Migraines

VioletNightshade

My triggers are avocado, chocolate, salt, cheese, excessive sunlight, heat, dehydration and excessive noise.

I came to the realisation that I was not going to be able to live without avocado. I mean, I guess it's possible that it COULD be done, but what's a life without your absolute favourite food? Not friggin' worth it, that's what it is.

Surprisingly enough, my migraines melted away when I stopped eating meat and took most animal products out of my diet. I'll still occasionally have dairy (rarely) and there's a bit of egg here and there, but for all intents and purposes, I'm now vegetarian, just this side of vegan (I'm considering making the transition and still researching and determining if it's going to be something achievable for me and not too entirely impractical, since I live with a meat-eater and another vegetarian, and the vegetarian is the one who makes 90%+ of the meals). My point here is that since I took meat (including fish - basically, if a critter of some sort has to meet an untimely end in order to obtain it, I won't eat it) off the menu for myself, my migraines have, for all intents and purposes become a thing of the past. Since my transition, I've had one. Before my transition, they were up to once to four times a month, and mine were in the extreme category - leave you in a stammering, stuttering puddle on the floor, half blind, sometimes can't remember your own name because you're just existing in a dimension of pain. I'd lose feeling in my face and sometimes up to half my body, couldn't speak, couldn't remember simple things like my own name, address and phone number, lying on the floor with labored breathing and trembling and hoping not to vomit because the tensing up that happens when you start to would occasionally hurt so much that I'd collapse and sometimes lose vision for a couple seconds, willing myself not to start crying because crying hurt too much, thinking I was going to die kind of migraines. I'd been sedated in the E.R on more than one occasion because of them. They'd leave me weak and shaky for days afterwards. OTC pain medicine didn't even put a dent in the pain. I had a couple of heavy pain medication prescriptions for them, and let me tell you those little pills were more precious to me than gold. Once the meat was gone, so were they. It's been seven blissful months since I've had a migraine. I've heard a lot of people say "I couldn't give up meat..." If it's something that saves me from that type of pain, there isn't a lot I wouldn't give up.

Occasionally I'll still get a headache from avocado, but it's nowhere as severe as it used to be.

TheBaileyHunter

I do. I have no idea what my triggers are. I didn't actually even know that my 'headaches' were migraines until one particularly brutal one ended up sending me into the arms of a neurologist (they were concerned I suffered a mild stroke).

I get the typical Kill-Me-Now brain pain that lasts for about three days, and I also get the ones that mess with my vision, sometimes causing aura like fractals in my peripheral vision and other times complete distortion of what I'm seeing as if life were a still wet oil painting that someone kept running their finger through.

When I feel them coming sometimes a hit of really strong hot coffee with a double shot of extra strength advil chaser will nip it enough to cope followed by a lot of water. If that fails, Ginger Mint tea will often take enough of the edge off that I can still function. Barring that, it's bed, dark, cool and STFU world!

bookworm_847

right now, I:
take Excedrin Migraine
drink some cold water or G2 (Gatorade)
put some icy hot on my neck and shoulders (usually hurting/tight)
sometimes grab an ice pack

You listed pretty much everything I do. My husband also started getting me washcloths soaked in really cold water, one for my forehead and one for my neck. That seems to help. I'll have to remember the Icy Hot next time. It also sometimes helps if I take a warm shower (not hot, not cold, but juuust right ) with the bathroom lights off.

Do you keep a headache journal? Mine are irregular in that I'll have one every day for a few days and then, poof, no more for several weeks or months. But at journal might be helpful for you to find patterns or show a doctor.

spectralmoon

I have no idea what my triggers are. Sometimes they happen around TOM, and sometimes it's entirely random.

What I take:

- Excedrin
- Ibuprofen 600 x2
- Vicodin

No joke on the latter, there. It may make me sleep walk and do bizarre Ambien-type stuff, but if I can sleep through the recovery part of the migraine, bring it on.

ellew70

I am also a migraine sufferer.....I tend to get migraines when the barometric pressure is high, lack of sleep and stress, hormones, or any combination of those. However, sometimes they come on without notice or any triggers that I can identify. I use peppermint oil on my temples, switch between Tylenol and ibuprofen until the pain is manageable (granted that the migraine hasn't caused me to start vomiting yet). I do hot on the base of my neck and cold on my forehead....or the other way around. Lie in a cold dark room helps also. I also use pressure points also; hand, nose, arm. Living with migraines can be so debilitating. Read some really good tips here that I will have to try also, thanks for posting!

we must be twins. Those are my migraine triggers and I was about to suggest the peppermint oil. The only other thing i'd recommend is something called Tiger Balm if you can find it. Friends from Europe got it for me but I rub it on my temples. I wonder if there is a US equivalent... anyone know?

vlland

I used to get migraines years ago when I was on the birth control pill. They stopped when I quit taking the pill. Recently I was in the hospital after a ruptured appendix and had a three day migraine. I was given Fioricet and it worked for me. I feel for u and wish u luck!

homesweeths

Here's another vote for eliminating gluten. I know two people whose migraine headaches went away when they went gluten free, and one who had to go gluten and soy free to get relief.

mfreeman00

You can purchase Tiger Balm in the States, too! I know that Fred Meyer sells it (in the natural foods section) and I've seen it at other health food stores. I don't know what area you live in, but call around!

mdj1501

Wow... didn't know there were so many migraine sufferers. :sad: I usually wake up with mine, but sometimes they can come on whenever. I drink coffee on a daily basis anyway and have for years. I should probably try cutting that out but it won't happen.

Excedrin migraine works well at times, but also gives me heart palpitations and irregular beats. When I wake up with one I usually will take a flexeril (muscle relaxer) and 600-800 mg of Ibuprofen or 2 Aleve. Most the time it helps. I am currently taking Propranalol which I feel has made no change in frequency. I have also tried Imitrex. Not sure if it has helped really.... just got the script and keep forgetting I have it. :blushing:

I am also curious about the Magnesium dosage. What is recommended for that?

Heat on my neck and ice on my forehead after meds, dark quiet room and hopefully I am not on call! I usually feel hung over when I finally get rid of it. Cutting out gluten seems to have helped some.

HollisGrant

Who else suffers from migraines?

I'm curious to find out what everyone does. (hoping to find something new to try)

I've had migraines for a very long time; been to Dr's, Neurologists, two head CT's (clear), tried many prescriptions (mostly never worked)... I'm not good at keeping a headache diary, but I think my triggers include hormonal/period, yogurt, and/or being dehydrated.
I usually wake up with mine, so not much I can do to prevent.

right now, I:
take Excedrin Migraine
drink some cold water or G2 (Gatorade)
put some icy hot on my neck and shoulders (usually hurting/tight)
sometimes grab an ice pack

What do you do for yours?

I've heard/read different things over the years. The latest was my sisters husband was told by his Dr to not eat oranges. I don't know why. I hadn't heard that before.

The Excedrin is probably causing your headaches. Google Excedrin and Rebound Headache. Headache prone people become "addicted" to over the counter headache meds like aspirin, ibuprofen, etc. When those meds wear off in your body, you will get a severe headache, so you take more meds to stop the headache, and the cycle goes on. Most doctors don't know about rebound headaches, but headache centers say a large number of the people who come to them with severe chronic headaches get them from over the counter meds.

Years ago, I had some dental problems and took aspirin and Advil until I took care of my teeth. However, I kept having headaches. The headaches went on for several years. I had an MRI of my brain to find out if I had a brain tumor. I went to dental specialists who couldn't find anything wrong. My family doctor couldn't find anything wrong. Then one day I read the back of the Advil bottle where it said "don't take for more than 2 weeks." I figured I was poisoning myself. I stopped taking all aspirin and Advil, had a monster headache.... and then the headache went away for good. I googled Advil and "problems" and discovered Rebound Headaches. I can't take an aspirin a day for cardiac health because it will give me headaches.

The causes of my severe headaches:
- Frequent over the counter meds of any kind -- excedrin, advil, aspirin, anything.... my body immediately is addicted to these meds and I get a severe headache when they wear off in my system (again, google Rebound Headache for more info)
- lack of water
- stress
- skipping meals
- too much chocolate
- too many peanuts, yogurt, and several other foods

aliciap412

I haven't had a migraine since I eliminated gluten from my diet. I only experience minor headaches now from lack of sleep or too much caffeine.

jmc0806

I got them all the time growing up, now it's just occasionally but I usually take excedrin, avoid light, drink coffee for the caffeine and lots of water. I bought some Gunnar gaming glasses that reduce blue uv light for if I'm at work and have to stare at my 2 monitors all day with one.

Ejourneys

Amazingly, I don't get migraine pain (debilitating menstrual cramps made up for that), but I get the aura. If I don't treat that immediately it keeps growing until I'm literally blind. Fortunately, my migraines are infrequent, maybe two or three per year.

I take ibuprofen and lie down in a dark room. When I worked in an office I turned out the light, locked my door, and lay down on the floor. I keep away as much as possible from light and sound until the aura is gone, which is usually in about a half hour.

Certain coffees seem to be a trigger, especially the cheaper grinds. So far, I have not gotten any migraines with the coffee I'm currently drinking (Seattle's Best).

I wish you all the best of luck!