OT- Migranes

[LovetheMouse12302]

Does anyone else suffer from migranes? What do you do for relief? I've actually gotten one so bad it woke me up from bed. I'm NOT a morning person! LOL I've never experienced this and it has me a little alarmed. I've had these for about 2 1/2 yrs now and for awhile they went away, but last month my father was diagnosed with cancer and I'm sure my body is feeling stressed. If you would ever ask me how I am though I would say fine, wink wink. I am on blood pressure medication that is suppose to help migranes, like I said it normally works so I dunno. Last night I was experiencing an ear ache, the same side as the migrane. So I dunno what to do. I have to get this headache to go away so I can actually enjoy this weekend! I have a really high pain tolerence, but this is bad. Any advice??? I just wanna feel better before DH and DS get up. Thanks!

 

[Fairy Mom]

I am suffering and under a doctor's care, but not responsive to most medication that I have tried.

For starters. Try excederin migraine. It's a combo of tylenol aspirin and caffeine. If you can't go to the store try caffeine with your over the counter pain meds. to help you get started.

Relax. I like to use a heating pad on the back of my neck and shoulders. My doc. says that others like to use ice. Its your preference.

Take a bubble bath. Lavender. The smell of peppermint.

 

[AJRitz]

Excedrin Migraine is a good start. Talk to your doctor about migraine meds that you can take at the onset of the headache. There are several good ones out there. DW takes Imitrex (which just went out of patent protection, so the price has dropped dramatically, even without an actual generic version being available yet). I can't take Imitrex, I get a bad side effect from it. But I take either Maxalt or Axert.

Once you get the migraine to clear, it also helps to protect yourself from a reoccurrence. When you get a migraine, the blood vessels in your brain are overexpanding, and there's some lingering inflammation. I try to remember to take a Naproxen (like Aleve or Naprosyn) for a couple of days after a migraine. Naproxen is a long-lasting anti-inflammatory.

 

[eeyoresmom]

Google "cluster headaches" and make sure you're not dealing with them instead.

 

[LovetheMouse12302]

I've never heard of cluster headaches, but I did look it up. A lot of the symptoms sound like mine. My headaches are always one sided, they are sharp pains, beside my right eye, in my temple (sp) that usually don't last very long. Lets say for example I woke up this morning at 5 AM and had the migrane for 2 hrs then I might not feel another until 4 PM and it may only last an hr. It's like they come and go. I really hate to talk to my family doctor about my headaches again. I've seen him several times on this issue and he always brushes me off, and he insists it's nothing such as a headache it's neck pain that I'm feeling in my head. I guess he is the one with the degree, I dunno. He thinks it's some muscular issue in my neck. I just hate wasting my time to be brushed off and I'm sure he thinks I am a nut, but the issue is still there, so I dunno. I just wish if he isn't sure how to treat me, he would send me on to someone who can.

 

[MinnieVanMom]

I second Maxalt under the lounge the kind that fizzes. Now you don't get total relief but I can be better. I still go to bed and lay down until the migraine goes away.

I also go to the chiropractor and it helps a bit, or maybe I believe it helps.

 

[Mathfailure]

If your Dr. is not listening to your complaint, go to a different Dr.

This is a common illness, and not one hard to dx.

I suffered for years, and could not take a lot of the medications because of side affects. I learned that I could always tell when one was going to get bad, one side of my head went numb, and drank strong coffee right away to help - and went to a dark room to lay down. I did have to resort to pain medications at times, but tried to avoid it because after the pain was gone I had to the deal with the sick after affects of taking strong med.

I was eventually put on some kind of beta blocker, really did help.

My major relief? menopause, seems the hormones were a large part.

Seek help, before the next time, with someone who is willing to explore options with you.

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

Have you been diagnosed with migraines by a doctor or are you just assuming that they are migraines because they are "the worst headaches you have ever had" ? I only ask because I have known people who think they have migraines but when they finally see a doctor it's something else. My sister thought she had migraines for years but when she finally broke down and saw a doctor about it he said it was allergies....a decongestant cleared them up.

Have you had a CT Scan? If you haven't it might be a good idea to rule out anything else.

As for relief, I take Imitrex.... with so/so results. I would ALWAYS have to take multiple doses of 50mg Imitrex and sometimes I wouldn't get relief. I switched to 100mg Imitrex and that works better...but makes me dizzy and nauseaus. I've tried Maxalt and a few others and they make me real sleepy and I won't take them if my dh isn't home to watch my children. I usually carry Excedrin Migraine with me and if I take it VERY quickly at the start of my headache, I get some relief. It won't make it go away... but it helps.

 

[pilotwife_02]

I get migraines too and have been on topomax for them for a while but they are starting to come back. So I'm about to go to my dr to see if I need to change or up my dose. I try to cut things out like caffeine (maybe drink one caffeinated beverage a week)

I have taken Excedrin migraine before but I try to stay away from taking it a lot because you can get what are called rebound headaches from them. What happens is if you use some over the counter meds like aspirin, ibuprofen when the medication wears off, you may experience a withdrawal reaction. Then you take it again, then you go through withdrawal again, etc. Then you get more headaches that are more severe and will no longer work when you take the normal dose of medicine. I've had to cut back on the number of times I will take Excedrin so I don't experience these.

Luckily since taking a daily preventative medicine my daily headaches have decreased so I don't have to take it as often. I also have imitrex for when I do get a migraine (since the daily meds can't keep every headache away ).

 

[pooh4evr]

Topamax helps me too- I take 2 a day - before I got on those I had tried everything- Maxalt, under the tongue worked great as did Zomig nasal spray (20 min) but the after taste was GROSS! I had one so bad last yr it mimicked stroke like symptoms, some numbness and weakness on my left side- it was scary- DH is an MD and he gave me in injection (i think he enjoyed that too much!) of something that finally made it go away (after trying other meds) we almost went to the ER. Since then Ihave been very diligent about taking the topamax and trying to sleep better and exercise more.

 

[bookgirl]

I always thought I was having bad sinus headaches. Headaches behind my eyes and my ear would throb, etc. Had to just lie down or suffer through.

I have had a type of migranes in the past that were strictly visual distortion. Dummy me about a year and half ago I started haveing distortions again and blew it off because it's never hurt and they went away the last time after about a year.

Then last spring I had a full blown out nauseau/light sensitive hung around for three days I'm going to die headache.

That's when they figured out I have headaches that mimic sinus headaches. Plus the visual distortion which is now an early indicator.

They put me on Dolgic Plus which is an older medicine (tylenol, caffiene and a barbituate that works as a stress/muscle relaxer) and can be addictive if over used. If I get it early like before I reach 3 on the pain scale one dose will knock it out, if I miss it then I ramp up to about 6 and it takes two doses before it gets bearable. I've had a couple of 8/9's and I had to take three doses but luckily they don't happen often.

I'm now a firm beliver in get thee to a doctor. I used to just suffer through the headaches, and honestly I think I just have a high pain tolerence because I've stayed at work through most of them, and just let them pass
But now that I know that I don't have too and that those severe episodes were my own fault for being stubborn, I take the pill and thank the medical gods for them.

 

[eeyoresmom]

OP, do as much research as you can. Migraines usually last at least several hours, you would probably be very sensitive to light and sound, may have nausea or visual disturbances. Cluster headaches are usually PURE pain ( you may experience some nasal stuffiness on the affected side). Lying down in a dark, quiet room does not help. The pain usually starts very suddenly, often when the sufferer is asleep. Cluster headaches are named that because they will occur in "clusters". You will get one every day, or several a day for a few weeks or months, then will not experience this type of headache again for several months or years.(usually).You need a referral to a neurologist. Sorry for your pain. I have cluster headaches that last for months. I get very little sleep, am in a lot of pain and still have to work, take care of kids, etc. It is very frustrating.

 

[muscarello4]

I have had headaches for as long as I can remember. My "cure" is to take 50 mg of Benadryl and then go take a long-hot bath. I end up partially falling asleep in the tub and can then wander into the bed.

My pain is so bad that I can't relax to get to sleep. The Benadryl has a side-effect of severe drowsiness. That's just what I need to get to sleep. When I wake up, 95% of the time the headache is gone. Of course this only works if you can devote 4-6 hours to sleep. Mine are bad enough that I have no other choice.

As a kid, I used to get an injection of Vistaril and Nubain in the ER. As an adult, I got tired of having to go to the ER and found my own remedy. Works like a charm for me!

 

[pigget74]

I am 33 and have had migraines since I was 8. During HS they put me on several blood pressure meds, but nothing worked. As I got older they seemed to be getting better. Then about 4 years ago they came back with a vengence--making up for lost time I think. Anyway--I took excedrine migraine a lot and it worked if I took it early enough. They got so bad that I was starting not to be able to function. My Dr. tried everything---can't take Imitrex horrible side effects--found out after I did the shots. The others mentioned I had tried over the years and they really did no good. I have a very high pain tolerance so I forced myself to continue on. I would not take major pain meds---have small kids and I teach--DH traveled a lot at that time. Anyway I found toradol pain killer and my Dr. tried me on it. It works great. He then sent me on to a neuro. the guy was a jerk. He wanted to put me back on Imitrex even though I told him I could not take it. He put me on Topamax--which should be called stupidmax for me. I could not remember anything--couldn't complete my thoughts. I got lost driving to a place I had been to multiple times. Went back to neuro and he blew me off. SO I then told him off and never went back. As a last resort I tried a DO in town. She only deals with hormones. I went through all the testing with her and found out that my body has almost stopped making progesterone and testosterone. I took all paperwork to by OB/GYN and discussed everything. Between the 2 Dr.'s I am now on hormone replacement--all natural. I do progesterone 14 days a month and get a testosterone pellet inserted into hip every 3 months. My MIGRAINES are soooo much better. A night and day difference. To the point I can take OTC and be fine with an occasional toradol.

 

[dancin Disney style]

I've had migraines since I was 11 and I'm now 39. My mother had them and so did her father. It now seems like my 10 yo has them as well. Unfortunately for me the only meds that give me any relief are the old school pain killers. They are highly addictive and my Dr. will only give me 20 at a time which really is no problem since they scare the life out of me. My older brother also had migraines and became addicted to the pills. It totally ruined his life and has left a mark on me.

I get the classic migraine symptoms. It usually starts with an aura and then moves to intense throbbing pain from my temple to the back of my head. At this point I can not tolerate and sounds, smells or light. I suffer intense nausea and will shake. I will often lose an entire day in bed. The following days are either still in headache land or else suffering the after affects of the medication. The after affects from the meds are almost as bad as the migraine. I have now taken to calling it the 'hangover'.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

I get migraines that follow a very distinct pattern. I start with a visual disturbance - I notice I am not seeing things clearly. Then I see a small zigzagging line in usually my middle or lower right side of my vision. The zigzag then grows into long twisting flashing lines in my vision. I can't see well at this point and have to stop what I am doing. The lines then slowly start to float and expand until they go off my line of vision. This takes about 45 minutes from start to end.

After the lines go away, I get hit with a big headache right above my right eye. The headache lasts all day until I have a nice long sleep and can sleep it off. I never found any medicine that makes any real difference. With a bad headache, I can get left side weakness and vomiting. Not good.

The GOOD thing is, I actually know my trigger. For me, it is clearly a chiropractic-related thing with my neck - somehow me either simply moving my neck to look at my upper right arm or shoulder is all it takes. I don't know what happens in that movement, but it somehow interferes with the blood flow to my brain, and the migraine is the result. The migraine usually comes a few hours after the movement of my neck, which is so bizarre but true. Took me years to finally narrow down what was causing all this.

Anyways, I am VERY careful about posture and pressure on my neck. Right now I haven't had a migraine since November, when I usually get 2 a month. At one point I was getting them every week, which was horrible. But things have improved, which I am very grateful!

 

[doclegler]

I get migraines often too, probably the hormonal type. I have been on various meds for them, but Maxalt seems to help best. Imitrex always made me feel bad on top of the migraine (both IV and pill form). I've had the injections of Toradol to, but they truly don't help me. Narcotics work very differently on me, so I just avoid them.
I tried Excedrin Migraine in the past, but due to a previous heart condition, I haven't been able to take it. The caffeine causes my heart to race and I feel really uncomfortable.
That said, just be sure to talk to your dr about having a CT or MRI. As long as those types of things are clear, just work on feeling better! I always worry on my trips that I will have one too, but luckily it hasn't ever happened. Must be that Disney magic!!
Good luck!

 

[macrosswife]

Migraine sufferer here, too!!
I was on a prescription medicine, but it seemed to be hit or miss...it didn't always work.

I did two things...first, I started keeping a food journal. I discovered several food triggers for me: chocolate and artificial sweeteners are my two biggest triggers. Changes in barometric pressure can also set them off. (So when I flew to Disney in August and went through a package of gum to help with my ears I really paid the price the next day!!)

What I have found that works is Ibuprofen and Sudafed (and I mean the "real" Sudafed, not the Sudafed PE.) taken with a drink with a large amount of caffeine. Here in Alabama that usually means sweet tea from CFA.
That combo works 99% of the time.

I have not tried the Excedrin Migraine, but have several friends who swear by it.

Good luck!!
~Kimber

 

[deva]

I've never heard of cluster headaches, but I did look it up. A lot of the symptoms sound like mine. My headaches are always one sided, they are sharp pains, beside my right eye, in my temple (sp) that usually don't last very long. Lets say for example I woke up this morning at 5 AM and had the migrane for 2 hrs then I might not feel another until 4 PM and it may only last an hr. It's like they come and go. I really hate to talk to my family doctor about my headaches again. I've seen him several times on this issue and he always brushes me off, and he insists it's nothing such as a headache it's neck pain that I'm feeling in my head. I guess he is the one with the degree, I dunno. He thinks it's some muscular issue in my neck. I just hate wasting my time to be brushed off and I'm sure he thinks I am a nut, but the issue is still there, so I dunno. I just wish if he isn't sure how to treat me, he would send me on to someone who can.

Like many I've suffered with migraines since my pre-teen years. Imitrex is a godsend for me. I prefer the shots (due to how fast relief comes), then the nasal (works fairly quickly, but bad aftertaste). I gave up on the pills - they just take too long.

I would see a neuro. From the symptoms you are describing, your headaches do not sound like migraines. Migraines are typically one-sided, but usually last longer and are accompanied by nausea, extreme sensitivity to smells and light, and possibly visual auras.

Mine are triggered by hormones (right before period), caffeine-addiction (trying to cut back after having a daily coffee or Coke), lack of sleep, nutrasweet and probably a few other things I have not figured out yet.

Good luck finding some relief. Headaches (migraines or not) are no fun and rob you of your day!

 

[DISNEYFOS]

You may want to see a Neurologist to be sure..but it sounds more like a form of Migraine called Primary stabbing headache. I suffered from Migraines in my youth..the visual disturbance with vomiting kinds... I took meds when they were really bad in college.. However, after the birth of my second child I started getting these weird stabbing pains..just over one eye..very very sharp, but didn't last all that long...then they would come back later in the day.. so I would be having a few "episodes" a day. Really intense pain but then go away.

The Neurologist told me what they were...and tried to put me on something I would take daily..but it did a number of my stomach. I really didn't want to be on a prescription med..and the next one he wanted to try was one with more side effects..

After reading an article, I started taking Melatonin 6MG (over the counter supplement) and it worked... The headaches disappeared. The Neurologist did say it was something that has worked on Migraines for some people.. Google Primary Stabbing headache and see if that sounds like what you are describing. My understanding of cluster headaches are more debilitating..long lasting.. These are sharp enough to make you catch your breath..but don't last long.

Good luck