severe headaches/migraines..any tips?

[MedusaIsHavingABadHairDay]

DD2 who is 18 has been suffering with horrendous headaches for months.. she first went to the docs way back in November.. had her eyes checked at the opticians etc etc. Doc was rather dismissive..assumed it was A level stress. It wasn't . In the last month or so they have become daily and disabling..she gets blurred vision, they start almost as soon as she gets up and sometimes even wake her in the night:( Usual painkillers don't help, not even migraleve .

Went back to the docs and saw a more listening type who has started her on a low (10mg a night) dose of Amitryptiline a few days ago, she is to double that in a week, if no help and then go back in 2 weeks. So far no joy. He did however give her a good check over and didn't see anything to indicate anything more sinister (phew) but they are really ruining her life at the moment and she is off to University in a month so we really need her a little better by then.

We have tried diet (cut out dairy.. made no difference).

I was wondering whether, while the docs fiddle with meds, if it is worth her seeing an osteopath/chiropractor to see if that helps at all.. or if anyone else has any suggestions. We are a bit desperate and I am very worried about her.

Is she on the pill? Are they hormonal? has she kept a diary?

I would try an oestopath. I find Syndol are the only thing that lifts my headaches.

Great Website for Info HERE

loads of great info in link above - it was given by my migraine nuro

High dose Magnesium & B2 supplements can help & if she can stomach it a tsp of English mustard will shift it for 4 hours or so - thats if its really migraine - google if you don't believe, proven in tests & works for me - I can't tolerate the migraine drugs.

Coffee, Orange & Chocolate MSG & additives in wine etc are often triggers as is damp stormy weather & hormones - so the pill comment above is very relevant - for many migraineurs its actually dangerous to take it, thrombosis risk, so she really needs to know about this - I started in a similar way at 19 & was very ill with it, all down to starting taking the pill.

other than that, maybe push for a hospital referral - sometimes its not actually migraine at all, but a neck problem or injury

HTH

Thankyou.. the doc has stopped her combined pill, and put her on the minipill ..Cerazette, though he has said she may need to consider a different type of contraception altogether.

We are keeping a diary (I'm helping as she is pretty fuzzy headed with them so finds it hard to record, tho they are pretty much every day now) and if we can't find a med that works for her we will be pushing to see a specialist..however she will need to do that at her new town I suspect so I'm hoping she will be in less pain by then.
Thanks for the link Rockinhippy..I'm off to read it!

Same as Leonie here, mine started at 19 and nearly 20 years later they are still awful. It can be extremely debilitating. Hope she can find something that helps soon.

I'm a bit more together than I was earlier & realise I forgot to add?

Look into a herb called Feverfew - it was a God send to me for a lot of years, you take it daily as a preventative & it brought my then monthly migraines down from debilitating to aura symptoms only & I could function okay even with a migraine - unfortunately having stopped taking it when trying for DD, it didn't work for me again, though I now have other health problems too, including a neck problem that my Doctor now thinks is the cause of the changed migraines I now have & I'm currently chasing a thyroid diagnosis - again migraine links

Also I recently saw a specialist at a pain clinic for physio & accupuncture - he told me he had just come back from a course on dental problems & how teeth problems can can throw the neck out & cause all sorts of seemingly unrelated pain problems, including headaches, so that might be something else to think about if she's had any dental work done.

The migraine specialist I saw set up the site in the link.

good luck

Physio and working on my posture has really helped me after 30 years of the buggers, and lots of stretching and moving arms, neck and head around most of the day. Also had a bite guard made by the dentist but haven't got appointment yet to try it out.

At my worst I was getting a migraine a day. I had so many days sick. It was terrible. Went to opticians and was prescribed glasses. That didn't help. Eventually my doctor prescribed Pizotifen he was very hesitant as it's expensive. (I'd tried everything before) its amazing and I've had 2 migraines in the last year. The downside is I gained weight. But really push for medication if it doesn't work ask for something else again and again.... It worked for me. I'm also seeing a cranial osteopath as I have a constant pressure in my skull and neck