Need advice with Tension/Migraine Headaches

[Eggs4Sale]

I'll tell you what doesn't work for me: meditation, yoga, massage (never had a pro do it, though), hot bath, pain relievers, etc.

The only thing that works for me is taking two Excedrin Migraine the very minute I think one is coming. Visual disturbance is usually the first clue. I take two and go lie down in a darkened room. Works almost every time.

But I still fail to take it early enough at least half the time. Denial, in town, busy...

 

[Chicken Rustler]

I suffered with extreme Migraines for years with out really knowing what it was. After trying many things one of the many Drs sent me to a neurologist (sp). After lots of testing he told me that I was having migraines and they were caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. He put me on a med that is typically used for other disorders. I can now totally functional ( notice I don't claim to be normal) and migraine free for 15 years.
BTW the med is Depakote and it is normally used to treat epilepsy (sp).

 

[biddie]

I know i hate relying on pills but when i get migraines bad enough to make me not able to get out of bed I use Advil Migraine it works good,oh and i go to a dark room and lay down till it takes affect.
My daughter got them for me she gets them so bad she looses her vision.
You have to be careful they are not good for your stomach.

 

[jmhappycowboy]

Quote:
I too suffer with the extreme Migraines right now and have had them almost continously for the past 4 years. I have been going to a neurologist for 3 of those 4 years and they still haven't figured out what is causing mine. I also have some other issues such as seizures and I take the Depakote 500mg I have to take 5 of these pills per day everyday along with 2 100mg Topomax and still have Migraines on an average 5 out of every 7 days. The pain meds don't work either and the Dr's have pretty much told me other than taking pain shots I would just have to learn how to live with the pain.

 

[Eggs4Sale]

I HATE being in town doing something and, all of a sudden, not being able to see except on the periphery. Can't drive home that way.

I got a migraine on a Cub Scout camping trip (surprise), and had to drive myself out of there 12 miles over a badly wash-boarded dirt road, then the 40'ish miles home. I had to stop and throw up on the side of the road a couple of times. Thank God I had no visual loss. I wanted to be killed and put out of my misery as it was.

 

[Nupine]

I once had a horrible tension headache and my sis's ex husband gave me this crazy head massage [he was in medical school at the time] . It was not a gentle pleasant massage, it was more live he was trying to drill his fingers into my brain, but it actually worked. Maybe that was just because the pain from the massage over took the pain of the headache. lol

 

[ChooksChick]

Quote:
I too suffer with the extreme Migraines right now and have had them almost continously for the past 4 years. I have been going to a neurologist for 3 of those 4 years and they still haven't figured out what is causing mine. I also have some other issues such as seizures and I take the Depakote 500mg I have to take 5 of these pills per day everyday along with 2 100mg Topomax and still have Migraines on an average 5 out of every 7 days. The pain meds don't work either and the Dr's have pretty much told me other than taking pain shots I would just have to learn how to live with the pain.

You MUST try some alternative treatment. Go find an acupuncturist, a chiropractor, SOMETHING! You can't just endure it...that's awful.

 

[twentynine]

I have suffered from migrains my whole life. Really understand about the pain you describe. I have headaches so bad with pain so intense that at times I would have gladly take a gun and shot myself in the head if the sound of the gun going off would not have hurt so bad.

Home remedies that work for me to varying degrees.

Strong black coffee---lots of it

Cold shower as cold as you can stand it and stay in it until you are shivering

Ice bag on head and an ice pack on the sternum, once again until you can't stand it

dark room

What I am currently doing for migrains

Imetrex nose spray---- works to about the 90% level, I can remain functional and stay at work. The nose spray 3 Advils and an ice pack, I can actually feel fairly good.

In the past I have used the following Rxs with no success. Elavil, Lexapro, verapamil, cafragot. The last time I was in to my PCP he suggested Topamax (spl) myself as long as my blood pressure stays low 120/68 I will continue to use the Imitrex. Imitrex is a vassal constrictor, very dangerous for older people with high blood pressure, I am on the edge of older people but my BP is good.

 

[wombat]

I think that what you might need to do for relief might depend on what triggers your events.

Some people are set off my bright lights, or loud noise, or stress, or some combination. Others have dietary triggers. Chocolate, beer or wine, dairy products, some artificial sweeteners, MSG, caffine, there's all sorts of things. With some people, it is smells, or changes in slep patterns. My wife gets them from chocolate, but never did when she was younger. She does not seem to get them from anything else.

An old GF of mine had bad cases, usually set off by foods, eating patterns, or her eating disorders. She had a butalbital and codine sedative for them. She had other problems as well, but one of her issues was prescription drug dependancies, and this particular solution might not have been such a good choice for her given her other issues. It might be worth looking into in your case, though, if you have severe problems, since you might not be able to be on a Triptan solution (like Imitrex) because of your other conditions. It did seem to work for the pain in her case.

I think Triptans are a more common solution; Imitrex, Zomig, Relpax are common solutions, but they are not generally recommended for people at risk of stroke, which would be a concern for you.

Another thing to look into is whether any medication you might be on for other health issues is causing lower serotonin levels, as this is also a suspected trigger.

Outside of pharmaceuticals, about all you can do is try to remove the triggers and do what you can to treat the symtoms. Migrane pain is believed to come from neuropeptides produced by the trigeminal system within the brain; once that's going on, you're kinda stuck with dealing with it for up to 72 hours. The event's already occurred, the pain is the aftermath. Quiet and relaxation along with getting away from additional triggers is about all you can do.

 

[wombat]

Quote:
Siezure disorder meds or beta blockers are sometimes used as preventatives. Oddly, different ones work / don't work with different people.