Migraines

My dad used to get migranes really bad- he found out it was from too much caffine- but after that when he would start to get them, he'd go to the Chiropractor and something would be out of line- maybe a trip to the chiro. is in order?

{{{Feel better soon!!}}}

I started getting migraines a few years ago. They were so bad I would get nauseous (almost never happens), could not sleep because of the pain and would have to get mostly naked and lay near the air conditioning or a fan( I hate being cold unless I'm ill, then it makes me feel better). I was certain I had some horrible brain disease, they were that bad. With the help of my doctor we discovered that my neck has several herniated disks. It's pretty bad. My neck is always sore and stiff right before I get any headache. My blood pressure was also too high (170+/110+). Over the past year or two we noticed that as my blood pressure medication was adjusted, I got fewer migraines. She prescribed amitriptyline to help prevent, midrin then another migraine med. I take it as soon as my neck is tight and stiff. I also get headaches when I'm out of my nasal spray for allergies.

If yours are related to your menstrual cycle I have two words for you. Depo Provera. I had a tubal ligation years ago and stopped taking the pill. After having been on it for practically my entire adulthood, I could not stand getting regular periods. Since I tolerate hormones and drugs well in general, I tried depo provera. I don't get a period unless I lapse in getting my shot. I make sure not to lapse any more and am addicted to depo. I plan to stay on it until I hit menopause . If you aren't planning on getting pregnant in the near future, you might discuss it with your doctor.

how are you feeling tonight? any better?

The only thing that works for me with a migraine is to catch it at the beginning of my "aura". If I don't take 600 mg Ibuprophen (same as Advil), and 2 Tylenol Extra Strength (equals 3 Tylenol Plain), I will have a full blown migraine that can last 3 days before all of the symptoms of it are gone.

I actually had one yesterday (Wednesday) which started late Tuesday night. I used a combination of medication and ice packs on the back of my neck until it was gone.

Some things that you can do to help with migraines are:

Pressure Points which really really does work for headaches!

Caffeinated coffee
Ice pack on the back of the neck
A neck roll to align your neck when you are laying down.

I didn't get the chance to read through all these responses, but I'm well experienced with this topic.... last January I started with an unbelievable migraine that no doctor up here (State College, PA) could diagnose.... I had so many blood tests that I thought I had no blood left, MRIs/MRAs, xrays, a spinal tap, was on everything from asprin to valium and nothing worked... I literally could not function and ended up having to withdrawl from my 2nd to last semester of college... my mom forced me to come home (near Philadelphia, PA) and go to a headache specialist neuroligist at Cooper Hospital. After everthing I went through (I didn't get to see this specialist until late March, so it was almost 4 months of not being able to be human) the only thing he could come up with is that something (we still don't know what) caused the original migraine, which eventually caused neck and back pain and it turned into an endless cycle... he put me on about 5 different meds: each medicine took care of a different part of the cycle to break it and then I got therapudic massage... this combination is what ultimately cured my situation and I'm fine now... but my overall advice is to not let this situation attempt to play itself out - I've never experienced something so bad... if you have the ability, get to a good neurologist, even if it's just to be sure! Good luck - I really hope you don't have to go through what I had to!

I am so sorry you are suffering from migraines. I used to get them 2-3 times per year, but since July 2006, they have been much more frequent. I was given a prescription for Maxalt in August 2006 which is a medication that is taken as soon as an aura begins and dissolves on the tongue. If taken early enough, it can prevent the migraine and stop it in its tracks. However, my migraines frequently wake me up in the middle of the night in full force and the Maxalt is no good at that point. When they are bad, I get full blown nausea and light and sound sensitivity that is awful and they can last up to 24 hours at a time and sometimes I get them 3-4 days in a row. I just saw a neurologist for the first time in December and he prescribed Topamax daily to prevent them from starting in the first place. It seems to be helping somewhat, but I am not up to the full therapeutic dosage yet. That won't happen for another week. I will also be having an MRI next week to make sure nothing else is going on. The neurologist said that, given my age (48) and the fact that I am in menopause, it could be hormone-related, even though I am on hormone replacement. Other than that, he said that sometimes there is no concrete cause ever identified. That said, there is no reason to just suffer with migraines. I encourage you to see a neurologist as soon as possible to rule out any specific causes and get the medications that will work for you. Good luck!

I get menstrual migraines (migraines that occur around your period). For me, the only things that really work are the prescription Triptains. I have Frova which I take the days around the start of my period, and Zomig inhalers if I ever have a full-bore migraine. I don't get the typical "aura" that accompanies migraines, but I've had them long enough that I know the signs that one *might* be coming on. With using the Frova, I've not had a full-blown migraine in two years.

Just one comment about herbal remedies-be very careful that you research what is in them. Some herbs (I think ginko biloba might be one, but I'm not sure) can actually trigger migraines.

Originally Posted by StarryEyedTiGeR

how are you feeling tonight? any better?

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I am feeling better and well rested for once. It hurts to sneeze or cough which is normal the day after. I started to feel better around 10pm last night.

Does anyone get numbness? When I first started to get them it was mainly the aura and puzzled like vision. I have been to the eye doctor twice for it but there is no eye injury to cause them. After the aura kicks in my fingers would get numb, one arm at a time then the legs would start. The last time I went to the ER my tongue and throat went numb, kinda like being at the dentist. They said I hyperventilated & tht caused the numbness but I wasn't. I was laying down with a cold rag in a darkroom drifting to sleep. After the numbness and aura I would throw up and want to sleep for 2 days.

I don't get numb like that anymore but now I get the headaches after the aura which I never had before.

Natalie thanks for the link. I am going to read it soon.

My cousin has been suffering for many years. The worst I have ever heard of. She has been on so many meds for so many things, she is battling with anorixia. They recently found out she has a slip disk in her neck. The therapy and meds seem to be helping the migraines. It's amazing that it took over 30 years to figure out what caused her migraines. I am greatful that I only had 2 in the last 6 months.

Thanks for all the great advice. Oh you know what makes me laugh. People who tell you to keep a food diary. Those people really don't know what a migraine is like cause you can't write anything down. The next day the previous day is such a blur.

I get migraines about 3 times a year. I have the light sensitivity, nausea, etc. I end up sitting on the bathroom floor with the lights out at times.
One thing that has offered me some relief is to run a HOT (as hot as I can stand it) bath with Epsom Salts in it. After the bath, I lay down in my room (no light) with my pillows propping my head up (I can't lay down flat when I have a migraine). I just rest there for as long as I need to. There have been a few occasions that it has relieved the severe part of the migraine... not every time, but it has worked on a few.

Uck I hate migraines. I usually get it from concentrating for a long time. I had a bunch of important documents I had to proof once, and had spent days going through them, checking information was correct, and spelling/grammar/formatting were correct. By the third day my vision started to go fuzzy and I literally could not read my computer screen - my vision was so blurred. So I drove home (stupid stupid - I nearly ran off the road twice), and went to to bed, and was rolling around holding my head and crying for about 2 hours with a bucket next to me for the nausea. We had no strong painkillers, and I just lay in bed in agony in too much pain to sleep.

That was my first REAL migraine. I know now that as soon as my vision starts going blurry to get home ASAP, and get some Excedrin Migraine into me. I usually end up with just a really sore head on the bathroom floor with my head in the bath feelig like I'm going to throw up. I'll take Melatonin as well to help me sleep, and when that starts kicking in, go back to bed, and can sleep for a good few hours.

I always get a massage the next day if I can as well because my head and neck feel horribly tight and sore.

Amerge works best for my migraines. Actually, since I have gone vegetarian (doctor's orders because my kidney/liver functions are slightly below normal), I get them only right before my period, and they are not nearly as intense. I find that keeping my sinuses clear with saline solution really helps prevent a "combination" headache from kicking in (one kind of headache at a time, PLEASE!!). I do get headaches from the bulging discs in my neck, though, that feel very similar to migraines - perhaps you should check in with a neurologist or chiropractor, just to be safe. And definitely try accupressure - it does help Sending {{{{healing prayers and vibes}}} that your migraines go away. BTW, as others have said here, Amerge and some of the other prescriptions simply make the headache go away, they don't impair you in any way so work, childcare, outdoor fun, etc. can continue

The left side of my face went numb with a migraine once. I think it's rather uncommon, but common enough to be listed in our textbooks. Migraines STINK! I don't nearly as many now that I'm not in pharmacy school, though.

I have a question about migranes.

Lets say I know a person who supposedly has migranes. I say suppossedly because this person has them the same days every week. She always has to go to the hospital to get shots.

Is it possible for a person to have migranes the same day every week. She first started having them every Tuesday, then she started having them on both Monday and Tuesday, then sometimes she has them on Friday and Saturday.

I was told that she has had several tests done and they find nothing wrong.

I am wondering if it is migranes at all, or if she just likes going to get the shots. What kind of shots do they give anyways? Is it a pain killer or something?

You can tell that I know nothing about drugs. I hardly ever take medicine.

Just wanted to kinda hear what you guys thought about this situation.

Originally Posted by LSULOVER

I have a question about migranes.

Lets say I know a person who supposedly has migranes. I say suppossedly because this person has them the same days every week. She always has to go to the hospital to get shots.

Is it possible for a person to have migranes the same day every week. She first started having them every Tuesday, then she started having them on both Monday and Tuesday, then sometimes she has them on Friday and Saturday.

I was told that she has had several tests done and they find nothing wrong.

I am wondering if it is migranes at all, or if she just likes going to get the shots. What kind of shots do they give anyways? Is it a pain killer or something?

You can tell that I know nothing about drugs. I hardly ever take medicine.

Just wanted to kinda hear what you guys thought about this situation.

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Maybe a drug related issue but perhaps something else that causes the migranes to pop up. Kind of interesting how they are all on the same days. Looks like something in this person's life could be stressing them out on those particular days. I am not familiar with migranes but my sister would get them and it all turned out to be with stress. On the other hand, my Susan got migranes all the time at random for no reason, but I'm thinking that was because of stress also.

Originally Posted by markvg

Maybe a drug related issue but perhaps something else that causes the migranes to pop up. Kind of interesting how they are all on the same days. Looks like something in this person's life could be stressing them out on those particular days. I am not familiar with migranes but my sister would get them and it all turned out to be with stress. On the other hand, my Susan got migranes all the time at random for no reason, but I'm thinking that was because of stress also.

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They are always on the same days, every now and then she will get one on a different day. And I think the last time she went to the hospital she had to have two shots.

I don't like the sounds of that one. Is she going to the same Hospital?
If so they would have a record on when she is there and would have investigated a drug issue. If it is different hospitals, I would say it is a drug thing.

Originally Posted by LSULOVER

I have a question about migranes.

Lets say I know a person who supposedly has migranes. I say suppossedly because this person has them the same days every week. She always has to go to the hospital to get shots.

Is it possible for a person to have migranes the same day every week. She first started having them every Tuesday, then she started having them on both Monday and Tuesday, then sometimes she has them on Friday and Saturday.

I was told that she has had several tests done and they find nothing wrong.

I am wondering if it is migranes at all, or if she just likes going to get the shots. What kind of shots do they give anyways? Is it a pain killer or something?

You can tell that I know nothing about drugs. I hardly ever take medicine.

Just wanted to kinda hear what you guys thought about this situation.

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Well, if she has health insurance, there are better ways to treat her migraines. But yes, they gives shots that are very effective (for most cases)... and they contain a mild opiate. It doesn't sound to me like she has them the same day every week... just sounds like she gets them way too often and it's interfering with her ability to function at a job (I've been there).

There's nothing they can "find wrong" with you when it comes to migraines, there's no medical evidence they can test you for to prove you had a migraine or tell you why you had a migraine. So, maybe she doesn't have a brain tumor or aneurysm, but it sounds to me like she really needs preventative therapy as opposed to after-the-fact prn therapy.

I hope that helps.

Originally Posted by crazyforinfo

I don't like the sounds of that one. Is she going to the same Hospital?
If so they would have a record on when she is there and would have investigated a drug issue. If it is different hospitals, I would say it is a drug thing.

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That's a good point, but no one's business besides the person who is having the migraines, and her docs. I like to give patients the benefit of the doubt and privacy. I may be naive, but I've been on the end of it where they assumed something that wasn't true, and I didn't get treated like I should have because of it. Just IMO...

I get them. I used to get them all the time as a kid, but now not so much, and not so severe. I have one now, but it's somewhat mild at the moment.

I get bad headaches from 2 things. For a very long time, I thought that I got them from caffiene withdrawl, and the rest were just random. Then I started thinking the others were from a food additive. Ruled out lots of stuff, then went to food coloring. That seemed to be it. But alot of foods have many different colors in them. I eventually narrowed it down to yellow 5 and/or 6, and red 40. And then eliminated red 40 and yellow 6 and confirmed yellow 5. I get far fewer headaches now, and none are ever random. Every time I get one, and I know I've had enough caffeine, I can trace it back to something I ate the day before. And so yesterday, I ate salad bar pudding without thinking. It's very hard to find pudding without coloring added. I simply forgot, and now I'm paying for it. I have to check every single label on anything I eat. The stuff is in everything. What I hate the most is the labels that say "artificial color may be added". Just tell me what! Anyway, it is good knowing. Now I just have to avoid pretty much everything that is not homemade, and remember to tell people "Please, do not put pickles on my hamburger this time!" They put them on anyway, probably figuring if I don't like them, I can pick them off. But by then the pickle juice (all pickles besides the organic kind and the ones in the deli case, have yellow 5) has already seeped onto the burger.

Oh, well, it's good to know anyway

Dawn

I'm glad that you are feeling better

For some reason as I got older my incidence of migraines have reduced and I don't get them nearly as often as I used to.

I used to pretty much have nonstop headaches. I would wake up with one and it would dull a bit during the day but never go away, or hardly ever.

My doctor put me through a battery of tests trying to find the cause, but everything was coming back fine. One day I was at my dentist's office for a checkup and filling and he started to ask me the strangest questions.

- do you wake up with headaches in the morning
- do they go away
- do you wake up in the middle of the night
- does your jaw hurt

Stuff like that.

I asked him if he was a fly in my home, LOL.

He told me that my eye teeth were flat instead of pointed as they should be and that indicates bruxism (grinding teeth). After checking with my insurance agency about coverage, he created a dental appliance for me to wear over my top teeth at night. It took some getting used to having a hard piece of plastic snapped onto my upper teeth for my bottom teeth to grind against. But man, what a difference it made. I noticed an instant decline in my headaches and started to feel better.

So if anyone has high incidences of headaches, check with your dentist. It could possibly be related to your teeth.