what causes migraines?

[LadyVictoriaOfCake]

usually i get stress headaches which is like tension round the back of my head.

lately i have had pain over one eye only, feeling very sicky, and sleepy. have upped fluids, taken paracetamol and neurofen, but they dont seem to touch it.

i used to suffer badly with migraines when i was younger, and used to sleep as much as possible when an attack struck, but now cant do that.

so any suggestions? will migralive make me sleepy?

Different things cause migraines in different people. If they are really bad, I'd go and see your doctor and try to get referred for some tests. I vaguely remember my dad being told that the common causes are red wine, cheese and chocolate.

i have got one as i type..blurry aurra but no headache. usualyy it's stress, plus not eating (bit of both today!) - so have just bought a tuna melt and pasteis de nata!

I believe there is a hormonal cause to migranes - I started getting them when pregnant and remember reading at the time that they often occur in women around period time.

Don't know about migralive. For me, neurofen and then lying very very still under a duvet in the dark was the only thing to make it go away.

Oh, food can be a trigger too - chocolate, cheese, red wine - the usual suspects.

Best of luck. I'm sure there will be other migrane sufferers around soon.

I don't think Migraleve would make you sleepy.

There are a few things you can do to prevent them.

Do you have triggers apart from stress? Food triggers are very common. Weather can make a difference (though obv there's not much you can do about that) and flashing lights (not just strobe, but also eg a faulty fluorescent light).

They can prescribe you beta blockers, which help some people (though didn't work for me).

I have always found the herbal remedy feverfew excellent for prevention as well as stopping them once they've started (though you can't take it when pregnant).

ooh it has gone all wavy now...

Magnesium supplements also supposed to be very good. 500mg a day. Can take a few months to notice a difference but can't do any harm.

LVOC - I got 5 migraines totally out of the blue just before Xmas having not had any for a few years. Went to a chiropracter as the pain from one of them was all in the back of my head and down into my neck. Haven't had one since.

He recommended the magnesium after attending a conference on headaches.

Bundle - sounds like your triggers are similar to my DPs
Sounds really silly, but drink a can of coke at the onset. His go away within about 30 minutes (he used to be crippled by them!)

too long staring at a vdu used to do it to me as well, but hopefully modern screens aren't as bad.

BTW, I was told by my doctor that you can get into a cycle of having migraines and that if you can just break the cycle with painkillers, sometimes it's enough to get rid of them altogether.

thanks winestein. am drinking can of guarana, a brazilian cherry flavoured fizzy drink! seems to be doing the trick, x

banana
peanuts
cheese
coffee
coke
these can make my migrains come on also stressand lack of sleep maybe with you its down to the stress and excitement you have had of recent years/weeks
imigran are very good only just been released for sale with out prescription quite pricey though
rub tiger balm on temples but be warned it can sting alittle, dont buy in boots go to poundland

almost gone now.
mum hasn't touched chocolate for about 20 years since her migraines started. doesn't affect me like that

I was wondering about this - I had a migraine last night and hadn't had one since before I was pregnant (about two years ago). Mine are normally around the time my period is due but this time it was totally out of the blue. I get the aura, tunnel vision, one side of body goes numb, etc and my doctor has prescribed Naramig which I take once the symptoms start and then it just turns into a bad headache which I can cope with!

I was wondering whether it can be related to alcohol because when I used to get them was when I drank more wine, and then obviously being pregnant and having DS I've not drank so much and didn't have any migraines, but I drank quite a lot of wine at the weekend and wondered if that brought this migraine on? Although I was drinking white and rose rather than red.

period due next week so could be linked to that. food trigger for me was cheese. but now i can tolerate small amounts. but havent had any cheese for a while.

i am wondering if the sudden less stressful situation i am now in. have also had a couple of nights of imsomnia recently which havent helped.

didnt get to the pharmacy yet, will take a walk down after dinner tonight, or before driving to harefield tomorrow.

i do have tigar balm, so will try some of that as well

thank you.