Migraine Sufferers...

[SuZQZ]

My meds are becoming less effective and the new one's my doc has had me try in recent years were not effective at all. Too often I have had to resort to heavy hitter narcotics to rid me of the pain and symptoms, but I hate how I feel after taking them.

Anyone else suffer from these wretched, debilitating types of headaches? If so, what have you found that works?

[Onyx]

I've had them all my life.

I am on daily preventative of 120 mg propranolol (generic Inderal). It doesn't prevent them all but keeps me from being completely disabled 2 or 3 weeks out of the month like I was before. It's made my life liveable again and allowed me to work full time and run a business on the side, something that would have been impossible for me before treatment.

If I get a mild one I take Excedrin.

Liquid Nyquil also works if I'm headed for bed and can sleep (not Dayquil which is useless).

If I get a really bad one I take prescription Imitrex pills or the Imitrex shots if I'm too nauseated to swallow pills. I get vomiting and diarrhea with the really bad ones so the shots are my only option.

What have you tried? The triptan medications have been like a miracle for me. My doc wants me to switch to some of the milder ones but nothing works like Imitrex. It's nice because there are no narcotic effects. It just takes away the pain and stops the vomiting, no high feeling, no problem with my driving being impaired.

[xbittergracex]

My meds are becoming less effective and the new one's my doc has had me try in recent years were not effective at all. Too often I have had to resort to heavy hitter narcotics to rid me of the pain and symptoms, but I hate how I feel after taking them.

Anyone else suffer from these wretched, debilitating types of headaches? If so, what have you found that works?

I've been getting Migraines since I was a child. I used to be laid up for DAYS.

My Dr. gave me these tablets a few years ago, and I've sworn by them ever since. Its called Maxalt, and its a tablet that you stick under your tongue and it dissolves. After suffering from these for practically my whole life, these are like my wonder drug. Now they won't help once you HAVE a full blown migraine. Studies have shown that the only real 'cure' is time....just sort of letting it pass. However they have also shown that migraines are caused by blood vessels in the head not flowing fast enough basically.....and for that, caffiene (sp?) helps. So I usually take a couple Advil Migraines (not GREAT but they help take the edge off) with a bottle of Mtn Dew or Redbull.

Weed helps too

[Onyx]

I forgot to add, while waiting for my meds to work, I have found that an ice pack on my head (or a wet towel I popped in the freezer to get icy) and soaking in a bath as hot as I can stand helps too. The icy towel makes the blood vessels constrict in your head, easing the pain, and the hot water in the bath increases the effect. My neurologist suggested this to augment the effect of the meds.

Also - Bittergrace - you should try the Imitrex shots or nasal spray sometime if your doc approves. It can and does stop a full-blown migraine in it's tracks. It's amazing stuff, although I do hate the pain of the shot. They have a self-injector you use that's very easy. The nasal spray is even easier but for some reason isn't effective for mine.

I have to be in severe pain to get up the nerve to do it though.

[SuZQZ]

Thanks for the info. Will check into propranolol (generic Inderal). Unfortunately, Imitrex and Maxalt were both ineffective, as were the others I tried before them. My doc has decided it's time for me to see a neurologist since all he's had me try have been ineffective or become ineffective in a short time. The meds that worked for the longest amount of time are Midrin and Fiorinal with Codeine, but those seem to work less and less now.

Someone at work takes Zomig(?). Will see if I can get a free sample from my doc and see if that works or not.

[Onyx]

Thanks for the info. Will check into propranolol (generic Inderal). Unfortunately, Imitrex and Maxalt were both ineffective, as were the others I tried before them. My doc has decided it's time for me to see a neurologist since all he's had me try have been ineffective or become ineffective in a short time. The meds that worked for the longest amount of time are Midrin and Fiorinal with Codeine, but those seem to work less and less now.

Someone at work takes Zomig(?). Will see if I can get a free sample from my doc and see if that works or not.

Zomig had very mild effects for me, only took the edge off, but a friend of mine says it's the only thing that works for her.

I'm curious if you tried Imitrex in the shot? For me it works very differently than the pill. (Mine are killers though. I need one shot and then another in 2 hours when I have a head-splitter).

Hope you find something effective soon. Migraines can make life miserable.

[Msterbeau]

Long naps.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

I lay down, close my eyes... and imagine that the pain is little goblins in my head with pick axes going away at my skull. I imagine an army of little space soldiers shooting htem with ray guns. The pain goes away.

[Winter Steele]

I have Ocular Migraines which sometimes lead to blindness or passing out. The pain is excruciating and the best thing I've found is caffeine and Imitrex 50 mg. It takes the pain away but the pills are expensive.Excedrin takes the edge off along with an energy drink of your choice unless you are going to bed soon then MDX would be a bad idea.

[SuZQZ]

Can't take asprin (excedrin), but the Fiorinal and the Midrin both have caffeine in them to speed up the drugs absorbtion. I always use my eye mask, ear plugs and cold pack and retreat to my room to writh in agony until the pills work, if they work, the whole time trying not to stew over whether this one's going to last only a few hours or several days. Hopefully, I will be seeing the neurologist by January. Over the past three years the migraines have increased considerably in occurances. Some are triggered by hormonal changes, but I can't track what triggers them the remainder of the time. I know what sets off the tension headaches and have reduced them to only a couple times a year now. Hopefully, I'll find some meds soon that will do the same for the migraines.

Thank you all again for sharing your information. You've given me much to check into so I am prepared when I see the neurologist and some options to have my regular doc give me in the meantime.

[torn asunder]

has anyone tried getting examined/adjusted by a chiropractor? i've had several long-term issues disappear, and not return, in the years since i started getting spinal manipulations. cluster headaches, numbness in extremities, ear infections, chronic sinus infections, digestion issues, etc... (hell, i could even sing better!) aside from major trauma/injury, i believe this can take care of practically everything!

[Onyx]

has anyone tried getting examined/adjusted by a chiropractor? i've had several long-term issues disappear, and not return, in the years since i started getting spinal manipulations. cluster headaches, numbness in extremities, ear infections, chronic sinus infections, digestion issues, etc... (hell, i could even sing better!) aside from major trauma/injury, i believe this can take care of practically everything!

It's definitely worth a try. I have heard from a few people that they got a lot of relief from chiropractic manipulations.

I've spent thousands on different treatments - chiropractors (didn't do anything), tried acupuncture (helped me relax and feel generally healthy but did nothing for the migraines), hormones (mine tend to be most severe around my period), many different medications that only made me sick until my doc tried the Inderal.

I'd do the acupuncture again because of how I felt when I didn't have headaches. My doc thinks mine are hereditary, hormone-related and not related to any injury or skeletal maladjustments. All the females in my family have them, and unfortunately as soon as my eldest daughter got her periods she started the vomiting and migraines. :( I was hoping that was one thing she didn't inherit. He said as I reach menopause they will probably ease up a lot (one thing to look forward to about getting older).

[Head Wreck]

i get a few migranes a year and i just bite the bullet for X amount of days it flares up and watch my temper and choose my voice tone and words carefully.

i am also suspected of having a permanent migrane condition which is painless but has its effects.

tension headaches are easy. thier usually caused by the neck muscles knotting up near the base of the skull so when i get those i just massage em out and i'm good

[SuZQZ]

I've been debating on trying a chiropractor. My only concern with that is that my neck was injured in a car accident in my early 20's. That is usually the cause of the tension headaches, but not the migraines. I've suffered from those since I was 11 or 12. The tension headaches are almost as bad as the migraines as far as pain, but since there is no nausea or other aura symptoms, I tolerate them better. I have referals for three neurologists and two chiropractor's. I've held off seeing either because my daughter has had some health issues that took top priority. Her condition is under control with medication now so I can start to focus on me.

I think tomorrow morning I will call and set up some appointments.

Thank you again to everyone for the valuable insight and information!

[Nienna]

I have migrane quality headaches caused by muscle knots in my back and neck so NOTHING (read: nothing) helps completely. Imitrex sometimes will make me loopy enough to ignore it. If I take a crazy amount of muscle relaxors it'll stop it but then I'm Gumby. LOL Excederin if it's not too bad. I've been told massage and chiropractor weekly would pretty much cure me, but my insurance specifically does not cover that so yeah.

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

Chiropractors wont touch me once they know my medical history.. a broken neck is not something to muck about with... and the fact that C6 is only 2/3 there... cervogenic headaches SUCK! No amount of pain killer will calm them. Muscle relaxers that put me into a zombie state work... but I'm a walking corpse when I am on them. So, I lay down... relax... let my imagination go wild and the little blue storm troopers kill of the pain goblins...

[SuZQZ]

Chiropractors wont touch me once they know my medical history.. a broken neck is not something to muck about with... and the fact that C6 is only 2/3 there... cervogenic headaches SUCK! No amount of pain killer will calm them. Muscle relaxers that put me into a zombie state work... but I'm a walking corpse when I am on them. So, I lay down... relax... let my imagination go wild and the little blue storm troopers kill of the pain goblins...

Damn! I will complain less when my neck hurts after reading that! I only had whiplash ("only". ha! I always thought it was a bullshit diagnosis until my injury, OUCH!!!) I don't know if a chiropractor would be keen to work on me, not only due to the neck injury, but because I have a history of spontaneous pneumothorax (lungs collapsing). I think I will at least go in for a consult. My dad has known the one for 15+ years so I know he would be honest and not work on me to just make a buck.

[Msterbeau]

Whiplash? Headaches? Hmmmm....

I sprained my neck in my last year of high school skateboarding and then re injured it shortly thereafter in a car accident. I never really had migraines/bad headaches until after that time....

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

Nienna, sound like you have cervogenic headaches. I am so sorry if this is the case, but as long as you don't have bone damage you should be able to go to a chiropractor and gets some major relief.

[Head Wreck]

i think my spine is the only area i havent smashed up thank goodness

[kellygrrrrrl]

My Husband used to have Migranes maybe every other day....

he'd get them so bad, he'd go imnto the room and press his head between pillows....light would hurt it, any sound etc....sometimes he'd even puke from them being so bad.

He also used to pound like 2 2 litres of pop a day....along with candy and other guilty pleasures....

eating one time a day, in large portions...crash crash crash...no wonder....and had this consistant diet for some years....

we started dating....I observed the amounts of sugar he was taking in and associated it with that.

I suggessted he stop drinking "sugar" pop......and start drinking diet, or juice.....less candy etc....

within DAYS he stopped having them....

and hasn't since...it's been about 6 years now.

he MIGHT get one every here and there from eating too much skittles.....

maybe it has something to do with your diet?

[SuZQZ]

Probably not my diet. I eat pretty healthy and break it down into several small meals a day. I have a small stomach so I don't eat much in a sitting (Marc can attest to this). I rarely have sweets, maybe once or twice a week 2 cookies or a hershey's miniature, etc. I talk about chocolate and cakes a lot, but really one bite satisfies me. If I eat anymore than a couple bites my tummy feels icky. I drink barely 2 cups of coffee in the morning and I have one glass of soda a day, maybe. I usually drink water, green tea, pineapple juice or Fuze low carb drinks. My diet consists mainly of fruits and veggies with only 4 ounces of meat at dinner and 1/4 C of a starch/carb. But I think I will go out and get one of those small pocket calendars and start writing down what I eat, drink and do each day to see if I can find a pattern/trigger outside of the hormone flux. You never know. Maybe there is something I am eating that I don't realize is facilitating the migraines.

[Nienna]

Nienna, sound like you have cervogenic headaches. I am so sorry if this is the case, but as long as you don't have bone damage you should be able to go to a chiropractor and gets some major relief.

I'm pretty sure it has to do with my neck. I was in a bad rear end accident a few years ago. Meh. Am tempted to just pay out of pocket for a Chiro.

[Homicidalheathen]

I used to get them. I used a meditation to make them go away.

http://www.personalfitnessinstructor.co.uk/Press.html

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07256/817000-55.stm

It runs in my family.

yoga helps too

http://emzr.com/category/fitness/yoga/migrane/

Let me try to go find the exact meditation I used today

[Nienna]

Got a prescription for Flexerall today. Hopefully it works.