Migraines

[Jodee]

Does anyone else suffer with migraines? I don't get them that often but they mainly occur at the start of a period and I've tried Migralieve (sp?) but it does nothing. I came home from work yesterday and took to my bed at 7pm and woke up this morning with my head still banging. Is there anything that's effective that I could get over-the-counter or should I get something prescribed from the gp?

The only other solution I know is to get pregnant! I had no headaches at all, not even a niggle, all the way through my pregnancy. I am trying for another baby at the moment though ..

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I get what's been diagnosed as 'migraine equivalents'. This means that the pain is the same, but I don't get classic migraine symptoms such as the auras. I did have some perscription stuff which was OK, but never ended up repeating the perscription for some reason. I tend to get my headaches a few days before my period too. Unfortunately the only thing that gets rid of them is to take to my bed. I take a couple of paracetomel and a couple of asprisin or ibuprofen (its OK to mix doses at the same time)and go and lie down. After all these years I guess I've just learnt to live with it.

Oh Jodee I sympathise, migraines are horrendous. I used to get them at the start of a period, and had to lie in a dark room (not a crack of light) and fortuntely for me Migraleve was the only thing that worked. So I dont know of any other medication to suggest, If Migraleve doesnt work, do go to the Doctor, there must be so many other things to try.

Jodee
My total sympathies from a fellow sufferer - your'e right I don't get migraines when I am pregnant.

I notice that for me it is a build of stress and I try to have a massage (!) every now and then - what type is down to you but I have found shaitsu really helped as it getsin really deep and feels like it releases a lot of tension.

When I can't get to a doctor or masseur! I have my absolute all time best tip which I have used for years is a hot/cold gel pack (most chemists sell something along these lines mine is by 3M) I keep it in the freezer then when you need to use it in a darkened room wrap it in a teatowel (it would burn you otherwise) and place on the BACK of your neck - it works because apparantly migraine is caused quite often by the arteries in your neck constricting the blood flow don't ask me how it works but it does bring fantastic relief. But just try putting something icecold on the back of the neck and lying down.

Best of luck

I've had Migraines since I was 18, 25 years! My worst are pre menstrual migraines, they start about two days before my period is due, and stop as soon as I start to bleed. I have tried every drug possible, prescription - Migril,naramig,midrid,Ponstan, paramax you name it!
My boss worked for Roche and produced some info for me from America on Migraine, they reccommend a combination of soluble aspirin, paracetemol, caffeine and motilium. The motilium stops the nausea and sickness, the caffeine helps with the slowing of the gut(causing constipation) and the other two kill pain. It is actually sold in the states as Excedrin Migraine and it works! I buy there every visit.

You can only buy all the ingredients here separately, but I have now found that after all these years and drugs just plain soluble aspirin work the best! Use a good quality brand name rather than a supermarket brand, and it must be soluble. Good luck!

Like Alibubbles, I've had migraines for over 25 years.

It is quite common for them to disappear during pregnancies (allergies tend to vanish as well).

Imagran is a good drug to try if you have very severe migraines, but is only available on prescription and MUST be taken within minutes of the onset of an attack.

Don't miss meals - low blood sugar can set off an attack. If you have advance warning, such as flashing lights and auras, try breathing into a paper bag. Migraines are caused by the narrowing, and then re-widening, of blood vessels. By breathing into a bag you absorb more carbon dioxide and the blood vessels open up again. Unfortunately this also only works if you react quickly to the symptoms.

If you suffer from regular migraines, doctors can prescribe some preventative treatments but these have to be taken on a daily basis. Try keeping a daily diary for a while, noting everything you eat/drink and rough details of what you've been up to that day. After a month or two you should be able to spot if there are any particular triggers (chocolate/cheese/red wine are very common) which you can then avoid in the future.

Migraines do run in families - kids can suffer from migraines but are not always diagnosed very early because they don't have classic headaches - they have tummy aches instead. So if you suffer from them and your kids get recurrent tummy aches for no known reason, mention migraine to your doctor.

And if it's any consolation, migraines do diminish with age - and tend to vanish completely at the menopause!

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Absolutely the best drugs for me (and I have tried most of them over the years) are in the 'triptan' family - sumatriptan and rizotriptan. They come in tablets, wafers which you dissolve on your tongue or self-injection, which is just like clicking a ball point pen on your leg, you never see the needle!. I spent years thinking that the only solution was lying in a dark room for days, but now I just take some of these drugs and I can go to work within about 30 minutes. Feel a bit wobbly for a few hours but they have changed my life. They cost a fortune out of the NHS drugs budget (I think the injections are most expensive and cost about £30 each) so maybe thats why doctors don't shout about them, but they work, and thats worth a lot to me.

I have suffered for years with migraines - the doctor prescribed Imigran which were excellent, but made me very drowsy. Last year in the States I discovered Expedrin which you can buy over the counter there, and are brilliant. I take one when I have an attack and am feeling much better within an hour. I don't know if you can buy them in the UK, or if we have an equivalent. You may be able to get them shipped over instead

Thanks for all the advice, my sympathies with you all too!
Tlb, I think a lot of it is stress-related, and mostly occur when I'm at work (apart from the period days). I can feel the tension in my neck so maybe if I could get a cold compress onto it, that may help, but unfortunately not at work though!
Does anyone know if you can take aspirin if you have had a stomach ulcer, or there's a family history of them? I'm sure I've read that it shouldn't be taken in that situation?
I think I will go to my gp, mainly because I'm trying for a baby and had such problems conceiving last time I wouldn't want to take anything if it could have any effect on my chances of getting pg.

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Thanks Robinw, acupressure sounds interesting. Did you teach yourself from the book or have someone show you?

Bron, thanks. I remember years ago my Gran taking Feverfew tablets but I never knew what for, so I will look into that too.

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hello,just back from a and e with my 4 yr old ,who,after 5 days of severe headache has been diagnosed with migraine by paediatric neurologist.am armed with large bottle of codeine and appointment for migraine clinic in 12 weeks,but just wondered if anyone out there has experience of childhood migraines,and any asdvice.dr thinks trigger has been lovely hot weather and horrific pollution .nice.thanks in advance.

nuisance poster here,just reposting in the hope that someone can offer advice.

Not much advice I'm afraid, as every one is different. However, my eldest DS (now 12) has had migraine since that age, and his is usually, though not always, triggered by heat exhaustion. Could this be the same for you? If so, a darkened room, an electric fan, lots of cold squash and quiet entertainment for the next few days will help. DS now has eventually learned that his temperature signals don't work as well as other childrens, and as he has got older he has learned to manage staying cool, drinking water , putting his head under a tap etc.

have posted about this previously quite a lot as dd 8 yrs started suffering earlier this year. She was put on beta blockers eventually and they did help a bit. Having said that, i took her off them cos she was a total zombie on them.

Also , neurologist wasn't sure it was defo migraine so we had a ct scan and then an mri this week. Waiting for results at the moment. All i would say is make sure you've got a good neurologist. good luck

thank you,gilli my ds sounds v similar to yours re his temp signals and im convinced the heat has triggered it off.after almost a week of him screaming with pain and vomiting he seems ok today,but we are taking it v easy,have been told that boys often grow out of migraine around puberty,hope this is the case for your ds and also your little girl mabs,i really feel for after all your daughter has been thro',its terrible seeing them in so much pain.

My ds2 has had migraine since he was very young (in fact, all of us get them, apart from our youngest dd) and it is indeed very stressful to see them in such pain. As well as avoiding the usual triggers I also found that combinations of events, eg a bit of sun and eating chocolate, would start one off. I found with ds that sometimes he would be desperate to eat some chocolate or some cheese and that was actually a signal that he was about to get a migraine. If you can become aware of any pre-migraine signals, that is very useful, as you can then give your ds his medicine before it developes into a full-blown affair. I don't know if the Dr warned you, but codeine can be constipating, so you might need to change your ds's diet if that happens. A useful place for lots of info is Migraine Association HTH