Migraine headaches!

bakingmadness

When I get migraines I try to go see my Chiropractor. I do have medications I take as well. I have had good luck with Imitrex 100mg. When I wake up with a Migraine though my doctor gave me Sumavel DosePro to use and it works wonders. I believe it's newer on the market. Here's a link to their website with more information and coupons.

http://www.ir.zogenix.com/

Rhea30

I have chronic migraines as well, so the only thing that has helped is ibuprofen and it has helped better then alot of the migraine prescriptions and pain killers, both prescribe and over the counter.

juliekaiser1988

Max Alt is the best medicine for migraines. Bar none.

But, if it's hormonal... I'd suggest skipping your GP doc and getting an appointment with an endocrin doc.

Stop putting a bandaid on the problem and solve it instead.

JMHO.

Julie

Rhea30

I have had migraines since I was 13. Had to quit working 4 yrs ago due to chronic migraines that have left me with a poor quality of life. I have been to multiple neurologists, tried every medicine under the sun, have had botox injections, kept a diary, etc. Preventative meds work for a bit and then quit when my body gets used to them. We have delayed starting a family since I have them so much. Just went to a new neurologist and she said to go ahead and start our family when we are ready as I shouldn't let migraines stop me. I know several people that never had them after getting pregnant. I have an appointment to see a pain management specialist in a couple weeks and hoping they'll have some ideas. I've considered the occipital nerve block but it only seems to work for a small percentage of people. Our insurance is pretty crappy and we can't get an independent policy b/c of pre-existing condition so alternative options are limited. I do plan to try and find a chiropractor that can work with me on co-pays, etc. as that did help years ago when I got in a bad car accident. Wish I had some advice for you. My triggers are stress and barometric pressure change - generally the latter and not much I can do to change the weather Hope you can find some relief. I just take things one minute at a time.

That might be true. During my pregnancy (I ended up miscarrying so can't tell you if they go away after a full pregnancy) I only had one migraine, that was up to 9 weeks pregnancy when I normally get a migraine everyday to every other day. I started again to get them afterwards though. I've done the botox injections as well, it worked but I had some odd side effects that I didn't like.

Shellz206

I also get severe migraines. I began seeing a neurologist at the University of Penn Hospital back in October and here are a few things I've learned...

1. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, go to a chiropractor without consulting a neurologist and having an MRI done first. I say this because my brother had pushed me to see a chiropractor since it helped him with his migraines (which began after several concussions). Instead, I went to a neurologist. Good thing, because after an MRI, my doctor discovered that I had a chiari malformation (like several others on this post) and said that a chiropractor could actually severely injure me. WHEW! So for starters, I recommend seeing a neurologist!

2. My doctor put me on a preventative called Zonegran. I had refused Topomax because I had heard the side effects were absolutely brutal from several people. The Zonegran has done wonders for me, EXCEPT for when they doubled my dosage. When they did, I got horribly depressed and felt as though there was a war going on inside my body and mind on a daily basis. My doc decreased my dosage and I'm back to normal with very little migraines.

3. I'm also on Zomig to take if I still get a migraine. You take one at the onset, and one two hours later. It is a bit pricey, but it does work.


Best of luck to you - I can definitely sympathize.

lsocher

Have you tried natural supplements for migraines? Anything that has magnesium and vitamin B2 should be helpful. Some people use them to wean off migraine drugs. I don't have bad migraines, just manageable but strong headaches at times. But I have done some studying on migraine disorder, and that's how I know about the alternative medicine.

FormerSuperHero

I also take blood pressure meds and seizure meds for a preventative. Maxalt usually helps when I get a migraine but I normally have to take 2 doses of it. I have lots of food triggers as well so figuring them out has helped tremendously. However, without the preventatives, I had headaches every day and migraines at least 2-3 times a week. Good luck figuring out what works for you.

I have blood pressure medication also as I get evil migraines that also last weeks at a time my biggest issue is the medication makes me both drowzy and increases my hungry, so I opt to drink plenty of water, get fresh air and work thru the pain for as long as I can

kelseyhere

I've suffered from debilitating migraines since I was 4 years old. Only recently did I ask a doctor about it- she prescribed the generic for Imitrex, which seems to help if I take it early, but it doesn't completely cure me. If I take it with 2 ibprofuens it's better. I've made it a habit to always carry it with me so I can take it as soon as I feel it coming on.

Other "silly" at home remedies that help (I agree with the others you will do WHATEVER you can to feel better)...
-take an adjustable baseball cap and adjust it so it's very tight on your head- the pressure helps
-lay in a dark room with eyes closed and wear sunglasses- I know this seems overkill, but for me, my migraines have a lot of visual triggers and even with my eyes closed, enough light still gets in to bother me.
-ice. make one of these "corn bags" and keep it in the freezer (http://www.agentlestrength.com/microwavable-heating-pad/corn-bags-heating-pads-how-to-do-it-yourself). It's much easier to deal with and also more comfortable to lay on than a regular bag filled with ice. It never gets freezing cold either, so you don't need to wrap it in a towel. Bonus- it doubles as a heat pack if you throw it in the microwave for 2 minutes.

Another things that helped me was seeing an orthodontist. I also recently found out I have TMJ after my jaw locked at work and I couldn't re-open it. I know sleep with a special splint that keeps me from clenching my jaw which helps relieve tension in my head, neck and shoulders. Definitely not a cure, but I've had a reduction in headaches overall. Point being, migraines can have many factors so it's very important to look at every aspect of your life.

blueeyedcristi

That might be true. During my pregnancy (I ended up miscarrying so can't tell you if they go away after a full pregnancy) I only had one migraine, that was up to 9 weeks pregnancy when I normally get a migraine everyday to every other day. I started again to get them afterwards though. I've done the botox injections as well, it worked but I had some odd side effects that I didn't like.
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I'm so sorry for your loss!