Migraines please help!!

[nevernotstruggling]

Posting here for traffic please please post anything you think is helpful.

I have reached a migraine crisis point now they are every day. I'm prescribed amitriptyline 20mg daily and I have sumatriptan to use when I get them but it makes me feel drunk and sick.

I'm been referred to occupational health at work but i have waited 9 months and nothing!

Driving more than around town is a trigger so I moved to working locally.

I get my eyes tested regularly I don't need glasses I ruled that out.

Please post anything - should I be cutting out food groups? Alternative therapies?? Anything please I can't go on..

My mum suffered from migraines for close onto 40 years. A doctor suggested she go for a food allergy test and within a few hours she was told she had an allergy to dairy, wheat, egg and gluten. She cut them out totally and found alternatives and it practically stopped her migraines almost over night. Chocolate and cheese was the worst triggers for her. Try a food allergy test. Hope this helps! X

Like others have said, in addition to everything else, it sounds like your preventative (the amitriptyline) isn’t working. Have you tried either topiramate (Topamax) or gabapentin (Neurontin)? Both are preventatives that you take daily but they both work differently.

Also, I’ve found Excedrin can be as effective as sumatriptan if you take it when a migraine starts - the one that’s a combination of aspirin, paracetamol, and caffeine, in one pill.

Also, if you’re taking a lot of sumatriptan or any medication to try to treat constant migraines, it can cause rebound migraines in a vicious cycle. That’s part of why it’s so important to find a preventative that works most of the time (obviously nothing is 100%).

Also, it might not be a bad idea to try a strong pain reliever, like something with codeine. These can also cause rebound headaches so you cannot use them every day or for every migraine, but if you’re in a pattern of migraines, “breaking” the pain could break the pattern.

Also, are you on hormonal birth control of any kind? That can have a huge effect on migraines.

I've also reached a crisis point with my migraines recently and it is so helpful to read how other people are coping with theirs. I don't have them every day which must be so horrendous OP . Mine are every few weeks but utterly debilitating for several days when I do get them. I have the most horrendous auras that render me blind and incoherent, with numbness and tingling in my face and hands. I then suffer with muscle aches and fatigue for up to a week afterwards. I know it sounds overly dramatic but they honestly make me feel suicidal the pain and symptoms are so bad. I'm scared to plan anything in advance in case I get one and am afraid to go far from home in case I can't get back when one strikes.

I am almost certain that mine are hormonally related. I have had the mirena coil for several years and am 45 years old. The migraines started up again in earnest about 10 months ago after several years of none. The last time I had them this bad was during my last pregnancy 8 years ago when I was admitted to hospital and had MRI at 33 weeks due to the extreme & constant nature of the migraines at that time.

I have been on high dose of daily Propanalol for the last 2 months but it's not working. I haven't been given a triptan to try for some reason so don't know if that would work. I asked GP about trying an oestrogen patch as I read that hormonal migraines could be related to falling oestrogen levels (although it's hard to be entirely sure of my cycle as I don't have periods on Mirena). Has anyone tried Oestrogen? Are there any natural ways of balancing oestrogen levels? GP said he would need to refer me to neurology as he wouldn't be happy to experiment with that sort of treatment himself. I just don't know if I can cope much longer if I have to wait months for a referral. I've been having weekly chiropractic for 6 weeks and was hopeful that was working but then had one of my worst ever migraines last week so clearly not. I'm even going to get my Daith pierced next week. I'm so desperate I will literally try anything!

I hope you can find something to help you soon OP.

You can be on a far higher dose of amlytripine as a preventative, my neurologist said up to 100mg. I find rizatripan has been effective for me, sumitripan did nothing. I've gone from multiple migraines in a week to one a month which takes a few hours to go with the meds.

I think you aren't on a high enough dose of Ami. It only helped me at 30mg and my specialist said most people need to be on fifty to get relief.

The six c's diet is the easiset of the migraine "diets":
No Cheese (ie dairy), no choclolate, no caffeine (coffee, tea), no chianti (alcohol), no Chinese food (basically MSG and fermented foods), no citrus. Go careful with eggs as well.

If you want to go in harder the diet in How to heal your headache cuts out more potential triggers
www.amazon.co.uk/Heal-Your-Headache-Program-Headaches/dp/0761125663/ref=sr_1_1?hvlocphy=1006812&hvnetw=g&keywords=how+to+heal+your+headache&hvadid=374208597304&qid=1568489936&gclid=Cj0KCQjwn_LrBRD4ARIsAFEQFKtOES6-xHhw8IsqcM_rGvvlceQ_aDCq7uWhg65ZT2wBIgCZCmNAxOAaAiglEALw_wcB&hydadcr=24432_1816109&hvpos=1t1&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&hvtargid=kwd-356435823819&adgrpid=79569706554&hvrand=13314987134697574703&sr=8-1

Try to get a referral to a headache clinic. Are there any centres near you that have specialists in headache e.g. the Walton centre, Liverpool or several that are in London.There are so many meds or combos to try and also Occiptal nerve blocks, botox etc. Don't lose hope.

Propranolol here too, has been a life saver, from 1 a week to none in the past year

Cheese, citrus, coffee, dehydration, all of those can be triggers.

Hormons. Bright Sun.

Try keeping a diary, it will help identify the triggers.

Also some smells can trigger it.

Ds was getting them so I give him a feverfew capsule each day and he hasn't had one since. A woman at work also said they were helping when I suggested trying them.

Do you spend a lot of time looking at screens? I got glasses with anti-glare coating and they’re brilliant. Also realised I clench my jaw a lot so use heat packs to relax the muscles. I was looking into getting my daith(s) pierced but haven’t got round to it as the above seems to be working. Apparently beta blockers can also help. Good luck, they’re absolute bastards!

Topiramate has been a lifesaver for me. I still get the odd migraine, maybe 4 a year, but nothing compared to the constant ones I used to have.

My neurologist also recommended Asprin when I do get one, I take 900mg as soon as one starts (before preferably). I do take codeine anyway / naproxen for back pain but generally codiene isn't the best painkiller for migraines, especially due to rebound headaches. Ill still take them when I'm desperate! I can't take triptans due to the side effects which is a shame because they did help.

Darkness and lying under the shower are my other go to things usually.

Definite elimination diet, daily meditation, stretching and ensuring you drink lots of water.
I know when I saw the specialist I had to be 'caffeine free' for 3months but ultimately minexare hormone related.
My mother in law has dreadful migraines and found its linked to blood pressure issues

It's debilitating isn't it...and anyone who hasn't had one has no idea. I suffered for years, having had my first one during my first pregnancy. It got so bad that in the end I was having around only 10 days a month without a migraine! After over 20 years of this, I was eventually seen by a neurologist who prescribed Topiramate (this was 5 years ago). The dose started off small (10mg twice a day) and built up over three months until we found my tolerance level. I'm now on 75mg twice a day (which is quite a high dose I believe) but if I drop below this the migraines come back almost immediately and violently. We have tried several times to wean me off but in the end the consultant has said he'd rather see me stay on this dose forever than go through the trauma of the migraines. The only time I ever get a migraine now is when I stupidly forget to order my repeat prescription...which is very rare!

I think your amitriptyline dose probably needs increasing. I am on 30mg and it works for me. Found things dramatically improved about 2 weeks after increasing to this dose from 20mg. My gp had said she would be happy to increase up to a max of 50mg (in 10mg increments monthly) if necessary, then if that didn’t work she would have referred me to specialist clinic.

Mine are mainly hormonal but also triggered by the come down from stress and dehydration.
I have zumitriptan which seems to be working and the earlier I take it the better. (Identifying the I don’t feel quite right feeling before the aura come on is key - people can spot it in me - apparently I don’t look right.) If I get the aura, paracetamol, aspirin with coke and dextrose tablets can help. My GP said to get my blood sugar level up as soon as possible and since they cut the amount in sugary drinks - dextrose tablets would be beneficial. I also find relaxing and stretching my jaw by yawning helps as well.
I now carry a small zip lock bag with painkillers, zumitriptan and dextrose tablets in my handbag which gives me some reassurance that I’ve always got medication with me.

I tried amitriptyline, topiramate, and verapamil as preventatives - nothing worked.

Acupuncture - relaxing but did nothing for my migraines.

I see an osteopath regularly - helps a bit with preventing tension headaches and great for my body generally.

When I get migraines I take rizatriptan rather than sumatriptan - much fewer side effects, and it melts in your mouth so you start absorbing it quicker.

The big change for me was being prescribed Aimovig. I've gone down to just a few migraines a month.

However I'm in the US so it's paid for by my insurance and through manufacturer coupons, but I believe the NHS doesn't cover it, so you'd have to find it privately, and it's fecking expensive.

Other than that, Botox has helped a lot of people I know.

Oh, bizarrely the other thing that helps me is being on the depo provera injection, in that I get fewer hormonal highs and lows.

I'm also hoping the menopause will help when it finally arrives.

I feel your pain. I’ve tried most of what you and others have. I currently see a neurologist and she says a good sign that a migraine is on it’s way is when you start yawning excessively. I didn’t think this happened to me until I watched out for it. She then advised 1000mg of aspirin and lots of water (not too cold) this seems to work fairly well. I can’t take sumatriptan or other triptans as they also make me feel drunk and sick. I also use a pain relief roll on (in a roll on like a deodorant) I think it’s called icy cold. I use it on my jaw, neck and lower skull just as migraine is starting. I also aim for 8 hours sleep each night, any less and I’ll get a migraine any more and I’ll get a migraine. I also use a massage cushion on my lower skull and heat packs (microwave) or stick on heat pads on my jaw, & upper neck, and I avoid spirits/cakes/sweets and junk generally. I’m going back to neurologist in November after a year of trying various meds. She said if no real success by that point she’ll refer me for Botox treatment. Hope you get some relief soon. 🍀💕

My migraines are mainly triggered by low blood sugar. I feel for you OP, I have a high pain threshold but migraines render me totally incapable of functioning. I take Rizatriptan and it does make me feel a bit groggy and spaced out but rather that than a 3 day headache from hell that normal painkillers won't touch.

I've suffered from migraines for years and am now down to around 1 a month (usually right around my period starting).

I had reached crisis point earlier this year where I was having them several times a week and also visual migraines every day.

I started taking propanolol twice daily as well as my amitryptiline.

(I do take sumatriptan to stop the migraines from developing but the side effects are awful!)

I cut out caffeine completely and took up Pilates. This has made a huge difference. I often used to get migraines from very tense shoulders and a physio told me my posture was dreadful so Pilates really helps with that.

The one thing that has made the biggest difference though is getting glasses with a blue light filter. I don't need glasses at all but I got a pair of plain glass ones with the filter (from Very!).

I wear them all day and all the times when I would have got a migraine before (bright sun, computer screens, fluorescent lights etc) have been eradicated. They're like little miracles! I'd totally recommend them.

I’ve started taking feverfew I wasn’t expecting much to be honest but I’ve not had a migraine since and for the first time in ages no brain fog!

I was also getting that desperate I was going to try a daith piercing, this website daith.co.uk has some interesting videos but I don’t know anyone personally who has had it done.

Thanks everyone. That's funny about the dextrose my dad swore by them to treat any ailments - where are they even sold now? I had severe blood sugar issues when I was little so that's a definite.

For context I'm 40 and about 9st 2 so not overweight but very stressful job - social worker.

I'm also a lone parent to a 6 and 9 year old with little support. I'm very worried about the effect the migraines have on the girls as I am good for nothing.

I've tried propanalol it made me feel dreadful and I have it weeks to settle.

It's interesting so many said aspirin and full fat coke I try so hard to avoid such an abomination of a product but I know really it works quite well. Essentially it's the sugar and caffeine. I read probably here that caffeine helps because it increases blood flow to the brain though the withdrawal causes headaches too.

My migraines come on early in the day if they are going to. Often before I've reached the computer screen.

What's feverfew?

I forgot to say I have the daith piercing it helped for around a year I was drug free!! Worn off now though