Migraines!!

[aunt lissa]

Does anyone know of a way to get rid of anxiety migraines? I've been having a lot of anxiety attacks, which in turn are giving me migraines. A little history on my past w/ migraines; in June of 2002 I had a migraine that left me paralized for 5 days, the migraine was nothing more than a anxiety attack except that i was in so much pain that my body shut down. Well recently I've been having alot of migraines and anxiety attacks again. It's getting expensive going to the ER all the time to get medicine because they are just that bad. I can't deal w/ the anxiety attacks any longer, and before I give in to the Dr. and go on anxiety medicine wanted to check here and see if anyone has any ideas on how to deal w/ them as well as dealing w/ migraines! Any advice would be helpful and apprecciated!! Thanks a bunch!

 

[SandraM]

Are you sure that it is anxiety that causes your migraines?
I was suffering for years with debilitating migraines and eventually discovered that if I had beer and chocolate within 24 hours of each other that I got a migraine. I now avoid chocolate altogether - have to have the odd Bud, lol!
It might be worth your while having allergy testing done?
Also, some people say that Feverfew is a great natural treatment for migraines, it didn't do diddly for me, but hey you never know.
Also, I have a SIL who gets really bad sinus headaches, and she swears by acupuncture, you could give that a try.
Personally I find I have to take my migraine pills as soon as I feel one could be coming on, delaying taking my medicine only delays my recovery.
I'd love to know how you get on. Please keep in touch.

 

[aunt lissa]

Thanks Sandra...I'm most sure that they are anxiety related. Doc put me thru many tests to find out what was causing them. I've heard alot of people say about chocolate..but frankly I don't eat alot of sweets! I also have the hormonal migraines...but those are just gonna be, can't help the hormones!

 

[Princess_Aurora]

Do you like tea? There are several herbal teas that relieve headaches and anxiety. Here are a few:

Chamomile- Nerve sedative, helps menopausal problems. Eases depression, stress related complaints, insomnia and migraines. Facilitates meditation. Relaxing, and soothing.

Peppermint (my favorite)- Stimulant that helps headaches, migraines, mental fatigue, nervous stress and fainting. Affects conscious mind and halts negative thoughts.

Rosemary- Helps headaches, mental fatigue, nervous exhaustion and stress-related disorders. Clears conscious mind. Promotes mental clarity. Refreshes and stimulates a warm sluggish body, energizes and regenerates. Strengthens and uplifts.

If you're interested in any of them, you can go to www.itsmynature.net. That's where I get my tea from.

 

[HoneyPooh]

Another non-chocolate eater here! I also have to be careful of too many starches in combination (like a potato and rice/pasta close together). I don't have any good advice for you but I just wanted to let you know that I feel your pain! When I get a migraine I lose all my motor function and can't move a finger.

 

[grinningghost]

I get them too. Ouch! I had one yesterday that pretty much shut me down for the entire evening. I can't function at all when I get them, I also get nauseous and occasionally vomit. The ONLY thing that has worked for me is this crazy combination:

2 Excedrin Migraine tablets
Some form of chocolate (a candy bar or two is good)
A big strong cup of coffee or caffeinated cola
Rest

Last night it seemed nothing would work for me - but finally about 2 AM it subsided.

I've had migraine with the crazy aura thing too. Scared the poop out of me the first time. I thought my MS was flaring up - I was suddenly seeing zigzag lines and had spots of my vision totally blacked out. Funny, but that time, I suffered no migraine pain, but my neurologist assured me it was, indeed migraine.

I hope you find your answer soon. They really are horrible, aren't they?

 

[aunt lissa]

Thanks so much all! I'm gonna try these out and see if they help. In the past I've been on Inderal as a preventative..however Inderal is also a blood pressure medication and made my bp drop dramatically and I couldn't handle it. I've taken staydol (sp?) imitrex, teredol (sp?) and a few other medications for my migraines, but they never seem to work. Always end up at the ER scared I'm gonna go paralized again and get a shot of Morphine! Now it makes the headache go away, NO DOUBT! and also tends to make me goofy. But the next day I always feel so drained and groggy. In the last month I've gone 3 times to the ER and it's getting pretty costly! I knew that w/ 55,000 dis'ers I couldn't possibly be the only one who suffers from these things. I'm just trying to figure a way now to calm my nerves keep my anxiety under control and stray away from these migraines. Now of course there is always medicine I can take and I have taken in the past but again they make you groggy and well w/ these kids the last thing I can do is take medicine and go to sleep!

 

[grinningghost]

Just another thought. I also take meds for anxiety/depression/panic attacks (the whole ugly ball of wax) and they work really well. You might want to ask your doc about the newer antidepressants. I have zero side effects and I'm anxiety free most of the time. If I feel a panic attack coming on (which is very, very infrequent now), I take a half a Xanax and nip it in the bud. Medications are a personal choice, but I know for myself, I wouldn't function if I didn't take them. Good luck and don't give up. You WILL find a solution eventually, patience is the key.

 

[Princess_Aurora]

Lexapro is another good med for anxiety. I started on it about a month ago and have only had 3 anxiety attacks (which were in my sleep) and that's a major improvment for me since I use to get several a day...sometimes for no reason! The side effects on Lex are slim to none. The only one I had was a little drousiness and my doc said if it makes me drousy just take it before I go to bed. 10mg of Lexapro is equal to 40 of Prozac, so you're taking less drugs with less side effects but you get the same results. If your anxiety is bothering you enough to make it difficult for you to function, you should definately talk to your doc about it.

 

[pokiemomo181]

My neurologist put me on Topamax to control my migraines. I take it before bed and so far no migraines. Mine were so bad I was getting some damage to veins in the brain and she was concerned about a brain bleed. I have had no side effects from the medicine either.


Pokie