Insomnia and Migraine Headache?

Question

How do you deal with Insomnia and Migraine Headaches? I can only afford to take over the counter meds like Excedrin Migraine and Extra Strength Exccedrin. I absolutely refuse to take any benzodiazepines for insomnia or for any reasons whatsoever.

Answer 1

For insomnia you might try chamomile tea before bed, that used to work for me. Or the smell of lavender helps you sleep. I used to put a little lavender bath splash on my mustache as I went to bed and that worked well. Now I use a lavender spray that a friend bought for me. I just spray some on my pillow just before I lay down and it helps quite a bit. You might also want to check out Valerian root in capsule form. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Valerian.asp
I have never tried it, but I have heard that it can help you sleep quite nicely. A google search leads to many sources,http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGIH,GGIH:2006-46,GGIH:en&q=valerian+root . The only thing I have heard of for migranes is feverfew, do a google search on this one too. Feverfew takes time to build up in your system and you have to keep taking it. What else you may need to know I'm not sure. But, I would check with a local health food store. They usually know their stuff. I always prefer to deal with a person when I am buying herbal remedys. Good luck, I know what you're going through.

Answer 2

It depends on what is causing both of these problems.
I went through a bout of about a year or more of insomnia. It was caused by menopause and homonal imbalances. I did not want to take HRT or medications. So I delt with it and it was hell.
But you can try Melotonin for the insomnia just make sure you are ready for bed within 30-60 minutes of taking it. It is natural and a supplement that the body can be lacking.

I used to have the Migraines too when I had PMS. That was hell too. If I did not catch it in time it nothing would help besides sleep, quiet, and darkness. If I could feel it coming on and I took Pain relievers it would help knock it out or I would get a mild version.
I found some of the triggers for it:
hormone imbalance
too much salt
not enough water (drinking)
not enough sleep
certain combinations of foods

I used to get them right around that time of the month. If I was careful I could hold them off. Funny how I never got them when I was totally into a healthy diet and when I ate smaller meals.

Try different things to find your triggers then avoid them.

Answer 3

There are some natural pills to deal with Insomnia you can probably get them in a naturist hippie store, they work well but they are not as effective as the over the counter medicines of course.

Other than Excedrin Migraine there is really nothing else you can get over the counter, I have had migraines since I was 12 and I have tried every single medicine over the counter, when there is a BAD BAD migraine and I mean BAD no over the counter can help.

I finally decided to go to the doctor he prescribed me barbiturics which are highly addictive and I refused to take them and a lot of other medicines that have the same side effects and they don't really work, they I found out about Imitrex, it is the only medicine you take and the migraine is gone, it is not addictive. You might want to check out their website and maybe they'll have some affordable way to get the medicine for you?.

If you can't afford that I would recommend you to get Head on, it is a stick it is made of natural stuff you just pass it in your head, I feel the "cold"- like sensation is very soothing, it doesn't get rid of the migraine but it makes you more comfortable.

Other than that I can assure you I have tried every medicine over the counter and prescribed and I can only give my thumbs up to Imitrex, it is really quite amazing.

Answer 4

A common remedy for migraine headaches is anything that contains caffeine. My uncle (a doctor) recommended this to my mother for her migraines, and she has had success with it. Anything from coffee, tea, soda, and even chocolate has caffeine. However, seeing as how you are trying to fix migraines and insomnia this may not be an ideal choice because it is also a stimulant. I believe this would be great for an office environment though. As far as your imsomnia problem, this is much trickier. You goal here is to reset your circadian rhythm (sleep cycle) to a normal schedule. According to my college psychology text an effective procedure is to expose yourself to bright lights for an hour or so about a half hour before you plan on sleeping. This helps your body normalize its cycle. Flourescent lights proved most effective. And of course, good luck!

Answer 5

For insomnia you can try lots of things. One is Benadryl aka diphenhydramine or try melatonin or valarian root. For migraines you need to see the doc about getting on some preventative medication if you have them frequently. You can also get a script for a med made just for migraines to keep on hand when you do get a bad one.
One thing to note is that you don't want to take any of the excedrin products at bedtime as they contain caffiene which can contribute to insomnia.

Answer 6

Start working out- if you have no $ for a gym, run for exercise. That will begin to regulate your hormones more effectively and make your sleep more consistent. Wear yourself out, that's the other key.
The migraines, that's tough, but if you search
http://www.acuxo.com/index.asp
click on search acuxo.com, type in migraine headache. This is Chinese acupuncture - 4000 years old - in other words, 3900 years older than any other form. Look up each point and massage up to 40 times when you feel a headache coming on. There's about 10 points associated with this problem. It's free. If you had the $, I would tell you to look up someone on
http://www.iama.edu/
- on their referrals section, to find someone who could do acupuncture on you- with results lasting up to 6 months per treatment !
Good Luck.

Answer 7

I have been having migraines for years. Excedrine Migrain is the one for me. But to help avoid it: watch out for very bright direct light, don't overstress or strain yourself. Don't stay to far over or under your usual caffeine level. Sex is always great for putting me to sleep. And if a migraine comes over you, take those pills within 30 to 60 seconds of the first sign or its gonna be too late. Also putting 5 or 6 ice cubes in a wash cloth and pressing against the base of your brain / top of your spine will definitely help

Answer 8

It is amazing how lack of sleep seriously effects our body. Migraines are one of the biggest complaints for insomniacs. There are some very good herbal supplements on the market that will help. They are non addictive and very safe to use. This site has great info as well as ither ideas that may help. Good Luck!

Answer 9

Headache is a pain in the head, scalp or neck. Headaches can be
caused by minor problems like eyestrain, lack of coffee or more
serious reasons like head injury, brain tumors, encephalitis and
meningitis. Taking painkillers continuously can have harmful side
effects, so it is better to modify your lifestyle. More information
available at http://tinyurl.com/q8696

Answer 10

Just my .2 cents, I didn't realize that there were different type of headaches. I used to get different types of heads that were triggered by different things. One of the first triggers was (believe it or not) my neck. I had a nerve on neck that pinched (due to bad posture, etc) that would trigger a head-ache.

The second type of head was typically triggered by lack of oxygen. Boy, breathing fresh air always feels good.

Good luck and hope you find a cure.