reopened and offered an Outdoor Cross-Fit Class, she signed up and loves it! In addition, she runs 3-4 miles every other day. Dr. Molly has a Peloton bike and loves the flexibility & convenience of working out from home. Pick what works for you….the important point is to pick and start an exercise routine. Your body including your migraines will thank you!

Posture can affect headache as well as neck pain. If you are suffering from neck pain, consider a physical therapy evaluation with Dr. Pete Rumford in Irvine. He is affiliated with IPA Physio and has helped both Dr. Hutchinson & Dr. Molly with 1:1 sessions. To learn more, go to https://ipa.physio/oc/

For Pilates, consider on-line classes such as offered by Streaming-Salt Pilates, at www.takemetosalt.com.

Lastly, for those wanting to learn more about the role of biofeedback & meditation in helping headache go to www.dawnbuse.com  Dawn Buse is a psychologist who has done extensive research in the field of migraine as it related to biofeedback & mediation. Her website offers lots of helpful information and tools to do treatments like biofeedback on your own. Dr. Buse is a good friend of ours and we highly recommend her website.

In closing, we hope all of you stay healthy and as headache free as possible. We are here to help!

In good health,

Dr. Susan Hutchinson & Dr. Molly Rossknecht

Orange County Migraine & Headache Center’s Response to COVID-19

In light of COVID-19, public health authorities are stating it is necessary for everyone to maintain social distance for your safety and the safety of all of our communities. We therefore strongly urge you to either turn your next visit into a phone visit or postpone your next office visit unless it is absolutely unavoidable. If you feel it is necessary to come in to the office, for example you are due for a Botox procedure or need a nerve block, then only come in if you are healthy, not running a fever, not coughing, and not short of breath. We may take your temperature and will ask additional screening questions before allowing you to enter our exam rooms.

If you are not feeling well, particularly with a cough, shortness of breath, or a fever, you should not come to the clinic and instead contact your primary care provider for further directions. The COVID-19 situation is evolving rapidly and daily and we expect to update this guidance as the situation changes.

At this time we are still staffing the office, answering our phones, and handling prescription issues as well as prior authorizations. Employees are asked to stay home if not feeling well. In addition, extra precautions are being taken by our landlord in cleaning handrails, elevator buttons, and other areas used often.

In summary, please keep your follow-up appointment but allow us to turn your visit into a phone visit instead of an in-person visit. You will get the same amount of time we would give with an in-person visit, prescription refills will be handled, and any needed prior authorizations will be handled. Thank you for your patience in this evolving situation.

We pray for good health for all of you,

Dr. Susan Hutchinson & Dr. Molly Rossknecht

March 19, 2020

Ubrelvy & Reyvow Now Available

Good news…. we now have 2 new medications for the acute treatment of migraine.  Both are oral tablets and represent alternatives for those who have unmet acute migraine treatment needs. The triptans, first introduced in the United States in 1992, have been the mainstay of treatment for years. They include Imitrex, Maxalt, Zomig, Relpax, Axert, Amerge, and Frova. Most are generic and inexpensive. Are the new medications better? For some patients, they may be.

The goals for acute migraine treatment are to be headache free and back to full function in 2 hours after taking the acute medication like Imitrex. If your migraine treatment is not consistently bringing you to headache freedom in 2 hours you would be a candidate for Ubrelvy or Reyvow. In addition, if you are putting up with “triptan sensations” like neck/chest tightness, flushing, fatigue, nausea, or worsening of the headache before it gets better, you may tolerate Ubrelvy or Reyvow better. Lastly, if you have a contraindication to the triptans due to coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, or multiple cardiac risk factors, these new medications would be safer as neither Reyvow nor Ubrelvy cause vasoconstriction.

Ubrelvy (Ubrogepant) is the first oral “gepant” to be FDA approved. It is an oral CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide) antagonist and works by blocking at the CGRP receptor site. In binding to this receptor site, it prevents the CGRP peptide that is released during migraine to attach and thereby, prevents the pathway of migraine. Numerous studies have shown that CGRP gets elevated during migraine. To learn more go to www.scienceofmigraine.com. Ubrelvy does not cause vasoconstriction, is very well tolerated in clinical trials, and so far, does not appear to cause medication overuse headache. It is available as a 50 mg & a 100 mg tablet and may be repeated in 2 hours. Ubrelvy comes in a package of 10 and for patients with commercial insurance, is available for $10 per 10 tablets per month. To learn more, go to www.Ubrelvy.com and to access the savings program, go to www.Ubrelvy.com/savings. If you are up-to-date on your visit with us, we may be willing to send in a Rx for Ubrelvy prior to your next visit. If interested, please email us at info@ocmigraine.org.

Reyvow (Lasmiditan) works differently than Ubrelvy. It is a 5-HT1F serotonin receptor agonist and is referred to as a “ditan” Reyvow binds to the 5-HT1F receptor activating it, which then inhibits pain pathways and inhibits release of neuropeptides like CGRP. It is not associated with vasoconstriction or medication overuse headache. However, it crosses into the central nervous system (CNS) and as such, can cause drowsiness and sedation. As a result, it is a controlled medication and is Schedule 5 by the DEA. Schedule 5 represents medications that have the least addictive potential. Reyvow comes as a 50 and 100 mg strength tablet and is dosed as 50 mg, 100 mg or 200 mg as a single dose in a 24-hour period. There is a driving restriction for 8 hours due to the potential sedation and dizziness seen in clinical trials.  Reyvow may be useful as a rescue option when an individual is home for the day with a moderate to severe migraine and does not plan on driving for 8 hours. As headache specialists, we are hopeful that Reyvow can take the place of Butalbital products including Fiorinal & Fioricet as well as Hydrocodone Products such as Vicodin & Norco. To learn more go to www.Reyvow.com. Reyvow has a savings program for those with commercial insurance. Using the savings program, an individual should be able to get 8 tablets per month for zero copay. Information about the savings program is available at www.Reyvow.com.  Because Reyvow is a controlled medication, please make an appointment with us if you are interested in trying. We need to carefully review the potential side effects with you.

Other medications will be coming soon including Rimegepant, another oral gepant for acute migraine. In 1-2 years, Atogepant, a 3rd oral gepant, should be available and will be for the prevention of migraine.

This is truly an exciting time in migraine. With new treatment options, comes new hope for a brighter future for all individuals with migraine.

We look forward to working with each of you to optimize your headache treatment plan.

 

Dr. Susan Hutchinson & Dr. Molly Rossknecht

February 12, 2020