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Migraines

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Comments

  • #62
    Munstermad
    Registered Users Posts: 490 ✭✭Munstermad


    Greenmachine wrote: »
    amytriptyline for prevention.
    When I had a really bad migraine I can also take difene and zomig.
    zomig would be somewhat like imigran, I think.

    Amitryptiline has helped my daughter enormously but took 3 -4 months to get dosage right. Yep zomig is imigran. Best of luck with it!


  • #63
    wildefalcon
    Registered Users Posts: 924 ✭✭✭wildefalcon


    Try anti-histamines:

    I used to suffer a chocolate migraine - more than a single piece would result in throwing up pain. No aura, so not typical symptoms.

    I also found some beers triggered migraines, white wine, especially fizzy, resulted in pain 20 minutes later - 24 hours of head pain, unless I got the ibuprofen with codeine into me quickly. Neck aching, and for 24 hours after the pain I was numb. Strangely stronger drinks had less effect, spirits being the best thing for me to drink.

    I started taking an anti-histamine (cetrizine (spelling?)) to treat a house mite allergy before Christmas, and have only had one migraine since. I can now eat chocolate again (in moderation)!

    A cheap and low risk thing to try if you find a food stuff triggers the migraine.


  • #64
    Munstermad
    Registered Users Posts: 490 ✭✭Munstermad


    Greenmachine wrote: »
    amytriptyline for prevention.
    When I had a really bad migraine I can also take difene and zomig.
    zomig would be somewhat like imigran, I think.

    Amitryptiline has helped my daughter enormously but took 3 -4 months to get dosage right. Yep zomig is imigran. Best of luck with it!


  • #65
    Greenmachine
    Registered Users Posts: 5,063 ✭✭✭Greenmachine


    Munstermad wrote: »
    Amitryptiline has helped my daughter enormously but took 3 -4 months to get dosage right. Yep zomig is imigran. Best of luck with it!

    Thanks I have had them since I was a teen. I am 34 now and only seen in the migraine clinic now. With my history and overall symptoms there confirmed my original GP's diagnosis.


  • #66
    Dinarius
    Registered Users Posts: 3,393 ✭✭✭Dinarius


    Have read this thread with interest. I get migraines every 4-6 weeks. Their severity varies. Just got one last Friday night/Saturday morning. Woke up with it. Not the most severe as it took only two Paracetamol (taken separately) to get rid of it. But, for bad migraines, only Solpadeine - usually two - works for me.

    Most of the thread, as far as I can see, has dealt with physical symptoms and triggers, as well as means of alleviating them. In my case the most noticeable physical symptom, apart from the pain, is that after the worst of it has passed, I have the sense of smell of a wolf! Or, I realize that my sense of smell has been massively suppressed in the buildup to the migraine. Sound familiar?

    But, there has been little talk of mood.

    For me, I know that in the build up to a migraine, I'm full of energy, feeling great. Though I know from experience that this can be a signal to be careful. Then, in the middle of a really bad migraine, I can feel crap - I've had anxiety attacks in the past. I can also feel down for two to three days afterwards. Sound familiar at all?

    I have mild epilepsy and take Epilim for this - a drug which can also be used to treat migraine. But, it's my propensity to stress that is the cause of the migraine, I think.

    I have been examined for bipolar by two psychiatrists and they both said no. I'm in my mid-50s and this started about 5 years ago. I used to get tension headaches years ago and the epilepsy started after a severe dose of shingles when I was in my late 20s.

    This is a great thread. Thanks for starting it. I feel relieved having simply written this! ;-)

    D.


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  • #67
    BaZmO*
    Registered Users Posts: 18,625 ✭✭✭✭BaZmO*


    BaZmO* wrote: »
    I had another migraine since I last posted here so I went to the Doctor last Thursday and he has arranged for me to go and get a CT Scan. He suggested going private because it would take so long going through the normal channels. Should be going for the scan sometime during the week.

    Scan came back all clear. My migraines have been put down to stress by my doctor, which I suppose makes sense.
    I've been taking extra effort lately to de-stress and try to get more sleep and so far so good.


  • #68
    Xenji
    Registered Users Posts: 11,505 ✭✭✭✭Xenji


    Was talking to a friend of mine who is a doctor over the weekend and he said he has seen a quite a few people who suffer from neck and shoulder muscle tension and tautness having a higher chance of suffering from migraines. When the muscles are tight they pull on the scalp muscles causing more tension in the head, it is one of the main causes for most tension headaches, but can be a prelude for migraines as well.


  • #69
    Munstermad
    Registered Users Posts: 490 ✭✭Munstermad


    Xenji wrote: »
    Was talking to a friend of mine who is a doctor over the weekend and he said he has seen a quite a few people who suffer from neck and shoulder muscle tension and tautness having a higher chance of suffering from migraines. When the muscles are tight they pull on the scalp muscles causing more tension in the head, it is one of the main causes for most tension headaches, but can be a prelude for migraines as well.

    I definitely agree my daughter gets very tense in neck and shoulder areas, shes had neuro physiotherapy which focuses on this area with great relief..


  • #70
    BaZmO*
    Registered Users Posts: 18,625 ✭✭✭✭BaZmO*


    Xenji wrote: »
    Was talking to a friend of mine who is a doctor over the weekend and he said he has seen a quite a few people who suffer from neck and shoulder muscle tension and tautness having a higher chance of suffering from migraines. When the muscles are tight they pull on the scalp muscles causing more tension in the head, it is one of the main causes for most tension headaches, but can be a prelude for migraines as well.

    That would pretty much describe how my migraines are caused.


  • #71
    Kayly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 107 ✭✭Kayly


    the culture of deference wrote: »
    I get terrible migranes, where the inside feels like someone is chiseling into brain matter. I get another type that feels like someone is using an old ice cream scoop in your head.

    2 years ago I was diagnosed in the eye and ear clinic with Occular migranes too. Anyone else get these?


    I've been getting ocular migraines on and off since my 20's. Didnt know what they were for a long time. I don't get any headache, but I have to lie down for 20 mins with visual disturbance (sparkly lights). Triggers for me have been glare, (even snow), hormonal changes eg pill, and red wine. Luckily I dont get them often, maybe once a year or less, but they are scary because of not being able to see properly. This link shows pretty well what it looks like from the viewpoint of the sufferer of ocular migraine: http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/ocular-migraine.htm


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  • #72
    SATSUMA
    Registered Users Posts: 706 ✭✭✭SATSUMA


    Has anyone ever been referred to A&E with a persistant migraine? What was your experience?


  • #73
    niallam
    Registered Users Posts: 699 ✭✭✭niallam


    I used to suffer very frequent migraines, my mother and 2 sisters as well. My brother and father never had one. Both sisters have ended up in hospital in several occasions.

    I'd get one every few weeks at least, varying degrees of severity. Speech and eyes were always my warning factory, I could tell 30 mins before I was going to have one.
    My worst one ever, and what changed my life with them was about 4 years ago, I'm 35 now.
    Ended up unconscious, woke up Sunday morning with no power in my left arm and still had the migraine.
    Long story short, thought I'd slept funny on the arm, knew the migraine had made me pass out, wasn't too worried about that, called doc on call, kinda said the same, went to my own doc Tuesday morning as still had no power and was in the Heritage the next morning to see a neurologist.
    He kept me in for tests, told me next day I was 100% healthy in my head, hemiplegic migraine was what he told me I'd most likely had.
    And now for the best part, for me anyway.

    Treatment, he told me to try go cold turkey from now on every time I felt a migraine coming, dark room with no noise. The first time was very very difficult, sweating, tossing, turning, extreme pain feeling my head was going to explode for 6 hours and the heartbeat in my head was like someone was kicking me from inside my head, almost didn't manage, but after only 3 migraines it got more manageable.
    Since doing this I've gone from every few weeks to 1-2 a year maybe, don't think I've had one this year at all.


  • #74
    Half Rhodesian
    Registered Users Posts: 128 ✭✭Half Rhodesian


    suffered with migranes for a few years, then suffered a brain hemorrhage there earlier in the year (so much fun that :( )

    don't get them as bad anymore. maybe the odd and dull headaches most days now.

    Better than being dead i guess


  • #75
    Dinarius
    Registered Users Posts: 3,393 ✭✭✭Dinarius


    Half Rhodesian wrote: »
    suffered with migranes for a few years, then suffered a brain hemorrhage there earlier in the year (so much fun that :( )

    don't get them as bad anymore. maybe the odd and dull headaches most days now.

    Better than being dead i guess

    Too right!

    Just coming out the other side of a migraine now.

    The usual pattern:

    For a few days leading up to it, I felt full of energy.

    Then bang! I get an absence (petit mal) followed by a migraine. Took one Solpadeine (the only thing that works for me - though I've never tried Ibuprofen - and Immigran was a disaster, vomited badly) and that knocked the pain. This was on Monday night/Tuesday morning.

    Now going through the typical feeling of exhaustion, trying to regain my sleep pattern, and feeling a bit low. All usually passes in a couple of days.

    D.


  • #76
    Kayly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 107 ✭✭Kayly


    My teenage son has experienced sudden and severe headaches while flying. Ive looked it up and its not uncommon. There are various medications recommended, eg ibuprofen, antihistamines and nasal decongestants. Has anyone had experience of this? He doesnt normally suffer with migraine. Im seeking advice as he is due to fly in a few weeks time. I intend asking a pharmacist or doctor, but would be interested to hear if anyone has experienced this and if so, what worked best for them?


  • #77
    missyb01
    Registered Users Posts: 73 ✭✭missyb01


    I recall my first migraine when i was in secondary school and i could count on one hand the amount of them i got until I hit 30, then i got them every week. After trying to rule out triggers, i still got them. I don't drink or smoke and i would stay away from some of the common foods that a lot of people believe are triggers and i still got migraines. The doctors eventually put it down to hormones but that didnt offer me any comfort.

    I am 4 months pregant and i have had a migraine every day since Monday. I wake up praying that I don't get one. The pregnancy has turned me off tea and coffee so caffeine is another trigger off the list.

    I was taking imigran before I got pregnant but obviously tablets are not an option for the next 6 or so months. I have tried cold compress on my forehead, ice at the base of my skull, trying to sleep it off in a darkened room etc. etc. I have already gone home sick once this week from work and it looks like i might have to go sick again today.


  • #78
    Half Rhodesian
    Registered Users Posts: 128 ✭✭Half Rhodesian


    prob best to get that checked out.. get a mri scan sometime just to be safe


  • #79
    niallam
    Registered Users Posts: 699 ✭✭✭niallam


    missyb01 wrote: »
    I recall my first migraine when i was in secondary school and i could count on one hand the amount of them i got until I hit 30, then i got them every week. After trying to rule out triggers, i still got them. I don't drink or smoke and i would stay away from some of the common foods that a lot of people believe are triggers and i still got migraines. The doctors eventually put it down to hormones but that didnt offer me any comfort.

    I am 4 months pregant and i have had a migraine every day since Monday. I wake up praying that I don't get one. The pregnancy has turned me off tea and coffee so caffeine is another trigger off the list.

    I was taking imigran before I got pregnant but obviously tablets are not an option for the next 6 or so months. I have tried cold compress on my forehead, ice at the base of my skull, trying to sleep it off in a darkened room etc. etc. I have already gone home sick once this week from work and it looks like i might have to go sick again today.


    Hormones are a huge cause according to what Dr Rutledge told me when i was seeing him. I asked him why my mother had stopped getting them and he said menopause.
    Although this report doesn't really clarify or agree fully with that it does have some good statistics for men v's women and pregnancy migraines.


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