I get migraines that cause me to have to spend up to days at a time in bed. I become overly sensitive to sound, light, touch, and even smell...I don't want to be put on a perscription, but i need something to help me...
2007-01-02 11:38:57 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Pain & Pain Management
You need to find out what triggers them. Have some blood tests run and see an allergist. That's what I did and I found out that I'm allergic to dust mites, so I have a special cover for my mattress and pillow and I make sure I don't let dust accumulate on curtains, furniture, etc. It really helps. The blood test also showed I have high insulin levels, which means when I go too long without food (natural sugars to be exact), I get really sick and a massive headache starts. Knowing these types of things will help you prevent them, or at least keep them from getting really bad.
Once one comes on, put your feet in really hot water and something cold on your head/neck. Migraines are caused by enlarged blood vessels in your head. The heat on your feet will draw the blood down there and the cold on your head will help the vessels shrink back to their normal size. I usually take 2 excedrin with something to eat and drink (healthy foods, junk will make it worse!), do the heat/cold thing with a washcloth over my face/eyes, and then after 20 minutes of that I lay down in a really cold and dark room (with a fan blowing to keep it cool). I try not to think about anything at all and usually when I wake up, if my headache isn't gone, it's significantly better.
Good luck, I hope you find what works for you. It's taken me years to figure out how to manage mine.
2007-01-02 11:51:34 · answer #1 · answered by A W 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hopefully you will not have them all your life. At least as time goes by the frequency of the attacks should lessen. I used to take codeine in a small dose the moment I was suspicious my headache was a migraine. It would just make me comfortable enough not to get a tension headache on top of the migraine. I would rub the joint between my thumb and first finger deeply to relieve the nausea. You could see an acupressure expert to help you find a pressure point that works for you. If the headache was truly a blinding experience I would take demerol and just ride it out. After 20 or so years I only have four or five migraines a year and the least harmful drugs I have taken were the opiates. I know your frustration. I hope that you will age out of these headaches. No one can really appreciate the level of pain of a migraine unless they have experienced several over a short period. Peace
2016-03-14 00:50:03 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Migraines are very related to epilepsy. Many epilepsy meds work on migraines. My child's epilepsy meds work as an insulin mimic although she is not diabetic. You might try going to an endocrinologist. My mother suffered from migraines and was years later diagnosed with type II diabetes. When she got her blood sugar under control, her migraines subsided substantially. The bottom line is that blood sugar could very possibly be something for you to consider. It could also be a hypoglycemic reaction. Try making sure your blood sugar isn't going up and down too crazy and that certainly might be an experiment worth trying.
Also, consider watching out for eating too much MSG's. Monosodium glutamates. That may or may not help, but the cause an excitatory response in the brain that some people can't turn off easily due to not having enough GABA. MSG's made my child's seizures much more frequent. The meds she takes also inhibits glutamates as well as behaving as an insulin mimic.
Lastly, high homocysteine levels can cause blood vessels to constrict. Blood flow to the brain is very important, obviously. You could try taking TMG (trimethylglycine) or betaine, which help reduce homocysteine levels. It's an over the counter supplement derived from sugar beets.
Also, you might consider purchasing an inversion table. Not only will this help align your spine, but will bring blood flow to the brain. You don't have to be completely inverted and you don't have to be on there for very long.
2007-01-02 12:25:09 · answer #3 · answered by Anathema 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is a medicine out that I take (prescription) that is used to prevent them. You begin on a low dose then increase if the low does does not do the work. I take the low dose at night for one side effect is tingling in the hands that I had....I had some break thru headaches so upped the dose about a month and ended them.....now back to only one. Ask your doctor about Topamax.
A patient of ours has a condition but he also was found to have allergies that also brought on his migraines...he is on the same and is like another person now.
2007-01-02 14:13:33 · answer #4 · answered by Gypsygrl 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
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
2007-01-03 03:18:08 · answer #5 · answered by parijat 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This condition is generally alleviated with chiropractic care.. Just need to treat it when it is not active.... not when the symptoms are present. Treat in the quiescent state.
2007-01-02 11:53:54 · answer #6 · answered by mrcricket1932 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
http://www.neurologyreviews.com/feb04/nr_feb04_foramen.html
2007-01-03 10:51:20 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋