Suggestions to help relieve frequent migraines? - YouLookFab Forum

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Suggestions to help relieve frequent migraines?

Kristin L

Veteran

I've had migraines since I was teenager. They use to be once every 3-6 months, but since August, I've had at least 2 a month and at one point had 2 in 2 weeks. I know I'll probably need to go on a preventative because along with them becoming more frequent, they now last for several days at time. And I can't function like I need to with a migraine or with one of my new meds. Do any of y'all have this problem? What do you take or do to help deal with them?

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19 replies

Latest reply was from Raisin

Anonymous

The biggest thing I did was get fitted with a mouthguard to use at night. I clench my teeth when I am stressed, and that was contributing to my migraines. I also try to limit eating wheat and drinking alchohol and that has helped a lot too.

Have you updated your glasses prescription recently? Eyestrain can trigger them for me too.

They've made great strides recently in the medication available -- keep trying and you should be able to find a mix that helps.

MsMary

Veteran

I finally went to a neurologist and he fixed me up in a matter of weeks after I'd suffered for YEARS! So I strongly recommend that you think about doing that.

Every day I take a low dose of Propranalol, a beta blocker, combined with an even lower dose of Topiramate, an anti-seizure drug, and lo and behold, the combination has reduced my migraines from 2-3 a week to 2-3 a year! It's been like a mracle!

In the meantime, I love Maxalt for knocking 'em out once they arrive. Imitrex and its relatives didn't do much for me in the oral forms, and the injectable form gave me bad side effects.

Oh, and finally, be careful about mouthguards. I had one that I wore religiously and it ended up ruining my bite and I had to get braces in my 40s to correct it!! So my advice is to watch for changes in the position of your teeth and make sure to report any changes to your dentist ASAP!

Kristin L

Veteran

Thanks Ceit and MaryK.

@Ceit - I updated my glasses prescription a few months back. I'll try cutting back on the wheat and see if that helps. I'll also talk to my doc about the mouthguard. Maybe if he prescribes it, it will cost less than the one the dentist keeps trying to sell me.

@MaryK - Thanks for the info! I've heard of migraine suffers taking anti-seizure meds and it helping. I'm on Maxalt right now and it seems to have almost stopped working for me. Maybe if I can get this under control it will start again.

Laurinda

Veteran

Careful records, and an elimination diet for any possible allergies might be helpful. Another possibility is neck, shoulder or back strain, a good reason to get checked out by a physical therapist (or good massage).

Best wishes finding a remedy. I'm lucky that OTC Excedrin works for me 95% of the time.

rachylou

Veteran

It was peanut butter that triggered migraines for me. One-three days of PB would be ok. But 4-5 days in a row, that was no go. I.e., there is also a matter of thresholds.

Raisin

Veteran

Oh migraines suck! I had them terrible as a young girl and teenager. At least once a week. Mine were very hormonal it seems because they did become less frequent as I got older. Also, I went off birth control for 2 years before we had my second son and I had no migraines and hardly any tension headaches at all then! So I don't know if you take birth control pills, but it may be something to consider stopping for a bit to see how it goes. When I had them the worst I would take migraine meds, I think it was Zomig? And the best I could do was get a cold ice pack, wrapped in a towel on my head and go to bed in a dark room. It's not always convenient though! I am so grateful to hardly get them anymore. I would try stopping the BC or anything that you might think has an effect on your hormones, like soy.

ETA - I might have tried Amerg too...I really can't remember which med worked best for me. But I did have one that was a spray that went in your nose, so it was inhaled and worked very fast! Honestly, it tasted like poison, a bit would always drip down my throat, but well worth it since it would usually work within 10-20 minutes and did wonders to clear up the migraine. Usually after taking that my migraine was mostly gone, and I wouldn't have to go to bed for a day and half to get rid of it.

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

I read an article about migraines in which the author suggested that many migraines are really very bad sinus headaches. I have had sinus issues for a few years that relate to allergies. I can take T3s and it does nothing but a few anti-histamines will take it down to the point that I can function. A co-worker has the same issue with migraines and found that the OTC allergy meds helped her too. It might be worth a try.

I would also suggest tracking your food on a site like fitday.com which allows you to also enter information on your mood and how you feel similar to a journal. This may help you to identify the triggers.

I feel for you. It is tough having that kind of pain on a regular basis. I hope you find relief.

Katiepea

(website)

Veteran

It may or may not be of use, but personally I've found taking a magnesium supplement has helped to reduce the frequency of my migraines.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I also found magnesium and lysine to be helpful but I think it's when I finally learned I was chronically anemic and had very low ferritin (iron stores) and started taking high dose iron, they finally went away. After years and years of at least one migraine a month that lasted for several days I now can only think of maybe one or two headaches in the past year and they weren't really bad. I also have to be careful about drinking alcohol - just a glass or two tops for me and none if I feel even the slightest tinge of a headache or aura. Chocolate and nuts were other triggers for me. Taking Lysine helps with that too I think as it competes with the L-arginine that seems to be an issue for some people.

Be sure to have the nutritional deficiencies ruled out - and hormonal shifts (I also use Progesterone cream) to try to keep the estrogen in balance.

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

When I was on neurology, we use the regimine that MaryK described. Good luck!

Kristin L

Veteran

Thanks everyone! I've made an appt with my physician to talk about going on a preventative.

@ Laurinda and Rachylou - I'll start keeping a food log. If nothing else, it'll give me a better idea of how to improve my eating habits.

@Raisin - Migraines were one of the reasons I had to go off hormonal birth control. I'm glad to know I wasn't the only one. I can still sometimes time my migraines to certain points in my cycle.

@dianthus - I'm already on a daily allergy med., but I hadn't thought about that possibility. I'll definitely keep it in mind.

@katiepea and texstyle - I'll look into the supplements. I've been tested for anemia before and thankfully that came back in the normal range.

Thanks lyn*!

Krista

Veteran

It might be more than diet for you, but some dietary triggers for migraines are chocolate, cheese and foods like smoked meats. For me, it was red wine (after 3 sips, not after a bottle - ha ha!) and red onions. I also suffered from migraines when I was on birth control.

Also, do you have migraine aura before you have a migraine? It's the little disturbances in your vision that cue you to having a migraine - it's like something is in your eye but you can't get rid of it. I have the aura sometimes and I know that if I take a pain killer right away, that can offset the migraine. Not sure if that is your experience also?

I hope you find some solutions - migraine pain is debilitating!

transition

What's helped me the most is figuring out my triggers and avoiding mixing them. Weather change and hormonal cycle change triggers them and I can't control those, so I need to make sure that I don't drink wine or eat meat with nitrates as preservatives during those other trigger times.

Mine are also definitely sinus related, as someone else mentioned.

I hope you get help for yours! Also, I've heard that it's one of the few health problems that often improves with age. My mom had a lot of migraines in her 30s, but hasn't had one in a very long time as an older woman.

deb

Veteran

I currently have one as I write this. I have had them for years and barimetric pressure change triggers mine. I can tell when it is going to rain two to three days befor it does. The best thing I ever used was Imitrex. Using it I was able to get the migraines under control. I only got them 2 or 3 times a year. I had to stop using it because a contraindication is unregulated hypertension. So I am back to suffering with them several times a month. I recommend seeing a neurologest that specializes in migraine. I hope this helps.

Kristin L

Veteran

@Krista - I don't get auras. It would be helpful because then I could try to treat them before they start. And you're right. In the past, mine have seemed to have a weather and hormonal component as well as stress.

@transistion - I hadn't thought about staying away from trigger foods during changes in the weather. I'll keep that in mind.

@Deb - I'm sorry you have one as well. Good luck finding a way to treat yours.

Glory

Veteran

A subject very near to me. I get between 8-10 migraines per month. I have been on most regimens: preventative and abortive. Have tried all sorts of diets, and natural remedies. Some things work better than others including abortives. There are a number you can try and everyone reacts differently to them. Right now I am using Axert as an abortive but have used Maxalt, Imitrex, Relpax and Zomig. Each had is pros and cons. PM me if you need any details - I would be happy to share what info I do have.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Oh, Glory - that sounds dreadful - I am shuddering.

And for you, too, Kristin.

I get occasional migraines now but they used to be much more frequent. I could have written what transition wrote -- for me it was always a combo of hormones and whether changes - that was the most potent trigger. I never managed to get full control over it for that reason.

I do not know about meds because I haven't tried them. I wish you luck with finding a solution. I would guess that finding a preventative would be the best route to go.

Anonymous

My migraines went away when I stopped hormonal birth control. I stopped immediately when they progressed to having auras .... Totally freaked me out. haven't had a migraine since! I hope your doc is able to find the right preventative for you and you don't have to suffer with these anymore!

Raisin

Veteran

Deb thank you , you named it! Imitrex! That's the med I couldn't think of, it was great for me too! The nasal spray version works very fast.