Migraine

[needmorecoffee]

On the day mum and sister are coming (with bloody dogs) and expecting some sort of fantastic meal and witty conversation. Help! Taken Maxalt so far but it hasn't shifted it. Got cafergot (makes you feel like you've been beaten up) Clotam (never worked) and sanomigran.
Plus assorted painkillers.
Any advice?

How long since you took the Maxalt?

Oh, poor you, sympathies. I guess you've had some meryndol?

mersyndol

Whats mersyndol?
I've had migraine nearly 30 years now and keep hoping science will come up with something that works. Maxalt works about 1 in 10 times for some bizarre reason. Its eased it but I feel like death warmed up

I don't think there's much you can do.

Have you got time to lie down for a bit?

(or have you got a coke? sometimes drinking a coke works)

POor you, sympathies, had one Xmas morning

Maxalt, if taken immediately, plus painkillers (nurofen plus works for me) and half an hour of lying down did it for me - but I agree, it depends on the migraine. Mine are often neck related (was carrying dd2 on my hip for far too long day before) and getting dh to massage muscles around neck/shoulders helps a lot too.

Most of all, I'd try and drop all expectations of wit and haute cuisine - ask them to provide both, sit back, and accept limitations

Hope you feel better soon.

Imigram! Now available without prescription. Works really well for me.

Hope you are better soon.

sorry, I'm sure its passed by now, but for future reference, mersyndol is a painkiller and a muscle relaxant. Its very effectiVE (i FIND), but makes me quite drowsy - I can't drive if i'VE HAD it, but its good if I'm at home with the kids and can stick on a dvd for them. Mersyndol is what its called in Australia, the name here might be different, but a gp friend of mine knew what it was, so I'm sure if you go to a pharmacy they will have it. I hope your day went ok

Go back to your GP and ask them to let you try one of the other drugs in the Maxalt family - Imigran is one of the same type of drugs and does work for me. There are several others, and you can take some of them via a nasal spray which might be better for you. Migraines are a right bastard though, aren't they?
Apparently "Mersyndol is an extra strong pain relief medication combined with an analgesic calmative agent to help sooth away strong pain and aid relaxation. Mersyndol contains three active ingredients codeine, paracetamol and doxylamine succinate. The calmative properties of mersyndol maybe especially useful in the treatment of migraines and tension headaches. Mersyndol is also an antipyretic that helps reduce or quell fevers." (onlinepharmacy.co.nz)

It sounds like you have pretty heavy duty migraines - are they classic, with the aura and the double vision? My GP told me that at the very first signs, the tiniest bit of flashing light, I was to take two paracetamol with a can of full fat coke. The caffeine and sugar helps speed the painkiller into your nervous system (or something!). I don't know the exact science, but I have been doing this for years and it almost always stops the migraine from developing.

I can't believe she still brought the bloody dogs

I might try that lapin. I get an aura and take whatever is my 'drug of the month' at the first sign, but not with coke. I hate coke,but if it works it will be worth it!

what's an aura?

what is it with xmas and migraines...had one last night, came on so suddenly, thought was just headache, then became light sensitive and then vomiting vomiting vomiting with some diarhoa (sp) for good measure and pain like i've never had (i've had about 6 migraines in my life ever)....it was horrendous.

feel glad to be alive and pain free today.

I tried it with sweet black coffee once when no Coke was available, but it wasn't so good - I think the carbonation plays a part too.

Aura is the swirling flashing lights in your vision - then you get double vision as well. It sucks!

thanks lapin. you know, it feels to me as if you are like a genie on my mn shoulder appearing with necessary information, weblinks and straightjackets as and when needed

LOL, even I can't help you with the Russell Brand thing - you are beyond help, lady!

Syndol helps my migraines. First aura I pop one, see how it goes, if still there I pop another. Usually clears but if it hasn't after the second tablet, I leave it 4hrs then take two tablets at the same time.

its comes back this morning. I hate f*** migraines. Just vomitted. Taken a maxalt in a hopeful fashion. Gonna take a xanax and go back to bed but another bloody wasted day and there's no respite care today for some reason so DH is freaking cos 3 days without any help with dd.
Lapin, she bought 3 dogs with her. Sigh.

Because they're often triggered by stress, Christmas is a sure-fire time to have a doozy of a migraine. Caffeine dilates blood vessels so can be helpful because migraine pain is thought to be connected with uneven dilation of blood vessels in the membranes around the brain. Full-fat coke is a good thing to try at the onset of a migraine - boosts blood sugar, jolt of caffeine, and I think you're right in supposing that the carbonation speeds up the effects of any painkillers you take with it. I don't much like coke but it tastes really good at the start of a migraine!
I don't get a classic aura but I do get interrupted vision - under normal circumstances, your brain "fills in the gaps" when you blink, but when I've got a migraine my brain clearly can't be bothered so I get these big black blink gaps.

Maxalt worked and I slept till 3 but I can feel it creeping back. This is a pattern with them. 4 or 5 days of migraine where it can go away for a bit then it comes back.
Are there specialist migraine consultants my GP can referr me to? Can't afford the private migraine clinic in London and anyhow its up steps with no ramp or lift so can't get in it either.
DH got me some imigran from the chemist. 8 quid for 2 tablets!!!!! Too scared to take them cos it says you should have heart checked etc first.

Poor you. I am sure that your GP will be able to refer you to a specialist if you tell him/her that your migraines are really disabilitating. There could be contributing factors that you should get checked out too - eye health and even dentition - apparently an uneven bite (how your teeth fit together) can contribute to headaches.

hope its not a dental explanation cos cant do anything about that! I'm guessing hormones cos this 4-5 day chunk comes not long after ovulation (I think). It always lasts that long and nothing works. Had a 3 month migraine from 3-6 months with each pregnancy too.

Does sound hormonal, doesn't it? Do go and talk to GP though.

I get horrific migraines too, huge sympathies to you

I can't do the coke thing, or in fact anything with caffeine in it as it is my main trigger. 1 cup of normal tea and I can feel one starting. I find nothing helps

needmorecoffee - your GP can refer you to a consultant within the NHS. I work with outpatients and migraine patients are frequently referred to our Stroke/TIA consultant (General Medicine).