fed up with migraines

[LadyFaile]

i just had to leave work halfway through my shift because of a migraine. i'm getting fed up. i know what i can do to make it go away but i can't do it at work. it involves sitting in a dark room with a cold cloth over my face, no noise, and of course ibuprofen. if i'm not at home i can't get rid of it as quickly. and we have bright fluorescent lights at work which don't help. i wanted to gouge my eyes out seriously.
anyone with migraines ever figure out the cause, other ways to get rid of them, ways to prevent them etc?
if i feel it coming on and take ibuprofen right away i can usually stop it from getting too bad but i didn't have any with me today. it wasn't just a headache, i knew i was in for it before the pain started cause i felt dizzy and distant, had no periferal vision, was having a hard time reading, thinking, reasoning etc. i was putting cds away and was having a hard time figuring out where they should go alphabetically in the racks. i felt dumb.
this is pretty normal for me when a headache is coming on

[hoodedclawjen]

maybe you should start carrying ibroprofen in your purse all the time. you could see a doctor about better drugs too. there are some pretty decent migraine pills these days.

[Veg Mommy]

I have a couple of friends who suffered migraines. They were deficient in magnesium. They started taking magnesium supplements and within a couple of weeks they did not suffer from them anymore. I cannot say that is the case with you but you might try it. I hope you get better soon!

[LadyFaile]

i usually do have some on me but my little pocket sized bottle is empty and i keep forgetting to refill it from the big bottle at home.
i find Aleve works better than any other ibuprofen but you can't get it in canada. whenever someone i know goes to or comes up from the states i get them to bring me some. i should ask my hubby's aunt to bring some when she comes up for easter. i'm out :cry: and just using store brand ibuprofen right now which doesn't work as quickly. i won't use prescription pain killers.

i asked a few doctors, i've changed gp's a few times, they always seem to brush it off and say we'll talk about it next time and shove me out the door. they never seem to have time to actually discuss options with me.
we're getting a new doctor so we'll see what he's like. we were supposed to go meet with him today (he likes to meet new patients before taking them on) but his receptionist called to say he was off sick this week so we have to reschedule. ironic huh.
but yeah whenever i finally get in for a checkup i'm going to ask him. i'm sure there must be a reason for this that nobody's been bothered to look into. i tend to think it's sinus related because i have some other problems with my sinuses, but other times i think it's my eyes. i thought i was hypoglycemic but tests came back ok. i used to think it was my wisdom teeth til i got them out and nothing changed lol.
i have several triggers:
bright/flashing lights, especially coloured stage lights
glare on my glasses
not wearing my glasses
not enough sleep
too much sleep
if the air is really dry
smog/dirt in the air
sudden drastic change in weather
not eating enough
not enough sugar
too much sugar
not enough caffeine
too much caffeine
etc

i also am prone to nosebleeds.
one thing that did lessen them was going to a chiropractor regularly. i would like to start going again now that i have medical benefits again but i don't have the money to pay for it upfront (and get reimbursed later)
it seems to me if i have so many triggers it's not just strictly my eyes or sinuses or something else that cuases it, there must be something more general.. i dunno
i'd like to see a naturopath

[LadyFaile]

I have a couple of friends who suffered migraines. They were deficient in magnesium. They started taking magnesium supplements and within a couple of weeks they did not suffer from them anymore. I cannot say that is the case with you but you might try it. I hope you get better soon!

that's interesting. i'm going to look into that. thanks!
sometimes just eating a heavy meal helps immensely so i've wondered if it was a deficiency of some kind but i didn't know of anything specific that would cause headaches other than vitamin c

[hoodedclawjen]

you can get aleve in canada, its just a prescription drug here (naproxen). i know you can get it, cos i've got some. :p

[VEGIHEAD]

Okay I have been suffering migraines the last year...
I know exacty how you feel.. They are the worst thing ever...
I get them every weekend and sometimes the day after the weekend..
Its crazy and i am so so over them..I get nauseas and I vomit and its just terrible..

I have been to the docs and they do nothing...
Anyways I heard about the low magnesium thing so I started taling them 1 month ago..
Havent noticed a change yet..
Also i have low vitamin D... Now I googled low vitamin d cause migraines..
And heaps came up.. Seems to be that this can be a problem.
So I have started taking a vitamin D supplement.
The doctors never even told me about this..
I had to find out for myself..
So I truly hope to god that this is the problem.. :) Fingers crossed.. :)

So maybe check you vit D and yes also take a magnesium supplenent.

Ive found that if i lay down with an icepack on my head I feel much better..

No panadols of anykind work for me..
I got imigrain prescrbed by the doc and that seems to work..

Hope you get to the bottom of it.. xo

[LadyFaile]

you can get aleve in canada, its just a prescription drug here (naproxen). i know you can get it, cos i've got some. :p

ohh! i didn't know about that. so it's the same drug sold under a different name? cause that stuff is da bomb. i mean if i'm already in full blown migraine mode it doesn't help much but if i feel a headache coming on one aleve kills it before it gets to the blinding pain stage.
i'm going to ask my doc about it when i go in, i have a drug plan now through work. so the prospect of free aleve is quite nice indeed!

i should really try to remember to take my multivitamins though

[DgyJff]

I haven't figured out how to curtail my migraines yet either :( I usually take Excedrine right at the start and hope it works. sometimes it's enough, often times its not. Sitting in a quiet, dark room helps me too. My triggers that I've figured out are

too much sugar,
too much fried food,
not enough calories,
change in altitude (I live in the mountains so every time i travel i get a migraine),
a weather system moving through,
having a really lazy day

I take mag/cal supplements and they don't seem to work for me. I try to just keep myself really healthy, but there's not a whole lot I can do about the weather and traveling.

[hoodedclawjen]

ohh! i didn't know about that. so it's the same drug sold under a different name? cause that stuff is da bomb. i mean if i'm already in full blown migraine mode it doesn't help much but if i feel a headache coming on one aleve kills it before it gets to the blinding pain stage.
i'm going to ask my doc about it when i go in, i have a drug plan now through work. so the prospect of free aleve is quite nice indeed!

i should really try to remember to take my multivitamins though

naproxen is the proper name for the origional version of the drug, and aleve is a weaker version that you can buy over the counter in the US.

Naproxen is known as Aleve, Anaprox, Antalgin, Flanax, Miranax, Naprelan, Naprogesic, Naprosyn, Proxen, Synflex, Xenobid- they're all the same basic NSAID produced under different tradenames, sold in different preparations, in different packaging.

its just like how Ibuprofen -which incidently is a different drug to aleve/naproxen, although still a member of the NSAID (non steriodal anti-inflammatory drug) family of painkillers- is known as Nurofen, Advil, Nuprin, Medipren and Motrin. They're all the same thing really, just made and sold by a different pharmacutical company.

if you get naproxen from the doctor you might well get a stronger strength of pill than the aleve is. it definately wouldn't hurt to ask about it, but if they're keen to help sort out the cause of the migraines, or to offer a migraine specific drug- like the Sumatriptan (Imitrex/Imigran) that VEGIHEAD has, that might well be a better option.

[Doktormartini]

Or instead of taking drugs that just take away the symptoms you can try and find out what's causing them. Usually it's something like stress, food related allergy, or often times a magnesium deficiency :).

Take the drugs if you can't bear the pain but find out what is causing them in the first place. Drugs won't stop them.

[Skylark]

naproxen is the proper name for the origional version of the drug, and aleve is a weaker version that you can buy over the counter in the US.

Naproxen is known as Aleve, Anaprox, Antalgin, Flanax, Miranax, Naprelan, Naprogesic, Naprosyn, Proxen, Synflex, Xenobid- they're all the same basic NSAID produced under different tradenames, sold in different preparations, in different packaging.

its just like how Ibuprofen -which incidently is a different drug to aleve/naproxen, although still a member of the NSAID (non steriodal anti-inflammatory drug) family of painkillers- is known as Nurofen, Advil, Nuprin, Medipren and Motrin. They're all the same thing really, just made and sold by a different pharmacutical company.

if you get naproxen from the doctor you might well get a stronger strength of pill than the aleve is. it definately wouldn't hurt to ask about it, but if they're keen to help sort out the cause of the migraines, or to offer a migraine specific drug- like the Sumatriptan (Imitrex/Imigran) that VEGIHEAD has, that might well be a better option.

:surprised Jen really knows her drugs. :eek: Good to have someone around who does, though.

[hoodedclawjen]

:surprised Jen really knows her drugs. :eek: Good to have someone around who does, though.

:lol: i wouldn't go that far.

[jnkgal]

I have visual migranes. It scared me the first time I had one. My vision shakes and I see all these patterns of light and light blinks shaking in my eyes. Its awlful. I cant read of function. I have noticed mine is set off from light and cold sometimes. Also during spring or fall allergy season it can happen. If happened when I was driving I could not see to drive. I can even see the light when I close my eyes. I never have a head ache but they told me it was a visual migrane. also the light from the computer can set it off too. unless you have one you can not understand.

[greensgood]

They were deficient in magnesium. They started taking magnesium supplements and within a couple of weeks they did not suffer from them anymore.


YES! lack of magnesium or poor absorption is a huge factor with migraines, magnesium helps with stress and anxiety relief, it also helps tight muscles release. tight muscles in your neck and shoulders are also a big factor for migraines, which is more reason why magnesium is needed.

take chelated magnesium, with calcium and vit. C. calcium and vit C help magnesium absorption.

you can also soak in a bath with epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) because your body will absorb the magnesium through your skin.

vit. D can also be a culprit. however please consider that too much vitamin D can cause magnesium depletion.
phosphates also can cause magnesium depletion, phosphates are common in soft drinks, so cut those out of your diet ASAP.
high fat intake can inhibit magnesium intake, as well as drinking alcohol.

[zoebird]

my husband's doctor says that taking 3 cups of strong coffee just as you begin to feel symptoms should stop the migraine. caffine is what does it.

so, very strong, black coffeee--3 cups as soon as you start to feel weird. it works well for my husband.

[VEGIHEAD]

my husband's doctor says that taking 3 cups of strong coffee just as you begin to feel symptoms should stop the migraine. caffine is what does it.

so, very strong, black coffeee--3 cups as soon as you start to feel weird. it works well for my husband.

Oh wow.. Thats interisting....
Worth a try :)

[LadyFaile]

good info greensgood, thanks. i do drink soft drinks, usually not more than one can a day, i've cut back actually, i've tried cutting it out altogether but it's hard :p my chiropractor gave me crap for drinking it too, saying that the carbonation is bad for your bones and joints. i'll have to work on it..
thing with the caffeine, i've been told that what i have can't be migraines because caffeine makes them worse instead of better most of the time, if i have one starting and have a coffee it gets worse, but on the other hand if i haven't had any caffeine for a couple days i get headaches so i dunno.. and everything else suggests that they are migraines other than that. i would like to find out for sure one way or another so i know exactly what i'm dealing with and how to deal with it.

the suggestion that finding the cause rather than treating the symptom is exactly what i'm looking to do. but in the meantime i can't handle it without taking something. if painkillers will help for now until i find a way to prevent them then i'll keep taking them. i really don't want prescription strength stuff though. anything stronger than otc aleve is probably too much. i do find aleve works better than advil or motrin for some reason but if the prescription variety is stronger i'll have to switch back to motrin or get someone to bring me some up from the states.

[LucidAnne]

I often get it when its a cold but bright day outside. Vessels constrict in the cold and the bright light will just trigger it.

I use Imitrex nasal spray...NOT the pill, as it causes me whole body pain, its worse than any migraine! It works pretty well in spray form.

also, to stop the dizziness, try benedryl. It works by slowing everything down (and prob knocking you out!)
in a pinch, try almonds, coffee or chocolate. they can sometimes help by opening up your vessels, for some pple tho, it can be a trigger...you just have to try it for yourself.

[LadyFaile]

chocolate if i already have a headache or migraine is death. normally not a trigger though. benedryl makes me so loopy i can't function lol. i'm really sensitive to most drugs, half a gravol knocks me out. when i've had really bad migraines that just wouldn't go away no matter what i did and were at the point of making me nausious, i take a gravol and sleep it off. generally though trying to sleep off a headache makes it worse. actually just lying down makes it worse. i guess because it slows blood flow or something i dunno. when i started suspecting it was sinus related i would try nasal sprays and rinses but it doesn't really help. i tend to feel congested, like i'm breathing through a very tiny straw, except that there's nothing actually in there. sucking on an ice cube, popsicle, etc, tends to help, i think the coldness on the roof of my mouth helps take down some of the swelling. so i think the main cause is swelling in the sinus area but i don't know what causes it. i hope our new doc will be able to figure something out. i do get fewer of them since moving back up north where the air is cleaner. when we lived in a big city i got lots of them, it was so smoggy you'd blow black crud out of your nose every morning and we had to clean the outside of our windows every week or we couldn't see outside clearly. it was bad. then we moved to a farming area and there was so much manure and hay dust in the air it was the same thing lol. up here is not so bad. too bad i didn't discover the neti pot sooner, if i'd known about that and used it daily living down south it might have helped somewhat. problem with the neti pot for me is that my sinuses are so narrow especially when swollen that a lot of times the water has nowhere to go and i just cause myself even more discomfort trying to use it. i think the key is to use it when i don't feel blocked up already, but i only think of it when i'm uncomfortable..

[*AHIMSA*]

I used to get crippling migraines. Here are some things that helped me:

Avoiding these things: soda, artificial sweeteners, fried foods, things with sulfates and sulfites, artificial additives of all sorts, becoming dehydrated, getting low blood sugar.

Eating regularly, sleeping enough, getting enough exercise and water...you know, the usual healthy stuff makes a world of difference too.

[zoebird]

seriously, my husband was having anxiety (panic attacks) and migraines. so this was the doctor's prescription:

coffee when you have a migraine.

sex at least 3 times a week.

and he said "if that doesn't work, we'll prescribe marijuanna."

it's great to have such an awesome doctor. LOL

[LucidAnne]

yeah the neti works best when its used consistently. i used to get constant sinusitis, infections and pain from viral infections...then i gave up dairy and use the neti...its a godsend. i get migraines now, but not the sinus stuff.

some of the suggestions of coffee, choc, etc may be a trigger OR a help. its diff for everyone.

[jenni-anti-fur]

I get horrible migraines...and they are affected by light,sound and everything else...when this happens I go lay in bed in the dark...take some ibuprofen and try to concentrate enough to try to relax and meditate and then get some sleep and it usually passes after a few hours.

[Bobby_Jo]

anyone with migraines ever figure out the cause, other ways to get rid of them, ways to prevent them etc?

You sound a lot like me, as far as your triggers, etc. There was a point a few years back where I was getting them almost weekly, which was making it nearly impossible to work. There are two things that have helped me:

1) I went to see a neurologist. He put me on a medication called Topamax, which reduced the frequency substantially. In addition, he gave me a prescription called Relpax, to take when the actual migraine hits. Instead of having migraines that would last 5 or 6 hours, I can be up and about in 2 hours usually. Most people are usually prescribed Imitrex rather than Relpax (it's just more commonly available), but I've always found Relpax to have less side affects. If your migraines are severely affecting you (i.e. you're getting them a couple of times a month or more), then I highly recommend you go see a doctor about it, and start some form of medication.

2) Exercise. This is what has really cured me of my migraines. It sounds like a bit of an oxymoron, because extreme physical activity is actually one of my triggers. What I had to do was start very slowly -- every day, I would do the exercise bike for about 10 minutes, on a low level. And then build that up slowly in time and intensity over the months, until I can do about 30 minutes (still at a fairly low intensity -- my husband does the exercise bike on setting 7; I do it on setting 3). Exercise increases the endorphins and blood flow to your brain; both of these can prevent or relieve migraines (really, studies have been done). The trick, though, is to do it regularly (if I don't stick to my exercise, I absolutely get a migraine), and at a fairly low intensity -- don't jog, or play racquetball, etc. Something gentle like the exercise bike is perfect.

I can say with great happiness that last year, using both of the above, I got only 2 migraines in a 12-month span (which is a huge change for me). When I was bad over this last Christmas, and didn't exercise as I should, I got two migraines in rapid succession, as well as another a month later when I slacked off on my exercise again. So for me, exercise is definitely a major factor. I don't know if it would work for anyone else, but I'll throw it out there as a suggestion :)