What is your treatment for your migraines?

[SammyeGail]

Hi! I've had migraines since I was about 20, getting them about 1-2 times a month. They would always last aprx. 20 hours. At that time I still lived at home, worked full time and went to school 4 nights a week. My mom had them too and she would give me a pain killer, it would help some. My dr. later gave me a RX for xanax and I would take that to help me tolerate the headache until it ended. Thats how I did it for a while.

I married, years go by, we relocate, etc. In 2004 I finally tried Imitrex. It worked great. I would get very dizzy and have to lie down or about 2 hours after taking it, but the headache would be gone.

I got pregnant with my twins April 05 and they were born Nov. 05. I had no migraines during my pregnancy (yeah!). After the twins were born they came back and the Imitrex continued to work 80% of the time.

Fast forward to this past November, the Imitrex hardly worked anymore. The migraines were more frequent and lasted days. This was when DH and I were strongly suspecting on of my twins had autism so my stress level was very very high. My dr gave me Relpax, it worked once but never again. I had fallen down our stairs in Oct., so I had a big bottle of pain killers. When I would have a headache I would take 1/2 of those and a xanax. I don't remember much about December, it was a hard time for all of us.

In early Jan my dr set me up to see a headache specialist and ordered a MRI, it came back normal. The headaches were horrible, I went to the ER twice in January because of the pain and the shots they gave me only deadened them for a few hours. But the headache would be gone the next day.

I finally get in to the specialist 2/14. He puts me on Topamax daily and gives me 1 sample of Zomig and 2 of Maxalt. He gave me several shots in the right side of my neck, the right side of my head is where they always started. First headache I tried Zomig, it work wonders!! I was hardly dizzy : ). The next 2 I used the Maxalt and it worked great too. But I still had 3 migraines within 2 weeks. I called the neurologist and was called in some Zomig nasal spray.

Next headache comes and the Zomig didn't work. I was very congested so I guess the medication didn't get up to where it needed to. I got into my reg. dr asap and was given maxalt, it worked fine. It was filled on 3/8, with 6 pills, I only have 2 left, so I've had 4 migraines since 3/8.

Sorry this is so long, but I am scared about so many migraines. I know my stress level is very high, Jonas did get a diagnosis of autism and I have been battling Early Intervention for treatment. Then the autims clinic said they did not have a contract with EI, but EI said there was a contract, this went on for weeks. EI finally found the actual contract (at the head office) signed this past Nov by the same woman who was adamant there was no contract, this was yesterday and they faxed it to the autism clinic.

Soooo, even if my stress level is high, I am having way too many migraines. I know I need to get back into see the headache specialist, but its a 1.5 hour drive and DH has to take a 1/2 day vacation (to stay with the boy) and he is very overwhelmed at work, I hate to ask him.

I was wondering what other women were getting for treatment for migraines and if there was something that might work better for me. I do think the daily Topamax has helped. Plus it has a great side effect of weight loss, I've lost 11 lbs since 2/14, lol!

Just wanted to get others opinions.

Thanks,

Samantha

[SammyeGail]

I do want to add that I have greatly reduced my caffine intake. I like Coke, but sip on a 16 oz bottle a day, some days a little more. I also am drinking alot more water.

Samantha

[schums]

I'm so sorry you're having such a rough time. Migraines truly suck! I've had migraines since I hit puberty and have been on a bunch of different meds. For propholatics, I've been on inderol (blood pressure med), nortriptilene (sp) and desipramine (both tricyclic antidepressants) and topamax. For treatment at the time of the migraine, I've been on fiorinal and fioricet (both narcotics), midrin, imitrex and relpax (and at least one or two that I can't even remember the names of). To break the cycle of migraines when they've gotten really bad, I've used steroids and naproxen.

My experiences: Inderol had to be discontinued because it sent me into a miserable depression (think suicide watch) that took about 3 months to climb out of while I was in grad school. Topamax was a nightmare. It stopped the migraines, but I had every other side effect in the book (except weight loss) -- vision problems, slowed mental ability, emotion extremes. I hated it and got off as soon as I could. The meds that worked best for me were the tricyclic antidepressants. I went for years with none or only a few migraines, which could be managed by other meds. I only experienced one side effect, which was weight gain, which sucked but not as bad as the migraines!

As far as abortive meds, Midrin stoped the migraine, but I had wicked rebound headaches. Fiorinal/fioricet are narcotics that bascially knock me out until the migraine passes. Great for pain, but it takes 12+ hours to be functional -- not too good with kids. I still use it, but only if I have another adult to watch the kids, and if the headache isn't bad enough for other drugs. Imitrex caused some weird neurological issues with me, so that's out. It worked really well before I had to discontinue it. However, I do remember my neuro at the time saying you really should only use imitrex a couple of times a month or it can cause rebounds/not work as well. This was 10 years ago, so this may not be true any more. Relpax currently works for me, but I only use it like 1 or 2 times a year.

When I've had a bad run of migraines (multiple a month/week with bad symptoms), my neuros have prescribed a course of steriods, which seems to break the cycle by then end of the meds. Also, for several months, I was on 1000 mg of naproxen daily during the times my headaches were the worst. For me, I suddenly started having migraines around my period, so I took the meds the week before and of my period. You'd have to look at your pattern and see when (if) the migraines tend to flare up.

One of the things that really help my neuro was keeping a record of what was going on. I always thought I'd remember when/where/what, but by the time I got ito the office, I'd forget the details. My solution was to keep a calendar and pen on the wall of my bathroom, and any time I had a migraine, I'd record the details as soon as I felt well enough to stand up and write. It was a good location for me, since I go directly to bed when I get a migraine. I'd record as much info as I could remember on the date of the migraine, including things like what I ate, where I went, what I did, what meds I took (and how much), how long the headache lasted, etc. My neuro said this made it so much easier to help me since he could see exactly what the situation was. For example, we found that on days where I was exercising without eating first, I was much more likly to get a headache. Now, I try to eat on a regular schedule regardless of what I plan for the day, and I feel soo much better.

Sorry this has gotten so long! GL and I hope you feel better soon!

[Corie]

Migraines run in my family. I know that my grandfather used
to get them. Plus my mom. Two of my siblings plus me get migraines
and now my 3 yr. old son has CVS which is basically an abdominal
migraine.

The only thing that works for me is the 5mg. Zomig. I've tried many
many other prescriptions.

Since I get so many of them, I have also tried preventative therapy.
I've tried Topomax plus too many others that I can't even remember.

My main culprit is my period. My migraines start 2 days before
my period and last the entire length of the cycle. But I also
get random migraines throughout the month.
I asked my doctor for a hysterectomy just to get rid of the migraines.
She wouldn't do it but she said it wouldn't work anyway. Your body
has to go through menopause naturally.

I'm willing to do just about anything for my head not to hurt.

I also have really bad allergies so I suffer from sinus headaches too.
Unfortunately, migraines and sinus headaches share alot of the same
nerve endings.

I'm just a barrel of fun.

:)

[cvanbrunt]

My migraines aren't anything like the frequency you are describing. I get one or two a month. One always the Tuesday before my period starts so I can be prepared with my medication when the aura hits. The only thing that has ever worked for me is Midrin. If I take it before a full blown headache, I'm fine. If I wait too long, nothing will work and I'm looking at 24 to 48 hours of pain. I also unapologetically drink caffeine every day.

[MarisaSF]

Changing my birth control helped me. I was on the pill for years and at the worst, was getting headaches 2-3 times/week. I was not willing to go off the pill, so I took a prophylactic med, OTC meds, Imitrex, and Fiorinol. I now have a Mirena and get fewer headaches. What I get now is usually manageable with Tylenol and a nap.

[klwa]

Ha ve the docs checked to see if you have any food related triggers? I used to get them fairly regularly 1-2 times per month, but mine aren;t as bad as many people's. My dad has them & was given a list of foods to avoid. Avoiding those is usually enough to get mine under control. But, of course, they also include some of my favorite foods.... Like chocolate. And peanut butter. With this pregnancy, I can feel the "edges" coming on within an hour of eating peanut butter, so I've had to give it up.

[momtoonegirl]

My migraines have progressively gotten worse since their onset when I was 17 years old, therefore I have treated them differently throughout the course of the last 20 years.

Initially, I used to get them twice/year around midterms and finals, and treated them with warm towels on my forehead and face, and light/sound avoidance. This worked through college and graduate school.

They eventually became more hormonally driven, and more severe. I now have them usually 2 days before my period, and variably through the cycle and immediately after, pretty much every month. Before I was pregnant, I took Zomig, and it helped. If it didn't, I pretty much had to go to work, turn off most of the lights and keep the door closed all day :(

I actually didn't have any migraines while I was pregnant or breastfeeding, until my cycles returned to some regularity.

Now, I take 800mg Ibuprofen, and try light/sound avoidance as long as I can with a 2 year old :blahblah:. I haven't resumed the Zomig, as we are TTC #2, so I just sort of suffer with the above treatment until the headache dissipates. Like others have mentioned, I also have sinus headaches that feel similar.

[hillview]

My neuro has told me NEVER to go on the pill (even the mini pill). I regulate caffine and sleep the best I can. Caffine means I drink 1 cup of coffee a day not - and not 2. Basically pick your amount and stick with it. Sleep is a MAJOR issue for my migraines. I try to get as much regular sleep as possible (7-8 hrs is ideal) with 2 kids under 3 this is often not possible but I really try to go to bed early. W/R/T drugs. I find that zomig (oral) works well when I take 6-8 mg of perphenazine (may be off label usage) before hand. I have not found that food has an impact on my migraines.
GOOD LUCk and HTH

/hillary

[Karenn]

Verapamil (usually a blood pressure medication) as a preventative has worked wonders for me. It's made a huge difference. No migraines, no side effects. I love it. Topamax was evil. It did nothing for my migraines, had horrible side effects and I didn't even get the bonus weight loss.

I hope you find an answer soon. My migraines weren't as bad as yours are, but now that mine have reduced so dramatically, my quality of life had increased just as dramatically.

[Corie]

My neuro has told me NEVER to go on the pill (even the mini pill).

/hillary


It's funny because my neuro and I have discussed the birth control pill.
(I don't need it since my tubes are tied.) But I have been wondering
about the pill that you take continuously therefore eliminating your period
would be beneficial for me. If I don't get a period, then I won't
have the hormonal changes and hopefully, no migraines. I'm thinking
about trying this.

[MelissaTC]

Since I have gone off the pill and cut back on my nitrate intake (I hardly ever eat bacon anymore), my migraines have almost disappeared. I have taken midrin (does nothing), butibital which basically allowed me to sleep it off albeit leaving me in a fog and not a good thing with a little one, and imitrex.

[ThreeofUs]

I'm so sorry you're going through this. It's so hard to function when constantly under attack by your body.

I get migraines when I am allergic to something or when stressed. Until I moved to SoCal, I used sleep and coedine. In California, I got migraines every morning until I got Imitrex, which helped immensely and took me from daily to 2/weekly migraines. (I was allergic to mold, which was everywhere.) I now use Maxalt when things are horrible.

Mostly, though, I try to use avoidance of triggers that, thanks to the CA experience, I understand pretty well. (I know, not so helpful....) One thing I had to learn how to do was manually relax the muscles in my scalp and neck. This took me years to learn, but has helped keep me free of stress migraines.

And, now that I'm pg again, I meditate or go to bed at the first sign of migraine. I'm just too scared to take a Class C, even though 1 dose is supposed to be okay.

Best of luck with your situation and your migraines.

[set81616]

I had Maxalt but the kind that dissolved in your mouth so it was still in the system if you threw up. I also found ice packs help. Even better are the be cool patches you get for kids fevers. I'm not sure what all the drugs you have tried are but when I was getting them often my doc put me on paxil. Weird to be on an antidepressant but it helped. I used to get them 1-2 a month esp. id my sleep cycle was off. Cutting out all cokes and taking something as soon as I felt pain on just one side of my head even if it was excedrin migrane. Also make sure you arn't getting rebound headaches. As much as it stinks you may need to cut out meds for a few weeks to stop rebounds. Really try to figure out your triggers. My main one was too much sun and heat or changing my sleep cycle. Good luck.
Shannon

[Corie]

I also found ice packs help. Even better are the be cool patches you get for kids fevers.
Shannon


I ALWAYS use an ice pack! I take my Zomig and grab an ice
pack and head for the couch.

I have also used these Migraine Cooling Patches along with my
Zomig.

http://www.wellpatch.com/productinfo.php?id=3

[julieakc]

It's funny because my neuro and I have discussed the birth control pill.
(I don't need it since my tubes are tied.) But I have been wondering
about the pill that you take continuously therefore eliminating your period
would be beneficial for me. If I don't get a period, then I won't
have the hormonal changes and hopefully, no migraines. I'm thinking
about trying this.

I think the cause of the migraines might be the difference.

I get hormonal migraines (have since early 20s at least) and have always been on the pill. I went off the pill for a while, per suggestion of a doctor, but it didn't make a difference. They're clearly associated with my periods. I don't recall having any migraines while pregnant/nursing. I am now on seasonale and the migraines are less frequent since the periods are less frequent so Corie you might want to try the pill and see if it helps.

I believe if you read the warnings for most brands of birth control pills they advice against using them if you have migraines, but I suspect that is for women who have migraines for non-hormonal reasons.

[TahliasMom]

I Feel your pain, literally. I started getting migraines around 20 yrs old. I was up to 1200mg of Advil. then I went to 1200mg of advil and 600mg od They progressivly got worse and finally figured out it was my birth control. I was on ortho tricyclin. the frequency went down to about 1-2 a month. Sleep was also a big thing for me as well as stress.
As I got into the corporate world my stress level shot up threw the roof. I was out for 2-3 days at a time. I was put on low blood pressure meds which almost made me pass out. then my hair lady suggested imitrex and it was a lifesaver! i also started seeing a chiropractor 2x a month and that helped a lot. of course it would knock me out for few hours but then i was able to function.
my hardest time was my pregnancy. my migraines were so sever i would lay in bed crying for days. all i could take was tylenol which didn't do anything. i would ice, i would use those cooling head patches. i was miserable as hell. i started seeing a massage therapist 2x a month and that seem to help a lot.
after baby, it seemed like i had a continual migraine for the first two months. stress and sleep deprivation. after that it stabilized. i went to my obgyn and was put on the mini pill which messed with my migraines. i was taken off it and put on another. it didn't help so I stopped altogether.
i went back to my doctor and imitrex. it stopped working! so she put me on topomax but it conflicted iwth my other meds. so i switched back to my advil/excedrin routine.
i found another doc, she recommended going back to seeing a chiro, and gave me some stretches to do in the morning. put me back on imitrex and it started to work again.

now i'm on that pill that I take continiously and only have my period 4 times a year. This helps with migraines as I think my hormones have an influence on timing and severity.

so my regime:
I keep my caffeine intake to one serving a day, skip chocolate when I am low on sleep. Make sure I excercise and drink lots of water. eat fruit and veggies and keep my meat intake low. i also switched mostly to soy.

Also March is the worst as the weather and pressure fluculate. so i mentally try to prepare for the worst. LOL. I go to my chiro at least every 2 weeks, more if i feel like i'm tensing up.

hugs to all of you!!!

[TahliasMom]

I Feel your pain, literally. I started getting migraines around 20 yrs old. I was up to 1200mg of Advil. then I went to 1200mg of advil and 600mg od They progressivly got worse and finally figured out it was my birth control. I was on ortho tricyclin. the frequency went down to about 1-2 a month. Sleep was also a big thing for me as well as stress.
As I got into the corporate world my stress level shot up threw the roof. I was out for 2-3 days at a time. I was put on low blood pressure meds which almost made me pass out. then my hair lady suggested imitrex and it was a lifesaver! i also started seeing a chiropractor 2x a month and that helped a lot. of course it would knock me out for few hours but then i was able to function.
my hardest time was my pregnancy. my migraines were so sever i would lay in bed crying for days. all i could take was tylenol which didn't do anything. i would ice, i would use those cooling head patches. i was miserable as hell. i started seeing a massage therapist 2x a month and that seem to help a lot.
after baby, it seemed like i had a continual migraine for the first two months. stress and sleep deprivation. after that it stabilized. i went to my obgyn and was put on the mini pill which messed with my migraines. i was taken off it and put on another. it didn't help so I stopped altogether.
i went back to my doctor and imitrex. it stopped working! so she put me on topomax but it conflicted iwth my other meds. so i switched back to my advil/excedrin routine.
i found another doc, she recommended going back to seeing a chiro, and gave me some stretches to do in the morning. put me back on imitrex and it started to work again.

now i'm on that pill that I take continiously and only have my period 4 times a year. This helps with migraines as I think my hormones have an influence on timing and severity.

so my regime:
I keep my caffeine intake to one serving a day, skip chocolate when I am low on sleep. Make sure I excercise and drink lots of water. eat fruit and veggies and keep my meat intake low. i also switched mostly to soy.

Also March is the worst as the weather and pressure fluculate. so i mentally try to prepare for the worst. LOL. I go to my chiro at least every 2 weeks, more if i feel like i'm tensing up.

hugs to all of you!!!

[MontrealMum]

I come from a family of migraine sufferers too, but luckily mine are not as severe as many described here, and not as frequent. Strangely, both my parents used to see the same doctor, then my mom switched. My dad's are under control with lifestyle changes (now that he's with a new doc), hers are not. Now, obviously the gender difference is a big thing here, but my mom's stubborn refusal to listen to the advice given to her, and to change her lifestyle or take a different type of med, I'm sure has contributed as well. (Not the place here, but my mom's an odd woman)

Some things to think about: caffeine intake, other dietary-related things, and other medications. For example, my mother has been on HRT for a hysterectomy for over 30 years (definately NOT the recommended length of use for normal opst-menopausal women). If they're hormone-related, this would be something to consider. Also, she takes fiornal, not any of the newer meds because she doesn't *trust* them...and it has quite a reputation for creating dependancy, and in effect, actually CAUSING the migraines it was prescribed to treat in the first place. When my dad went off fiornal (and started exercising/eating better) his migraines basically stopped. Whatever he does now is OTC.

Just something to consider. I know with my dad they did the tracking of what he did/ate etc. that a pp suggested and that was very helpful in controlling his condition.

[Corie]

I think the cause of the migraines might be the difference.

I get hormonal migraines (have since early 20s at least) and have always been on the pill. I went off the pill for a while, per suggestion of a doctor, but it didn't make a difference. They're clearly associated with my periods. I don't recall having any migraines while pregnant/nursing. I am now on seasonale and the migraines are less frequent since the periods are less frequent so Corie you might want to try the pill and see if it helps.

I believe if you read the warnings for most brands of birth control pills they advice against using them if you have migraines, but I suspect that is for women who have migraines for non-hormonal reasons.



Yes, I completely agree with you, Julie! It depends on your type
of migraine. Since the majority of my migraines are hormonal,
I really think the pill could help me.
I'll have to remember the name, Seasonale. Thanks!! :)

[Alice523]

I, too, have near daily migraines. My neurologist, who is revered in the field and definitely the best on the West Coast, told me I am the worst case he's ever seen. I truly thought that my case couldn't be *that* bad, but I guess it is.

I don't really have time to reply to this now but wanted to chime in and say that I literally feel your pain. I will come back later with what has/has not helped me. They hit for me at age 3 (my poor parents - now that I have a 2 y/o I see how hard it would be to get him to articulate where the pain is located, etc.) but worsened in high school to the point that I had to go on a home program my senior year. It has been a nightmare! I worry constantly that my kids will have one of those childhoods in which "Mommy's sick" far too often.

I'll be back. I really feel for you!

[carolinamama]

Like you, I experienced increasing migraines last fall after several very stressful events (a partial molar pregnancy and some health problems with dh). I have always had migraines since a child but could deal with them with pain meds until this fall. It was getting very difficult to function on a daily basis. I know some of my triggers, but mainly all stress goes to my head and I end up with a terrible long-lasting migraine.

My primary care doc and neurologist were wonderful. First I tried Propranolol but that dropped my blood pressure and heart rate making me feel so awful that it was unbearable. Imitrex does work for me for an acute situation, but I still needed a prophylactic. So I started on low-dose Cymbalta and it worked wonders for me. I am now off of it b/c I am pregnant but would gladly go back on it after my delivery if need be. I guess I should say that Cymbalta was chosen because I also felt that my mood could use a pick-me-up. It's best result was certainly for the migraines though. Another non-medication thing to consider stress relief, if possible. While I really credit the Cymbalta, I also started a routine of stretching each morning and several other destressors where I tried to block out all other stimuli.

Hope that your migraines get better - I feel for you. I certainly understand how debilitating they are and with everything going on with you, they make everything that much worse.

[newmomto1]

I've been getting migraines since I was about 18 (I am 41 now).
I have tried EVERYTHING!
I am actually too tired to go into all I've tried right now (plus, my head hurts...shocker)
My current meds:
No preventatives (I've had issues with every one I've tried)
When I get a headache I take either Zomig or Maxalt.
If it's a pretty bad, I take Diclofinac & Compazine in combination with one of the above...and sometimes even add Fioicet to that.
I spend A LOT of time on the couch with an ice bag...my poor family!
I hate having my kids see me like that...but what can you do?
My DH is always coming up with something "new" that he read will work for migraines...then I have to disappoint him by saying...been there, done that, didn't work :(
Other than my own mother, I've never really met anyone who suffers as much as I do with headaches..so this thread is comforting for me in that sense.
I have some form of a headache EVERY day. It it a total bummer!
I cannot imagine what life would be like with out them...all the extra energy I would have!
Thank you all for posting your experiences!

[Melbel]

I also suffer from migraines following an auto accident in my 20's. Similar to PPs, I also had a terrible experience with Topamax. I have tried numerous medications over the years, some helpful, most were not. Because some of my treatments vary from other posts, I am adding a brief description of treatments that have proven helpful:

Prophylactic: Discontinued BCP, high daily doses of Riboflavin (water soluable B vitamin), avoid sleep disturbances(if possible), limit caffeine, stretching

Acute: Imitrex, Maxalt, Zomig, Phenergren in gel form (from compounding pharmacy, rub into wrist, using as much or little as needed; this has really helped with vomiting and relieves headache pain for me)

Good luck and I hope you feel better.

[tnrnchick74]

I have had migraines since I was 6 years old. I get cluster migraines as well as good old-fashioned regular migraines.

I have tried propanalol, midrin, imetrex, and various other things

The only things that worked were daily Topamax and Axert for headaches. OF course I can't take EITHER while pregnant!

I tried the reducing caffeine thing...after being off caffeine totally for 2 months (slow taper off) I had MORE mirgraines than when I was drinking WAY too much! So my neurologist recommended low dose caffeine!

Every person is different. Every treatment is different. Every headache can even be different!

[BabyMine]

I used Migranol before I got pregnant.That and physical therapy. You can ounly take migranol once every 72 hours. It will not get rid of headaches. I have had migraines since I was 13. They have casued seizures, momments of blindness, and partial paralysis for a few hours. They are not fun to deal with.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Ok, so I have NO experience here, and I'm so sorry you are all going through this. Yesterday, I learned at the Peds Cardiology Center where DS was getting an Echocardiogram that if you have a Patent (I think that's what it is) (PDA) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patent_ductus_arteriosus) that having it closed may lessen the migraines. I am no way medically literate, but I found it interesting. Our cardiologist said LOTS of people have them (maybe 1 in 4??) and don't even know it. I thought it may be something for people to look into if they are having recurrent migraines.

[KBecks]

I don't know the difference between a headache and a migrane. I don't know if I've ever had a migrane, I've had bad headaches sometimes.

I usually suffer for an hour and then take an Advil.