Migraine top tips?

[Sara_H]

So one of the new things I tried in 2015 was migraine.
Had my first one in July and have been having them ever since.
The headache isn't the bothersome bit, it's the nausea, dizziness and general spaced out feeling that seems to last for several days.
Any top tips from seasoned migraine sufferers?

 

[Dayvo]

I've suffered with migraine most of my adult life, some being worse than others. Normally get them 5-6 times a year, each lasting 2-3 days.

In extreme cases, I try and avoid bright light and if possible just lie down in a quiet darkish room. Inhaling something like Vicks or having a dab of Tiger Balsam just under my nose and a small amount on either temple has also helped.

If I were to take any medication, Nurofen is my favoured choice. You could also try gently massaging your head and temples. And standing under a hot shower for 5-10 minutes can also offer relief.

Hope it's soon gone.

 

[Sara_H]

I've suffered with migraine most of my adult life, some being worse than others. Normally get them 5-6 times a year, each lasting 2-3 days.

In extreme cases, I try and avoid bright light and if possible just lie down in a quiet darkish room. Inhaling something like Vicks or having a dab of Tiger Balsam just under my nose and a small amount on either temple has also helped.

If I were to take any medication, Nurofen is my favoured choice. You could also try gently massaging your head and temples. And standing under a hot shower for 5-10 minutes can also offer relief.

Hope it's soon gone.

Thanks. As a teetotaller I find it very frustrating spending long periods of time feeling like I've got a hangover from hell!

 

[Cold]

Trying to catch it before it becomes too bad by alternating ibuprofen and paracetamol but if I can't then lying down in a darkened room or sleep helps me.

 

[Saluki]

Go to bed and stay there until it's gone. It's not like anyone can function with a migraine anyway. Have you got any immigram from the doc? I find that very helpful in shifting one.
I too try temple massage, having a shower, strong black coffee when I get pre migraine aura and I am not at home. A bit of tiger balm on my temples can give enough relief to get you home to that darkened room, I find.

 

[Dayvo]

See if any of these natural options work for you.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/12/natural-migraine-relief_n_1666726.html

 

[Levo-Lon]

Ive been getting them since a child..on and off..
i have scrip maxalt melts from the Dr..they are the only thing i found works..

cause of my trouble seems to be the hard part to tie down.
i get them from some beers..
tea may be a cause...
if i sweat too much and dont hydrate enough ..
maybe cheese...
i do have a auto imune condition but its under control.
i also have B12 injections every 10 weeks and i get the migreins near top up time.

Go and see the GP as it could be so many things from stress to diet.eyes etc

 

[Spoked Wheels]

Ive been getting them since a child..on and off..
i have scrip maxalt melts from the Dr..they are the only thing i found works..

cause of my trouble seems to be the hard part to tie down.
i get them from some beers..
tea may be a cause...
if i sweat too much and dont hydrate enough ..
maybe cheese...
i do have a auto imune condition but its under control.
i also have B12 injections every 10 weeks and i get the migreins near top up time.

Go and see the GP as it could be so many things from stress to diet.eyes etc

+1 for the Maxalt.

I get them regularly, at least one a week and one for sure after a longish ride, regardless how much water I drink.

Lack of food can bring a migraine but there is a long known list of possible causes..... cheese, chocolate, red wine, etc.
Thanks to Maxalt they only last from a few hours but sometimes they last 2 or 3 days.

 

[swansonj]

Neurofen for me, plus perchlorperazine, which an anti nausea thing. I find they work but only if I take them soon enough - within half an hour max of onset of symptoms. I now have little packets of tablets distributed in the laptop bag, my cycling tool kit, my desk drawer at work, my overnight sponge bag, etc, so as never to be out of rapid reach.

My GP reckons - and I think this thread is on the way to confirming - that everyone's different, it's hard to predict what will work for each person, but there probably is something that works - but the key is taking it soon enough.

Good luck finding something that works for you.

 

[Sara_H]

I haven't seen my GP yet, think I will do early new year. I could really do with something for the nausea/dizziness. The headache isn't that bad.

 

[swansonj]

I haven't seen my GP yet, think I will do early new year. I could really do with something for the nausea/dizziness. The headache isn't that bad.

Being a man and possessed of that problematic Y chromosome, I spent several years getting more frequent migraines - one a year progressing up to one a month - and refusing to recognise them as such, always blaming them on something I'd eaten or some such. My long suffering wife finally persuaded me to see the GP, who suggested a treatment to try, since when they are (in my case) largely controllable. So I'd give a vote for seeing the GP.

The perchlorperazine (or variants of it?) that is what controls my nausea may be available over the counter but is cheaper on prescription.

 

[Sara_H]

My OH did manage to get the pharmacist to sell him some migraine medication when I had the first one in July, but it was like extracting blood out of a stone and he was only sold two tablets!
Apparently I should get a card from the GP and the pharmacists will be more willing to sell.

 

[velovoice]

Please please do see your GP, as soon as possible. Adult onset migraine is very unusual. There are so many other things that could be causing these attacks. Your descruption of nausea and dizziness being the main, or most distressing, symptoms suggests the cause may in fact be something else entirely.

I have suffered from migraine since age 9; I'm now 47. I am one of 8 children & we all get migraines, some more often and/or severe than others. The cause is genetic but the trigger for each actual migraine attack will vary for each individual. For some, certain foods are surefire triggers, for other lack of sleep (working shifts is a no-no), for others it's certain chemicals esp food additives. For me, sinus congestion and stress are my two main triggers.

As for symptoms, one of the defining characteristics of true migraine headaches is that they are one-sided, usually behind one eye. Another key symptom is light sensitivity; several posters have mentioned the need to lie down in a dark room until the attack passes. For some, that's a matter of a few hours, for others it can be days.

Does this describe what you are experiencing, @Sara_H?

If your episodes are migraine, there are things that can help but it takes time to figure out what works best for you. Meanwhile, please do get a proper diagnosis - get a neurologist referral if necessary.

Best wishes, hope this gets sorted for you.

 

[velovoice]

My OH did manage to get the pharmacist to sell him some migraine medication when I had the first one in July, but it was like extracting blood out of a stone and he was only sold two tablets!
Apparently I should get a card from the GP and the pharmacists will be more willing to sell.

Not surprising: your GP could get struck off, proving meds or prescriptions to someone who isn't the one with the problem, and having not interviewed or examined you.

FYI, 2 doses is pretty typical for meds that treat ( rather than prevent/control frequency) migraine attacks. It's bloody expensive off the NHS. I spent 20 years paying for it myself in the USA without medical insurance. It was nearly $100 for 2 doses.That was 20 years ago.

 

[growingvegetables]

Just another one in the queue of those advising a visit to your GP.

i'd known for a few years that red wine triggers migraines for me. I was a "trifle hacked off" to be rewarded for 30 years never touching the damned stuff ... only to fall prey to a debilitating 7 month "cluster" of back-to-back migraines, one after the other.

It took a while to find an effective regime - and for all the goodwill in the suggestions above, there is no substitute for a real professional who knows what he doesn't know!