Migraine advice needed

In My Humble Opinion
21

Don’t know how useful this is going to be but…

I’ve been having migraines for most of my life, varying violence, varying frequency - I’ve tried a whole lot of different treatments, some of which seemed to kind of work for a time. Imitrex actually works for me, but I don’t like the way it makes me feel - apathetic and ‘depressed’ for want of a better word, for at least a whole day - same problem with beta-blockers and tranquilizers. Opiates kind of work for temporary relief, but ultimately a) I don’t like the way I feel with any of these drugs and b) the migraine tends to come back anyway.

So what do I do ? Mostly nothing. I’ll take a couple or ten tylenol to take the edge off, but ultimately I find that going through it is preferable to the alternatives. Obviously this isn’t for everybody, but it may be that there is no satisfying medical answer to migraines.

As regards migraine triggers - my main one is lack of sleep, and to second, third, fourth or whatever it is, I’ve also heard a lot of cases where changing birth-control pills helped.

Good luck to your daughter.

22

I cut out 98% of wheat two years ago and I’ve only had one headache that sent me into bed since. I did it for GI issues, the headaches turned out to be a side effect.

23

I’ve never been diagnosed with migraine, although I get auras occasionally. However, I do get sinus headaches and when I lived in the Midwest they were definitely more frequent in the spring and fall. What works for me if I wake up with one is a combination of caffeine, ibuprophen, and Sudafed. It has to be the real thing, though, the stuff they keep behind the counter now. This usually works even if I wake up with the headache in full swing, especially if I can lie back down for half an hour or so.

24

I second the comment on Sudafed. Sudafed PE is worthless. Since we’re using the same remedy I would recommend a steam vaporizer with a towel over your head in emergencies.

25

I get migraines but a year ago or so, I would get a really awful migraine every single day of my period. (At the time I would get 1-2 migraines per week typically; the ones during my period were every day for 4-5 days and were very intense.) I was already on birth control pills. My neurologists and my gynecologist agreed that going on continuous birth control was a good idea. I don’t take the placebos/skip a week; if I get breakthrough bleeding I stop the pill for 3 days and then restart.

Agreed with the caffeine suggestion - she might be getting caffeine withdrawal headaches instead of real migraines, or something like that. Start consuming the old level of caffeine and then taper off slowly, and see if that helps.

My favorite OTC migraine med is Aleve (naproxen). It’s an NSAID like other suggested OTC drugs. My neurologist allows me to take 4 Aleve (880 mg) at the start of a migraine, and 2 more (440) an hour later if that doesn’t help.

26

Nothing much to add, but just to reiterate some things already said:
Excedrin Migraine is the exact same stuff as regular Excedrin, just in a fancy box and priced a little higher.

My neurologist suggested 800 mgs. of Advil in the Liqui-Gels form. It works better than aspirin for some people, and the liquid gets into your system faster. I usually take 4 or 5 (ask your doctor before taking that much!), and it can head off a migraine if I catch it quickly enough.
Aleve works pretty well, too.

Also, as said above, take the Imitrex AS SOON AS SHE THINKS SHE’S GETTING A MIGRAINE. Waiting till you want to die is too late.
A long hot steamy shower also works for me. A Shower Massage is great, if you have one. Set it to pulse and have her let it hit the back of her neck, the top of her head, along her shoulders. That always helped me.

I was taking Topamax, but I don’t have a prescription plan anymore, and have a huge deductible. I’ve tapered off of it, and have noticed a slight rise in the frequency, but nothing like they were.
It worked really well for me, though. It cut the severity and frequency down to nearly nothing.

Various weather patterns can trigger one for me. Dropping barometric pressure will usually do it. I can usually tell when it’s going to rain or snow. I don’t always get a raging migraine, but I get that odd pressure headache behind my eyes and along the sides of my head.

And again, as said above, letting the little triggers build up will do it. Always get enough sleep, stay hydrated, eat right and watch any food triggers. I consume tons of caffeine every day, and that doesn’t bother me, but refined sugar will.
I use Sweet & Low or Splenda in my coffee, and they’re both fine, but aspartame (Nutrasweet) can trigger one.
Like so many migraine stuff, YMMV.

27

I used to be the same way- when I came home from college, I’d get migraine headaches, until I went back to college and they diminished.

For me the best methods were Imitrex at the ONSET of a migraine- i could recognize the Aura, and I’d take the medicine, and then try to go to BED. That was the key for me- let the imitrex work for an hour or so- but when it’s working i’m basically laying in bed trying to go to sleep so that the big one won’t hit.

I also tried just cutting down on the Caffienation, but that didn’t really do anything- what DID help was just being able to get outside during the summer EVERY day- I was used to at college behind outside quite a bit, but when I came home, I felt cooped up, and didn’t leave the house often for days. So getting daily exercise outside helped me quite a bit.

I also got my eyes checked- and it turned out I randomly needed glasses at age 21 in one eye- since then that’s GREATLY decreased my migraine headaches, but I always have the Imitrex at my home just in case if I feel the aura of the Migraine coming on. Otherwise, Excedrin and Extra Strength Advil gel-caps were my big 1-2 punches vs. most severe headaches. That and the dark room and quiet.

28

I third or whatever the migraine diary. Whenever she gets one, write down where she’s been that day, what she’s been doing, what she’s eaten/drank, what the weather is like. It’s a lot of work but it’s very important.

Something I’ve had success with: Vitamin B2 and magnesium. My neurologist developed his own blend (www.headachefree.com), but the recommendation is to take a multivitamin, and make sure you get at least 400mg of B2 and magnesium in the vitamin. Most OTC supplements have 50mg of B2 max.

I’ve had a lot of success with Trigger Point Injections–I went from 4-5 days a week of migraine down to 2 every 2 weeks or so after TPI. Physical therapy has also helped me some.

I also went on a very restrictive elimination diet for about 6 months to try to rule out food triggers, I used the recommendations in Dr. Buccholtz’s book Heal Your Headache (if you Google this you can get the foods, etc. to avoid). It was very difficult, but useful to me. I gave up caffeine and birth control pills for a year, but introduced them both back in with no increase in migraine.

29

My migraines diminished significantly after I had a couple rounds of antibiotics to get rid of a sinus infection. It seems there may be a relation between the two types of headaches - migraines and sinus headaches.

I take a magnesium supplement, and I also take flax seed oil, which has a lot of Omega 3 fatty acids. The Omega 3 appears to reduce systemic inflammation, which has calmed down my sinuses. Don’t know that I can credit fewer migraines to it, though.

30

Well, this is interesting, especially given that others have said they tend towards migraines when the seasons change; change of seasons is exactly when my allergies act up! So, I’m wondering if the migraine/sinus headache could be a seasonal allergy thing? EFoP has a 'script for Allegra for her allergies, but she doesn’t take it every day. It would be interesting if she started taking it daily and see what it does to or for the frequency of her migraines.

Last night, she drank a cup of caffeinated hot chocolate (she doesn’t like coffee, but drank a lot of highly caffeinated beverages while school was in session) and didn’t get a migraine. She’s going to continue with the nightly caffeine, but I’ll suggest she add Allegra daily.

31

I’ve suffered migraines for years though I’ve known the trigger – caffeine. I used to just get kickback headaches if I didn’t drink soda the exact same time and amount that I drank the day before. It would not go away unless I took two Excedrin. One wouldn’t do the trick.

I went off soda for a few months and was miraculously migraine free. For some reason, stupidity, I guess, I started drinking it again and the migraines returned in full force once again. This time, however, I’d get them no matter how much or little I drank. They seemed to be worse if I drank Coke out of the can, so maybe the aluminum had some sort of reaction. Anyway, they started coming on at bedtime, so I had to take Excedrin or suffer, which killed the headache but kept me up for several hours. The last straw was when I went camping last Saturday night. I left my purse, and Excedrin source, at home and stayed up all night in the most horrendous, nauseating pain. It was one of the worst nights I’ve ever spent. The next day, I went home, found relief with Excedrin and vowed once again to go off Coke again. I’ve been migraine free for nearly a week.

My name is Lisa and I’m a Coke addict.

32

I rarely get them, but I did want to say that regular combination birth control pills – I went through, I think, three brands – all gave me horrible headaches during the off days after a few cycles. As in, three-day migraines during the bleeding. And it started after about four or five months on each. Otherwise, I might get one every few months. She might want to consider trying different pills, if her docs are okay with her taking the pill while having migraines.

Oh, and she has my sympathy. They suck.

33

My wife an I both get migraines. Mine aren’t as serious or frequent as hers, but when I start getting one, I hit it as soon as possible with an Imitrex, 600mg of ibuprofen, and a nap.
My doctor has told me that Imitrex and other migraine medicines work only about 60% of the time. Different medicines, such as Axert, may work better or worse for a particular person, but nothing will work every time (and as others have said, by the time the headache hits, it’s probably too late for a migraine medicine; all you can do is treat the pain and nausea and ride it out). Your doctor may have free samples of various pills for you to try out.

34

Disclaimer
I’m not a Dr.
I’m not your Dr.
Go see your Dr.
/Dislaimer

That said, its summertime and hydration is very important. Has she been taking in enough liquids? I’ve heard horror stories about scouts at camp with massive headaches who finished a 20 mile hike and didn’t drink their water. Unless she is in danger of drowning in her own tissues, ask her to drink a bottle of water (and sit there while she drinks it until its done). Then go away for 20 minutes. When you come back, ask her how she feels. If she feels better, your welcome and COSTCO sells Poland Spring by the case. If I’m wrong, my wife will brace herself for the news that her husband will never become a Doctor.

“Here is a quarter, Mr. Blucher…”
“Why Thanks, Fish-face. How did You know I was saving up for an Assault Rifle…!?”

35

I had horrible migraines almost monthly with one specific brand of birth control pills so look into that but I’ll also echo the others who have said that you need to take Imitrex ASAP, you can’t wait until it becomes a full blown migraine.

36

This is what I was going to say. I’ve had migraines (not too frequent or “shoot me now” severe) off and on since high school (I never kept a diary to find out the triggers, though, which I really should do).

I found that ibuprofen, preferably the quick-release kind, could stave it off if taken in time, and my doctor endorsed this as being better (if it works) than the migraine-specific drugs: she also suffers from migraines and doesn’t like the side effects of Imitrex, but it’s the only thing that works for her. I was originally taking the regular dose of Advil (2 pills, 400 mg of the quick-release stuff) but she said that doubling that is okay as long as you don’t do it too ofen.

Definitely check with your own doctor though-- that much Advil is a baaad thing if you are taking it regularly. I only need it about once a month.

I also have found that when the headache is coming on and I can’t stop it, a specific routine works well for me: turn the room temperature down low, make it as dark as possible, then lie down, pull the covers up, and put a very hot washcloth (as hot as I can stand) over my eyes. It really feels good, both at first and as the washcloth starts to cool down, and helps me get to sleep-- and after sleeping for a couple hours, I’m usually good to go again.

My headaches are pretty mild compared to some others I’ve heard described, but I hope this helps.

37

My wife gets migraines every couple of months.

Imitrex did nothing for them. Axert is a magic wand that kills 'em dead in minutes.

Absent insurance, the pills are $15 each, but worth 10 times that. With insurance they’re a little cheaper, but the copay is large for the number of pills you get.

Echoing the advice of others:

  1. Make a thorough health & symptoms diary. Start now. Include foods, drugs, activities, weather, menstrual cycle, sleep, ordinary headaches, etc.

  2. If you think you might be getting a migraine, you are getting one. Take your magic pill now. In 20 minutes you’ll be miserable and it will be ineffective.

38

The hydration question is a good one. I know she drinks maybe four cans of Diet Coke throughout the day, and will get a glass of water every now and then, but I really don’t know how much liquid she gets, and it would be a good thing for her to track. You’d think I would know better, but she’s a night owl. She doesn’t get up until Noon or so, and while I go to bed at 10PM or thereabouts, she’s up until at least 2AM so there’s a lot of time in our days when our days don’t really overlap.

She went to spend the night with a friend last night, and I told the friend about the “caffeine experiment” we were doing and said she was to have some caffeine around 9PM. So we’ll see how that does.

I’ve also heard good things about the Advil Liquigels, and will buy some for her to try.

39

Migraines are so individual! I’m lucky that Imitrex generally works for me, but as several others have said, it has be the minute I start absently pressing on my eye socket (#1 signal). I also use nasally injected Imitrex for when I know the pills won’t stay down. It’s easy and quick. With either, lying in a dark room is preferable to trying to push through it. Hot hurts me, but I like cold - ice pack on the neck, across the eyes.

Mine also have a sinus-like feel - one side tends to get stuffed up (signal #2). I don’t have allergies, luckily.

For a long time I took feverfew and magnesium daily, but I haven’t noticed an increase in number since I stopped.

Good luck to your daughter!

40

I found a reference to taking co Q 10, and it seems to help me. Only thing that works for me is popping a midrin the instant i start getting the aura [i get visual and smell both] and very rarely does one hit badly enough that I go through more than 3 midrin other than the one I had when I was also having a pseudogout flare starting off. that was epic elemental pain.