Migraine treatment

[stewie]

I am home from work "ill" today. Got a migraine.

I was wondering what those of you on here that get them frequently do for treatment of frequent migraine headaches.

A little background on my issue:
I first started to get migraines on my first trip to the middle east in the summer of 2004 (Feb-Sep 04). I have been dealing with frequent migraines ever since to the tune of 1-4 of them per week! It didn't start that frequent but became that bad after my second and final trip to the ME Feb-Sep 05. I received "treatment" from my military doc- vitamin M (motrin 800). But the good news is that I had it in my mil medical records. When I got out I applied for and received VA Disability for the migraine condition.

Currently my treatment includes taking amitriptyline daily for the prevention and to reduce the intensity of the migraines. I also take neproxen (Rx alieve) when I start to get a migraine but still need to remain functional- like at work, working on the heep, spending time with family etc. It doesn't work too well but is enough to take the edge off without making me drowsy. When it gets intense I go for a Rx that I believe may be called meridian-acetaminophen, dichlorphzn and isometh all in the same pill. Trouble is that this one causes extreme drowsiness, slowed reaction times, inability to work heavy machinery or drive (I work construction so I elect to not work when I have to take this med) and the med has a large amount of acetaminophen.

I was wondering if some may be willing to share (either posed up or via pm) what treatment they have had or currently receiving for the treatment of migraines that has worked well for them. I have another Dr appointment at the VA later this week, and I am wanting to see if a different med might work better.

There are some other factors that I have to consider in my treatment as well. I had a seizure in 05 which lead to me receiving a medical discharge from the military. That seizure severely limits the meds I can take. I am also on a happy pill and because of that and the amitriptyline it further reduces the meds I can take due to "saritionin syndrome." I thought that saritionin was a good thing, but I guess too much is not.

I already have changed my lifestyle to eliminate many of the actives that trigger the migraines.

Input is appreciated so that I can talk with my Dr and see if any of those treatment options may work for me. I am trying to be an informed patient.

Thanks
stewie

 

[ECKSJAY]

I was going through a LOT of stress with a very nasty custody battle as well as having high blood pressure. I had the 4-5 times a week frequency and would take Midrin when I felt one coming on. I had lighter ones and heavier, and when I felt a heavy one coming I had Imitrex. That was the one that made me drowsy and I'd usually crawl into bed and sleep it all off. I started walking and lowered my blood pressure back to normal (been there for over 2 years now) and have only had a couple smaller migraines since then. Knowing what triggers them also helps.

Good luck to you with yours. How's your blood pressure? You smoke at all? I don't, but know folks who smoke/drink a bit with really high blood pressure and they have chronic migraines.

 

[Jester99]

Tin Foil Hats work for me:rof:

 

[ECKSJAY]

Apparently not, 'cause you're still nuttier than a squirrel turd.

 

[RTicUL8]

I'm 40 now.
I started getting migraines at about age 6.
They were really bad my teen years.

In college, I discovered that taking about 8 Advil at once helped a little - only if I took them within 5 minutes of feeling the migraine start.

At age 33 I found a way to totally ELIMINATE my migraines.

I stopped taking caffeine - in every form: Soda, coffee, chocolate, etc.

Since then, I have tried a soda every once in a while, and almost always, the migraines come back within 72 hours.

Note: After stopping caffeine use, it might take up to two weeks for your body to purge itself - I would suggest drinking lots of water.

====

Note: Of course, this is not the answer for everyone. I just wanted to let you know what worked for me. Good luck dude :thumbup: - I know from nearly a lifetime of suffering how bad it can get.

====

 

[stewie]

I was going through a LOT of stress with a very nasty custody battle as well as having high blood pressure. I had the 4-5 times a week frequency and would take Midrin when I felt one coming on. I had lighter ones and heavier, and when I felt a heavy one coming I had Imitrex. That was the one that made me drowsy and I'd usually crawl into bed and sleep it all off. I started walking and lowered my blood pressure back to normal (been there for over 2 years now) and have only had a couple smaller migraines since then. Knowing what triggers them also helps.

Good luck to you with yours. How's your blood pressure? You smoke at all? I don't, but know folks who smoke/drink a bit with really high blood pressure and they have chronic migraines.

It is kinda crazy how the intensity of migraines can differ. Before I started getting them I never thought there we light migraines and intense migraines. I never thought that I would ever be able to "function" while having one. Last night it started as a light one before bed and early morning the pain woke me up at 2am.

I have worked to reduce triggers. The ones that I have identified and worked to reduce include stress, lack of sleep, diet, alcohol (it sucks that the sweet nectar of the gods ales me so), prolonged loud noise, frequent bending/stooping (picking up trash etc). I dont know about my BP, I am sure I can find out later this week at the Dr's. Unfortunetly I do smoke.

oh, and I am not sure that a tin foil hat would help. I am sure if I was to show up at the Dr office with one they would "up" my happy pills somewhat.:twak:

And now back to bed to try to sleep some of it off:speepin:

 

[KingOfTheHill]

i get them 3-4 times a week... and with no health care benefits, i usually see the local "first care" cheap-o crap dr's who hate being there...

they just load me up with pain pills... vicodin or percocets..

wish i could find the actual cause though...

JOe

 

[90Blue_XJ]

i get them 3-4 times a week... and with no health care benefits, i usually see the local "first care" cheap-o crap dr's who hate being there...
they just load me up with pain pills... vicodin or percocets..
wish i could find the actual cause though...
JOe

Back up of seminal fluids. BJs always help.

 

[KingOfTheHill]

Back up of seminal fluids. BJs always help.

Texting g/f right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


lol

JOe

 

[cal]

Maxalt. (mlt dissolvables for me)

its the only thing that works for me, and its fucking amazing. I pay $20 for 6 tablets on my medical plan, and usually refill about 6 times a year.

 

[stewie]

Maxalt. (mlt dissolvables for me)

its the only thing that works for me, and its fucking amazing. I pay $20 for 6 tablets on my medical plan, and usually refill about 6 times a year.

I used them about a year ago. They work wonderfully for me as well. The dr took me off of those because of the possiblity of saritonin syndrom- too much saritionin in the body because of more than one med that effects the level of saritonin.

I tried the regular pill form and the mlt and the mlt is the winner hands down. I would start to feel relief about 10 min after taking it. The taste is not the greatest but pales in comparison to the pain. 6 tabs would last me two weeks, three if i was lucky. but I would only have to take a second dose once in a while compared to today3 doses so far.

 

[cal]

wow, you get some lousy headaches.

 

[ECKSJAY]

It is kinda crazy how the intensity of migraines can differ. Before I started getting them I never thought there we light migraines and intense migraines. I never thought that I would ever be able to "function" while having one. Last night it started as a light one before bed and early morning the pain woke me up at 2am.

I have worked to reduce triggers. The ones that I have identified and worked to reduce include stress, lack of sleep, diet, alcohol (it sucks that the sweet nectar of the gods ales me so), prolonged loud noise, frequent bending/stooping (picking up trash etc). I dont know about my BP, I am sure I can find out later this week at the Dr's. Unfortunetly I do smoke.

Dude, the first one I had was a couple years ago and it was a bad one. Scared the living hell out of me because I was at work and went 'blind' in about a minute and a half. Standing at the counter, talking to a customer on the phone and as I was finishing the call, the computer screen started to disappear. All I saw was a swirl of color and my hearing went all goofy. While a coworker was driving me to the hospital, I started getting a VERY intense pain behind my right eye. I was nearly sobbing by the time I got to the ER and they put me on a dark room and started me on a morphine drip. Absolutely scared the hell out of me 'cause I had no idea what was going on.

 

[5-90]

I have post-traumatic headaches (treated similarly to migraines) stemming from a motor vehicle incident three years ago. These headaches are from a blunt-force trauma to my right parietal lobe and subdural haematoma, and didn't actually start until about eighteen months after.

The effects have been a constant headache since NOV2007 (varying in intensity from "rather annoying" to "fully incapacitating") and an inability to keep a regular sleep/wake cycle. I still haven't fully sorted it out, but I seem to settle down into a 30-32 hour cycle with a random amount of sleep of 4-12 hours. No observable anatomical changes - CT and MRT, w/ and w/o contrast (I could probably sketch the inside of my head from memory by now...)

Amitryptilene was originally prescribed for the headaches and to help settle down my sleep/wake cycle - no effect.

I am currently trying depakote 500mg BID - minimal to no effect.

Things to note:
My neurologist advised me of various dietary "watches" - aged cheese, processed meats, and artificial sweeteners being key. The cheese and meat issues don't give me any trouble, but artificial sweeteners spike my headache almost immediately! Caffeine doesn't give me any trouble, and sometimes actually helps (we're not sure why, yet.)

Here's something else funny - about once every other month, I head down to the local Mongolian BBQ to etch the lining out of my stomach (it's the only place I can get food hot enough to call actually "spicy." My granddad spent the best part of thirty years trying to find something too hot for me to eat...) I've noted that this actually reduces my headache significantly - we're not sure why that is, either. However, it's something to think about.

I quit taking Vitamin M a dozen years ago - it just don't work for me anymore. I can literally take four Vicodin for pain, and it will take it down to where I can think again. Tylenol IV? About the same. Partly body mass (6'3" ~260#) and partly a very high resistance (I get it from both sides of my family.)

I still smoke occasionally (I find that a cigar every now and again keeps me from going back to two packs a day of Luckies...) but I find it a more relaxing and contemplative time - I put my feet up or sit under a tree and take a good long while at it, so it seems to help. Probably a psychological factor there. I can't drink overmuch anymore - EtOH was/is the only painkiller I can get easily, but the depakote interferes with liver function, and I can't really hit "drunk" anymore - I go from "sober" to "mild alcohol poisoning." Damn.

I'm also hypertensive from the same incident - three GPs couldn't figure out what was going on, so my cardiologist looked into it and hit it right on the first try. I'm down to ~140/85 from ~200/130, which is an improvement (mild ventricular wall hypertrophy - well within "normal variation" - and no renal artery stenosis with very healthy kidneys.)

It is possible to be functional with a migraine - I have had exactly one "true" migraine, and I had that bastard for three weeks. It finally happened that I was going over to a friend's place - he opened the door, took one look at me, and took me to the ER. Spent the evening on a morphine drip (wide open) and riginol (sp?) for the migraine, which took care of it. Yes, I was working at the time, and didn't miss a day. Yes, I was very cranky...

Maxalt worked for me when the headache spiked at first, but lost effectiveness within a few months. I had to take them two at a time when I started.

"Serotonin" is a neurotransmitter in the brain. It is tied to sleep, and most "antidepressants" are SSRIs - Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. Apparently, low serotonin levels are tied to a number of negative psychological syndromes, so it has to be watched rather carefully. Dopamine (tied to excitement) and melatonin (also tied to sleep) are two other major neurotransmitters in the brain. (Amazing what you can learn when you have to...)

WRT "Blue Balls" - bear in mind that sex has been shown to have beneficial effects in the brain (I've had headached cured by being molested...) and regular "servicing" can help prevent prostate cancer later. Plenty of good stuff about sex - like regular "servicing" can make a woman's cervix dilate more readily, making labour and delivery easier...

 

[stewie]

theres a lot of info in here so I will add to some areas in bold

I have post-traumatic headaches (treated similarly to migraines) stemming from a motor vehicle incident three years ago. These headaches are from a blunt-force trauma to my right parietal lobe and subdural haematoma, and didn't actually start until about eighteen months after.

The effects have been a constant headache since NOV2007 (varying in intensity from "rather annoying" to "fully incapacitating") and an inability to keep a regular sleep/wake cycle. I still haven't fully sorted it out, but I seem to settle down into a 30-32 hour cycle with a random amount of sleep of 4-12 hours. No observable anatomical changes - CT and MRT, w/ and w/o contrast (I could probably sketch the inside of my head from memory by now...) I too have experienced the same range of intensity. Only a couple times have caused me need the ER. And when I did they gave me a med that I am allergic to along with a large syringe full of Benadril. That was some "fun" experiences to say the least. My CT, MRI and sleep deprived EEG have all come back "normal."

Amitryptilene was originally prescribed for the headaches and to help settle down my sleep/wake cycle - no effect.

I am currently trying depakote 500mg BID - minimal to no effect.

Things to note:
My neurologist advised me of various dietary "watches" - aged cheese, processed meats, and artificial sweeteners being key. The cheese and meat issues don't give me any trouble, but artificial sweeteners spike my headache almost immediately! Caffeine doesn't give me any trouble, and sometimes actually helps (we're not sure why, yet.) Can you elaborate on the "watches" for food? Im not quite following here. My Dr told me that caffeine helps most headaches and migraines by IIRC reducing inflamation of the blood vessels in the brain reducing the pressure feeling (and actual pressure in brain) thus helping the headache. The problem is that it is realitively short lived and the headache is often more severe after the caffeine wears off. One is also suseptible to cafeine addiction and withdrawl which is also bad on the brain.

Here's something else funny - about once every other month, I head down to the local Mongolian BBQ to etch the lining out of my stomach (it's the only place I can get food hot enough to call actually "spicy." My granddad spent the best part of thirty years trying to find something too hot for me to eat...) I've noted that this actually reduces my headache significantly - we're not sure why that is, either. However, it's something to think about.

I quit taking Vitamin M a dozen years ago - it just don't work for me anymore. I can literally take four Vicodin for pain, and it will take it down to where I can think again. Tylenol IV? About the same. Partly body mass (6'3" ~260#) and partly a very high resistance (I get it from both sides of my family.) It got to the point where the Dr was giving me a script for a large unopend bottle of vitamin M 800's each time I came in. They stopped working for me back in 04 as well.

I still smoke occasionally (I find that a cigar every now and again keeps me from going back to two packs a day of Luckies...) but I find it a more relaxing and contemplative time - I put my feet up or sit under a tree and take a good long while at it, so it seems to help. Probably a psychological factor there. I can't drink overmuch anymore - EtOH was/is the only painkiller I can get easily, but the depakote interferes with liver function, and I can't really hit "drunk" anymore - I go from "sober" to "mild alcohol poisoning." Damn.

I'm also hypertensive from the same incident - three GPs couldn't figure out what was going on, so my cardiologist looked into it and hit it right on the first try. I'm down to ~140/85 from ~200/130, which is an improvement (mild ventricular wall hypertrophy - well within "normal variation" - and no renal artery stenosis with very healthy kidneys.)

It is possible to be functional with a migraine - I have had exactly one "true" migraine, and I had that bastard for three weeks. It finally happened that I was going over to a friend's place - he opened the door, took one look at me, and took me to the ER. Spent the evening on a morphine drip (wide open) and riginol (sp?) for the migraine, which took care of it. Yes, I was working at the time, and didn't miss a day. Yes, I was very cranky... The longest one I have had was the first one to land me in the ER and that lasted for 17 or 18 days. But its not unusual for me to have one that lasts 5-10 days at a time now.

Maxalt worked for me when the headache spiked at first, but lost effectiveness within a few months. I had to take them two at a time when I started.

"Serotonin" is a neurotransmitter in the brain. It is tied to sleep, and most "antidepressants" are SSRIs - Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. Apparently, low serotonin levels are tied to a number of negative psychological syndromes, so it has to be watched rather carefully. Dopamine (tied to excitement) and melatonin (also tied to sleep) are two other major neurotransmitters in the brain. (Amazing what you can learn when you have to...) Interesting. I am going to have to see if the Dr can change my meds to see if I can minimise this possiblity and make some other meds available to me.

WRT "Blue Balls" - bear in mind that sex has been shown to have beneficial effects in the brain (I've had headached cured by being molested...) and regular "servicing" can help prevent prostate cancer later. Plenty of good stuff about sex - like regular "servicing" can make a woman's cervix dilate more readily, making labour and delivery easier... Yes, sexual activities do seem to help with the head pain.

lots of info in there for me to consider. Thanks

 

[old_man]

There are lots of migraine meds. I suffer from a different headache type caused by a malformation of the bones of the skull called Arnold Chiari Malformation. They come and stay for months. It is similar to the headaches you get after a spinal tap. The last seige was 18 months. The neurologist nickname them suicide headaches since about 60% of sufferers commit suicide. I no longer keep a gun in the house.

One thing seems to help and I take it every day. It is Celebrex, a COX 2 inhibitor, similar to Vioxx which worked better. If I don't take them, I cease to exist. Vicoden and Jose helps. Massive doses o steroids also help. I also find that Lorazepam, an anti anxiety med helps.

 

[5-90]

I'm still wondering why there are certain foods to watch out for - if more were to affect me, I'd probably have shown more interest. I do know that aspartame (the active ingredient in most artificial sweeteners) decomposes into formaldehyde et al above 80*F - and has been implicated in a number of other "illnesses" as well (I put that in quote marks because, often, the "illnesses" go away when the use of aspartame is discontinued.) Aspartame is what they came up with to replace saccharine, but I don't recall what was so bad about saccharine. It could, however, present questions for you to bring up with your GP - or your neurologist, if you have been seeing one. As I said, I had a list of things that should be avoided - so I avoided them for about a month to flush everything out of my system, then tried them one at a time to see what I could tolerate. "Diet" drinks were the only problem.

Given a choice, I prefer "Sugar in the Raw" anyhow - it's washed cane crystal, and is somewhere in colour between refined white sugar and brown sugar (it's crystalline sugar with most of the stuff that makes it brown washed out of it, and it's quite good.) I also tend to use honey as a sweetener for hot tea and for coffee - improves the taste. Since the depakote (and most other anticonvulsants that can be prescribed for PT headaches - like neurontin) can cause weight gain, and honey tends to be bother stronger and lower in caloric content than sugar, it helps.

I've done the MRI w/ & w/o contrast, the CT w/ & w/o contrast, the "normal" EEG, and the "sleep deprived" EEG as well (with the HTN I also had to have a stress EKG, stress echo, echo, renal ultrasound, ...) No anatomical abnormality.

Oh - and stay hydrated! Definitely a factor. On days when I have to work out-of-doors, I tend to go through about half again as much fluid as I did before, and I avoid working outside on hot (to me - anything over 75*) days whenever possible. As far as meds go, I'm fortunately NKDA, and we haven't found anything yet that causes me significant problems - although, with my tolerances, we have to often find something else rather quickly because we push levels from "therapeutic" to border on "toxic" if we don't watch out. I've had to go in for so many blood draws, I'm thinking about having a spigot installed. I should have another gallon pin just for test draws by now...

The most interesting factor, for me, is that having spicy foods seems to alleviate the pain in my head - where meds do not. I've mentioned this to my neuro, and she's just as stonkered by it as I am. Fortunately, I don't mind going to see the neuro - she's short, smart, and cute, and kinda reminds me of my wife. Pity I don't speak Farsi anymore...

 

[stewie]

yah, dehydration is a major trigger for me. I drink about twice as much WATER durring the workday as my coworkers- and thats doing construction in Arizona.

 

[5-90]

There are lots of migraine meds. I suffer from a different headache type caused by a malformation of the bones of the skull called Arnold Chiari Malformation. They come and stay for months. It is similar to the headaches you get after a spinal tap. The last seige was 18 months. The neurologist nickname them suicide headaches since about 60% of sufferers commit suicide. I no longer keep a gun in the house.

"Deformation of the bones of the skull?" Edify me, please...

 

[8Mud]

Just throwing something out there, I had chronic migraines, usually an allergy triggered them, like hay fever or such. I had a few dual side numbers that had me contemplating suicide. But it's fairly obvious now, that I had some sort of underlying infection in my sinuses that aggravated the whole process.
I got serious pneumonia and was given antibiotics straight into my bloodstream for weeks, my strain was drug resistant. After the pneumonia was cured, my migraines stopped for years (98% anyway). My migraines were slowly returning in frequency and at about the same time my Doctor recommended an anti pneumonia vaccine. Since I've been taking the vaccine at recommended intervals, my migraines have decreased about 99%. Though severe exposure to something I'm allergic to, can still trigger one, they are usually mild.
I really don't know what the connection is to my allergies, the strain of phnemonia I have and the migraines, but there is obviously a connection.
I imagine different things trigger migraines for different people, but an anti pneumonia vaccination is cheap and what the heck it might just work for you.
Learning and avoiding the triggers is also smart, over using pain meds and such isn't. Besides the side affects, most people usually develop a tolerance to pain meds (or most any meds) and they stop working.