Migraines

squankmuffin
squankmuffin Posts: 130 Member
in Motivation and Support
Does anyone have any tips to stop migraines?
I've tried missing out wheat, dairy, citrus and caffeine.
I have upped my water intake.
I've tried pizotifen (which made me really fat and stopped working on migraines).
I've tried amitryptiline which didn't seem to work.
I tried paramax, Paracetamol/metoclopramide hydrochloride, which doesn't do all that much.
I tried sumatriptin, which sometimes work, but only for an hour or so. And my doctor will only let me have 6 at once, which barely lasts a day.

I seem to have had a migraine for weeks on end and it's making it near impossible to work, let alone exercise.

Does anyone have any handy tips?

Anyone got any handy tips?
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Replies

  • McBully4
    McBully4 Posts: 1,270 Member
    take some magnesium, fish oil, b12, ice on your head. Since I started eating healthy I haven't had one in about 4 months
  • vintagebrighton
    vintagebrighton Posts: 51
    I feel for you.. I've suffered migraines since I was 12 and I'm now 50. My mum also suffered so badly in the end her GP gave her injections to use at the onset of an attack.

    I think you just have to work out what's best for you, find your trigger if you can. Sometimes it's hormonal and there's nothing you can do.

    For me none of the 'migraine' treatments worked. I had to prevent rather than cure. I have to eat regularly and make sure I drink plenty of water. Sleep is also a biggie, if I'm really tired it can trigger an attack. Since low-carbing I've had one migraine which was when I tried a 24hr fast...... possibly not the best idea but hey ho!

    As for medication, I'm not recommending you do this but for me if I feel an attack I take 2 paracetamol and 3 ibuprofen tablets and that staves off the worst. Stops the vomiting and flashing anyway.

    Try keeping a diary to see what triggers you have or even what combination and then go from there. Good luck :smile:
  • McBully4
    McBully4 Posts: 1,270 Member
    if you look on your food label and it has any ingredients over ten letters long don't eat it.
  • gerripho
    gerripho Posts: 479 Member
    You might want to search our a chiropractor who has experience with headaches and migraines. There is a sign in my chiro's office that says "Migraines are not the result of a shortage of asprin." I was chatting with one of his migraine patients and she told me he had made all the difference in the world for her.
  • LooseWheel
    LooseWheel Posts: 211 Member
    I was having weekly migraines up until I was found to have really high blood pressure. Any tablets I tried taking didn't work as it wasn't fixing the BP. See how you go. Have had to take bp tabs now but i have been migraine free since finding out the bp issues were the cause. best of luck
  • sarah6336
    sarah6336 Posts: 108 Member
    Have you been checked out by a doctor? If you have problems with your blood sugar or blood pressure, that could be the culprit. Sometimes, migraines are an indicator that something is wrong. Hope you feel better, and take care.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,874 Member
    I'm so sorry, that is very frustrating! Mine have never been as frequent or long as yours, but I do get them.

    Artificial sweeteners are a trigger for me, especially aspartame. I tend to avoid them completely.
    Red wine can als be a trigger.

    I take Maxalt (rizatriptan benzoate) at the first sign. If i wait until it is full blown, it's too late and I just have to wait until it passes and sleep it off. I get 12 Maxalt a month with my insurance. They cost $1 each with my co-pay and are worth their weight in gold to me!

    My migraines are both less frequent and less severe since I've lost weight and gotten healthier in general. Hopefully you will have the same outcome!
  • TeenaMarina
    TeenaMarina Posts: 418 Member
    I was having awful migraines about every two weeks. I took the tip of someone on MFP and started taking calcium and magnesium every day. Since then, I get one maybe every 6-8 weeks, and it's really mild and manageable. I'm so relieved, because they were getting really terrible, and NO pain meds were helping at all. x
  • TaraBS
    TaraBS Posts: 5 Member
    I have had them for years. My migraines are tied very closely with sinus problems for me. If i start with one, the other will follow. I now average 6-8 per month, but, luckily, none are completely debilitating (as in throwing up and having to be in a dark room for hours).

    I tried one of the daily preventative pills that also lowered blood pressure and it was NOT for me. My BP kept getting too low. Propanolol was the name of the medicine i took for about 2 months. I did not take the amitryptaline since it's most common side effect is weight gain. My pharmacist said that they sometimes give that to patients on chemo to help increase their appetite.

    What works for me 90% of the time is Relpax and 1-2 Aleve. Relpax (40mg) is one of the triptan medicines (like Immetrex). You take it early in your migraine, and it will stop the migraine within 2 hours. They work 90% of the time for me. There is one called Treximet, which is just Immitrex plus aleve. Even with my insurance, i am only allowed to get 8 pills per month and it costs me $30. However, it is well worth it. Relpax does not make me feel pukey, but sometimes will make me a little tired. My neurologists says that there are many in the triptan family and one will work very well for one person, and not so well for another - so, keep trying them until you find one that works.

    Weather changes trigger my migraines more than anything else and i had to track them for 6 months. There really was not much i can do to avoid weather changes.

    Good luck!! Migraines are miserable! I hope you get some relief.
  • MissTomGettingThin
    MissTomGettingThin Posts: 776 Member
    Sumatriptan work if taken early for me. More than one for each migraine is pointless so don't bother wasting them if it comes back. Unless it's a completely different migraine - i.e. it's gone completely and then you get another attack.

    Ask about Diclofenac. I was prescribed it at the hospital when I was taken there from work with a migraine with aura.
    Take it as well as the sumatriptan.

    The Pill can help - is this an option? Sorry if it's already been mentioned.

    Since I've been working out and eating better - 18 months - I've had significantly fewer migraines than before.
    Could it be something you're eating which contributes?

    PMT is another issue for me.
    I take Flax seed oil or Evening Primrose and when I take them regularly I get no PMT and no migraines either.

    Water water water, as mentioned.
    Erm... good quality sleep.
  • recoiljpr
    recoiljpr Posts: 292
    My wife has been suffering from migraines for weeks at a time for all of her life as well. She finally got tired of it and went to a neurologist. They did a full blood workup and performed a mri (to rule out any other issues). The neurologist then started her on Topomax. It has been a life-changing drug for her. It takes a few weeks to really start working, but since that point she has been 100% headache free!!!
  • nlwilliamson
    nlwilliamson Posts: 225 Member
    go and see a local chiropractor, they are wonderful with treating migraines :)


    ETA: Natural treatment, without drugs :) if they can't help you they will refer you to a neurologist
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    for me the only thing that worked was switching to a vegan diet. No meat, dairy, or eggs = no migraines
  • opuntia
    opuntia Posts: 860 Member
    Cranial osteopathy might help (just thought of that, as someone mentioned chiropractors). I don't have migraines, but I have a lot of sensory hypersensitivity and dizziness and processing difficulties as a result of being on the autism spectrum, and I find cranial osteopathy tremendously helpful. And I know my cranial osteopath also works with people with migraines.

    And general things that help me control sensory processing difficulties and brain fog are: plenty of sleep, walking a lot, swimming and steam room and hot tub, eating a lot of fruit and veg, and natural foods. And avoid fluorescent lights where possible - they're a nightmare for both people on the autism spectrum and people with migraines. That includes longlife lightbulbs in your home - try to get the old fashioned incandescent ones, or else halogen ones. When you're in a situation where you can't avoid fluorescent lights, maybe see if you can wear a peaked cap.

    (I know ASDs are very different from migraines, but they're both neurological, and research has found links between the two, and just anecdotally, there seem to be quite a lot of similarities in the sensory experience and what can help.)
  • MainEventMike
    MainEventMike Posts: 22 Member
    "The MindBody Prescription" by Dr. John Sarno. This changed my life. :smile:
  • Luv2Smile55
    Luv2Smile55 Posts: 133 Member
    You definitely need to be under a Dr's care for these, first and foremost.

    I have had migraines for almost thirty years. It wasn't until I was prescribed propranolol (the generic of Inderal) for another health problem that I noticed some relief.

    Propranolol was originally used to treat blood pressure issues but used in small amounts it is very effective in helping to prevent migraines.

    You do need to be careful of dosing because if like me, your blood pressure is great you certainly won't need a very high dose.

    I simply take one very tiny pill once a day. I'm not saying that I never get migraines anymore but they have been lessened greatly.

    God Bless You and good luck!:smile:
  • stewsh
    stewsh Posts: 18 Member
    See a doctor, it could be something more that natural remedies won't fix. Listen to your body, if it hurts, it's telling you something is wrong :) Good luck :)
  • Nyranee
    Nyranee Posts: 57
    Blind guess - read the leaflet of your contraception pill. I am sure it mentiones migraine as possible side effects. Mine stopped 3 months after I stopped taking the pill and switched to other methods.
  • 2hobbit1
    2hobbit1 Posts: 820 Member
    For some women it can be hormone mediated. I found that some brands of oral contraceptive pills would be a big trigger for me while others with a different hormone variant did not. So if you are on OCPs you might want to try an alternate pill with a different hormone analog.
    Trying to break a migraine at the early stages with imitrex worked for a while but I got better relief with zomig - the quick dissolve form.
    I also had good results with low dose prozac - it helped decrease the frequency especially in the peri-menopausal period.

    As always these are thing you should discuss with your practitioner. Keep on trying out new things you will eventually find things that work better. I also had to get my MD specify brand specific on my scripts - I found that some of the generics did not work the same way as the brand name drug - could be related to drug analogs or fillers etc.
  • Nbentz214
    Nbentz214 Posts: 39 Member
    I tried a few of the prescriptions that you have mentioned and nothing worked for me as well. Caffeine actually helps my migraines. I take Fioricet. Fioricet has caffeine in it and two other ingredients. Although, I have been taking that one for a few years now, i think my body is getting use to it. Now i need to take 2 of them at a time. If all else fails, I get a non fat latte from starbucks with my pills and works in no time!!

    https://www.google.com/#hl=en&sa=X&ei=g-owUPGqE6j00gG3o4CwBQ&ved=0CEsQBSgA&q=fioricet&spell=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=c16687c3ba6c6c80&biw=1280&bih=687

    copy and paste that link for info about the Fioricet. Maybe mention it to your doctor to see if it would be a good option for yourself.

    Migraines suck! No other way to put it. I wish anything to be able to go migraine free forever! I have had them since elementary school.

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