Any advice on migraines?

[Moomin]

My brother is staying with us after being very ill abroad and having an operation to do with his liver. He's had a headache for 2 days now which he says is making him sick as it's stopped him sleeping. It sounds like a migraine to me but I've no experience of them. I've told him he needs to tell the nurse who he sees every day about his dressing (he's going in the next hour) but he says there's no point as they can't do anything for headaches (ever the optimist!)
All I've said is that he should lie down in the dark in his room as I really don't know what else to suggest. I feel a bit helpless! Any other suggestions?

Dh gets migraines. TRy downing a can of coke (if his other ailments will allow - poorly tum etc). The sugar hit + caffeine etc does chase it away sometimes.

He really should tell the nurse in case its related to his illness IMO.

My best migraine cure is paracetamol + ibuprofen + asprin (don't take if bfing, but doubt your brother is!). Agree with sassy about the can of coke - I often take the tablets with a can of coke and a chocolate bar, although for some people caffeine / chocolate makes it worse.

Get him to take the tablets, and then have a lie down. I find the max. dose of ibuprofen makes me a bit sleepy anyway.

If he's got nausea, migraleve tablets (the yellow ones I think, pharmacist will know) have an anti-nausea component.

If it goes on for a couple of days and is terrible, you can get an injection to help. I've had it at A+E previously.

HTH

I have been hospitalised for migraine before - so yes he should say to the nurse he is feeling unwell - there could be an underlying cause particularly in the light of his op.

Yes to everything everybody else has said but also practising deep breathing helps for me forcing my mouth into a smile as I do - alledgedly relievs pressure build up. Neck and shoulder massage , foot massage helps. Sleep is the major cure all for me but failing that relaxing is the thing so warm baths with nice bubbles/oil lying down.

And also a wierd one but apparently having an orgasm reduces migraine symptoms! Lovely suggestion from DP but perhaps a slighhtly odd thing to mention to your brother !

also sorry forgot - I avoid cheese /chocolate and caffiene for the large part - I only find the cola method effective right at the beginning of an attack after that it can just make it worse - for me at least!

my experience of miagrains is:

sensitivity to bright light (need to lie in dark room)
nauseau, possible vomiting
clamping sensation in head / feeling like someone has hit your head with a sledge hammer

miagraines very different to cronic headache as causes by blood vessils contracting/expanding in head (well, that's what the doc told me anyway)

there are very effective injections now specifically for miagraines (Imigram), so if that is what it is, the doctor/nurse should be able to treat him very effectively with relief within 30 minutes

I suffer badly with migraines and on top of the migraleve, dark room/eye mask I also use them cooling gel strips to put across your head - not actually sure if they take away the pain or not but I find myself concentrating on the fact that they are such a weird tingling feeling I can almost forget I feel sick!

Oh and the last migraine I had was actually brought on by an orgasm so I doubt I will ever try it to get rid of one !

chloe

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caffeine makes the painkillers more affective. the pills usually have caffeine in them for that reason.

as everyone else has said

migraleve are really good pink ones to start with (have anti sickness meds in them) then yellow ones if they fail to send it packing

sleep in a darkened room is heaven as well

would try that first then if it doesn't cure his headaches he should see a doctor to check they are not a symptom of anything more serious

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I get severe migraine and there are many things that could be at the back of your brothers. He should tell a nurse because of his liver thing. Severe headaches lasting this long could also be down to blood pressure if he's been stressed about whats happened to him. Go to the pharmacy and get the strongest pain medication they will sell you. That's all I can do because I've been through loads of prescription ones and nothing seems to help. Dark room is good and the cold strips on the head help too.

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the only reason coke occasionally works for me - an as I say at the arly stages of attack not during as it worsens, is when I feel migraine is blood sugar related (85% of mine are) .

I would say is too latre in the day t o do anything for your bro.

I'd be wary of taking painkillers after his liver op (so glad he's home, btw, Moomin!) esp paracetamol, without consulting a nurse/dr first. A harmless thing to try is massaging the area between his thumb and first finger. If he gently prods about he'll find a slightly tender area - that's the place to massage gently. It's an acupuncture point and can be surprisingly effective. Hope he's feeling better soon.

2 syndol and a hot bath works but can make you drowsy so best at night

Agree with ark about the coke - I think it helps due to the sugar content (hence why I also include a bar of chocolate ). What triggers a migraine for one person, will not affect somebody else at all.

If it isn't blood sugar or tiredness that causes my migraines, then the other trigger is usually my bp. Had 9 months of them whilst pg with DS , so might be worth asking the nurse to check.

Although I know my stomach does slow down during an attack, it only slows, so oral pain relief is still worth a try for most people, but your brother probably should be careful if he's had a recent liver op. Was he not prescribed any post-op pain relief for that anyway?

This is bringing back loads of memories - did my thesis on migraine and migraine treatments!

Hope he's feeling better soon!

My dh had chiropractic treatment for serious neck problem - an unexpected but much welcome "side-effect" for him was that it also greatly lessened his migraines. They were not so painful (we can now have a conversation when he has one) and do not impede his life as they did. He is planning to have more chiropractic treatment specifically aimed at helping his migraines.

the prisoner - that is interesting!! I am now back on beta blockers for mine, resurgence to the bad old days of being unable to speak during an attack. Somebody recommended the Alexander technique has anybody tried this for migraine? Prisoner did your dh feel like the pain was coming from his neck? I often feel like my tension is there and at the back of head. Keep us posted how he gets on, has he managed to have the treatment on the nhs or are you doing this independently?

Ark - after many visits to different GP's one of them commented almost immediately that she thought my migraines were due to a posture problem. I slouch all the time and don't hold myself very well as have tried hiding big boobs since a teenager sub-consciously. I get DH to give me regular massages now and have been making a huge effort to correct my posture. I have only had one migraine in the past 2 months (brought on by the orgasm, must have been in an unusual position at the time) sorry if that comment was TMI! HTH

chloe - that is really interesting - my posture has worsened in the last year or so since having an enornmous lipoma growth removed from the base of my neck - from what you say I think I should invest in some alexander technique classes see if I can do anything. Thanks chloe I have completely highjacked moomin! Hows your brother?

ark - will have to ask dh where his pain was (I've never asked before, and now he's in bed!)

He saw a McTimoney chiropractor, which is very gentle technique, and it was done privately (no chance on the NHS!!)

When I say that he is planning to have more treatment, perhaps I should say that I am planning for him to have more treatment because he won't make the time himself! When he saw chiropractor about his neck, he'd suddenly "wrenched" it, and he was in extreme pain, neck was bent at an unnatural, distorted angle and getting worse by the minute, he could hardly talk (I've never seen a grown man in such a state) and it was a two hour emergency appointment. Despite the fact that his migraines are much rarer and SO much milder, encouraging him to go back to finish off whatever chiropractor started is damned hard!

(As an aside, saw my chiropractor this evening who has worked her magic! Looking forward to a nice, pain-free weekend!)

ark - apparently, pain never felt like it came from his neck

Thanks for all these suggestions. I booked him an appt at my osteo in the end as I didn't know what else to do. As lots of you have said, painkillers aren't ideal as his liver is still in recovery; he also can't have a bath because he has a huge wound up his abdomen that needs packing every day (Yeuch).

The osteo said his neck was absolutely knotted up throughout and gave him a massage and gentle manipulation. His posture and the post-op stress seems to be the cause and altho he's still got an underlying pain, it has eased a bit. He's got a follow-up appt with the osteo on Tues and meanwhile the GP has said he can take co-codemol sparingly; he's also using a hot water bottle under his neck. Hope this does the trick!

BTW didn't recommend the coke option, again as I think his liver's had quite enough abuse lately!

Glad it's eased a bit Moomin, I'd been wondering how things were.