Migraine and how do you deal with it?

I've heard of willowbark and feverfew, but I've never tried them. Dr. Oz just mentioned feverfew on his program, and said it works for migraines...maybe it's an option? I know willowbark is actually natural aspirin in its "tree" form.
 
I get sinus migraines. I get them so bad I vomit. Multiple times. It's very strange. Nothing helps except sleep. I've read that drinking nettle tea helps. I'm going to try it and let you know.
 
Siamese Cast:

I talked to my mom. Here's the basic scoop.

It had gotten to the point where she was getting auras and brief headaches twice a day, followed by soreness for 2 to 3 days afterwards.

Anyway, due to her anxiety she started taking Celexa. After roughly a month and a half her headaches and auras ceased. It has now been roughly 9 months and she has had no headaches or symptoms at all.

It is quite possible that stress was triggering her migraines.
 
I'm not sure why I get mine, but when I do there is no hope for me- I have to take a Goodys and a looong nap.
 
coeliac causes migraines

I used to get migraines every few days with the whole aura thing for years and years. I tried avoiding ever trigger I ever read about and it didn't work.

About 5 years ago I was diagnosed with coeliac disease (celiac in the US)and so had to stop eating food with gluten in it (wheat, rye, barley, oats) plus I was also lactose intolerant due to damage from gluten so gave up dairy also. I haven't had migraines since (unless I am tempted by a milkshake which still happens occasionally).

My gastroenterologist reckons there's a link between coeliac and migraines. So if you really hate getting them maybe have a coeliac test.

About 1 in 100 people have it in western wheat eating cultures but it is very under-diagnosed.
 
I used to get them, but thankfully, I haven't for some time. Back when I did, I had a magic bullet that worked wonders - if I felt one coming on, I would take the original prescription dose of Motrin (ibuprofen) - 1600mg (8 over-the-counter pills). The result? The migraine would never happen! I would have some degree of being a little out-of-sorts, but no headache, no vomiting, no nausea, no dark room, no fetal position - I could go about my day.

My dad used to get them and he used to take Cafergot - 5000mg of caffeine combined with 1mg ergotamine tartrate - heavy duty!

I've wondered about the placebo effect of BC Powder - does it work because people expect it to? It is, after all, the same as taking 2-1/2 aspirin and drinking a cup of coffee or tea - a solution that doesn't work according to most migraine sufferers.


cheers,
Ian
 
I started getting migraines every day my freshman year of high school.

I got them because of food intolerances/allergies, and I had to take a blood test. I was intolerant to dairy, cane sugar, canola oil, and grapefruit.

I am now intolerant to only dairy products and cane sugar. After getting over my food addictions and avoiding these things long enough, I can have them occasionally and in small amounts without reactions (the headache).

What do I do to help when I have them?
By the time I am in full pain, it's too late.
I learned to listen to my body and realize when I am getting one before it even starts. You must take either Advil liqui-gels or BC Powders IMMEDIATELY. The reason these two things work best is because they are fast-acting, and time is key. I prefer BC powders, but some people think they taste bad.
Carry them around with you and take them once you notice one coming on. Don't wait, this is the key thing to make a difference in stopping the migraine.

Otherwise, get in a dark room, put in the earplugs, and sleep it off.
Or just put on those sunglasses +caffeine and make it through the day as best you can.

I have never taken a prescription for migraines, and after 6 years of using this method, I only get about 1 or 2 a month, and am able to deal with them. This method has worked for me. I strongly suggest you talk to your doctor about a blood allergy test.
 
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I had one that lasted for six months during my senior year of high school. Some people thought I was faking, but I was absolutely miserable. I missed altogether 30 days of school during the second semester, and I didn't get to graduate on-time.

The first day, I thought I was going to die. Didn't know what was wrong with me. My head hurt so badly that I couldn't sit up at all or I would have to vomit. Went to the emergency room and they admitted me, first thinking that I had been in a car accident and was lying that I had not. Then they thought it was meningitis. Almost did a spinal tap, but I told them it went away after the morphine they gave me (though it only took the edge off). Went to several doctors after discharge, a neurologist, a rheumatologist. Lots of bloodwork and brain scans. The neurologist told me I had lupus, based on blood test results. The rheumatologist told me it was impossible for me to have lupus, because I was a "white girl" and only "black girls" usually have lupus. This continued for six months, all the while I was missing school, and had lost my job because I could do nothing at work but throw-up. If I went to school, I would take a pillow with me and lay my head on the desk. One of my teachers even let me lie on the floor because it was the only way I could keep from feeling sick.

One day I went with my dad to my aunt's house to pick something up, and she asked if I was feeling any better, I said no. She offered to set my neck, and I said I didn't think it would help, and that I was kind of afraid of doing it. I let her do it anyway, to humor her. The next morning it was gone. Just like that.

Since then I've had many migraines, but none that lasted quite so long. My mom believes that one must have been caused by a pinched nerve. Things that have triggered them for me are smells (vanilla especially), stress, certain foods, and lack of sleep. The only thing I can really do is go to the chiropractor or sleep it off. Excedrin sometimes helps, because I don't usually take aspirin, and the caffeine makes it especially effective as my migraines are exacerbated by caffeine withdrawal. Another thing that has helped is anti-inflammatories. I recommend Aleve, in combination with whatever analgesic you prefer. Since migraines are caused by swelling and constricting of blood vessels, the anti-inflammatory helps ease the pain a bit.
 
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Butilbital it makes you feel REEEEEAAAAAAAL good.

And it's legal.
 
I have yet to find a reliable way to deal with my migraines. I use to get them four or five times a month. As I became older they became less frequent, but much worse. Now I get one every couple of months. It doesn't matter what I do or what I take, I am usually down for about three days. I experience numbness in the left side of my body (face, arm, hand, and foot), fainting, vomiting, excruciating pain on the right side of my face just above my eye and all the way back to my neck, plus the typical "aura" paired with sensitivity to light, sound, and touch. I have tried just about everything to kill the pain, with very little success. There is one thing that if you can bare to do it, can reduce the pain. I've tried it and it's got about a 30% success rate with me. Orgasm. Yep, that's what I said. I feel bad posting that word out of the mature forum, but it is relevant. There have been studies to suggest that while sex can cause migraines in rare cases, orgasm is more likely to alleviate the pain. They release endorphins which alleviate pain and relax you. In certain women it has been rumored to relieve the pain entirely. With me it only reduces it, if it works, but I say it's worth a shot. It's not necessarily the easiest thing to do in that state, but it's worth a shot.

Here's a link with a bit more information: http://headaches.about.com/cs/triggers/a/ha_orgasm.htm
 
I take ibuprofen for mine, but it just stops it from getting really bad, not completely. I have a horrible ache and can't do much for three days (I thought it was just me who had the 'three days' thing, but looks like it's very common!). I've never had vomiting though, thank goodness.

My friend got a very severe migraine only once, so bad she was taken to hospital and told me afterwards that she could see three or four of everything. I still don't know what triggered it for her.

All that I could recommend would be what's already been said - painkillers, darkness and water. Maybe a hug too.
 
I'm reviving this thread!

I never got migraines until about 6 years ago, and even then I would get them maybe 2-3 times a year. The last two summers I have been plagued with them- 3 or 4 a week. I believe they're related to changes in barometric pressure, because in the summer the humidity changes always put me out. I'm noticing that I'm even getting them during the winter months, when the weather changes for warm to cold or if there's a high pressured storm in the area.

Sometimes I can beat it by having a can of cola with 2 advil...but other times I have to rely on prescription medication that knocks me out- we're talking sleeping 15+ hours at a time.

I've heard that putting an ice pack on your neck helps with the constriction of the blood vessels...but to be honest, it hasn't really worked for me.

I'm curious to know if anyone has any suggestions that don't leave them knocked out for hours on end- I'm finding it difficult to manage work!
 
say what said:
I'm reviving this thread!

I never got migraines until about 6 years ago, and even then I would get them maybe 2-3 times a year. The last two summers I have been plagued with them- 3 or 4 a week. I believe they're related to changes in barometric pressure, because in the summer the humidity changes always put me out. I'm noticing that I'm even getting them during the winter months, when the weather changes for warm to cold or if there's a high pressured storm in the area.

Sometimes I can beat it by having a can of cola with 2 advil...but other times I have to rely on prescription medication that knocks me out- we're talking sleeping 15+ hours at a time.

I've heard that putting an ice pack on your neck helps with the constriction of the blood vessels...but to be honest, it hasn't really worked for me.

I'm curious to know if anyone has any suggestions that don't leave them knocked out for hours on end- I'm finding it difficult to manage work!
Click to expand...

Have you tried taking lighter doses of your medication before?
 
niffer said:
Have you tried taking lighter doses of your medication before?
Click to expand...

I'm on one of the lower doses now- but that's a good suggestion.

I battle with knowing if it's the medication or the migraine that knocks me out.

I find if I catch it in time with a cola and advil, I'll just have to lay down for an hour or so and the pain will go away and I'll be able to function. If I don't catch it in time, I'll take a pill and it'll relieve the pain, but the exhaustion is still there...and I sleep like I'm dead- which makes me think it's the medication.
 
[MENTION=10252]say what[/MENTION]

I have an imitrex (sumatriptan generic) auto-injecting pen that I take when I get them...it knocks me out for around an hour, but after that I’m perfectly fine...they have it in pill form too...but I would guess that those would take longer to work and stay in your system longer as well.
For me, not only did the pills not work, but once I get past a certain point with the migraine I just start to puke and then dry heave...so painful!
It’s also totally stress related for me as well...as it is for most people....my arthritis medication I take can give me a headache the next day sometimes, so if something else triggers me to be under a lot of stress then - watch out!
The injection makes you feel like you just had a burst of adrenaline and your limbs feel kind of heavy....I take the shot and lay down....then after an hour, I just make sure and get up slowly if there is any sort of residual headache left....it hasn’t failed to work yet.
 
I have had migraines for years.

I think some of them seem to be related to hormones but also sometimes to not eating well, too much sugar and not enough good stuff.

I have medication for it but it usually makes me feel worse, so I only take them if I'm really bad...otherwise I feel bad whether I'm taking the medication or not so I prefer not to.

I've never liked the idea of taking medication but I'm pretty quick at taking something for a headache now to hopefully stop it from getting worse.
 
i used to get migraines two or three times a week. it was usually triggered by either a perfume or odor or something i ate, but it could also just happen without an apparent reason. mymigraines started when i was 20 - i'm 53 now
since i had my heart surgery i've only had two migraines. this is incredible because it's been over two months! i think one of the heart drugs i take is preventing them. not sure which one but hey i don't mind at all!
 
JGirl said:
i used to get migraines two or three times a week. it was usually triggered by either a perfume or odor or something i ate, but it could also just happen without an apparent reason. mymigraines started when i was 20 - i'm 53 now
since i had my heart surgery i've only had two migraines. this is incredible because it's been over two months! i think one of the heart drugs i take is preventing them. not sure which one but hey i don't mind at all!
Click to expand...

That's great that they've stopped!!!

It's amazing how even the littlest of things can impact you!!!
 
I have suffered from migraines before. Usually the dark room with silence and resting helps me the most, thankfully they have been mild.
 
I had a bad one Monday night with nausea, and ended up throwing up. Not fun. I think it was something I ate and probably a few stresses. The headache was better today, but usually dark rooms, and resting seems to help. I'm also taking some pain meds.
 
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