Have you thought about seeing an osteopathic doctor? They ARE doctors, but they specialize in manipulation. Ever since I started seeing mine I haven’t had a single migraine.
[QUOTE=fordtraktor;6898556]
Anyone tried Inderal as a preventative? My mom keeps at me to try that after watching some TV show where someone used it, but I had a bad experience with another beta blocker and I am reluctant (I have quite low blood pressure to start with and it slowed my heart rate so much I felt like I was in slow motion – creepy!)[/QUOTE]
The Inderol did not really work for me. And it made my blood pressure go real low.
The firoicet works half the time for me. I only get 30 pills, which is good for 15 headaches. The problem is my dr. doesn’t give me refills and I have to go back to the office for a visit everytime I need more. The muscle relaxers help a ton. I was taking vallium when I broke my ribs. Told my doc that this really helped with the headaches but she refused to give me a script for more saying it is really addictive. Wouldn’t it be better to take 1 vallium a day instead of multiple doses of tylenol, motrin, imitrex, and fioricet?
I start to get anxious when I get a headache. Sometimes a headache makes me eat, because I think the food or sugar will help and it will. Or it helps to eat something to calm my stomach when I start to get sick feeling. But I worry that I only have so many pills left for the month, and I am not able to get more. So I hoard my pills and won’t take them for a headache because I am short on supplies. I end up with a terrible migraine then.
I use Cafergot (caffeine and ergotamine). For me it’s the only one that works. As one was coming on I used to think it was tense neck muscles bringing it on but I have since learned it works in reverse. As soon as the migraine stops, the tension leaves the neck.
My mom gave me the migraine gene, and I gave it to my DD.:no: Mom stopped having them in her early 30s and I’m still holding out at middle age that mine will eventually stop.
Having two babies didn’t help me. YMMV. 
DD’s pediatrician suggested a cocktail of medications when she starts to feel a migraine coming on.
800 mg advil
650 mg tylenol
25-50 mg benadryl
caffeine, either in the form of a strong coffee drink or soft drink, or a 200 mg caffeine pill
Worked like a charm for DD.
DD also takes Propranolol prescribed by her neurologist as a preventive and we have been very pleased with the results. It cut her migraines from once/twice a week to a couple times a month.
I take imitrex for my migraines and I also only get 9 pills a month as well. However, I tried the cocktail just to see if it would work for a hard case like me, and it did! The key is to catch the migraine as soon as you feel it coming on. For me, I get a funny feeling above my right eyebrow, and pressure behind my right eye. I’ve taken the cocktail successfully for the majority of my headaches over the past few months. I have had to follow up with an imitrex for the really bad migraines that didn’t respond well.
Migraines suck.
Thanks everyone, its been fun since im in finals and yeah…some are very heavy weight mark wise .
So my sleep is off massively, and of course the stress helps give me migraines, okay one left till fall semester
I’m in the same bucket. Imitrex is fine and works IF you catch the migraine at the start… heck I can do the same thing with Coca-Cola, 2 aspirin & 2 XS Tyelonol.
But I wake up with them. It’s a guaranteed 2-migraine with that version and no combo of drugs stops it. Finally had enough and went to Herr Doktor.
Fortunately (I guess), I woke up with just such a migraine the day of the appointment. I walked into his office with my hand covering my left eye and squinting out the other. He turned off the lights and talked softly, asking me my migraine history, etc. Laid it out for him plain as can be… I have no specific, pin-pointable trigger.
He said “I totally understand… I’ll give you a prescription for Naratriptan and a shot of Toradol right now.”
Shot worked.
Naratriptan worked.
Whew.
I have had migraine with aura (typical visual aura) since I was in 5th grade. I’m 32 now. About 2 years ago, I started getting my migraines with much more frequency, particularly at the barn. I do think there is an allergy component with me.
However, what really, really, really helped was getting glasses. I started wearing glasses at work about 3 1/2 months ago, and I have not had a migraine since (knocking on wood!). Additionally, my “regular” headache frequency has gone from pretty much every day down to maybe once or twice a month.
It seems so obvious and simple, but get your eyes checked for sure. I seriously thought I had a freakin’ brain tumor or something because the headaches were so bad and so frequent.
I get barometric pressure-related migraines and I’ve been using Axert (almotriptan) for a few years; it usually works within an hour, especially if I can lie down with ice on eyes and back of neck. But it’s quite pricey - I pay about $125 out of pocket (with insurance) for 12 pills a month and 1 usually does the trick; occasionally need 2. Luckily I don’t get as many as some of you do.
I’m going to try the generic Imitrex because it’s so much cheaper. I’m curious - have any of you tried the Axert? If so, did it not work for you?
I get barometric pressure-related migraines and I’ve been using Axert (almotriptan) for a few years; it usually works within an hour, especially if I can lie down with ice on eyes and back of neck. But it’s quite pricey - I pay about $125 out of pocket (with insurance) for 12 pills a month. 1 usually does the trick; occasionally need 2. Luckily I don’t get as many as some of you do.
I’m going to try the generic Imitrex because it’s so much cheaper. I’m curious - have any of you tried the Axert? If so, did it not work for you?
Going to chime in here with a suggestion that will seem very off the wall to many. I discovered by accident (very long story) that Atarax (hydroxyzine hcl) will kill my migraine. Take 50 mg, sleep for 3 hours, and am functional. No second day coming back. It is actually an antihistamine, but it is an OLD one and has anti anxiety effects. My headaches were mostly tension/stress induced and this seemed to short circuit them.
My DD recently had her psych meds changed (not a good idea right before finals, grrrr) and it laid her flat with a migraine for days (drug withdrawal). Call dr, no help. Had brainstorm, gave her my Atarax. Immediate improvement! Not a cure because of the cause of the migraine, but it got her back on her feet.
Vistaril is the same drug just a different formulation (hydroxyzine pamoate)
the best news with these drugs is they are so old, they are on hte CHEAP generics list for most insurance plans.
Thanks for the suggestions i will look into them!
[QUOTE=Laurierace;6898251]
Have you tried getting your trigger points where your shoulders meet your neck injected with cortisone? Mine were causing migraines as well but injecting them chilled them out.[/QUOTE]
Laurie, what kind of doctor did this for you? Some of my migraines have a HUGE musculoskeletal component - I feel like my traps and neck are in superknots! My neuro says this is normal for some migraine sufferers.
I also suffer with the 9 Maxalt/month. The stuff is sick-expensive and shouldn’t be used more than 3 times/week, so insurance companies justify their stinginess that way. Even though, with that reasoning, 12 would make more sense.
I have chronic migraine, so I’m pretty much up the creek most of the time. Narcotics have never helped me with migraines. They just make me start puking or so dizzy I WANT to puke. And the pukefest migraines are The Worst!
