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Original poster

Migraine sufferers

28 replies

Arren12 · 12/01/2022 13:40

Hi

I have started to suffer very regular migraines. I have had these all my life but only Infrequently. I have seen my gp and had a recent eye test.
My gp has prescribed something that is mostly used for depression but has been proven to be affective for migraines also. However, its also used as a sleep tablet and I have young children with additional needs so need to be awake at night so stopped taking these after a few weeks. I didn't see a huge benefit in that time.

These migraines are becoming weekly occurrences and really impact my life. I lose vision, be sick, slurred speech etc I struggle to do basic things and need to go to bed. Its so painful. I can't though because I have a job and children so I need to get on top of this.

Has anyone found a solution. Does anyone have any suggestions. Do you di anything differently to prevent them.

Thanks
A

OP posts:
Fatgalslim · 12/01/2022 14:31

I take propanalol for migraine prevention, works a treat and I don't have any side effects from it

Fatgalslim · 12/01/2022 14:32

Meant to say I was prescribed 1 per day but I take them every other day to make them last lol, GP will only prescribe 28 tablets at a time

EewwwDavid · 12/01/2022 14:35

CBD oil capsules helped mine. I couldn't tolerate the side effects from prescribed migraine medication.

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Original poster
Arren12 · 12/01/2022 14:38

@EewwwDavid what side effects did you experience from prescribed medication if you don't mind me asking.

Thanks @Fatgalslim il look into other tablet options

OP posts:
Medievalist · 12/01/2022 14:40

I take it if you're a long-term sufferer you've tried things like sumatriptan? It's what I take and, while it makes me a bit spaced out and my throat feel slightly closed, it works okay. Doesn't always get rid of the migraine completely but keeps it at bay.

I've just had to take one!

Do you know what your triggers are? For me disrupted/little sleep over a few nights is bound to trigger one. For my dm it was chocolate and shellfish. I knew someone who said oranges triggered migraines for her.

jlpartnerrs · 12/01/2022 14:40

I had a problem when going through the menopause - hrt helped mine

EewwwDavid · 12/01/2022 14:41

They made me feel really shaky and weak and didn't actually stop the pain or the nausea. CBD didn't stop the pain either, but they made the migraines last 2 hours, instead of the 24-48 hours they usually lasted.

EewwwDavid · 12/01/2022 14:42

I think wheat/gluten trigger mine. I'm getting a gluten tolerance test in a couple of weeks and then I can give it up again (I didn't have any migraines when I stopped eating it for a couple of months earlier in the year)

WeAreTheHeroes · 12/01/2022 14:43

Was it amitriptyline or nortriptyline you were prescribed? They won't stop from waking if you're worried about that. I find amitriptyline makes me feel foggy in the morning, but taking it earlier in the evening is okay - it's not like it knocks you out in half an hour. I believe it can take a few weeks for them take effect.

Everyone is different, but propanolol did nothing for me.

Go back to the doctor and discuss your concerns - there will be other things to try and there be something fast-acting you can take when you get a migraine. Some triptans suit people differently.

Also worth keeping a diary of everything you eat and drink and at what times, plus if you have things on your mind, something stressful happens. If you find your triggers you can work on those and maybe not get a migraine in the first place.

I give sound advice, if only I could follow it myself Grin. My biggest trigger is stress, followed by hormones twice a month.

Original poster
Arren12 · 12/01/2022 14:44

@Medievalist I have never discovered my trigger but im working in it as I know there will be one. Hormones is the most likely as it was much worse in my pregnancies.

OP posts:
Original poster
Arren12 · 12/01/2022 14:49

Thank you @EewwwDavid.

It was amitriptyline @WeAreTheHeroes. I'm going to give them another go from today I think.

OP posts:
jackfrosttoes · 12/01/2022 14:53

My partner has taken nortriptiline for 3 months and life changing, gone from weekly migraines lasting days to none, not noticed any inability to wake up or grogginess.

fantasmasgoria1 · 12/01/2022 15:01

I take propranolol and it's very good. I tried everything in the past such as sumatriptan. Propranolol is a preventative. It's taken daily whereas sumatriptan is taken at the start and when i tried that I still got a blinding headache. Mind you I suffer chronic pain and take cocodamol 30 /500mg so on the very rare occasion I get a migraine these days they take away any pain.

Glitterb · 12/01/2022 15:09

I have recently been prescribed amitriptyline so have found this thread interesting! Especially about feeling foggy in the morning!

Has anyone amitriptyline to be beneficial to headaches/migraines long term? My doctor only prescribed me a months worth and so far I haven’t noticed much of a difference however taking it earlier in the evening might help!

Isgooglebroken · 12/01/2022 15:14

Amitriptyline left me unable to function the next day. I felt like a zombie.

Nasal imigran acts really quickly. The first flicker of sparkles in my eye and it can stop it in its tracks.

Hoardasurass · 12/01/2022 15:14

@Arren12 I take anatriptoleen for my migraines and have done for years it took a couple of months to get the right dose but has worked fine since it doesn't stop them all but I now average 1 per month and sumatriptan deals with them.

When I first started the anatriptoleen it knocked me out but after a couple of months the drowsiness started to lesson and now it doesn't affect me at all, I'm told that this is very common with long term use.
If you find that you just can't stick with them then there are dozens of different drugs that can be used as a daily preventative though they all have side effects I must have tried 15 different types before we tried the anatriptoleen which works for me, my dd takes beta blockers for them and my mum uses an epilepsy medication so please don't be afraid to go back to your gp and ask to try something else

RainbowShoes80 · 12/01/2022 15:17

Look at NICE guidelines for chronic migraines .. there is a clear guideline for treatment which may be helpful.

Kbyodjs · 12/01/2022 15:22

I’ve done a lot of research into this and what comes out is that different things work for different people so you have to try a few things.
I found that acupuncture reduced mine to monthly which is more manageable and reducing how much chocolate I eat has helped. When I do feel one coming on I take a triptan prescribed medication straight away (I worked out my early warning signs are being irritable and pain under my eye) and then once the migraine is going or even if it’s completely gone I take 900mg dissolvable aspirin and sometimes again the next day. Dissolvable seems to work better and a bit of chocolate when I take my medication helps it work better.
I’d recommend a migraine app to help track early warning signs and what helps

Original poster
Arren12 · 12/01/2022 15:42

Thanks everyone

OP posts:
Original poster
Arren12 · 12/01/2022 15:45

Also il just add its nice to hear from others sufferers that understand. Its not nice that you/your family get migraines mind you. Its difficult for non sufferers to understand it is not a headache. My dh is guilty of this. He will often say he has a headache too Angry

OP posts:
2022sucksalready · 12/01/2022 16:07

I take amitriptyline for my migraines and it works well. It took a few weeks for me to stop feeling tired in the mornings, but that does wear off. I had to put my dose up a couple of times to get the right dose for me (started on 10mg, and now take 30mg), so it’s worth sticking with it. The dose increases didn’t put me back to feeling tired at all, so that was a relief as I was worried they might.

Frymetothemoon · 12/01/2022 16:09

What worked for a former partner was Diclofenac at the first signs and Sumatriptan if that hadn't worked after 20 mins. This was on the advice of a neurologist

RestingPandaFace · 12/01/2022 16:15

I’ve had amitriptyline and it worked OK for a while, but I couldn’t shake off being sluggish in the morning, even taking it at teatime. Noritripylebe didn’t work for me.

I tried anti-epileptics, topiramate and another one, one made me feel really sick, topiramate was OK for a couple days f years but I had to increase the dose for it to keep working and I started getting cognitive side-effects.

Propanalol - fainted at the gym…twice!

Botox - works like a charm, sadly I am overdue again because of the knock-on effects of Covid on the NHS.

I now have Botox every 12 weeks and take sumatriptan for break-throughs. I’ve gone from 26+ headache days a month to 3 or 4.

The moral of the story is keep trying different things and keep going back until you find what works for you.

RainbowShoes80 · 12/01/2022 16:15

You can ask be referred for Botox if oral medications don't work

afrikat · 12/01/2022 16:23

It's worth trying to get referred to a neurologist who can recommend a range of preventatives and how to take them. Many have been mentioned on here, eg amitriptyline, nortriptyline, propranolol. You have to stay on them for several months, at the optimum dose, to know if they are working. It can be a long process of trial and error. There are also things like gabapentin and topimarate.
If you have tried several of the above and they haven't worked you may be referred to botox. If that doesn't work you should be able to try one of the new anti-CPRG injections e.g.Emgality.
You definitely need triptans for acute attacks but shouldn't be taking them more than a couple of times a week.
There are other things that can be tried too, e.g. B2 and magnesium supplementation, daith piercing (no evidence for it, but some people find it helpful), CBD, essential oils..
I have tried all of the above and still have almost daily migraines! Haven't given up yet...

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