Migraines/headaches

[WhoahThereCrazyHorse]

Would anyone mind sharing their experience of things that have worked for headaches and migraines? I’m increasing suffering with these and would like to take some action, so going to eliminate some foods and see if that has an impact. Would love to know of things that have worked for others.

TIA

I get cluster migraines, where I can go months without a single headache but then suffer them daily for up to a week. I know when I am entering a zone and have to totally give up alcohol (instant trigger) during that time, and a,so be careful not to skip meals. They always start in the early hours of the morning and are totally debilitating. I take slow release Propanolol daily as a preventative and Sumatriptan at the first sign of an attack.

Are your migraines linked to your menstrual cycle? Mine are and were getting worse & worse. A friend suggested trying the mini pill and what a revelation it’s been. I’ve been taking it for a year now & no migraines! Even better, no periods either! I’ve also cut out caffeine and take a daily multivitamin that contains magnesium which helps too. I still get the occasional headache in situations where I’d previously have got a bad migraine e.g. when v tired, but they’re easily cured with a couple of ibuprofen.

Probably just the placebo affect but getting my daith piercing cured mine as well.

That's how I was OP.
Almost permanent headache. Migraines up to 3x per week. Then the GP prescribed me propranolol. I barely even get headaches now and can't remember when I last bought painkillers (I used to buy the maximum you can every time I went in a shop that sold them)

Have had them since around the age of 11, so about 30+ years. Have increased ten fold in the last 10 years.

There’s no answer or seemingly no end in sight for mine. I’m on ‘preventative’ meds, Topiramate & Amitriptyline. I take either Narproxen, Naratriptan or Anadin Extra when they strike, which can be anywhere between 5-16 a month, sometimes lasting for days or weeks.

My iron levels were extremely low over the last few months, but recent blood test show they are satisfactory after I’ve been taking ferroglobin capsules.

My migraines couple be hormone related. I’ve tried Botox in the past, did fuck all for me.

I’m actually in a bad one now, since Friday. Have taken paracetamol, ibuprofen, naratriptan & naproxen over the last few days to combat it & it’s still there. They were interfering with work but I can’t afford to take any more time off so I have to crawl into work now even though my head is killing me. It’s shit, really shit. Sorry I’ve not been much help.

Triptans, cutting out caffeine, chocolate, cheese, nuts, making sure I don’t go too long between meals, have snacks when needed, drink plenty, not sleeping to much or too little, sunglasses whenever the sun is out, prescription for preventatives from GP, Botox.

Daith for nothing for me. Not a thing.

They have got much worse since I had it done but it's not the cause of that either.

Eating regularly (especially with caffeine intake) and getting my hormones in better balance by sorting my contraceptive (took a while of trying different ones and letting my body rebalance each time). Mine are very much stress and hormonal migraines.

Curable app and chiropractic sorted mine out.

Pizotifen daily. Cut down dairy (trying to cut out totally but finding it difficult). Learned my triggers and avoid them; I have to life quite a boring life! Not too little sleep, but not too much either, eat regularly, try not to get stressed, that sort of thing. If I feel one coming on early enough I load up on paracetamol and ibuprofen, use a small amount of tiger balm or similar on the temples (not too close to eyes) and back of neck as a distraction, and take a can of coke - think the combo of sugar and caffeine helps? Most caffeine I normally take us regular tea. It's by no means scientific but it keeps a lid on mine most if the time.

I've found my people.....I'm doing to try a preventative, for those who've tried topiramate - what are the side effects?

Topiramate - only side effect was loosing half a stone. I lost my appetite on it.

I’ve tried pizotifen and propranolol didn’t do much.

Triptans at first sign of an attack can help but not if it’s too far gone (if I wake up with one I’ve had it)

Just started Amitryptaline on advice of migraine doc at hospital, so far the side-effects are horrid and I had a migraine last week so jury’s out

Triptans, enduring I get enough sleep, drinking plenty, eat regularly, eye test, hair cut as i need to put it up for work if it hits my collar, natural light as much as poss, walk at lunchtime, ensuring correct posture at desk/work.

Those made it better but didn't get rid. Saw my gp, gave him diary record. He prescribed amitriptyline as it's used for nerve pain. I do occasionally get them but it reduces the frequency of them. No real side effects from the amitriptyline.

A lovely poster on here once recommended heat on the very top of the neck/base of the skull to me and it really really works.

I get migraines, proper aura ones, as well as tension headaches which are still one sided and make me nauseous.

When I feel one coming on, if I'm at home I pop two of the Nurofen Migraine or Nurofen/Codeine mix and lie down with a hot wheat pack behind my head, right in the base of my skull. It really works for me, better on the tension headaches but it still helps to soothe the aura migraines. I assume it's because it relaxes tense muscles in my neck and allows blood to flow more easily to my brain.

Other than that, sleep. All the good pills and sleep.

I'm also on topimax (generic anti epilepsy med that can prevent migraines) and have been since last June. I've not had a migraine since, despite getting them nearly every day at one point. It's changed my life! I used to have to avoid wine, particularly red before too. But mine are mainly due to barometric changes. It's so good not to have them all the time. Good luck!

Placemarking for ideas. I seem to have a chronic right-sided headache (sinus/tension/other?) with frequent diversions into migraine with aura and occasional dramatic vestibular migraine with vomiting, loss of balance etc. I can’t really remember the last time my head felt normal! I don’t/can’t drink any alcohol any more but even the cleanest of living isn’t helping me feel better.

The 4 head roll on bar is good. Expensive but worth. Ibruprofen and paracetamol taken together if it's really bad

My trigger seems to be double chocolate fudge cake and similar

Start a migraine diary and visit this clinic. www.nationalmigrainecentre.org.uk/

@LarkDescending

My chronic right sided headaches were related to my anemia. They got so bad I'd stand in the bathroom (or loos at work) and press my face against the cold because it was the only thing that helped.

QuestionableMouse - I do have anaemia which is hard to get on top of due to absorption issues. That could well be a significant factor. Thank you.

Another vote for Syndol but not too often as it says it can then contribute to a medication withdrawal headache.

Magnesium seems to stir things up and give me digestive grief instead, but I know that the only thing coming out of blood tests is that vit D is low and dropping (there was a point when I was supplementing daily but the drop is still happening. Also the supplement did not make me feel well).

I’ve just thought of something that I find soothing when my headaches strike, it’s this, it’s quite warming too so only a little bit at first until you get use to it. I apply it to my neck as high as I can get it without touching my hair & on my shoulders. They use to do a bath soak in the same range which was nice as but discontinued that!

My head isn’t as bad today as it was yesterday. I drank a lot of water yesterday. Admittedly I don’t drink enough water on a day to day basis so I must try to increase that. I try not to take any painkillers if I can help it as I can suffer terribly from medication overuse headache. But it’s a catch 22 when you need to work & you need to get rid of a bad headache. My dr mentioned riboflavin could be beneficial which I believe is vitamin B12/6? If so this is in the ferroglobin capsules I’ve been taking. it’s also in, I noticed in Aldi’s own version of co-co pops! So I usually have them for breakfast, I find if I stray from them to a different cereal, I can get headache! It can be a minefield finding what foods can trigger headaches but at least I know i’m safe with co-co pops! Oh and I can’t eat Jaffa cakes any more, use to, up until about 6 months ago, then realised when I did, I got pounding headaches day after. There’s probably something else I’m still eating that could be causing me to still have headaches, but then I have good days too.

Oops forgot to post pic

One thing I’ve noticed recently that helps mine is salt, a really salty meal, usually oven chips with salt and vinegar. I realised this when I tried the 5:2 diet and got a headache on my fast day. I came on here and someone suggested I might be low on salt because of fasting coupled with drinking more water.

@youvegottobekidding Riboflavin is Vitamin B2. And you need 400mg for the clinical dose - your breakfast will be a miniscule amount, as the RDA for B2 is 1.3mg....