Please tell me about your migraine coping techniques

In My Humble Opinion
1

Since last Wednesday, I’ve had a migraine. I didn’t know that it WAS a migraine until this morning, when my doctor diagnosed me and gave me some medicine. I wasn’t sure what I had, but it hurt like an abscessed tooth (I knew I didn’t have one of THOSE because I just had all of my teeth worked on). And it Would. Not. Go. Away. I am aware that most ailments will clear up by themselves, given time, but I was seriously contemplating going to the ER last night.

Anyway, what can I do next time one strikes, other than take pills? Hot compresses? Cold compresses? Getting stinking drunk? Having someone drill a hole in my skull, to let the demons out?

2

I’m so sympathetic. My sister suffers from those horribly. I get them, but not that often. I’m fortunate in that the first thing that happens before the migraine gets really bad is I start having trouble with light–even light from a lamp will really bother me. Right at the first sign I take my medicine, turn off the lights and lay down with an eye pillow. Usually if I can catch it right at the start, it will be gone in a few hours. If I don’t manage to catch it I’ll be out for a day or two with all the attending trauma. Going to your doctor was the right thing to do. Beyond that, I’d say keep the lights dim, the noise level low and don’t spend lots of time staring at your computer. For me, that makes it even worse. I really hope you feel better soon!

3

Migraines are tricky. What works for one person can be totally different than what works for someone else. I’ve only had a half-dozen or so in my life and all I can do is be in a dark, quiet room and try to sleep them off, but mine tend to come on strong and go away in a few hours rather than last for days. Then I have what I refer to as a migraine hangover day when I feel wiped out but don’t have a headache. My sister had them chronically for years and she was able to head some of them off with medication. There are many prescriptions that you can get to keep on hand - some are made to take daily, others when you feel one coming on. I forget which one I had for a while, but it was a quick-dissolve type that I took as soon as I got symptoms (for me it is an aura), that sometimes stopped it completely, or at least seemed to make them less severe. I found that a good shot of caffeine also helped mine, but for her it brought them on. Over the counter medicines are laughable at helping migraine pain for me.

My sister said that anything that got the blood flowing out of her head helped. Cold rather than heat. She also learned to use biofeedback to get the blood flowing out of her head and into her toes and fingers. She got pretty good at it - she had sensors to put on her fingertips and she could raise the temperature of them in just a few minutes by practicing her biofeedback techniques. Some insurances will cover this type of therapy.

It’s really trial and error. It sucks though - at the time you will try anything to make the pain go away.

4

Migraine sufferers in my family swear that caffeine helps.

5

This has always worked for me. It doesn’t always cure the migrane, but it makes it at least tolerable until I can get to sleep.

Pinch the web of skin between your thumb and forefinger for maybe 3-4 minutes. I don’t know why or how it works, but it seems to always do the trick.

Good luck.

6

I use and ice pack (or 3) and take some Tylenol 3’s . Yes, I know that T3s aren’t usually recommended for migrane pain, but they work for me. (They don’t get rid of the headache, but I know longer care that I have it.)

7

Other than pills, little else works for me, except perhaps crawling into bed, pulling all the covers over my head to block out light and noise, and trying to sleep.

8

For me, Caffiene, Chocolate, Excedrin and sleep
But remember for some people caffiene, chocolate or Excedrin can trigger a migraine

9

I do this upon the onset of aura, so I don’t know if this would help in your case, but I immediately put on a pair of sunglasses. This usually diminishes the aura and either squelches or eliminates the impending migraine. I usually take ibuprofen at the immediate onset of one, as well, if I have it.

Caffeine, for me, keeps them at bay.

10

I usually take seven or eight Advil (seriously).

It helps the pain, but I still feel funky and disconnected.

11

Mine are directly related to hormones (Thursday before starting new BC pills on Sunday). My “cure” is Darvocet and coffee. Then I wake up when the pain is gone, typically the next day.

My sister gets them often and she has a prescription suppository (eww) that she swears by. She can tell when one is building when her hands start to tremble and sounds “linger” so she’ll stop whatever she’s doing to medicate. It’s not narcotic and she can still function after taking it. Personally, I’d rather have a drug-induced sleep-out, but that’s just me.

12

My girlfriend has had migranes for years. She recently was told by the dentist that she grinds her teeth at night. Now she has a night-guard thingy (I think you can also get them at the store for around $20), and hasn’t had a migrane since.

For her, it was just about carrying tension in her neck and jaw.

13

Icepacks, darkened room, caffeine, painkillers.

But mostly I like imitrex nasal sprays. I hope this was a one-off for you Lynn, because migraines suck.

14

Dark and quiet. If you do need to use the computer, turn the brightness down.

15

I’ve tried just about everything but the only thing that gives me any relief at all is strong migraine medication. Sometimes I have them for up to 6 days straight so without medication I would probably shoot myself.

16

I find it unusual that you just had your first migraine and that it followed dental work. It is likely to be related and temporary.

If you find yourself having another one then THE MOST IMPORTANT THING is to learn to recognize your symptoms early. I always get them in succession, sinus, tension headache at the base of the skull and then migraine. The migraine starts as a queer headache perceived in the center of my head. I have 15 minutes to do something or I’m screwed. If I catch it in time it is a 1-hr event. If not, I’m down for a day.

Migraines are often vascular in nature (blood vessels are dilated). If that is the case then caffeine in large amounts will help. I have a regiment of nasal spray, Sudafed, ibuprofen and 1-4 mugs of tea while inhaling steam (the hot temp feels good on my sinuses). Sometimes the hot steam will do wonders, sometimes nothing. I use a towel over my head and sit in front of a vaporizer. While I’m thinking about it, laying down usually intensifies a migraine. I’ve slept sitting up with my back to the wall before to lessen the pain.

This is obviously my personal regiment and it is successful because the root cause for me is usually sinus related. My sinuses get irritated from: dust, smoke, food allergies, alcohol etc… Chocolate, MSG and sulfides can add to the misery.

Caffeine is a cruel mistress. Drinking 4 cups of tea is a lifesaver but it will enslave you (the first cup often adds to the pain). If I don’t have my morning cup of coffee it will start a normal headache which can lead to a migraine. I’ve severely limited my alcohol intake because of this. I would often oversleep on the weekends from a night out on the town. That is death to a migraine sufferer.

I left out ice cubes. In a full-blown migraine, all the muscles in my neck and head will inflamed. It actually spreads from muscle to muscle. A migraine AND a muscle tension headache is absolutely the worst. I will ice down each muscle in a revolving pattern until they subside. Haven’t had to do that for a while since I learned to recognize the onset of a migraine. If you feel you are getting one in the middle of the night DO SOMETHING. It won’t go away if you lay back down. It will get worse.

Be careful of pain killers. Tylenol is lethal if taken in excess.

17

What works for one can be another’s torture.

I have food-triggers ( red wine, chocolate, MSG,popcorn, peanut butter…to name a small sampling. Most of these trigger if I eat them on an empty stomach. Except popcorn. God, I love it, but it makes me throw up every time because of the pain it causes. WAH!)

Hormonal, though those have tapered off over the years.

StressWhich was a big problem when I was younger and didn’t have confidence. Social anxiety related. Now it is maybe once a year. Maybe.

Barometric Pressure Changes Yes, my sinuses predict the weather farther out and more accurately than The Weather Channel. My husband use to think I was nuts. I’ve had this amazingly painful talent since the birth of my daughter in 2000. By far and wide, these are the worst. Because, like shit, weather happens all the time. Especially in fall in Michigan, where it seems to be brutal. Spring too. Summer isn’t so bad. But fall, Oye! These migraines last longer and make my entire right side of my head feel a tight, jarring lightening rod kind of pain. YAY!

Other factors can cause migraines, such as a new medication, carbon/radon leak in your house/work, STRESSSSSSSS say, how goes that bookstore? caffeine withdrawl, teeth grinding, sleeping position ( lack of proper head support) lack of nookie ( ok, just kidding.) and naturally, some kind of blunt force trauma to the head and loud music/noise and lack of sleep.

You can try preventatives , usually seizure meds and blood pressure meds that work to keep the blood vessels dialated ( or not dialated, can’t remember) so it can get to your brain. MaxAlt & Correg are two BP meds I’ve taken with happy results. Other dopers have taken the anti-seizure stuff who will probably chime in with the drugs’ name.

Abortive meds, like Imitrix ( nasal or pill) , can get the migraine pain to stop usually within 30 minutes. The nasal spray works great but the taste that slides down the back of your throat is vile. There are a dozen or so abortives out there, so if one doesn’t work, don’t give up hope.
Caffeine taken with aspirin (Excedrin Migraine or aspirin and coffee/tea/coke) can work wonders for stopping a migraine before it sets in. That , I have found, to be a key thing.

Too much of aspirin, tylenol and the like can do terrible things to your stomach and liver.

Some herbs or supplements work well in people to prevent migraines. I’ve had success in this department. Most migraines are because of blood flow not getting to the brain in its usual manner. I’ve often wondered if migraine sufferers are more prone to strokes. Which is why I am keen on an aspirin a day regiment at my youthful age. Cause you never know.

Hot compresses expand the blood vessel. Cold contract them helping them speed along to your cranium. However, for me, I can’t stand cold compresses and a hot bath relaxes my tight neck, back and shoulder muscles.

One other thing that can cause migraines, and it is a rarer trigger, is lack of oxygen to the system. My late brother suffered from nonstop migraines for years and no one could figure it out. Not even a Headache Clinic in Ann Arbor with superb doctors. Because of his muscular dystrophy, he had become a belly breather (Shallow breaths) and until he went onto an oxygen tank in his last year ( he should have gone on years ago) his migraine mostly went away. He was breathing at somehting like 30-40 percent (can’t remember) if not lower.

So, taken deep breathes and s.l.o.w. yourself down.

Let us know and take care!

18

Much as I hate to laugh at your pain, Magiver, this had me chuckling a bit, imagining a little squadron of pain-killers rushing the enemy Lord Foul Migrane.

Just FYI:

Regiment: A military unit of ground troops consisting of at least two battalions, usually commanded by a colonel

Regimen: A regulated system, as of diet, therapy, or exercise, intended to promote health or achieve another beneficial effect.

19

About the best thing I’ve found for mine is to dope myself up so that I fall asleep. My brother has found that for his, the best thing for him to do is to slap the hottest towels he can find on his head.

20

A hot shower, as hot as you can stand it.

I sit on the floor in the shower and let the water run down the back of my neck and back.

I take pain killers (OTC) and generally sit under the shower until they kick in. Can take 30-45 minutes.

Not sure if this will work for you.