Migraine Headaches

[magnolia]

Anyone else here suffer from them besides me? I have the makings of one right now but I can't take anything as I haven't eaten yet (hubby taking me to lunch for my birthday since he had to work yesterday). I had them as a child, out grew them, then had them "triggered" with the hormonal changes my body went through when I had my boys - unfortunately, I passed it along to my 16 year old who, hopefully, seems to be outgrowing them! I take Esgic Plus for mine and I love it - I've tried some of the other meds for migraines but they aren't as effective, to me, as this is or they cause heart palpitations. Just wondering if any others out there suffer with these as well.

[Necee419]

I personally have never suffered from migraines but my mom and brother had them really bad as children. My little brother used to get the worse ones, he would vomit and just lay in bed in agony. At age 7, his pediatrician asked to have him take an MRI and CAT scan to make sure there was nothing funny in his brain. He is now 22 years old and hardly gets them at all. I remember the docs telling my mom that video games, certain foods and spices like MSG can trigger migraines. Usually the best way to handle them is to lay down with a cool towel on your head and relax. My brother was always given ibruprofen for the pain and it would help eventually but once the pounding started, there was usually nothing to do but let it pass. I hope you are feeling better. I know how bad they can be.

[Janet]

I do get bad headaches from time to time, but they are not migranes. Could you eat a little something to take your meds with before you go out to eat? I would hate for you to suffer through your birthday lunch. Hope it goes away real fast...

[magnolia]

I'm back from lunch - and it was wonderful, at least through the "fog" of the headache!! I hate taking medications anyway, much less on an empty stomach - even advil or tylenol....so I sucked it up and hung on til I ate then I took an 800mg Ibuprofen (I start out taking those and if that doesn't work, then I take my prescription Esgic Plus). It is easing up some, not feeling as "crushed" in the vice as it was earlier!

My oldest son was sent to Pediatric Neurologist in Jackson a few years back as a precaution to double check behind his pediatrician on his headaches. We saw the head of the department (wasn't expecting that!!) and he reviewed his MRI, CAT scans, and his chart history then turned to Sam and I and told us he was not ignoring us but we weren't his patient, TJ was. He then spent about 15 minutes talking to TJ, interjecting questions every now and then on his headaches, and got more info out of him than his own doctor had in the 3 years she'd been treating him! He was diagnosed at the age of 11 with "classic migraines" and was given medication for them. He's almost 17 and hasn't had a bad headache (the put-you-to-bed kind) in almost a year - that's a good sign he's headed to outgrowing them!

Thanks for your kind words - I am feeling a bit better now

my hubby used to get really bad migraines when he was a teenager and into his mid twenties.his dad told me one time they were all watching t.v. in the living room and my hubby walked out of the room holding his head. Ten minutes later his mom found him curled up in the fetal position in their front yard and there was a horrible storm outside. It's like he goes into a trance the pain is so bad and he doesn't know who he is or where he is or anything. He hasn't had a bad migraine like that in a while. He had one when he was guarding the SuperDome down in N.O. right after Hurricane Katrina hit but otherwise he has been fine.

[Mandy]

Glad you feeling better!! I personally don't get migranes, just bad headaches from time to time.

I have heard that diet has a lot to do with it chocolates - coffee - cheese, and some other things which i can't remember.

I get migraines alot...I tried the meds from the dr cant remember what it was called, ..they didnt help....so I been trying different things and my brother told me to try advil liquid gel caps ( they are green) they work wonders for me, and I sometimes take them on an empty stomach and does not bother me.....
I use to get them so bad I couldnt even stand up

[magnolia]

Originally Posted by Elaine

I get migraines alot...I tried the meds from the dr cant remember what it was called, ..they didnt help....so I been trying different things and my brother told me to try advil liquid gel caps ( they are green) they work wonders for me, and I sometimes take them on an empty stomach and does not bother me.....
I use to get them so bad I couldnt even stand up

The worst one I've ever had left me so weak, I didn't realize it and when I got out of bed (after taking meds and trying to sleep it off), I stood up and hit the floor - had to literally crawl to the bathroom! Been a while since I've had one that bad, I usually try to head them off before they get that bad.

As for diet, about the only thing I do that could be a trigger is coffee - LOVE my "fix" in the mornings! If I don't drink enough coffee, the lack of caffiene will trigger a headache - go figure I eat chocolate but not every day and when I do eat it, after a couple bites, I've had all the sugar I can stand. If I eat too much chocolate, I send my body into "sugar shock"!

With my son, we eliminated all red food dyes (koolade, popcicles, etc) and all hot dogs from his diet to see if we could pinpoint the "trigger" for him. I've come to realize that, aside from weather changes, we won't ever pinpoint exactly what triggers them for either of us - neither of us are big chocolate or sweets eaters, don't eat a lot of foods with MSG in it - so we just deal with them when they hit and take our meds

[Kimberley]

I feel so sorry for those that suffer from migraines. Fortunally, I've not had to experience one...knock-on-wood!

[Marilyn]

I've had migranes since age 7, and so has my youngest daughter. My oldest daughter never had one until she took birth control pills for acne. She had such bad migranes that the doctor took her off the pills and told her she should never ever take birth control pills again. She was too high risk for even worse complicatons.

I tolerate the pain much better now than I used to. I take extra strength tylenol as soon as I feel one coming on. If it doesn't work, then I take Advil or Motrin. Prescription meds don't work any better. The headaches may last a few hours, but sometimes linger for 2 to 3 days. Usually mine are the ice pick or knife blade in the eye kind, but once I had one that weakened my right side affecting my ablility to walk. I was on birth control pills at the time, and had to discontinue them. Never had that bad a migrane since.

Triggers can be anything, strong smell, bright light, too much time at the computer, not enough sleep. Haven't pinpointed any specific foods.

My youngest daughter has to take tylenol or advil and go to bed to get over them. They make her very sick as well, but as she gets older, she's tolerating the pain better also.

[Janet]

It sure sounds like I need to count my blessings for not having migranes. My heart goes out to those of you who are affected by this horrible pain. I hope with all the medical breakthroughs, that this too, will be a thing of the past.

[Amber_lv]

I too get severe migrains i get them so bad i have to go to sleep because i get so sick i did find a trick that helped me from a physical theripist if you stick an ice pack directly on the base of your head right where your neck meets your head in the back and lay down it will help relieve the pain. I can't take anything to stop them not even pain killers but this did stop them a few times. I get them so bad i have had them for 5 days with no relief.

well guess i jinxed my hubby talking about migraines...he had one yesterday and almost passed out from it....he was on the computer and got up clutching his head and laid down in bed curled up like a sick lttle puppy . so it's a good thing my dtrs always stay wed. night at my mil house. i gave him migraine meds. but he was so out of it he was talking in his sleep with his eyes wide open. i asked him if he wanted me to bring him supper in bed and he started talking about metal dragging sparks and didn't it look good??? i asked him later what in the world he was talking about and he looked at me like i was crazy!!! but at least he feels better now which is good because when he's down with a headache he's like a stoned grumpy bear.