Living with Migraines

1. 77

   Stacie Lposted 12 years ago

   I've had a migraine all day and usually can get relief after a while but this one is holding on. Aspirin,muscle relaxers, and a hot shower haven't helped. Hopefully it will be gone tomorrow.
     I know others that have had them for days and still are able to work.
   What remedies have worked for you?

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   1. 79

      Lwelchposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Try a massage.  Also, please go to see a doctor if it lasts 72 hours or more.  Migrainers have a tendency to have strokes when a migraine lasts 72+ hours.
      
      You can try magnesium or CoQ10 for daily use.
      
      www.headachedrugs.com is a very good site as is www.mymigraineconnection.com

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   2. 85

      kathleenkatposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Having chiropractic therapy done to my neck has removed virtually all the migraines and headaches I used to get.
      
      I used to get migraines several times per month, and headaches on nearly a daily basis. It all had to do with pressure on the vertebra in my neck.
      
      Here is an article about how chiropractic care helps headaches: http://www.ingoodhandsletter.com/curren … 230HARGR/6
      
      (I can personally attest to how this works. My life is so much better, headache-free. Contact me directly if you want more information.)

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      1. 77

         Stacie Lposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks everyone. It's a little better today. I do get adjustments and probably am due for one.
         I have a bone spur in the neck so it may have shifted.
         Anyway headaches are a pain in the neck...LOL
         

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2. 0

   RTalloniposted 12 years ago

   You might like to read up on using feverfew, magnesium, CoQ10, flax/fish oils, pure peppermint oil, ginger, hydration, and there are a couple of products you might want to consider checking into, Migrafew and Petadolex.
   Sure hope you are over it soon!

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3. 77

   Stacie Lposted 12 years ago

   Migrafew and Petadolex are new to me. I'll check them.

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4. 68

   tamronposted 12 years ago

   Do you get migraines regularly?  If so get your doctor to prescribe you a small bottle of oxygen.  My dads girlfriend had them so bad she couldn't get out of bed.  Every time she felt a headache coming on she would inhale the oxygen a few times and it went away.

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5. 63

   StandingJaguarposted 12 years ago

   Hormonal birth control increased the frequency of my migraines until one month I had a migraine nearly every day. It is actually in the fine print of BC pills that if this happens, you need to stop taking the pills! Big no-no. As soon as I got off the BC my migraines decreased. Now I have perhaps one a month.
   
   Excedrin Migraine will often get rid of mine, if I take it soon enough, when the migraine is just coming on. If the migraine is already full-blown, then it might not work, or it will take much longer to work. SOMEtimes naproxen will help my migraines, but I don't hold as much confidence in it.
   
   Another strange thing that helps with the pain is to cover my nose and mouth with fairly thick fabric/blanket/whatever. I try to breathe at a regular rate, but since my nose is covered I am actually taking in less air. For some reason when I do this the pain and throbbing goes away (but might return as soon as I take the scarf/blanket away). This is more of a pain management rather than a get-rid-of-the-migraine trick. I know it sounds a little strange but it might make you more comfortable if you are already stuck in bed hating life!!

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   1. 85

      kathleenkatposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Yeah, that happened to me during the first week after switching to a new pill. Those were the worst migraines ever. My doc said if they came back again, during the first week of the next pill pack, to discontinue use of those pills.

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6. 71

   moronkeeposted 12 years ago

   When I get a migraine, it is usually caused by too much starring at the monitor or not taking enough fresh air.I don't take pills. I suggest you take enough fresh air,stop the pills because most of them have side effects  and please talk to GOD about it..GOD is our healer.

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7. 0

   SaritaJBonitaposted 12 years ago

   Stacie,
   
   I've been a migraine sufferer for several years.  I've tried everything, and for the most part a daily dose of 500mg of Magnesium helped prevent them.  When I felt one coming on I took Excedrin asap, and if it continued I took Maxalt MLT and it worked like a charm.  Recently, my migraines have increased and I have one at least once a week.  My neurologist put me on propranolol, which is a beta blocker that reduces your heart rate -- and hence reduces the amount of blood pumping through your throbbing head.  It's worked so-so for me, but I also found out that I have stenosis in my neck, and that is a huge contributing factor.
   
   As far as using birth control goes, I found the same exact problem.  The only thing I can tolerate is Mirena (an IUD), and I still tend to get menstrual migraines.
   
   The #1 most helpful thing for when I get a migraine is traction.  If you ever go to physical therapy (which you should), they can teach you how to do this with a rolled up towel.  It's a technique that basically lifts the base of your skull off of your neck to relieve the pressure in your head.  It's simple, and when I do this in a dark room after taking Excedrin it does the trick!
   
   Good luck, I can relate to your pain...

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   1. 58

      ABWrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Definitely keep an eye on this.   I had aura migraines for 20+ years and no one told me I shouldn't be on birth control.  After a day with the worst headache of my life in Nov2011, I suffered a hemmhoragic stroke at 38 years old.  Since this, I have been told repeatedly by docs that if you have migraine you should not be on hormonal treatment of any kind!   Significantly worse too if you smoke(which I don't) as it increases your chance of blood clots.  I have been finding a lot of research that is linking young women, migraine and hemmhoragic stroke.  Please be careful and if your migraines persist and you develop auras, go to Emerg ASAP.

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      1. 0

         SaritaJBonitaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         ABWright,
         
         Thanks for the info.  I've been stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to the birth control -- migraine dilemma.  When I'm not on birth control of any kind, the week before my period is absolutely brutal.  I'm not talking about 'eat a pint of ben and jerry's and be bitchy', I'm talking out of control feelings of rage and aggression.  That is so totally the opposite of my personality! 
         
         With the Mirena, I don't have my cycle nearly as often, which means not only improved mood stability but also, my migraines with aura are a lot less frequent.  I still have chronic daily headaches that sometimes turn into migraines, but I don't get the aura.  Mirena is also a lot less likely to cause blood clots than some other contraceptives, because it contains only estrogen, not progesterone.  Progesterone is more likely to cause blood clots, especially if you smoke (which I do).  Most of my headaches/migraines right now are due to stenosis in my neck (narrowing of the spinal canal), and seem to be tension headaches turning into migraines.
         
         Because of my "complex" case I see my neurologist every 4-6 months, and have a CT scan about once a year.

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