Reassure me about migraines please.....(hormone linked)

[Tigi]

I have had one since yesterday, gave in and took 2 migralieve at 2pm yest, which usually knock em dead, but woke again in the night with a pain behind my eye/ then forehead.
I know i cant take any more than 2 tabs in 24 hours, so took 2 anadin extra at 7am, which has nearly moved it.
I have just realised that i have had one now every 4 weeks, the day before i am due on (on today). The last one (and my first ever one) i had prior to july was xmas, which i put down to stress.
But i am worying because it hasnt gone with 2 pink migralieve. I dont get the aura, i do feel sick a bit, and my mouth goes really dry, and i am so thirsty. I feel i am not in control of my mouth when i am talking - feel like i am pulling faces. They always start the same, a big pain behind my right eye, and i then feel lousy all over. I am pressuming they are migranes... worrying about them.
Is there anything i can do to help these hormone related migraines? thanks.

Go to your GP and get something stronger - I always found migralieve were rubbish for me...Doc gave me stuff that would shift it (as long as you got to it early)

Does anyone else know about hormone related migraines? Thanks

I have the mouth thing and sometimes can't form words - there's a word for it but I can't remember what it is. Migraleve have never touched mine. So I would think that you are having a perfectly normal migraine, just an extra nasty one - sorry.

Is it just hormones, or might there be other triggers (eg food or light issues) on top of the hormones? For me there were always several factors.

I have had hormone related migraines since puberty... I also get them if I eat chocolate, drink red wine, eat lots of cheese, etc. but I ALWAYS get them round about the time my period is due.

As Blackduck says, there are drugs that your doctor can give you that will help - some that you take when you feel one coming on, some that you take every day. I always found them to be not that helpful.

You can try taking feverfew tablets daily, these help some people.

The only things that I have found to make my migraines go away are:

pregnancy
depo injection.

Hope you feel better soon. Go and see your gp, they will be so much more help than we can be on here.

You not on the pill are you?

No, not on the pill.
I don't really like taking pills, and i also read that they can make the symptoms worse if you take too many.
I would try a herbal treatment.
I thought about going to gp before due on next month anyway.

I have only had them when pregnant - so they're definitely hormone-related.

But one thing I do know is that the second you suspect you're getting a migraine you must take whatever drugs you have. There's no point waiting because your system shuts down and the drugs won't be absorbed.

Have you kept a food/drink diary? It would seem that they're hormonal if they're linked to your periods, but there may also be other triggers that you're not aware of - things you might eat/drink more of before a period.

I have always found feverfew very effective.

I have hormone related migraine -will usually get one a few days before a period. Will also get one if I get too tired, too stressed,out in very strong sunlight or miss a meal.
I do not get any aura or visual disturbance.Mine start with a strange feeling in my throat as if I am about to get a sore throat and then a pain in the back of my neck that moves round to one eye.I also get the most overwhelming tiredness before and during.
As far as I remember Migralieve have nothing much more than paracetamol and caffeine in them. You need to get to your GP and get some prescription drugs. I have Zolmitriptan but there are other triptans including Imigran. You take these tabs at the earliest sign of a problem and they can stave it off or sometimes in my case just make the pain receed enough to carry on with normal life. It is worth asking for orodispersible tablets that are a lot more fast acting than normal ones.

No point being averse to the drugs with migraines like you're suffering I'm afraid!

Pill always triggers mine so I don't take it either.

I would keep a food diary, in particular pay attention to cheese, chocolate and caffeine.

Ibuprofen 400mg are good.

Hi Tigi, I woke up with a migraine yesterday it has taken two days for me to feel back to normal again. Mine are hormone related, although I am under the impression that they coincide with P.M.T. When suffering from P.M.T. I feel really stressed and do not feel in control this is when I am most prone to migraines. So in my case it could be stress that is the trigger factor although this is manifested at P.M.T times. It is funny how they stopped when I was pregnant. I used to take migraleve but they made me feel very nauseses. I now take co-dydramol and then reduce it down to paracetamol.

I don't think there is anything that complete takes it away once it is there, to me it is a sign that I need to slow down and take some time out.

Anyhow I hope you feel better soon.

And agree with Because. If you suffer with migraines then tablets are your only answer if you want them dealt with swiftly.

Peppermint oil on the pulse points does help though (see health shop)

If you are anti prescription drugs there have been trials in I think Germany that showed Butterbur to have some effect in reducing severity and frequency of migraine although for some reason I don't think you are supposed to take it for months at a time without breaks.

Sorry,meant paracetamol and CODEINE are in Migraleve not caffeine!

Carnation, that is interesting. I get grumpy before due on, and short fused, like silly things are a bigger deal. I wonder if it is stress rather than hormones?

Stress may be a contributor - but don't forget that PMT is hormonal as well!

Well if it is that I have to say mine have reduced with age. I used to get 2 or 3 a month and once I had one it seemed to be a trigger factor for more. I used to get the aura so I could take something right away now I usually wake up with them so it has got me right away. I hope they get better.

Thanks for your replies. I will go to the docs 'mid cycle' and see if he can give me something stronger, so i can be ready for it! will look at the herbal stuff too.

Hi Tigi, I just wanted to throw something other ideas at you too

'Natural' things that really helped me get my migraines under control were mainly lifestyle changes, particularly eating 3 meals a day and small snack between meals to keep blood sugars level and going to bed and getting up at the same time each day. If I ever have a lie in I get up and eat something then go back to bed (that stopped the 'weekend' headaches). I also take a medication called pizotifen which prevents attacks.

When I get a breakthrough migraine I now take imigran or if I've run out, 2 liquid nurofen. They both work for me thankfully. It really is trial and error though, what works for some doesn't work for all. The migraine association are really good though and if you join they have a great advice line you can call.

Good luck sorting them out.

yep...had horonal migraine for 20 odd years....gp prescribed ZOMIG tabs......has been complete lifesaver......hth

Thanks for your replies, I will let you know how i get on next month. My doc is pretty useless though (will prob look at my knee to make a dianosis!)

Dear Tigi
Have suffered from migraines for 6 years My best treatment is an osteopath. Since regularly going to him they are far scarcer and far less intense. I'm very wary of some of the medication in prescription drugs and I know that GP's simply don't know what to do with migraines. If you have any kind of health insurance, you'll get some of your osteopath fees (maybe all) refunded. Some forward-thinking GP's have links to an osteopath and can offer a few appointments on the NHS. I'm convinced migraine's are usually musculo-skeletal - and my lovely osteopath has REALLY helped mine. Good luck.

Thanks Richiehill, that is interesting - have had another bad head today, which i shifted with anadin - had nausea nd a thirst again, so think it was on way to being a migraine -that would be 2 in a week. my neck and shoulders are stiff today........ i do have health ins, so that is something to think about, was going to go to docs next week--