Headaches

Ms_Lilith

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I've suffered migraines since I was 17, and the first one I had lasted for 13 days. But since then, it's been a rare thing to have a multi-day migraine.

I am now on day 3. It's not incapacitating, but it is painful, and is causing some vision blurring, etc. Regular painkillers, which normally work, aren't.

Any suggestions?
 
vixenshe said:
I've suffered migraines since I was 17, and the first one I had lasted for 13 days. But since then, it's been a rare thing to have a multi-day migraine.

I am now on day 3. It's not incapacitating, but it is painful, and is causing some vision blurring, etc. Regular painkillers, which normally work, aren't.

Any suggestions?
I can report what worked for me back when I had the kind of migraines that kept me awake for three and four days straight. Darkness, massive doses of pain reliever, quiet, meditation, and sometimes a hot shower with the water focused on the back of my neck all helped at one time or another.

What has worked for you in the past? I'd start there (though I assume you already have) and then consider something new from suggestions you get here. Sometimes simply trying something new that you know worked for someone else is sufficient.

Good luck.

BTW, orgasms are very good cures for headache. I was never so lucky as to try it on any of my migraines though.
 
vixenshe said:
Any suggestions?

I have migranes, pretty infrequently, but when I get them it incapacitates me pretty well. They're so infrequent that I usually just end up taking extra high doses of motrin (800 mg at once) as directed by the doc. Usually, one of those (you can get prescription pills that big of motrin, or combine smaller non-prescription pills) with darkness and some good sleep will knock the heck out of it, and I'm good to go for another long stretch of no-migranes.

There's other scripts out there that will supposedly take care of them, but I've always found that they just end up knocking me out. Thus, I don't know if it dissapearing was a result of the sleep or the script. I prefer more control though.

Check with the doc about the possibility of taking a single high dose of it like I do. They may also reccomend other things.

And off-topic... But I like your new AV. Very pretty.

Best of luck kicking that migraine...
 
I too have a lot of problems with migraines. (Some days I can't even move.) Recently, I started a new migraine therapy called Migrahealth. You can buy it at Wal-Mart and other places like that. It's a combination of magnesium, B12 and riboflavin. Only been taking it a month and a half, but have had fewer headaches, and the ones that I do get respond to Excedrin Migraine, which they never did before. (There's a book out there called "What your doctor may not tell you about Migraines" that details the therapy and some suggestions for coping!)

Sometimes ice to the head, neck and face works. Also, sometimes I have luck with yogurt (the magnesium is supposed to help.)

I've taken prescription pain killers at times too... maybe you could call your doctor and have them prescribe something. You can also go the emergency room, I've never done it, but have been told that there is some kind of shot that seems to relieve the pain.

I hope you feel better!
 
I've had migraines since the early 90's and have gone through a miriad of treatments. Usually I go into a dark room with no noise and no interruption, take some Advil (I usually take about 1000mg for mine) and sleep it off.

Doctors can help, maybe you should give a call. Also anything with caffeine and that sugar substitue saccarine, as well as chocolate can cause migraines, I've had to learn to curb my appetite for caffeine and chocolates. :(

Check WebMD for some helpful hints. I've found it pretty good. Hope you feel better.
 
If you can go to the doc, ask for a combo of Toradol and Phenergan. That combo is the only thing that works for me.
Laying in a dark, cool, dead quiet place helps, but doesn't cure for me. Imitrex worked 3 times for me, then I developed a sensitivity to it, and it makes them worse now.
You could try mixing Ibuprofen and Tylenol, 2 of each, it's not healthy for your liver in the long run, but 1 or 2 doses won't damage your liver.
 
Also a very long time migraine sufferer and after prescription after prescription and side effect after side effect for over 10 years I have found nothing works like acupuncture. I was such a "non-believer" prior to trying it but reached the point where I had nothing left to try.. gained 40 pounds and my hair fell out from all the meds. I just couldnt do it anymore. Acupuncture was my saving grace.
 
I've tried the cool compress, I've tried the hot shower, I've tried laying there doing nothing (I don't have much patience for that, though, if it's not an incapacitating headache.. which this one is not), I've tried the painkillers (1000mgs of ibuprofin), etc.

It's not chocolate-induced, as I eat very little of that, and none recently, I don't drink coffee, and very rarely tea, I don't drink pop, for the most part, etc.

This isn't a BAD headache, it's just a lingering one. I felt it while I slept last night, and while I napped today.


And thank you, incognito.
 
Advil Liqui Gels is the ONLY OTC drugs that work for me. They work faster than regular pills. I don't know if it was mentioned but a bag of frozen peas or corn is good too. Just make sure oyu mark it NOT FOR EATING since it will thaw and be refrozen many times.
 
If hot showers don't work while you are under them then I suspect it is time to get that headache checked out.

Make sure it isn't a sinus infection, eye problems, brain tumor, allergies, high blood pressure, some other nuerological thing, I am sure there are more.
 
Have you considered getting your glucose checked?

I suffered from pretty bad headaches a few years ago and thought they were migraines. I took Tylenol when they were pretty bad and then went to bed to try and get rid of them. Usually, that worked. But I found that these *headaches* came back more often and so off I went to the doctor.

They did bloodwork on me and found that my sugar levels were elevated and I had to be put on medication. With the right diet and exercise, my sugar levels became normal and I went off the medication and my headaches are gone too.

Just something to consider.

Good luck!
 
i'm recovering from a 6 day migraine, i had to be put in traction twice to reduce the pressure on the nerves and muscles in my neck. in between i took a multitude of pain killers but what i found helped was going for a walk at night in the cool air it cleared my head. i also did some stretching and some yoga.
 
Sorry if I missed it, but have you taken a migraine medication like Imitrex or Zomig? If not, go to the doctor. Also, sometimes the only thing that works for me to get rid of the lingering is an intramuscular shot of Demerol...it breaks the cycle of pain for long enough to get rid of it. It's not a good solution, but it's the only thing that works. Orgasms help sometimes too.:)

Good luck, we all feel for you!
 
Get the lead out!

Did you have any teeth fillings put in about the time the headaches started? Have your fillings checked for lead. Many fillings contain lead but the dentists like to keep it a secret for obvious reasons.

Have you been around any other lead sources, like Mexican clay pots, lately?

All the other posts are good for dealing with the pain and suffering. I used to get a really bad migraine about every 3 months. I haven't had one for years? Why? No more fillings, no more smoking, exercising, drinking plenty of fluids, no hard drinking, no smoky bars. (Yeah, life is boring, but I FEEL good!)
 
vixenshe said:
I am now on day 3. It's not incapacitating, but it is painful, and is causing some vision blurring, etc. Regular painkillers, which normally work, aren't.

Any suggestions?

If the headache isn't responding to what has always worked for your migraines, then it probably ISN'T a migraine.

Sinus headches are very similar to migrines, but regular painkillers won't touch them; you need to add a degongestant or antihistamine to get rid of them.

Others have mentioned allergies, glucose levels, and several other (gruesome) things as possible causes so I'll just add dehydration to the list -- you may be dehydrated and just need to drink some Gatorade (or just lots of water) to get rid of the headache.
 
also ask your Dr about Elavil..(a.k.a. amitryptilyn (sp?) ) I had mild to severe headaches daily starting in high school..they put me on the elavil.one tab at bedtime and headaches got much less severe ( one had put me in the hospital due to dehydration) The good thing to is that even if you dont have insurance,a months worth of the drug is 10-15 bucks.
 
LaBruja said:
also ask your Dr about Elavil..(a.k.a. amitryptilyn (sp?) ) I had mild to severe headaches daily starting in high school..they put me on the elavil.one tab at bedtime and headaches got much less severe ( one had put me in the hospital due to dehydration) The good thing to is that even if you dont have insurance,a months worth of the drug is 10-15 bucks.

I was on this drug at 20-30 mg a night for maybe 7-8 years, it definitely helped me sleep and forget that I had been in pain all day. A few months ago I had to go off it because it was stopping my saliva glands and tear ducts from functioning. This turns out to be a long term side effect, there are some lovely papers written about it.
So I would be careful with long term use of this drug.
 
My mother had migrains bad enough to require morphine. Then the doc. tried a (then) new treatment of Vitamin B12 injections, they worked. Can not hurt to get some hi-potency B-Complex tablets.
 
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