Any Migraineurs Out there?

sl1ngsh0t

I've had chronic migraines since I was 9. I'm 36 now. I'm curious to know if any of you struggle with headaches too, and what you do to prevent attacks (food, exercise, etc).

_HeyMommy_

I get them... have since i was 16. (40 now) The only things that help mine are a dark quiet room and a bunch
of anacin. If they are worse then normal.. a ice cold shower/bath on top of the others.

sl1ngsh0t

How do you plan your workouts around your attacks? Does exercise reduce or relieve yours at all?

DFWTT

Stress was a major contributor. I had to make a concious decision to live a more positive life and purge out as many negatives as possible. They went from 3-4 times a month to about once a month. I also have light sensitivity which is generally triggered by high UV days so investing in premium quality polarized sunglasses was a must. The only thing I can't do anything about is allergies. No matter what I take, the allergies trigger migranes. I've tried multiple migrane meds including injections and nothing works well other than Imetrex (spelling) but has a laundry list of side effects. The best, most natural solution for me has been hydrocodone 10's. I can still manage to get to work and function during the half dozen migranes I get a year now.

LizKurz

I've had chronic migraines since I was 9. I'm 36 now. I'm curious to know if any of you struggle with headaches too, and what you do to prevent attacks (food, exercise, etc).

Been getting them twice or so a month since I was 12. I don't exerciose the days I get them, I take an imatrex, 2 excedrin and go about my day. Usually I wake up the next day headache free. Sometimes I get lucky, and get them at night before bed and can just pop the imitrex and go to sleep.

sl1ngsh0t

Stress was a major contributor. I had to make a concious decision to live a more positive life and purge out as many negatives as possible. They went from 3-4 times a month to about once a month. I also have light sensitivity which is generally triggered by high UV days so investing in premium quality polarized sunglasses was a must. The only thing I can't do anything about is allergies. No matter what I take, the allergies trigger migranes. I've tried multiple migrane meds including injections and nothing works well other than Imetrex (spelling) but has a laundry list of side effects. The best, most natural solution for me has been hydrocodone 10's. I can still manage to get to work and function during the half dozen migranes I get a year now.

Yeah, stress is a huge factor for me, and is what finally got me to the gym. I used to take imitrex years ago, but I'm on a low dose of topomax and when the headaches get really bad ( I am sensitive to foods, fragrances, barometric pressure, hormonal fluctuations), I pop 2 fioricet and those really help. I just can't use them all the time because they will give you a nasty rebound headache.

jupityjupe

funny you should post this now....

i've had migraines since i was a teenager...(51 now) i have tried a bunch of meds for migraines..the ones where you're supposed to take at the first sign of it (and yes i do get an aura so i know when they're coming on) but none of those ever worked for me..when i was pregnant and meds are limited my dr gave me vicodin and i found that would relieve a lot of the pain...nothing ever helps with the aura, which sometimes leaves me with only periferal vision..also, for several years i have been taking topamax profolactically....i was getting multiple migraines a month lasting days at a time and taking that has really reduced them.

not eating enough will produce headaches, but i think those are just regular headhaches, not migraines.

but alas..today is day 12 of a particularllly horrendous one, and the vicodin is not really helping

that's why i thought it was funny you posted your thread now...

looking forward to hearing how others handle their migraines though...

DFWTT

Stress was a major contributor. I had to make a concious decision to live a more positive life and purge out as many negatives as possible. They went from 3-4 times a month to about once a month. I also have light sensitivity which is generally triggered by high UV days so investing in premium quality polarized sunglasses was a must. The only thing I can't do anything about is allergies. No matter what I take, the allergies trigger migranes. I've tried multiple migrane meds including injections and nothing works well other than Imetrex (spelling) but has a laundry list of side effects. The best, most natural solution for me has been hydrocodone 10's. I can still manage to get to work and function during the half dozen migranes I get a year now.

Yeah, stress is a huge factor for me, and is what finally got me to the gym. I used to take imitrex years ago, but I'm on a low dose of topomax and when the headaches get really bad ( I am sensitive to foods, fragrances, barometric pressure, hormonal fluctuations), I pop 2 fioricet and those really help. I just can't use them all the time because they will give you a nasty rebound headache.

Topomax made mine more frequent and insanely more intense. I took less than 5 from the bottle and trashed them.

Edited for this:

barometric pressure

This sucks, no snow skiing or scuba for you. :frown:

sl1ngsh0t

Been getting them twice or so a month since I was 12. I don't exerciose the days I get them, I take an imatrex, 2 excedrin and go about my day. Usually I wake up the next day headache free. Sometimes I get lucky, and get them at night before bed and can just pop the imitrex and go to sleep.
[/quote]

Yep, gotta love those headaches right before bed!!!! lol!!!! I actually tried cycling at the gym during a headache and just about lost my stomach. I barely got my butt home. I won't be trying THAT again! I just hate cutting a workout short when I get one or skipping a day. UGH!

mpfand

I've had them since I was about 8. I'm 39 now. I have the light sensitivity, the throwing up, etc. Usually some caffeine and motrin will do the trick. If not, I take Zomig and it works well with little to no side affects. A dark, quiet room is essential while the medicine does its thing. There have been a couple of times when nothing works and I've had to go to the ER, dehydrated from throwing up so much. They give me a shot for the pain and then medicine for the nausea. Exercise always makes them worse and can even re-trigger them. Stress most definitely trigger mine, along with interrupted sleep and eating schedules.

sl1ngsh0t

Topomax made mine more frequent and insanely more intense. I took less than 5 from the bottle and trashed them.

WOW. That IS insane!!! I have almost always heard that on topomax the headaches stopped for folks, but the meds turned them into a zombie. Topomax just slooooows thiiinnnnngs dooooooown.

81Kyra

Yes, I have had migraines since I was about 6. I used to get them about once a week and they would last almost exactly 24hrs. and several times I have gotten so nauseous that I threw up. When I started exercising and eating better they gradually became less an less I now only really get them every other month or so and they don't last as long. When I was in my early 20's I would drink as much caffeine and take as may pills as I could to try and make them better nothing ever helped. I have a prescription for imitrex it worked well sometimes but I haven't filled it in months.

I can't exercise when I get them and If I don't eat enough it will trigger one for me also, other than that and too much light(sometimes) I really don't know what triggers them for me.

sl1ngsh0t

I've had them since I was about 8. I'm 39 now. I have the light sensitivity, the throwing up, etc. Usually some caffeine and motrin will do the trick. If not, I take Zomig and it works well with little to no side affects. A dark, quiet room is essential while the medicine does its thing. There have been a couple of times when nothing works and I've had to go to the ER, dehydrated from throwing up so much. They give me a shot for the pain and then medicine for the nausea. Exercise always makes them worse and can even re-trigger them. Stress most definitely trigger mine, along with interrupted sleep and eating schedules.

Everything you have said here, is EXACTLY EXACTLY EXACTLY my experience. Word for word. In fact, I was just in the ER for migraine & dehydration 3 weeks ago. They had to IV the equivalent of 15 glasses of water...yet I still hadn't urinated when they let me leave the ER that night.

sl1ngsh0t

barometric pressure

This sucks, no snow skiing or scuba for you. :frown:

*laughing*

yeah, maybe not so much. a hike in the mountains or even driving through them on my way to the coast on a windy road can really suck it sometimes!!!

jupityjupe

never heard of topamax turning people into zombies and slowing them down...that makes me wonder though, since i am pretty lethargic more than i used to be but i just thought that was due to lack of exercise/sleep and depression....but i have tried to go off the topamax and the migraines come right back......

RachelsReboot

Had them since I was a child, they began to trigger seizures 8 years ago. Haven't had either one since I went grain free at the first of this year, could be coincidental but it's not worth taking the risk of having either of them just for some bread or pasta so until I learn otherwise that's what did it for me.

sl1ngsh0t

funny you should post this now....

i've had migraines since i was a teenager...(51 now) i have tried a bunch of meds for migraines..the ones where you're supposed to take at the first sign of it (and yes i do get an aura so i know when they're coming on) but none of those ever worked for me..when i was pregnant and meds are limited my dr gave me vicodin and i found that would relieve a lot of the pain...nothing ever helps with the aura, which sometimes leaves me with only periferal vision..also, for several years i have been taking topamax profolactically....i was getting multiple migraines a month lasting days at a time and taking that has really reduced them.

not eating enough will produce headaches, but i think those are just regular headhaches, not migraines.

but alas..today is day 12 of a particularllly horrendous one, and the vicodin is not really helping

that's why i thought it was funny you posted your thread now...

looking forward to hearing how others handle their migraines though...

Though I hate hate hate migraines, it's so awesome to talk to others who have them too.
When I was pregnant, it was the *only time in my life* when I did NOT have even ONE headache.
I used to think "aura" was like getting the northern lights behind your eyes. That isn't ever the case for me, though I have recognized I do have some vision disturbances that sometimes occur a day or two before the headache kicks in. I have the "visual migraines," which is the classic aura but no headache. My eyesight gets jacked for hours, it's horrible.
Sometimes I take Vicodin, but mostly, fioricet.

sl1ngsh0t

never heard of topamax turning people into zombies and slowing them down...that makes me wonder though, since i am pretty lethargic more than i used to be but i just thought that was due to lack of exercise/sleep and depression....but i have tried to go off the topamax and the migraines come right back......

-yep, topomax really works.. It does, however, have noticeable cognitive side effects for a lot of people. You're lucky.

jupityjupe

Had them since I was a child, they began to trigger seizures 8 years ago. Haven't had either one since I went grain free at the first of this year, could be coincidental but it's not worth taking the risk of having either of them just for some bread or pasta so until I learn otherwise that's what did it for me.

that's interesting about the grain allergy..did you feel like it was an allergy or go grain free for other reasons?

congrats on the awesome weightloss btw :happy:

sl1ngsh0t

Had them since I was a child, they began to trigger seizures 8 years ago. Haven't had either one since I went grain free at the first of this year, could be coincidental but it's not worth taking the risk of having either of them just for some bread or pasta so until I learn otherwise that's what did it for me.

Grain/pasta! of course! More food sensitivity issues! Thanks for reminding me about this. I've already been reexamining my food diary to see the food triggers, but never thought of grains! Thank you!
**edited to say***
And Good, Lord, girl! FANTASTIC WEIGHT LOSS!!!!!!!!!WOW!!!!!!!!!

DFWTT

Yep, I get the rainbow fuzzies right before a good one comes on then it changes to black spots in my peripheral vision. The grain thing is interesting. I have been on the fence on whether or not I have this. It doesn't really affect my head but does elsewhere when I eat too much pasta, rice or bread.