Any of you guys get migranes? I've had 'em since I was a kid. Sometimes once or twice a week. Sometimes they last for a couple of days.

I try to stay up on the latest remedies, but so far nothing has really worked consistently.

Yes, I get them about twice a month. I use analgesics(percocet and imitrex), and most recently, have had FANTASTIC results with Botox injections(yes, botox!) ask your doctor..it works wonders, really.

Hi,

Yes, I certainly get them from time to time, when they are coming on I really get anxious, and I get anxious even when there not coming on, its happend on a session and I've had no choice but to shut down there and then, they are HORRIBLE!!!

Like you I've tried to find the solution in food allergys, drinking water and so forth but sadly I think there is no ultimate solution.

I had an allergy test at a chinese herbalist out of desparation, but it yielded some useful results, mainly that there are many foodstuffs that can act as triggers. Obvious ones and far less obvious ones like cucumber, onions, peppers and tomatos.

I've found that rather than completely cut out all of these foods, that range from high on the list to low allergic tendency that managing your intake of risks works better, so in my case I might eat a small amount of chocolate or have one cup of coffee for the day and then be very careful about what other dairy products come my way.

I'd also say that weather conditions lo pressure, high pressure or sudden changes in conditions also seem to affect me, usually when the weather shifts from dark rainy days to hot weather I've tendency to get a headache lasting for 3 or 4 days, not migraine as such but really fuggy brain ache.

Ultimately I recommend looking after yourself a bit more, watch the cigerettes, coffee, chocolate, high sugar foods adopt a more balanced approach to life, good regular sleep, minimise the stress. This is something you might have to work at insist on lunch breaks at the right time, do not allow yourself to be cajouled into long long sessions unless you feel fit enough to do it.

Good Luck!
G

This is not medical advice, merely anecdotal personal experience...

When I get migraines or severe sinus headaches, I take (get ready for it)

Pamprin.

Think about what Pamprin (or other menstrual pills) actually do: eliminate excess fluids from the body and open up the circulatory system to allow more blood flowing...the pills themselves do not seem to care the gender nor the location of the constrictions, they just work to clear fluid buildup and open up constricted blood paths...this and cutting back/eliminating on any caffeine products (coffee, chocolates, etc) for several hours, also drinking plenty of plain water, gets things really opened up (and yes, more trips to the can, but a side effect well worth it)

Laugh if you like, but I used to get debilitating migraines and sinus headaches about twice a week...when I feel one coming on, I take one or two pamprins, and have not lost a day's work nor a night's sleep since then....

For me, the stuff just works...but like I said, this is not medical advice but anecdotal experience, so as popularly posted in these here parts: YMMV

I'll try any and all of this stuff.

I heard about the Botox thing, and obviously that's an unintended side effect. Do you get the injections when you feel a migrane coming on, or do you get them regularly as a preventative? Do you give yourself injections or do you have to go in to get them?

I've figured as many ways as I can to prevent them. I think for someone who gets migranes, there can be so many triggers. One of mine is that certain sunglasses (that I wear to prevent bright light from triggering a migrane) press on my head behind my ears in a way that can trigger a migrane.

I get all the nausea, dizziness, blurry vision...

These days I run at least two miles every day, and that helps a bit. If I get congested while I'm sleeping and I don't get up to drink water/take sudafed I'll wake up with a bad one.

Hypoglycemia is definitely a trigger for me.

I've found some stuff called "Petadolex" that's taken as a preventive measure, and you can never know if it's what's doing it, but I think I've been having fewer since I started taking it. But there are still four or five a month that are just deadly.

Dude, I'll wear feminine protection if it'll help. heh

I'll try it.

I don't suffer from migraines per se, but occasionally get the bad allergy headache around the sinuses. Sometimes it's severe. Lo Pressure, molds and changes in altitude or pressure can certainly trigger them. Often when I drive from Austin to Houston, which is at sea level, I almost always get a sinus headache.

A huge glass of water, 4 advil, and a massager that is worth its weight in gold. On the back of the neck and on the forehead above the nose and around the eyes. A towel between it and the forehead makes it more comfortable. Also on pressure points in the hands.

If you don't have a massager, definately get one. I've had headaches completely disappear after about 20 minutes of this. Good luck.

Roll up a fat one. No mexican stuff though....
I was banging this chick the other day and now my jock itches....Any slutz got any advice?

I used to get them pretty bad, sometimes for 2 days and then a 3rd day of what I call a headache scar (head feels like it's stuffed with cotton). Tai Chi got rid of them for the most part. Still get maybe 1 a year but no where near the intensity that they used to be.

I get the really bad ones maybe once or twice a year, I have to go to a dark room and curl into a ball and groan for a couple of hours, then I am always physicaly sick and then it usualy eases up. Very intense, I dunno what I would do if I had to be doing something when one came on (like catch a plane or whatever), I think I wouldn't be able to make it. I will get funny 'ring' vision from time to time apart from this, starts as a dot in the centre of my vision, then expands as a lind of psycadelic twinkaling ring over an hour or two, then goes away. I don't usualy get headaches when this happens. My heart goes out to people that suffer more frequent or prolonged migranes. I know for me the REALLY bad triggers are drinking chocolate, no sleep, too much caffiene, maybe a bunch of other foodstuffs? I have never managed to 'beat' a migrane, it will always follow it's course, taking headache tablets just makes me vomit earlier. I should maybe try other things, but they are so infrequent that I have never got any other pills.

What he said...stike stike stike

It is a preventative measure, not analgesic in nature......you have to go in and get them. the first times are more frequent until the stuff gets in your system...and no, it isnt something you do yourself. The injections are in very specific places in the scalp according to your specific condition..giving a non doctor a syringe full of Botulism Toxin is a recipe for disaster. heh

I get nausea, blue aura in the hours preceding, then after the whole ordeal I feel like ive been hit with a mack truck. I havent gotten one in a long time though..Thank God for botulism!

Teddy

One thing about migrane sufferers is that we're like an instant club. Either you know or you don't.

I don't have any more than occasional migraines, but I know neurology.
Consider diet, sleep, alcohol, tension/stress.
Have you tried propranolol (Inderal), topiramate (Topamax), Valproic Acid (Depakote) for preventive purposes. Better to prevent than have to abort one.

Just a couple of more thoughts (and my friend, I can sure sypathize/empathize with you....)

- carefully control your caffeine...caffeine restricts blood flow to a degree, which has been suggested to be a catalyst for migraines.
- massage therapy can be very helpful...many migraines can be reduced and/or alleviated by relaxing the neck and facial muscles that tense up putting undue pressure on the surrounding cavities, causing the pain
- GET OUTSIDE! Most new buildings and homes have a closed air recondintioning system. If there's something in the air triggering said headaches, then all its doing is continually being reintroduced to the inside environment...seriously, spent time outdoors....if possible at dusk or dawn when its a bit cooler and not so bright.

Yeah that is right. Just like a club of darkness or a club on the head.

Max,
Could it be the shape of your head? I see your picture.
I wanted to add something else. When you have headaches of the length that you have, they could be mixed (a tension headache component).
If you are a guitar player with a heavy axe, putting strain on your neck. Think of posture when mixing. Headphones can put strain on the neck. Too much time in front of the computer, etc.

A mighty fun club it is too!


I have much hope that the botox will help, Max. It has worked wonderfully for me.

Are your Migranes related to allergies by any chance? I'd look into a Neti Pot if you think thats a possibility. I use mine every couple of days and life has been better since.

What migranes are concerned there is very little definition and causal knowledge yet, lesser even successful therapies ( as was summrized over the recent international conference that I read about ).

Your case however sounds rather like a problem coming from the sinuses.
Often coming along with notches and polypes. However, one point to consider is that the suppression of the well behaved individual might be quite a reason for the sinus infection.
Well-behaving persons ( like you and me ) about never `pull / suck their nose up´( sorry, don´t know the English term for that nasty sounding procedure ). That is not a good thing at all. To `pull his nose up´is a natural and effective method to clean the cavities.

I´m trying to remeber it and to do it, but it´s hard to remember after decades of total omission.


Might be tripper. Got one in the eighties. Gives yellow drops in the underpants. It took 10 days with antibiotica. With todays medicine it might take even lesser days.
You should let it be treated soon, whatever it is.

- A friend of mine was infected with a curious desease that suddenly festered his penis so severally that they were short before amputating it. He was lucky though.

Ruphus

I developed pretty severe migranes in my late twenties, about 7 years ago - first two were really bad, complete - and I mean complete - paralysis, ambulance to hospital, blue light, brain scans etc - all the symptons of a major stroke.

What worked for me is a drug here in the UK - migraleve, taking them as soon as I had a slight inkling one was coming on - then straight to bed in a dark room, and try and control the panic attack that I was getting from them, and sleep for about 48 hours.

Had maybe one every other month for about 3-4 years. Then spent lots of time researching an incident that had happened to me, bit of a 'street incident' shall we say, and in understanding that - I understood what was triggering (in my case) my migranes, basically in my case it was a form of post traumatic stress.

Net result was over about 6 months I 'cured' myself, I now will get the symptons maybe one/twice a year - but I recognise them and my body's reaction and can cut it off before it all develops.

Obviously this is just me, and I was 'lucky' enough to have a distinct event I could hang the migranes off.

Best of luck to anyone that gets them - wouldn't wish them on anyone

Pete

Oh, just remembered something - a neurologist had me on 1/4 of an aspirin every day - same amount recommended for stroke prevention, theory was that keeping the blood moving helped - obviously do check with a doctor before trying this.

Side note to you "migrainers": The Greensboro, NC paper ran a story today about migraine sufferers saying they think about sex more often than those that do not get migraines.

Eventhough not migrane-plagued myself ( knock on wood ) what you mention there sounds interesting.

There have been a couple of times that I would be getting headaches while putting my hand on a certain item. If I recall that right, each of the times being on days when the little Mister wasn´t really asking for treatment, but when I thought he should have relief nonetheless.

Would be too funny if the old clerical hoax according to which masturbation was causing your brain to shrink, were to finally show a remotely referred adjunct.

There also was a pal who, eventhough his girl friend cared rather well for him, used to think about sex all day. He would get migrane attacks regularly.

Ruphus

PS: - And what´s with wives who get migrane right when the husband asks for sex? Maybe they are making a too big thing of it in mind?

I have no idea what you are talking about!!!!!

I get severe migraines about once a month. My first one was triggered by a cafeteria burrito when I was 15.

I get the aura, which starts out as dot and grows to a ribbon of colored TV snow and obstructs my vision. Then about 30 minuts later the aura goes away and the headache starts. Actually, it's more like someone taking a pair of pliers to my eyeball (it's always only on one side). Then an hour or so later, the puking begins and goes on for about 6 hours or so, until it finally subsides into a "regular" headache that last 1-3 days.

What I described above is what would happen before I starting taking Maxalt at the first sign of the aura. Maxalt will usually completely knock out the migraine within 45 minutes to an hour. Sometimes I might get a mild headache or dizzyness, but I can function. A few times, I've still gotten a pretty bad headache for a day or so, but nothing a little Advil wouldn't fix.

Imitrex worked sometimes, but not nearly as well as Maxalt. I hightly recommend it. Knowing I had something that could stop it, has made me less paranoid about every little afterimage that creeps into my vision.

I find that weather changes, pizza two days in a row, some beers, and lack of sleep are the biggest triggers.

This is a super old thread that I participated in at the time since I am a sufferer myself. I wanted to share a few things - I know that everyone and their dog has an idea on what causes them or how to defeat them and I think most seasoned sufferers go through years of disappointment as they try to pin down the trigger to just one thing. Others elsewhere on this thread have like me come to suspect that it is a curious and seemingly unpredictable combination of events that eventually leads to migraine.
I hope you find my personal tips for migraine free living interesting or something else to try. Since adopting these changes I've seen a huge change - the last two I actually had we're very lite, the very last one was really peculiar since I had the aura in the middle of doing some work, decided to drop some migraleve and write the day off, well the aura went and I was...fine. I had the mildest of headaches and literally 45minutes later I was back outside drilling wood for some baffles.
That has NEVER happened before in 30 odd years I've had them.

Firstly I would get checked out for asthma - get a spirometer check (lung capacity) turns out I'm asthmatic despite never showing obvious signs. Since being on Fostair my airways are more open, it kind of figures that migraine would be a circulation problem, that was the start of my migraines easing up.
The next biggie - and I know this is dull - drink ALOT of water. I drink about a pint with every meal, I also much prefer bottled and fizzy for this, kind of feels like it acts on me more - trick of the mind - maybe but if it helps who cares?
If you are eating something that you might feel could trigger one accompany it with a pint of water, likewise if you feel rough from a poor nights sleep or feel especially stressed.
In the mornings if I have had poor sleep I will shower and get the stream directly on the back of my neck, really dig into it with my thumbs for a few minutes, I will also there is a Chinese recommendation for tugging firmly on each earlobe. I also push my palms into my eyes until you get that trippy dazzle effect. For me it's all about getting the blood circulating.
I'd really recommend porridge for breakfast every morning with brown sugar and cinnamon, it's a good clean healthy start with loads of slow release energy, if I don't have this I avoid anything malted, that might just be me but malted foods seem to figure a lot in migraine attacks I've had in the past.
I rarely drink coffee or tea these days and have switched to camomile and green tea - you can get used to and actually enjoy it! I know this not easy!

Generally I have found no reason not to eat chocolate, drink red wine or even caffeinated tea/coffee for that matter but I do reign it in, moderation seems to work and I don't especially want to push my luck anyway.
Finally I think sleep - lack of it - is a huge trigger, if your really tired try and grab 20 minutes in a dark room and doze, this can be surprisingly refreshing. It might be time you can't spare but if the alternative is 12 hours of writhing about in an agonising sweat or chucking your guts up then its good practise.

If you want to avoid migraines I think you have to be mindful and aware what your doing at all times, it takes effort but sadly they just won't go away without it.

Good Luck Fellow Sufferers these things are thoroughly horrible and the world would be a better place without them.

Some people claim they get migraines from being sensitive to mercury in amalgam dental filings and thimerosal based contact lens solutions. Maybe check it out.

Migraine remains overall I think a bit of a mystery. Perhaps one day they'll know for sure, it could literally be anything from atmospheric pressure to someones fart, I had a migraine after being enclosed on a tour bus with someone who filled the thing up with his noxious ass fumes...could just be a coincidence mind you!