Please can fellow migraine sufferers help

[Pastimperfection]

Does anyone know of a migraine cure that does not contain paracetamol or codine?

I have had migraines from all my life, it is a family condition. In the early days it was unbearable pain, 24 hour vomiting and being wiped out for days after.

Since being prescribed naramig 30 years ago, my life has changed completely. At the start of the attack, I take a tablet and I am pain free.

I am now 78, very healthy apart from a problem with my cervical spine. The situation I am in now is that I wake up every day with a stiff neck and headache. I take a tablet and am fine for the rest of the day. I am only allowed 12 tablets per prescription. These means that if they run out I need an alternative. I cannot take over the counter painkillers as they make me vomit and do not touch the headache.

i will be so grateful if anyone has a solution.

My husband is an osteopath and treated someone with chronic migraine. Within two sessions she hasn't had any for a month. Do you know a decent osteopath?

Equally, I get awful migraines when I eat dairy products and nothing will treat them

I don't have a solution as such but if I am out of sumatriptan (which I think are similar to your prescription meds) I take 2 x Anadin Extra with a cup of strong coffee. I think they contain paracetamol though so, if I couldn't take those, I'd take OTC Migraleve, the pink ones. They are not as cheap as Anadin Extra which is why I don't use them as much.

Thank you both. I do have an Oesteopath who told me about my cervical spine injuries. I saw them after XRays when the GP could not help. I found him really helpful so I might go back to him.

Go back to your GP! There are many options for prophylactic options nowadays. Triptans are wonder drugs - they have changed my life, but it sounds like you are overusing them and they are causing bounce back headaches.

if you can take aspirin, 900mg dissolved in full fat coke works well for me.

You could try talking to your dr about
Amytriptine
Propanol
Pizotifen
Candesartan

Ive tried them all and Candesartan has helped.
I’ve now been told to try acupuncture and if that doesn’t work they’ll give me Botox on the NHS at a headache clinic.

day to day, aspirin and coke helps. A neurologist advised me to try that!

Stiff neck and headache doesn’t sound like a migraine. I would see a GP just to rule out potential other reasons first. Could be related to your cervical spine issue?

The other thing to consider is that daily use of Triptans can cause medication over use headache.

I would definitely recommend a GP appointment as if you are genuinely waking up with a migraine daily there are preventative medications you can take.

In answer to your question though, a one-off dose of 600mg Ibruprofen can be very effective. But anti inflammatory medications aren’t suitable for everyone so I would check with GP or a pharmacist first.

Have you contacted the Migraine charity?

The have FOC consultations and may be able to help you.

I second osteopathy, or Botox is the next stage up from the triptans.

Do you take a daily preventative? I've found that since switching from gabapentin to pitzotofen I e had fewer migraines. I'm now on rimpegant and have nerve blocks every 3 / 4 months

Sumatriptan

At 78 your migraine should have eased off with menopause. Plus you aren't supposed to take more than 6 naramig in a month or they cause rebound headache.

I think you need to see your GP to check out if this really is still migraine or is it rebound headache or something else - especially arthritis in your cervical spine.

Have you considered cervicogenic headaches? Physio and a nerve block injection helped with mine.

Sumatriptan. And I know it’s naughty but I used to get 50mg x 12 a month and said I needed stronger so now get 100mgx12 and half them. I cannot function with a migraine and it’s the only way for me.

Propranolol literally kept me migraine free and saved my sanity. I was getting migraines two or three times a week for 3 to 4 years. I was sweating, very nauseous, dizzy and my quality of life had deteriorated massively.

I saw a multitude of doctors who suggested many 'cures' including chiro, stopping drinking red wine -which i didn't anyway, getting plenty of sleep and getting my bite pattern checked by the dentist. Also coming off the pill and drinking more fluids. Nothing worked and then after my fourth visit for the same issue I was lucky enough to stumble upon a fantastic Dr who was a locum. She put me on beta blockers and I never had a migraine since. I only took them for 3 months. Thank you Dr C Lilley if you are reading this, you literally saved me.

Go back to the GP! If you’re getting them daily, it needs investigating further.

I take Triptans for migraines and when I was getting a run on them I asked the GP to increase my prescription which she was happy to do.

Thank you all so much. I already take beta blockers, I am also prescribed amitryptiline . Just lately have read that these meds can cause dementia. I think I will try the asprin in coke as I had heard of that before

i agree that it does not feel like a migraine pain, but those are the only meds that work.

I am sure it is caused by the erosion of my cervical spine.

Please also seek a review with your GP waking up with daily neck pain and headache in a female of your age warrants further investigation to rule out other causes.

While you are there you can discuss weaning off the amitriptyline as you are right there is higher risk of cognitive side effects in older people.

Propranolol doesn’t seem to be giving you any benefit either - if these are migraines you might prefer to try something like Candesartan

If the triptans are the only thing helping that could suggest medication over use headache. You’d need to stop the triptans completely and it’ll get worse before it gets better so only do under the supervision of your GP.

Basically, you need to see a GP

Have you tried a completely different pillow? Ex migraine sufferer here. (Mine left at menopause. )I used to have v sore necks if I changed my pillow height.
Retrain yourself to a much greater or lower height. Could be an alignment problem.

I have suffered from migraines my whole life and get Sumatripan from my doctor which is a life saver but still suffered too many. Then I lost 3 stone with mounjaro injections, still got the migraines. Switched to the Wegovy tablet and my word have I noticed a difference. While I am not migraines free (doubt I ever will be) they have lessened so much.

In the past I have tried everything going. No one in my family gets them but I was a difficult birth and there may have been some injury. For now I am continuing with a low dose Wegovy tablet and monitor how many I get.

I am so grateful for all the advice. I also wonder if the weather has affected it. I spoke to my son today and he said his migraines are bad at the moment and his son is off school for the same reason

Fellow migraine sufferer here, soluble aspirin followed by cold original coke (not diet) and salty crisps. Daily propanolol as prevention and triptin taken asap when first get symptoms and 2 hrs repeat.