migraine - what to take for....

[runner2]

I get a migraine every few months or so - no nausea or sickness, no aura, but intense pain behind my eyes/headache and fatigue. Can lay me low for 2-3 days. Migraleve pink tablets have been effective for years but my GP no longer prescribes these. As they are expensive to buy over the counter I am going to experiment with combinations of paracetamol and aspirin or paracetamol and ibuprofen. Have any fellow sufferers had any success with these and if so, what combinations and dosage? My personal experience is that no single type of painkiller is effective on its own.

Aspirin and a full fat coke is my go-to at the first sign

Otherwise sumpatriptan is the best thing ever, can get it on prescription or over the counter for £4 a tablet ish

You need to have some form of caffeine along with the pain relief tablets. A very hot cloth across your eyes can help a lot, too.

Aspirin, preferably soluble plus full fat coke at the first sign works for me too.

Aspirin is a godsend for me to when I have a migraine! X

My go told me to take three aspirin at the first sign, with a sugary drink. It works about 75% for me.

Sorry should add along with paracetamol and ibuprofen

900mg dispersible aspirin (3 x 300mg tablets) and a can of full fat Coke.

Yes I wondered about caffeine as I know that is one of the ingredients in the Migraleves - don't like Coke so maybe a coffee at the first signs? I also currently use cool-gel strips on my forehead which I find soothing.

Anadin extra is the only thing that works for me! I think it's the caffeine

Pink migralieve is basically just paracetamol and codeine and an anti-sickness. You can get both over the counter cheaper than buying the brand tablets. The anti-sickness is called Buccastem and you can only buy them for headache/migraine related sickness. I had a sudden increase in my migraines. My GP prescribed Sumitriptan to be taken at the first sign of migraine which works brilliantly. I’m now on something to stop them in the first place (was getting them weekly) but if they do come the triptan works quickly.

I also use migraleve, but I vomit a lot with my migraines and often can't keep them down.

I've recently got a round the neck hot water bottle and that provides some relief, a day in the dark with a hot water bottle and I feel much better.

Migraleve pinks are just under £10 for 24. I am assuming you don't pay for your prescription.

If you don't suffer from any nausea why are you taking Migraleve pink?

Migraleve Pinks contain buclizine which is a travel sickness medication and that is the only difference between Migraleve Pink and the yellow. Both pink and yellow contain

500mg paracetamol
8mg codeine

Which means you will sort your migraines with standard 8mg/500mg Co-Codamol. Lloyds pharmacy sell 32 tablets at £2.79.

I take migraleve pinks for the nausea.

Have you been to a chiropractor OP? Could this be something worth trying? Something must be triggering these migraines. It’s not monthly so not hormonal. What were you doing before them? Keep a note and see if anything sticks out as being in common each time. Lifting heavy shopping, stress, dehydration etc. Chiro may find something?

Solpadeine plus?

Ordinary pain killers such as aspirin, paracetamol, ibuprofen, codeine etc. don’t work for me at all. I’ve never tried migralieve as it’s not available where I live.

I have almogran on prescription from my GP and I take it as soon as I feel the familiar signs coming on. If I delay taking it, it usually gets much worse and then I sometimes need to take 2 doses. I used to feel very drugged and sick with Immigran so I tried a couple of triptan based pills until I found Almogran to work best for me.

I do pay for my prescriptions and I've been taking Migraleve pinks because that's what was originally prescribed by the GP - they worked, so he put me on a repeat prescription for them. No doubt I should have paid closer attention to it and done my research before now...but now that I am, I'm keen to avoid the codeine.

If you’re trying to avoid codeine, I think you should ask your GP about triptans.

My migraine got really bad over the years to a point where I had trouble with sumpatriptan as in not taking early enough of too much = no help at all! Over the counter stuff also stopped working for some reason.
I am now on a low dose of Pizotifen and it has literally transformed my life. I still get light headaches but can go to sleep, knowing all will be well in the morning. Before it could last a few hours or up to 2 weeks of continued crippling headache.

Hope you find something that works for you!