Migraine/headache Remedies

[PlaceofDis]

ok guys and gals....

i get migraines and headaches all the time, since the eighth grade, which is oh about nine years of dealing with them now

my problem is i know the prescription stuff doesnt work, and 95% of the time my own remedies work better so i stick to that stuff, however, my head feels worse around this time of the year when the weather is going crazy out here in the midwest

so what do you guys do? any home remedies? any secret that works for you or trick?

[oldschool]

ok guys and gals....

i get migraines and headaches all the time, since the eighth grade, which is oh about nine years of dealing with them now

my problem is i know the prescription stuff doesnt work, and 95% of the time my own remedies work better so i stick to that stuff, however, my head feels worse around this time of the year when the weather is going crazy out here in the midwest

so what do you guys do? any home remedies? any secret that works for you or trick?

coffee crisp...i know its not much of a remedy but it helps my headaches.

[PlaceofDis]

coffee crisp...i know its not much of a remedy but it helps my headaches.

its probably the caffeine in there that helps your headaches, hence why i drink up the tea and Mountain dew when my head hurts, but its not always enough

[Jovian9]

Sorry to hear you suffer from migraines. I randomly had migraines while growing up (my mother had lots so I think I inherited them). February of 2003 I started getting them all of the time. I'm talking several times a week....along with regular headaches. They tried Imitrex and Lortabs (sp?) but those failed. Often I would end up sick in the ER or at my doctor and get 3 or 4 horse-needle size shots that would end up knocking me out for 24 hours.....when having one I am unable to talk properly ( I speak but the wrong words come out so it's hard to communicate). They then tried a preventative medicine which I took before I went to bed that lowered my blood pressure, but this really affected my ability to do anything all day....too tired. Right now I take Migrazone (Midrin). When I notice a migraine coming on I take 2 of these, 1 more an hour later, 1 more in another hour, and 1 more in another hour (5 total). These are great for me. They help me fight off a migraine.....though I feel like a zombie for about 10 hours (but the zombie state is billions of times better than having a migraine). I'm kind of lucky that I can tell when I am getting one (only one time did it hit me without warning). Usually I get nautious, dizzy, and have blind spots in my right eye........so I then know to take the Migrazone. I've also had to focus on my diet. I keep track of things I eat (especially different things). With me I notice that within a week of eating a "trigger" food I'll get a migraine. I've had to eliminate pasta (the big one), onions, wine, and fig newtons. I've also limited myself to one can of soda per day (this has helped with normal headaches). My mother had to stop eating fried chicken and chocolate, they were "trigger" foods for her. Since eliminating these foods I've reduced my migraines from several a week to probably about 1 every 3 or 4 months. And when I do get one the Migrazone does it's job.
To those of you who have never had a migraine, be understanding to those you know have them. They are absolutely awful and you couldn't even begin to understand what it is like. They are not normal headaches. Here is a good article: http://www.migraines.org/myth/mythreal.htm
Go to this website to read more: http://www.migraines.org/

[broken_keyboard]

It's all in your head.

Edit: Holy crap. I wanted to make a joke, but after reading Jovian9's post I don't think I will. Poor you dude.

[Mav451]

You should consider acupuncture. I usually had a fit where I'd have 1 come up out of nowhere during a semester (last fall semester), and it would usually be bad enough to wake me up at night. And I was having 8am engineering courses too. Somehow they went away on their own in the spring semester ('04). Finally, in the summer they came back again and I said, that's it, I've had enough.

So I end up learning bout a guy down in VA (I don't want to reveal the name in sake of confidentiality, my own and the guy's firm), but he diagnosed that many of my headaches came from a basketball neck injury I had when I was about 16.

He ends up doing the acupuncture treatment (begin with the 4 points, 2 in the arms and 2 in the legs); then he turned me on my back and put needles on my back and neck. My god, the ones that went into my neck felt great (like relieving the tension).

After just 2 treatments, i can conservatively say that most of my worst migraine/headaches are completely gone. I still get lil bops and boops, but to be honest, those are far more tolerable than the splitting ones I used to endure.

on a scale of 1 to 10, I went from 8-9's down to 3-4's. I mean, seriously, it was almost life-changing the difference it can make. Obviously, I'd like it to go to 0, but that's not likely to be easy or plausible.

*ok, sorry if I made the acupuncture sound like it's instantaneous. Of course its not. I still experienced headaches over the 3-4 following weeks, but lemee tell you, the severity of them was reducing steadily, until they were, well, livable.

I mean, heck, the weekend after the treatment, I woke up w/ another migraine and I was pissed b/c I thought it hadn't worked. Well the next week after that, it was the first time, in a LONG time, that I woke up withOUT a migraine! That was a huge step for me, and something I am eternally grateful to the acupuncturist for.

[Mav451]

Ok, I realize acupuncture may sound scary and even painful.

But remember, if you have migraines, you will understand that you would do almost anything to get rid of them. Heck, I made the decision almost immediately to do this (instead of taking drugs that make me drowsy/dizzy/lose awareness).

[RandomDeadHead]

One Word
Marijuana

My Essential Migraine kit includes the following:

1. Soft relaxing music, Classical, jazz. Jazz is Dead is my preferred band.
2. Several incense sticks, preferably cedar.
3. One small 7inch long silk pillow filled with lavender scented flaxseed, for laying on the forehead.
4. Dark room.
5. Soft, clean sheets.
6. Total nudity.
7. Wife, to give soothing but not erotic massage, total nudity applies to both parties.
8. steaming cup of green tea, no sugar.
9. One half gram or two hits of "the kind" (schwag will NOT work).
10. One clean glass bubbler.

Mix throughly.

One hour later all you are left with is a migraine hangover.

[gwuMACaddict]

deadhead's solution applies to more than just migraine problems ;) :D :rolleyes:

[PlaceofDis]

some good suggestions so far, keep em coming though

i dont think acupuncture would work for me, and i would fail with most prescriptions, perhaps if the severity of them keeps up i will approach my doctor about that one though.....

what works for me 98% of the time is NyQuil, just knocks you out and lets my body relax, i wake up refreshed and normal, no 'migraine hangover' or anything else, just a funky feeling in my stomach from that stuff, but the only problem with this is you need a time frame in which to sleep, which is not always feasible

ive also found Excedrin Tension/Migraine relief to work in most instances, but not always

hot showers and a cold cold damn cloth always helps relax too

but again with most of this stuff its being in a veg state

for example, im sick for the first time in years, i cant remember when the last time i was sick, but im emotionally distraught for the first time too, and thats messing me up as well, and it is the end of the semester here which is paper and craming time for english majors, anyways, i have a ten page paper due in five hours, i have one paragraph done, the reason no more? migraines, ive had one for almost two weeks now, although in the middle there it faded for a day or two to a headache, but its back in full force, and it was bad enough last night that i got sick to my stomach, a rare thing because i have been getting them long enough that the nausea usually has no affect on my body, seriously, the only thing that ever hurts me anymore are these migraines, its like its my kryptonite or something, but im kind of rambling on here....time to get to work on that paper about the two germanies during the cold war...booo

[PlaceofDis]

ok so its now 10:40 am where i am, and i have until about 1:30pm to do this **** paper

but thats not important because my headache/migraine is petering out, i mean its for some reason just starting to fade, has been for the past ten minutes, this has never happened before, so weird, i feel so much better, and i didnt take any meds or anything since waking up today, i wonder if this was just a pressure headache and thus thats why its going, but whatever i have a paper to do now, i need to get like seven pages done in three hours, ha, i doubt it will happen, and i will probably get a horrible grade too boot, but like i mentioned earlier, this has been my worse semester since starting college.....

blah....

[Applespider]

I get migraines and unfortunately have never managed to identify the trigger.
I've had less though (down to one or so a year from 4 or 5 a year) by taking a dose of feverfew (a herbal remedy) every day (regardless of migraine or not). It doesn't appear to have any side effects so might be worth a shot.

[Josh]

For migraine/headache releif, grip your index finger firmly with the opposite hand, as to warm your finger.

Warming your finger this way causes the blood running through it to get warm quickly, and the warm blood makes its way to the part of your brain that is causing the problem.

No one knows exactly why, but the introduction of warmer blood to the brain is capable of releiving your pain.

The idea is to warm only your finger because that way only your blood will get slightly warmer, and not all of your body. That leads to your blood being warmer than the rest of your body currently is (if you just tried to warm yourself entirely, your brain would warm up too and would not be effected by the blood, because they both got equally warmer).

You want your brain to remain the same temp, but receive warmer blood.

Another method, if possible, is to have sex (no joke). Not only does this warm your blood, but it also releases endorphins that ease pain and increase pleasure in the brain (and elsewhere).

[PlaceofDis]

i know that sex helps, but not having a significant other makes the one difficult LoL, ill have to give that warming thing a try next time i get one, i dont know about it though, that whole pinching the skin between your thumb and finger didnt work either, but im willing to try

[Einlanzer]

Aromatherapy - Peppermint oil - has know migraine relief properties

Homeopathy - depending on the cause of the migraine there are many solutions - arnica montana if it is usually brought on by muscle issues, etc.

If you are a man (sorry but I wasn't sure, but most likely as sex helps your headache :D ) - you may be suffering from a Cluster headache - which are usually misdiagnosed as migraines, but usually just as painful.

Also, many food allergies can manifest themselves as migraine, try and keep track of food that you consume before the onset.

See a Naturopathic Phsyician for a proper assessment - Allopathic phsyicans are more likely to give you dugs that just mask the issues.

Migraines suck - I know what your going through, I just wish sex took my away :rolleyes:

[bousozoku]

I've been suffering with migraine and sinus headaches since I was 7. Usually, once I get a sinus headache, the migraine comes along to add to it. I've had some so bad that hitting my head against the wall makes it feel better.

I've tried various meds. Imitrex is like water to me. Excedrin migraine formula is the same as the regular formula and dulls the pain by about 25 percent. Ibuprofen in a combination with an iced coffee usually helps within 2.5 hours. Butabital (a barbiturate) works within 30 minutes and nearly eliminates the headache. :) One thing I haven't mentioned is Pepto-Bismol. When I was small (okay I'm still short :D), my mum would give me Pepto-Bismol and I would vomit and then, I would feel better.

I've noticed a lot about environment. I had a lot of sinus headaches and occasional migraines living in Indiana and Ohio. When I moved to Philly, I had a few sinus headaches and a migraine about every 9 months or so. Now in Floriduh, I get a headache almost every day with severe migraines once a day in summer. Even my arms and legs seem to be affected during the worst of them. I've learned to control them somewhat with directed thought toward isolating the problem, envisioning the elimination of the headache. This works when it's just noticeable but of course, the pain decreases my concentration later.

[Jovian9]

For migraine/headache releif, grip your index finger firmly with the opposite hand, as to warm your finger.

Warming your finger this way causes the blood running through it to get warm quickly, and the warm blood makes its way to the part of your brain that is causing the problem.

No one knows exactly why, but the introduction of warmer blood to the brain is capable of releiving your pain.

The idea is to warm only your finger because that way only your blood will get slightly warmer, and not all of your body. That leads to your blood being warmer than the rest of your body currently is (if you just tried to warm yourself entirely, your brain would warm up too and would not be effected by the blood, because they both got equally warmer).

You want your brain to remain the same temp, but receive warmer blood.

Another method, if possible, is to have sex (no joke). Not only does this warm your blood, but it also releases endorphins that ease pain and increase pleasure in the brain (and elsewhere).

Interesting....worth a try next time (the finger idea). Sex would definitely be great, but my migraines are intense and I cannot do anything. I have to go in a pitch black room to avoid light, avoid sound, avoid any movement, avoid smells, etc (when the medicine does not work). My senses are pretty heightened and everything increases the pain. But I'll try the finger idea next time, and post back in this thread about the results.

[PlaceofDis]

I've been suffering with migraine and sinus headaches since I was 7. Usually, once I get a sinus headache, the migraine comes along to add to it. I've had some so bad that hitting my head against the wall makes it feel better.

I've tried various meds. Imitrex is like water to me. Excedrin migraine formula is the same as the regular formula and dulls the pain by about 25 percent. Ibuprofen in a combination with an iced coffee usually helps within 2.5 hours. Butabital (a barbiturate) works within 30 minutes and nearly eliminates the headache. :) One thing I haven't mentioned is Pepto-Bismol. When I was small (okay I'm still short :D), my mum would give me Pepto-Bismol and I would vomit and then, I would feel better.

I've noticed a lot about environment. I had a lot of sinus headaches and occasional migraines living in Indiana and Ohio. When I moved to Philly, I had a few sinus headaches and a migraine about every 9 months or so. Now in Floriduh, I get a headache almost every day with severe migraines once a day in summer. Even my arms and legs seem to be affected during the worst of them. I've learned to control them somewhat with directed thought toward isolating the problem, envisioning the elimination of the headache. This works when it's just noticeable but of course, the pain decreases my concentration later.

where can i find this Butabital? LOL

but anyways, it seems like you get what i get, pressure migraines, when the weather shifts randomly and dramaticly im sol, so for the stable months im well, but fall and spring can be hell, not to say that i dont get them during the summer/winter, just less

ive found that i can get rid of em through many methods, but none are quick, a half hour wouldnt be bad...

forcing yourself to walk around and not just lay there does help, it does wonders really, but its that willpower to do it that makes it so hard, sex helps as i said before, but never makes it go all away, but it would be nice

[keysersoze]

Fiorinal + Sleep makes Jack a happy boy. :)

[Apple //e]

i used to suffer from horrible daily migraines since i was a child. the pain was so intense it literally hurt to think. it all went away when i started smoking marijuana regularly. i dont smoke nearly as much as i used to but now i only get migraines when im under severe stress.

thats just my experience, take it for whatever its worth. oh, and make sure youre drinking plenty of fluids

[iceTrX]

I'm a migraine sufferer. Just about all my migraines are preceded by a aura, where I have spots of flickering light in my vision. The headache part of the migraine is no where near the worst of it, sometimes my migraines get so bad I lose part of my vision, temporarily impairing my ability to drive, and severe nausea where I am sick to my stomach. Normally when I have a bad migraine like that, it is also accompanied by cold sweats, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound.

[Mechcozmo]

There might be a dental piece you can wear at night to stop pressure on a certain nerve that will stop your migraines. My mom has one, and I don't quite remember all the details, but it is a small little thing. Also, sometimes sunglasses will press in the corner of your nose/eye intersection and cause nerves to get angry (aka, you get migraines). So ask your doctor for more info... I'm just saying what I remember.

[Mechcozmo]

One Word
Marijuana


Right... kill of your brain instead of finding ways to treat it... not good.

[bousozoku]

where can i find this Butabital? LOL

but anyways, it seems like you get what i get, pressure migraines, when the weather shifts randomly and dramaticly im sol, so for the stable months im well, but fall and spring can be hell, not to say that i dont get them during the summer/winter, just less

ive found that i can get rid of em through many methods, but none are quick, a half hour wouldnt be bad...

forcing yourself to walk around and not just lay there does help, it does wonders really, but its that willpower to do it that makes it so hard, sex helps as i said before, but never makes it go all away, but it would be nice

Well, I would have liked to have gotten out of bed, but waking up in the summer with the most severe of them and having my legs and arms nearly useless, it wasn't easy.

Another thing I've noticed is occasionally, there is gas involved, pressure from the inside out as well as the headache. Of course, that doesn't mean that I don't get blurry vision, clamminess/sweatiness, and increased sensitivity to external stumuli, but it hardly matters as much.

As for the Butabital, talk to a doctor. As much as I dislike doctors, they sometimes do some good. (That's as far as I'll ever get to praising them.) There are several others related meds that may also help. Of course, because the substance is regulated, you have to be careful about driving, drinking, and such things.

[acceber]

Sleep always works for me. I always take Panadol or Herron or something before I do though.

Actually, it doesn't really seem to make a difference if I take paracetamol or not...as long as I sleep. :)

[phrancpharmD]

ok guys and gals....

i get migraines and headaches all the time, since the eighth grade, which is oh about nine years of dealing with them now

my problem is i know the prescription stuff doesnt work, and 95% of the time my own remedies work better so i stick to that stuff, however, my head feels worse around this time of the year when the weather is going crazy out here in the midwest

so what do you guys do? any home remedies? any secret that works for you or trick?

Headache in general and migraine in particular are quite difficult to treat, as chronic pain conditions go. Not only do simple analgesics (Tylenol, aspirin, ibuprofen and other NSAIDS, and even opioids) tend to not work very well, but they can result in rebound headaches triggering symptoms more severe than the original one, prompting most people to take more analgesics. Hopefully you can see the viscious cycle here. . .

There are three main (legal) treatment options for migraine, although RandomDeadHead's suggestion is a viable option depending on your lack of bias concerning the "active" ingredient. . .
ANYWAYS, back to the, ahem, legal methods of alleviating migraine pain:

Abortive agents include ergot alkaloids/ergotamine derivatives {interesting history - in the 1940's a Swiss scientist for Sandoz (now Novartis) named Albert Hoffman was evaluating the therapeutic potential of several promising ergot alkaloids (a natural product derived from some kind of mold that grows on rye) when he took I believe one MILLIGRAM or so of LSD. . . Remember kiddos, LSD dosing is generally measured in MICROGRAMS about 10 of which is purportedly on your average hit of Acid, and of which there are 1000 in a milligram - his memoirs are likely available at your local university's science library and are an EXTREMELY interesting read} which are somewhat effective but are actually quite toxic and can result in markedly increased blood pressure for a short time after taken. There are other toxicities as well, and for these reasons, the ergot alkaloids are not used very much anymore.

The "triptans" (sumatriptan aka Imitrex is the prototype agent for this class that also includes Amerge, Maxalt, and probably several others I can't think of off the top of my head) are much more targeted towards the theoretical underlying pathophysiology of migraine - cranial vasodilation (dilation of the blood vessels, especially arteriess, in the skull). The triptans (more or less) selectively constrict these blood vessels thus relieving migraine pain. They are more effective and safer then the ergot alkaloids, but are not without risk themselves, especially if taken routintely (basically, daily for an extended period of time)

The third option for chronic frequent migraine sufferers (about two or more headaches per week) is prophylactic treatment. There are several drugs available in a few drug classes that you can try.

Valproic acid, or Depakote, is probably the best choice but it can make you a little loopy. Most people get used to the side effect, but some don't and it can impair your ability to "operate heavy machinery" (automobiles) so DON'T until you know how the medication affects you. Probably the next thing I'd recommend is a calcium channel blocker such as diltiazem or verapamil (this one can cause pretty severe constipation), but both of those are antihypertensives, so if your blood pressure is already normal you can expect it to drop which isn't really a problems UNLESS you feel dizzy, lightheaded, and / or pass out. If either or both of those don't work, I'd recommend propranolol, which is a fairly old but still useful beta blocker. It is an antihypertensive as well, so the same warnings apply as to the CCBs.

This information, obviously, is not intended to be comprehensive medical advice. After all, I am just a clinical pharmacist, not a physician. Sorry this was so long, but hopefully it was a somewhat interesting read. All the information, you can be assured, IS medically accurate and I would not hesitate to make those recommendations to any physician managing a patient with chronic migrain. Finally, PLEASE, for ACCURATE medical information, talk to your doctor or check out the National Headache Foundation (http://www.headaches.org). Most medical information on the web, as I'm sure you know, is pure and unadulterated garbage.

[phrancpharmD]

Right... kill of your brain instead of finding ways to treat it... not good.

There is simply no credible scientific evidence proving that marijuana (or most other Class I controlled substances, for that matter) directly or indirectly cause brain damage. Even the government's propaganda "research" machine has come up with "inconclusive" findings (i.e. it didn't happen) scuttling this absurd notion despite their desperately intense efforts to do so. This inability to prove something they so dearly would love to unfortunately has not prevented them from spewing forth gobs of misinformation to be soaked up by the naive and ignorant (nobody get offended please; if you believe waht Mechcozmo does you are not necessarily stupid, merely misinformed) masses who unfortunately take the government's words at face value. I don't particularly feel like hijacking this thread, but if you leave me no choice, I will elaborate further. . .
:)

[Mechcozmo]

There is simply no credible scientific evidence proving that marijuana (or most other Class I controlled substances, for that matter) directly or indirectly cause brain damage.
:)

Sorry, but a quote out of my Psych class notes:
" i. Neotransmitters send chemical signals to different parts of the brain
ii. Drugs take on the role of a neurotransmitter. Can mess up/fix/etc.
iii. Can destroy neurotransmitters with extended use, abused
iv. Alcohol, Marijuana, LSD, etc, effects neurotransmitters"

And you are smoking something. Not healthy in any case-- burned stuff is never good, no matter what is "added" to it.

Out of curiosity, how many people suffer from chronic headaches/migraines? Do they continue for life, only under stress, etc?

[Fukui]

hat works for me 98% of the time is NyQuil, just knocks you out and lets my body relax, i wake up refreshed and normal, no 'migraine hangover' or anything else, just a funky feeling in my stomach from that stuff, but the only problem with this is you need a time frame in which to sleep, which is not always feasible

ive also found Excedrin Tension/Migraine relief to work in most instances, but not always

Dude, that stuff is gonna cause major problems later on,
I'd suggest limiting that as much as possible to only the last alternative.

For me, the best medicine has been exercise.
Just get the blood flowing for a while, then take a nice
rest in Sauna or Jacuzzi. You'll feel like a million dollars!

[absolut_mac]

so what do you guys do? any home remedies? any secret that works for you or trick?

I've been dealing with them for over 30 years, so this is what works for me most times.

First off is to stay away from known trigger foods like MSG, sulfites (a preservative used mainly in dried fruit and foods and red wine - note that white wine has considerably less sulfites than the red variety, especially the heavy dark red wines) etc.

It's best to take medication that works for you when you feel it coming on i.e. prior to it becoming a major migraine. I take Tylenol and codeine, and if that doesn't feel like it's doing the trick (usually I start feeling results within an hour) I take 2 teaspoons of Benadryl. The Benadryl, an anthistamine, is an excellent muscle relaxant. Obviously the combination of codeine and Benadryl means no driving.

Occasionally my migraines are so bad that the remedy above is not sufficient, so if there's no change within 2 hours I take 2 Motrins because it's too soon to take more Tylenol with codeine.

When my head gets that thumping/exploding feeling, I put an ice pack at the back of my neck and occasionally move it to my forehead and temples. Note that the above works best in a quiet and semi-dark environment, and that I take my medication with a cup of strong tea.

[phrancpharmD]

Sorry, but a quote out of my Psych class notes:
" i. Neotransmitters send chemical signals to different parts of the brain
ii. Drugs take on the role of a neurotransmitter. Can mess up/fix/etc.
iii. Can destroy neurotransmitters with extended use, abused
iv. Alcohol, Marijuana, LSD, etc, effects neurotransmitters"

And you are smoking something. Not healthy in any case-- burned stuff is never good, no matter what is "added" to it.

Out of curiosity, how many people suffer from chronic headaches/migraines? Do they continue for life, only under stress, etc?


Ahh, class notes :)

OK: one by one then
i. partially true - neurotransmitters carry signals from one neuron (presynaptic) to another (postsynaptic). Common neurotransmitters you may have heard of include norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, and acetylcholine.
ii. false - drugs do not "take on the role" of a neurotransmitter, but may increase presynaptic release (the theory behind increased dopaminergic transmission with cocaine) or block presynaptic reuptake (such as the SSRI antidepressants which prevent serotonin reuptake back into the presynaptic neuron thus preventing its degredation and potentiating (prolonging) its effect), or block postsynaptic uptake (think belladonna alkaloids)
iii. false - there's no scientific basis to support this notion
iv. probably true, although please understand that even some of the most widely used drugs that affect the CNS are poorly understood regarding how exactly they work - what is probably more likely to be true is that the substances you listed interact with various cellular receptors which may trigger changes within the neuron resulting in increased (or decreased) neurotransmitter activity

[hcuar]

Well... I think that triggers are different for everyone... I avoid Mountain Dew / Coffee and bright light (I wear sun glasses when I go outside).

Those two things have served me well.

[PlaceofDis]

well i think caffeine is a trigger for me, ive been slowly giving it up over the past couple of days, and i do have a small headache, but its not that bad so hopefully i will be able to get it out of my system

another thing ive begun to notice is that i feel better if i dont wear my contacts all day, maybe they put i bit too much pressure on my eyes or something, but my glasses seem to be a better deal, although i need to get a new set of lenses

[palusami]

sleep usually does the trick for me.

[Jovian9]

Out of curiosity, how many people suffer from chronic headaches/migraines? Do they continue for life, only under stress, etc?

Stress is not a factor for me.....b/c I am never stressed.

My mother has suffered with these for 27 years. When she was pregnant with me she fell through the attic floor into the room below and immediately got a migraine (that's what started hers).

[OKComputer]

I often get such bad migraines that my gag reflex gets triggered if ya know what i mean. Fortunately Excedrin Migraine seems to work for me really well. I also apply a damp cloth and pressure whereever i feel the headache is most severe.

Try drinking water more often...sure youve heard all of these things

[PlaceofDis]

ah and yes along with soda and caffeine that i am giving up, alcohol i think will have to go as well, i had one beer tonight, and my head kills, although i guess it could be caffeine withdrawl

[coopdog]

I suffer from a lingering, constant headache ALL the time, there is never a time in the last 2 years that I have been free from neck and head pain. I have TMJ and Degenerative Disk Disease, which are very painful. I have been put on many drugs to counteract the pain. I'm still getting closer after 2 ****ing years to a solution. The problem is doctors just send you to a "specialist" that then send you to another and this SUCKS. I still after 2 years of constant pain just had an MRI and surgury is not long off and most likely unavoidable and I'm only 17!

After all the drugs: High doses of Ibuprofen and aspirin led to stomach ulcers. Then my doctor put me on an array of other drugs to stop pain, most simply did not work. Then Ammnotryptolyne 25mg this made the pain go away mostly but made me a zombie for as long as I was on it. This is a horrible feeling, believe me!

Then I tried weed, it really does relieve pain.


Originally Posted by Mechcozmoorry, but a quote out of my Psych class notes:
" i. Neotransmitters send chemical signals to different parts of the brain
ii. Drugs take on the role of a neurotransmitter. Can mess up/fix/etc.
iii. Can destroy neurotransmitters with extended use, abused
iv. Alcohol, Marijuana, LSD, etc, effects neurotransmitters"

And you are smoking something. Not healthy in any case-- burned stuff is never good, no matter what is "added" to it.

If you "add" anything to my weed I'd kill ya. :p

Literally everything effects neurotransmitters, EVERYTHING, the reason you respond to stimulus like sex, fighting, fear, all the feelings you experience are due to the release brain chemicals and neurotransmitters. Weed and other drugs just increase the production of brain chemicals. You can get the same high as weed by very long exercise. "Runners high" it is real and it can get you just has "high" as weed, I have felt it.

I agree there is no evidence that weed destroys brain matter. Sure coke does, I have seen the effects with friends.

Anyways,
I smoked many times everyday over the summer and I'm still one of the top swimmers in the state in my event. My times only got better after last summer when I would smoke everyday. Swimming uses more lung capacity than any other sport, besides free diving or something.

I really don't see any adverse side effects from it. Anyways many people including myself use a vaporizer. YES you don't have to SMOKE weed, errr... GOV. propaganda weed can only be smoked BAD BAD BAD!!!! /Gov. propaganda.

There are many ways to use weed and many of them very healthy.

As for the part about messing up your brain....

Yes, I was sometimes forgetful only for about 10 hours afterwards but it would go away.

I go to the hardest school in my state. Ask anyone here and they will agree, so do many rating committees. We also have the highest usage of drugs in the state. Out of 30 people I'm close enough to know if they smoke, all but maybe 2 smoke regularly and all 30 have smoked weed at least once. Yet these are some of the smartest kids in the state and have 4.0's. Many of the smartest guys in my grade use weed daily and are still easily able to keep a 4.0+

I bet I have better lung power and a higher GPA than you and I'm an evil person that smokes weed. :eek: :rolleyes: ;) Just kidding. It's just annoying when people take all information as fact and don't choose to investigate further.

Weed has only helped me understand what life is about. It has opened my mind to so many things. I was never really interested in astronomy, now I love to get really baked and just study all about our universe, it’s amazing!

As for it being a "gateway drug" not for me.

So all of you in pain, get off your drugs and smoke a bowl!

[Jovian9]

Marijuana doesn't work for me................well, for my migraines :)
Does tend to help with your average headache.

[Leareth]

Zomig Rapidmelts (zolmitriptan) 2.5mg or for the really bad "thunder-clap" or sudden-attack ones go to local ER and get Maxeran (metoclopramide) 10mg via IV
Botox injections in the neck every 3 months have elimanted most migraines (about 90%) but costs $450, some insurance companies do cover this...
Marijuana is a stupid idea when dealing with migraines cause it makes the blood vessel dilation even worse, which is what is responsible for the pain in the first place, but you are usually so high that you don't care...
My own home brew is dark quiet cold room, sipping on chamomile/peppermint tea trying not to throw up, taking the Zomig and Gravol at same time then hour later the Imitrex if needed, the Triptan drugs all have different half-lives so depending on how long you have migraines for you might be taking the wrong drugs. Ie zomig, 1.5 hour half life versus imitrex 4 hour half-life and 12 hours for naratriptan = one works fast (15min) but stops working before mitraine might be over.
Avoid the ergotamine preparations, too many side effects plus they are very addictive
Feverfew is worth a try if you can find a standard preparation
Accupressure seems to work as well as accupunture
Beating head against cold concrete wall seems to help temporarely as well : )
One weird cure that sometimes helps is taking robaxacet or similar meds during the aura stage to prevent tensing up neck/shoulder/jaw muscles which makes pain worse.

[Leareth]

Oh I forgot one thing
NTI device works wonders for people, I had one but then had my teeth resculpted and it no longer fits
they are pricey though
find more info at:
http://www.nti-tss.com/

[russed]

i started with migranes when i was 11. i had about 5 in the space of 3 - 4 days. as soon as one finished and i had started coming round, i would get another. that sucked. as we had no treatment at the time i took just paracetemol which we found out that it made me violently ill so wasnt nice. the doctors then prescribed me with migrileve (now available over the counter) and i find taking one of those as soon as i feel it starting and then putting myself in bed and forcing myself to go to sleep.

i usually get the pain kind of behind my right eye so i find appying pressure to that area helps. so usually when im trying to go to sleep, i put that area of my head on the pillow.

when i started having them we realised that cheese was a trigger food, i dont think this is as much the case nowadays as i can eat quite a bit of strong cheese with no problems. maybe it is just because i am growing out of it. chocolate was another one.

i have heard that apples have anti headache properties. try eating one of those when they start oh and also lots of water. i think the apples have some chemical that kind of counteracts the effect of whatever is causing it (im no doctor!)

since i have been trying this my migranes have been alot less worse. i generally tend to get one every few months now down from prob once maybe more a month. i can generally tell when one is starting, i find my looking becomes difficult and i get the patches in my sight.

thankfully i think i am kind of growing out of them now (apparantly lots of people get them during puberty). i try to avoid stress and over tiredness as theses can cause them in me.

[krimson]

I used to get fetal-position migraines when i was younger... they've subsided now... and i'll still get heavy headaches now.. what I do instead of medication is..

pinching the sides of the thumb... the position is very critical in how well it works. Usually, pinching where the cuticle meets the side of your thumb. Pinch HARD for about 10 minutes, and the headache should go away. It's more accupressure/pain transfer remedy, but it works for me.

[palusami]

I suffer from a lingering, constant headache ALL the time, there is never a time in the last 2 years that I have been free from neck and head pain. I have TMJ and Degenerative Disk Disease, which are very painful. I have been put on many drugs to counteract the pain. I'm still getting closer after 2 ****ing years to a solution. The problem is doctors just send you to a "specialist" that then send you to another and this SUCKS. I still after 2 years of constant pain just had an MRI and surgury is not long off and most likely unavoidable and I'm only 17!

After all the drugs: High doses of Ibuprofen and aspirin led to stomach ulcers. Then my doctor put me on an array of other drugs to stop pain, most simply did not work. Then Ammnotryptolyne 25mg this made the pain go away mostly but made me a zombie for as long as I was on it. This is a horrible feeling, believe me!

Then I tried weed, it really does relieve pain.




If you "add" anything to my weed I'd kill ya. :p

Literally everything effects neurotransmitters, EVERYTHING, the reason you respond to stimulus like sex, fighting, fear, all the feelings you experience are due to the release brain chemicals and neurotransmitters. Weed and other drugs just increase the production of brain chemicals. You can get the same high as weed by very long exercise. "Runners high" it is real and it can get you just has "high" as weed, I have felt it.

I agree there is no evidence that weed destroys brain matter. Sure coke does, I have seen the effects with friends.

Anyways,
I smoked many times everyday over the summer and I'm still one of the top swimmers in the state in my event. My times only got better after last summer when I would smoke everyday. Swimming uses more lung capacity than any other sport, besides free diving or something.

I really don't see any adverse side effects from it. Anyways many people including myself use a vaporizer. YES you don't have to SMOKE weed, errr... GOV. propaganda weed can only be smoked BAD BAD BAD!!!! /Gov. propaganda.

There are many ways to use weed and many of them very healthy.

As for the part about messing up your brain....

Yes, I was sometimes forgetful only for about 10 hours afterwards but it would go away.

I go to the hardest school in my state. Ask anyone here and they will agree, so do many rating committees. We also have the highest usage of drugs in the state. Out of 30 people I'm close enough to know if they smoke, all but maybe 2 smoke regularly and all 30 have smoked weed at least once. Yet these are some of the smartest kids in the state and have 4.0's. Many of the smartest guys in my grade use weed daily and are still easily able to keep a 4.0+

I bet I have better lung power and a higher GPA than you and I'm an evil person that smokes weed. :eek: :rolleyes: ;) Just kidding. It's just annoying when people take all information as fact and don't choose to investigate further.

Weed has only helped me understand what life is about. It has opened my mind to so many things. I was never really interested in astronomy, now I love to get really baked and just study all about our universe, it’s amazing!

As for it being a "gateway drug" not for me.

So all of you in pain, get off your drugs and smoke a bowl!

yeah, my brother also uses weed to relieve pain that he experiences in his hip. he shattered his hip in a motorcycle accident a few years ago and found that painrelievers don't really work for him.

i can't blame him or anyone else for using weed as a remedy. can't be any worse than current pain relievers or medication currently available. anybody that watches TV and has seen a drug commercial can hear for themselves the long disclaimer of potential side effects one can suffer using certain medication. if something as minor as an allergy pill can cause blindness, sterility, dryness of the mouth, etc., i'd rather just deal with the minor inconviences of blowing my nose, sneezing, coughing, etc.

[Giaguara]

i get migraines.. have had them since i was 3 years old, or they are anyway among my first memories (pain).

so some things that help me...

- ibuprofen, high does of that when i feel an ttack coming (fibromyalgia is a good second reason for keeping ibuprofen always with me)

- drink enough.. water, mild green tea etc helps

- avboiding certain foods that cause me get migraines. luckily this does not contian chocolate or wine .. just nutmeg mainly.

*when* i feel a migraine coming.. i take ibuprofen or other migraine remedies. i keep them available all teh time, since if i dont have .. e.g. in july i was invalid in bed for 3 days for that. thats not nice (esp. when your body cant hold even water or tea for days)

one more thing that makes me get them more often is spring. all the dust, or the light that is different .. often may is the worst month migrainewise.

after meds, just relax ..

a back / shoulder massage often helps a bit too, before it gets bad.

[herr_neumann]

ok guys and gals....
so what do you guys do? any home remedies? any secret that works for you or trick?

I have been getting migraines since I was about 5. The only thing that I have found that has worked is the AD/HD medication dexidrine (sp?). While in college I was diagnosed with AD/HD and the medication had that two fold benifit, stoping my migraines and giving me focus. There was a doctor doing research at SUNY on treating migraines with dexidrine about three years ago, I dont know what ever came of that.

OK so I found a Link (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15546268&dopt=Abstract)