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.

Oh, and yes, it's normal for migraines to screw up your sleeping patterns. And eating patterns. And elimination patterns. And hunger/thirst, temperature... pretty much everything. They're debilitating, so finding a way to keep them under control is the best way forward.

I also find I get what I can only describe as a ‘hangover’ for a day or two after

Hi. Just thought I'd let you know that you can buy sumitriptan over the counter at a pharmacy if you're ever out without your tablets. Normally kept behind the counter so just go in and ask.

Long term migraine sufferer here. For me either a triptan or ibuprofen washed down with full fat coke usually helps. If not then codeine and then sleep, lots of it.
Think it has been said already but the most important thing is identifying triggers. There are various apps that can do this, have a search for migraine on the App Store to find something that works. For me, there are many. Caffeine, dairy in the morning, exercise in the morning, aspartame and other artificial sweeteners, too much sugar, not enough sleep, too much sleep, disrupted routine, I could go on!
Hope you get to the bottom of it, they’re the worst and unless you’ve had one before it’s hard to understand what they’re like! Def not just another headache

You can only get 2 50mg tablets for £9 (last time I did it), so it's best to get the doofer signed by the chemist, so you can get something more realistic, dose-wise.

I wish this thread had appeared last week, when I found out the hard and confirmed by the GP that I was having migraines. I am post-menopausal, & suddenly got more frequent hot flushes to go with the vicious headaches. I actually willingly, took paracetamol to try & keep sane.

The information here is gold. The lying-in a dark rm. with an eyemask, vicks on pressure pts. on my forehead & nape. Plus, the cold flannel palaver.

I have now started taking naratriptan, the suma didn't work out.
But, to manage my nausea I've been having candied ginger (1 or 2 bits work), it settles my tummy. I've also tried to increase the amount of water I drink.

Was a bit surprised, how long it took to feel 'normal' and be able to tolerate light & sounds again. I guess this is the hangover, you're all talking about.

That will teach me to get upset about the world and its woes.

Topiramate is what eventually stopped my horrendous migraines after over 20 years. Had to start on a Kia dose and build up over a couple of months...now take 100mg daily. Life changer 👍

'Low' dose 🤦‍♀️

I sympathise with sufferers. I've just had a three day migraine and feel pretty shite. Cocodamol doesn't touch mine at all. When I start feeling sick, I just have to wait for the pain to subside. Cold / freeze gel from Asda works wonders. It's about £2 and works like the 4 Head balm. My natural child birth was less painful than migraines.

Two ibuprofen, two paracetamol, a shot of espresso and something bready and sweet to eat if I can stomach it. All asap when I can tell it's a migraine and not a headache.

If I catch it too late, all of the above plus this: www.ebay.co.uk/p/1812052845?iid=381261070066

@LMW1990

As a long term solution, have you checked your diet?

Do you eat too much sugar, drink too much wine...etc?

Just a thought, but mine got resolved once I cut out sugar. Migraine is usually caused by a chemical imbalance - you need to identify that chemical. 💐

Also forgot to say that taking magnesium supplements also helps prevent mine, could be worth a try too.

sumatriptan is the only thing that works for a proper migraine for me.

But if I catch it early enough, my dr recommended: tiger balm on your neck muscles, a shot of espresso (sometimes I swap for a Diet Coke), a Snickers bar, and children's aspirin (liquid gets into your system quicker than tablets)

Sounds weird...but does work if it's not a full blown miserable migraine yet.

@Eckhart - the two sumatriptan over the counter are for emergency use. They're not a replacement for a prescription. You get given the tear off strip at the bottom of the questionnaire which means that if you need them again you won't have to fill in the questionnaire again. I'd gladly pay the money if I was out of my prescription and I have done on more than one occasion. The Boots own brand ones are a bit cheaper than Migraitan, but both are cheaper than Imigran used to be. But if you've got a migraine and the means you'd probably gladly pay more for relief from the pain within an hour!

Kool N Soothe forehead strips are amazing. Mine are always triggered by low blood sugar or dehydration. If you get to the point where a migraine is coming on though, make sure to sip water rather than guzzle as you might well bring it all back up if the migraine progresses.

My tool kit is...
Sip cold water
Kool N Soothe forehead strips
Sumatriptan (take at the earliest opportunity)

And for recovery...
Full fat coke
Salted crisps

I've had migraines since I was 18 - I'm now 53! They have defined my life - I can still remember the very worst ones. Strangely they got horrifically worse when pregnant with both my sons but amazingly - and the only time in my life - improved significantly almost to the point of eradication when pregnant with my daughter! Then once she was born they began to reappear. I have no aura or sickness for which I am immensely grateful, I just suffer with right-sided pain behind my eye. The nature and pattern of the attacks have changed over the years. I would say they wax and wane but never entirely go. I can go about 2.5 weeks max without having one then boom! A three-day one. I have had sometimes as many as three in one week. Triggers are low blood sugar, alcohol and stress and surely hormones are in there somewhere (note pregnancy pattern). They rule my life. I take maxalt (rizatriptan) but works only in some attacks and I get ridiculous side-effects such as weeing for England and it knocks me out. I often feel worse with them with little to sometimes no relief from the attack. I take paracetamol and ibuprofen at the onset and sometimes that works. I used to take codis which worked for years then stopped. I also use hot/cold compresses to head/neck and have been known to tie a scarf tightly round my head. I am picking up some good tips on here will definitely try to full fat coke - I think sugar may be a key thing here.

OP sorry to but in, this thread is interesting. I get bad migraines but they were manageable until earlier this year I was actually being sick with them which meant nothing stayed in my system. Buccastem stuff is great but I now have to have max dose. I was given sumatriptan but now about 20 minutes after taking it I feel weird, I get a burning feeling inside my head where the pain is. Is this a bad thing?? I have to make sure I can go lay down until the weirdness has passed. Does anyone else get that?

I also like cold. I’ve got a sports ice pack type thing that you fill with ice and I lie down with that on my head. Solphadine Plus soluable tablets generally take the edge off or get rid of it.

I use one of these called aculief. It is tight and uncomfortable at first but I have found it works for me.

I’m with you there, childbirth was less painful, though you do get over them more quickly! I find migraleve just puts a migraine on hold, which is useful if I need to get home. Sleep and a cool dark room are best for me, plus if I can keep it down, food, preferably plain biscuits.

@stayingaliveisawayoflife

www.acupuncture.com/education/points/largeintestine/li4.htm

Those things stimulate Large Intestine - 4, which is a good point for pain anywhere in the body, but especially the head. Do you find it helps with nausea and other symptoms, or just the headache part?

Mainly just the headache but then I have hemiplegic migraine so I don't get nausea.

That must be scary staying. I've had a handful of visual migraines and they were bad enough.

What helps me:

• act as soon as you can feel it coming on
• take as many painkillers as are safe
• lie flat in a darkened room
• put ice packs on head
• don't be tempted to push through or read and DON'T LOOK AT ANY SCREEN

This usually means I'm out of action for a few hours rather than days.

Has anyone had positive results from topirate? I ended up a shell of a person from it with way worse migraines that I have ever had before