How to deal with migraines??

[Axels73Charger]

I've seen the doctor. I've got the meds I should take when I get them. Like ibpro, another drug I cant spell. And the night time thing to "prevent" my migraines. Well it doesnt always work. Its been like this for about 5-7 months. Its sucks! And well I cant figure out ways to help ease the pain! ITS NOT COOL! And the doctors making me "record" the damn things... Im getting pissed cause it got better and NOW ITS EVEN WORSE THEN IT WAS BEFORE!!!!! God damnit! So what do you do to help with the pain? Cause im really really tired of this...

[ipstrategies]

I also get migraines at times (most triggered by weather fronts and pressure changes) I have found that spicy foods with  Cayenne and or other chili peppers, salsa , hot wings etc helps me most times.
I would also try to keep track of when they come on and see what your triggers are. I can not go down a cleaning product isle or by a perfume counter.
I tried the meds for a little while and researched online and have have only had to take some vicodin a few times in last 3 years.

Most doctors treat symptoms, you need to find out the triggers and see if you can help with out more symptom meds.

[MoparManJim]

Have you been sleeping to long? because I get those son of bitches at times also. I know how you feel man. I get mine if I sleep to long or if while I am sleeping my eyes looks up or around in one direction to long while I sleep. 

I drink afew cups of coffee and afew snacks and for me the pains are gone. 

[chargergirl]

Had massive ones with stress along with sinus problems like stated by ipstrategies...couldn't go in a Yankee Candle Shop without going home and lying down forever. Walked into a house for sale and 3 minutes later we were home and I was major sick for the rest of the night. This all stopped with the fixing of a molar that seemingly went out of control. Headaches gone, sinus issues gone...just one more thing to check on.

[Axels73Charger]

Smells and weather I have found to be triggers. I am also thinking noises can be another trigger. A therapist or what ever you want to call her, once told my parents when I was around 6 or 7 that I was like a recorer that was left in a resturant. You can here your friend and just focus on your friend talking. But the recorder hears EVERYTHING. Its a pain in the ASS! Am I a special needs kid? Hell no! Im normal like every one else. Just cant block shit out... Spicy food huh? Ok I'll try that too. And maybe a cub of jo if needed.

[sunfire69]

My girl friend has a terrible time with them also.....she swears by Maxalt. She has to take it at the very on-set of her migraine and it will stop it in it's tracks for her.....but if she doesn't catch it with the maxalt....it's rough because it can't play catch up.....good luck....I've seen how terrible they can be.....

[BigBlackDodge]

My wife gets them too, artificial sweetners set hers off she's discovered. Exedrine migrain works well for her if she takes them as soon as she feels one coming on.


BBD

[Todd Wilson]

Exedrine Migraine usually will take care of one coming on. Once I get one I am screwed. Shuts me down fast.   Years ago I used to take 2 actifed,2 aspirins and drink a beer as fast as I could and go lay down. Hour or 2 I was usually ok.

My step mom would get them years and years ago and she wold go get a shot at the Dr's office and by the time we would get her home she was about out.  She would go to bed for 24 hours straight. Out big time. Wake up without a headache.

Todd

[derailed]

my wife gets them a lot, she gets a prescription of 800mg ibuprofen. For me I drink a shitload of water which i drink a lot of anyways and it seems to help sometimes but not always, depends on if its from tension.

[Mike DC]

    
I've never been prone to migraines.  But my brother had a SERIOUS problem with them when he was a teenager.  He missed a lot of stuff in his teens over them.

By his 20s they had become less common.  He still gets them occasionally as an adult but it's nothing like the frequency that he once dealt with.

 

[sunfire69]

That Maxalt has a version called Maxalt Mlt. ...it's a tab that melts on your tougne and starts working almost instantly.
She wanted me to let you know...

[Manfred318]

I get them from time to time. Mine usually start out like Im looking thru shattered glass, then I cant focus my eyes on any thing. The head pain and nausea usually comes on about 10-15 minutes later. It usually puts me out for at least 6-8 hours, and I dont usually feel "normal" for a day or two afterwards. I havent seemed to peg what triggers them tho. It seems they come on at random times. Ive not really found anything helps with me, besides sleep. Ive taken asprin, excedrin, rx pain killers, etc. and none of it usually does much good. Most of the time I drink something with alot of caffine and try to take something to make me sleep. It seems to work better than most things Ive tried.

[Brock Samson]

 Just a thought, but when i was a kid, I had horrible headaches, sometimes I'd get really really ill .. about once a month... then when i was 12 I got tested for allergies and found out i was extremal allergic to animal hair and dander, well we had a cat, "Mitzi" a sealpoint Siamese that slept on my bed most every night... when I was 13 she died (broke my Lilla heart too     )   anyhow, shortly after all my headaches and mysterious illnesses went away,.. just like that.. Sorry for your discomfort... BTW I am badly allergic to walnut trees pollen and sap too,.. my cousin had walnut trees in the backyard (he lived in Walnut Creek Ca.) we used to play in and around and under the trees, had the treehouse fort and all that,.. and I'd allways get really sick whenever we visited them... my eyes would sometimes swell shut but we never put two and two together till I got tested and they found out I was allergic to all these things I was around all the time...

[Axels73Charger]

Thank you all for the suggestions and stories etc. Glad you guys could help! Sunfire69 tell her thanks! I'll ask the doctor if I can take it. He has me recording the headache intensity and frequencies. And how the 2 meds and working. Thanks for the advice

[Todd Wilson]

I had them bad as a kid.  It usually happened on mondays. So happened monday night was a church class I had to go to and my mom always thought I was trying to get out of going.  It would start in the morning and by afternoon I was wasted when school got out.  I think back that maybe too much sleep was the problem for me as we had to go to bed early sunday night to get up for school on monday. I dont remember many in my high school years and very few in my 20's but since I have gotton older this last 5 years or so I have been starting to get them again.



Todd

[Todd Wilson]

I get them from time to time. Mine usually start out like Im looking thru shattered glass, then I cant focus my eyes on any thing. The head pain and nausea usually comes on about 10-15 minutes later. It usually puts me out for at least 6-8 hours, and I dont usually feel "normal" for a day or two afterwards. I havent seemed to peg what triggers them tho. It seems they come on at random times. Ive not really found anything helps with me, besides sleep. Ive taken asprin, excedrin, rx pain killers, etc. and none of it usually does much good. Most of the time I drink something with alot of caffine and try to take something to make me sleep. It seems to work better than most things Ive tried.

Thats kinda along the lines of how I feel when I get mine except I feel like I am in a fish bowl then shattered glass. Sound and smell really makes it bad too.
If I get a bad one I am hung over for a day or 2 after sometimes.


Todd

[draftingmonkey]

Migraines run on my dads side of the family. He and his sister get them and my 4 siblings and myself get them. It also seems to be showing up in some of my older nieces/nephews.  Started for me around 30 and have ramped up in intensity.
Triggers that set mine off can be perfume/cologne, bright white fluorescent lights (do not like to use cfl's in the home as it bothers me also but may have no choice eventually), stress (which is bad now as I have been out of work for 11 months), loud noises, allergies, etc.  Not every time with any of them but enough to be bothersome. If I am lucky and catch it early, sometimes aspirin and coffee will stop it.  I use Excedrin Extra Strength as it is the same as the migraine formula, and again if taken early it sometimes helps (beware about taking it to often as acetaminophen is hard on the liver).  Same as Maxalt, if taken early will sometimes kick it. Most times I end up having to tough it out.  If I am lucky I can sleep it off.  Sometimes so bad that I can't lie down so sit upright in my recliner, and the worst are the ones that bring your lunch up and make life real miserable. If I am lucky a heating pad on the neck and an ice pack on the forehead will help.
My dad was on heavy migraine drugs for years, which is why I try to avoid most drugs, and a virtual migraine drug junkie.  He has cut back to only using the imitrex injection. Still bad migraines but he says he doesn't feel so drugged out any more.
Usually will put me down for 2-3 days after a bad episode.  Hope you can work with your doctor and get something that works for you.  If not, remember you are not alone.

[Black Charger]

My wife absolutely cannot have anything containing aspartame, which is an typically found in artificial sweeteners, diet soda and most anything with the words "diet," "lite" or "low-cal" printed on the label. She has also been told by her doctor to avoid caffeine and chocolate, as they are common triggers for migraines.

[ipstrategies]

MSG is another big trigger for a lot of people. This used to be easier to see listed in the ingredients before the FDA allowed anything 99% pure and above to be listed as MSG and anything below 98% pure (to be called on of many thing most popular - NATURAL FLAVORING).
If you look at ingredients you will see Natural Flavoring listed in about all processed foods, so anyone with problems with MSG and buys a product that says NO MSG on the label can look at ingredients and see NATURAL FLAVORING listed which means 98% Pure MSG called something else.
Thank you FDA!!

[Big Sugar]

Well I was a Headach/Migraine sufferer for at least twenty five years, I can honestly say I'm free now.  Mine were also Triggered by Stress and somtimes smells. I'll still pick up the start of a headach from a Smell such as smoke or some types of candles, but now I've learned a way to calm myself and focus out the headach.
    I did this on my own after years of taking up too 100 Advil/Motrin, (222's,Tylonal, Asprin...Over the counter) .....you name it per month.I stayed away from Doctors perscribinng dibilitating meds that seemed worse than the problem.

For some Chronic sufferers I'm sure it's a little harder to shake it off and for  for some maybe impossible but let me tell you how I did it and if you can truly trust yourself and learn how too setttle yourself down Hopefully you can one day be free too.

Chronic migraines and Headachs are in a lot of cases a triggered by a sensation, stress or a routine/pattern that you've developed. Alcohol and drugs are another trigger for obvious reasons.

  Here's a little help from how I managed to help MYSELF.
First off....Don't tell yourself your "getting" a headach or a Migraine is coming on....Tell yourself you need to Calm or unwind, Ask your family to give you some space and time to help you unwind, This may also help with helping Children with Stress or anxiety issues, Stay away from the labels (Migraine/Headach/Attack)

Remember you are helping yourself now don't add stress by talking about it with everone else JUST DO IT,

  The plan is to find a trigger that you can use to start the unwinding process, (For me my migraines feel like pressure or my brain is wound tight) try to focus on the feeling of your pain subsiding . Find a comfortable location sit down and relax, try to relax or calm the top of your head, the sensation I get when I do this is similar to a cracked egg being poured over your head and as it comes down over your heads its like the start of a wave that unwinds the turmoil inside, Stay calm and still hopefully there are no distractions around you, try to stay in your zone ,...Think CALM.... forget trying to associate calm with another memory or picture in your head .. just think CALM
Relax you face muscles Stay with Calm.......
Feel the tension begin to unload....Stay with calm.......
Feel your face and your whole head relax......Calm.......peacefull calm..
let you jaw relax...If your feeing the calm stay in the zone, No words no thoughts....just calm.....
if you start feeing the "calm" relaxing the very top of your head let it slowly slide down like water slowly running over your head.
The water is relaxing the turmoil inside...stay still and think CALM....as it begins let the relaxed feeling go down your neck.....Calm
Stay relaxed stay clear focus out, try not to think....stay Calm.....Calm your brain.......Calm your face.....Calm your head.....unwind the mess

Stay with this for 15-30 minutes . Tell yourself its its a triggerd effect and you can shake this off....Help Yourself...Try to rid yourself of all the drugs and extra baggage your loading on yourself....

Most importantly Remember the sensation as it turmoil begins to subside...That sensation is your new Trigger, It may not help you at the beginning of a eposode but it will start to help you down and with practice hopefully you can move the "CALM" closer to the start and prevent the migrane all together.

For Chronic suffer's you may want to join a ZEN or yoga class, just to teach yourself how to unwind, Learn the feeeling of unwinding your tension /stress/ turmoil from the inside out, The Trigger you've created maybe a hair trigger now but hopefully you can slide the lock over and eventually lock the trigger.

For me personally , I sit up  on my  front room couch, I try to sit very relaxed ,Im thinking of my feet being relaxed and my hands resting and then I beging to rest my thoughts, That sounds very soothing to me right now just writing it, "Rest your Feet...Rest your body...Rest your hands...Rest your energy.....Start to calm...Stay with calm...
  I can usually knock down a incoming Stress headach wich will eventually lead to a migrane if not stopped.

I did this all on my own no help from anyone, I just remembered what it was like to feel a migrane lighten up and start to subside then I focused on calm and it happened.


This may sound sort of strange but once I was sitting thru a calming on my couch, and as the calming sensation was slowly sliding over my head I relaxed my Jaw and stayed with Calm and My headach felt like it literally slid out of my mouth, I know it sounds strange but I wouldn't make this up, The Stress or Turmoil or the negative energy simply Washed away. I've only done it once , and I'm sure I knocked down a Big one.


Good luck Think "CALM" , I wish you all success, suffering Chronic Migranes and headachs is tough on the family and yourself.
Try too find your energy, it may sound strange but it's a lack of control over your energy that seems to cause this eposodes.

If you can practice when you don't have a migrane od headach it may also help the key your looking for is Calm find the zone wher you can calm .

Remeber a Migraine starts with a Headach, The WORD MIGRAINE is a Trigger in itself !
Don't tell yourself or someone else they are getting or ar going to have a migraine. Cause in a lot of cases it just directs your energy in that direction.
STOP USING THE WORD, Get rid of the word and relace it with a word that has no trigger.



Good Luck
Ron

[Manfred318]

I get them from time to time. Mine usually start out like Im looking thru shattered glass, then I cant focus my eyes on any thing. The head pain and nausea usually comes on about 10-15 minutes later. It usually puts me out for at least 6-8 hours, and I dont usually feel "normal" for a day or two afterwards. I havent seemed to peg what triggers them tho. It seems they come on at random times. Ive not really found anything helps with me, besides sleep. Ive taken asprin, excedrin, rx pain killers, etc. and none of it usually does much good. Most of the time I drink something with alot of caffine and try to take something to make me sleep. It seems to work better than most things Ive tried.

Thats kinda along the lines of how I feel when I get mine except I feel like I am in a fish bowl then shattered glass. Sound and smell really makes it bad too.
If I get a bad one I am hung over for a day or 2 after sometimes.


Todd

Ya know sound and smell never seem to bother me. Light makes mine worse. I usually lay down and cover my head with a pillow or something dark to keep as much light out as possible. I try to keep the radio or TV on because it kinda takes my mind off of the pain. If I dont have some sort of noise to keep my mind occupied I will lay there and dwell on the pain and nausea and make it worse.

[chargergirl]

My mother used to have them and it was the weight of her hair that brought them on. The eyes looking through fractured glass is called an optical migraine. It is commonly the predecessor of the migraine. So as soon as I would feel one of them coming on...also feels like you are looking through a tube...I would take something. If I didn't hit it them it would be disabling. 

[Todd Wilson]

I get them from time to time. Mine usually start out like Im looking thru shattered glass, then I cant focus my eyes on any thing. The head pain and nausea usually comes on about 10-15 minutes later. It usually puts me out for at least 6-8 hours, and I dont usually feel "normal" for a day or two afterwards. I havent seemed to peg what triggers them tho. It seems they come on at random times. Ive not really found anything helps with me, besides sleep. Ive taken asprin, excedrin, rx pain killers, etc. and none of it usually does much good. Most of the time I drink something with alot of caffine and try to take something to make me sleep. It seems to work better than most things Ive tried.

Thats kinda along the lines of how I feel when I get mine except I feel like I am in a fish bowl then shattered glass. Sound and smell really makes it bad too.
If I get a bad one I am hung over for a day or 2 after sometimes.


Todd

Ya know sound and smell never seem to bother me. Light makes mine worse. I usually lay down and cover my head with a pillow or something dark to keep as much light out as possible. I try to keep the radio or TV on because it kinda takes my mind off of the pain. If I dont have some sort of noise to keep my mind occupied I will lay there and dwell on the pain and nausea and make it worse.

Light gets me too! I remember a month or so ago I got one. Shut me right off. I was in bed pillow over my head....it was about noon and they decided they needed to test the tornado sirens that day. I live across from a school and it has one and it liked to kill me as it made its rotation and got to my house.


Todd

[Todd Wilson]

My mother used to have them and it was the weight of her hair that brought them on. The eyes looking through fractured glass is called an optical migraine. It is commonly the predecessor of the migraine. So as soon as I would feel one of them coming on...also feels like you are looking through a tube...I would take something. If I didn't hit it them it would be disabling. 

Looking thru a tube or fish bowl as I call it is kinda what I get.  I had one one time that gave halo's around stop lights as I was trying to get home before it completely shut me off.


Todd

[MoparManJim]

Well, I had plan to work on Project JB66^ this evening BUT thanks to the gaswell guys and what they love doing I have right now one hell of a headache because they decided to pump the gaswell tanks and spray the water from the tanks onto the road out in front   and all the way up the road and up past my neighbors places also. Now I have to suffer a dame headache all night and small the stuff on the road for afew days. I would like to see them spray the crap out in front of there own places and see how they would like it for once. I tried drinking coffee and that isn't help at all. I took afew asprens and yet that isn't helping as it's been over 4 hours sense I took them. 

[Green71R/T]

I use to get 2 or 3 migraines per week but since I have reduced the amount of refined carbohydrates in my diet I now only get 1 or 2 migraines per month.The triggers were perfumes,chocolate,hard cheese,peanuts,some cleaning products,diesel exhaust,chinooks,alcohol,and some chemical odors.Now the triggers aresome perfumes,some cleaning products,and some chinooks.If I eat more than 30 grams of sugar in one day the next day all my triggers return.It takes about three days to become less sensitive to migraines again.

[Todd Wilson]

I use to get 2 or 3 migraines per week but since I have reduced the amount of refined carbohydrates in my diet I now only get 1 or 2 migraines per month.The triggers were perfumes,chocolate,hard cheese,peanuts,some cleaning products,diesel exhaust,chinooks,alcohol,and some chemical odors.Now the triggers aresome perfumes,some cleaning products,and some chinooks.If I eat more than 30 grams of sugar in one day the next day all my triggers return.It takes about three days to become less sensitive to migraines again.

I've never really watched what I ate and determined if stuff like that has any effect on my headaches.   What the heck is a chinook?  Helicopters give you a migraine?   


Todd

[restoman]

Mine are usually triggered by weather and air pressure changes. If I'm lucky, Excedrin Migraine will relieve some of the pain. Most times it doesn't. Nothing else I've tried so far works.
I get incredibly sleepy most times, and usually go down until the next morning. If I wake with a headache, I pretty much know I'm done for the day.
Last year I had only one or two for the whole year, this year since mid January has felt like one after another. Spring and fall are the more frequent occurences.
They pretty much take me out for a day or three, sometimes longer. Afterward feels like I've gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson.
Sound doesn't bother me, but light and smells sure do! Not uncommon to find me wearing sunglasses in the house.

[71ChallengeHer]

Don't let them put you on Fiorocet , you can get rebound headaches from taking it. Ask me how I know 

[Green71R/T]

I've never really watched what I ate and determined if stuff like that has any effect on my headaches.   What the heck is a chinook?  Helicopters give you a migraine?   lol

Chinooks are a warm wind that occur in the winter here in southern Alberta.The temperature can go from -30C to +10C in less than one hour.Huge barometric change.

[stripedelete]

I use to get 2 or 3 migraines per week but since I have reduced the amount of refined carbohydrates in my diet I now only get 1 or 2 migraines per month.The triggers were perfumes,chocolate,hard cheese,peanuts,some cleaning products,diesel exhaust,chinooks,alcohol,and some chemical odors.Now the triggers aresome perfumes,some cleaning products,and some chinooks.If I eat more than 30 grams of sugar in one day the next day all my triggers return.It takes about three days to become less sensitive to migraines again.

My cousin got rid of the carbs and his went away.  Lost 40 Lbs too.