Migraines - Best off the shelf painkillers

[FurryLippedSquid]

Having just had a 24 hour shocker (yesterday - recovering today) when Cuprofen and paracetamol did nothing (as I kept sicking them up), what are really good off-the-shelf painkillers for migraines?

A friend has advised Nuromol. Anyone tried that?

[Munchkin08]

I used to take Migraleve but now I take 2 X paracetamol and 2 nurofen and it works just as well.

[RaisingSteam]

You're not a fraud - when I last went to the doctor he admitted he had migraines too. He prescribed sumatriptan and Voltarol suppositories - I don't remember the dose but obviously they get past the sickness/impaired digestion problem. I would go and lie down for half an hour and usually be pain free after that. Even if the part of my head that hurt felt like it was missing. I need a new prescription really as I'm still getting a migraine every month.

[andadietcoke]

Paramol sorted my last one out. Normally I have Solpadeine Max but the pharmacist suggested Paramol and it worked a treat.

[chocdonutyy]

Go and speak to your pharmacist, they are the best ones to go through different medications with you, they have the training and should steer you in the right direction.
Oh and pass on the nuromol, it's plain paracetamol and Ibuprofen in one tablet, no stronger than normal stuff but way overpriced (same goes for anything by nurofen!)
You can get melt in the mouth tablets too if your feeling nauseous, as far as I know just Ibuprofen in adults and kids doses. Might be easier to take and absorb the medication quicker.
Hope you get sorted soon.

[lostscot]

Bedsocks did those make you feel a bit odd? I felt very weird after taking those!

[Tote]

Migraleve and a sleep. Shifts the queasy sick feeling.....but does leave me very very drowsy and I wouldn't be able to drive that day.
Nothing, apart from a very quiet dark room, works for me if I wake up with a migraine.

[KenDoddsDadsDog]

I have cyclizine for the sickness and triptans for the really bad ones . But soluble tablets , including aspirin work far faster so better chance of keeping them down.

[bedsocksandbroomsticks]

Lostscot no I can't say they make me feel weird but I think I have a fairly high tolerance to painkillers All being well I'd take it and go to bed though so maybe I sleep through any odd reactions!

[augustusglupe]

Migralieve Pink tablets are the only things that work for me. I always get nausea and a fuzzy head first, the nausea being by far the worst symptom of a migraine for me. I take two at the first signs.

[FrameyMcFrame]

Aspirin.

pepto bismol works too, it's made from something related to asprin.

[FrameyMcFrame]

Also sugary caffeine drink and pack of salty crisps

[EarlGreyTeaPlease]

Came on to post '3 aspirin dissolved in full fat coke' but Maud beat me to it!

[Arcadia]

Ooh am excited about aspirin in coke! Will try. If it the sugar and caffeine that helps? Do you need much of the coke?
Have got through too many sumatriptan lately as paracetamol and ibuprofen don't work for me, and have started to suspect codeine prolongs them.

[EarlGreyTeaPlease]

Arcadia just a normal size glass of coke with the aspirin in it is ok.

[Arcadia]

Thanks earlgrey will try that next time before resorting to sumatriptan

[museumum]

Sumatriptan at first symptoms and go to bed (they make you very tired). It's not a painkiller but stops the migraine developing. I sometimes need ibuprofen later on too for the post-migraine headache but sumatriptan gets rid of the other weird neurological symptoms.

[FrameyMcFrame]

I think I a migraine the blood vessels constrict in your brain and Asperin thins your blood so it relieves symptoms.

[MigGril]

Framey that's the wrong way round normal heaches are caused by blood vessels constricting. Migraine the blood vessels dialae swelling both asprin and ibuprofen are anti inflammatory drug which is why a high doses early on in an attack can help by reducing the swelling. Some people will get prescribed stronger anti inflammatory if they can't take triptains.

Note triptains are not painkillers killers and work to abourt the migraine.

[PandoNoPants]

I use Migraleve pink (the yellow are just co codamol and it's cheaper to buy them separately). I also use buccastem for the nausea/vomiting part.

I can't use the triptan types because I have slightly high blood pressure (Sumatriptan).

I've had migraine syndrome for 6 years with very bad auras (originally diagnosed by a neurologist with acephalgic (silent) migraine until the headache part came). I also have a type of arthritis and use stronger painkillers for that. I'm fortunate not to suffer from rebound headaches!

[FrameyMcFrame]

Oh right, I see.

I have been prescribed triptans and a nasal spray, but find Aspirin works better.

Ibuprofen does nothing at all though!. I have migraine with aura.

[FrameyMcFrame]

Pando, mine started with silent migraines too. Then I got the ones with the aura then headache and nausea and now I get visual trails for 24 hours after.

[crispandcheesesanwichplease]

Migraleve pink. I've been on many, many types of medication during the 20+ plus years I've suffered migraine and this, overall, is the most effective for me.

Also an ice pack kept permanently in the freezer to apply to head, neck, face.

[bedsocksandbroomsticks]

framey Crisps, yes!! I always have a bag of plain hula hoops with my migraine tablets and I swear they help. I used to think that syndol were the bees knees but the ingredients have changed and they're sadly less effective on me now.

[nattygk]

I'm on rizatriptin when a migraine comes on pitzifen to prevent them also apply ice to the back of your neck