Off Topic- Migraines

I don't get migraines but my wife of 31 years does. So does my son, who is about your age. It's been an ongoing battle for my wife. The latest is exhaustive testing for allergies.

I wish I had more to offer.

Ive had them for the last 30+ years. O have fewer these days becayse I watch my blood sugra levels and try to avoid triggers which make it more likely.

Which sort do you have?
How fequently?
How long do they last?
Do you know your triggers?
Which meds are you takin? betablockers?

Immitrex/immigran has a pretty high success rate but is quite expensive. You can get it without prescription here in the UK and I think its now out of patent so there should be generic alternatives.

My husband's neurologist had his vitamin D level tested and found that he was low in vitamin D. Apparently, according to this neurologist, there is new evidence to suggest that low vitamin D can cause migraines. So now my husband takes vitamin D every day. However he had to take mega high doses of it for a few weeks at first to get his level up.

I've also heard that low vitamin D can cause other health issues.

My husband's neurologist had his vitamin D level tested and found that he was low in vitamin D. Apparently, according to this neurologist, there is new evidence to suggest that low vitamin D can cause migraines. So now my husband takes vitamin D every day. However he had to take mega high doses of it for a few weeks at first to get his level up.

I've also heard that low vitamin D can cause other health issues.

Interesting - my Vitamin D levels were very low - I had to take really high doses as well and take a daily Vitamin D now to maintain the levels.

There are many causes of migraines. I used to get migraines that sent me blind. Mine was a chronic infection of one sinus cavity. In those days the treatment was to flush out the cavity - not a pleasant procedure but it worked. These days a short course of antibiotics does the trick.

Just one possible cause.

Had them since I was about 13, but because they didn't fit the classic migraine pattern or symptoms, I was told they were sinus headaches until about 10 years ago. I've worked with my neurologist to find a combination of stuff that works with no side effects for me: 300mg gabapentin, 300 mg CoQ10, and 200-400mg magnesium. I'm now down from an average of 3-4 headache days/week to 1 a month or fewer.

I found that just the gabapentin worked fairly well, but adding the CoQ10 got me a little farther, and the magnesium was the last piece of the puzzle. I tried eliminating the CoQ10 after the magnesium seemed to help, but it was quickly evident that I needed both. If I start to feel like they're ramping up--usually due to sinuses or weather--I bump up the magnesium for a week or two.

My neurologist had me cut out all meds and keep a headache diary for a few months, which helped me see that working looking down triggers the really nasty ones--something about the pressure on the back of my neck and upper spine just sets them off. Wish I'd realized that before I suffered through years of constant headaches in college and grad school! Just putting the book on a bookstand or lying down and propping it on my knees, instead of flat on the desk, makes a huge difference.

Now, it's mainly just atmospheric changes or lack of sleep that triggers them, and either Relpax or Cambia usually heads those off before they hang around for days. I find that because it works best on an empty stomach, Cambia is great for those that wake me up before dawn, when a weather front is coming in.

I can't tell you how much better life is, now that I have a handle on this. Good luck!

I USED to get migraines at least 8-10 times a month. I've tried many different kinds of medicine. I could never really find any triggers either, but do you know what I just learned in the past 6 months?? My diet and exercise was crap!

A few years ago I was working out and "eating healthy", but I wasn't really eating clean. I was still getting the same amount of migraines. Since April, I'm no longer taking any medicine to prevent them and I've only needed to take around 3 Imitrex since April! I really do think eating clean (no processed junk) and working out multiple times a week is what saved me! I've noticed if I have sugar (even the tiny piece of cake) there is a good chance I'll have a migraine the next day.

So, my advice to you would be to cut out the processed food, drink only water, and exercise 4-6 times a week. Try it for three months...what do you have to lose?! --well, that's an easy answer...weight and migraines! :0)

I have chronic migraines, but they've been getting less frequent lately. My doctor took me off my birth control pills and that helped a lot, turns out birth control pills can cause them. I still get frequent headaches, like 4 times a week, and those can turn into migraines if I'm not careful. My triggers are bright light, loud noise, stress, strong smells (perfume, cleaner), motion sickness, eye strain, dehydration, and lack of sleep. My doctor just put me on Nortriptyline to see if that helps.
I go to the ER whenever they get really bad. An IV of saline usually makes me feel somewhat better before they even give me any drugs so I think my main trigger is dehydration... which I know I have an issue with because I forget to drink. =/

I tried getting a professional massage once when I had one, from my friend that works at a spa, but within two hours it had come back. =/

I have had menstrual migraines since 12 (first treated with imitrex then maxalt odt when I outgrew the imitrex). I have food triggers (nitrites/nitrates, cheese, red wine, salted potato chips) that I need to avoid. I also tend to avoid caffeine and sleeping in, which also trigger headaches.

Over the past year, I have had chronic dizziness now diagnosed with migraine associated vertigo with persistent aura. There is no headache, but crippling dizziness, right hearing loss, intermittent right facial pains, and right nose bleeds. FUN.

For this they have tried many medications, and so far the combination of verapamil 360 ER, depakote 1000 mg ER, and supplements (mag, coq10, riboflavin, b6b12, and ginger capsules for nausea) have helped some.

I know they (migraine clinic) tout a consistent schedule, regular amounts of sleep and wake up times even on your days off, caffeine use in equal amounts and identical times if you drink it and no more than 2 standard cups (such a tiny amount). Some recommend butterbur extract and fishoil as well. They also frown on shift work (I am/was nights) and apparently change of shift (am to mids to nights to am again). My migraine dr also told me there is a link in fluctuating bg levels and migraine. Her recommendation was to snack or eat little meals every 3 hours, instead of 1 meal in a 12 hour shift.

Personally, I can add the bright overhead lights and busy shifts where I barely drink enough water do give me a headache. That was easily solved with bringing my nalgene bottle into work.

Good luck with your migraines!

My migraines are stress related, and at one point I was getting them daily (while I was working on my thesis), and my doctor put me on a low dose of epilepsy drugs. It was rather odd treatment or so I thought, but after only one month on the meds, the headaches were gone. I have only had about 3 migraines since then. Of course, I've also tried removing a lot of stress from my life too.

Since you're seeing a doctor, you could definitely look into more "holistic" treatments, and an elimination diet might help. I know that many people who suffer from epilepsy do well on a ketogenic diet (apparently it was actually developed for treatment of epilepsy), and some people think that migraines and epilepsy have similar mechanisms of action. So, low carb may help, but then it may not. Something to consider if nothing else provides relief.

My migraines are stress related, and at one point I was getting them daily (while I was working on my thesis), and my doctor put me on a low dose of epilepsy drugs. It was rather odd treatment or so I thought, but after only one month on the meds, the headaches were gone. I have only had about 3 migraines since then. Of course, I've also tried removing a lot of stress from my life too.

Since you're seeing a doctor, you could definitely look into more "holistic" treatments, and an elimination diet might help. I know that many people who suffer from epilepsy do well on a ketogenic diet (apparently it was actually developed for treatment of epilepsy), and some people think that migraines and epilepsy have similar mechanisms of action. So, low carb may help, but then it may not. Something to consider if nothing else provides relief.

Back in the day when I used to go through migraine medications (nothing worked, and Imitrix was new - but just gave me stomach issues) they had 3 categories of medications that would be used for migraine sufferers: anti-depressants, epilepsy, and blood pressure medications. If the traditional migraine medications aren't working out for you - they still prescribe these. Or so I believe. I admit I stopped researching so much once I got my own under control.

I remember once taking my blood pressure when I had a migraine using an electric cuff - and having multiple readings that were VASTLY different within a matter of minutes. Once I saw that and admittedly, sometimes you CAN feel the blood pulsing in your head - blood pressure medication makes sense. And I'm sure someone on here? can explain the impact of anti-depressants or epilepsy medication on migraines.

I used to have 2 head ache free days a week tops. I went on a dr prescribed diet a month ago because I was diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure and he really wanted to get it under control quickly and in that month I have had 2 headaches that lasted a day each. I do feel mine were caused by spikes in blood sugar or blood pressure and I was severely deficient in several vitamins, especially vit d that I took a mega dose of and now take daily. it has truly changed my life to feel this way.

I cut all the triggers they talk about one by one and had less frequency.

Finally, bucked up and gave up coffee and had zero migraines. For a couple years, then I got cokcy and started drinking it again. But I just keep the amount very steady and I'm strict about it and I'm fine.

Apparently my only actual trigger was the wonkiness of my caffeine intake. Because now I can drink red wine, eat hot dogs and all the other triggers that are food and be just fine.

I still have to be careful about stress, and about temperature. If I stay someplace too hot or too cold for too long, I'm gonna hurt. So I don't. I developed a DGAF attitude about most things ppl do or say and also about how they might feel if I have to walk out of a meeting, or etc. due to temperature extremes. Nobody even cares. It's great.

Ive always got them - my whole life. Used to be 3 or 4 bad ones a year. In 2012 and 2013 it was about 2 a month, I mean can't work, can't drive, can't leave the bedroom bad. Relpax worked great once I got the Migraine, but nothing seemed to prevent it, and despite many scans and blood tests the Drs (and Neurologist) couldn't tell me what the cause was. Best they came up with was "your bloodwork shows some inflamation somewhere in your body".

Since earlier this year I have been eating Low Carb High Fat (less than 25g carbs a day). Almost immediately the migraines stopped. I haven't had one since April. I also don't get the almost daily "normal" headache I used to wake up with. And I no longer have heartburn or the constant pain in my hips.

My sister is a migraine sufferer. In addition to her meds, she says peppermint essential oils (sniffing it and applying to the temples) helps ease the suffering. She uses a roller like this filled with a high-quality essential oil: