okay, since i was about 12, i've been getting migraines. in the last couple of years, i've had at least 3, sometimes 4 a month. raging fucking migraines that render me completely useless. normally, i'll vomit for about a half hour or so, then the headaches slowly go away.
i've tried to control them with diet (staying away from things i know trigger them) and controlling stress, but nothing seems to be working in the long run. i take tylenol but not to stop the headache-- the tylenol makes me throw up faster, which means the headaches go away sooner.
i haven't talked to a doctor about them, and i know i should, but i just haven't. all my siblings related to me through my mother all suffer migraines. i am the only one who gets them this often. my mother suffered at least one transient ischemic attack in relation to her migraines.
i know there are lots of good options for medications out there now for treating migraines, but quite frankly, i worry about taking meds all the time. also, i don't want the meds to affect getting pregnant in the future (a lot of headache meds cannot be taken during pregnancy and in the time leading up to pregnancy).
any of have advice? information about medications? personal experience?
I get bad migraines that turn my stomach about 1-2 times a month and I get Vicodin ES to control them, (I use maybe 4 pills a month if that they work great on migraines if you cant get anything that works over the counter I would ask your doctor for this, it helps with the pain alot and since Ive been taking them my headaches dont last that long at anymore.
I get migraines, but not as often as you. They only started after Dylan was born, and I thought they were related to nursing, but unfortunately I still get them. Someone told me that Midrin is good because it has an anti-nausea medication included. The best thing I've found for them may or may not be legal. sigh.
i haven't yet figured out what sets them off. my body has a lot of stupid things that it seems to decide to do just because it hasn't done them in a while.
I take imitrex either a pill or shot and it works pretty well although you are still pretty nauses (sp?) but you can fuction again.
I have the same problem. Migraines seem to run in my dad's side of the family, and I've been getting them since I was 12 or so. Right now I don't want to go on prescription meds, since I'm getting them less frequently (one every couple of months, not too bad compared to my dad who gets them twice a week!), so I've been taking Excedrin Migraine (otc) when I first feel a migraine coming on. I still feel weak, nauseous, and light-sensitive, but the duration and severity is shortened if I take something for it right away.
Feverfew is an herb that some people take to control and prevent migraines. The way I understand it, you take it pretty much every day, and after a while, it helps to prevent migraines. Here's a brief bit of info on it:
http://www.bodyandfitness.com/Information/Herbal/Research/fever.htm
Good luck mama, I know this can be frustrating. Have you considered keeping a short daily journal of your food & activities each day? That way you might see a pattern between not only certain types of foods, but also any sort of exercise, stress, etc that may be linked to migraines.
I get migraines really bad pretty often. I just had a recurring one that lasted for 3 days this week (coupled with my vertigo this time). I take Excedrine Migraine (which works wonders -- I love this stuff....go through a bottle pretty damn fast). My dad also gets them pretty bad and he takes Advil Migraine together with Tylenol. (his best friend that is a doctor told him to take those 2 together). Even though the Advil Migraine doesn't work as well as the Excedrine, it does work well when taken with Tylenol.
I also put chill packs on my head, rest with no light or sound, massage my temples and squeeze the webbing between my thumb and forefinger as hard as I can stand. There is a pressure point there (and one in the foot) that helps to sooth the migraines.
Best of luck dealing with them -- I know they can really interfere with life!
anytime i get bad migrains I usually pop two aleves, and take a nap for an hour it the dark. if that doesnt help I get my bf to rub my feet,back and neck and it usually helps to calm the headache.
i get horrible migraines and always have. i take imitrex injections or pills, but can't take tehm during pregnancy. safe for breastfeding.
i take that or maxalt. if that doesn't work i take percocet. if that still doesn't work, or the imitrex does nothing and it is going on for days and days i go to the ER and get demerol.
i get migraines about once a week. i can function, only because i am used to it.
i also got botox injections for the migraines, and take a beta blocker (lowers blood pressure) to prevent headaches. this has helped considerably but i still get them. now they are easier to control and aren't as often.
i have had zero luck with herbs and homeopathics.
I take midrin. It's been great, it actually contains a mild sedative, relaxes the muscles around the neck...really feels like the tension is relieved. It's the only thing that would kick those awful headaches for me...I'd go to sleep with them, wake up with them..they'd last for days at a time. I had a brain scan and everything to try to figure it out. Midrin was like my saviour.
ughhh.. I hate getting migraines!! I was getting them 3,4, even 5 times a week. Sometimes they'd be sooooo un-barable, Id have to go to the hospital and get a shot of demerol and put on an IV. My doctor had me on this controlled diet and i had to keep a journal of EVERYTHING I ate, along with any symptoms i was having. I tried imitrex and one other med they regularly advertise on tv.. one sort of worked.. vicodin was what i was taking for along time but I built up immunity to it.. demerol pills made me sick.. but the shot did too.. percocet.. massage therapy..herbal therapy..heat therapy.. they had me on different kinds of BC to see if it was hormonal, so in addition to BC they had me on extra doses of this patch for women going through menopause. seriously.. i tried everything.. I eventually started popping excederin migraine which for some reason seemed to work well.. but i was taking it ALL the time.. i also was a huge coffee freak.. once i got pregnant with this baby i couldnt take excedrin anymore, and cut out coffee and since the initial cravings.. ive had maybe 3 headaches since February. So maybe me body is just being okay because my hormones are different.. or maybe it was all the caffeine i was having between the pills and the coffee? I had the headaches BAD when I was pregnant with Xander though.. thats when it had all started...
laying in a dark room, quietness, herbal pillow on my face actually helped the best though.. i usually ended up falling alseep and wake up-most the time- feeling better.. but that was hard to do alot of the times when brett works and im home alone with xander. Good luck mama.. i know how hard it can eb to be on migraines.. they aren't fun :(