Migraines?

by skeeter1 23 Replies latest social physical

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  talesin

  4Head which is levomenthol in a stick --- I believe it's called "Head-On" here ....never used but saw it advertised ..

  good info on this thread! hope everyone is successful in dealing with this debilitating condition

  t
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  Nickolas

  I came back into this thread because I noticed you had just posted into it, talesin. I am, you see, interested in what you have to say.
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  Black Sheep

  I started getting them before my teens. In my thirties, I did a ten day fast for a health kick. The only noticeable benefit I got from it was an absence of migraines for well over five years.
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  HintOfLime

  I had bad migraines 3-4 times a week for 11 years - through my late-teens and early twenties. Imitrex was my miracle drug - one pill would make me a bit short of breath for an hour, and then I would feel freaking amazing for hours. But the warning label scared me enough not to take it except on speical occations when I needed to be 'there'.

  At around the age of 26 I quit wearing contact lenses, and about 2 months later - the migranes faded away. Now, I never have them.

  I hope you find your cure as well.

  - Lime
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  oldlightnewshite

  I've had migraines since age 8, and I'm now 42. Any kind of headache tablets don't work for me. I usually take a couple of Niacin tablets and go on my exercise bike for an hour. Sometimes the pain gets worse before it gets better, and occasionally I'll puke. For about a day after I get a fuzzy head, like I've missed a lot of sleep. I used to try and sleep in a darkened room for a couple of days, but that just prolongs the agony. I've read all sorts of experiences and methods, and I would say no two people are going to be the same, just try and find what works. A friend of mine crouches in a corner with his knees under his chin, and arms raised over his head, and hands on the back of his neck. (sounds crazy, I know) but I tried it, and it seems to ease the pain. Maybe it's a blood pressure thing? Sometimes when it's really cold weather, I go out for a long brisk walk, and after an hour or so I feel better. I can manage and contain my migraines much better now. I avoid too much hard cheese like cheddar, don't eat salami, get plenty of sleep, and only drink home-made wine with no nitrates in. I have a very sedentary job, so usually I find exercise and Niacin sorts me out.
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  IsaacJ22

  I used to get migraines even before I started in school, but they were very infrequent. Then, through my teens, they only hit when I was under severe stress. I didn't know what they were, but they would completely immobilize me until they went away. Immitrex didn't work so well for me, but no one told me to take them early in the attack. (We have sucky doctors in Delaware...it's the malpractice mecha of the USA)

  As mentioned before, it seems that sinus problems and insomnia go with many migraines. Your experiences seem to be suggesting that this is true, which is interesting to know. My grandmother also has all 3 of these problems.

  Anyway, more things that help me with migraines:

  Going outside and taking a walk, though this was too difficult when they first got severe. Sometimes, sitting in the bathroom with the fan on helps. Maybe something in the air here is bad for me. We also tried getting "air cleaning" plants.

  Exercise (though I understand this makes them worse for some people...it used to make them worse for me, but no longer does).

  Getting enough sleep and REGULAR sleep patterns. If I stay up late on a Friday because I'm off that weekend, I will likely have a migraine the whole weekend. Which sucks, BTW.

  Migrelief, which I mentioned earlier, cut my migraine recurrences in half. But only after I took them for a couple of months. You may not realize it's working until you stop taking it and suddenly you have them all the time again. It works gradually. You can get them through Amazon.com with free shipping if you can't find them locally. They even mail them out every 30, 60, or 90 days if you want them with the free shipping and a discount.

  I avoid artificial sweeteners. I probably have allergies.

  Loud music. (Again, this would not have worked for me in the early days.)

  Eat some food. Eating regular meals is a good idea, too.

  With the last two, the effect can wear off quickly once you stop. But it can give you a break at least.

  Visual imagery/meditation can be of some help, though it's hard to do this when the migraine is in full blast. Like so many other things, you have to start working on it as soon as you think you're getting one. You can try imagining that the migraine is a flame, then imagine the flame getting lower and lower. Then try breathing slowly through your stomach, which should lower your heart rate. You can breath starting with the stomach, then fill the lungs, and out with the air if you like. This sort of thing works with other issues, like stress and other forms of pain, too.

  Try imagining that your JW in-laws are a fire that gets lower and lower...Oh. Sorry. Snuck that in.
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  talesin

  Isaac, thanks esp. for the laugh at the end ... rough day today. I use visualization and 3-stage breathing, too.... all good suggestions!

  Nickolas :D got me!

  t
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  talesin

  ps to Nickolas,,, wrong thread, though - I asked you a question,, still waiting for the answer .....
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  littlerockguy

  Magesium is good for migraines. Had a coworker who used to get migraines all the time and she started taking a magesium supplement and she says she does not get them anymore, or at least she hasn't since she has been taking extra magesium.

  http://www.avoidamigraine.com/migrainetreatments.html

  LRG
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  Chariklo

  Hi, Skeeter and everyone.

  I sometimes feel like a bit of a migraine expert. I've had them since early childhood, when it was always accompanied by vomiting, same right through young adulthood and on to mid-life. Now in later life I more usually get the kind described by Nickolas and Meeting Junkie No More, but also I've learned to manage them a bit.

  Skeeter, if you're prone to migraines you're going to get them. Best thing is not to ignore it. Take something like paracetamol (in the UK), more effective than advil/ibuprofen and fewer side effects, and also drink plenty of water, and maybe go for a bit of a walk outside. If it doesn't improve quickly then don't soldier on, try and lie down on the bed for a couple of hours and draw the curtains. Don't read or use the computer. Try and get some sleep.

  If I do that when the first symptoms come on, very often it will go away. If it's the "silent", painless kind though, complete with extraordinarily bright and colourful patterns or shimmering and then temporary loss of sight, just lie down and rest, because you're going to feel very weird for a bit. After one of those I usually feel quite disorientated.

  There's a useful website here: http://headacheandmigrainenews.com/