Migraines....

CHANGEinWAVES

who gets them?
what are your triggers?
do you get auras?
what has worked to get rid of them?

**i used to get horrible migraines a few years ago and then they stopped outta no where... now unfortunately I have been getting them practically everyday.:(

It's so bad I'm going to go back to a neurologist... I hate Dr.s!
I can't take certain meds that usually help because I get heart palpitations... so I usually resort to doping up on pain killers and laying in a room with no light and a bucket near by.

Just interested if anyone has helped their migraines subside on their own with out the aide of a Dr. or meds.


**oh i have 2 auras....
one is 'stars' around my vision.... that kinda burst.
the other which indicates a BAD one is where i kinda can't see except thru a little spot, can only see forward thru a kinda peep hole.

nothingman44

drink more...

drown the migraine out of your head.

sponger

I saw this documentary on managing pain with the mind. A woman who gets severe migraines claimed to reduce that pain by half by focusing on a part of her body that didn't hurt.

Meditation also supposedly helps.

I get migraines, but I guess I'm lucky in that over the counter migraine meds do the trick. A combination of asprin, tylenol, and caffeine in a big mega-dose will clear it up in 20 minutes flat.

For me, very warm weather, excessive exercising, or opiate withdrawal are the typical triggers.

Has your doctor ever suggested tricyclic antidepressants? They have been used for quite some time for migraines and people with nerve damage.

CHANGEinWAVES

hartamh wrote:

So I was put on Zomig which is does help.

that's one of the ones i can't take:(

thanks for the info...
hope yours get better as well:)

LONGRD

I don't think I've ever gotten migraines before. I've had some bad headaches before but I use those South Asian Tiger balms right away, and it works. I just fall asleep and waking up feeling much better.

jezebeloria

Years ago I would get them quite often. No real trigger back then but life was very stressful at times. Would go to ER and they would give me Demoral, let me sleep a few hours then send me on my merry way. Then I got one for 12 days...what a f'in treat let me tell you. They tried Demoral, Morphine, etc and nothing would take it away. Had an MRI done along w/ many other tests and they found nothing. Finally they slammed me w/ steroids and that took it away. The only time I felt remotely human in that 12 day stretch was if I smoked pot. Didn't get one for a long time after that. Now I get them occasionally, usually related to "that time of the month". If I catch them in time I take either Fioricet or Midrin w/ Excedrine Migraine and they will go away. But if I don't get it in time it's just a bitch. Mine are related to heredity I believe as my Dad used to get them quite often when I was young. The only strange thing I have noticed when one is coming on is my sense of smell gets really acute. I generally don't "see" anything unusual. Good luck and if you have any ??? feel free to PM me.

sponger

jezebeloria wrote:

Years ago I would get them quite often. No real trigger back then but life was very stressful at times. Would go to ER and they would give me Demoral, let me sleep a few hours then send me on my merry way. Then I got one for 12 days...what a f'in treat let me tell you. They tried Demoral, Morphine, etc and nothing would take it away. Had an MRI done along w/ many other tests and they found nothing. Finally they slammed me w/ steroids and that took it away. The only time I felt remotely human in that 12 day stretch was if I smoked pot. Didn't get one for a long time after that. Now I get them occasionally, usually related to "that time of the month". If I catch them in time I take either Fioricet or Midrin w/ Excedrine Migraine and they will go away. But if I don't get it in time it's just a bitch. Mine are related to heredity I believe as my Dad used to get them quite often when I was young. The only strange thing I have noticed when one is coming on is my sense of smell gets really acute. I generally don't "see" anything unusual. Good luck and if you have any ??? feel free to PM me.

Wow. I feel for you. That was a tough story to read.

You mentioned taking excedrine migraine and getting some results when combined with other medications.

Do you drink a lot of caffeine? After I stopped drinking caffeine, I found excedrine migraine to be a lot more effective because I didn't have a caffeine tolerance to keep the caffeine in excedrine migraine from working as well.

i like matt.c

My sister's had migranes since she was 4 and she's 21 now. There's not much we can do. She takes migrane tablets which help temporarily.

wash_

Aha! A subject that is on my mind alot these days!

I get migraines when stressed, weather is high pressure, sleep too much or I get too hot. At the moment I take Neurofen Migraine which I can get over the counter which seems to work when I take them as soon as one starts, but lately they have been working less. I don't get the visual disturbances, but I get sick, even if I turn my head it makes the pain throb and the stomach reacts.

The only thing that works to really get rid of the headache is too sleep untill it wears off. Talk about weathering the storm!

I'm thinking about looking into other ways to deter the migraines, or even how to cope with the pain when I have one. I teach in an infant school and it's really inconvenient to have migraines when its stressful (which it always is!)

I have every sympathy for those that suffer with bad headaches and migraines.

CHANGEinWAVES

wash_ wrote:

I'm thinking about looking into other ways to deter the migraines, or even how to cope with the pain when I have one.

If you come across something that works please keep us posted.
Thanks for sharing. Same to others as well.
*my sense of smell also increases before one as someone mentioned, usually only with the 'starburst' aura.

Trailer

My migraines are usually triggered by the sun. If I'm driving with the sun in my eyes, and I don't have my sunglasses on, then I usually will get one. Sometimes I will get one for no reason at all.

In college I had the best medicine (Esgic plus)... but I guess they took it off the market for some reason. That was the only medicine that really worked for me. Right now I have Frova and Relpax... but neither one works anywhere near as good as Esgic did. The only non-medicinal method that gets rid of my migraines is smoking weed. If I'm in a situation where I have a migraine and can't take any of the aforementioned remedies.. then I usually drink a lot of water and sip some caffeine, and stay away from bright lights.

jezebeloria

sponger wrote:

Wow. I feel for you. That was a tough story to read.

You mentioned taking excedrine migraine and getting some results when combined with other medications.

Do you drink a lot of caffeine? After I stopped drinking caffeine, I found excedrine migraine to be a lot more effective because I didn't have a caffeine tolerance to keep the caffeine in excedrine migraine from working as well.

Yes, I do drink my share of coffee. I don't know if I could ever stop though. Actually if I do catch it in time Excedrine migraine works well alone. I also some times combine it w/ Excedrine sinus...alot of time when it first starts I am not certain if it's just a sinus headache or the beginning of a migraine. Ironically enough just a few hours after posting this I got a migraine but thankfully managed to catch it in time as it's onset occurred on the way to work. It woulda been a doozy as even light was bothering me. I just wish they would go away forever!

polaris

this morning on the cbc - they are saying botox can cure migraines ... obviously, this is still under huge scrutiny but apparently if your migraines are caused by muscle discrepancies - botox would fix that ...

edit: a link ... first thing that came up when i blackled it ...

http://www.migraines.org/treatment/probotox.htm

Igivesuchgoodparadym

try going into a dark room with no light whatsoever and maybe soothing music in the background. Close your eyes, sit on a couch and just think pleasant thoughts. This works. You can also do this with a wet warm facecloth on your forehead. It really is relaxing.

roar

my triggers: red wine, strong smell of garlic/onions (weird! i know...), and dehydration

what works for me: excedrin migraine (one pill...the sooner, the better) and LOTS of water

my aunt swears that green apples help her??

dawng

who gets them? I do :( I've lived with and have been trying to control these since my daughter was born 12 years ago...they started the day she was born and I've had them ever since.

what are your triggers?
Too many - stress/excitement, horomones, foods, changes in weather, etc.

do you get auras?
I also get two types - different than yours. I either get an aura on the outside of my vision (kinda makes everything fuzzy) or white spots that are right in the middle of my vision and I can't see anything.

what has worked to get rid of them?

PREVENTION:
I am on two medications to try to prevent the migranes from happening at all. The first is that I take the active pills in my birth control straight through. This makes it to where I don't have horomone ups & downs and I haven't had a period for a few years now. In addition, I've been told that drs will use one of two other meds to help prevent migranes - one is blood pressure meds and the other is anti-depressants. I use the former.

HEADACHE:
As soon as I realize I'm getting a headache, (usually light sensativity) I start with Imitrex and smoke a bit of weed. The weed does two things - it kind of places the pain in the "background" and it stops the nausea (which I get pretty bad with migranes). If this doesn't work, then I take a couple vicodin and go to bed. If it lasts longer than a couple days, I'll go to the ER (only had to do this a few times) and they give me something - not sure what. Think it was demoral injections?

I have also visited a neurologist...they had great advice:

* Use heat (not cold) on your head - this will help with the allow more blood flow which is usually the cause of the headache. Hot shower is great if you can stand.

* Avoid caffine - unless you are in the middle of a headache. In that case - take caffine (a good, extra hot mocha or coffee does both of the above at once!)

* Avoid trigger foods - hard to tell you how many of these there are! Mine are oranges, apples, legumes (especially peanuts), and above all - avoid MSG!!! It's in pretty much any pre-prepared food, btw...avoid any frozen meals, etc. Here is a link to some of the foods that can cause triggers.
http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/guide/triggers-specific-foods

* Don't skip meals!!! If I miss a meal, I WILL get a headache. I carry cliff bars with me just in case.

Feel free to pm me Good luck! dawn

CHANGEinWAVES

*dawn* wrote:

who gets them? I do :( I've lived with and have been trying to control these since my daughter was born 12 years ago...they started the day she was born and I've had them ever since.

what are your triggers?
Too many - stress/excitement, horomones, foods, changes in weather, etc.

do you get auras?
I also get two types - different than yours. I either get an aura on the outside of my vision (kinda makes everything fuzzy) or white spots that are right in the middle of my vision and I can't see anything.

what has worked to get rid of them?

PREVENTION:
I am on two medications to try to prevent the migranes from happening at all. The first is that I take the active pills in my birth control straight through. This makes it to where I don't have horomone ups & downs and I haven't had a period for a few years now. In addition, I've been told that drs will use one of two other meds to help prevent migranes - one is blood pressure meds and the other is anti-depressants. I use the former.

HEADACHE:
As soon as I realize I'm getting a headache, (usually light sensativity) I start with Imitrex and smoke a bit of weed. The weed does two things - it kind of places the pain in the "background" and it stops the nausea (which I get pretty bad with migranes). If this doesn't work, then I take a couple vicodin and go to bed. If it lasts longer than a couple days, I'll go to the ER (only had to do this a few times) and they give me something - not sure what. Think it was demoral injections?

I have also visited a neurologist...they had great advice:

* Use heat (not cold) on your head - this will help with the allow more blood flow which is usually the cause of the headache. Hot shower is great if you can stand.

* Avoid caffine - unless you are in the middle of a headache. In that case - take caffine (a good, extra hot mocha or coffee does both of the above at once!)

* Avoid trigger foods - hard to tell you how many of these there are! Mine are oranges, apples, legumes (especially peanuts), and above all - avoid MSG!!! It's in pretty much any pre-prepared food, btw...avoid any frozen meals, etc. Here is a link to some of the foods that can cause triggers.
http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/guide/triggers-specific-foods

* Don't skip meals!!! If I miss a meal, I WILL get a headache. I carry cliff bars with me just in case.

Feel free to pm me Good luck! dawn

Wow thanks so much!
I was previously on celexa(anti depressant) to prevent them...that was about 8 yrs ago now, and I had to stop birth controll then because it was giving them to me:(
After reading ur post I'm starting to think it might be the MSG...I've been eating a lot of prepared foods since I'm alone now and its so much easier. Its really the biggest change I've noticed. There's stress too but I'm a pretty stressed person so that has always been an issue;)
I'm gonna look into that site u gave me:) thanks so much!!

weenie

Certain foods and beverages are triggers - especially those with chemical additives and taste enhancers like MSG and all preservatives. Others, like chocolate and coffee can be triggers even though they don't have preservatives or chemicals. Some triggers are airborne - pollution, fragrances and perfume, exhaust from gasoline and diesel fuel. And stress is a trigger. Sometimes one single trigger can cause the migraine, sometimes it's a combination. The area of the country where you live can be involved too: the barometric pressure and/or humidity are factors. Imitrex injections worked well for me for many many years. But they leave you exhausted. Now I use the under the tongue dissolving tablets Maxalt which work well but take a couple of hours to be effective. The injections work immediately. I became vegetarian, and a consumer of organic foods and beverages to lessen my migraines. Examine what you are ingesting daily for clues to your triggers. Good luck!

elmer

I haemorraged an eye when I was younger and years later began getting migraines/cluster headaches that centered behind that eye and would grow in intensity until I'd feel its pulsating beat in the left side of my head come fully alive. Some attacks became so bad I developed a temperture and shivers, but there were no light fleeting ones or any that didn't take me down. Horrendous, what made it all the worse is not being able to describe the pain sufficiently to anybody and the advice given out never made any difference. Never did discover any trigger.

I eventually was given Sumatriptan which would totally restore normality in 10-15minutes. Thankfully I haven't had a recurrence for about 5 years. The only advice I can offer is to keep a diary of your daily routine and sleep pattern, what you're eating and any mood changes you discern within yourself to try find a cause.. Good Luck.

ladygooddiva

i had them years before awfully
strong coffee with lemon
sleep in dark rooms stay in dark rooms
wear sunglases outside
drink a lot water

Steve Dunne

this thread gave me an aura! :eek:

seriously, i'm not getting into all this, but yes i get them. triggers in the past have been STRESS, red wine, spaghetti sauce, dehydration, lighting. but over the last 10 years, it's been mostly stress related, and that triggers cluster migraines. i'm dead to the world for 2 weeks. haven't had them in 2 years (knocks on wood). have had them for 20 years.

CHANGEinWAVES

i think OREOS may be a trigger .... had a migraine from hell yesterday and all day today, and they were the one different thing I had!

:(:(:(:(:(

Indian Summer

migraines are just a normal headache for weaklings who can't handle a little pain.

CHANGEinWAVES

Indian Summer wrote:

migraines are just a normal headache for weaklings who can't handle a little pain.

naaa.... i get reg. head aches too.
believe me I can handle pain too:)
just don't like puking from migraines. :rolleyes:

mookie blaylock 10

who gets them? me

what are your triggers? pretty much could be anything. sometime they hit fast, sometimes they are long and drawn out. my longest lasted eight days.

what has worked to get rid of them? marijuana

mookie blaylock 10

Indian Summer wrote:

migraines are just a normal headache for weaklings who can't handle a little pain.

very easy for someone who hasn't had one to say.

gobrowns19

Another unfortunate here. I tend to get them most when I don't eat or drink adequately enough, or am in front of a tv, computer, or text too long. [Just typing and thinking about this and I can feel that slight twang.] It's always in one of two exact spots. I'd be interested if others have the same exact spots they always occur in.

I get what most other people mentioned. I become incredibly nauseous, can't think, can't move or see or hear anything. If it's bad enough in the one spot I lose vision in my right eye temporarily.

The things that help-

Throwing up.
Ice on the back of my head by the neck [I know others have said heat, but ice works for me]
Dark Room
Must be really really cold
Try to keep my eyes still, it will feel like my eyes are darting around when they are not, try to focus as hard as you can as staring into nothing
Imagining certain scenes [like your daily morning routine, think of everything in extreme detail, the way you whip your blankets off, what foot you'll take out of bed first, etc all while 'staring into nothing.']

I've only ever done this a few times when it's been extremely bad, but Marijuana helps. To the OP and others, it's a decision based on you and your morals, but if you're like me, sometimes it comes down to either that or a knife through your eye sockets.

Another that is kind of embarrassing, but if you know one is coming on, an orgasm helps 80% of the time.

CHANGEinWAVES

gobrowns19 wrote:

If it's bad enough in the one spot I lose vision in my right eye temporarily.

it's my right eye that I lose vision in too.

gobrowns19 wrote:

Another that is kind of embarrassing, but if you know one is coming on, an orgasm helps 80% of the time.

hmmmm

Stella

mookie blaylock 10 wrote:

very easy for someone who hasn't had one to say.

Agreed! It's one of my pet peeves. As a customer service person (once upon a time) i say to a lady "how are you going today?" - "Oh terrible, I have a mirgraine".
If you have a migraine, how is it that you are out in 40 degree heat walking around the markets, and functioning properly. Migraines for me means bedridden, only being able to get up to throw up. nice. Dizyness churning stomach, weird eyes - but no aura to begin with, not to mention the massive pain were you think your head is imploding/exploding/brain is dying. PLUS the feeling dazed for two days after is not really a normal headache symptom.

I don't know what my triggers are. Hormones and heat i think....

Odd thing is, I crave really weird foods when I'm recovering. Mostly fish and chips with lots of butter on the sandwich. Or crunchie bar icecreams, or the other day it was salt and vinegar chip sandwich with butter and tomato sauce.

mookie blaylock 10

Stella wrote:

Agreed! It's one of my pet peeves. As a customer service person (once upon a time) i say to a lady "how are you going today?" - "Oh terrible, I have a mirgraine".
If you have a migraine, how is it that you are out in 40 degree heat walking around the markets, and functioning properly. Migraines for me means bedridden, only being able to get up to throw up. nice. Dizyness churning stomach, weird eyes - but no aura to begin with, not to mention the massive pain were you think your head is imploding/exploding/brain is dying. PLUS the feeling dazed for two days after is not really a normal headache symptom.

I don't know what my triggers are. Hormones and heat i think....

Odd thing is, I crave really weird foods when I'm recovering. Mostly fish and chips with lots of butter on the sandwich. Or crunchie bar icecreams, or the other day it was salt and vinegar chip sandwich with butter and tomato sauce.

indeed. i've heard people say that as well and i'm wondering...just how is it that you are talking to me and up and around? i wouldn't be able to turn my head or lift my arm without vomiting if i had one. it would probably be difficult just to say that i had one!

iluvcats

sponger wrote:

I saw this documentary on managing pain with the mind. A woman who gets severe migraines claimed to reduce that pain by half by focusing on a part of her body that didn't hurt.

Meditation also supposedly helps.

I get migraines, but I guess I'm lucky in that over the counter migraine meds do the trick. A combination of asprin, tylenol, and caffeine in a big mega-dose will clear it up in 20 minutes flat.

For me, very warm weather, excessive exercising, or opiate withdrawal are the typical triggers.

Has your doctor ever suggested tricyclic antidepressants? They have been used for quite some time for migraines and people with nerve damage.

I have not determined yet if mine are migraines, but I agree that the combos work. I take 1 tylenol and 1 advil (ibuprofen) and it is gone in 45 minutes.
I see flashes of white light and have difficulty some days tolerating light.