MIGRAINE

[blueroses]

Hey PS,

I''ve been sidelined with a wicked migraine since Sunday evening, which is unsual for me. I''ve had migraines for 20 years, but I''ve been really lucky in that they usually don''t last long and aren''t too severe. (I get the so-called "classical" variety where I get the screwy visual "aura.") Years ago I was on Imitrex (which made me sicker than it was worth) and before that methergine and cafergot as wanna-be preventatives--they didn''t really work.

I''ve been using only OTC for several years now b/c of the bad reaction I had to imitrex....and as I got older my migraines seemed to get less severe. They''re still a hassle and painful, but brief enough that I''d take excedrin and get on with it. BUT. I''ve been just knocked down

with this one and am going to go back to my neurologist b/c I really hope this isn''t a sign of things to come!

SO.....I''d love any feedback from fellow migrainers about anything that''s worked for them: homeopathic, new drugs, etc. (For now I took a vicodin--which hasn''t helped--and have walking around with one of those cooling things on my forehead tied on w/ a red bandana so I kind of look like a Blood.)

HELP!

 

[researcher]

I too suffer from migraines. I know of several non-prescription preventative treatments (magnesium, vitamin B2, Petadolex, and feverfew leaf, but the only thing that seems to work for me once I have a migraine is Imitrex and the ice packs (one on my forehead, one on the back of my neck), as well as accupressure (pushing on temples, back of head, and on hands).

If Imitrex doesn''t work for you, you might want to try getting a prescription for Maxalt (which has the benefit of weight loss as it''s primary side effect) or Zomig.

Feel better soon!!!

 

[strmrdr]

vicodin is pretty useless on headaches I dont know anyone that it helped so dunno why docs bother.
tylenol 3 actuly works better for most people.

I dont get migranes but get sinus headaches where I want to rip my face off so iv got an idea what its like.
Prayers outgoing for it to go away quickly.

 

[DonaBella]

Date: 1/24/2006 11:38:20 PM
Author:blueroses
Hey PS,

I''ve been sidelined with a wicked migraine since Sunday evening, which is unsual for me. I''ve had migraines for 20 years, but I''ve been really lucky in that they usually don''t last long and aren''t too severe. (I get the so-called ''classical'' variety where I get the screwy visual ''aura.'') Years ago I was on Imitrex (which made me sicker than it was worth) and before that methergine and cafergot as wanna-be preventatives--they didn''t really work.

I''ve been using only OTC for several years now b/c of the bad reaction I had to imitrex....and as I got older my migraines seemed to get less severe. They''re still a hassle and painful, but brief enough that I''d take excedrin and get on with it. BUT. I''ve been just knocked down

with this one and am going to go back to my neurologist b/c I really hope this isn''t a sign of things to come!

SO.....I''d love any feedback from fellow migrainers about anything that''s worked for them: homeopathic, new drugs, etc. (For now I took a vicodin--which hasn''t helped--and have walking around with one of those cooling things on my forehead tied on w/ a red bandana so I kind of look like a Blood.)

HELP!

I have been plagued with migraines for 21 years and have used pretty much all that I can. I take calan--which is also called veraphamil--in the morning each day and a lower dose at night for preventative purposes and have been on it for 4 years. It works 95% of the time. I do still get sinus migraines but those are allayed with chiropractic adjustments and sinus headache OTC remedies most of the time and Flonase. As for me, if a migraine is coming on, I get an occasional aura or vision squiggly lines, lightheadedness and immediately take Relpak. If that doesn''t do it and repeat dosages do not knock it out, I move up to Fiorcet. If that fails, then I go to the Darvocet and if that makes not no improvement, than I am forced to go to get either a Toradol shot at the urgent care or a Demerol and Vistaril shot at the ER. I detest going to the ER unless it is horrific and I am vomiting(sorry to be so graphic!!!), but I am usually subject to a minimum of 4 hours of waiting and that doesn''t help me and also exposes me to other illnesses that other people there have and is hardly worth the bother...but I have gone when necessary.

My husband will drive me to a smaller hospital quite a ways away from my home in Riverside to Redlands Community Hospital in Redlands---some 25+ miles away. If I REALLY have to go to the ER, I will go there. My local hospital is absurd and is highly incompetent in helping move patients in asap due to whatever problems inhouse they have so I don''t go there.

I do avoid caffiene unless I need to have it to help a bit with a headache and I do try to get plenty of protein and magnesium supplements and staying hydrated when a migraine first starts is critical for me. I try to drink somewhere close to a gallon a water a day just to help avoid a problem, but some days I am better than others.

I get the kind that happen just before my cycle and the kind that happen due to emotional upset or sleep deprivation, so I have to have a regular schedule or me and everyone around me is screwed...

The right pillow is crucial too...at least for me.

Hope something I said here helps you!!!

 

[researcher]

Date: 1/25/2006 2:09:52 AM
Author: DeannaBana

Date: 1/24/2006 11:38:20 PM

Author:blueroses

Hey PS,


I''ve been sidelined with a wicked migraine since Sunday evening, which is unsual for me. I''ve had migraines for 20 years, but I''ve been really lucky in that they usually don''t last long and aren''t too severe. (I get the so-called ''classical'' variety where I get the screwy visual ''aura.'') Years ago I was on Imitrex (which made me sicker than it was worth) and before that methergine and cafergot as wanna-be preventatives--they didn''t really work.


I''ve been using only OTC for several years now b/c of the bad reaction I had to imitrex....and as I got older my migraines seemed to get less severe. They''re still a hassle and painful, but brief enough that I''d take excedrin and get on with it. BUT. I''ve been just knocked down

with this one and am going to go back to my neurologist b/c I really hope this isn''t a sign of things to come!


SO.....I''d love any feedback from fellow migrainers about anything that''s worked for them: homeopathic, new drugs, etc. (For now I took a vicodin--which hasn''t helped--and have walking around with one of those cooling things on my forehead tied on w/ a red bandana so I kind of look like a Blood.)


HELP!

I have been plagued with migraines for 21 years and have used pretty much all that I can. I take calan--which is also called veraphamil--in the morning each day and a lower dose at night for preventative purposes and have been on it for 4 years. It works 95% of the time. I do still get sinus migraines but those are allayed with chiropractic adjustments and sinus headache OTC remedies most of the time and Flonase. As for me, if a migraine is coming on, I get an occasional aura or vision squiggly lines, lightheadedness and immediately take Relpak. If that doesn''t do it and repeat dosages do not knock it out, I move up to Fiorcet. If that fails, then I go to the Darvocet and if that makes not no improvement, than I am forced to go to get either a Toradol shot at the urgent care or a Demerol and Vistaril shot at the ER. I detest going to the ER unless it is horrific and I am vomiting(sorry to be so graphic!!!), but I am usually subject to a minimum of 4 hours of waiting and that doesn''t help me and also exposes me to other illnesses that other people there have and is hardly worth the bother...but I have gone when necessary.


My husband will drive me to a smaller hospital quite a ways away from my home in Riverside to Redlands Community Hospital in Redlands---some 25+ miles away. If I REALLY have to go to the ER, I will go there. My local hospital is absurd and is highly incompetent in helping move patients in asap due to whatever problems inhouse they have so I don''t go there.


I do avoid caffiene unless I need to have it to help a bit with a headache and I do try to get plenty of protein and magnesium supplements and staying hydrated when a migraine first starts is critical for me. I try to drink somewhere close to a gallon a water a day just to help avoid a problem, but some days I am better than others.


I get the kind that happen just before my cycle and the kind that happen due to emotional upset or sleep deprivation, so I have to have a regular schedule or me and everyone around me is screwed...

The right pillow is crucial too...at least for me.


Hope something I said here helps you!!!

Off topic, but I went to school in Claremont and once had to trek all the way out to Redlands Community Hospital for shots. SUCH a pain!!! I absolutely HATE when I have to resort to the ER.

Now, for those of you who also get optical migraines, do you ever lose your vision? I do, and it scares me every time!

 

[Catmom]

Date: 1/24/2006 11:38:20 PM
Author:blueroses
Hey PS,

SO.....I''d love any feedback from fellow migrainers about anything that''s worked for them: homeopathic, new drugs, etc. (For now I took a vicodin--which hasn''t helped--and have walking around with one of those cooling things on my forehead tied on w/ a red bandana so I kind of look like a Blood.)

HELP!

Hi Blueroses, I''m so sorry you''re a fellow sufferer!

This post is going to be long so I apologize in advance!

I''ve had these types of migraines since I was 10 years old and mine also start with the auras. It starts with a flashing dot and over the course of 20-30 minutes spreads until my whole field of vision is affected and I can''t see anything. Then it "spreads out" and I can finally see again. I found that if I take something [over the counter] as soon as the dot appears then the headache itself is very tolerable and I can get on with life. But, if I am somewhere where I can''t get to advil, etc., then I am down for the count for days. Needless to say I am usually never without something on hand. My migraines were consistently getting worse and by December of 2002 I was getting 2-3 a week!

In Jan of 2003 I made a big change in my life that has pretty much eliminated my migraines altogether [and allowed me to lose 30 pounds which I have kept off since then!]. I hate to say this but yes, I went low carb and remained that way to this date. I don''t know if it was the sugar or the flour that was killing me but in the last 3 yrs I have had maybe 3 total migraines. Quite a big difference for me. Now I''m not advocating that you go low carb but just wanted you to know that sometimes it is what we eat and it''s possible to develope allergies to certain food as we age. Just something to maybe look into??

I really hope you start to feel better soon!!!

 

[monarch64]

I am a migraine sufferer as well, and I also get the dreaded "aura" to the point where I can''t see at all for a few minutes. I have tried the same things as everyone else, nothing really works except sleeping for a few hours until it goes away. Usually I just take Ibuprofen because the prescrips make me feel ill anyway. At this point my dentist seems to think teeth grinding at night might be causing it, and suggested that I visit the orthodontist too because my bite is off and that may be contributing.

I just wanted to pass this along also: I had to change birth control pills about a year ago from Ortho TriCyclen (pills in phases) to pills for breastfeeding mothers! (progrestin-only.) Apparently, some study has been done on patients who suffer from migraines WITH AURA having a higher incidence of stroke than patients without when using the pills with a mix of hormones. Sorry this is so vague, but you may want to ask your doctor if the pills you are taking are safe for you if you have migraines and your eyesight is affected.

 

[moon river]

I''ve suffered with migraines since I was 7 years old(31years) and have tried everything. I have a blood vessel disorder so the miracle cures don''t work for me. They tried the Imitrex on me supervising me afterward, good thing I passed out. None of the pain meds work either. What finally gave me some relief after 15 years of excrusiating pain was a DIVORCE!! I don''t have them as often now. I also cut out sodium nitrites, caffene, etc. I still get them sometimes due to stess or hormones. All I can do is lay in a dark room for a couple of days with a cold washcloth. I also get the auras and I get nausiated. Sometimes throwing up helps(I don''t know why). All the women in my family have them(aunts cousins etc) but luckily my daughters haven''t developed any sign of them yet.

 

[pebbles]

Everyone has given you great advice so far. The only thing I would add is that I see a lot of patients on beta-blockers, which are usually used for high blood pressure as a preventative measure. Atenolol is the one that is most commonly used. I also see patients on allegy-type meds with a decongestant in them year round because many times the migraines are realated to sinus infections/allergies.

 

[moon river]

I do take 2 40mg of Inderal each day. It helps with my blood vessel problem. I''ve been on it since I was 12 (26 years). It doesn''t stop them but I have a history of not only migraines but also anurisms(sp?) so I have to stay on it. The worst thing I ever tried was biofeedback. Okay, let me sit here in the middle of chaos and meditate. Didn''t work. In my family, they have them when they are younger then have sort of a break of sorts then they start up again around menopause.

Oh, joy.

 

[fountainfairfax]

My migraines (the "ice-pick in the eye" type I get most often) started at age 30 and it turns out that''s the age my Dad started to suffer from them as well (and it had nothing to do with the fact that''s when I was born.)
I do get a slight painful tingling about ten minutes before one starts and I''m so lucky that excedrin works well if I catch them early.

I also have an interesting experience w/Imitrex. When first prescribed it made me go almost comatose, but that was ok compared to the pain (although the missed time at work was not ok.) I continued to take it and found that by maybe the 10th time I took it I was less sleepy. Now I can function like normal and my migraines are gone within 15 minutes of taking the Imitrex. Maybe it''s something you have to grow accustomed to taking?

Does anyone else have triggers like weather changes that bring on their migraines? Mine come on often when there are barometric pressure changes, mainly when it''s going to rain...maybe I''m just a freak!

 

[monarch64]

FFF, I think weather does affect the onset of mine. I usually get them about every 2-3 months, and I think when the seasons change here in the midwest is when I get mine. The last one I had was actually on Jan. 2, the day after New Years! No, it was NOT hangover related! LOL!

 

[DonaBella]

Date: 1/26/2006 9:14:31 AM
Author: fountainfairfax
My migraines (the ''ice-pick in the eye'' type I get most often) started at age 30 and it turns out that''s the age my Dad started to suffer from them as well (and it had nothing to do with the fact that''s when I was born.)
I do get a slight painful tingling about ten minutes before one starts and I''m so lucky that excedrin works well if I catch them early.

I also have an interesting experience w/Imitrex. When first prescribed it made me go almost comatose, but that was ok compared to the pain (although the missed time at work was not ok.) I continued to take it and found that by maybe the 10th time I took it I was less sleepy. Now I can function like normal and my migraines are gone within 15 minutes of taking the Imitrex. Maybe it''s something you have to grow accustomed to taking?

Does anyone else have triggers like weather changes that bring on their migraines? Mine come on often when there are barometric pressure changes, mainly when it''s going to rain...maybe I''m just a freak!

I get the "ice-pick" type of onset as well...and I also get migraines with changes in the weather. I do take a daily beta-blocker in the morning and at night, but about once a week or so, a migraine will break through. I can do pretty good if I am very wary of what I eat and in getting enough water. I also am allergic to sugar alcohols(sugar substitutes in dietic foods), nitrites, msg and aspartame so I have to watch what I eat and read the ingredients alot. I also ask how foods are prepared in restaurants if I am not sure, just to be safe.

My experience with Imitrex has been mixed. The pills sometimes worked, sometimes did nothing. The shot was horrible but it worked more than the pills, but left me bruised where I received the injection for almost a week. There was a medication called Migranal that I took years ago that actualy caused me to almost stop breathing. You were instructed to inhale it I believe and with my asthma, it was a horrid mix. I had to go to the ER to be checked out.

 

[AsscherGirl]

I got terrible migraines all throughout puberty, and I''ve been fortunate in the past 5 years or so to only suffer from a few per year.

I''ve tried almost all the meds. out there & the one I found that worked best for me was Migranal. Deanna - I think in the prescription information there is a warning about people with asthma...and you''re not supposed to inhale it - the medication works by absorbing into the blood vessels in your nose (inhaling it will send it too far down).

I also did not enjoy imitrex - it made me extremely ill.

I tried a bunch of others that didn''t do anything at all unfortunately & at this point can''t remember all their names.

I was on preventative meds. for a couple of years, a combo. of amitrypteline (a low dose anti-depressent, but not an SSRI like Prozac), and Inderal. It doesn''t sound like you really need preventatives though BlueRoses.

I''d suggest just heading to the doctor & seeing if there''s anything new out there you can try. My doctor must have gone through at least 15 different samples before we found the Migranal that worked for me.

And mostly, I''m sorry for all of you who have to suffer from these types of headaches. They are truly a pain that is inexplicable and rather detrimental to your overal feeling of health if you get them often

. Mine were definitely half genetic/half hormonal, and I hope that I don''t pass along this trait to my children one day.

 

[moon river]

fountainfairfax I have also noticed the weather playing role in the onset. I have friends that have them and we ofter have them together when the weather changes

 

[MINE!!]

I took amthatriptoline for a while and that seems to help the most with me.

LOL.. I laugh when I watch those TV commericals about Tylenol Migraine and Advil Migrane.... If you really have migraine than those medications might as well be M&M's for what they are worth.

I finally had to find my triggers.... If I get really nasty ones now... I use Maxalt..

They are heriditary and that sucks. We just went through a scarey fiasco with my oldest daughter. She had to have an MRI and CAT scan this past fall for her intense.. 'headaches' Well..... needless to say.. they are migraines.. waking up in the middle of the night vomiting, sensetivity to light, not being able to concentrate. Soon we will be returning to her Ped. Neurologist to put her on some sort of preventative meds as well...

 

[moon river]

Mine I''m so sorry your daughter has inherited this ''curse''. My daughters have been lucky so far but I will always be worried about them getting migraines. It is so hard to watch your child go through what you know is terrible pain.

 

[blueroses]

Thanks for all of the thoughts, guys.

By yesterday morning I felt mostly better, but it''s still disturbing since I haven''t had one of that duration/intensity in a while.

I bought a supplement that had magnesium, feverfew, and ribolavin, so we''ll see what that does.

I think b/c my migraines got "mild" enough that I wasn''t totally vomiting and hiding in the closet to escape the light I have probably downplayed them to myself and gotten used to the pain. And b/c Imitrex made me even sicker I thought why bother, at that point. I think I''m going to keep a diary of migraines for the next few weeks/month or so and see what''s up. Honestly, I do have them--though way more minor than this last one--A LOT, I just have sort of minimized them b/c they weren''t as bad as the ones I got in my teens and early 20s. I still can''t drive or read or anything when I have one, and they still SUCK! But because I was not as incapacitated as some other sufferers I knew I figured, eh, could be worse. (Although the icepick description is good. I always used to describe it as a screw driver jammed into my temple and being pushed back, so as to pry open my skull. Either that, or my eye in a vise.)

I am on a very low dose of an SSRI, but that doesn''t seem to have helped at all--in fact, it might have made the frequency worse. Weird that similar drugs have been listed as prescriptions to HELP?? I guess everyone''s body responds differently.

Anyway, my neurologist now only treats MS so I am going to have to find a new one! Blah!

So thanks again, and my very sincere sympathies to some of you who clearly have them even worse!!

 

[moon river]

I''m glad the worst is over for you.

It does kinda make you wonder sometimes...Who are the people these medications are working for. I''ve never heard of anyone gettin relief from any of them. Hang in there and keep icing the forhead.

 

[DonaBella]

Date: 1/26/2006 1:01:07 PM
Author: *~*Danielle*~*
I got terrible migraines all throughout puberty, and I''ve been fortunate in the past 5 years or so to only suffer from a few per year.

I''ve tried almost all the meds. out there & the one I found that worked best for me was Migranal. Deanna - I think in the prescription information there is a warning about people with asthma...and you''re not supposed to inhale it - the medication works by absorbing into the blood vessels in your nose (inhaling it will send it too far down).

I also did not enjoy imitrex - it made me extremely ill.

I tried a bunch of others that didn''t do anything at all unfortunately & at this point can''t remember all their names.

I was on preventative meds. for a couple of years, a combo. of amitrypteline (a low dose anti-depressent, but not an SSRI like Prozac), and Inderal. It doesn''t sound like you really need preventatives though BlueRoses.

I''d suggest just heading to the doctor & seeing if there''s anything new out there you can try. My doctor must have gone through at least 15 different samples before we found the Migranal that worked for me.

And mostly, I''m sorry for all of you who have to suffer from these types of headaches. They are truly a pain that is inexplicable and rather detrimental to your overal feeling of health if you get them often

. Mine were definitely half genetic/half hormonal, and I hope that I don''t pass along this trait to my children one day.

Thanks Danielle...yes, I was not advised on the Migranal--asthma connection until AFTER I was at the hospital...

 

[DonaBella]

Date: 1/26/2006 6:23:24 PM
Author: blueroses
Thanks for all of the thoughts, guys.

By yesterday morning I felt mostly better, but it''s still disturbing since I haven''t had one of that duration/intensity in a while.

I bought a supplement that had magnesium, feverfew, and ribolavin, so we''ll see what that does.

I think b/c my migraines got ''mild'' enough that I wasn''t totally vomiting and hiding in the closet to escape the light I have probably downplayed them to myself and gotten used to the pain. And b/c Imitrex made me even sicker I thought why bother, at that point. I think I''m going to keep a diary of migraines for the next few weeks/month or so and see what''s up. Honestly, I do have them--though way more minor than this last one--A LOT, I just have sort of minimized them b/c they weren''t as bad as the ones I got in my teens and early 20s. I still can''t drive or read or anything when I have one, and they still SUCK! But because I was not as incapacitated as some other sufferers I knew I figured, eh, could be worse. (Although the icepick description is good. I always used to describe it as a screw driver jammed into my temple and being pushed back, so as to pry open my skull. Either that, or my eye in a vise.)

I am on a very low dose of an SSRI, but that doesn''t seem to have helped at all--in fact, it might have made the frequency worse. Weird that similar drugs have been listed as prescriptions to HELP?? I guess everyone''s body responds differently.

Anyway, my neurologist now only treats MS so I am going to have to find a new one! Blah!

So thanks again, and my very sincere sympathies to some of you who clearly have them even worse!!

Well, I am glad that the worst seems to be over with for now...but a new neurologist might have some new answers for you as well...I am in the same boat as far as the visual problems that come with my migraines. I really try to not let them overrule my life, but I am SO busy sometimes and stopping to care for me in the heat of it all is so inconvenient...Obviously, if you ever need to just bounce ideas off or talk, you can email or pm me...I check my email daily...

 

[MINE!!]

Date: 1/26/2006 5:41:35 PM
Author: moon river
Mine I''m so sorry your daughter has inherited this ''curse''. My daughters have been lucky so far but I will always be worried about them getting migraines. It is so hard to watch your child go through what you know is terrible pain.

Thanks moon.. she is a trooper....

Hope you feel better Blueroses....!!

 

[just_looking!]

I''ve had migraines since I was aged 7 and get both types. I was prescrived Pizotifen as a daily preventative (sometimes called Sanomigran) but got so sleepy that I stopped taking it. Mine tend to come on when I don''t eat regularly or get enough sleep or when I''m stressed but I also notice that thundery weather makes them worse.

My doctor suggested that I kept a trigger diary to see if there was anything I could pin point. I know they are not hormone related from the diary and it helped me to see that if I get tired and don''t eat regularly they come on most times and if I''m stressed as well then it''s almost a given.

She also mentioned that your digestive system shuts down during a migraine and it helps to take any pain medication ( I normally take ibruprofen) really early so that it absorbs. Taking soluble pain relief is useful if you don''t catch them early.

Once I have them, I get pain that clamps my skull, vision problems, one side of my body goes numb and I talk like I''ve had a stroke or ramble incoherently. Sometimes I throw up but I hate this so much that I try and take something as soon as I know that I''m starting to feel nauseous. I find that taking my pills with something starchy helps so maybe low blood sugar is a factor. I know that they often begin around 3-5am. My husband says I start / jump a lot when I sleep which is also supposed to be a symptom of low blood sugar.

 

[tawn]

I get one every 4th Friday almost like clockwork. Some are worse than others, and I usually get 1-2 mid-month that are either triggered by teethclenching, sinus problems, or ???. They started when my Dr. put me on birth control just to regulate my cycles...and now I can''t get rid of them even though I stopped taking the hormones!? It''s been about 6 years now, and the only medication that really works is Maxalt, but I still have to go to bed when I take it! The only downfall is that it gives me arythmia (sp?) and the Dr. suggests that I avoid it!

OTC meds do nothing...(loved the comment that MINE said about them being as useful as M&Ms!) If I take a Vicodan and RX Anitnausea pill right away, it''s not too bad...but if it gets full-blown, I''m down. They last 2.5 days and then I feel like I have a hangover for half a day, so a full migraine robs me of 3 days of my life.

I''ve been hearing a lot about Botox lately, even the radio has an ad requesting people for a study! Get rid of the frown wrinkles between my eyes and cure my headaches! Sounds perfect to me....I think I may sign up!

A quiet dark room with ice packs, and lots of sleep is the only sure thing.

I would give my diamond ring up to never have another migraine!

 

[blueroses]

Just bumping this up to see if anyone has had any success w/ different treatments. My doctor switched me off of triphasil onto mircette b/c the estrogen level is supposed to be more consistent w/ a low level during the placebo week and therefore less "migrainey." Only on my 2nd month of it, so it''s too early to tell if it''s helped. AND I''ve had a wicked one since yesterday. Right now I''m on ultram (tramadol) with a gel strip on my forehead and frozen edamame on the top of my head.

It''s just such a juggling act to try to figure out the triggers and treatment....I know some antidepressents can work as preventatives, but others can exacerbate. THere''s a blood pressure med that is supposed to help, but I have low BP already so I can''t take it....I also clench my teeh in my sleep. So it is hard to say WHAT is setting them off for me, hormones, stress, random food/smell triggers, depression correlation??? BLAH.

Anyone tried relpax?

 

[researcher]

My mom and a close friend are now doing the Botox shots and are having GREAT success. My mom used to get 3-4 migraines a month, with some lasting as long as a week. Now she gets maybe 1-2 migraines a month and can cure it fairly quickly with Imitrex (whereas Imitrex had pretty much stopped working for her previously). As for my friend, she''s now gone 2 months without a migraine thanks to the Botox. I therefore plan to go in in the near future--despite my fear of shots.

 

[tawn]

I went for my Botox/Migraine consultation, and they won''t give them to me since we''re planning an IVF cycle in the next several months! I can get them afterwards though, so I''m looking forward to that...

BUT...they did refer me to an MD that works in Neurology who does accupuncture, the deep muscle type where they use a big needle and really put it in the muscle? I''ve been once and thought it was wonderful!! I''m not sure how much it will help, but my neck feels wonderful and the nagging pain at the base of my skull (where my migraines usually begin) feels much better!

I can''t wait to go back!! It wasn''t painful at all, although it felt weird and I think it''s really going to help! But, it took me 3 years to get them to refer me to her...only after I exhausted every other medication!!

 

[diamondfan]

I have gotten them for 30 years since I was ten, and they are so bad. I get the aura, the ice pick feeling, the back of the skull pain...now I am also getting tension headaches too, and they are coming on with the pressure in the air as well as hormones, stress, lack of sleep...so I have them a lot now! I am allergic now to a lot of stuff and so I am stuck with what works and I can tolerate. Accupuncture and accupressure are supposed to help, and Topamax is something I have heard people have success with. You take it daily, tweaking it to find the right dose, and you stay on it all the time as prophylaxis. It also suppresses the appetite as a nice side benefit. I have been in the ER with an IV of demerol and reglan and I have been home crawling around crying and literally unable to talk from the effects of the migraine. Nothing seems took help for long. I also to Mindrin and Inderal which did not really work too well after a while. Good luck!

 

[diamondfan]

Date: 1/25/2006 2:09:52 AM
Author: DeannaBana

Date: 1/24/2006 11:38:20 PM
Author:blueroses
Hey PS,

I''ve been sidelined with a wicked migraine since Sunday evening, which is unsual for me. I''ve had migraines for 20 years, but I''ve been really lucky in that they usually don''t last long and aren''t too severe. (I get the so-called ''classical'' variety where I get the screwy visual ''aura.'') Years ago I was on Imitrex (which made me sicker than it was worth) and before that methergine and cafergot as wanna-be preventatives--they didn''t really work.

I''ve been using only OTC for several years now b/c of the bad reaction I had to imitrex....and as I got older my migraines seemed to get less severe. They''re still a hassle and painful, but brief enough that I''d take excedrin and get on with it. BUT. I''ve been just knocked down

with this one and am going to go back to my neurologist b/c I really hope this isn''t a sign of things to come!

SO.....I''d love any feedback from fellow migrainers about anything that''s worked for them: homeopathic, new drugs, etc. (For now I took a vicodin--which hasn''t helped--and have walking around with one of those cooling things on my forehead tied on w/ a red bandana so I kind of look like a Blood.)

HELP!

I have been plagued with migraines for 21 years and have used pretty much all that I can. I take calan--which is also called veraphamil--in the morning each day and a lower dose at night for preventative purposes and have been on it for 4 years. It works 95% of the time. I do still get sinus migraines but those are allayed with chiropractic adjustments and sinus headache OTC remedies most of the time and Flonase. As for me, if a migraine is coming on, I get an occasional aura or vision squiggly lines, lightheadedness and immediately take Relpak. If that doesn''t do it and repeat dosages do not knock it out, I move up to Fiorcet. If that fails, then I go to the Darvocet and if that makes not no improvement, than I am forced to go to get either a Toradol shot at the urgent care or a Demerol and Vistaril shot at the ER. I detest going to the ER unless it is horrific and I am vomiting(sorry to be so graphic!!!), but I am usually subject to a minimum of 4 hours of waiting and that doesn''t help me and also exposes me to other illnesses that other people there have and is hardly worth the bother...but I have gone when necessary.

My husband will drive me to a smaller hospital quite a ways away from my home in Riverside to Redlands Community Hospital in Redlands---some 25+ miles away. If I REALLY have to go to the ER, I will go there. My local hospital is absurd and is highly incompetent in helping move patients in asap due to whatever problems inhouse they have so I don''t go there.

I do avoid caffiene unless I need to have it to help a bit with a headache and I do try to get plenty of protein and magnesium supplements and staying hydrated when a migraine first starts is critical for me. I try to drink somewhere close to a gallon a water a day just to help avoid a problem, but some days I am better than others.

I get the kind that happen just before my cycle and the kind that happen due to emotional upset or sleep deprivation, so I have to have a regular schedule or me and everyone around me is screwed...

The right pillow is crucial too...at least for me.

Hope something I said here helps you!!!

Deanne, I get them from the same thing and I take fiorcet. Bottle says one each six hours, I take two every four and it just takes the edge off. Sometimes just a couple of them with a REGULAR coke really helps, the syryp of the coke helps the nausea for some reason...

 

[Gypsy]

I'm fighting one right now. LOL. didn't read whole thread. Should prob. get off the puter, frankly.

Water is the #1 most important thing with me... I get like this and I forget... or get too naseous (not this time thankfully) to drink water and the dehydration makes it much worse.

I have Imitrex inhaler... works well, but you said you had a reaction to it. They are REALLY expensive though, so I don't use them unless it's unbearable.

Vicodin does nothing for me. Percocet does lovely things... but I don't like to take it... like it too much...lol.

Hmm... other than that... I use cool compresses a cuddling cat, and a fetch and carry fiance in a dark qiuet room.. take something over the counter and wait for it to go away. If I get naseous I burn room fragrance with a citrus smell DOWN STAIRS while I'm upstairs (otherwise it's too strong) and that seems to help... or if I don't have any I sniff at a lemon/ lime peel. It helps.

ETA: Just skimmed thread. Mine started when I started taking a particular brand of BC (can't recall it right now)... stopped when I switched to this (Yasmin) ... but now I've started Yasmin again (was off it for about two years) and the migrains are back. Mine are icepick... but if I take OTC at onset sometimes I can stop the worst. My OBGYN BTW thinks I'm nuts when I tell him it's BC related.