Migraine Tips

sijomial

I get salty food cravings rather than sweet.
If I catch it before severe nausea and vomiting kicks in I find blue Powerade helps - must be the blue one for some reason!

My migraines often start with tension pain in my neck and base of the skull and I find you can exercise it away. The theory is that as migraines often are caused by incorrect blood flow you can force your body to regulate the blood flow by intense exercise. The downside is that the pain builds to a really, really intense level before finally going away. I only do this with a lower level migraine over several days that isn't responding to meds. This is not something to do if you are in the "darkened room, puking, feeling like death" stage of a migraine.

My keys to managing my migraines are:
Hydration (esp. after cardio exercise and alcohol)
Take meds early.
Avoid stress.
Regular sleep pattern.

Kidostud

I get migraines with partial paralysis, flashing lights and difficulty speaking coherently. Not fun.

No food cravings, though. Now when I feel one coming one I take a massive dose of ibuprofen (1000mg+). It makes the headache bad but not excruciating, but I'm still useless until it passes.

That's exactly how I experience it as well. My doctor prescribed Tripilene daily and it seems to help preventing the attacks. It is just terrible when I'm at work (I'm a teacher) and I feel an attack coming. I can't speak properly and it's the weirdest thing when I want to say something and it comes out completely wrong!

kae_blah

Migraine have many forms and not surprisingly the triggers are varied as are the appropriate treatments (both at the time and as prevention).

I personally find diet a big part of my triggers and I suspect is one reason I learnt to be a picky eater. This page is a reasonable summary of foods triggers http://www.ehow.com/facts_4840255_foods-that-cause-migraines.html

dalemckeown

I have suffered from migraines since I was about 13 years old. I used to have at least once a month, and I would often have more.

Worst one I ever had I ended up in hospital on a morphine drip. I just kept having the migraine cycle over and over. That was about 3 years ago. Migraines are essentially a chemical release in the brain which causes swelling.

Eventually I got fed up with them, so I made some lifestyle changes, and I haven't had a migraine in 3 months.

1. I had an eye test. even though my eyes are not bad (-0.25, +0.25) I still walked out with a pair of glasses as I use a computer for 10+ hours a day. I also had an anti-glare coating which helps keep the bad stuff away from my eyes.

2. I started taking a multivitamin tablet and a magnesium tablet. Magnesium deficiency is known to cause migraines, too.

3. Exercise and proper diet. Control intake of sugars and caffeine, drink at least 3 pints of water a day.


What's the bet I have a migraine today or tomorrow now? :P

dillydally123

I recently completed a course of preventative migraine medicine and haven't had a migraine in about 3 months (i was getting at least one a week). ask your doctor.

Illona88

When I do have a migraine, during the migraine I am to nauseous to eat anything other than grapes.
The day after the migraine I seem to eat anything and everything.

sa11yjane

I would question whether they are true migarines. Many headaches, and indeed migraines themselves, can be triggered by skipping meals/low blood sugar levels, but most people who I know (including myself) who suffer from migraines are actually unable to even consider eating whilst in the throes of one. Maybe visit your doctor to confirm if they are migraines or not. In order to avoid other type of headaches maybe try to eat regularly. Good luck

kae_blah

There is a lot of misinformation in this thread.

Self-diagnosis is dubious, however there is a wide variety of symptoms that doctors and neurologists will say come under the term 'migraine'.

At one stage of my life I had migraines daily for months. Out of necessity I learnt to eat, study, work, and socialise with a migraine. I still experience the type that needs a dark and quiet room and respect those that cannot keep going while they have a migraine.

Talk to a medical professional and get there help to identify your triggers and was that help your situation. Don't let message board experts tell you that you must be wrong because your experience does not match their experience or that of their Aunt or neighbour or whatever.

Ducati58

MIGRAINE EXCEDRIN, TAKE 2, LAY DOWN IN A DARK ROOM FOR 15 MIN.....SHOULD BE GONE!!

ripemango

i crave carbs w migraines and when eating them i hurt less too

things i will do is have green tea w real sugar and saltines. the soda u r craving may be bc caffeine alleviates the pain. my doc told me to take excedrin at the 1st notice of a migraine coming on. (prescription pain meds intensify my migraines)

i often get a migraine just b4 TOM, so starting this month I am gonna skip TOM and try to just have 3 a year.

prevention has been better for me vs curative. really consuming greens (mustard, turnip, collards, spinach) seem to prevent onset as well as regular exercise.

PikaKnight

You can eat? My stomach won't keep anything down. Have you been medically diagnosed, or are you making an assumption that it is a migraine?

Migraine is accompanied by severe nausea. You may be having monthly cycle headaches, not migraines. They are often accompanied by food cravings.

It depends if I catch it fast enough. If I manage to "treat" my migraines before they get bad - then I can eat. Sometimes just getting a meal in helps it lessen and go away (I take tylenol or excedrine right away too). But if it comes too fast or I try to ignore it for too long - then I end up just crawling into a ball and that's that..lol. I can't eat.

Other things I do at the beginning of a migraine is eat some chocolate. It has natural sedatives and caffeine and sometimes I don't even have to take tylenol or excedrin


ETA: Yes, I do have migraines. it runs in my family and I once had a migraine last about 3 days and it was so bad I ended up getting vertigo because of it. (And yes, this was confirmed by a doctor).

TheRealDeniseSheets

I'm another "odd" one who doesn't follow the "migraine pattern". I get migraine with aura- and I get the aura each and every time I get a migraine. I used to experience nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, incoherence and debilitating pain until I discovered Maxalt, which is a Rizatriptan and has been a lifesaver for me. I'm lucky I get the auras because that allows me to take the meds the second my symptoms start. I tried Imitrix but that didn't help me.

Years ago I started to take Evening Primrose Oil (in pill form) and I found that decreased my migraines pretty significantly so I would say that is worth a shot.

cmriverside