Opening the topic, to avoid off-topic in John's thread...
I would be glad to add something if it stops migraine... Yesterday consumed a bottle of Hennessy. Knocked me off for a while, now it is 2:30 am, woke up again... Usually stops after throwing... But it does not come.
How do you deal with migraines? When I was young it passed much faster. Now it is 1-3 weeks of mild headache, then knocks me down for 2-3 days...
I would be glad to add something if it stops migraine... Yesterday consumed a bottle of Hennessy. Knocked me off for a while, now it is 2:30 am, woke up again... Usually stops after throwing... But it does not come.
How do you deal with migraines? When I was young it passed much faster. Now it is 1-3 weeks of mild headache, then knocks me down for 2-3 days...
a) lie on the bed in a dark, silent room for the rest of the day, hope it doesn't come back the next morning.
b) if you can feel it coming and it's not too late: take 2 ibuprofen, drink coffee, stay calm. no brisk movements, no TV. you might get lucky and it will only be a normal headache.
when i was <18yr i had an attack at least once per week. now, some years later maybe only four times a year. Getting decent glasses and returning to the optometrist until you're satisfied (and not just accepting the prescription and trying to "get used to it") is also my advice.
Alcohol? worst thing to do. Drinking a whole bottle will only get you hungover. A hangover doesn't even begin to compare to a true migrane attack, but it will add to the pain.
b) if you can feel it coming and it's not too late: take 2 ibuprofen, drink coffee, stay calm. no brisk movements, no TV. you might get lucky and it will only be a normal headache.
when i was <18yr i had an attack at least once per week. now, some years later maybe only four times a year. Getting decent glasses and returning to the optometrist until you're satisfied (and not just accepting the prescription and trying to "get used to it") is also my advice.
Alcohol? worst thing to do. Drinking a whole bottle will only get you hungover. A hangover doesn't even begin to compare to a true migrane attack, but it will add to the pain.
also bear in mind the hangover is two sides: headache due to lack of water, always drink a liter or so before going to bed, and liver working hard to digest the alcohol. Worst thing to do is eating greasy stuff the next day, you just make it work even harder..
a bottle of spirit will likely take 10-12 hours to be digested.
a bottle of spirit will likely take 10-12 hours to be digested.
I only get mild migraines, but I find paracetomol helps shorten both the visual disturbances and the subsequent headache. Relaxing in a comfy chair helps too.
I have to be careful not to eat too much chocolate, as that seems to be a trigger. If I have chocolate in the house (e.g. following Christmas or Easter) I don't eat too much on any day, and have a day or two with no chocolate to give time for whatever the active substance is to reduce in my body chemistry. A nuisance, as I really like chocolate!
I have to be careful not to eat too much chocolate, as that seems to be a trigger. If I have chocolate in the house (e.g. following Christmas or Easter) I don't eat too much on any day, and have a day or two with no chocolate to give time for whatever the active substance is to reduce in my body chemistry. A nuisance, as I really like chocolate!
It could be a cluster headache if its coming from your temple.
http://www.fyiliving.com/research/alcohol-may-cause-cluster-headaches/
I get them occasionally and what works for me is a healthy japanese style diet, no caffeine except for once or twice per month tops, even then thats pretty high for me.
miso soup.
raw fish.
coconut milk.
you might want to try getting a massage too or accupuncture, thats what works for me, what is causing pain in the head isn't necesserially caused by something in the head, it can be blood vessels pushing against nerves in the neck or back.
make sure though you get one from a professional with credentials.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluster_headache_treatments#Abortive
http://www.fyiliving.com/research/alcohol-may-cause-cluster-headaches/
I get them occasionally and what works for me is a healthy japanese style diet, no caffeine except for once or twice per month tops, even then thats pretty high for me.
miso soup.
raw fish.
coconut milk.
you might want to try getting a massage too or accupuncture, thats what works for me, what is causing pain in the head isn't necesserially caused by something in the head, it can be blood vessels pushing against nerves in the neck or back.
make sure though you get one from a professional with credentials.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluster_headache_treatments#Abortive
Last edited:
As my doctor recommended coffee/caffeine helps. It kinda takes the edge off a wee bit.
Alcohol never did anything for me at all. I eventually got rid of my migraines by not eating any cheese. Sounds a bit weird but a consultant later told me that migraines can be due to a (sometimes temporary) cheese allergy.
Alcohol never did anything for me at all. I eventually got rid of my migraines by not eating any cheese. Sounds a bit weird but a consultant later told me that migraines can be due to a (sometimes temporary) cheese allergy.
I've had migraine since age 4 or 5. Back then the MD prescribed barbiturates to knock me out for 12 hours to break an attack (!). Ice packs or hot packs may give some temporary relief, some folks find one works better than the other.
Ibuprofen is a dicey thing for me, It does help the pain, but I tend to get a bounce-back headache from it the next day, and is can take a few days of tapering off of it to finally lose the headache. These days I try not to take it unless I really need it.
Alcohol? No way!
Do you use caffeine? If so, consider getting off of it altogether (hard to do without a solid week of bad headaches). Otherwise manage your caffeine addiction carefully, same dose at the same time every day. Miss a dose and the body will kick back at you.
Chocolate is a big trigger for me, as are oranges, tangerines, etc. No OJ for me. Some aged cheeses, too, Cheddar being the worst. I stopped eating all of those nearly 30 years ago, got many fewer headaches.
If you really need to break an attack, talk to your MD about Imitrex. It's strong stuff, but for some folks it can be very effective.
I feel your pain!
Bill
Ibuprofen is a dicey thing for me, It does help the pain, but I tend to get a bounce-back headache from it the next day, and is can take a few days of tapering off of it to finally lose the headache. These days I try not to take it unless I really need it.
Alcohol? No way!
Do you use caffeine? If so, consider getting off of it altogether (hard to do without a solid week of bad headaches). Otherwise manage your caffeine addiction carefully, same dose at the same time every day. Miss a dose and the body will kick back at you.
Chocolate is a big trigger for me, as are oranges, tangerines, etc. No OJ for me. Some aged cheeses, too, Cheddar being the worst. I stopped eating all of those nearly 30 years ago, got many fewer headaches.
If you really need to break an attack, talk to your MD about Imitrex. It's strong stuff, but for some folks it can be very effective.
I feel your pain!
Bill
I suffered for decades with migranes, from a child, usually one every two or so months. I could always detect a migrane versus a regular headache. The pain always starts behind my left eye, getting progressively worse, then I would see "lights" Then nausea. What helped me was (after hurling) sitting / lying down in the shower and alternating from cold to hot water from the shower for as long as it takes to get some relief which was usually after ~ 30 to 45 minutes. Then lie down in a dark, quiet room and be still. That could be for up to 18 or so hours. My longest migrane was for 2-1/2 days. I had a prescription the name of which I cannot remember but it did not help. I found that sometimes if I took 4 x 500 milligram Tylenol as soon as I felt it coming on it and lying down in the dark it would sometimes go away, not often but sometimes. I still remember one Christmas eve praying to god to let me die because of the pain (now I am glad he ignored me).
Now I am 50 and have not had a migrane for around 4 years. Once or twice I felt one starting but it went away before developing so maybe with age they go away?
Now I am 50 and have not had a migrane for around 4 years. Once or twice I felt one starting but it went away before developing so maybe with age they go away?
See diet and migraine - I can't vouch for it, but chocolate is definitely a trigger for me and strong cheese makes my head feel funny.
See Tyramine and Theobromine too.
See Tyramine and Theobromine too.
After a bit of a google it appears caffeine can be beneficial or detrimental depending on the individual. Although in most cases it is beneficial, in my case it is beneficial.
One of the strongest headache remedy available over the counter here contains 3 active ingredients: Aspirin, paracetamol and caffeine.
Chocolate and cheese are common migraine triggers.
One of the strongest headache remedy available over the counter here contains 3 active ingredients: Aspirin, paracetamol and caffeine.
Chocolate and cheese are common migraine triggers.
After suffering migraines my whole life, I've found that (don't laugh) Goody's headache powder works the best. To prevent a headache after drinking, take one powder with a tall glass of cold water before you go to bed. If you wake up with a headache take one powder every two hours or so and lie down in a comfortable bed in a cool dark room with a wet wash rag folded over your forehead. I know that this dosage exceeds the recommended, but it takes at least four to knock the headache out. After five or six hours you should feel nauseous and after throwing up you should start to feel better.
Hope this helps,
John
Hope this helps,
John
Last edited:
Funny, just yesterday a headache knocked me down. Had to lie in bed in darkness for a couple of hours. I started thinking how funny life is: when your mind doesn't work nothing works. It's such a horrible experience. I have a headache every couple of years and every time it happens I wish I hadn't been born. I pinpointed the location of the pain: it was in the back of one of my eyeballs, in the left side of the brain, the other side felt OK but that was no consolation.
Such a little thing is enough to render inoperative this complex machine. Methinks the design needs to be improved. Same with toothache, how an animal is supposed to get rid of the pain without external help? Another faulty design.
Such a little thing is enough to render inoperative this complex machine. Methinks the design needs to be improved. Same with toothache, how an animal is supposed to get rid of the pain without external help? Another faulty design.
Hi
Ive had classic migraine all my life (since I was 17 Im now 73). Found diet ie chocolate,
cheese, red wine, bright lights could be triggers but not always. Luckily with classic
migraine I get a warning with an aura (visual disturbance). If I take 2 x Paracetomol/
Codeine 15mg I dont get the awful sickness and headache that I get without but I still felt awful for one or two days. However as Ive got older the frequecy was increasing from one every three months to one every month approx.
As this was getting very wearing I consulted the London Migraine Clinic. At first I didnt have much success as they seemed to have a new reason for migraine each time I went. The conversation went along the lines of "Recent research shows that this treatment helps 60% of migraneurs". However I always seemed to be in the other 40% !
However last time the consultant said that sticky platelets in the blood could be the cause of aura type migraines and recommended Clopidogrel a medicine that is used for
heart trouble. By chance Ive been prescribed this for a mild heart problem and lo and
behold Ive not had a migraine since.
Hope this can help someone
Ive had classic migraine all my life (since I was 17 Im now 73). Found diet ie chocolate,
cheese, red wine, bright lights could be triggers but not always. Luckily with classic
migraine I get a warning with an aura (visual disturbance). If I take 2 x Paracetomol/
Codeine 15mg I dont get the awful sickness and headache that I get without but I still felt awful for one or two days. However as Ive got older the frequecy was increasing from one every three months to one every month approx.
As this was getting very wearing I consulted the London Migraine Clinic. At first I didnt have much success as they seemed to have a new reason for migraine each time I went. The conversation went along the lines of "Recent research shows that this treatment helps 60% of migraneurs". However I always seemed to be in the other 40% !
However last time the consultant said that sticky platelets in the blood could be the cause of aura type migraines and recommended Clopidogrel a medicine that is used for
heart trouble. By chance Ive been prescribed this for a mild heart problem and lo and
behold Ive not had a migraine since.
Hope this can help someone
A quick google shows that Clopidogrel does the same thing as low-dose (75mg) aspirin.
The side effects seem a bit drastic (from wiki):
Serious adverse drug reactions associated with clopidogrel therapy include:
Severe neutropenia (low white blood cells) (Incidence: 1/2,000)
Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) (Incidence: 4/1,000,000 patients treated)[17][18]
Hemorrhage - The annual incidence of hemorrhage may be increased by the co-administration of aspirin.[19]
Gastrointestinal hemorrhage (Incidence: 2.0% annually)
Cerebral Hemorrhage (Incidence: 0.1 to 0.4% annually)
Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is discouraged in those taking clopidogrel due to increased risk of digestive tract hemorrhage
Bleeding in the post operative period. This is especially a problem for patients after heart surgery where Clopidogrel is associated with a more than double the take back for bleeding rate, as well as other complicatons. The take back for bleeding occurs when there is chest tube clogging in the setting of on going bleeding in early post operative period. Often, if chest tube clogging can be avoided, and the chest tubes drain, the patient can be given platelets until the platelet defect is corrected and the bleeding ceases. But if the bleeding continues, and the chest tubes occlude, then the patient will become hemodynamically unstable and may require an emergency take back to the operating room. This impacts outcomes and costs of care.[citation needed]
Most studies researching clopidogrel do not compare patients on clopidogrel to patients taking placebo, rather clopidogrel use is compared to aspirin use. Thus attributing side effects directly to clopidogrel is difficult. Other side effects may include:
Other gastrointestinal side effects
Upper GI discomfort (27% vs 29% in patients taking aspirin alone)
Gastric or duodenal ulcer, gastritis
Diarrhea (4.5% of patients in the CAPRIE trial)[20]
Rash (6% overall, 0.33% severe)[21]
Respiratory (infrequent)
Upper respiratory infections, rhinitis, shortness of breath, cough
Cardiovascular
chest pain
edema (generalized swelling)
Thrombocytopenia (reduction of platelets, 0.2% severe cases as compared to 0.1% under aspirin)
The side effects seem a bit drastic (from wiki):
Serious adverse drug reactions associated with clopidogrel therapy include:
Severe neutropenia (low white blood cells) (Incidence: 1/2,000)
Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) (Incidence: 4/1,000,000 patients treated)[17][18]
Hemorrhage - The annual incidence of hemorrhage may be increased by the co-administration of aspirin.[19]
Gastrointestinal hemorrhage (Incidence: 2.0% annually)
Cerebral Hemorrhage (Incidence: 0.1 to 0.4% annually)
Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is discouraged in those taking clopidogrel due to increased risk of digestive tract hemorrhage
Bleeding in the post operative period. This is especially a problem for patients after heart surgery where Clopidogrel is associated with a more than double the take back for bleeding rate, as well as other complicatons. The take back for bleeding occurs when there is chest tube clogging in the setting of on going bleeding in early post operative period. Often, if chest tube clogging can be avoided, and the chest tubes drain, the patient can be given platelets until the platelet defect is corrected and the bleeding ceases. But if the bleeding continues, and the chest tubes occlude, then the patient will become hemodynamically unstable and may require an emergency take back to the operating room. This impacts outcomes and costs of care.[citation needed]
Most studies researching clopidogrel do not compare patients on clopidogrel to patients taking placebo, rather clopidogrel use is compared to aspirin use. Thus attributing side effects directly to clopidogrel is difficult. Other side effects may include:
Other gastrointestinal side effects
Upper GI discomfort (27% vs 29% in patients taking aspirin alone)
Gastric or duodenal ulcer, gastritis
Diarrhea (4.5% of patients in the CAPRIE trial)[20]
Rash (6% overall, 0.33% severe)[21]
Respiratory (infrequent)
Upper respiratory infections, rhinitis, shortness of breath, cough
Cardiovascular
chest pain
edema (generalized swelling)
Thrombocytopenia (reduction of platelets, 0.2% severe cases as compared to 0.1% under aspirin)
Caffeine and pills with aspirin helps, 2-4 weeks before it starts. I drink more coffee, take more pills. I don't know if it helps or just prolongs waiting. And last 3 times it happened during fool moon and when weather changes. Either coincidence, or weather triggers it. I was reading a lot, of course, and tried to eliminate possible known triggers. But still... Can't eliminate weather changes.
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.