RE: Migraine Medications (Full Version)

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LittleMeganV -> RE: Migraine Medications (9/17/2009 9:37:26 AM)

There is a prescription Migraine prevention drug out there. It's called Elavil (sp), it used to be used as a non-addictive anti-depressant till they realized it didn't work. It does how ever work well as a non-addictive sleep aid, and if take over a period of time (2-3 weeks to build up) has Migraine prevention properties. However keep in mind that drugs (any drugs even aspirin) do very very little to relieve tension headaches and migraines; the only real way to relieve those is to identify the stressor in your life and then make adjustments to remove that stressor.



smurph -> RE: Migraine Medications (9/17/2009 10:12:36 AM)

I don't know what to tell you about migraines.  I get them several times a month and right now I am dealing with a series of them that have been happening for about 10 days now.  I know these are migraines by the simple fact that I get to the point of wanting to throw up.  I also have gotten cluster headaches in the past.  They are characterized, for me, by just hurting like hell and not going away no matter how much advil, aleve or Motrin I take.  With my migraines I typically find a cold, dark place to lay down with a cold damp wash cloth over my eyes.  I tend to drift off to sleep while laying there and by the time I wake up the migraine is either gone or manageable. As for the cluster headaches, i take a combination of advil and aspirin and try to keep from moving more than i have to so they can run their course.  i wish for you relief.



xoxkittenxox -> RE: Migraine Medications (9/17/2009 10:16:33 AM)

Diaries.... For DAILY migraines... Hows this. I get them every day. No matter what. From anywhere between 4:30 AM when I wake up, to around 7 or 8! I know I am light sensitive with them, but there is no sun that early in the morning! I've been through the MSG stuff. I don't eat any processed meats or Chinese or a lot of different things... I haven't done an allergy thing because I brought it up to my doctor and shes an idiot. I've had a CT, want an MRI. Again, shes an idiot. I FINALLY have an EKG and I haven't been able to get to the hospital. I fuckin' hate Kaiser.

I'll look into Elavil but I know its not a 'stressor'. Nothing has remained constant over the 7 years of migraines. I mean, unless I'm allergic to living, I can't pin point anything. I get no sinus symptoms, I get no rashes. I'm unusually susceptible to sunburns but I have fair skin.  Maybe I'm allergic to light. o.o



Mercnbeth -> RE: Migraine Medications (9/17/2009 10:46:52 AM)

some folks theorize that because women get migraine headaches more than men, it might have something to do with their hormones.  some Dutch scientists did a study on male to female transgendered folks, thinking that the sex-hormones might have something to do with migraines.  read more here

as great as it is that certain folks have discovered the specific external triggers for them, that they can avoid, not ALL migraines sufferers are suffering due to avoidable external triggers.



porcelaine -> RE: Migraine Medications (9/17/2009 10:49:36 AM)

elavil can also leave the user feeling very sluggish the next day. for migraines i'd recommend asking if you can get lidocaine. it is available in several formats but the patches are best. you cut a small strip and apply it to the area causing pain. this can be used for pain or migraine like symptoms as well. you wear the patch for twelve hours and leave it off for twelve as well. for persons with varying types of pain this can be a possible solution.

porcelaine



Mercnbeth -> RE: Migraine Medications (9/17/2009 10:58:05 AM)

you actually tried a lidocaine patch as a remedy for a migraine and had it work?  for this slave, lidocaine is about as effective as an ice cube.
 
good for you!!!



angelikaJ -> RE: Migraine Medications (9/17/2009 11:18:44 AM)

As with most things, migraine treatment is not a one size fits all world.

Ask her for a referal to a neurology based headache clinic.

For some people, one of the older tricyclic anti-depressants work and for other people beta-blockers help.
For some people it is Topamax and for some people it is botox injections.

Best wishes.









DesFIP -> RE: Migraine Medications (9/17/2009 11:19:20 AM)

You mention smoking. I had migraines occasionally when I smoked, but none since I quit.



xoxkittenxox -> RE: Migraine Medications (9/17/2009 11:51:51 AM)

Migraines = 7 years. Smoking = 7 months? If that. Same for coffee. Never drank a whole lot of coffee. Never drank any until I was around 17. Never was a soda drinker, nor tea... I was a typical healthy kid... If Lidocaine is anything like Head-On.... I think I'll have to shoot you. Head-On... Makes my forehead feel like its gonna puke. Thats how I describe it... My forehead feels cold and nauseous. I am so tired of all these crazy strong drugs that... Any of them could fuck my body up so bad that I don't know if temporary relief is worth a lifetime or grief. (Didn't mean to make that rhyme) Hence why I've tried so many diets and sleeping and pot and coffee and.... All this testing leads to more radiation, which may or may not figure out my issue, which may lead to more drugs, even more severe side effects and even more pain... I don't even want to know what goes into those high strength brain-altering pills...



angelikaJ -> RE: Migraine Medications (9/17/2009 2:02:51 PM)

Have you been to a neurology clinic that specializes in migraines?

Lidocaine is a topical anesthetic.

Zomig and Imitrex are both triptans.
Triptans work by constricting the blood vessals in the brain.
They work best if taken when the headache begins, but in your case it seems as if the cure is worse than the disease.

Nortriptyline is actually the active metabolite of Elavil (amitriptyline).

Depakote and Topamax are both anti-epilepsy drugs that work on stopping migraines.
Depakote tends to cause weight gain and Topamax can cause weight loss.

You can find information on various treatment options here:
http://www.migraines.org/



xoxkittenxox -> RE: Migraine Medications (9/17/2009 2:34:22 PM)

Oh, I was on amitriptyline. I didn't know its brand name, though.

I think I'm just going to give up on drugs and try some all natural remedies... Doctor mentioned CoQ10... I'ma get some.



BossyShoeBitch -> RE: Migraine Medications (9/17/2009 2:35:38 PM)

One thing I can tell you. If coffee and cigarettes weren't ever a cause because you only recently took up the habits, they certainly aren't helping.

How's your musculature? Do you exercise? Stretch? Do yoga? Do you get regular massages or chiropractic adjustments?
For me, these things are very helpful in preventing/alleviating my migraines.


I also have a friend whose Dr. tried injections of Botox into (the head or neck I think) and it helped alleviate her chronic, daily migraines...


Did you say you don't have Bruxism? Do you sleep with a night guard? What kind of mattress/pillow do you sleep on? What postion do you sleep in? Do you eat anything in the hours before you go to sleep? Have you tried testing your blood sugar level before you go to sleep and then again right after you wake up?

Do you drink enough water each day?



xoxkittenxox -> RE: Migraine Medications (9/17/2009 3:00:18 PM)

I stretch regularly, medium to light workouts. Don't do yoga. Been to a chiropractor once but they could find nothing wrong. They certainly do help. They have been my only help. After these damn migraines are gone, I can't wait to quit smoking, though. No problems with my blood sugar. I can go days without eating and I can eat a lot in one day and I feel no different. I drink TONS of water. I've been thinking about Botox but its just more shit going into my body that I would prefer not to have there. Right now, I don't have a mattress. I use a few pillows. My primary pillow is one of those tempurpedic things.... Another is a soft down and the last is a regular firm pillow. Each serves different purposes. Firm under my hips, down between my legs, and primary under my head. I sleep on my side, on the floor, right now. I don't wake up sore, though. I don't toss and turn.



porcelaine -> RE: Migraine Medications (9/17/2009 3:15:19 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mercnbeth

you actually tried a lidocaine patch as a remedy for a migraine and had it work?  for this slave, lidocaine is about as effective as an ice cube.
 
good for you!!!


yes they did! mine are at very strange places. near the back of my head/behind my ear. i've had mri's and such. but the patch did help. of course i looked idiotic with that strip in front of my head. *lol* but it did the trick. i did see a neurologist though and i only use it when things are very bad. i don't have a continual issue. i hope yours improves!

porcelaine



porcelaine -> RE: Migraine Medications (9/17/2009 3:22:02 PM)

elevated blood pressure levels and the foods you intake can contribute. as i said my problem rarely occurs. but i revamped my diet completely and i'm largely flexitarian, nearly wholly organic. i don't consume any carbonated drinks or use synthetic substitutes either. i patronize a butcher, fish, and cheese monger for their respective items, and purchase everything else from whole foods or trader joe's. you may want to tweak things to see if doing so will help. also, water intake is important. that is all i consume aside from wine, tea, and coffee.

porcelaine



angelikaJ -> RE: Migraine Medications (9/17/2009 3:34:22 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: xoxkittenxox

Oh, I was on amitriptyline. I didn't know its brand name, though.

I think I'm just going to give up on drugs and try some all natural remedies... Doctor mentioned CoQ10... I'ma get some.



If you are taking Elavil now, you are on amitriptyline.




igor2003 -> RE: Migraine Medications (9/17/2009 3:55:38 PM)

FR

I'll assume that you have tried the various over-the-counter brands of things. I've tried most all of those and the only one that helps my migrains is the Excedrin Migrain GelTabs....the Excedrin Migraine caplets didn't do a thing for me and yet I think they are supposed to be the same meds...so who knows?

When I was much younger and before any of the over-the-counters had any migraine specific options I noticed that when I was getting a migraine and while I had the migraine that my sinuses became very sensitive and I would sneeze a lot, and that immediately after each sneezing fit my head would throb worse than ever for about 5 minutes. I finally decided to try to at least stop as much of the sneezing as I could and started taking cold and allergy tablets designed to stop sneezing....and guess what? If I caught it soon enough each time the cold and allergy tabs often made the migraine go away. If nothing else, it made it more tollerable. It seems like it was Sine-U-Tabs that worked the best for me.

Now, as I said, If I realize soon enough that i'm getting a migraine I take a couple of Excedrin Migraine GelTabs and that is usually all I need.

Also, I've noticed a kind of chicken and egg thing that goes on with my usual migrains in that when I am getting a migraine I usually have trouble sleeping...both getting to sleep and staying asleep. But I have yet to figure out whether the lack of sleep causes the migraines, or if the onset of the migraine causes the sleep problems.

It does seem that as I'm getting older that the migraines are starting to get to be fewer and farther between.



xoxkittenxox -> RE: Migraine Medications (9/17/2009 4:07:59 PM)

No, I WAS on the Amitriptyline. I stopped it a while back though. And, I've tried the GelTabs. But, again, overdosed. I took normal dosages, felt little relief, kept going, and eventually ended up seizing and scaring the shit out of my exgirlfriend. Not going back.

I'm all organics, too. Whole Foods, Trader Joes, vitamins, everything. I do all that. Don't drink alcohol. Drink tons of water. Drink coffee... Thats about it.I even drink the raw milk. I'm MUCHO organic! ^^



Hansbrink51 -> RE: Migraine Medications (9/17/2009 4:17:16 PM)

I ended up on Topomax only after 4 years of that and botox injections on the head to get rid of 24/7 migraines that kept me out of work for 7 months.  My first neurologist had me on Oxycotin and other pain killers but didn't find out the cause.  I switched to another neurologist after 3 months of just sleeping 20 plus hours a day.  One botox session a month later had me back to work after making sure it worked out ok.  Ten weeks between injections killed off the synapses to feel the migraines.  I had stopped all caffine, soda, chocolate, changed diet, etc. to figure out what caused them.  I have low blood pressure 110/80 for being 53 at the time and weighing 250.  Everything checked out okay.  They did 2 spinal taps and my level was over 270 both times on a 90 baseline they said. 
I recommend Topomax in the long run.  It does make you really thirsty!



xoxkittenxox -> RE: Migraine Medications (9/17/2009 4:32:31 PM)

Well, when I get to the point where I can no longer manage them, and it starts, well, makes getting work done and such, I will go back to the doctor. For now, I wanna find wholistic help. I'm tired of pumping poison into my body.



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