Migraine sufferers help required

[Ididntseeitsoitdidnthappen]

How do I stop myself panicking when a migraine comes on?

I suffer from Hemiplegic Migraine and when I get an attack they're completely debilitating. I'm on beta blockers and have triptans as a first aid treatment but tbh nothing works and I end up panicking whenever I can feel one coming on which just makes he whole thing worse!

How do you keep calm during an attack?

I've had a migraines with pins and needles and jumbled speech and they are so scary.

I used to really worry about getting one while at work and not being able to explain to people what was wrong because of the garbled speech.

I don't have much advice about how to reduce the panic because I suffer with panic attacks and anxiety myself. I was actually prescribed beta blockers for panic attacks so maybe a slightly higher dose of those could help.

When (if?) you find a treatment that works, I hope that, like me, you will feel more confident and not panic, because you will feel in control. For me, it's Imigran injections, though I hear there are better, more modern treatments.

I even found that my vomiting almost completely, stopped, unless I woke up in the early hours with a really bad attack. I can only think it was something to do with stress

Maybe try something alternative as a preventative like Acupunture or reflexology. Botox is supposed to be used for migraine treatment too.

Im the same. When I feel a migraine coming on (usually late afternoon/early evening) I start stressing cos I know it means a sleepless night and an awful day tomorrow.

Erm, not sure how to deal really. I often just resign myself to it.

Wow, that was so unhelpful

Have you tried adding an epilepsy drug such as gabapentin, sodium valproate or tegretol? You need to keep going back to the gp until they have got on top of them.

I used to feel very frightened - and even angry - when one came on.

I have used ritzatriptan benzoate (sp?) but didn't find it massively beneficial.

I suffered with them frequently during the first trimester of my second pregnancy (not quite as severe). Obviously, I couldn't take anything and I learned to instead just accept the stages and try to sleep through them, lying on the opposite side to where the pain comes.

I think it's learning to accept what ia happening that helpes me to feel less fearful and angry.

I now use prescription strength codeine to combat the pain (prescription is for 30mg, so I take x2 along with x2 500mg paracetamol). I still lie down in a darkened room and try to sleep through the worst.

Migraines make me drowsy anyway, and I try to avoid driving for at least the next day because of this.

Thank you for all your posts

I need to get some good meds going for them because they are identical to a stroke they're bloody scary and I can't help but wonder 'is it a stroke?'

It's also the loss of control and the waste of those days that frustrates me

OP, they suck. You're alone, they're frightening and all ypu can do is ride them through.

Go to your GP and don't be fobbed off. Request codeine as the pain is severe. Accept that it is a medical condition that follows a particular pattern and try not to let the fear take hold.

Give yourself a break and allow yourself to rest when they come [hugs]

DS had severe headaches for a long time and we got excellent support and advice from the National Migraine Centre in London. You can self refer and you pay/donate what you can afford. We had to travel to appointments, but it was worth it. Their website, at least, is well worth a look as our their regular newsletters that you can subscribe to for free.

www.migraineclinic.org.uk

Good luck - and Molotov is quite right. Give yourself a break and plenty of tlc when they come (and go!).

Thank you for your patience and understanding

I don't know how many more I can tolerate they seem to be occurring more frequently and whilst they used to be cyclical they're now happening for absolutely no reason. In the last 2 months I've been off sick more than I've been in work and all for headaches.

I've had a complete meltdown on DH and said I believe these will kill me, not directly but I will harm myself either accidentally whilst trying to relieve the pain or on purpose because they've run me down so much.

This is why they scare me. This is what my dr doesn't get. I cannot live with having these every week.

you need to find something that works.
obviously the meds you are on arent working.

i have them bad - lose my vision,dribbling,slurred speech,pins and needles then complete numbness down left hand side of my body.

i take pink migralieve -i find it helps shorten the attack-and they make me very drowsy so i can sleep it off.
sometimes i put a towel in the freezer and wrap it around my back neck/head -cooling the head helps me.

too have so many , maybe you have a trigger?
my mum cant eat cheese or rink red wine ect..

i cant tolerate artifical sweetner/sugar.

im very carefull around lights- and wear dark glasses a lot.

other sufferers i know have swear by imigran , accupuncture , coke and codeine.

Mine are usually hormonal and I get them bimonthly but I finished af the other day

I get them anywhere between once a week and once a month. My gp referred me to the neurology clinic at the hospital who run a migraine clinic and they were brilliant. Had a full check over and they recommended meds that really work now. When I feel a migraine starting now I take frovatriptan and domperidone tablets and they stop the pain and sickness within an hour. Just leaves me feeling really tired. I don't panic about getting them any more as I know I can take my meds if I get one. I carry the meds everywhere!

They also told me that if I start getting them more than once a week on a regular basis that I should go back for different preventative meds as well

I would recommend the National Migraine Centre as well. They really helped me.

I've booked an appointment with them at the end of the month. I feel bad as I can't afford it but they said there is a charity for my type of migraine who fund patients so I'm going to go begging cap in hand

Take heart - the migraine centre is very good and from my experience, they leave no stone unturned.

we paid what we could afford - no more - and it was fine. If you can't afford anything or much - just go -

good luck -