Migraines

[HM]

DD has migraines every day.
She takes amitriptyline at 30mg at night before bed
She also takes B2 and Magnesium 400mg each
She has Imitrex and Cambia for the bad days
Botox at her neck didn't do a thing except hurt her neck
MRI shows no problems

My migraines are cycle related, so birth control helped me....I take three months at time and it cut back my migraines over time from monthly to hardly ever.

 

[NotUrsula]

I started getting them when I was 8, and by my early 30's I had them 3 nights out of 7. I wa always dehydrated because of the vomiting, which made things even worse. Strobe lights, sun and heat were my worst triggers, followed by red wine, and then several odors, eucalyptus most of all. (I remember back in the early 80's, there was a fashion for hair salons to put dried eucalyptus branches all over, and I could not find a shop that didn't have them. I didn't have my hair cut for 5 years.) However, I am now mostly migraine-free, unless I have the bad luck to encounter a strobe light.

What fixed it? A good neurologist and 2 years of taking Calan every day as a prevenative measure. It is a calcium-channel blocker, normally prescribed for heart disease. Once I started taking it, my triggers began to be less severe, and by the time I went off it, all but a few had essentially stopped bothering me. I still can get a migraine if I REALLY overdo being in the sun, but in the old days 15 minutes was enough to do me in. I did and still do consider it nothing less than a miracle.

At the time I was started on the Calan, I was also given a scrip for Midrin to use to try to stop them if they began to get started anyway. It did help, but it was the Calan that really made a difference for me.

 

[Elleshoodat]

Anyone have a prescription that works? I've always had luck with OTC Excedrine migraine, but the last few months nothing seems to help. I've tried Imitrex and Zomig. Both made me sleep, and lessened the headache but nothing makes them go away. They are getting more frequent, more severe, and lasting for days. I've given up artificial sweeteners, and before anyone suggests it, I'm not giving up gluten.

Advil Migraine works well for me. In the past, I had success with Imitrex, but that's the only prescription I've used.

The part I've bolded above worries me, OP. A good friend of mine was experiencing similar symptoms last fall, right before having a stroke at 31. I know migraines aren't always indicative of stroke, but please consider having a CT scan done.

 

[bbak3030]

I've had migraines for years and can't find any triggers. I recently started taking 20mg of Inderal
as a preventive and Imitrex as needed. The Imitrex works great, but I only get 9 pills a month. They are 100mg pills so I cut them in half. And the Inderal makes me super sleepy, even though I take it a at night. I feel like a zombie. Haven't decided if migraines or feeling like a zombie is worse. Have a following appt with my neurologist and I'll see if there is something else I can try.

 

[camreesmom]

DD has migraines every day.
She takes amitriptyline at 30mg at night before bed
She also takes B2 and Magnesium 400mg each
She has Imitrex and Cambia for the bad days
Botox at her neck didn't do a thing except hurt her neck
MRI shows no problems

My migraines are cycle related, so birth control helped me....I take three months at time and it cut back my migraines over time from monthly to hardly ever.

I started having migraines in junior high school and they just got progressively worse the older I got. Heat is my major trigger and living in South Texas doesn't help! I was having a migraine almost every day during the summer. I finally found a doctor that was willing to try different meds than just the midrin or imitrex. I got off the bc pill to start with because the hormones seemed to be making my migraines worse also. Now I take amitriptyline nightly and use Maxalt when I do happen to get a migraine. This has been a lifesaver for me. I went from almost daily migraines to maybe 2 a month. The good thing about amitriptyline is that it is CHEAP!!!

My sister still has migraines frequently and her insurance will only cover 4 imitrex per month. She said that when she has a bad one, she'll go get a milkshake so that when she throws up at least it will be something sweet.....lol. Her co-workers have learned to leave her alone when she comes in with a shake.

 

[MSLRAC]

My coworker swears by his chiropractor for relieving his migraines. He had migraines so often he had to go on FMLA so he could stay home without getting fired when he had migraines. Since he's been going to the chiropractor he says he has had no migraines, and it has been 7 years.

I get horrible migraines with my monthly cycle and the only thing that has phased them in recent months has been going to a chiropractor and using peppermint oil on the back of my neck and temples if I feel any sort of headache coming on. I've not had migraine is over 6 months using that combo.

 

[DLgal]

Two things helped me immensely:

Magnesium 500mg per day supplement

Stopped drinking coffee. I was only drinking one cup a day but I stopped and my migraines are very infrequent now.

OP, anytime headaches change in frequency or severity, a full medical workup should be done to rule out serious illness, even if you have had headaches in the past. Go to your doctor.

 

[disney212]

Tried tons of stuff but not much worked. Due to Crohn's I am limited on what I can take. I do B12 injections (for the Crohn's but doctor said it could help migraines) and when I feel one coming on I now take Fiorcet, it doesn't always work 100 % but it lets me function.

 

[Burnedout]

DD has migraines every day.
She takes amitriptyline at 30mg at night before bed
She also takes B2 and Magnesium 400mg each
She has Imitrex and Cambia for the bad days
Botox at her neck didn't do a thing except hurt her neck
MRI shows no problems

My migraines are cycle related, so birth control helped me....I take three months at time and it cut back my migraines over time from monthly to hardly ever.

Your poor baby!!!! I have them about half the month. Hormones and weather are the primary triggers :/

 

[HM]

Your poor baby!!!! I have them about half the month. Hormones and weather are the primary triggers :/

Thanks.

She's been seemingly better the last few months. Fewer bad days.

 

[bookgirl]

http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-89209-Dolgic+Plus+Oral.aspx?drugid=89209&drugname=Dolgic+Plus+Oral

This combination medication is used to treat tension headaches. Acetaminophen helps to decrease the pain from the headache. Caffeine helps increase the effects of acetaminophen. Butalbital is a sedative that helps to decrease anxiety and cause sleepiness and relaxation.

This is actually an older medication but it works great for me and as long as I don't have to take more than 2 doses I'm not impaired at all. (and I'm the type that one Loratab or one Benydryl puts me to sleep but for some reason the muscle relaxer in this is not very strong) If I take a third dose then I usually have to go ahead and go to bed anyway so it doesn't matter that I get a little sleepy.

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

I can not remember a time in my life NOT having migraines. I can clearly recall several times in elem school, being so ill with a migraine and getting sick at school in the nurses station and going home.

I've been actively seeking treatment for the last few years. It seems like I will find something that will work for a while and then in it will no longer be effective.

I've tried almost everything under the sun. Relpax had been working for about a year and now I've grown allergic to it, same as Imitrex.

I was having headaches so bad that I was taking 3 or 4 Motrin 800mg everyday, but having absolutely no effect what-so-ever. Essentially training my brain to have headaches to feed the addiction. I had to go on a steroid pack to break the cycle and get off the tylenol/motrin/excedrin train. I've had to do 2 more packs over the last 2 years to re-break the cycle. Once that cycle broke, I stopped having the static headache everyday.

I take a twice daily extended release combo med to prevent migraines. Its helped have less frequent migraines but hasn't stopped them completely.

I've tried all kinds of treatments. Nothing has killed them completely. Some things have helped, some thing have made them worse.

I really encourage you to find a neurologist. I mean a real good one. I had a great neuro, he look his time, really listened, asked me questions no other doc had ever asked, etc. He left the practice. I've seen two of the other docs in the office and now I'm leaving the practice and finding a new doc.

 

[Jennasis]

Topamax was a killer for me. Made me stupid! They call it "dope" a max for a reason. Drop 10 pennies on the floor and ask me to count them and it would take me 20 minutes. I'd forget where I was going or why I was going somewhere or HOW to get there...while driving. Couldn't spell simple words...forgot names, dates , faces.

I tried all the rescu emeds (Relpax, Maxalt etc), tried many beta blockers, heart disease meds, etc...I was suffering from chronic daily headaches, all day every day. From the moment I opened my eyes in the am until I cried myself to sleep at night. Excruciating pain. I'd had migraines since I hit puberty but this was awful!

After much work with my neurologist we finally found KEPPRA. Miracle drug saved my life!

 

[jsmith]

I had migraines for years-horrible horrible ones-they were hormonal and intensified by birth control pills which i took to control excessive bleeding. Three years ago i had 15 benine uturine polyps removed and ablation 9( stupid military medical system-took 15 years to find a gyn doc who would believe how much i really bled even on meds) stopped the BC the month before the surgery and not one migraine since. this may be one of the causes for you-or not.
I would seriously explore Botox. I work with and around numerous people who have TBI related migraines and almost all of them say Botox saved their lives.