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Migaine Headache Management

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CHDeac

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I've been getting an increasing # of awful, debilitating, "bat to head" headaches. My primary care doc diagnosed these as classic migraines (light sensitivity, pain only on one side of the head, numb face, etc). I used to think migraines were a made up thing but after getting some, I am now humbled. These things suck...

Unfortunately, they've become far more frequent and linger for days, not hours. SO back to the PCP I went. So far, cant ID any triggers (food, etc). They seem totally random, just more

I had a lightweight pill before but that doesn't seem to do much. Today, she gave me an injection which seemed to help a ton. Last night my pillow hurt me head.

Im curious to hear of how people have managed their migraines (alternative medicine, diet changes, certain drugs, etc). I'm willing to try anything / make any lifestyle changes (NTTAWWT) to make these go away or become less common.
 
I used to get them a lot more frequently when I was younger. The worst was in middle school when I had them 2-3 times a week. I settled on blaming the shitty lighting because our classrooms didn't have external daylight and the lights obviously flickered. Things improved in high school where we had a bank of windows in every room. Sometimes I'll wake up with one if I sleep too long after the sun's come up (really fucking shitty). Now I get nasty ones only once a month or so, and a dark, quiet room, 1-2 ibuprofen, and about 20-40 minutes can usually take care of it.

Alternatively, if you're not scientifically inclined, I'd point out my headache frequency is inversely related to how often I drink and have sex. YMMV.
 
dot com said:
I used to get them a lot more frequently when I was younger. The worst was in middle school when I had them 2-3 times a week. I settled on blaming the shitty lighting because our classrooms didn't have external daylight and the lights obviously flickered. Things improved in high school where we had a bank of windows in every room. Sometimes I'll wake up with one if I sleep too long after the sun's come up (really fucking shitty). Now I get nasty ones only once a month or so, and a dark, quiet room, 1-2 ibuprofen, and about 20-40 minutes can usually take care of it.

Alternatively, if you're not scientifically inclined, I'd point out my headache frequency is inversely related to how often I drink and have sex. YMMV.
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I've heard the sex theory before, and I've heard the best way to cure a hangover is to start drinking again, so i believe that
 
My wife has always had migraines, but they were the kind you could treat with Excedrin Migraine and a cool, dark room. Over the past year, they have become the horrendous multi-day episodes you mention. The only identified trigger is change in barometric pressure. That shit will fuck her up. When the bad ones hit, they are accompanied by significant nausea and let's just say dehydration. When it gets really bad, about they only thing that works is a trip to the ER for IV fluids, Phenergan and some form of migraine cocktail or pain med depending on the doctor.

Ice packs and a dark, cool room do help her a little. I know healthy foods like bananas and yogurt can be triggers. Medication has not done much to help. I would encourage you (with the help of your PCP) to look for a neurologist that specializes in headaches. It fucking sucks; sorry to hear CH and sorry I can't offer any helpful advice.
 
My best friend in high school has crippling migraines and he swears they were caused by foods with MSG. I have no idea how or why he thought that, but its what he said.
 
After years of suffering for years from sporadic, debilitating migraines I found that caffeine is like heroin to me. I have to monitor and limit it like a drug, which I suppose it is.

Also, more than half an hour of unfiltered sunshine (squinting) will doom me.

As mentioned above, the only remedy for me is to sleep it off in a dark, quiet room. My symptoms are usually severe pain, vomiting and thoughts of suicide.
 
Screamindemon3 said:
My best friend in high school has crippling migraines and he swears they were caused by foods with MSG. I have no idea how or why he thought that, but its what he said.
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This is good advice. Try keeping a food, exercise, and sleep journal, and look for triggers/patterns.
 
I had a cluster of migraines last year and they prescribed a type of steroid that I took for about a week that made them go away.

Mine were triggered by coffee and alcohol. Really the worst pain I've ever felt
 
CHDeac said:
I've been getting an increasing # of awful, debilitating, "bat to head" headaches. My primary care doc diagnosed these as classic migraines (light sensitivity, pain only on one side of the head, numb face, etc). I used to think migraines were a made up thing but after getting some, I am now humbled. These things suck...

Unfortunately, they've become far more frequent and linger for days, not hours. SO back to the PCP I went. So far, cant ID any triggers (food, etc). They seem totally random, just more

I had a lightweight pill before but that doesn't seem to do much. Today, she gave me an injection which seemed to help a ton. Last night my pillow hurt me head.

Im curious to hear of how people have managed their migraines (alternative medicine, diet changes, certain drugs, etc). I'm willing to try anything / make any lifestyle changes (NTTAWWT) to make these go away or become less common.
Click to expand...

:squint: :tard: :rulz:
 
CHDeac said:
Yeah, karma is a bitch. Screwed that up. I should clarify that I thought they were just bad headaches, not the kick your ass, can't do anything demons that they are….
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I mean to be fair to you, there are people who overdramatize any headache and call it a migraine, just like people who overdramatize every sore throat and call it strep.
Doesn't make real live migraines any less legitimate.
 
VaDeac said:
I mean to be fair to you, there are people who overdramatize any headache and call it a migraine, just like people who overdramatize every sore throat and call it strep.
Doesn't make real live migraines any less legitimate.
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Well said. I had a woman who worked with me who would leave early because she had a migraine only to tell me the next day how she went for beers that that night or went for a run, etc. After having a migraine, there is 0% chance I'd want to drink a beer or run after having one.
 
Migraines for me usually feel/look like someone's lighting off fireworks in my face while a rat gnaws my brain during the worst hangover ever.

The past decade or so I've started getting warning signs of impending migraines, which has been extremely useful for preloading ibuprofen and making arrangements for cave-dwelling. I'll start to get tunnel-vision and/or a small slowly expanding blind spot. It usually means I've got about 20-30 minutes before I'm a vegetable.
 
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dot com said:
Migraines for me usually feel/look like someone's lighting off fireworks in my face while a rat gnaws my brain during the worst hangover ever.

The past decade or so I've started getting warning signs of impending migraines, which has been extremely useful for preloading ibuprofen and making arrangements for cave-dwelling. I'll start to get tunnel-vision and/or a small slowly expanding blind spot. It usually means I've got about 20-30 minutes before I'm a vegetable.
Click to expand...

I think it's called an aura. I would get the blind spot as well.
 
Monitor sleep, barometric pressure, hydration, stress, and caffeine intake, as others have said. My headaches particularly stem from neck muscle cramping, which puts pressure on nerves leading to my eyes. It's like someone is taking a tack hammer to my eyeballs. Likely occipital neuralgia. Granted, somewhat different from migraines. The point is, it's a good idea to try to get a sense of where exactly they originate.

Ask your doctor for sumatriptan.
 
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