Migraines...help please

[jengh]

I get migraines 2-3 times per week. The one I have now is incapacitating. Light kills me, I've been vomiting. I can't get rid of the thing! I take Imitrex for them, however, I'm out and can't refill until the 24th. I've tried Excederin, didn't help. I tried an ice pack, didn't help. I tried a shower, didn't help.

 

I'm running out of ideas here... Does anyone have any tricks?

 

I've also tried sleeping it off

[SilverManic]

200mg ibeprofine 2 tablets userally works for me. Lots of sleep too. If you keep getting problems see your GP.

[Scout]

Sorry to hear you're in such pain. I'd go to the emergency room, since it won't go away. They'll give you something for the pain, possibly a prescription.

[lizziebee]

Do you take Imitrex pills or the shot? Only the shot works for me and I have been having them since I was a child. When the shot came out I was mortified that my doc would even suggest sticking myself but he said 'when you have that migraine a little needle in your thigh will be the least of your worries' He was right the shot is painless, you don't really see the needle since it is encased in a fear-of-needles rocket type injector....try it. In the meantime...CALL YOUR MD. Imitrex is non narcotic and there is no reason why you should not be allowed a refill unless this is the work of the illustrious insurance company.

[jengh]

Do you take Imitrex pills or the shot? Only the shot works for me and I have been having them since I was a child. When the shot came out I was mortified that my doc would even suggest sticking myself but he said 'when you have that migraine a little needle in your thigh will be the least of your worries' He was right the shot is painless, you don't really see the needle since it is encased in a fear-of-needles rocket type injector....try it. In the meantime...CALL YOUR MD. Imitrex is non narcotic and there is no reason why you should not be allowed a refill unless this is the work of the illustrious insurance company.

 

I take the pills. They usually do the trick. The last time I tried the shot, it didn't work for me for some reason.

 

I just moved downstate so I don't have a doctor here yet. And I have no idea where the ER is. Plus, Im not sure if I'd have to pay anything up-front. I have insurance, but someplaces want the co-pay immediately.

[charley]

My dad and sister both suffered from migranes. Now seldom. Nearly cured. Something my dad buys from healthfood store. I wish I could remember what it's called. My dad used to get one a week. Now only about one a year.

 

I'll ask my dad or sister and get back to you.

 

In the meanwhile, Folic Acid (one of B vitamins) is supposed to help somewhat.

 

I'll find out about the other thing and get back to you. It's not even expensive and doesn't require a prescription.

[jengh]

My dad and sister both suffered from migranes. Now seldom. Nearly cured. Something my dad buys from healthfood store. I wish I could remember what it's called. My dad used to get one a week. Now only about one a year.

 

I'll ask my dad or sister and get back to you.

 

In the meanwhile, Folic Acid (one of B vitamins) is supposed to help somewhat.

 

I'll find out about the other thing and get back to you. It's not even expensive and doesn't require a prescription.

 

excellent. Thank you. I'd appreciate it.

[CarnelianButterfly]

I take Maxalt, its worked well. I drink chamomile tea and cover my face with a warm damp cloth in a dark room. I try to limit the sound as much as I can. I take 800mg of ibuprofen, I don't recommend doing this without talking to your doc first (mine gave me the OK).

[Mythical_Suicide]

I also take imitrex injections and they seem to work. If they are that bad i'd go into the ER as someone else has suggested if nothing they can atleast give you some type of prescription or narcotic to ease the pain

[Juliana]

I don't get migraines, but I've taken muscle relaxants for headache that lasts over three days (injection works better, but oral can help). I really think you should consider going to the ER if it doesn't back off soon.

[Scout]

Jen, can you call Information and find out the closest hospital to you? I don't believe most emergency rooms require a co-pay right up front, in fact, I think it might be illegal for them to require that. You don't need to stay in this much pain, especially if you have insurance!

[jengh]

Thanks so much for everyone's responses. I wound up going to the ER. My roommie was at her boyfriend's house, but came home immediately to drive me in. I spent 4 hours in that hospital. It turns out I also have something else wrong with me (it's really embarrassing...scabies) so it's a great thing I went in.

But yeah, thanks again. Just figured I'd update

[Scout]

Jen, I'm so glad you went. It sounded like you were in agony. Did they give you something to make the pain go away?

[jengh]

Yes, I can't remember exactly what the name of it was. It took 3 different shots. 2 of which were 10x stronger than morphine. Guess I couldn't have gotten rid of that on my own

[charley]

OK Jen, I think I may have a solution for you, and it's cheap too.

 

I do not have migranes, but my father and sister did. My father saw a supposed treatment-cure on the news a couple years ago. He tried it and it's been working very well for 2 years. So well that he no longer needs prescription meds for headaches. He no longer gets headaches. Well only once a year now.

 

I asked my father about it on your behalf.

 

Go to health food store. Buy Melatonin. Take one 3 mg pill before bed with a glass of water. It's fine on empty stomach as he takes it. Might be OK with full stomach, not sure.

 

He said that you must take the pill just before bed. Never during the day because that would make you very groggy during day and then not able to sleep at night.

 

So only take one pill just before bed.

 

If this works as well for you as it has for him, then you'll be cured for very little money cost. Even if it doesn't work as well as for him, it might still help you somewhat.

 

He claims no negative side effects at all for himself. He just got my sister doing same and so far so good for her.

[charley]

My dad used to have all the expensive prescription meds and still got a headache once a week, but not as bad due to prescription meds. About once a month he had to go to emergency room for some really powerful narcotic shot. My mom, sister, and myself used to take turns bringing him to ER and staying there for hours.

 

It's been about 2 years since I've had to bring him to ER. He says he now only gets about one headache per year and it's not severe like before. So no more need to go to ER. Nice for all of us.

 

This improvement and he no longer needs any prescription meds, and the Melatonin has no side effects (he claims) while the prescriptions did.

 

I have heard that Melatonin can cause sleep disorders like sleeping in day and awake at night, but my dads says it's OK if you only take just prior to regular night time bedtime and keep a consistant bedtime as much as possible.

 

I've also heard that Melatonin can mess you up if you take to much. My dad says 3 mg is not to much and cured his life long headache problems.

 

So there you go. I hope it helps you as much as it has helped my dad and sister.

[jengh]

charley, thanks so much for finding that out. I'll go pick some up tomorrow if I'm out.

[rosie76]

Used to get migraines but thankfully they became much less frequent through my 20s, as my dad's did. If you're young, perhaps this is some hope for you? I got them well before Imitrex (which I did find worked for me), and as a teenager I found that very early on in the headache a Coke or a cup of coffee could help a lot. Lated learned the physiologically what's happening in your head when you get a migraine is the blood vessels constricting (?) and caffeine actually does have an effect on this (either thinning the blood or doing something to the vessels - can't remember now.) So that's my home remedy, but, honestly, nothing much would touch them once they really got going. Hope you feel better soon.

 

When your insurance comes through you really should talk seriously to your doctor - if you've not already - about the frequency of your headaches. Three times a week is a lot and you should be sure you've checked out everything you can check out in terms of controlling them since migraine throughout life significantly increases your risk for stroke. Are you on a caffeine-controlled diet for them? Also, back when I used to get them fairly frequently (once a week or so), my doctor offered me medication which was taken every day to control migraine - never took it as I judged mine not frequent enough to warrent that, but it might be something for you to consider.

 

Good luck.

[charley]

My dad never got migranes when young. They started in his mid 20s after being in a 70+ mph pickup truck rollover wreck in the 1960s. The cab of the truck was fully caved in, except for a round head size bubble where his head had been. The state patrol were amazed that he was alive because it appeared that a substantial portion of the pickup's weight had pounded on his head crushing his skull between truck and pavement. That's what my mom says about it. I wasn't born yet.

 

His skull was fractured and he still has a deep large X shaped depression on top of his head (luckily he has more hair than I do), but he recovered with no apparent brain damage and went on to become a successful real estate developer and investor. So he has his brains and he is very intelligent, but he had migranes ever after that, until the Melatonin.

 

My sister on the other hand, had them since childhood. I know the Melatonin is helping her, but I don't know how much. I never asked her. My dad swears by it. However, it's possible his situation is different than yours, considering his medical history of skull fracture seeming to start the headaches.

[charley]

charley, thanks so much for finding that out. I'll go pick some up tomorrow if I'm out.

 

Let us know if it helps.

[Dako]

Jen

 

One thing that seems to affect migraines is simply hydration.

Dehydration can either agravate or contribute to attacks.

[charley]

Jen

 

One thing that seems to affect migraines is simply hydration.

Dehydration can either agravate or contribute to attacks.

 

Interesting. Maybe that's why I always see my dad with a giant 16 oz glass of water in his hand. He never mentioned that, but he certainly drinks a lot of water.

[charley]

Folic acid (a B vitamin) is also said to help with headaches. I've tried that one and it works for regular headaches. I don't get migranes though. I only get regular headaches.

 

I'd suggest a bit of folic acid with breakfast or lunch. Then the Melatonin just before bed.

 

I remember my dad used to use folic acid before discovering the Melatonin. He said the folic acid helps, but not enough. My sister said same. This was a few years back.

 

However, after they started using the melatonin, it worked so good that they abandoned the folic acid. I think that was a mistake. The folic acid helps some, the melatonin helps a lot. At least for them. So why not do both?

 

Both are inexpensive. Folic acid is also good for you in general. Melatonin helps you sleep at night. So both have good side benefits besides headache treatment. Also, drink lots of water and stay hydrated, like Dako had mentioned earlier. All these things are supposed to help. The combination might be dandy.

 

Good luck.

[jengh]

I Had a really nasty one when I woke up yesterday morning. My roommate gave me an iron (Fe) supplement and it went away.. I was pretty surprised something so simple could do the trick... I wonder if i have an iron deficiency...

[charley]

A blood test should reveal if you are anemic. I read somewhere that one in three Americans is anemic to some extent.

 

That's because the American diet does not include blood sausage, blood pudding, blood bread, or any of those blood related dishes that are traditional in some European countries. Also, few people eat liver, spinache, or egg yolks anymore. Also, people eat less red meat then in the past.

 

Granted, egg yolks, liver, and red meats are high in colesteral, but they also help your blood count. Blood and spinach are excellent dietary sources of iron. I don't think animal blood is high in colesteral. However, I don't want to eat blood foods and I imagine most Americans don't want to either.

 

I prefer raw, uncooked spinache for my iron, and if needed, I also take something from health food store called "Ultimate Iron" which has not only iron and liver in it, but also folic acid, B12, and Vit C which all help body process iron.

 

Anemia is a side effect of untreated rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and some other arthritic diseases. So I get a monthly blood test to monitor my blood. My red cell, hemoglobin, and hemocryt are the things that indicate anemia, or lack of it. I'm no longer anemic.

 

When I was very anemic, I was a total mess and I do remember having headaches too. If someone prone to migranes had anemia, it could be really devasting.

 

The folic acid might help due directly to it helping with anemia and iron. Not sure why it's said to help headaches. I only know it works for headaches to some extent, and for anemia even more. Folic acid eliminated my light sensitivity that used to bring on my anemia related headaches. My headaches weren't migranes, but they still hurt.

 

Get a blood test. If you are anemic, even slightly so, take Ultimate Iron (includes both iron and folic acid and other things), eat spinach (raw or cooked) a few times a week (uncooked spinach makes good lettace replacement for salads and sandwhiches). No matter what, take some folic acid each day with breakfast or lunch, drink lots of water, and try the melatonin at night before bed.

 

Severe anemia is also associated with profuse sweating spells and racing heart beat. Sometimes dizziness and forgetfulness. Have any of those?