Have you ever had a migraine?

Caffeine, aspirin, and tylenol might help. That's what Exedrin Migraine is. I used to get migraines and there are a lot of fancy but marginally effective medicines. If it doesn't get better in a few hours go to urgent care.

It's a migraine. Take IBP and Tylenol together - for pain relief they work great together and are advised to be taken together when pain is severe (make sure not to go over daily mgs for each for the day).

Also, you can take a muscle relaxer -methocarbamol (prescription medication) that works great but can be sedating.

Cold or hot compress across the forehead and down by the temples is good too. Stay in the dark and try to sleep.

Yes. In bed for two days, couldn't move my eyes without pain. When it was over, I was sensitive to light. I now use Advil in advance to kill that noise before it gets really bad.

I second Excedrin Migraine. I've been getting migraines regularly since I was 12 years old, and they are horrendous. I used to get nauseous and vomit from them, but for whatever reason, I don't anymore. However, I always get a visual aura before the actual headache comes on, which is almost worse than the pain because it instills pure dread for what's to come (that, and it impairs your vision—sometimes I have squiggly lines, blind spots, etc.). Whenever I start getting an aura, I pop two Excedrin Migraine, and, provided that I am able to, lie down and try to sleep through it.

If I were you, I'd run to the store and get him Excedrin Migraine. The best thing he can do is sleep, which is hard when it feels like an anvil is crushing your skull, but if he takes some of that, it should bring some relief. This might be just me, but after the migraine pain subsides, I tend to get a feeling of euphoria paired with extreme hunger, so maybe have some food on hand for whenever he's gotten through it. My head usually is sensitive for about 24 hours after the migraine attack has subsided—any quick movement can bring light tinges of pain.

I've only had a migraine a few times, but each time I did the pain was so amazing that it made me throw up, and once I puked I felt so much better.

If you live in a state where weed is legal - thc will help mixed with aspirin. Also, a couple of drinks - (I take a vodka soda) and I am usually good in an hour) Mine used to be debilitating. Now I can manage them.

So sorry you guys hurt like this. Love you.

I’ve only had one. The pain was so bad I puked my guts out. I got to where I balled up in the fetal position in the dark in bed until it stopped. Was horrible.

OP,

Studies have shown that taking a magnesium supplement can reduce the incidence of migraines.

I get acephalgic migraines.

Tylenol, Excedrin, etc. are useless with real migraines. caffeine will take the edge off, but not really bring relief. Triptans, which used to cost a fortune but now come as generics, are the most effective medications. Everyone has somewhat different symptoms--I'm sometimes nauseous, often made irritable by noise, and the pain can vary in its location and sensation--deep dull ache or like an icepick. Other people are light sensitive. Some people have an aura.

Wow, R4, you could be my migraine twin. Only difference is that mine started at 11.

Just curious, are you a woman? I ask, because my doctor once told me that migraines tend to lessen in severity as women age, but get worse for men as they age.

This looks like hell. I have had kidney stones and not been in this shape. Got him Excedrin Migraine...he puked up coffee. I’m watching the debate innthe guest room.

No R12, I'm a man, age 29. The migraine severity lessened in my mid-20s. They aren't quite as extreme as they used to be, and I haven't gotten nauseous from one since I was around 23–24 years old.

I began getting them after a concussion. Mine feel like a throbbing mass behind my left eye. My neurologist says that my brain was shaken on impact with an overhead door. Since that time, a experience migraines triggered by bright light. It’s a miserable experience.

Yes to Excedrin Migraine and weed.

If you don't take him to the ER, you must still make an appointment with a neurologist for a medication to take when he's got them.

It takes a lot of experimentation to find the right tryptan--they're very different. The most helpful ones (I've heard of) are Imitrex injections and Relpax. But you have to start that process asap because it takes a while. If you go to the hospital, they will give him a painkiller (dilaudid in a bag), but not a true headache medication.

Just be sure he has a migraine and not a brain bleed or something. Is his speech alright?

As mentioned above sleep will let the blood vessels in the brain reset. If your partner doesn't go to the ER call the PCP tomorrow and get Imitrex (generic Sumatriptan). Avoid alcohol if taking it.

For many people, migraines are triggered by specific foods. Commonly: chocolate, red wine, basil, cilantro are some of the most common triggers. But they can be specific to each person. The experience of aura is not universal, but for those of us who get it - it’s the early warning sign to take meds and get to bed

There is good news for your partner. Migraines can be managed. The advice from others to see a doctor is spot on. I’ll advance that to “neurologist”. Migraines are pretty specific, especially following any kind of trauma and should be evaluated.

If you can help your partner keep a migraine diary of when they experience migraine, how long the symptoms last and how severe they are and the extent to which they interfere with work and life. The doctor will be looking at intensity and frequency of migraine.

For people who experience frequent migraines, there are prescriptions that reduce the frequency and intensity of migraines. For people who experience severe migraines - more than 15 a month, there are FDA approved therapies to prevent them.

For now, ice in a bag wrapped in multiple layers of towels may help some of the pain in the shoulders and neck. For some, it helps numb the pain in the scalp. I’d resist taking a prescription until a neurologist can evaluate. The reason is the wrong drug can cause a rebound migraine: a migraine that comes back a day after drug treatment to stop it. If your partner can drink water without vomiting, encourage them.

Cover any windows with blankets.

I had a few migraine in the my 20s. They were triggered by bright light and eating a combination of chocolate, red wine, cheese and too much caffeine. The pain wasn't as bad as the effect on my vision. I tried to limit my intake of those foods (especially red wine and chocolate together) and seemed to have put an end to them. I also saw auras before the migraine and going into a totally dark room would sometimes head them off.

But migraines seem to effect people differently and are a caused by a multitude of factors. Keeping a migraine diary is an excellent suggestion.

Sounds like a migraine to me too. Mine are light-triggered and they can last for hours.

I found out that Excedrin Migraine is the exact same thing as regular Excedrin. But it definitely helps.

Give him magnesium.

[quote] Is it unreal pain?

Actually, Rose, it feels more like a soothing jacuzzi.

Two of the PM's or one or two benedryl.

Thanks, R4 and R14. My last one with vomiting was around 18. When I was a child, the vomiting was vicious. Glad it has stop.

I also don't feel as much pain with movement anymore. When I was younger, I tried to stay as still as I could or more crazy pain.

Funny things, these headaches on steroids.

[quote]And once it comes, now that I am wise in its ways, I no longer fight it. I lie down and let it happen. At first every small apprehension is magnified, every anxiety a pounding terror. Then the pain comes, and I concentrate only on that. Right there is the usefulness of migraine, there in that imposed yoga, the concentration on the pain. For when the pain recedes, ten or twelve hours later, everything goes with it, all the hidden resentments, all the vain anxieties. The migraine has acted as a circuit breaker, and the fuses have emerged intact. There is a pleasant convalescent euphoria. I open the windows and feel the air, eat gratefully, sleep well. I notice the particular nature of a flower in a glass on the stair landing. I count my blessings.

Not only have I never had a migraine...I have never had a headache ever!!

That's right, I don't get headaches.

I used to get them when I was on birth control and found that once I puked the pain would ease and they would disappear.

It's often a mini stroke as migraine sufferers are more prone to stroke and brain aneurysms. Always see that you're hydrated and don't lift your arms over your head.

I've found that Aleve (naproxen sodium) is the most effective over-the-counter remedy for my migraines, particularly if I get it into my system as soon as I notice auras/light sensitivity before the pain hits. I'm a frequent sufferer, but most of mine are mild enough that Aleve can head off the actual headache if I take it in time. For the ones strong enough to shrug that off, it's usually a day or two huddled in a dark room with a cold, wet rag on my forehead.

Literally writhing in pain says to me that your partner has one bad enough to be worth an ER visit though. There they'll be able to administer stronger drugs like dilaudid that should be more effective, if your he thinks the risk of taking an opioid is warranted.

Please take your partner to the ER, OP. My sister's husband died from a brain aneurysm. He had a history of terrible migraines. I have no idea if going to the ER early on or being treated by a proper doctor for his migraines could have saved him, but we all wonder.

I've had migraines since I was 13 years old. I am now 70. When I was young the pain was awful, I threw up constantly and I had the aura effect where I lost part of my visual field. Now that I'm older I have no nausea and in fact no head pain but sometimes an ache in my shoulder. They only last for 30 minutes not for several hours as in the past. I know they're migraines because I still have the aura effect disturbing my vision. As for triggers I have no idea - although it often starts while staring at a computer screen , I've even awakened with a migraine. I sometimes think that changes in barometric pressure might be involved.

I get them from perfume and pesticides. Also dryer sheets and air freshener (really just other names for perfume).

OP, you make it sound like he hasn't had one of these before.

If that is the case, go to the ER, do not pass go! It could be a stroke, meningitis or any one of a number of dreadful things. Most likely it is just a severe migraine, but that's not decision you or he can make if this is a first time.

Photophobia (fear of light), along with a stiff neck, is THE indicator of brain inflammation. Put a sleep mask or blindfold and sunnies on him and get him to a hospital stat. Even if it's just a migraine they'll at least inject him with something useful.

I'm having migraines since i was 8 years old. It's part of my life.

Laura Branigan had the exact same symptoms at the OP.

Laura Branigan's song Shattered Glass was about her migraine visual aura. She described it as similar to looking through shattered glass.

Her song With Every Beat of My Heart was about the throbbing and pulsating headaches.

Your comment about Shattered Glass is very interesting as it is an apt description of the migraine aura based on my experience. I've also heard the shards of light described as moving crenellations.

I had my first migraine at 9 and they were so much worse as a child. The nausea and vomiting, any noise and it felt like I would die. They are much better now and i can only tell I’m having a migraine vs headache because of light sensitivity. I would get him to the ER if this is his first. Better safe than sorry if he is in that much pain.

I have frequent migraines and started Botox a year ago. It's not pleasant - it's 34 injections in my head, neck and shoulders every 3 months with the regular sized needles you expect with a flu shot. After that experience, I just go to bed and sleep for a few hours. But, the frequency of migraines has really fallen off. I've gone from more than 20 a month to usually one or two.

Sadly, it doesn't do squat from my wrinkles, but I'm sure the back of my head is baby smooth.

I had a few migraines when I was a teenager - they were bothersome but not disabling. The doctor gave me Cafergot. The headaches went away and never came back. I know that I'm lucky.

This thread is a bit of an insight into people who get migraines. All of you seem to want OP's partner to have a migraine so you can talk about yours.

In fact, OP's partner appears never to have been diagnosed with migraine, so it's very possible none of your comments are relevant.

Meanwhile R36 was, I assume, alluding to the fact that Laura Branigan died of an undiagnosed brain aneurysm.

R42 and you seem to think we don't know the difference between migraines, seizures and aneurysms? What? You think we just fell off the diagnosis turnip truck.

How many CT scans, MRIs and EEGs do you think most of us with migraines have been through to differentiate what's happening between our ears, hon? You leapt to a conclusion but you sticked the landing.

Laura Branigan is dead? I must have missed the memo.

If the OP's partner has never had this before, he should go to an ER and have a CT scan. It could be a subarachnoid hemorrhage (ruptured aneurysm), which is what R36 was alluding to that Laura Branigan died of.

Imitrex

R39 I think I had one at 9 as well, but none since and I'm 62. Bu t I can remember the incident vividly and tried to hide it from my parents.

[quote] This thread is a bit of an insight into people who get migraines. All of you seem to want OP's partner to have a migraine so you can talk about yours.

I have never had a migraine and rarely get headaches, but I have a disabled family member who has had a severe headache for 19 years now. In my posts up above, I was giving the OP the best advice that I have from seeing over 15 neurologists* and being through the diagnostic process over and over again (and over again). There are not just normal headaches and migraine--there are about 20 other kinds of headaches that are rare, but that have different characteristics all of their own and respond to very different kinds of medications (not the tryptans at all). And there are tons of off-label medications that sometimes can help stubborn headaches.

*Not for nothing, but because my family is kind of wealthy, we've been able to see some of the leading headache neurologists in this country. I'm very much aware that not everyone can do this, so when I find a headache sufferer who asks for advice, I try to tell them everything I know.

OP - what happened in the end?

R43 - so you're happy, on the basis of having had some scans yourself, to diagnose OP's partner who apparently has never had one?

And this disproves my point how?

I can't spell anyurism but it could be that. Take him to ER.

R50 you never had one. If it were an aneurysm, it would more likely present as massive pain, followed by collapse within two hours. There’s little overlap between migraine and aneurysm.

If you knew what you were talking about, you’d know the difference. You’d know your risk factor for stroke and which drugs you take daily. But, you go ahead and keep pulling it out of your ass with your “my imagined knowledge I googled is totally the equal of someone with 30 years experience, multiple diagnoses and brain scans due to brain trauma”

Go back to your Instagram.

OP hasn’t responded because he is busy making funeral arrangements.

R42 could you be any more of a pedantic cunt? People are talking about their experiences with migraines because it lends some credence to their advice. Are you daft?

R52, OP's partner was in massive pain, and he gave no indication that it had been going on for more than two hours. So how can you possibly know which it was?

He was still alive. That's your probably indicator versus an aneurysm R55.

R55 To clarify this, because I don't think you're really interested in the science.

Risk of stroke from a migraine is between 1-3%. The risk of stroke for men is twice as high as it is for women. There's stronger effort on migraine prevent in men for this reason, and in reducing co-factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Risk of a catastrophic event during an aortic aneurysm is over 20%, which is the leading cause of death from stroke. There's 500,00 deaths annually in the US from this out of 6 million aneurysms.

A single event with no previous history is more likely to lead him to an allergist if he recently tried food he doesn't normally eat. This can be everything from specific ingredients to additives.

Massive pain is common with migraine as well, and if it's your first one you don't know what the hell hit you. Try explaining a kidney stone if you've never had one.

This is like one of those "I found a lost cat" threads that are bullshit - get a ton of people to reply - and the OP is just laughing since it is all made up.

I used to get migraines two or three times a week.

I started taking beta blockers (for a different issue) and the headaches vanished.

Anyway - take him to the ER - better a little bright light on the way than to writhe in pain for hours.

They will give him something that will bring relief quickly

[quote]I sometimes think that changes in barometric pressure might be involved.

I've had this impression too. I get migraines very rarely, maybe once or twice a year, but invariably they're on warm sunny days when high pressure has suddenly moved in and the barometric pressure is significantly higher than the day before. It's the only constant I've been able to find. I mentioned it to my doctor once; he thought it was interesting but didn't seem to take it very seriously. I've never talked to a neurologist about it.

R60 - I definitely think that atmospheric pressure can induce migraines, at least for me, as I have definitely got them when there has been a rapid change in weather with none of my other triggers present (certain foods, certain smells, periods of intense stress, lack of sleep).

To the OP - the sensitivity to light is a classic symptom of migraine, although if he's never had one before it would be worth getting checked out to confirm. Unfortunately if you don't have suitable medication you just have to ride it out. I have them fairly frequently and I have injectable sumatriptan to manage an attack (there is a new monthly injection that is a preventative but it's not yet available on the NHS). Before I got this treatment I tried pretty much everything else - tablets, nasal spray, under the tongue dissolving discs - but my migraines manifest with constant vomiting so anything ingested just comes back out and is therefore useless. I would lay in a darkened room feeling like I wanted to die and vomiting every 10-15 minutes for hours on end, even when there was nothing left to puke except bile. I would vomit over 20 times before I could finally fall asleep and recover enough to be semi-functional. I don't get auras - just severe headache, sensitivity to light, fatigue and vomiting.

Now, I inject and lie down/nap for an hour or so, I don't vomit (unless I don't inject in time) and afterwards I feel like I've been run over and my whole body aches but I can at least move around and watch TV. It dominates my life to an extent because it can come out of seemingly nowhere and I've had to cancel plans or miss work as I really can't do anything for a few hours even with the treatment.

R61 You and all here have my sympathies, OP's partner as well... It strikes me as odd how many things about migraines seem similar to seizures. As an epileptic I fully understand the wiped out feeling afterward, the neck and shoulder aches. (sometimes whole body soreness). The fact that so many have an aura preceding with vision changes is uncanny too.

This thread is very timely for me. I’ve been getting ocular migraines for the past few months. It’s definitely light sensitivity. Mine is not pain however. It’s vertigo. One happened yesterday. I went from working light to outside and within 10 minutes I was flat on my back. I also recommend Excedrin for Migraines. Seems to work.

I’ve will also say you have to be your own advocate for health. I went to a neurologist who was dismissive of this being migraines because there was no pain. It was an extremely unpleasant experience. But there is such a thing as silent migraines with no pain.

I started getting migraines at age 8, and at 49 still get one or two a year. The prodrome for me lasts several hours and includes watery eyes, yawning, headache, light/sound/smell senstivity, mood swings, and nausea. I have a triptan that I take but it doesn’t work fast enough, so I have to suffer through a few more hours of pain until it resolves. I also take a prescription anti emetic drug (zofran) to keep me from vomiting, because what’s the use of swallowing a triptan if it’s just going to come back up again. All my life I used acetaminophen suppositories to circumvent the nausea and vomiting, but the timing of taking those is weird because I usually have an episode of diarrhea with a migraine attack. So I have to be sure that passes, no pun intended, before I can insert the suppository.

Other than that, I need a cool dark room and my bed, and a bucket next to the bed in case I need to vomit. I try to sleep it off, in the times when even laying flat is impossible for the pain, i’ve taken to placing my pillow on my dresser and trying to sleep standing up. During the acute phase I experience soaking sweats followed by intense hot flashes, mind-blowing pain (you think you’re having an aneurism), and shakes.

Postdrome, well it feels like you’re hungover. Fatigue, malaise, although there is a weird euphoria sometimes too. Intense hunger and thirst, mild headache, and a weird time trying to reorganize your vision and mind to regular reality. This can last half a day for me.

Migraines are no joke. Hideous. I did find though that my occurrences of migraines was dramatically cut down when I started taking a beta-blocker daily, which is a strategy employed by neurologists along with magnesium and riboflavin supplements.

I am R4 from above, and some of the comments posted about beta blockers are blowing my mind—I have a congenital heart problem and was prescribed metoprolol (a beta-blocker) some years back, and I am just realizing this may be the reason my migraines have lessened significantly. I never put the two together, but this makes perfect sense, and the timing fits.

please be careful with Excedrin migraine.

Most neuros will tell you it causes rebound headaches. You should look into a different prescription.

R64 here. Rebound headaches are totally a thing too, as mentioned by R66. I was taking multiple doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen per day, day after day, for weeks...months. I gave my headache journal to my neurologist and the first thing she told me was to try to stop OTC pain reliever. That was difficult but I think I really was getting rebound headaches.

But, headaches are headaches and migraines are migraines. Not the same thing of course.

The best thing to do with a migraine is vomit as it always settles afterwards (no, I am not promoting vomiting), also drink plenty of water and wet a flannel, keep it in the freezer for an hour and place it over the forehead and back of the neck too. Ibuprofen also. I hope the pain shifts soon.

There are newer treatments available (monoclonal antibodies/CGRP receptor blockers) administered as periodic injections that reduce migraine frequency and severity.

Beta blockers and calcium channel blockers are the oldest, and still effective, preventive therapy for migraines.

Atmospheric changes have been definitely established as a migraine trigger.

70% of migraineurs who see a neurologist for the first time have self-diagnosed their migraines as due to "sinusitis" when in fact, it is a migraine. The nerve endings (trigeminal nerve system) that provide sensation to the sinus cavities, are the same nerve endings responsible for migraine pain.

50% of new headache patients in a neurology practice have underlying analgesic overuse rebound headaches.

60% of headaches diagnosed by primary care doctors as migraines are actually cervical myofascial pain/occipital neuralgia, or what we previously called "tension" headaches. This headache is far more common than a migraine.

More than 50% of headaches are referred to as "mixed-type" headaches: a combination of migraines, cervical myofascial pain, analgesic overuse.

A history of carsickness as a child is a good predictor that the kid will develop migraines as an adult.

R68, not true. The changes in intracranial pressure and arterial/venous flow changes caused by vomiting may, in some cases, actually worsen headaches. What works for you does not necessarily work for everyone else.

And r68, anti-emetics are standard migraine treatment protocol in emergency rooms, for the simple reason that nausea worsens pain perception. You would not want to induce vomiting in a severely nauseated patient based on the false perception that it will "always" relieve the headache.

Well, also because painkillers (dilaudid in a bag) will make you nauseous.

So they hit you with the zofran at the same time.

Sounds like a bad heroin addiction.

This isn't a reply to the OP but for other people talking about rebound migraine, if this is useful: The only way I was able to stop rebound migraines was with topamax. I didn't have to take it very long (2-3 weeks) but it stopped coming back. Neurontin was also suggested. Normally, I just take triptans but the rebound can be a problem sometimes. Naratriptan also has a longer lasting effect, as does Frova - but most insurance won't cover Frova (which doesn't work as well up-front , but is supposed to last longer). I still think Relpax (Eletriptan) which finally went generic.

Magnesium is supposed to help too. Not sure about the scientific studies, but people anecdotally say it helps.

Neurontin was a shitstorm for me. Topamax caused rebounds. Everyone's different.

Relpax has had fewer side effects, but it still has a rebound effect *for me*. YMMV.

What has helped the most? Botox. FDA approved for migraine prevention. Just getting past that first awe-inspiring experience of 34 injections in your head is the challenge. Working with your neurologist to find a combination that's more effective for for you is a bit of work.

What does help? Finding your triggers and cutting them out.

I have dealt with migraines for decades.

Here is one method I use to cope:

1. Remove clothing. 2. Lay flat on a bed. 3. place a firm pillow under your upper back, but do NOT put a pillow under your head. Your head should be tipped back. 4. Place a cold, damp washcloth over your forehead and eyes. Press it firmly against your eyelids. 5. Place your hands, palms down, beside your hips. 6. Concentrate on deepening each breath while relaxing your shoulders. 7. Continue all of the above for 20-30 minutes.

It makes a huge difference for me every time.

I have never thought of them as rebound headaches. I just think of it as one migraine. It starts with my vision marked by blind spots or squiggly lines, then about half an hour later one spot on my head, usually above an eye, starts to hurt severely. Then when that goes away, the next day a spot above the other eye starts to hurt and then finally the headache goes away. Usually takes about 24 hours to get through all the crap.

Excedrin and Excedrin Migraine have exactly the same ingredients. They just repackaged it so they can charge you more. Capitalism at its finest.

Vomiting while suffering from a migraine is painful, every movement hurts. Vomiting is a violent and sudden movement .

R71, I was only trying to help because it works for my daughter and I. But you’re right as well, not everything works for all.

R76 so you’re promoting Botox? Really? Aren’t there enough fake people around that look like Siamese cats?

I'm not R76 but botox was FDA approved for migraine reduction. I heard it was discovered by accident. People who had botox injections experienced less headaches. I guess certain facial movements can be triggers. Surgically cutting the corrugator muscle (one area the botox targets) also stops migraines in a lot of people. There are some published studies on this.

Aimovig is a new preventative drug that might work better than this. But all these things are for people who can't stop getting migraines even with triptans and preventatives like topamax or similar anti-convulsants. No 1st time migraine patient is gonna get a face full of botox.

People can lose an ear with too much plastic surgery. Katie Price AKA Jordan"s ears got infected and pus was coming out of them. Also one of her fake boobs ruptured. It's dangerous business to submit to your fantasy of looking young. We all get old (if we're lucky that is).

Is a migraine same as headache? If not, when do you know if your headache is not a migraine but just a regular headache? I regularly get headache but I’m not sure if I ever had a migraine.

R82 Contrary to what you're thinking, Botox for migraines isn't injected in the front of your head or face. It's injected in the forehead, side of the head, back of the head, shoulders and neck. Before anyone thinks it's like going to the salon - it's regular hypodermic needles. It's 4 full syringes for me so *pricey* much.

For cosmetic Botox, you typically see a short needle used to reduce pain. With botox for migraine - it's a standard long needle. You're going to need a nap. At least, I need a nap. I don't look any younger, more catlike or any way improved.

R85 Frequent headache should be evaluated by a doctor as there can be reasons you're getting them that can be easily treated. Common reasons include allergies, sleep obstruction, high blood pressure, undiagnosed blood sugar control issues.

Any of these are reasons to discuss frequent headaches with your doctor. The most frequent reason? Your eyes. Have your eyes checked. Common vision issues that are easily corrected are common sources of headaches.

It’s Excedrin Extra Strength that is the same as Excedrin Migraine.

I just remember a mother saying her little boy's head was hurting so bad, he was hitting it against the wall. He died.

If boyfriend had never had a migraine, why insist it is a migraine?

I started getting them last year, at 52. I've had three now - each with horrible nausea and vomiting. Each time I woke up with it, and it didn't really go away until I woke up the next morning.

The migraine sufferers I know who had botox...all said it helped greatly.

Botox is helpful for headaches, but it's kind of a last resort because it's such a pain in the ass--and it's very expensive. And you have to have it done periodically.

I went to one neurologist for a couple of years who said his friend in the ER called him once because a patient showed up threatening to kill himself if they couldn't do anything about his headache. (Of course, they put that guy in the psych ward right away.)

bump

The worst headache of my life preceded the onset of shingles. I thought I was dying it was so acute. Within 24 hours the blisters erupted on my face around my right eye and temple area. I almost lost the sight in that eye, but it was only a very swollen cornea and did not scar the back of my eye, so in time it recovered. It was so alarmed I saw my doctor after only a few hours.

GET the new shingles vaccine! You do NOT want to experience this.

They are awful and the only way to truly get rid of them for me is to sleep. When I was 12 I used to get them regularly and was prescribed muscle relaxants. I still get them occasionally as an adult and the only way to get rid of them is to lie in bed. I can function by taking Advil extra strength all day but the pain never leaves.

My sister has suffered from migraines for decades and I recently found out a former coworker finally got relief from his migraines after 30 years. Below I am copying and pasting the email I sent to my sister that might have helpful tips for those of you who are suffering. ~~~~~~~~~ These are my notes from our call and below that I'll mark specifically what I copied/pasted from his email. Call: He had migraines for 30 years. 10-12 migraines/ month; last days at a time; debilitating. He tried botox 3 times and it didn't work. took topomax for years. felt tired.

Someone recommended Deepak Chopra center in California. It’s a 6 day retreat called perfect health. cost $3,500. They told him to take supplements for 1-2 weeks before the retreat; no caffeine; remove gluten; alcohol. Gave him dietary tips. Did yoga/meditation each day. Met physician; nutritionist. hypnotherapist.

After doing the retreat in January 2018, he hasn’t had a migraine since. Regarding his diet, he re-introduced certain foods to see if they triggered a migraine.

neurologist: you have to break the cycle of migraines. Traditionally, when you have one, you take meds, then it comes back.

reduced red meat; fried foods.he later added gluten back since it didn't seem like a trigger. Does yoga/meditation - 20-30 minutes per day.

Downloaded "Breathe" app for meditation instruction.

still gets headaches (rarely) if he didn't eat or sleep well; but no migraines like before.

A female coworker of his had an implant in brain that has helped with migraine relief, but not totally eradicated them.

================ From his email: Following is a bit of the information I suggested sharing with you sister about the Chopra Center, supplements and a great book from a neurologist and fellow migraine suffer.

The Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, CA. 6 day Perfect Health Retreat https://chopra.com/live-events/perfect-health

Here are the vitamins and Ayurveda supplements Multivitamin Superfood (APSU) Omega 3 (Nordic Naturals) Turmeric Triphala / Guggulu Ashwaganda Brahmi

Great book about the impact of your diet and medications on migraines is “The Prime” written by a neurologist and migraine suffer Kulreet Chaudhary. Her practice is in San Diego and the book is filled with a lot of good suggestions.

So many different experiences. I've been getting them for years, but only a few times a year. I get this sour feeling beforehand. It's really hard to describe but my stomach feels unsettled. Then the pain starts behind one eye.

I can function decently during a migraine so long as I don't move my head. Im not breaking out War and Peace, but I don't need complete silence or a dark room. Getting up from a chair is enough to make me almost throw up from the pain. I usually put on a pair of sunglasses and watch TV on low volume. Sometimes pills work, but usually I just have to wait it out.

There are "holistic" neurologists who focus on diet, vitamins, food toxins, chelation, etc. (I went to one for about three years in Miami.)

This is not usually your first option when choosing a therapy because migraines caused by food toxins and vitamin malnutrition (meaning metabolic disorders that are so subtle they cause headaches, not none of the other usual symptoms). First see a normal headache neurologist to make sure this is an actual headache and do standard bloodwork (and scans, if needed). Then you start trying the tryptans. If none of that works, then you move on to other things.

(I know too much about the other things.)

"holistic" is the red flag of quackery, especially when accompanied by Deepak Chopra!

Holistic = bollocks.

R96 = Deepak Chopra

When you say "partner", are you engaged in a partnership business venture like an accounting firm, a florist shop?

What is this partnership you speak of?

Gotten them since I was a kid. For a while, I was taking Excedrin and also some prescription stuff, but realized that while the drugs meant I could function short-term, taking them meant the headaches were actually more severe--so a version of the rebound thing. Also got a nice caffeine addiction going. It's almost as if there's some sort of cycle that starts and has to finish.

What does help is keeping track of the triggers--low blood sugar is a big one, weather is another--and then various most non-medical ways to alleviate the pain--caffeine, but not too much. A couple of things that trigger other people's headaches, help mine--cheese, sometimes chocolate. A walk in the dark sometimes helps. Putting my hands in hot water while putting ice on the back of my neck. One of the things that makes migraines worse is muscle tension, so I work on relaxing the muscles--particularly neck and shoulders. Doesn't make the migraine go away, but it's less painful and is more effective than screaming.

The big indicator that a headache is a migraine is that it's on one side of the head--I picture it as a drill going into my temple. In my case, when I have really long migraines (18-36 hours), it pounds on one side and then, eventually, moves to the other, though not as acutely. That's how I know it's on its way out. But everyone's a little different--I've gotten auras exactly once (and, boy, was it weird.)

I never had a headache.

My gastro doctor happened to do an endoscopy that coincided with several migraine episodes. I was seeing him for reflux but after then procedure he came into the PACU and said “this is very VERY serious” and put me on two different medications. Turns out all the vomiting wrecked my throat and the opening to the stomach, he told me the next time I have a vomiting episode like that I could literally bleed out because one of the inflamed lesions was right next to some kind of blood vessel. So I always make sure I take my Zofran if I feel a migraine come.

I've been having problems with my sinuses since my teens. They were caused partly by allergies but in the end it was mostly the smoking that kept my sinuses irritated practically non-stop. From time to time I'd get a migraine-like pain in the right side of the face that would drive me crazy. It would start as a small nagging pain inside the cheek and if I wasn't fast enough with ibuprofen the pain would spread all over the right side of my head.

I'd see the aura and my eyes would be extremely sensitive to light. I remember one time when I took a shower in the middle of the night keeping the lights off and the moon in the window seemed so bright it felt like a dagger in my eyes. Usually during the sinus attack, which was what I called it, my neck muscles would be super-tight as did the stomach muscles. The next phase would be to throw up but thankfully I'd usually managed to diffuse the situation with ibuprofen at that point, and I very rarely ended up having to vomit. Still, usually I had to lie down for a few hours in a dark room wishing I was dead. I remember the heaven-like relief I felt after waking up after a few hours and realizing the pain is gone.

I always knew it was the smoking that caused the most violent attacks. When I stopped smoking completely the attacks stopped, and I haven't had one in 13 years, and I stopped smoking in 2006. Sure my sinuses keep being problematic but I've been able to manage them with the right medication and always sleeping wearing a very light beanie that keeps my head and my cheeks partly warm.

I've had the aura a few times after going smoke-free but it's always been without any kind of pain. The first time I had it after a few weeks of stopping smoking I was sure I'd get a full-blown sinus attack and I rushed home to lie down in the dark. But no, I just saw the aura for maybe an hour without any other discomfort and by the time I was home it had already started to fade and then was completely gone fairly soon. I very rarely get these and can't even remember the year it happened the last time.

BTW, sometimes relaxing the neck muscles through rigorous massaging would stop the sinus attack I felt was approaching. I'd usually massage my neck before and after taking ibuprofen. The sad thing is that I took so much ibuprofen over the years that they caused ulcers. I always felt paracetamol wasn't enough but these days it seems to be working mostly nicely with the sinus pain.