Migraine Sufferers
 

What have you tried that helps? I need to get off prescription Triptans.

Fiorinol if I can catch it early enough. Excederin for Migraines works sometimes for a mild one. Nothing works for the big ones except a shot of Demerol and that's only sometimes.

As soon as I feel a headache coming I take Fioricet and it works.

I have been taking Imitrex injections for several years. They are the only thing that helps me. I give them myself.

a Migraine by any other name
 

Doctors all my life said I had migraines and in recent years I have been told what I have is a vascular migraine. Which is a constriction of the tiny blood vessels apparently. They put me on a very low dose of propranolol 10mg a day and it has headed off about 85% of my headaches. I still sometimes get a killer at times and have to head in for the shot but it has worked for me.

Have you ever tried a natural remedy?
 

I have had migraines since menopause. BONUS!!! unexpected....lucky me!

I used Imitrex injections for years and now I can control them with Imitrex oral tabs. I have to take them as I have a hint of a headache. And they work great!!

No narcotics, they just treat the pain, Imitrex reverses the vascular cause of the migraine. Treats the cause not the symptom.

I know it does not work for all. But very fortunate that it works for me.

Pray tell, and I hate to think where this will go, what does this "truly" have to do with a topic of a serious medical nature. People who have this issue are terribly affected by the symptoms. This is not a cavalier matter.

I was taking imitrex tablets for a number of years and now take maxalt. I also try to be mindful of my triggers.

Been suffering since I was 13. They have subsided quite a bit now, thankfully. However, do use Maxalt as needed - sometimes 1/3 of a pill with a cup of coffee does the trick. Good luck to you.

VPL, did you read this blog- link before posting it?
It pretty much discounts a correlation between saturated fat and migraine.


Are you thinking in terms of a vascular system compromised by diet-related clogged arteries making vascular migraines worse, once they are triggered?

What made me do a search about saturated fat was something I read a long time ago that went something like this: Too much saturated fat in one's diet and not enough "good" fat will cause cells to become too stiff. So blood is going through one's arteries and the arteries lack the necessary flexibility.

And today with lots of people on high protein (weight loss) diets, I figured it could be likely. I hadn't thought about clogged arteries, but now that you mentioned it, that could be a factor.

If you read down far enough someone said a correlation has been found:
I haven't read it yet but here's the link:


http://www.livestrong.com/article/37...food-to-avoid/


http://migrainetriggers-stopped.blog...aines.html?m=1


One statement from the first link goes like this: "The saturated fat prevalent in beef and high-fat cheeses may cause or worsen inflammation involved with headache pain."

:mornincoffee: To paraphrase another post, from another thread,
"Let it go, Uptown Girl."

MSG and Headaches
 

ASAP Stop MSG in all your foods... read all labels.. you will be surprised!

I have suffered with chronic migraines for over 25 years. I have tried every migraine medication out there, I think... with no success. I have been on a preventive regimen for over 10 years and have had to take narcotic pain meds when I would have a migraine. Even on the preventative, I was experiencing at least 2 migraines per month.

Finding Young Living essential oils has literally changed my life in so many ways. For the first time in many years, I am not taking a preventative any longer, and I have not had a migraine in over 4 months!

When I do experience the beginning of a migraine, I simply put a drop of Peppermint essential oil on the roof of my mouth, and my symptoms disappear! I have also used Deep Relief Roll-On on my forehead and temples with success.

I love these products from Young Living!

I have tried Excediren Migraine with a Starbucks Mocha at the start of my migraine . I lay down In a dark, noiseless room for about 30-45 minutes. This method works for me,
A friend gets Botox that relieves her headaches.

Just so you know..
Excedrin Migraine pills contains

acetaminophen (generic Tylenol) 250 mg
aspirin 250 mg
caffeine 65 mg

Regular Excedrin extra strength contains

acetaminophen 250 mg
aspirin 250 mg
caffeine 65 mg

Excedrin Menstrual Complete

acetaminophen 250
aspirin 250
caffeine 65 mg

See a pattern? This formulation is commonly referred to as AAC. If you want to save a few bucks, store brands are identical. Sam's and Costco have huge bottles at pennies a pill.

Now the interesting thing about AAC is that in multiple studies it has been shown to be SUPERIOR to triptans in treatment of migraine at onset.


A study of 171 patients comparing 2 AAC pills with 50 mg oral Imitrex at headache (HA) onset. Not in the study were subjects whose HA's more than 20% of the time included vomiting or 50% of the time required bedrest

Conclusion.—The combination of acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine was significantly more effective (P > .05) than sumatriptan in the early treatment of migraine, as shown by superiority in summed pain intensity difference, pain relief, pain intensity difference, response, sustained response, relief of associated symptoms, use of rescue medication, disability relief, and global assessments of effectiveness. An additional, larger clinical trial is needed to confirm these results.

This is not to imply that for some patients, triptans might not be superior especially injected, but the interesting result of this was that an OTC product was SUPERIOR to the usual dose of imitrex for the majority of migraine sufferers. Americans generally make the opposite assumption believing that prescriptions must be stronger or better than OTC.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/511961_1

Most migraines become less in frequency and intensity as we age. I was a regular migrainer in my earlier years but as hormone levels drop, my migraines have disappeared almost entirely.

A guy I new many years ago used to suffer from occasional chest pains so the doctor gave him nitro glycerin capsules. This had the effect of relaxing the arteries so the pain would go away.

I didn't know it at the time but I have since learned that the exact same thing can be accomplished through diet. The condition of the arteries depends largely on the foods we eat. There's a super-thin cell lining in the arteries known as the Endothelium. If you maintain these cells in good condition, it keeps the arteries soft and flexible and acts like Teflon to keep arteries from clogging up.

You can google "endothelium" if you're interested.

P.S. Headache pain may be due to an artery spasm similar to the chest pains my friend had.

The FDA has issued a warning against your company directed at the CEO Mr. Young for violation of Federal Law.

Young Living 9/22/14

I am surprised you have not been asked to cease making any medical claims for these products.

From the FDA's Office of Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement and Criminal Investigations

"The violations cited in this letter are not intended to be an all-inclusive list of violations that exist in connection with your products. While FDA has mentioned specific Young Living Essential Oil products in this letter, there are drug claims being made by your consultants for a wide range of your Young Living Essential Oil products. As such, the cited violations in this letter should not be viewed to apply solely to the specific products mentioned in this letter. It is your responsibility to ensure that all of your products are in compliance with all requirements of the Act and federal regulations. You should take prompt action to correct the violations cited in this letter. Failure to implement lasting corrective action on violations may result in regulatory action being initiated by FDA without further notice."

Thanks bluash for posting this link.

The "snake oil sales" approach really turns me off. Some people will believe anything and easily become a patsy for an easy "natural" remedy instead of pursuing a medical diagnosis for what could be a life threatening ailment.

Took Imitrix shots than oral pills. THANK GOD for them. And thank goodness age has made the Migraines milder and less frequent...and two Advil will calm them.

Migraine is a terrible awful painful thing.

Am I the only one that has used Topamax ?

I hesitate to post, but here I go...

I think the OP asked what people who suffer from migraines used. The Young Living person posted what works for her. I did not read any attempt for her to sell the Young Living product to the OP. She was enthusiastic about what she found for her. While I do not deny blueash's posting about the letter to Young Living's founder, I feel it was wrong to criticize the Young Living user for her reply.

Having said that, I will admit, that I, too, am a big user of Young Living's peppermint oil for headaches. Putting a drop on my thumb and sucking it (like a baby) stops a migraine in its tracks.

Again, my opinion for what works for me, not a request for you to make a purchase of the oil from me.

Topamax for headaches
 

No Cisco, my son did do a trial of Topamax but it made him "dopey" and he said food tasted awful when taking it. So he stopped taking the med.

Hope it works better for you.
:coolsmiley:

Topomax is also given in place of Lyrica for spinal nerve issues. One little known side effect is the correlation with onset of kidney stones.

I won't take meds for my migraines except Excedrin migraine after I get one. I know when one is coming on as vision starts to go so I take the Excedrin, lie down and if lucky it will go away in an hr

massaging lavender oil into temples

I don't mean to sound skeptical about massaging lavender oil into temples. But those of us who have suffered and I mean suffered with Migraine for years can tell you what doesn't work. A true migraine can make you almost cry with pain on one side of your head, it can disturb your vision and cause you to be hypersensitive to both light and sound and it can last up to three days. It can make you both dizzy and nauseous and feel dull witted.

It makes you seek a quiet room and pain medication. I cannot tell you how I felt the first time my doctor gave me an Imitrix shot. He came in and turned on the lights in the examining room and I said , Oh PLEASE DON'T! He told me he was a Migrainer and he understood. The shot made the pain and all other symptoms go away in about ten minutes.

I don't even want to remember how many things I missed due to Migraine. And how many things I tried. The smell of any fragrance when I had a Migraine would make it worse for me.

We're so happy you no longer suffer like that.

I have been on Topomax for years. Two pills in the am, and two in the pm. I still get my share of migraines, but I have a complicated medical history. I take fioricet for my migraines and I can control the pain with that. My migraines started when I was 17, and I always knew they were starting because I had an aura at the onset. After I had three different subdural hematomas, a stroke, and burrhole surgery to relieve the pressure and blood in my head, my headaches changed. The auras disappeared however the headaches were more frequent. Over the course of all these years I know I have tried so many different meds and Topomax is the only one that seemed to help a bit. I have been limited from trying certain drugs on the market such as Imitrex due to a heart condition. My triggers are stress and weather patterns. I sympathize with all my fellow migraine sufferers.

That side effect would blend in with my personality

I have migraines with visual changes 3-4 times a year. Last year I started having them several times a week. Obviously, I became very interested in finding a way to treat or prevent them. After months of almost weekly MD visits it was discovered that the migraines were ocular. I had recently transitioned to an e-reader and it correlated to the increase in migraines. I read at least 4 hours a day along with several other hours looking at my laptop and IPhone. My treating Physician instructed me to turn down the brightness on all devices. It worked beautifully! I stopped having the frequent migraines within a week.