To ask for migraine relief tips

[LMW1990]

I've had headaches in the past but a few months ago I suffered my first migraine with aura. The pain was excruciating. And I thought I was going blind in one eye! I visited my GP (pre lockdown) and they gave me some sumatriptan tablets to take if I felt it start again.

It happened once again in the same week and then nothing.

Until yesterday. Unfortunately I was away from home and my tablets. I had the aura last night and this morning I feel as though I have had my head repeatedly stamped on. I feel sick if I move. Everything seems quite bright. I've taken some cocodamol as I had some in from bad period pain this month. It's eased it slightly. Any tips for anything else that might help? Hot compress. Cold compress. I have no idea what to do with myself.

Soluble aspirin and full sugar coke at the first sign of the aura is the most successful cure I’ve found. I Have packets of aspirin in every handbag, in my drawer at work and all over the house. I have also found that putting my head under a stone cold shower is immediately effective, but not always convenient or appealing.

It’s quite normal for me to be washed out after a migraine, even if it hasn’t fully developed, sometimes my head hurts when I bend ver and I usually have a hangover type lethargy.

Betablockers. Game changer for me.

I'm very lucky in that I seem to have "grown out of" migraines now, but that might be linked to the fact that mine were definitely stress-induced and I'm now retired!

Last time I had one was 2 years ago, I'd taken my mum to York for the weekend (very stressful, we're not close). I didn't have any tablets with me, and unfortunately there was a shortage of Migraleve at the time.

The pharmacist in Boots gave me co-codamol 8/500 and Buccastem Buccal Tablets. Fantastic! The sickness feeling went very quickly, and the pain too.

I wasn't sure about the co-codamol as I was prescribed it from the doctor years ago due to the my spinal problem, but the one the doctor gave me was 30/500 and made me feel awful. The lower OTC dose was definitely fine for me.

As a last resort, and I appreciate that not many people would want to do this - can you make yourself sick? I've done that in the past (during the night, in the days before 24hr shops) and it really helped. I felt like it released the pressure in my head.

Co codamol and aspirin taken with a caffeinated drink, an ice pack or cold pillow positioned on my neck and the side of my head were the pain is, lying in a room in the dark in total silence.

I've tried many things and drugs over the years but the above is my go to for coping with it as I can't usually sleep with a migraine.

I'm another sufferer who seems to have 'grown out' of them. Mine were hormone related and life is worth living again since the menopause. You don't want to wait that long though and I feel for you. Much good advice is on here.

I agree that taking medication as soon as you feel one coming on is paramount and try to avoid becoming dehydrated. If you're at work try to remove yourself to a quiet place as well as the tablets.

I suffer only moderate migraine but after much experimenting and some advice from a migraine clinic, I try to get up and go to bed at the same time, eat and drink regularly, not rush and be extra careful when there's a trigger (for me, low pressure/rain and flying plus being premenstrual). When I get one I take two Paracetamol and two Ibuprofen immediately and have a strong coffee and something sugary. Low blood sugar makes them worse and once they get hold I just vomit up food and painkillers. If I can I then lie in a dark room for an hour. I don't get any aura but become hypersensitive to light, smell and noise and my verbal skills get scrambled. I also kept a migraine diary for several months which showed I had the menstrual kind and the random kind. I have now had treatment for endometriosis and had a baby, plus now have a Mirena, and fingers crossed, that has all massively helped. The migraine clinic said beta blockers work for some.

I ended up in A & E with ds age 16 when he had a horrific migraine, vomiting, couldn't bear to move his eyes, aura & a headache that made him want to bash his head on a concrete wall to take his mind off the pain, they gave him diclofenac & Co-codamol, within 20 minutes he was a different person, also got told to take any medication with tea or coffee as the caffeine would help get the medication in his system quicker & full sugar drinks to help the vomiting. He is on pizotifen now & gets a lot less attacks.

Sumitriptan didn't work for me, but I know they can be miracle workers.

The only thing that cures a migraine for me is sleeping. I can only get to sleep if I take 2 x dihydrocodiene + 2 x paracetamol. That takes the edge of enough to let me sleep. I'm not sure why, but the paracetamol makes all the difference there.

I suffered most of my life with migraines, several a week for a while. The doctor put me on amitryptiline which helped reduce them. Then they got worse in that I was getting paralysis with them and that was scary.

I get glare induced migraines - nasty buggers as they can hit from one ill placed reflection.

My dr says best treatment for a migraine is not to get one ie learn the warning signs and sit in a dark room / sleep so head splitting headache doesn't progress to migraine. Mine usually start as loss of vision or aura. Quick action then means they resolve that day. Let develop to a full blown migraine and it can be a couple of days.

Oh the migraine hangover is horrible. Plenty water, take it easy if you can. Definitely don't drive til you feel back to normal.

I take sumatriptan as well because migralieve stopped being in any way effective for me. Best advice is to get 2 packets if you can and always have one with you when going out.

Heat packs help me when it starts and just lying down for a "sleep". If I take a tablet as soon as the aura starts I'm usually fine by about 3-4 hours later.

Mines are sometimes triggered by lack of sleep, sometimes by atmospheric pressure changes. yeah, that's a great trigger cos you can't really avoid it, but I do find being outside helps a bit more if the pressure is all over the place.

Lots of good tips here, I also use propranolol to prevent and sumatriptan to treat. I also think the 4head sticks work well, they take the edge off at least. Someone also told me that bananas help so I always eat a banana too, think it’s the potassium. I also lie face down and try to sleep as I find pressure on the sore area helps. Finally i have also had some success with a hot bath but keeping my head cool - sometimes I wet my hair and then just sit there and the cool air Outside the bath helps.

I hope you feel better soon - you have my sympathies. Migraines are really one of the worst pains I have ever experienced!

I've tried sumitriptan (sp) and they made my migraines worse. I was prescribed ADs, they didn't work either.

I used to take 3 ibuprofen and drink a can of energy drink at the first sign , that was reasonably successful. I now take ibuprofen lysene and use one of those cool gel pads over the affected area , it's the best solution I've found.

Getting too hot triggers mine , I try to avoid that.

It's normal to feel wiped out by them ime, I feel exhausted for a good 24hrs after the attack has passed.

Towel soaked in cold water and wrapped around the back of my neck, cold flannel over my eyes, sleep it off. If I have to do something and can't sleep at the time I get it 2 cocodamol, 4 ibruprofen and enough 4head on my head to knock out a horse. Also keep a detailed diary on food and general activities to identify your triggers if you can. Mine are hormone triggered so the pill helps, but they're also triggered by garlic

Sumatriptan didn’t work for me, but zolmitriptan works well. So at the first signs, zolmitriptan and aspirin. My GP also advised to get my sugar level up so I carry dextrose tablets too as the full sugar drinks don’t tend to have enough sugar now.

Sending sympathy - they are horrible. If you can work out your triggers it really helps - mine are hormones, dehydration and the come down after stress. (And too much chocolate/cheese.) Running regularly seems to really help as well.

Migraine hangover is definitely a thing. My personal record was 3 days

Does anyone share the following symptoms? the first symptom is overwhelming need to lie down and tiredness, then debilitating nausea and headache a dull thud. Takes 3 days to pass and usually on third can be sick, usually three times, although nothing in my stomach. As soon as third wave of vomiting over, right as rain. It’s definitely not food poisoning. Does this sound like a migraine?

Migrelief has worked in the past but not consistently, maybe because not taking it as soon as I suspect the signs are showing. For me, it is the overwhelming tiredness and nausea that is debilitating.

2 paracetamol with caffeine and 2 nurofen liquid tablets. Haven't tried aspirin so may also try that, but these four tablets usually work for me. Even though all ibuprofen is supposed to be the same it is only the red liquid tablets that work on my migraines. I have sumatriptan but have only taken 3 tablets from the pack in the last few years as nurofen is pretty good. Don't leave the migraine always take something as soon as possible

I have amitriptaline as a preventer but when I get an attack I take-
Sumatriptan with a coffee or full fat coke
Plus a travel tablet for the nausea.
If it doesn’t go I’ve been prescribed naproxen to take instead of the second sumatriptan dose.
If I can rest I will with a cold compress on my head- I always get migraines in the same place.

Absolutely knocks me out and I get a migraine hangover the next day but it works .

Ginger ale is the worlds best kept secret. Takes the nausea.

DS14 and I both suffer with migraines. He's amazing at recognising when he's about to have one, now, and we keep flannels in the freezer in ziplock bags so he can have one across the back of his neck.

Migraleve only works for him if he takes it within the first hour, after then it's too late, so it's in every car, every bag and every room of the house. The frozen flannel and Tiger Balm on temples are the only other things that help - he just goes to bed in absolute darkness and stays there til he's slept it off.

Mine are hormone-related and since having endometrial ablation I've had far fewer migraines. The odd time I do get one it wipes me out for a good few days afterwards, though.

Completely normal to be lethargic and "spacey" for a couple of dayd after a migraine. "Migraine hangover" is the perfect way to describe it. The only thing that generally works for me is sleep - unless it's one of the ones when I can feel it in my sleep and my pillow feels like a pile of bricks. I take either 2 x paracetamol and 2 x ibuprofen or if I have some, some ibuprofen/codine mix. Having read some of the previous I might try the sumatriptan!

Couldn't see if they had been mentioned so sorry if they have already, but if heat helps I completely recommend "spacemasks"

Self heated with jasmine scent, I use one just as I feel the migraine starting and it really helps and 9/10 times stops them completely.

Currently pregnant so can't take my normal pain killers when they hit but this has made the world of difference

I started getting migraines after I stopped breastfeeding my son. That was 10 years ago. I take the pill continuously so my hormones are at at constant levels. I still have migraines but think stress is a factor. I went through a phase of getting them on Fridays! Apparently it's because I started to relax for the weekend?! Anyway I now take cocodamol which normally knocks me out. Something heavy on my head/eyes like a wheat bag is comforting. The hang over the next day or 2 is not to be underestimated, if I don't listen to my body and fight it the migraine returns. Does anyone else find peeing difficult when they have a migraine?

@DameCelia

That was the second autocorrect fail of nurofen my phone doesn't like it!

That said, I might try nitrogen next time!