Migraines

[Maffie]

These seem to of flared up recently and doing my head in (literally). I've been prescribe some new tablets (not painkilolers) But wondering what other thinsg I could do. I've had them for 20 years but would like an alternative to medicating myself all the time

[rower40]

I've kept a diary of my migraine attacks, to try to identify the common factors. (Working on the club bar seems to be a possible trigger!)

However, since my GP first prescribed me Sumatriptan (Trade name "Imigran") over 10 years ago now, I've not had a full-blown migraine headache.  The flashing lights start (perhaps once a year), I take a tablet, and it all stops within half an hour.   I don't dread them nearly as much as I did as a teenager.

[julk]

My triggers are dehydration, chocolate, coffee and sleeping with no neck support - and when I worked, relaxation after a hell week.
If any of these ring a bell, then try to avoid.

[hellymedic]

Travel triggers migraine in some.
Avoid stress and dehydration.

[Maffie]

I used to be on almotriptan but hadnt really had attacks for a while and very stupidly hadnt kept a prescription in. Ive now been given Ritatriptan Benzonate wafers. So hopefully vomiting them up wont be a problem.

I know stress is a main trigger but something hard to avoid, I have cut back on other triggers quite well.

[The Mechanic]

Red wine does it for me.  I discovered this about 25 years ago after lots of trial and error.  Never touched the stuff since.  However, I do still get them but not as much.  rower40 is right, Imigran is the dogs danglies for me.  I have struggled with just about every type of pain killer until the Doc gave me it just a few months ago.  Amazing stuff.

[Wowbagger]

I used to have dreadful migraines which would knock me flat for a day at a time: blinding headache, vomiting etc. After the first surge the headache would sometimes last two or three days, although not so bad as on the first day.

These days, they hardly affect me. I still get the visual disturbance, usually in the form of a crescent moon covered in black and white triangles to form a zig-zag, with orange bits thrown in. However, the headaches are just a mild irritant and I haven't vomited with a migraine for 20 years, I reckon.

My younger daughter has suffered badly but she has found that citrus fruit was a main cause for her. She's stopped eating oranges and has had far fewer migraines.

[Sir Tifiable]

I think I'm starting to have these attacks. Is it common to appear in older age, even when never happened before?

[eck]

Mrs eck suffered from crippling migraines - usually on a regular monthly basis - since she was in her teens. We went through a phase for a couple of years of trips to A&E for morphine injections, it was so bad. She is prescribed rizatriptan wafers too, and they helped to suppress the worst pain.

However, Maffie, it may be worth checking out if you have a wheat / gluten intolerance. Allison started to show symptoms of that about a year ago, has cut it out of her diet, and has only had a couple of comparatively mild migraines since. Hope this helps.

[richie_b]

Firstly, thank you all for the info here!  My mum's been experiencing a lot more migraines recently & I have passed on some of the stuff from this thread to her, which she was grateful for, so thanks from my mother!

In the course of subsequent research I found some interesting things, which I thought I'd share...

This and this had some interesting things:

Supplements

    * 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP, 400 to 600 mg per day) -- This amino acid is made by the body from tryptophan (another amino acid you get from certain foods) and converted into serotonin, an important brain chemical. Researchers think abnormal serotonin function in blood vessels is related to migraines, and some of the drugs used to treat migraines work by affecting serotonin. Several studies indicate that 5-HTP may be about as effective as some prescription migraine medications, reducing the intensity and frequency of attacks. But not all studies have been so positive – one study found that 5-HTP was less effective than the beta-blocker Inderal. More studies are needed to be sure that 5-HTP is helpful in treating migraines. If you take an antidepressant, or supplements such as St. John's wort or SAMe, you should not take 5-HTP.
    * Magnesium (200 to 600 mg per day) -- People with migraines often have lower levels of magnesium compared to people who do not have migraines, and several studies suggest that magnesium may reduce the frequency of migraine attacks. In one study, people who took magnesium reduce the frequency of attacks by 41.6 percent, compared to 15.8 percent in those who took placebo. Some studies also suggest that magnesium may be helpful for women whose migraines are triggered by their periods. Side effects from magnesium can include lower blood pressure and diarrhea.
    * Vitamin B2 (riboflavin, 400 mg per day) -- A few studies indicate that riboflavin may reduce the frequency and duration of migraines. In one study, people who took riboflavin had more than a 50 percent decrease in the number of attacks. Not all studies have found riboflavin to be effective, however. More research is needed.

The Calcium Connection

Even if you monitor your magnesium level like a maniac, you’re still at risk for migraines if your calcium level is out of whack. The reason: Magnesium and calcium interact with each other.

It seems that higher than normal blood levels of calcium cause the body to excrete the rest, which in turn triggers a loss of magnesium.

“Let’s say you have just enough magnesium and too much calcium in your blood. If calcium is excreted, the magnesium goes with it. All of a sudden, you could be low in magnesium,” says Dr. Kubena.

In fact, says Dr. Altura, people who have low magnesium and elevated calcium levels are among those who are most successfully treated with magnesium.

and

Herbs

The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthening the body and treating disease. Herbs, however, can trigger side effects and can interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, herbs should be taken with care, under the supervision of a healthcare practitioner.

    * Butterbur (Petasites hybridus, 50 to 75 mg of a standardized extract two times per day) -- A few studies suggest that butterbur may help reduce both the frequency and duration of migraine attacks. The studies used a standardized extract that lowered the amount of alkaloids in the herb, which might potentially be harmful to the liver. If you want to try butterbur for your migraines, ask your doctor about a safe extract and dose. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not take butterbur.
    * Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium, standardized leaf extract to 250 mcg parthenolide per day) -- Feverfew has been used traditionally to treat headaches, and several well-designed studies have found that it may help prevent and treat migraines (not all studies agree, however). In one study of people with migraines, those who took feverfew capsules every day for 4 months saw a substantial drop in the number of attacks as well as far fewer symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, compared to those who received placebo. Feverfew can increase the risk of bleeding, and should not be taken with anticoagulants (blood-thinners). Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not take feverfew.

My mum had mentioned the riboflavin, but 250* the RDA is a little worrying!
The magnesium stuff is interesting, especially given that many folk in the UK will have elevated calcium.
Feverfew is also interesting since it's been used for thousands of years for headaches...

Anyone used any of these, or can put holes in any of the suggestions?

[David Martin]

I get exercise induced migraines.
Triggers are extreme exercise or exercise when dehydrated. If I neck enough fluids with electrolytes then they aren't a problem and the pounding jackhammer doesn't start.

Sumatriptan is excellent. If I use it prophylactically then it works a treat. If I take it during onset then the pounding doesn't go away but is locked in a little box in my head, I still have it but the effects are muted. 

Reccommendations are to keep your fluids up, take generic multivits+cod liver oil and avoid excess alcohol.

and being fit helps. How to get fit when youm risk being many hilly miles from home with  migraine is left as an exercise for the pharmacist.

..d

[Maffie]

Mrs eck suffered from crippling migraines - usually on a regular monthly basis - since she was in her teens. We went through a phase for a couple of years of trips to A&E for morphine injections, it was so bad. She is prescribed rizatriptan wafers too, and they helped to suppress the worst pain.

However, Maffie, it may be worth checking out if you have a wheat / gluten intolerance. Allison started to show symptoms of that about a year ago, has cut it out of her diet, and has only had a couple of comparatively mild migraines since. Hope this helps.

I had tests actually for wheat/gluten/lactose and lactase intolarence. They said I should a slight reading but nothing serious. Didnt understand a word the doctor at the time was going on about.

If I eat too much wheat products I do suffer with stomach cramps and feel cr*p to be honest. So I do try to moderate my intake

[Wowbagger]

Thread resurrection.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/may/20/eva-wiseman-headache-migraine-botox?commentpage=last#end-of-comments

Interesting article, although I can't say that I ever found any part of a migraine pleasurable.

[Wowbagger]

Bugger. I've got one and I'm supposed to be singing in a concert this evening, rehearsing all afternoon.

[Wowbagger]

Another migraine today. It started last night with the crescent-mon-with-zigzags and I've had mild pain today. I feel even more zonked than usual though (I'm always ready to snooze in a chair). Really quite lacking in energy.

I wonder if I'm dehydrated from yesterday's ride - I'm sure Peli would have told me off for not drinking enough. I seem to have drunk quite a lot of stuff today though - lots of cups of tea.

[Wowbagger]

Migraine today. This is just Not Fair after having had an arthritic attack earlier in the week (my hands and feet still feel as though they have been crushed).

[Wowbagger]

I have been experimenting with the effects of red wine upon migraine headaches. I can't say it has made a lot of difference to the headache but I feel very relaxed. Off to bed shortly.

[Pedaldog.]

Opiates are a Puppies best friend today!

[trickletreat]

I have found after much research that red wine with tannins can set me off. If my memory serves me right, copious amounts of lager, taken from the whirly dragons tails onwards, help negate the other symptoms of migraine.[ caution: this may result in vomiting and a bad head for a few days].
On a serious note, I take stemtil when I sense the start of one. My episodes can start as a result of tension in the neck, caused by either stress or carrying shopping bags. Also hate venetian blinds or driving in low sun filtering through trees. Occasionally the migraine doesn't go through the full cycle, but the visuals come back to back over several days, followed by the feeling that my brain has been bruised and tumble dried...luckily I have only experienced this a few times.
Good luck with the red wine research!
Nigel

[Poly Hive]

Ok my wife after falling out of our motor home bed commenced migraines. Fall of 3.5 feet.

She has blood issues and is now resistant to Warfarin so life got "interesting" to put it mildly.

she has a consultant considered to be the top man in the UK. He told us his hands were pretty much tied with regards to drugs due to her blood issues. So he put her on three. Well talk about a zombie... given we are self employed and run a Guesthouse it was not that handy. She has now dropped all the drugs as she was having 21 a month, migraines that is. Now it turns out that there is a lump on her neck which is impinging on a nerve so possibly there is a physical cause. On saying that her episodes have dropped of dramatically since dropping her drugs.

Will update as matters move on.

PH

[Ruth]

Crikey, that sounds a bit rubbish 

[Poly Hive]

Update. She had a scan and a lump was found. It was removed on Tuesday and we are awaiting the path lab results. Hopefully it will be benign and also have been the source of the migraines.

PH

[trickletreat]

Update. She had a scan and a lump was found. It was removed on Tuesday and we are awaiting the path lab results. Hopefully it will be benign and also have been the source of the migraines.

PH

Good luck and hope everything goes well and speedy recovery.
Nigel

[Jakob]

So, for ages I thought I had either a chronic sinus infection or some other sinus issue that caused headaches and nausea. (No light sensitivity, though)
Nasal rinse, anti-histamines and Sudafed (only sudafed, other decongestants had no effect!) seemed to be the only remedy, but often not enough.
Got a CT-scan, radiologist said he could see polyps, but when I then got to see the ENT, he told me that the radiologist was seeing stuff that wasn't there and that my nose and sinus' (sinii?) were in excellent condition and that in his opinion (not being a neurologist), I was suffering from migraines. Back to my GP, we had a chat about indicators and he gave me a test prescription (some wafers, name escapes me). (Edit: It's Rizatriptan)
 I stopped on the 'sinus' treatment, added supplements (magnesium, B-complex (including B2) and Omega-3) and if anything felt better. It seemed like just the knowledge on it's own made me feel better.

I still had to resort to the magic wafers 3 times in the last 2 weeks, but they have been amazing. Takes a couple of hours to fully kick in, but then I'm completely clear.
Sunday I had the worst one, (after buying cinema tickets, of course), but took a wafer, relaxed for 1 hour and I easily sat through the 3 hours of the Hobbit 2.

Workload has been heavy and I have barely been working out, but I hope that a soon-to-come reduction in workload, combined with the supplements , exercise and a back-up of magic wafers will bring this under control.

I still suspect that it's allergy related, as the main indicator is irritated nose, so I'll ask for an allergy test when I go to get my prescription renewed.