What helps you when you know a migraine is starting?

[Autumnleaves83]

Has anyone found that you can stop a migraine from developing when you get the first signs? I’ve realised that my first sign is my vision going blurry and black spots, then gradually less vision. The headache, sickness, etc. usually come after this. Is there anything I can do as soon as I get the first signs to try to prevent it developing?

I take 2 ibuprofen as soon as I start feeling the nausea building. If it gets worse, the pressure of the migraine will only be relieved through vomiting. Sometimes, I drink a sugary drink and have something salty, to see if that helps. If I can bear it, a scalp massage seems to help a little, and lying in a cool, dark room. On these occasions, I always put a sign on the door to ask delivery people not to knock, in the hope that they leave me alone!

If I catch it early enough (waking up with a headache and nausea), take 2 paracetamol and then sit or lie very still in a cool room with my eyes closed, I can sometimes avert it. But other times I'm not quick enough or the headache is so bad I can't get out of bed to fetch the paracetamol, or I take them too late and just bring them back up again. I never got migraines until I was about 50. Now I'm 70 they are less frequent and sometimes I just get the visual disturbances and nothing else.

2 paracetamol heaps of water

Sumatriptan helps to stop mine.

Sumatriptan, tons of water and ideally some paracetamol or ibuprofen. Fresh air and caffeine helps a ton too.

Anyone else yawn excessively before a migraine? It’s usually one of my indicators that one’s coming on. I take a Sumatriptan tablet and lie down in a dark room.

A couple of anadin extra and an ice pack usually does the trick.

2 paracetamol, 4 ibuprofen 200mg, white monster and sour patch sweets

This is so helpful. Thank you ❤️

I rarely get migraines now, but used to take a couple of painkillers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol at the first flicker of a visual disturbance. For me it was pink and green zigzags on one side and only being able to see half of everything. If taken quickly enough, the painkillers often stopped or weakened the severity of the headache, but I still got all my other ‘migrainey’ stuff, like feeling sick, needing to sleep for hours and a horrible hollowed out sensation. Still better than the headache though!

I take ibuprofen and acetaminophen together plus an ice cold pepsi. And turn off all lights - I can sometimes still work as long as the screen is on the dimmest/reddest night time setting.

Thank you, everyone. There are a few things here that I will try next time I get the horrible visual disturbance. It’s interesting that some of you have more or less success with ibuprofen, aspirin or paracetamol.

Also, a follow up question - do any of you find anything helps in the days after? I had my last migraine on Thursday - the visual disturbance followed by awful headache/sickness and not able to function, move, talk, drink, etc. When I posted yesterday (Fri), I still had a headache but was out of bed and well enough to type the post (wouldn’t have been able to do that on Thursday). This morning, I still have a headache and just generally don’t feel ‘right’, exhausted and not quite here. Can anyone relate to this pattern? What do you do? Just wait for it to evetually pass or any tips on painkillers, food, drink, etc?

@banjaxedeejiti also yawn excessively and also burp. Clear sign that one is on its way.

Triptan and aspirin or cocodamol, lucozade sport or electrolytes drink and a hot water bottle with very hot water over my forehead (towel underneath to protect my skin and act as an eye mask) and I find listening to a podcast or audiobook helps me focus on everything else.
i also find I have a hangover migraine in the day or so after. They are worse depending on the migraine severity. I’m slow, clumsy, fatigued and feel very out of it

Once my migraine is over, I usually feel sort of light headed and 'cleansed' - it's quite a nice feeling! I don't have the problem of a headache hanging on so can't help you there. I guess plenty of water and painkillers (up to the maximum recommended dose) might help.

Asprin! And strong coffee. Or anadin extra which is aspirin, caffeine, paracetamol.

I do . Lots of yawning.
I get a tingly throat and a weird taste in my mouth.

For me, what works is my prescribed triptan.

I have tried aspirin and something sweet, for me it doesn't work on its own but if the migraine is really bad, it helps alongside the meds.

Edit to add: mostly, I feel ok afterwards, just tired.
But about a third if the time, afterwards I have a headache which hangs on for a day or two.

I’m an acupuncturist - I stick 4 needles in and lie down for an hour - gone! But this is also after regular treatment by myself and others. I’d say I have around an 80% cure rate in clinic for migraines. I only get one a year now.

Zolmitriptan, fizzy ginger drink (Belvoir ginger cordial with fizzy water, since every ginger ale now has artificial sweeteners) and a shower as hot as I can bare. Lidl's Spanish week salted potato sticks for the salt cravings once the nausea subsides.
I started taking feverfew capsules daily and I have had far fewer migraines than I had before. It's not me imagining it either, I can tell how much more time there is between my repeat prescription requests for the Zolmitriptan.

This- the 3x300mg aspirin has been a game changer for me. I take them with an espresso if I can. Or Coke. Often stops it progressing to actual migraine and stops after the visual stuff subsides.

3 x 300mg aspirin and full sugar coke. Has to be done very very early on though. And lying down in a dark room

2 x migraleve, glass of full fat coke, a banana and packet of salt and vinegar crisps.

I used to be better at managing them when I had aura and could medicate ahead of the pain hitting. These days I'm playing catch up when the pain hits.

Part of migraine is the before and after, I find the after effects of an attack harder to manage but sometimes another migraleve helps with the nausea and sunglasses help with the light sensitivity. I rest and stay in the dark, limit phone use because the screen really acerbates my symptoms.

There is lots out there about migraine these days that goes beyond pain management and dives into the neurological mechanisms of the disease. Really worth doing some reading because it helps with managing attacks before and beyond the pain.

If you get a lot of sickness a triptain like sumatriptain or zomig in nasal spray form often helps best (there are maxmelts as well which melt under the tongue). The problem with migraine is it tends to slow down the digestive system and taking tablets doesn't always help quickly enough. Even soluble painkillers can be more helpful for some, it's also why some people get given anit sickness medication not just to help with the sickness but the digestive issues as well.

Wh e your feelings rough the few days after taking painkillers can be helpful and also rest, migraine is a whole body illness and you will feel tired so don't overdo it. I find if I do to much it can retriger another migraine, I can still go to work but can't do much else.

I learnt (possibly from previous posts on MN) that caffeine with aspirin helps migraines. You can Google it but it is backed my science and might be worth a try. Seems to help me.

Running my wrists under a cold tap helps