Help me with my migraines

[migrainemum]

After any advice please as I'm at my wits end with my migraines. I've always suffered but recently they have become more frequent (about one a week).

It's ruining my home life, and having to keep calling in sick to work. It's awful.

I literally cannot function when I have one, I'm sick and I physically cannot even lift my head.

My GP isn't really interested. Just keeps giving me anti sickness and various drugs to help with a migraine once I have one.

I appreciate there's a lot worse I could be suffering with but it's really affecting me.

Anyone have similar or tried anything that's helped? (Rather than the obvious dark room, sleep, hot cold compress etc)

Sorry for the essay!!

Taurine helps some people. I find painkillers and a can of Red Bull can sometimes do the trick. I have migraine with aura and a stiff neck so if I can treat them before the migraine hits properly (paracetamol, ibuprofen, buccastem and Red Bull) I can sometimes stop the headache completely - I am still a bit spaced out but not in agony. (I am going to see if I can get some taurine on its own and try that)

Look up francinsence oil i have heard it can help....sounds silly but try smilling...singing...go to laughter classes

What Chaz said

Hit early, hit it hard. Don’t tolerate ANY kind of headache. It will turn migrainous.

Hairstyle makes a difference to me, I opted for a judi dench pixie cut once I worked out my long hair was making things worse. And a mate swears by these

ceriumvistech.com/precision-tinted-lenses/

For her migraines.

If your GP isn't helping you you need to request to see a neurologist.

From what I recall, the threshold for treatment by painkillers is two migraines per week then proper preventative treatment is considered. I've been using topiramate for the past two years. I've gone from having migraines every single day to about twice per week taking around 200mg of this every day and it's probably the best I'll achieve. I have some periods where live is good and I'll go two weeks without one, but I'm also a 24/7 emergency services shift worker which has a massive impact on my life.

Some mornings I feel a migraine starting and feel it getting worse and the only way I can cope with getting through the day is just drinking tons of cold water. It won't make it go away, but it's a coping mechanism to keep it at bay.

I'm limited with what I can take and how many changes I can make because I have another headache disorder which is even harder to treat and the pain is far more excruciating. Sudden changes in medication can have a massive impact on this and the pain from these headaches is just simply not worth it.

Thank you so much for all your replies and suggestions.

I work nights which I'm sure doesn't help.

I have another GP appointment next week so review the mess they put me on this time (not helping) I'll ask for a referral to neurologist.

Has anyone had Botox for migraines? Been looking at this too? Only 29 so definitely not needing it for wrinkles

How does everyone's employers react? Mine are getting a bit fed up with it, which is ironic considering I work in healthcare.

With respect, the chances of a neurology referral and botox are slim to none, as you haven't been through the pathway yet.
Here's the one for my area by way of example of the steps your GP has to go through first:

southwest.devonformularyguidance.nhs.uk/referral-guidance/western-locality/neurology/adult-migraine-with-or-without-aura-treatment-guidelines-for-gps

Here's the medication list:
southwest.devonformularyguidance.nhs.uk/formulary/chapters/4.-central-nervous-system/migraine

That's really helpful thanks silver.

They had me on propanalol which didn't help at all.

Ask to see a neurologist!
I take topiramate twice a day to prevent them and rizatriptan when I do get one.

@SilverHairedCat - My GP didn't make me go through any kind of pathway. I was living in London at the time and over the space of about 4 weeks I tried two different types of triptans, they didn't work so I was referred to a neurologist. Nothing mentioned about a pathway, nothing about keeping a diary or how they had to go through any kind of steps before they could refer me on. Saw a neurologist very quickly as well because they were happening so frequently (that being every day) and had been for about five years. If the GP takes you seriously and the condition is affecting your life that much it's worth pushing for the referral. Mine are so bad I now see a headache specialist at St. George's because a standard neurologist was unable to treat me. Sometimes you just have to keep making the demand.

Triptans have changed my life. It took a while to find the one that works for me (Naratriptan in my case), but I have to be very rigorous about how I take them. First sign of a migraine - in my case this is almost any headache - I take 2 ibufrofen, 1 naratriptan and drink 1 x can coke. Ideally, I then go to sleep for a couple of hours. 90 percent of the time, this works - especially if I manage the sleep bit as well. I wake up and it's gone.

The longer I leave it - the more developed the migraine is - the harder it is to shift. I have to take 2 x naratriptan and occasionally that doesn't work either.

But it has been a literal god-send. I tried imigran/sumatriptan first but that didn't work. I think different triptans work better for different people.

My triggers are hormones, arguing/upset and stuffy/brightly lit offices and shopping centres.

Cut out all caffeine. Even if you have just one latte or one cup of decaf tea a day, or just one coke a week. Cut it all out remembering that decaf still contains caffeine.

I don't think anyone has suggested acupuncture yet - I used to suffer really badly like you OP. I was very sceptical whether acupuncture would work but I thought there was nothing to lose.

Anyway, four years on I have gone from having one a week to maybe one every few months and the intensity is much less. No more aura and vomiting, I can be over it in a few hours.

I also cut out caffeine, cheese, dark chocolate and red wine as these are my triggers.

Would definitely give it a try - once you've had an initial course there's no need to keep going unless symptoms come back.

If propranolol is the only preventative you've tried then I'd request to try another. There are plenty more beta blockers out there, one of which may work for you, and other options as well. At 4 migraines a month, your doctor should definitely be exploring those with you.

Amazing improvement with nighttime mouthguard from the dentist. I’ve had periods of awful 3 day aura migraines on a weekly basis. Seemed to be hormonal / possible stress /skipping meal triggers. The guard helps reduce head/neck tension by forcing a relaxed posture at night.

ginger ale is great for the nausea.

I was told by the specialist at the National Migraine Centre that sumatriptan is the first one you'll be prescribed by GPs because it's the cheapest (and you can buy it OTC anyway). As pps have said, it doesn't work for everyone and there are a number of others; you have to find the one that suits you.

I’ve had Botox for migraines and you wouldn’t fit the criteria with only getting one a week. I get six a month now and that doesn’t fit the criteria either.

I would suggest acupuncture. For me it works better than Botox and you’re not injecting poison into your body. When I was having the Botox I was getting 15-20 migrianes a month. I knew my triggers so cut them all out, I’m on 3 preventives and have 2 triptans. Some of my migraines would last a week and my doctor would have to give me injections to break the cycle. My pain consultant suggested acupuncture and it’s been a life saver. I had a course of 6 treatments, 1 a week, and the difference was instant. I now go once every 4-6 weeks just to keep it topped up, and I have other conditions which it helps. I haven’t had a week long migraine since I started and my migraines are less severe. I can’t get acupuncture on the NHS but it’s so worth the money.

Do you know your triggers?
Mine are food high in potassium so I don't eat bananas, red meat (I'm veggie anyway), chocolate (I have about 2 squares if I want some) coconut water etc.
Stress, overtiredness and atmospheric pressure (bizarre but more common than people realise) also trigger mine as well as certain lights in offices if they are directly overhead. Ironically your works attitude is probably triggering more as you worry about it. My old work threatened me with disciplinary action unless I pushed to get it sorted.... Not surprisingly this had the opposite effect!
There are a few daily preventatives mostly beta blockers, there are some stronger anti epilepsy drugs but they can be difficult to function on.
I found sumatriptan would stop it if I took it early enough but the side effects can feel pretty weird and you still need some time away from screens etc. Explain to your gp its effecting your daily life, your at risk of disciplinary at work and you have been patient with what they have tried please write me a referral to a neurological department. Botox can work but you have to pretty much exhaust every option before you can receive this it's also pretty painful apparently and you need it every few months.
In the meantime as that will take some time, try acupuncture...... Sounds weird but this is what my neurologist recommended for me (I couldn't have the beta blockers and knew I wouldn't function on epilepsy drugs). It really worked!

@InappropriateGavels unfortunately I've been pushing and begging for 20 years, but only feel like I've been taken seriously in the last 2. MRI today. Not looking forward to it.

Topiramate too here as a preventative.
I haven’t had a migraine now for a few years, and at one point I was having 20 a week.