Migraine relief - help me!

[Smarshian]

Please give me your hints and tips. Had a migraine since Tuesday - never had one before. I’m at a point I want to cut my own head off.
Please give me some solutions. Extra sleep, ibuprofen, paracetamol and water have not helped.

I echo @QueenOfOversharing 3 x 300mg soluble aspirin, as recommended also by a doctor in a&e! I got referred to a neurologist for mine who prescribed triptans to carry on me to take on the onset of one however still to this day nothing has touched the pain more quickly and effectively than aspirin. I always reach for it first

Boots, Tesco or Superdrug own brand Ibroprufen with LYSINE. Off the normal shelf usually £2 for 16.

Its been absolutely crucial I have these.

I also got a facial steamer that I use with Oils and an air diffuser from Argos, that I put Lavender Oil in for my room.

Plus water & paracetamol & Superdrug deep heat cream dor my neck & shoulders.

If you're taking prescription medication for anything else, get your GP or Pharmacist to review your medication.
A few years ago, I can't remember which medication or combination caused it, I had several health problems at the time, but a consultant went through all that I was taking, some I no longer needed, resolved the problem within a day after two weeks of hell.
It was something I'd been taking for a few weeks/months, nothing obviously new causing problems.
Happily free of any regular medication for the last eight years!

@MirandaPriestly I was in there on 3rd day of horrific one & tbh I was a bit offended when he suggested it. I had been imagining some massive suppository like a horse tranquilliser. 😂 But they work. Plus full fat (why is it not called full sugar?) Coke.

Don't take it if you've had ibuprofen in the last day, but a can of full fat coke and 900mg (3 big tablets) of dissolvable aspirin is as good as triptans.

Everyone is different and not one size fits all

This above suggestion does nothing for my migraines and is v different to triptans!

In my case absolutely no pain killers help regardless of when I take them. If it's migraine only triptans help.

OP - I'd go and talk to them in the pharmacy about triptans. They can give you sumatriptan if you fit the criteria I believe. Let the pharmacist decide rather than the internet !
In your shoes I'd see a gp when possible too.

Hot water bottle. Mine are usually sinus based so it helps a lot

You need to go to A&E, OP

If you've never had a migraine before and you're now on day 6, you need a CT scan and a thorough examination.

Triptans and home remedies are pretty useless at this point.

The problem is that ime the pharmacy dispensing criteria are tick boxes and having had complex, debilitating migraines for over 20 years, I KNOW what is and what isn’t a migraine for me. It fits the consultant neurologist’s criteria but for some reasons it doesn’t fit the pharmacist’s (or rather the standardised form the pharmacist uses) and whenever I’ve tried to obtain triptans otc, I’ve ‘failed the test’.

But yes @Smarshian, I would agree with @vitaminC. If this is your first ‘migraine’ and it has lasted 6 days, you should seek emergency medical treatment/investigations to rule out anything sinister.

Yes!!!! @QueenOfOversharing my pain was seriously a 12/10 I’d rather given birth than be in that pain so when the doctor came back and declared aspirin I burst in to tears thinking it’s never going to budge this! I thought I’d get morphine 😂 20 minutes later and it was gone!

@MirandaPriestly I honestly hated that doctor. I swear I thought I'd be telling the tale of being hooked up to drips, induced coma, crash team... no, fucking soluble aspirin.

But it's a miracle worker!! Told my neurologist (after referral) & he said, often ppl are disappointed! 😂

Full fat coke & migraleve or co-codamol. Plus neck & shoulder massage.

Migralieve, it's paracetamol, codeine and an anti nausea med in one. That helps with a strong sweet coffee or full fat coke. Foot rub if you've got someone to rub your feet and apply pressure with a cold flannel on your forehead and one on the back of your neck.

Or your electrolytes might be out of sync and you're low in magnesium, I'd have a fizzy electrolyte tablet in a big glass of water.

Don’t take codeine. It might help a bit but it can make migraines worse.
Unfortunately it’s often too late to start taking painkillers if you are getting the headache pain part of a migraine. For the pain I use ice packs, and try and sleep it off. Next time: three dispersable aspirin in a bit of full fat coke with some anti nausea meds like domperidone. I’d that doesn’t work after an hour or so, take a trip tan.

I fully recommend the National Migraine Centre in London (Kensington). I’ve never found GP’s terribly helpful, whereas the NMC is a charity where Doctors who are have a special interest in migraine actually help. You should start recording a migraine diary too.

Thanks for all your tips! Going to give aspirin a try and get a doctors appointment tomorrow

Six days in means you should go A&E.

What are your symptoms for a migraine?

The last one I had (8 years ago thank god) I had these cooling pads that I stuck on my forehead. That and Nurofen and complete darkness and peace and sleep if you can. Panadol Night can help with that.

Mine were hormonal (during my teens and pregnancies and then randomly until 8 years ago) and not as bad as some people get so you have my sympathy.

I concur with the 3 soluble aspirin MIXED INTO FULL SUGAR COKE. This was told to me by my GP. It’s really effective. It isn’t an overdose, it’s a one-time dose. And then lay down in a cool room with an audiobook playing to distract you from your pain.

And see a GP tomorrow as it’s unusual to get your first one and for it to last for six days.

Alternatively, call 111 and they’ll likely send you to an out-of-hours doctor who may be able to prescribe you triptans, which will remove the pain inside an hour.

Feel better soon.

Strong coffee even if I have to gag it down (because nausea from migraine) 9/10 helps with sumatriptan

Migraleve pink usually work for me, you can only take 2 in 24 hours. Also sainsbury's own migraine tablets are quite good. Cold eye mask also helps

Definitely ask for zolmitriptan rather than sumitriptan if you go to the GP, I was switched to it from sumitriptan in November after suffering from migraines for 30 years and it's the first thing I've found that really works. I also use tiger balm which helps take the edge off.

Aspirin and caffeine. Both are in anadin extra if you see that on the shelf. Hope you feel better soon!

Migraleave pink with yellow ones for later in the day. Plenty of sips of water and sleep in a dark room. Cloth over eyes can help too.

I used to take an injectable Triptan which was fab. Then I got a hatred of hearing the autoinjector click and they don't do it with just a needle and syringe (qualified nurse).

My best thing now is prochlorperazine taken as soon as I realise I have a migraine (my initial symptoms are vague irritability, intolerance of noise, heightened sense of smell, so it can be a while before I realise I have one).

3 aspirin and an anti nausea, lots water and sleep.