Migraine, anyone?

Sisyphus · Post by **Sisyphus** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 2:04 pm

I just spent the day with a crippling migraine. I woke up at about 0300 feeling it, and by 0800 was puking.
I just ate the first thing today that stayed down, including water.
Another day I don't get paid for.

Anyone else get these this bad? Short of putting a bullet in your head, what do you do?

Zim · Post by **Zim** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 3:54 pm

My wife has good luck with Excedrin Migraine, more so than prescribed medications.

Sometimes caffeinated soda or coffee helps.

She gets aura symptoms before the episode, like hypersensitive smell, diziness and instability, flashing lights, odd colors, blindness... so she often has time to counteract with medication before the migraine really kicks in. I'm assuming that a migraine at 0300 kinda snuck up on you though.

NPR had a story about BOTOX being used for those with chronic migraines.

I rarely have headaches, but seeing what my wife goes through, you have my sympathies. Fuck migraines.

Sisyphus · Post by **Sisyphus** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 5:10 pm

The worst part about it is that I can't take anything without chewing it first, in hopes of the medication getting into my blood quicker. Aceteminophen tastes horrible. Then I have to wash it down with water, which usually comes back up. At that point I have no idea what my dosage is, and aceteminophen is toxic at elevated levels. It also causes liver damage, and my years as a ne'er-do-well probably did my poor liver no favors.
I think I need to find my triggers.

piccini9 · Post by **piccini9** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 6:01 pm

Never had one, thank God, but Claudia gets them sometimes and it's just awful. All I can do is clear a path to the bathroom for her, and keep the lights off, she swears by the Excederin Migraine, and says you gotta take it as soon as you suspect a migraine coming on.
I think solvents of any kind can trigger hers, gas, thinners, spray paint.
Maybe they have a syrup version of the Excederin?

xtian · Post by **xtian** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 10:04 pm

tons of water, cold shower on the back of the neck then back to bed and lots of sighing, added to a big glass of water with one of each pill I can find and a pack of frozen peas on the pillow. They can be caused by stomach / digestive problems. Or cause them, I'll never know.

red · Post by **red** » Wed Dec 08, 2010 7:27 am

I used to get them a lot. Nothing besides a dark and quiet room ever helped me. Haven't had one since I found out my thyroid had crapped out on me and started taking meds.

Might be worth looking into.

guitargeek · Post by **guitargeek** » Wed Dec 08, 2010 7:43 am

It seems obvious, but have you studied up on it?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migraine

(Hey, somebody's gotta ask the stupid questions, right?)

Metalredneck · Post by **Metalredneck** » Wed Dec 08, 2010 11:16 am

I get 'em so bad, all I see is yellow. I pile on the drugs, and go to bed, when possible. I find avoiding all things Disney helps a lot.

Zer0 · Post by **Zer0** » Wed Dec 08, 2010 12:11 pm

I get them, and when they hit, my wife takes the kids and leaves because I'll eat everyone in the house.

No, They leave because I need COMPLETE silence--zero sensory input. Any llight, smells, sounds, or Disney whatever. Anything translates to horrifying debilitating pain. A trip to the hospital would make my head explode, so I stay home. Take water and caffeine, fuck, take advil too. Load up. Gotta thin the bloood (water and advil)and dilate the arteries (caffeine). Try crackers.

I think you can find the alka selzer dissolvable stuff w/ caffeine.

Things that bring it on for me: stress, lack of sleep, fluids or food for me. I sometimes see stars at the onset. I only wish migraines on my enemies.

When you do revover, Siss, try to think back to see what might have brought it on--activities, intakes or lack thereof, sleep patterns, and try to avoid or correct it. Then see your doctor.

Word on Excedrin Migraine--no different from regular Excedrin--exact same ingredients, but since they don't charge any more, it's a wash.

Best of luck, buddy!

Zer0 · Post by **Zer0** » Wed Dec 08, 2010 12:19 pm

One more thing about casffeine: if you're a caffeine junkie, going w/o it can bring it on. I tried to quit cold turkey, and on the 5th day, I got the mother of all migraines, puked a trashtruck, took some excedrins and was good. Now I take caffeine whenever, but not habituallly. Hope that helps.

The only Disney allowed is Pirates o' the Caribbean

CarolinaBoy · Post by **CarolinaBoy** » Wed Dec 08, 2010 12:36 pm

Dark
Quiet
Ice pack on the back of the neck

red · Post by **red** » Wed Dec 08, 2010 12:47 pm

Zer0 wrote: The only Disney allowed is Pirates o' the Caribbean

And TRON.

Anyone ever had an ocular migrane? Had one...thought I was going blind. It scared the shit out of me, almost had a panic attack at work.

WeAintFoundShit · Post by **WeAintFoundShit** » Wed Dec 08, 2010 1:50 pm

Usually I just stick with the bullets.
But then again, I can't die.

Good luck with your head, man. That shit has to suck some major, major ass.

Zer0 · Post by **Zer0** » Wed Dec 08, 2010 2:03 pm

red wrote:Anyone ever had an ocular migrane? Had one...thought I was going blind.

Not sure if I've ever had one of those, but more than once, along with seeing stars, sometimes the periphery would become hazy, then turn purplish, once it completely clouded my vision but not for long. Was in too much pain to even freak out. Fortunately that doesn'y happen with me much.

scumbag · Post by **scumbag** » Wed Dec 08, 2010 3:51 pm

4loko never helps.... That is all I have to add.

Sisyphus · Post by **Sisyphus** » Wed Dec 08, 2010 5:18 pm

This is pretty much what I've thought. Just deal, I guess. I get the optic stuff once in awhile, independent of the actual headache. Looks like I'm looking through a kaleidoscope and I can't really see for about 45 minutes, everything is all rainbows and crystalline, sparkling and just far out. First time I had one I was 19 and driving to a party and thought I was having a flashback. Scared the shit out of me. But the headaches, the actual headaches. fuck.

Zim · Post by **Zim** » Wed Dec 08, 2010 5:26 pm

There are nasal spray medications for migraines. You wouldn't have to ingest anything and it would get into your system pretty fast.

Sisyphus · Post by **Sisyphus** » Wed Dec 08, 2010 6:22 pm

I actually just read a whole lot about mushrooms, how they would be helpful in situations as we've just discussed: All natural, no toxicity, and a whole lotta fun, too. OH, and they release melatonin, which will stop a migraine.

My Little Pony · Post by **My Little Pony** » Wed Dec 08, 2010 7:18 pm

Well if melatonin will stop a migraine, why not just take it. I buy it at Hannaford to help me sleep. Are you really too paranoid to take acetaminophen?

WeAintFoundShit · Post by **WeAintFoundShit** » Thu Dec 09, 2010 12:53 am

Careful with the melatonin. The human brain tends to get addicted to that stuff pretty quickly, and will stop producing it on its own if you take it regularly enough.

Having been a lifelong insomniac, the best I've *personally* found for sleep are 5-htp caplets that contain a few vitamins and a small dose of Valerian root.

The 5-htp is a metabolic precursor to seratonin, which is in turn a precursor to melatonin.

You load up on a pill or two of 5-htp w/ stuff at bedtime and your pineal gland will make its own melatonin. No risk (that I've found) of addiction and/or grotesquely fucked up sleep cycles if you stop taking it.

Helps depression, too, for those of you in winter wonder land, locked away from your motos.
Get ready for some crazy dreams, though.

My Little Pony · Post by **My Little Pony** » Thu Dec 09, 2010 3:19 am

Havent had any problems with melatonin. I don't take it all the time, just if I'm anxious about something. Before I sold my boat, I was always worrying about something, and could never sleep worth a shit. It can make it awfully hard to get up in the morning, though, kinda reminds me of taking Nyquil back when it had the good stuff in it.

ejworthen · Post by **ejworthen** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 8:01 am

I've had migraines since I was a kid so I literally feel your pain. First thing I have to ask is do you have insurance? If you do seek out a good doctor that can help you.

The key is to find a trigger that causes the migraines if there is one. Some triggers are peanuts, wine, citrus, MSG, Chocolate, etc. Look on-line for a complete list. If you can find a trigger you have a good chance of stopping the migraines. Do you snore or suffer from sleep apnea? If you wake up at night or in the morning with a migraine it could be cause by lack of oxygen to the brain caused by either of these.

There are medications on the market that can alleviate migraines within 20 to 30 minutes now. I remember curling up into a ball and crying like a little bitch in a darkened room for hours wising I would fall asleep. Now I just take an Imitrex Nasal Spray and its gone in 30 minutes. Although I can only take it a few times a month and still take Excedrin Migraine on occasion.

I experienced an increase in frequency and intensity of migraines the last couple of years to the point I was taking Excedrin Migraine so much it was messing up my liver. After a few visits to the doctor I take a medication called Topomax twice a day and I rarely get migraines at all anymore. The Topomax somehow prevent the migraines from occurring at all. I went from having them almost daily to rarely at all.

So don't be discouraged by the migraines, you can find things to help lessen them.

Moto_Myotis · Post by **Moto_Myotis** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 12:04 pm

I get migraines at least once a month, if not more. I take Imitrex and it kills them off pretty quickly.

I have been taking 5HTP recently as well and have noticed the headaches haven't been so frequent. Not sure whether there's a corollary there or not.

So sorry your head hurts! There's nothing worse.

Sisyphus · Post by **Sisyphus** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 3:10 pm

I think one of my triggers is alcohol; I had several glasses of red last night and felt okay this morning, but I think quantity over time is the crucial thing here. I can't drink a lot in a short timeframe and get away with it.
My wife has some Imitrex squirreled away but I'm afraid to take it. I had an aneurism about twelve years ago and the literature does not recommend someone with my history taking such drugs. It's a roll of the dice I'm not willing to take.

Zer0 · Post by **Zer0** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 4:50 pm

Alcohol can do it. I can't drink too much for that reason.

You may be hypoglycemic like me. Opposite of diabetes--I produce too much insulin. Too much sugar, alcohol or caffeine can do it. Get a test.

ejworthen · Post by **ejworthen** » Wed Dec 15, 2010 5:34 am

Sisyphus wrote:I think one of my triggers is alcohol; I had several glasses of red last night and felt okay this morning, but I think quantity over time is the crucial thing here. I can't drink a lot in a short timeframe and get away with it.
My wife has some Imitrex squirreled away but I'm afraid to take it. I had an aneurism about twelve years ago and the literature does not recommend someone with my history taking such drugs. It's a roll of the dice I'm not willing to take.

Yep, alcohol is a big one for me. I can't have more than a couple of drinks or I end up with a killer migraine. Wine will guarantee an almost instant one for me.

I would not take Imitrex without seeing a doctor first especially with your history. I had some heart problems in the past that prevented me from taking it, but once resolved I was cleared by both my cardiologist and family doctor. You may be able to take it.

Zer0 · Post by **Zer0** » Wed Dec 15, 2010 8:41 am

Not necessarily migraine-related, but maybe . . . Alcohol dehydrates us, and depletes our system of B vitamins. If you know you're gonna get ripped, take some B complex or multivitamins before you drink, then some more with water before you go to bed, then some mopre when you wake up.

I get smashed maybe once a year, and haven't ever had a hangover since I started that regimine.

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Migraine, anyone?

Migraine, anyone?