complicated migraine sufferers ... do any homeopathic tricks work for you?

Here is a trick I learned a long time ago. As a matter of fact, my son still uses this trick when he feels a migraine coming on. Thankfully I haven't suffered a migraine in a long time, but mine, when I do get them, are the wake up in the middle of night with a full blown migraine (cue the non-stop vomiting every 15 minutes for about 6 hours straight) type.

Anyway, here's the trick: when you feel the beginning of a migraine at the onset of an aura or wavy lines, whichever indicates a migraine is imminent, grab a paper bag. Cover your mouth securely with the paper bag and slowly breathe 10 breaths in and out through your mouth. Yes, you're blowing your breath into the bag and breathing that same air back in. Take way the bag and take 10 slow breaths with fresh air. Repeat until the aura recedes or wavy lines stop. Usually when I've done that on the rare occasions a migraine came during the day, the worst I ended up with was a mild headache. My son swears by this method, unless of course if he wakes up with a fullblown migraine. It doesn't work then.

Instead of standing in cold water, I've had good luck with a flexible gel ice pack at the back of my head. It's sort of torture, but it works.

I take a couple of magnesium pills, advil with coke/coffee or excedrin with juice then grab the ice pack, stumble to my bed, put on a blackout blindfold and lie down with the ice pack. If I'm lucky, I'm unconscious for about 45 minutes to an hour, then wake up feeling better.

Migraines are heredity in my family, my grandma passed it to my mom, who passed it to me and my brother. I passed them to both my sons. My grandma had to take some kind of pill every day before she got out of bed because she woke up everyday with a headache and if she didn't take the pill it turned into a raging migraine.

When I developed celiac disease because of thyroid disease, I had to completely cut out gluten which resulted in my migraines being greatly reduced. I've maybe had two in the last 2+ years.

You can try Epsom salts baths. Epsom salts are magnesium chloride crystals and, if you are deficient in magnesium (many migraine sufferers are) you will absorb the magnesium chloride through your skin. You get the water as hot as you can stand it and add about two cups of Epsom salts (available at most pharmacies and also Walmart). A fifteen minute soak and you are ready to be poured into bed for the night--very, very relaxing (and much more pleasant that putting your feet in cold water).

No. Sorry. I have managed to get control of my migraines by finding and minimizing my triggers. I switched up my diet, and went from having 3 a week, (pretty much a constant headache) to having one every few months. The only thing I really can't control are the scent induced ones. Perfume, cigarettes smoke etc.

No prescription medication has ever worked for me either. I also stopped taking excedrin, as they caused me rebound headaches.

Migraines run in my family too. My 6 and 9 year old get them too. I hope it skips the baby.

i take a feverfew tablet every day and my migraines have waned (i have been hospitalized for them, so i know how you feel!). i also think that my diet and exercise lifestyle change has helped tons. peppermint tea, too!

I hate migraines. What I find that will help or at least keep my mind off the pain, is to sit in the tub and have the shower on my head. Do some breathing exercises and just relax. I also take an imitrex.

Have you heard of a Candida Cleanse? Googling it will give you more info than you could ever ask for but in short, it's an overgrowth of yeast in your digestive track. It can be responsible for a plethora of symptoms that often get blamed on something else. My husband suffered from chronic headaches (almost daily) and after just one Candida Cleanse his headaches are gone. It's been over a year now and he's never felt better. Hope you can find some relief!

Comments from the peanut gallery will follow....really just thoughts of things that may help alleviate some of your suffering, and I will echo previous comments. There are good suggestions!

What about a preventative medication to attempt to prevent migraine before it happens? You may have already tried them all, but there are many different ones in many different classes. I will preface by saying I am finally having some luck this week with propanolol and botox after failing many many others (persistent aura is my issue as my routine menstrual migraines respond to triptans). I know for the rarer migraines prevention seems to be key as they respond poorly to treatment once they occur and can be exceedingly disabling. For me, the pills are routine, and the botox are shots every 3 months for starters (something like 20-30 done in the office, but I don't count). I know a person who take propanolol only at the onset of her aura and has done well with that.

That being said (as it has taken a looooooong time to have any improvement with my vision and balance/dizziness so I am ecstatic) migraine clinic has me on magnesium, b6/b12, b2 riboflavin, ginger capsules for nausea, coq10, mega efa, and butterbur (also can be found under the patented petadolex but that is much pricier). Feverfew was also on the possible recommended list of nutraceuticals for me to try. Here's a quick link with study references:
http://www.americanheadachesociety.org/assets/1/7/AHS_Tepper.pdf

The clinic also wants me hydrated (at least 2L spread throughout the day) and to avoid spikes/drops in my blood glucose by eating small amounts every few hours, and instruction to avoid eating large amounts at once or delaying meals. That is a very easy thing to do, and if it helps raise my migraine threshold I'll do it

A few other thoughts: migraine elimination diet (works for some so might be worth trying), and cefaly/tens unit. Cefaly is prescription only, has some pretty good data, and is well tolerated in the studies. Europe and Canada have a model with 3 set programs, in the US there is only one FDA approved setting for prevention. Tens unit would need to be recommended by a neurologist and instructions given to you for use.

Some have luck with accupuncture and trigger point injections, others swear by chiropractor (one specializing in migraine), I have seen accupressure be effective, and I have heard some have luck with massage.

I am waitlisted for a clinical trial involving the eNeura spring tms machine, which uses a magnet at the onset of aura to treat migraine. Not on the market in the US yet, and seem to only be found in the US at migraine centers in trials, but my neurologist says there have been some very promising studies. So that may be a bit of time before it is available, but is reported to be very safe, and ideal for those of use with the very disabling auras. The idea is that this would replace the need for medications.

I am surprised that they suggest narcotics, but again opinion varies from neurologist to neurologist. Some insist you take them and sleep, others won't treat if you take them. Narcotics never worked for my migraines well, and guaranteed a deathlike rebound headache for days so it was quite pointless. I wonder about something like compazine, an antinausea medication that has effect on migraine activity when given IM/IV (considering the doctor approves and you are comfortable giving yourself a shot). I won't link studies, but they are out there. Some decent side effects with this one so that would be a discussion with your neurologist.

I am not certain about the use or absolute avoidance of triptans in atypical migraine, especially familial hemiplegic migraine, as it really varies from neurologist to neurologist and I have heard arguments for both. I know there are neurologists who do allow them. There are studies showing successful treatment of these migraines without evidence of ischemic stroke or heart attack, the supposed reason the vasoconstricting triptans should be avoided.

This is one such example, there are others.

Eur J Neurol. 2007 Sep;14(9):1053-6.
Treatment of hemiplegic migraine with triptans.
Artto V1, Nissilä M, Wessman M, Palotie A, Färkkilä M, Kallela M.

You might consider a second opinion if you continue to suffer and aren't satisfied with your current treatment options avoiding triptans.

There is some data out there on medication overuse headaches, and the medications are many (narcotics, triptans, over the counter preparations, especially allergy/cough/cold and anti-inflammatories). This might be worth looking into to identify these sneaky triggers if you take over the counter stuff.

I wish you luck finding a treatment plan that works for you. Migraines are awful all the way around.