Migraine attacks

And sorry to hear it Nath :( I cant imagine how awful migraines are :(

I've heard that taking the herb Feverfew can be helpful, and I have another friend who suffered very badly from migraine attacks but almost completely resolved them by having a proper chiropractic deep-tissue (i.e. ouch ouch ouch) massage of her neck and back and then taking up a gentle form of yoga on a regular basis. It seems that her migraine attacks were triggered by muscle tension or something.

I hope you find something which helps relieve yours.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Vitamins-may-help-migraine-sufferers/2006/11/29/1164476256373.html

But the thyroid problem could be the one:

Impaired memory
Migraine headache
Depression (especially in the elderly)
Anemia
Constipation
Fatigue (physical)
anxiety/panic attacks
Choking sensation or difficulty swallowing
Increased need for sleep
Muscle cramps and joint pain
Paleness
Irritability

Check all of the above to some degree.

I used to get migraines too, but they were caused by food combinations. Cheese, chocolate, tomatoes all eaten within a few hours of each other triggered it for me.

Aside from the general advice of GO SEE A DOCTOR which seems the reasonable suggestion here, you ought to check out any and all migraine prophylactics. I've never used it myself (it wasn't around when my migraines were frequent) but friends and family swear by Imitrix and related drugs. Apparently they don't work for some people though...

These days I manage migraines just by avoiding triggers (in my case, stress, bright light, irregular caffeine consumption). Since I was 20 or so, I've consistently had visual aura for a full hour or two before the headache sets in, which has made the actual headache a lot more tolerable. Plenty of time to find a cool, dark place to lie down and die.

Well the drip wouldn't be a factor (lord knows Excedrin smells vile), but snorting it would be pretty damn instantaneous and I'd think all that caffeine at once might make you nauseous if it hit your stomach all powdered.

My doctor prescribed me Zomig awhile back, and aside from mild shakiness and general feeling of ill-at-ease, they were great. Hell, anything is better than a migraine and wanting to die, right?

Now I get migraines from my sinuses, and that's a whole 'nother can of worms.

Feel better.

Aha! I guess I should confess: I've had so much fucking stress lately, that must have contributed to it. I tried to deny it,but it is true. Still, I will see the doctor. My mom's also got a thyroid problem and, who knows, maybe it's hereditary?

The years of migraines as a kid certainly changed me; I think years of assuming that crippling headaches were just a normal part of life defined a lot of who I am, for better or worse. Even after finding out that migraines are a thing that people have, there were days of staying indoors, avoiding the sun, avoiding people. I've turned out okay (hopefully), but definitely a larger part of my life than I maybe would like.

Isn't one of the symptoms a tendency to use foul language? ;-)

I was sort of used to migraines as a kid cause my mom and her dad also had'em so I knew what was up.

If meds don't help, I'm gonna get pregnant again cause that stopped'em! ;-)

1. Hormones - check if they coincide with your cycle. Also can be affected by the Pill. Doesn't help cure them, but gets them into a pattern of sorts.

2. Trigger foods, obvious I know but sometimes people don't realise. Chocolate, cheese of any kind, red wine, oranges - some people I know only need a tiny amount to trigger, others can survive a build-up consistently so when the migraine hits, it's not always obvious the foor caused it. Cut them all out and see where that gets you.

3. Stress, again obvious. Emotional angst etc. Nothing much you can do except relaxation stuff.

4. Screen-time. Computer+TV adds up and may not cause, but can definitely exacerbate.

5. Caffeine. This is the one people don't want to hear, because it becomes routine, but newer theories show that if you have caffeine dependancy, migraines can come as a sign of withrawal etc, so again, cold turkey is key - you'll suffer for a week or two, but overall you should improve.

6. Painkillers. If you find yourself (as I used to) liberally taking paracetamol, asprin, ibuprofen etc to try and kill the migraine in the early stages, you may only be delaying it and building up a resistance.

As for when they hit, I can't offer much. I've worked my way through everything: the triptylines, volteral, maxalt, zomig, even dihydrocodeine wont do a thing for me! All I can say is that I've found if I try to take painkillers of any kind (all of the above) during the attack, it prolongs the migraine for another 20+ hrs. If I suffer through it without any chemicals, I'll vomit, weep etc but it'll pass after about 20-25 hrs. If I try the drugs, I'll get a few hrs of woozy dull pain, but the attack will last up to 50 hrs overall, by which time I'll be this close to going to A&E and begging for relief.

Good luck.