I need help from migraine sufferers please

[Satsuma1234]

I have had them since I was about 8, however usually in cluster form of about 3 or 4 over a short period of time and then nothing for several months even a year.

Paracetamol, nurofen etc don’t work. Nurofen plus do because they contain codeine. The dr has prescribed meds before but they can go out of date and don’t last to the point when my next cluster starts.

I can no longer take opiate based medication as I now have sphincter of oddi which is cases horrific pain. Can anyone suggest anything over the counter that has worked for them. I may just go back to the gp though. Thanks.

My doctor told me that sumatriptan really only works before the proper migraine starts. I get a visual aura & like others always have sumatriptan on me so I can take it instantly. I also take 2 paracetamol & 2 ibuprofen just to make sure the headache doesn’t come and this has worked the last few times

Sumatriptan is like magic for me. Has transformed my life

The daith did not work

shatteredstudentmum can you not find pink Migraleve in Boots? It's reappearing now after a very long absence. Try a few branches and you should be able to track it down (I know I shouldn't take it but sometimes it's the only thing that helps).

I also have daily topiramate which has dampened down the frequency of attacks, though not got rid of them entirely. Speed of response is key with migraines I find. I also take a different triptan - frovatriptan - which doesn't have the spaced-out effects of sumatriptan.

Also, good old soluble aspirin, 3 tablets in full-fat coke, can be a surprisingly good cure if taken very early.

As most of the above, but I also found taking a high dose of magnesium daily works for me.

The over the counter sumatriptan didn't work as well for me as Naratriptan (a different Triptan) that I get on prescription. My most effective cure is 1 x Naratriptan (sometimes I will take two if it's really bad), 2 x neurofen plus, 1 x can coke then sleep.

This works 90 percent of the time and can stop a three-day nightmare in it's tracks.

I sympathise OP

Go and see the GP. There are several triptans you can try. I find they still work even if you take them a bit late. You can also get Naproxen as a painkiller if ibuprofen doesn't cut it.

Tiger balm white and CBD tea helps me. I also use frovatripan. I take propanolol to reduce the numbers of migraines that I get. I also use migraine music on youtube and meditation. My migraines are anxiety and hormonal.

My Dr prescribed small dose Amitritylene as prophylactic. It worked like a dream. Not had migraine since, and was having them daily.
See GP

Hi fellow migraine people.

I used to get migraines most days - mine are mainly auras and generally not much more pain than ibruprofen can shift, which I think is a bit unusual (as most people say theirs are very painful and I have had a few like that) but they still got in the way of everyday life.

Went to the GP a few months ago and have been taking propanolol daily since. I think it's cut the frequency and severity by about half each, but my sleep is a bit messed up because of it.

Morning everyone. Thanks for your help. OP here.

The bad news is that it was so bad yesterday, an ambulance was called and I was taken to accident and emergency. They have me various things and they mentioned the sumatriptan that was mentioned above.

I feel like death this morning but was allowed home. Emergency appointment with the dr on Monday.

That was one on Thursday during the night and then this big one yesterday.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

How frightening for you. Hey plenty of sleep, stay hydrated, and eat - keep your sugars up. Cool rooms, avoid bright lights.

Food wise, avoid MSG so if you have a takeaway this weekend, ask for it to be cooked with no MSG. It's a common trigger. Lot of people talk about citrus fruits, especially in juice form, being their trigger. Also apple juice.

Give yourself the room to rest, but if you can get outdoors and walk a little, it helps with your posture and to reduce pressure on the neck. Neck strain sets mind off (hunching over a laptop or tablet, reading in my lap etc).

I have chronic migraine so I have Propranolol daily to keep on top of it, it mostly works. If I do have one I have Ibuprofen but it is a higher dose then you can get in shops so needs to be prescribed through GP

I take amitriptyline daily at nighttime as a preventative. I take zolmitriptan when I get the aura. I also have Metoclopramide to stop the nausea and vomiting.

Hope you're feeling better OP! I have been struggling with migraines/cluster headaches for years. Its hard as when I start to get them again they can be daily for months, and it must be a nightmare for family! I have just been switched from topiramate to propanalol, those of you who said you took that how did you find it? Did it cause weight gain? I used to take amitriptyline and I didn't like the weight gain side effect.
Sorry to hijack the thread OP, it's nice to be able to talk with fellow migraine sufferers!

Chiropractic treatment stopped my son's migraines almost completely. His migraines went from happening weekly to a couple of times a year. Apparently his neck was mis-aligned.

Rizatriptan. Or aspirin and full fat coke.

I can't take triptans because I have had a hemipleagic migraine in the past. Mine are now under control after getting my BP under control. Part of the problem with the BP was hereditary, and part HRT. I used Migraleve and still carry it with me, although I thankfully haven't had a full blown migraine for a few years. I never got any warning with them. I remember waking one night about 4am with a terrible one. I was too afraid to attempt the stairs to get my painkillers so took 2 30/500 cocodamol. It did bugger all for the pain, but I was too stoned to really care!

Sorry to hear how ill you've been. Hopefully you will be able to get something sorted with your GP.

Fellow migraines here too. I've been on pizotifen and propranolol in the past to prevent them. If you get frequent bursts it's worth talking to your gp about prevention meds

Lifestyle is important. Triggers for me are skipping meals, poor sleep and too much computer work.

For an acute attack I take a one off dose of 3x paracetamol, 3x ibuprofen and a naratriptan with a full fat coke and try to sleep if I can. Obvs the higher dose of paracetamol and ibuprofen can't be repeated but I've been told by my gp it's fine to take to try and terminate the attack and they actually do work better than normal dose!

I've had migraines since so was a teen. Thing a that really help:
Acupuncture (need a few sessions bit was amazing - especially in the neck)
Full fat coke
yoga.

Is it actual cluster headaches? Pain over one eye and eye watering? If so you'll need injectable or up the nose triptan as by mouth it doesn't get into your blood stream quickly enough. All sorts of preventive treatment including oxygen. IME GPs often don't know about them.

Rizatriptan ❤ specifically Maxalt melts I need, the generic doesn't work for some reason. Miracle worker. Tried everything else, all the preventatives (epilim, topomax, propranolol, many others, all with vile side effects) and the acute ones such as sumitriptan etc. "Luckily" turns out mine are much better controlled on blood thinners (I have a clotting condition) and so now I get maybe 2-4 a month instead of 15-20..... But rizatriptan if I take it soon enough is usually enough not to need the day or three... in bed. Still need lots of carbs and salt though, I crave it madly and it does help some.

As well as drugs I can recommend seeing a good chiropractor, I have had an enormous reduction in migraine frequency and severity since, mine seem to originate from neck issues and I’ve been able to get away with far fewer drugs.
It’s not a cure, but it has improved my quality of life with them no end.

My migraines caused by stress/ tiredness and time of the month. I was recommended magnesium tablets. One a day and migraines have decreased drastically. Don't. Waste money on multi bits just plain magnesium. I have found zinc helps as well at getting better sleep.
Worth keeping a diary in case it is cluster headaches as treatment for them very different.

What has worked for me:

Mini pill - my migraines are hormone related and I’ve not had a migraine since starting on this 6 months ago.

No caffeine- I switched to decaf tea and it’s made a massive difference.

Daily multivitamin - seems to help (magnesium?).

Keep preserving with your GP - when I found a good one I made him write his recommendations down in case I couldn’t see him again. He said to look at preventative measures from this website cks.nice.org.uk/migraine#!scenarioRecommendation:5 if the mini pill didn’t help.

I have cluster headaches. Injectable sumatriptan and high flow oxygen will help with acute attacks, but verapamil saved my life, complete wonderdrug. You need a good neurologist, I was misdiagnosed for 12 years.