Migraines

[HappyFun Ball]

I've had migraines for 14 years. I've been on every migraine specific medicine, I've never had any luck with them.

I take Tramadol and Phenergan for them, it works most of the time. On the occasions that they don't work, I'll go to an urgent care for a shot, or an ER if the UC is closed. One thing that always pisses me off is a lying Dr. Most of the Dr's know me, they know what to give me, which is a shot of Phenergan and a pain medication such as Nubain. Every now and then I'll get a Dr. that won't give it, it's fine, it's an inconvenience because it means I'll be back the next day, but don't lie to me and say it's against the ER's policy to give narcotics to chronic pain patients when it's your policy. Especially since I've been using the same hospital for 15 years and have gone there and gotten the shots before sometimes at the orders of my Neurologist. Don't hand me "Phenergan will make you sleepy" IM or oral Phenergan does not. Benedryl doesn't, Vistaryl doesn't. Steroids alone don't help, I'll take those along with a pain shot to help the headache. Pumping me full of IV meds such as Depakote doesn't help, I have seriously tried everything. And Reglan, you may as well give me water.

If I was getting the shots often, I could see it, but I rarely have to go.

[BeeMused]

In German we call Drs like that "demi-god in white".

[42_42_42]

Check with your doctor first, but I take magnesium and B2 (riboflavin), 200-250 mg of each daily to help prevent migraines. I still get the occasional migraine, but this has greatly reduced the number of them. I don't take any prescription migraine meds as they don't work for me.

[MaggieTheCat]

I'm curious what they give you Reglan for? It is primarily given as a digestive aid to help with stomach emptying or heartburn as far as I'm aware. Do they give it to you for pain/migraines?

I take topomax daily to help prevent migraines and it has been a tremendous help for me. Sorry some doctors are such a pain when you need them most... :\

[raudf]

I suffer from migraines once or twice a month. Hubs seems to live with them currently, in spite of topamax and sumatriptan (Imitrex). The other neuro fell through and as soon as he can miss, we're getting a new referral to a neuro that one of my aunts who suffers from both migraines AND strokes sees.

Mine was a few small changes to my lifestyle after tracking when the migraines were occurring. I dehydrate easily over night, so I drink at least 8oz of water before bed. Usually it's more like 16oz. If I have to go potty in the middle of the night, so be it. Better than a migraine! Also, I have to monitor the amount of sleep. Getting less than 5 or more than 9 hours of sleep can trigger 'em. Grapes, grape juice, orange and orange juices are right out. They trigger 'em fast. Also, summer is when I really have to be careful because of the dehydration and the electrolytes go off kilter. Gatorade mixed half and half with water takes care of that part. I also have to avoid decongestants. That is a fun one because it's a dual cause.. blood pressure spike and dehydration. (At the time I was living with daily migraines, my doc was of the attitude of "It's all in your head.. here's some decongestant to make those sinuses feel better!" OF course it's all in my head! IF it was in my foot, I could ignore it!)

Have you tried a migraine diary to see if there is a trend in what is tripping them?

[paxillated]

don't lie to me and say it's against the ER's policy to give narcotics to chronic pain patients when it's your policy.

It may actually be the ER's policy, and the doctors that know you give it anyway because they know you're not a "seeker."

ERs get flooded with drug seekers who complain about any kind of pain that can't be definitively tested for. Things like fibromyalgia and, yes, migraines. If there is no lab test or x-rays, MRIs, etc. that can prove it, they'll use it to try to score narcotics.

I hate them. Not only have they caused the law-abiding folks like you & me to have to jump through hoops to get drugs we need*, but they have caused some ER personnel to decide that fibro is not a real disease, and that anyone that claims to have it is a lying liar trying to score drugs.

*Another of the knee-jerk laws that burden the law-abiding but make no difference to the criminals - who by definition will not obey the law. Argh.

[HappyFun Ball]

The two things I have found that trigger them are things I can't avoid: Menstrual cycles and weird weather patterns.

[DeltaSierra]

I've suffered migraines since I was 9, hubby gets them as well. The #1 trigger for us is weather (mostly rain) but being diabetic, blood sugar swings can do it for me as well.

I've found that if I catch it early enough and take a Goody's powder along with a B12 vitamin shot, I'm successful about 75% of the time in stopping it from getting to "take a loaded 12-guage and shoot my head off - it'll hurt less" mode

This is my combo:
Goody's powder I get at Walmart:


B12 shot I get at the dollar store - I keep about 12 on hand in the fridge at all times:

[Sapphire Silk]

I'm curious what they give you Reglan for? It is primarily given as a digestive aid to help with stomach emptying or heartburn as far as I'm aware. Do they give it to you for pain/migraines?

Migraines are actually an off label use for several GI drugs including Reglan, Compazine, and Phenergan. I've had a combo of Reglan and Benadryl, and it worked well. The mechanism of action is not well understood, but since migraines are believed to be caused by vasospasm of cerebral arteries (which are basically a muscluar tube) the choice makes sense; Reglan improves GI motility. The GI tract is yet another muscular tube.

The two things I have found that trigger them are things I can't avoid: Menstrual cycles and weird weather patterns.

I'm with ya there. I tend to get more headaches around my cycle, and every time a front moves through.

In regards to the OP: opiate narcotics are contraindicated for migraines. They invariably result in rebound headaches and are addictive. Nubain, however, is not an opiate narcotic. It is an opiod related narcotic agonist-antagonist. It binds to the same receptor sites as opiates, and produces similar if milder effects.

Nubain and another opiod narcotic agonist antagonist called Stadol are well known to be useful for migraines.

Any medication used for migraines can eventually result in rebound over time; it's a common phenomenon with migraines and is poorly understood. Usually the patient has to be weaned from all medication, endure the pain, and wait the migraine out (which in severe cases can take several weeks). I went through this with several of my medication choices over the years. Eventually I weaned off of everything (difficult, but I did it).

[raudf]

The two things I have found that trigger them are things I can't avoid: Menstrual cycles and weird weather patterns.

A-bloody-men. That's why I have mine down to 2 a month, instead of every day like I used to.. and those are the two I can't avoid no matter how hard I try. Even if I remove my cycle one, I will still have the f'ing weather ones.

*glares out her window* Sleet is not a helpful pattern for migraines, darn it!

Also, if you're taking meds on a regular basis, check the side effects. If they have "can cause headache/migraines," in the list, don't stop taking them. Talk to your doctor and see if there might be a better medicine without that side effect. Or at least be aware that the medicine could cause it to worsen when you get one.

[HappyFun Ball]

I won't touch Compazine, it causes me to go into a rage fit. I'm allergic to Imitrex, so that's out. Back before I had insurance and the ER was my only choice, I was having them often, I've seen doctors set limits on how many narcotic pain shots I could get per month. I do remember a Dr that once gave me narcotics for migraines suddenly saying that he doesn't give them and never has, that lie upset me, he could've said no longer gives them. Here lately, I've been getting Diluadid because there's been a shortage of Nubain and Stadol.

I've met all kinds, there's the docs that want to run a battery of tests even though you have a history and it's a typical migraine. There's the ones that will give you pretty much whatever you ask for. I'll have complex, irretractable migraines that mimic strokes, I had one like that back in October, when I got to the ER, I couldn't remember my name so I told them the first thing that sounded vaguely name like and that was Twilight Sparkle. The ER doc asked my ex if I used to be a stripper, the ex looked at him funny and the Dr said I kept saying my name was Twilight Sparkle. The ex explained My Little Pony to him.

[Crossbow]

Interesting topic for me right now. Thankfully I haven't had a true migraine since I was a teenager, but a friend of mine and Mrs. Crossbow is staying with us right now while she attends an outpatient clinic at the local hospital. Her migraine has been going since Easter.

The clinic isn't designed to cure the pain, but teaches coping skills for living with it. For most of the people in the program, they've tried just about everything to stop the pain and nothing has worked (like my friend).

[Cooper]

Ok, this is something that may sound insane, but: try taking gluten out of your diet. Just for one month.

My mother had migraines for 40 years. She stopped eating gluten, and they went away. She always got them during her period too.

Of course, she had other symptoms, like a wrecked thyroid, mental fog, and constant exhaustion. But she was so desperate she was willing to try anything at that point.

[RootedPhoenix]

I have migraines every day. It's the only thing that makes me want to replace my head with a sack of potatoes. It'd hurt less, and I'm sure I'd think more clearly.

And if I had a dollar for every bozo I've had to convince that I'm not messing around...aaargh. It's a real neurological disorder, not a offshoot condition from chronic laziness.

I just spent $40 on meds. Ahahhahaa. But they do help. I still take too many Motrin in any given day. My liver is going to crawl out and slap me someday, I just know it.

Migraines suck.

[Rock Lobster]

I really have to be careful because of the dehydration and the electrolytes go off kilter. Gatorade mixed half and half with water takes care of that part. I also have to avoid decongestants. That is a fun one because it's a dual cause.. blood pressure spike and dehydration.

And Gatorade CAUSES migraines for me!