Migraine Misery [Archive]

christa

12-01-2005, 08:00 PM

Anyone else suffer with migraines?

I just recently started having them and when I do, I feel like I could die!

I'm on a med called Amerge, but I only take it during the period of time that I have them, and believe me, my migraines are like clock work, so I know EXACTLY when they'll strike! Wierd, huh?

But the meds aren't working. The migraine breaks through after about 4 days. :mad:

I HATE having these!

Corinna

12-01-2005, 08:06 PM

I used to have them regularly too. But thanks to mother nature and menopause not any more just sproradic. as with the freind.

.sarah

12-01-2005, 08:29 PM

I have had them for 4-5 years now. Earlier this year we *finally* found a medication that works for me. I take Elivil (might be spelled wrong, sorry) in the evening and it works so well! I also take Zyrtec for them but only because I also get sinus-related migraines.

They are so painful it's unreal. I hope you can find something that works for you. Have you seen a neurologist? That's where I've been going for 5 years now I guess. It took a lot of trial and error, but we finally have something that works for me.

catnapper

12-01-2005, 08:31 PM

I'm sorry Christa. I get them too, though not like clockwork. The only thing that works is Zomig, and I haven't been able to refill my prescription lately because of finances. I have taken Vicidon for times the migraine was completely untouchable. Boy, it sends me to la-la -land, but when I wake the next day I feel a bit groogy, but not at all migrainy (if that makes sense) and within a few hours, the grogginess wears off and I feel as if I never had a migraine. Due to its known tendency to become addictive, I only use it as a last resort, maybe twice a year.

cyber-sibes

12-01-2005, 08:41 PM

Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. They are miserable! I used to get them alot too. Something that did help was a yoga position that my yoga-teaching friend showed me, but I don't think I can explain it very well. It was kind of like leaning back arched over bolsters and resting there. It also helped to wrap my head pretty tightly with an ace bandage and rest in the dark. Fortunatley they have gone away as I got older. Hope you find someting that works.

kuhio98

12-01-2005, 08:43 PM

I started having migraines about 15 years ago. At the beginning, I just wanted to die. No medication has ever seemed to help. I have discovered that if I stay away from certain foods and drink a lot water regularly, my migraines have significantly decreased.

I no longer drink wine or champaigne, eat cheese or strawberries. If I get dehydrated, I tend to get a migraine. I also have to fly every week for work. I noticed that I would get a headache the day after getting off a plane. Drinking water has helped a lot and so has my "rice sock". (I cut a long piece of flannel fabric and sewed it together like a scarf and put grains of rice in it. Then I heat the "sock" up in the microwave for a minute or 2.) By applying the heated sock to my face, my sinuses let loose and the pressure in my head eventually eases. It's funny, but all the doctors have suggested using cold for a migraine, but heat works best for me.

I hope you find relief soon. I remember it sometimes (like an ice pick stabbing me in my right eye over and over) that I seriously thought about decapitation.

poofy

12-01-2005, 08:44 PM

I had them so bad when i was younger they blinded me..I had to be led my children and couldnt stand even to talk or hear anyone talk, or any noise at all..oh so awfull, thank the lord i havent had them for years..but i hope you find something to help you.. :(

.sarah

12-01-2005, 09:47 PM

Laura's Babies

12-01-2005, 09:51 PM

I use to get them years ago and mother nature and age took care of them... that was back in the old days before they had extra strength anything for pain and medicines for migrains were unheard of. I'd just have to go to bed, cover my head, warn the kids they BETTER be quiet and ride it out until I would throw up... Once I threw up, it was gone...

I recently had one month before last but it was brought on by a IV I was given for a medical test I was having.. I don't yet know what was in that IV.

cyber-sibes

12-01-2005, 10:42 PM

king2005

12-01-2005, 10:59 PM

If you have a time you are feeling up to it, you should really check out this link that anyone whose ever had a migraine and loves a dog will get a chuckle out of. :) the "writer" is Meeshka, a very articulate and self assured husky!
http://meeshkaworld.blogspot.com/2005/10/nurse-meeshka.html

Thats too cute :)

I thought I had migrains, but I really didn't. Turned out to be really bad sinus issues. Whenever I get them I take Flonase & it takes a day or 2 to go away (but its not really painful just annoying) & then I don't have ones for several more months! I went to a specialist & he told me I was allergic to Mould, ragweed, all his family members & slightly allergic to trees & grass' (thats why I don't cut the lawn, it burnes the skin on my legs). Sometimes I'll take a regular pain killer to help me sleep if I cannot sleep with the pain. Both meds together seem to work grat on me. I no longer want to rip my eyes out or hide in the cold, dark basement.

sandragonfly

12-02-2005, 04:06 AM

christa, have you tried zym... oha crap, forgot how to spell it, just had the refill ordered and will find it for you. but I know if you've tried it..means yours are worse than mine, mine is just a beginning.

I think it's a really good if you find your local neurologist and have the questions answered. I've had migraines for almost three years (with zigzaggs I get, or sometimes aura ones..ugh) and my primary doctor suggested me seeing a neurologist.

the cat scan & dye contrast ..found I've had a slight aneurysm.. :eek: the bigger it is, the higher chance I can die. so they gave me some pills to thin the clots - forgot what it was but it wasn't for stopping my dogam migraines...

and now, I take zym- when needed. it sometimes helps, sometimes I am too late.. (and threw up).

have anyone of you walked around because it helps better than laying down? I had to do that with eyes closed, one hand on wall so I'd not bump into something, it's so painful if I lay down! :eek: :(

in fact, I'll be having another neuro-appointment next week, another MRI follow up (3rd one in six months) :rolleyes: to check if my aneursym hasn't gotten any worse. go and get yourself checked if you haven't christa!

christa

12-02-2005, 07:38 AM

Sounds like I'm not alone. I've only begun to try different meds. So far the Amerge is my second try. I took Zomig the first round and it didn't even touch the pain.

I know that migraines are sometimes brought on by triggers, like foods & environmental factors . . . mine are brought on my hormones, or lack of. That's why they're like clockwork. I can tell when they're coming by my birth control pack. They come during the last week of the month, while I'm taking my placebos.

Actually last month, I cut my pill pack short and started a new one 3 days early, just becuase my migraine had broken through and I knew that starting a new pack would stop the migraine. Within 1 hour, it was completely gone. So that just goes to show you that they're due to hormones, or a lack thereof, on the week that I'm taking the placebos.

Today will be day four . . . It keeps peeking through . . . letting me know it's there. I do go back to my doctor this month. We will probably try something different. There are so many medications out there, something has to work!

Rie Rie

12-02-2005, 08:01 AM

I've had them off and on for about 5 years and they use to pop up whenever and now it's only once a month. My mom says she thinks they are hormone related. I see a nuerologists evey six months and he at first said I had a pniched nerve in my neck, and that may be the case, but why is it now I only get them at that time of the month. I take Maxalt for mine and they cost me $50.00 for 9 pills, so I take them sparingly. I will get a migraine if I drink too much, so I don't do that very often anymore. Mine aren't like the ones other people talk about, where they can't stand light or noise, none of that bothers me. I get like this knot in the back of my head on the right side, that throbs and sometimes they get a bad enough that they make me sick to my stomach. Not that I'm looking forward to menopase, but if that helps get rid of them then bring it on!!!! Thanks mom for the inheritance!!!!!LOL

sirrahbed

12-02-2005, 08:21 AM

moosmom

12-02-2005, 08:33 AM

It's funny (not really) you should mention migraines. I got one just last night from eating Chinese food with MSG in it. It was a doozie!!! I went home and took 2 Tylenol PM's.

Feeling much better now. At least I now know that MSG is a no-no.

kuhio98

12-02-2005, 09:54 AM

It's funny (not really) you should mention migraines. I got one just last night from eating Chinese food with MSG in it.

Donna ~ MSG has the same effect on me too. It's very hard to avoid these days. Most restaurants don't advertise that they use MSG in their food. One time we went out for Chinese food and I just ate white rice and I still got a migraine.

christa

12-02-2005, 10:52 AM

Oh Christa - your migraines sound so much like mine!! Maybe you could ask the doctor about taking the birth control continually - with a placebo week only about 4 times a year. You can read about it on the internet too. It is becoming pretty common and they even have a new bcp called "Seasonale" that is the same concept. It helped me VERY much!!

When I do have the migraines - I climb into bed in a dark room and put frozen peas on my head and neck. (leave them in the bag :p ) Some people prefer a heating pad but cold helps me more.

Did your migraines pretty much begin at puberty? Take care, Christa!!

I haven't had migraines for long. I've always gotten headaches with my period, right before and at the end . . . but never to this extreme. Really just in the past 6 months, they've elevated to migraine level.

About the Seasonale . . . I have done this before, not exactly Seasonale, but gone for months without a period using regular BC, but not because of the migraines. My OB/GYN told me that it's probably not good for *me* to do this because I have endometeriosis . . . it's important for me to have a monthly cycle. I'm sure I don't have to explain that to you. :D

I never thought about using frozen peas!!! LOL . . . Cold does work for me better too. I usually just get a cold cloth and lay it over my eyes. That makes it darker and helps rest my eyes. My eyes stay so sore & weak for the whole time during the migraines . . . even if I don't have a blasting headache, it's like it's lingering in the back of my head and just wears me out!

Maya & Inka's mommy

12-02-2005, 11:06 AM

Another "migraine-patient" here! I have them since I was nearly 18. It is impossible to explain how a migraine feels unless you had one too... :( . Lots of people say "just take a Tylenol" and it will be over.... :rolleyes:
NOOOOOOO, Tylenol never helps!! When I get a migraine, I can heardly talk, cannot stand light or sound, and I feel 1 000 hammers in my head! Sometimes it goes on for 2, even 3 days :eek:
The onlt medicine that helps, when the attack is a "normal" one (=not to heavy") is IMITREX. I have the nose-spray and the injections in my purse all the time!

carole

12-02-2005, 12:43 PM

Christa I get lots of headaches, but luckily most are not migraines, but I have had them and I know just how bad you feel, it is pure misery, I have great empathy for you ,I hope you can find a new medication that works better, my sister gets them and usually ends up at the medical center getting a morphine injection, of course the bad side effect there is vomiting, but maybe you should consider that option if it is available, HUGS to you and I am sorry you have to endure these so often.

sandragonfly

12-02-2005, 01:47 PM

wow, didn't know hormones could really cause migraines! :eek: no wonder these doctors have been asking me those questions. :rolleyes: 'seasonal' migraines must be so awful!! I'm so sorry, I only get them 2x or so monthly. for at least four hours...most of time I throw up. :(

okay, I was wrong, it wasn't started with zym.. :o I take valproate. (my 5th try) - I'm allergic to so many!

maya & inka, are you taking stadol nasal spray? I've tried that, the strongest medicine for migraine but it didn't work for me! :( :rolleyes:

christa, sorry I don't know how to help you, hope you'll find a way! (((hugs)))

Canis Amicus

12-02-2005, 02:03 PM

I have one since yesterday. There is a weather condition here in Switzerland called "Foehn" wich many people conplain that causes or worsens migraines. I am one of them.

Normally I take Aspirin, but since yesterday I tried Panadol, and is not working.

Rosana
and Rex

RedHedd

12-02-2005, 02:11 PM

I used to get them all the time and they got excrutiating before I finally meno-paused. Fiorinal (sp?) worked for me. Now I get them occasionally and have found that good old Excedrin Migraine formula works extremely well for me. I hope yours ease up as I know how debilitating they can be.

Miss Z

12-02-2005, 02:27 PM

i've had a few migranes, but usually just have bad headaches, usually from staying up too late or spending too much time watching TV/on the computerhttp://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/teufel/devil-smiley-090.gif

Maya & Inka's mommy

12-02-2005, 03:57 PM

[color=purple]maya & inka, are you taking stadol nasal spray? I've tried that, the strongest medicine for migraine but it didn't work for me! :( :rolleyes:

No, my sprays are called "IMITREX NASAL SPRAY"
My migraines are also hormonal! As I am 49, my hormones are "at war" ;) , which causes heavy attacks! :(

christa

12-02-2005, 04:46 PM

Well, I'm just waiting for mine to break through. Usually it does after the 4th day and today is day four. I went to the gym earlier and lifted weights. It did help. It usually does. You'd think it would make them worse. I don't understand that at all.

Do you all find that having these migraines runs your entire body down? I don't know if it's the medicine I'm on or what, but I feel like my entire body is run down. It may just be because mine last so long. My OB/GYN told me it's common for women to get them during their periods, like I do, but she also said that it's quite uncommon that they last for the entire 6 or 7 days. :rolleyes:

I've already got my new BC pill pack so if it does break through, I am going to start it early. It stops the migraines in about 30 minutes to an hour. I'm anxious to see if my doctor is upset with me for doing that 2 months straight. When you're in that much pain, you'll do anything!

SemaviLady

12-02-2005, 05:51 PM

Do you all find that having these migraines runs your entire body down?
Definitely.

As a child (preteen), when I would get them, they would last as long as 5 days or so. I would be disoriented and sleep was just about all I could do. I would be unable to keep anything down. The headaches seemed to be triggered by stress and some types of food (although the same food didn't always trigger me, unless I were stressed).

As an adult, in college and through my working career, I used to get them like clockwork (monthly) and also sometimes got them toward the end of nearly every week due to a fatiguing schedule (back then). I really could not function once the negative scotomas faded and the pain settled in. I had to get in a dark place and put my head down. Fiorinal is what I would take to help ease the cycle -- with Fiorinal, pain would last for a day or so, rather than several days.

When I would finally start to feel better, I'd have a odd feeling of spacial disorientation for another day or so. No problem with technical work, just a strange spacial disorientation, difficult to describe. (driving 1.5 hours to work at 5:30AM during a thunderstorm would be surreal with this after-aura!)

Oddly, once I got into WAP (Weston A Price) and Low Carb, I essentially quit eating anything but whole foods (only fresh produce and animal foods -- nothing in a box, can or jar), less sugar. Headaches disappeared for over a year. Completely! Drawback is all the frequent shopping and the time to prepare fresh foods every day.

When I began introducing 'normal' :rolleyes: processed and packaged store foods again, migraines began to happen during my cycles again.

I find now, as long as I keep the level of processed or junk foods low (I'm much better at this now), the headaches just don't hit me so hard any more. ...but sigh, it's Holiday time again and we all know what that means! :) :p

Oy, I wrote a book! :cool:

carole

12-03-2005, 01:13 PM

Oh yes those little hormones are responsible for a lot of things, coming up to the menopause i have been bothered with lots of headaches, that I put down to those mean hormones, never had so many as I do now, but luckily they are not migraines, Panadol does not work for a migraine, if it does then you probably just have a bad headache, you need stronger medication to do the trick.

christa

12-03-2005, 02:39 PM

Oddly, once I got into WAP (Weston A Price) and Low Carb, I essentially quit eating anything but whole foods (only fresh produce and animal foods -- nothing in a box, can or jar), less sugar. Headaches disappeared for over a year. Completely! Drawback is all the frequent shopping and the time to prepare fresh foods every day.

When I began introducing 'normal' :rolleyes: processed and packaged store foods again, migraines began to happen during my cycles again.

I find now, as long as I keep the level of processed or junk foods low (I'm much better at this now), the headaches just don't hit me so hard any more. ...but sigh, it's Holiday time again and we all know what that means! :)

I can see how quiting junk & processed foods would help. I wish it were that easy for me. I already eat super healthy, so I know that's not the link.

christa

12-04-2005, 05:04 PM

Well, my migraine broke through last night. Big time! Worse than ever. I've never thrown up before from a migraine . . . last night I *almost* did . . . I finally went to sleep with cold rags on my eyes. I was miserable. Slept for 13 hours straight . . . got up, still had it. :rolleyes:

I ended up taking 3 Excedrin Migraine (you're only supposed to take 2 in 24 hours) . . . sure it made me feel drunk and nauscious, but it helped. Made it bearable.

Right now, it's just low grade. I'm hoping I'm near the end.

Shew, I hate this!