Migraines blowing a day?

enyo123 · June 2012

Hi, all. I have chronic migraines, and I'm noticing that on days that the pain is really bad, I'm endlessly hungry, eat crappy, and don't exercise. In fact, today was one of those days... and instead of exercising while the kids were taking their naps, I took a nap, too.

Is anyone else like this? How do you get around it? Fortunately I only seem to have those bad days once or twice a month, but still.

greenkarla · June 2012

this whole week has been bad for me. It has to be the humidity or something. it's killing me!

Im really diligent in planning my meals the night before, preparing them and packing extra snacks like nuts, dry toast, orange slices, dried fruit, etc.... always things that I can snack on that I can stomach when Im too miserable to eat. Yogurt always goes down fine. so does protien bars, although the sugar doesn't help the headache much.

not sure if this helps.

shondajo13 · June 2012

I get horrible migraines at least once a week. Since I started eating healthier it has helped a lot because I was getting them more than that. But I do crave bad foods and want to lay around and do nothing on those days. I feel like if I eat more my head will feel better. But I've been trying to keep myself from doing that. Last time I had a bad migraine I did the exact opposite of what I wanted to do and went for a walk. I have been running but that was asking too much so I just walked. I didn't feel good and it was a horrible walk to begin with but after I was done my head didn't hurt as much. I was really shocked at how much better I felt. Now things don't always work the same for everyone but try doing something simple like walking and see if it helps a little with your headache. I was surprised that it helped with mine.

KStambulic · June 2012

I get migraines that last from one to three days every month. Starts with a pain in my teeth/jaw and I usually feel nauseous so don't want to eat much at all. Hard to eat enough calories on those days.

megleo818 · June 2012

Okay, I'm not any kind of a medical professional and don't claim to have any "real" knowledge at all, so if you don't like what I'm saying or think it's stupid, you may well be right.

That said, I have suffered with "menstrual migraines" (as diagnosed by my gp, my ob and a neurologist) for ... well for forever. I have found a cure that works FOR ME and also for several girlfriends of mine who experienced similar headaches. It may work for you. Then again, it may not. (See paragraph #1.)

For whatever reason, if I take over-the-counter medicine for sinus headache, along with a healthy dose of ibuprofen, I can usually kick my headache with just a two-hour nap. This is the ONLY thing that works for me. No "migraine" medication has been helpful. Again, I'm not a medical professional, but my theory is that by emptying my sinuses (with the sinus headache stuff), and reducing overall inflamation (with the ibuprofen), the increased blood flow that occurs during migraines has more room, causes less pressure and, as a result, is not painful.

But it could all be in my mind.

Regardless, try it if you like. I use whatever brand is cheapest when I'm shopping, almost always the store brand. The words I look for are "sinus headache" and pheno-whatever-free -- this means the active ingredient can't be used to make methamphetamine. :-)

Hope this is helpful.

neaneawy · June 2012

If you have a migraine you need to rest. Mine are pretty debilitating. I basically sleep on the couch all day with my head under a pillow to block out the kids. I can't address the food though. I get nauseous, so no eating for most of the day usually.

missjewl · June 2012

actually a friend of mine was told to try making tea out of dried peoni flower petals. She and another friend tried it. The one lady suffers from severe migraines for years and tried the peoni tea, and she now swears by it.

MoreBean13 · June 2012

I actually "missed" tues and wed this week b/c of migraines. Exercise was not an option, but I did manage to keep my diet in check. Migraines are pretty much torture, and I just do the best I can and move on- there's no point in stressing about what I could have done better while enduring the pain of a migraine. Getting through it is enough.

KStambulic · June 2012

Okay, I'm not any kind of a medical professional and don't claim to have any "real" knowledge at all, so if you don't like what I'm saying or think it's stupid, you may well be right.

That said, I have suffered with "menstrual migraines" (as diagnosed by my gp, my ob and a neurologist) for ... well for forever. I have found a cure that works FOR ME and also for several girlfriends of mine who experienced similar headaches. It may work for you. Then again, it may not. (See paragraph #1.)

For whatever reason, if I take over-the-counter medicine for sinus headache, along with a healthy dose of ibuprofen, I can usually kick my headache with just a two-hour nap. This is the ONLY thing that works for me. No "migraine" medication has been helpful. Again, I'm not a medical professional, but my theory is that by emptying my sinuses (with the sinus headache stuff), and reducing overall inflamation (with the ibuprofen), the increased blood flow that occurs during migraines has more room, causes less pressure and, as a result, is not painful.

But it could all be in my mind.

Regardless, try it if you like. I use whatever brand is cheapest when I'm shopping, almost always the store brand. The words I look for are "sinus headache" and pheno-whatever-free -- this means the active ingredient can't be used to make methamphetamine. :-)

Hope this is helpful.

I agree. When I take migraine meds, sometimes they seem to work and sometimes not. When I take one of my allergy pills, the migraine goes away sooner. I also find that flourescent lighting (at work) make the migraines much worse.

MrsBully4 · June 2012

I have chronic migraines and can't function enough to eat anything at all on migraine days. Fortunately I have had way fewer migraines since starting to eat healthy (from 12-15 per month down to 1-2 per month). I take Treximet for them, which works extremely well provided I catch them in time.

I checked your diary and I noticed some things that have been severe migraine triggers for me:

-wheat
-bacon
-anything containing preservatives
-gluten
-atkins brand food
-potassium supplements

I think that trying to change your diet might help with your migraines a good deal. If you are drinking coffee or diet sodas, caffeine can be a migraine trigger. Foods high in potassium like bananas can be migraine triggers. Foods containing excessive chemicals to lower calories or carbs (like sugar-free puddings as an example) or preservatives can be triggers. Wheat, and especially gluten, can be triggers. Basically, there are a lot of things in your diet which might be triggering your migraines.

Some things which help migraines without prescription medication are B12 and magnesium supplements, both of which I noticed you are taking (good for you!). Fish oil supplements help as well. Drinking lots of water helps. Pain medications designed to reduce inflammation/swelling that contain naproxen sodium help, not necessarily with the pain itself, but with the duration of the migraine (this was told to me by my neurologist).

If you haven't already looked into prescription medication and/or seen a neurologist it's probably a good idea to do so.

I have taken as-needed medications and daily medications and honestly it has been eliminating triggers from my diet that has worked the best for me. I strongly recommend playing with your diet and keeping a log of headaches to see if you can observe any commonalities. Feel free to message me if you want to talk more about migraines, and hang in there.

Edit to add: Also, try to find out if you are grinding your teeth in your sleep. This can trigger headaches upon waking up.

megleo818 · June 2012

Edit to add: Also, try to find out if you are grinding your teeth in your sleep. This can trigger headaches upon waking up.

Yes! I forgot about this -- my migraines used to be much more frequent before I got a bite guard to wear at night. Good for you teeth, good for your gums, good for your headache symptoms. -- Of course all the trigger food advise is also incredibly true and helpful as well.

saverys_gal · June 2012

Sometimes mine are brought on by a lack of food or eating too late. If the one I have that day is not in the debilitating, I can't focus, feel like I'm gonna hurl, please shoot me now category I try really hard to work through it. I've gone the meds route and it's a crap shoot. Eating right, working out on a consistent basis and keep my stress in check are the only ways to control them. That being said, when I feel them coming on I'll turn my overhead off (if I'm at work), get as cool as possible, rotate between a cup of strong coffee and water, take an aleve and a sudafed (I suffer from insane congestion with my migraines) and try and put heat on the back of my neck. If I manage to knock most of it by the time I get home I'll do a normal 30-60 minute *kitten* kicking workout and follow with dinner. If I still feel like hell I just relax, sleep and take real drugs if need be.
They seriously suck. Anyone who's never been through one is lucky as hell in my book.

cazwillis99 · June 2012

I suffered for 20+ years with terrible migraines - nausea, dizziness, vomiting. All I could do was sleep and wait until they went then I was usually wiped out for a couple of days afterwards as well. When ever I got them I craved chocolate, red bull and hot sweet tea. I was diagnosed with a wheat/gluten intolerence four months ago and since cutting these foods out of my diet completely I have not had one migraine. I think my doctor was more surprised than me at this side effect from going gluten free. Might be worth a try to see if it makes a difference - you have nothing to lose whatsovever - for me it is the best thing I ever did :-)

macpatti · June 2012

My migraines almost always last 12 hours. There is no way I can exercise while having one, and I usually don't eat during one. However, as soon as it's over, I'm starving! I crave dark chocolate after my migraines.

Caligirl_92 · June 2012

I get migraines that last from one to three days every month. Starts with a pain in my teeth/jaw and I usually feel nauseous so don't want to eat much at all. Hard to eat enough calories on those days.

@KStambulic, you might want to check into if you grind your teeth at night or when your nervous. A lot of my family does it without noticing at in can cause bad migrains and left unattended can actually crack you teeth. Its easily fixed with a teeth gaurd at night but going to a dentist to make sure your teeth aren't damaged.

enyo123 · June 2012

The B12 and Magnesium supplements were actually suggested by my neurologist. That helped a lot. For me, I have a headache every single day, but I didn't think that it was chronic migraines until that's the label that the neurologist slapped on it.

I've found that my biggest trigger (which made me really sad) was Storck chocolate reisens and caramels. On my bad migraine days, I get nauseous, and I think that I eat so much on those days because I get nauseous when I go too long without eating. Ugh.

Migraines blowing a day?

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