Migraine sufferers, help me out

[1wokeuplikethis]

For those who suffer these bastard things WITH aura and vomiting please can you tell me if you have any idea what causes yours? And what is good for treating them?

I'm really unclear what causes mine as they are so sporadic. But they are killers, I get the aura and like a full build up of pressure in my head, the aura clears and a stabbing/thumping/rollicking head splitting headache erupts. I have to sit in the dark and try to sleep, then I'll throw up. Then I'll have a headache for a day or two after.

I've used sumatriptan to no effect. Does anybody have a better suggestion for relief? I recently had a migraine unlike all the ones I've had before; I got aura, it cleared, I got aura again, and a thick head for 2 days after. But the headache wasn't crippling and I didn't vomit. I took co-codemol instead of sumatriptan so don't know if that made the difference.

That should say a dull pressure.

I have been on beta blockers for years to prevent these migraines. I was having 2-3 a week. Still don’t know what causes them :/

And you’re pretty stuck on other meds for relief apart from perhaps Migraleave pink.

The pink has an anti sickness ingredient. There’s Buscostem too for the sickness. Both available OTC.

Preventative there’s also Feverfew herbal tablets. The forehead stick and cooling forehead strips are helpful too.

I know that some solvents can trigger mine, eg after using varnish. Also stress (or relaxing after a period of stress) and lack of sleep. Migralieve and riding it out in a dark room is the best I can offer. Weirdly I recently had the same experience as you, eg aura 2-3 times but not real migraine afterwards. I'm putting it down to age, but am considering a visit to the GP if it happens again.

I'm generally OK with sumatryptan, but if that doesn't work, or it comes back, cocodamol sometimes works.

I always immediately hit the full fat coke, those lucozade energy tab things and very salty crisps, all of which bizarrely help the sickness, as does marmite.

Coffee, cheese and too much sugar would trigger mine

Dd gets migraines is considering getting the inside of her ear pierced. It's meant to be quite successful at reducing of stopping migraine attacks.

One trigger of mine is cigarette smoke. Mostly if i smoke it, rarely around smokers to know if second hand smoke has an impact.

Migraleve pink are good if you have one before the migraine is in full swing.
Ive never been able to try the yellow sickness tablets as ive been vomiting everything up, or caught the migraine in time.
Caffeine withdrawal is also a trigger of mine.
I dont get the aura until the migraine is clearing, strangely.

I feel your pain. The doctor told me there are tablets you can take daily to prevent migraines but i cant remember what they are called. I do know that propranolol helps. I was taking that for anxiety and i never had a migraine the whole time i was taking them

Is there a nasal spray? Somebody's was raving about a nasal spray but I don't know what it's called.
I find them terrifying. Bad enough if I'm just at home but sometimes I have been out somewhere with my young children and just panic.

Had them for over 30 years. 1-2 episodes a month of full blinding aura, nausea, 3 days of horrendous headache etc. etc.

Always triggered by stress, flashing daylight as I drove through trees, low sun, lying in too long at the weekend, or hormones in the week before my period.

Spent several years going to the London Migraine Clinic and tried numerous treatments but nothing would touch them.

And then.... I accidentally discovered a way to manage them. All I had to do was make myself vomit and the attack would end.

A bit extreme but has certainly made the whole experience more manageable.

Interestingly, I now take two drugs following a Heart Attack and have only had one attack in two years !!

Well that's a new one, will bear the vomiting trick in mind!
I'm cautious in bright sunlight, artificial light or bright reflections as they used to set them off when I was a teenager. Mine don't seem to be connected to any foods or drink, but I have done strenuous exercise about an hour before the last two I had. Maybe I'm not drinking enough or warming up well enough. I was also starving hungry before the last one struck, trying to keep all of those in mind.

I'm also on a heavy course of antibiotics and wonder if they've had an affect. I've had lots of little mini auras the last few days, but I tend to get that in the week following a bad attack.

both my DSis and DMum (aged 68) have had their ear pierced. DM has had migraines for 50 years but they have now stopped. she still gets head aches occasionally and sometimes feels like she should have a migraine but nothing for 18 months now!

I had a friend who got one done and she felt sea sick after for ages after, she went to another place that did piercings with a friend and got chatting the other piercer said who said it was in the wrong place. they did a new one and sickness stopped and migraines vastly reduced but still occasional

If my migraine is on the left side it will build and build in pressure and pain until im curled up screaming and then be sick, half an hour later i am fine again. I have tried to make myself sick but I cant do it! if i get one on right side its a case of crawl into bed and stay there for between 12 hours and 4 days (gently sobbing!)

Triggers for me:

Tired,
Hungry,
Not wearing my glasses/ close work (used to work with microscopes a lot and that was v. tricky!)

Was also always quite bad when pregnant.

The only thing that helps for me is if I catch it early enough 3x soluble aspirin (or paracetamol sometimes works). And an anti vertigo drug from gp. Helps with the sickness.

Once it takes hold though there is nothing I've found to help it so catching it in time is the key.

I take another Triptan based tablet at the onset of mine. (Immigran didn't work for me)
If I leave it too long and don't take it immediately, it will develop and take ages to go.
Another trigger is if I get a urine infection.
I try to drink about 2 litres of water throughout the day to keep myself fully hydrated and it seems to help. If I don't drink enough, it can definitely lead to a migraine.

Migraine sufferer for 30 years here!!
Causes for me :lack of sleep, stress, no food that I have detected, in fact chocolate makes me feel better - and if sick, tastes not so bad!!
Imigran nasal l spray has turned my life around - no exaggeration!!
Even if the sickness hits - when pills no good - it start to work within 20 mins I can feel human again, still go to bed if the chance is available, but can managed dc still. Ask your gp!

Mine are also light triggered but v specifically when I am talking to someone and the natural light is behind them especially on a bright cloudy day. So now I always make sure I sit with my back to the window and I’ve not had one in 6 months (touch wood)

Sumatriptan worked for me but I always take ibuprofen & paracetamol at the same time. But the GP said if one triptan doesn’t work to go back to try other ones

Oh and triptans only work if you take them during the aura phase so I carry them with me at all times

Hormones, red wine and sun trigger mine (especially through trees or reflecting off water.) Going on the pill helped a lot and being religious about wearing sunglasses. And Migraleve pink.

Ok I'm glad I asked, this has been really useful. Will go back to the dr asap to get something useful and keep it on me!

Sounds like a plan Hope you get something that helps

If you have them often and long term, it would be worth considering propranolol- beta blockers. They work brilliantly.

Also second Migraleve pink if you do get one.

Hi - I find there isn't a single trigger, but it's a bit like a glass of water. If you pour in caffeine, hormones, stress, lack of sleep, then eventually it overflows. That said, I did find artificial sweeteners to be a real problem - notably Diet Coke. I gave it up (mostly) and found that the attacks were less frequent.