Do you get Migraines?

Natvee · May 2013

I have suffered from chronic migraines for most of my life. In the past 5 years they have been pretty bad. The last 6 months have been nearly unbearable (I have been in pain nearly every day). I have tried all meds, preventative and painkillers. I've tried massage therapy and it ended up aggravating them. I've had my eyes checked and I have 20/20. I've had an MRI and a CT scan...nothing found. I even had all my wisdom teeth pulled because I was convinced they were the culprit and no dice.

I have a lot of stress so my doctor suggested yoga and meditation. I'm also going to a neurologist and I'm getting my blood work done again to check my hormone levels.

Lately I have been reading up on gluten intolerance and celiac disease. I have found that I have some of the symptoms. My question to you is if you suffer from migraine, what works for you? Are you allergic to gluten? Do you think it has anything to do with what we eat?

onedayatatime12 · May 2013

I do suffer from migraines on occasion, and what I find makes them go away within 30-45 minutes is Rapid Release 500 mg. Acetaminophen. It's always been a solution for me, for PMS, headaches, migraines, etc. But you said you tried all painkillers, so I'm not too sure what to say to that. With regards to diet, for me no- it's light and sound induced (and doesn't go away until I literally lay in my room with the lights off, silently). It's perhaps something deeper than that, and you scheduling a visit to the neurologist is a good idea. I hope you find your answers soon, and that you don't have to suffer from horrible migraines again. :frown:

MsBobLoblaw · May 2013

I'm sorry to read that you're suffering such frequent attacks. :frown: The only medication that works for me is Relpax, and only then if I take it at the very first moment I notice one coming on.

amyllu · May 2013

I used to suffer with migraines in my younger years and quite by chance when I was in a health food shop I decided to ask what they would advise. Result of which I bought a small phial of feverfew essence and I put one drop under my tongue every morning until it was finished and I have never ever had another migraine to this day!

It certainly was triggered by things that I ate..chocolate and strong cheese were the main culprits in my case but it is so different with each person. Have you tried keeping a diary of what you eat so that you can see if there is a pattern of occurrence?

Hope you can soon get some relief as it is such a nightmare!

laurenmoe · May 2013

I have horrible Migraines (which I take Imitrex for) when they are full blown. I also use to get DAILY headaches that would stay with me all day, I was the queen of 3 Ibuprofen/2 extra strength Tylenol. My acupuncturist suggested adding a Magnesium supplement daily, and since I started taking Magnesium my daily headaches are no more.

djshari · May 2013

I do and I have for about the last 5-6 years. I get them during that time of month although the doctor had me try all kinds of birth control and that just gave me more headaches all the time. Now I am not taking anything for them and I just take my imitrex for those few days. I still hate it but at least I have an idea of when they will happen.

Natvee · May 2013

Thanks everyone for the info. Migraines are truly a mystery. Hopefully the neurologist will be able to help.

Natvee · May 2013

I used to suffer with migraines in my younger years and quite by chance when I was in a health food shop I decided to ask what they would advise. Result of which I bought a small phial of feverfew essence and I put one drop under my tongue every morning until it was finished and I have never ever had another migraine to this day!

It certainly was triggered by things that I ate..chocolate and strong cheese were the main culprits in my case but it is so different with each person. Have you tried keeping a diary of what you eat so that you can see if there is a pattern of occurrence?

Hope you can soon get some relief as it is such a nightmare!

How long has it been?

jaz050465 · May 2013

My triggers are stress and dehydration. Intake ibuprofen and paracetamol with codeine. As others say, only works if intake it as the beginning. When I get one though, I can get rid of it sooner by going to bed and doing relaxation techniques bi found I was getting so stressed about the pain that was making them worse.

rebbylicious · May 2013

I get them at least once per week- and they get so bad that nothing will take them away aside from going to sleep or vomiting.
I found many factors trigger them for me. Stress, not eating a meal at meal time, perfumes, and neck pain at the base of my skull will work its way up to a migraine in my head & intensify. I have tried everything you have mentioned and nothing has worked, I secretly hoped they found something in my head so I would have at least had an answer. I have been tracking in my food journal if I get a terrible one, but I should write about my milder ones as well. Maybe I will see a food trigger pattern.

morielia · May 2013

I've suffered from migraines since I was very young (about 6 years old). Mine are visually triggered, usually by an excess of artificial light and some random patterning that I've never been able to pinpoint. They're very severe and typically start with me having trouble focusing my right eye's vision, which I ultimately completely lose within about 20 minutes. It hurts a lot, obviously, but I can usually ease it and regain some of my vision with excedrin, caffeine, and some very dark chocolate. It doesn't always work, but I'd say I have about an 80% success rate with it.

Sharkington · May 2013

I tend to get horrible migraines every so often, usually before or during my period. They can be quite debilitating and in rare cases, make half my body go numb. The only thing that helps is lying down and waiting it out. I have also tried a medication called Relpax which works amazingly, but I don't have health insurance at the moment, so back to waiting them out it is. You said you tried all meds, so I guess that means you tried Relpax, too. I know being gluten intolerant can have many symptoms, so I think cutting out gluten as an experiment is worth a try since you seem to have tried everything else.

BunnyW22 · May 2013

I do have migraines. Terrible, god awful migraines. I went from never having them to having one every single day. I tried everything. The only thing that works for me is Topamax. It's almost been like a miracle drug for me the past four years. It's a preventive medication. My only gripe is that the side effects are what I call stupid mouth (you'll mean to say one thing and say something else or constantly forget mid sentence), tingling in hands and feet, and the cost started out super pricey. Thankfully, it's now generic and much cheaper.

karu77 · May 2013

I used to get them very often as well. In my case it's usually triggered by lack of sleep, dehydration and stress, so I try to avoid those. When I feel the first symptoms I take a higher dose ofnacetaminophen to nip it in the bud, if that doesn't help then I take sumatriptan (it has some side effects, but everything is better than this pain). Autogenic training also helped me a lot. But what really made it better was to stop taking the pill, the frequency has gone down a lot since I did that.

jennpaulson · May 2013

Thanks everyone for the info. Migraines are truly a mystery. Hopefully the neurologist will be able to help.

Have you never been to the neurologist before? The first migraine I remember having I was about 6 years old, I know now it was a migraine because of the blacking out and tingly feeling in my fingers and face. I had "headaches" the whole time I was growing up but my pediatrician never did anything about it. When I was 22 and newly pregnant with my daughter I was driving down a busy road and started to get one and blacked out momentarily. I went to a new doctor at this point and they sent me to the neurologist that I am still seeing to this day. Mine have changed over the years, I don't black out anymore, but the aura part of it is worse now. When one is coming on I start to lose the center of my vision. For years I tried to control it with diet and avoiding very smelly places (like Hallmark stores) and avoiding strobe lights but last year it got to the point that I was suffering 3 or 4 days of the week and it was seriously effecting me taking care of my daughter. I went back to Dr. Strauss and he put me back on Topamax (is this a preventative that you've been on?) I also have phentermine that I take if I don't realize one is coming on and it's suddenly there or I wake up with it. But last year when I had so many Dr. Strauss thought that I might have sleep apnea because I was waking up so often with them. I finally got him to understand that my sleep was all broken up throughout the day so I wake up bunches of times a day. But that when I can sleep I get really good sleep. Oh and my food triggers are too much salt (too much ham), too much sugar (Butterfinger), sour cream, Asian food with soy sauce bases (msg). I can also bring one on by wearing my sunglasses on top of my head for any amount of time and headbands are a no no.

deegeyspazms · May 2013

Mine have been much better since I learnt reiki.

missalica · May 2013

Topomax made me a crazy person, I had little to no control over my emotions. I would have crying fits over missing painter's tape and yet have no reaction to a friend passing away. The side effects were way too much for me. After having migraines for half of my life and a grand mal seizure, I have been sent for MRIs and CT Scans, I've been poked and proded, and tried numerous meds such as Naproxen and Imitrex all of which either didn't work or I couldn't take the side effects. I know take a product called Migracell that my mother actually found at a healthfood store and it's the best things so far. Doesn't completely get rid of them but makes them manageable. Most important things that I need to do to prevent them, keep my stress low (which is tough with my job) and drink tons of water.

Everyone is going to have their own story and remedy, it takes time to find out what works for you but if you can find your trick whether it been meditation or breathing exercise, the perfect medication hold onto it. Best of luck!

Bounce2 · May 2013

Yep, all the women in my family get them. Mine are triggered by stress and when I don't take care of an old back injury. When I get one I can't deal with light, ANY noise and will be vomiting if I can't medicate quickly enough.... Once I start vomiting its either a trip to the hospital or or lock down in a dark room hoping I can fall asleep. I have found that regular stretching and strengthening my core muscles has helped alot. I hope you find something that works for you!!!

j3an22 · May 2013

I am too suffer from chronic migraines. and I think it something if the doctor cant figure it out it something in the person's diet.

example for me the migraine is worst when I drink strong drinks like orange juice and even soda/pop. so im trying to limit those for now. and soon be off those.

for me I just bare with them. even if it really really bad. I do what I need to do.

instead of cutting things out completely SLOWLY take things out of your diet. especially if you are used having those items

momasox · May 2013

I hate migraines. Mine were getting so bad I had them everyday. I started seeing a chiropractor and havent had one in two months. I've also significantly increased my water intake. I drink over 100 oz a day. It sounds like you may have tried all of the different docs. I have heard that removing gluten can help some people. That was going to be my next step. I hope you can find some relief soon. Migrains are the worst.

Vune · May 2013

Another sufferer of migraines since forever here. For me, they tend to present in the middle of the night with a nice bout of motion sickness. I will vomit for the next 12+ hours, regardless of the fact that my stomach is empty after the first go. I used to have to take the bus to the theater with migraines. I'd pick up a bottle of ginger ale before I went, and used the bag to discreetly dry heave. At its worst, I'd even blank on stage. I put up with it until last year because doctors like to tell me that my body is so messed up that I should just deal with pain.

Midrin was a bust. Didn't even touch it, and the bright red pill doesn't look very pleasant. Gabapentin made me hostile and suicidal and increased my depression and anxiety issues, but it fixed the symptoms!

I'm currently on propranolol. I have to push sodium all the time because my BP is too normal for it. Noe migraines so far, but I get pins and needles and lose feeling in my feet daily. I guess they're right. There is no fixing me. Amitryptaline is next on the list...

Natvee · May 2013

Thanks everyone for the info. Migraines are truly a mystery. Hopefully the neurologist will be able to help.

Have you never been to the neurologist before? The first migraine I remember having I was about 6 years old, I know now it was a migraine because of the blacking out and tingly feeling in my fingers and face. I had "headaches" the whole time I was growing up but my pediatrician never did anything about it. When I was 22 and newly pregnant with my daughter I was driving down a busy road and started to get one and blacked out momentarily. I went to a new doctor at this point and they sent me to the neurologist that I am still seeing to this day. Mine have changed over the years, I don't black out anymore, but the aura part of it is worse now. When one is coming on I start to lose the center of my vision. For years I tried to control it with diet and avoiding very smelly places (like Hallmark stores) and avoiding strobe lights but last year it got to the point that I was suffering 3 or 4 days of the week and it was seriously effecting me taking care of my daughter. I went back to Dr. Strauss and he put me back on Topamax (is this a preventative that you've been on?) I also have phentermine that I take if I don't realize one is coming on and it's suddenly there or I wake up with it. But last year when I had so many Dr. Strauss thought that I might have sleep apnea because I was waking up so often with them. I finally got him to understand that my sleep was all broken up throughout the day so I wake up bunches of times a day. But that when I can sleep I get really good sleep. Oh and my food triggers are too much salt (too much ham), too much sugar (Butterfinger), sour cream, Asian food with soy sauce bases (msg). I can also bring one on by wearing my sunglasses on top of my head for any amount of time and headbands are a no no.

I haven't been to a neurologist before,so I'm curious about what he/she may say. I have taken topamax before and it didn't work for me. Going gluten free is the only thing I feel I haven't tried.

southpaw211 · May 2013

My sister has suffered from debilitating migraines for years. What finally gave her some relieft last summer was receiving regular Botox injections. I laughed at first, but she was actually serious. She gets them through her hairline, along her temples and down. She has gone for a few treatments (I think it's every 3-4 months) and has been experiencing a lot less pain since. Apparently Botox was recently approved to help reduce migraines. Good luck!

KristaWeiss · May 2013

you and I are identical right down to the gluten. I don't have the disease either but once my doctor cut 90% of it out I saw dramatic improvements in my migraines. I've done the shots, meds, chiro apts, therapy- you name it I've done it. going gluten free is very tough but worth the work in both headache relief and weightloss.

xstarxdustx · May 2013

Lack of sleep is a huge trigger. What're your sleeping habits like?

proudjmmom · May 2013

I am also a sufferer of migraines, since the age of 7. Nothing really works for me either in terms of treatment. I don't get them as often as when i was in high school. Fluorescent lights are my trigger. My 10 year old son has been getting debilitating migraines for 3 years now, to the point they were affecting his social/academic life. He now is on a preventive medication, Propranolol. Its used to treat blood pressure problems, and he had to have his blood pressure monitored to stabilize his dosage. Before medication he had a constant migraine for 4 months straight. He gets violently ill with them, with hallucinations and all. Since medication, he has only had a handful of migraines, thankfully. He takes 30mg 3 times a day. Hate for such a young child to be medicated daily, but pills has given him a life beyond bed and pain. He also takes Imitrex should a migraine start. Ironically, his trigger is also fluorescent lights.

wanttolose62 · May 2013

Had migraines quite often since 1987. After about 10 years of trying different meds that just didn't work for me, I was given a prescription (Midrin) that stopped them in their tracks usually with one dose. Unfortunately, the FDA (rotten SOBs) withdrew the approval of it and there isn't anything else that took it's place.

But, and not to make this into a joke, but around the same time they took it off the market, I got divorced and have had only a handful of migraines since it was final in March 2012.

I think it's likely mine were solely due to stress.

smr071165 · May 2013

I have them every month and have since I was 15. I used to take Midrin, but they discontinued it and none of the new miracle drugs work for me. I try to make do with Excedrin and Coke (not diet or generic). Of course, then I have overdosed on caffeine and get the jitters.
The neurologist I saw didn't find anything, and the one drug he tried on me made my psycho--to the point that I couxln't function. When I told him about it, he said that there wasn't anything else he could try and that I would have to learn to live with them. Nice, huh? So...back to my excedrin & coke.
I do have some triggers, but not for the monthly ones. I keep hoping that they will stop when that monthly thing stops.
My chiro does help a little bit, and massage has helped in the past, if they focus on the bumps on the back of my head just at the base of my skull.

whitebalance · May 2013

I had debilitating migraines close to weekly through most of my childhood. Went through all the same hoops - optometrist, chiropractor, massage therapist, neurologist, glucose level and blood tests, on and on. Dad said I needed protein shakes and jogging, grandmother said I needed condensed milk for the sugar, 5th grade best friend's mom said I was getting sick from spending too much time in the bathroom. Everyone had an opinion!

What finally worked for me: When I was 19, my mom met a nutrition counselor who ultimately put me on a very strict diet for a time. The emphasis was on avoiding processed foods and chemical additives. It wasn't far from the paleo diet, but excluded red meat, limited the frequency of pork and ham, and allowed whole grains in very limited quantities. (There was no "grass-fed, free-range, steroid-free, raised with kindness" movement back then; don't know if that would have made a difference in the red meat restriction, but once you stop eating the stuff, it feels kind of gross going back to it.)

I spent several years on that diet, got better over time, and have more freedom with food now. When I get the occasional migraine, I can usually trace it back to either something(s) I ate or a chemical I was exposed to (e.g., the neighbors sprayed for bugs). Once I have one, all I can do is drink lots of water, try to sleep, and wait/hope to puke (which is my immune system's quick and dirty way of dumping the bad stuff out of my bloodstream). If I notice I'm getting them more frequently, or if I know I'm getting exposed to something bad that I can't avoid, I revert to the diet. It helps. Usually makes me drop a few pounds and firm up a little too, if I've been misbehaving for a while.

So, @OP, can what we eat have an impact? Absolutely. If you're noting celiac symptoms, you might consider doing what the paleo-vangelists always suggest: Try going paleo for 30 days and just see how you feel.

owlets1401 · May 2013

No matter what I have tried. My migraines don't go away. I have always had them really bad, and I would black out from them and have tingly patches all over my skin. Then from when I was about 8 years old I get similar symptoms to that of a stroke. Neurologists have no idea what it is and I have had so many tests and diet changes and pills that I just gave up and refuse to see another doctor about it.
But one thing that helps me get through the weaker ones is laying in the dark with plenty of water.
I try and avoid caffeine because that sets me off really bad.

Do you get Migraines?

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