Migraines

[plunkybug]

As many people well know. I suffer from frequent headaches, usually migraine or sinus, but both equally bad and debilitating. Earlier today, in reading the migraine management link from Glitter in my last post, interesting things have come up. Things I knew, but more importantly things I did not know. I really want to stop (or at least reduce the frequency of) my migraines, but some of the triggers are things out of my control...like being a woman, and the weather outside. Currently, I treat them with Excedrin or Benadryl, sometime alternating throughout the day, and sleep (in a dark room if possible). I am going to look into some of the more natural options first, like magnesium and riboflavin (B-2), and maybe butterbur which is something relatively new. I had no luck with feverfew, but mainly because I couldn't stomach it. It tasted horrible (like dirt), but granted it *was* liquid, and I never tried it in pill form. I was also reading about the prescription medicines, though I admit to not having much luck with them in the past. Imitrex sent fire pulsing through my sinuses and made it hurt to swallow, and was just as debilitating as the migraine alone. I was told about a lower dosage clearing that problem up, but that is only in a nasal spray, and I am not good with those. Not to mention it is $50 on my insurance plan, so yeah, I want to try something else. I tried Elavil daily for the prevention of them, but that left me a fatigued emotional wreck and I stopped it after a week. Now I have seen that there are other prescriptions out there and was wondering if anyone on my friends list has experience with any of them and could give me some feedback for if I decide to go that route. I would like to have more info about these medicines before going back to my doctor and asking about a prescription. One further note, for those who have not seen me or know me outside this journal, I should end by saying I am very petite, slightly over 5' and a little over 100 lbs, so I am the size of a teenager, which may be one of the reasons I react to medicines strongly.

Any thoughts tips etc would be helpful. I think I may cross post this into a community, but which one? ah, just found migraines

Comments

[katykate.livejournal.com]

migraines is a very good community.

I've recently started a B Complex vitamin, and want to start Magnesium as well. Coenzyme Q-10 can be helpful from what I've heard and read, but I think one should talk to their Dr about that one first.

I'm eliminating a lot of foods as well. Aged cheeses (cheddar, parmesan (whimper), MSG is A HUGE trigger for me, and it's hidden everywhere under different names. You can find sites that list all it's disguises if you just search MSG--I don't have a site handy. Red wine is bad :( I've cut down my caffeine intake, and seriously cut down on daily over the counter pain meds (Excedrin is my drug of choice) to prevent rebound.

There are TONS of preventative meds, and they are mostly trial and error. Most of them are anticonvulsants. Depakote seems to be great for many, but it didn't work for me. Beta blockers are often very helpful, but given you are so petite, that may be the route to go as they lower your blood pressure.

Imitrex seems like it's a rather harsh med for most people--leaves them feeling very wiped out or something. I've never tried it--I had great success with the Zomig pill immediately. You could ask for samples of some of the different triptans from your Dr--they tend to work better or be worse depending on the person.

[katykate.livejournal.com]

doh
make that, beta blockers may *not be the route to go...

[plunkybug.livejournal.com]

Yeah, they did mention CoQ-10 but said to try things independantly, though I can't see the harm in going the magnesium and B route simulaneously as those ase elements we need daily anyway.

I don't have know food issues, I mean I react sometimes and then other times I don't. Eliminating foods is probably the last thing I will do, as a foodie, and a devout lover of cheese. I don't have caffeine or wine much but don't notice any negative affects. MSG doesn't seem to affect me unless it is a specific amount that is the trigger.

I have the Imitrex spray script, but I haven;t filled it for the reasons I posted above. I guess if the magnesium and vitamin B and such do not work, I will ask for samples before buying anything, knowing my sensitivity. I have seen some big issues with Depakote...a friend of ours takes it for her narcolepsy and bi-polar conditions and gained 40 pounds in less than a month on it. I don't think the beta blockers would be good for me, as I already have low bp (100/65 ish) and going too much lower would not be wise.

The other concern I have for the pills is that I usually wake up with the migraine semi or mostly full force, and when I get it in the daytime, it is hard to tell if it is going to turn into one or not. I don't get any aura...I just feel my head hurting more and more. Sometime it stays low level, and sometime it doesn't. So I can't always take before it begins you see, and that alone may render them useless.

Thanks for you help though. I wnet back and edited and noted the community, which i just joined and cross posted this entry to.

[katykate.livejournal.com]

The other concern I have for the pills is that I usually wake up with the migraine semi or mostly full force, and when I get it in the daytime, it is hard to tell if it is going to turn into one or not. I don't get any aura...I just feel my head hurting more and more. Sometime it stays low level, and sometime it doesn't. So I can't always take before it begins you see, and that alone may render them useless.

I used to wake up with the majority of mine, and yes they were full-blown by then. The Zomig often works on them still, though. Occassionally not.

Since being on various preventatives, the number of them that I wake up with has decreased, but the number that develop during the day has increased (that could just be a change in my pattern too, since my sleep is more on track--when I sleep too much, I usually wake with a whopper). Sleep regulation is very important. However, I can catch them before they get too bad, so the Zomig is very helpful. If you find the "right" triptan for you (there are many) you may be able to head most of them off, or cut them off. Personally, I don't like the idea of Imitrex--like I said, it just seems so harsh for SO many people. I've never had a problem with Zomig.

Depakote does cause weight gain, yes. Almost all of the anticonvulsants do, except Topamax which causes weight loss.

[plunkybug.livejournal.com]

What preventiatives are you on? I know she lost weight after switching, so it might have been topomax. She went from a 3/4 to 9/10 and now is down to a 1/2.

[katykate.livejournal.com]

Right now, I'm on 900mg of Neurontin a day, but honestly, it hasn't helped that much really. I want off it and have to talk to my psychiatrist about it today (it's helping stabilize my mood in a weird way, but I don't like it--she does. bleh).

For the bipolar--I'm also on Tegretol as my mood stabilizer, which helps some people for migraines, but it hasn't done that much for me. Maybe a bit? I'm on Effexor as my antidepressant, which is sometimes prescribed for migraines as well.

Because I have bipolar, many of my meds often do "double duty" with migraines.

When my sleep is on a normal schedule, and I don't have to get up really early, it helps me a lot. When it goes out of whack (which often happens when my bipolar meds aren't stable), the migraines are worse.

I've tried:
Topamax (twice). The first time I got down to a size 3 (I'm 5'8") and was ill looking...plus it makes me incredibly stupid.

Depakote - my hair starting falling out, and I had memory problems.

Elavil (several years ago), which worked wonders, but I gained tons of weight. I wouldn't go off it though cause it helped so much. Eventually I got to the max safe dose and had to go off it.

Olanzapine (Zyprexa), which is an atypical antipsychotic. Worked really well, but gained too much weight.

I've been on a couple of beta blockers too. I don't remember them being all that effective, but it was so long ago...

[plunkybug.livejournal.com]

Her hair was falling out with Depakote too. I had no luck on Elavil. I was having sleeping problems and mood swings to hell. It was not a fun week.

[plunkybug.livejournal.com]

I find it interesting that these drugs do "double duty" as you say. In my friend's case it was triple...narcolepsy, bi polar, and migraines. Makes you kinda wonder, eh?

[katykate.livejournal.com]

These are the different triptans out there
http://headaches.about.com/cs/druginfo/a/eletriptan_stud.htm

I'm going to ask about Relpax myself.

Just wanted to say that re food triggers--it takes forever to figure them out. I know that I recently noticed I'd start getting a headache after eating too many flavored potato chips (the MSG). They are really hard to get a handle on, and you just have to be really aware. It sucks :)

I hope you feel better :)

[plunkybug.livejournal.com]

Like I said, I can't see a pattern in the common food triggers, but I suppose I can't rule them out. I would just rather try eveything else than adjust my diet if possible. :)

[katykate.livejournal.com]

I know exactly what you mean. After getting down to the only option of Botox shots, I decided to take a closer look at foods lol

[plunkybug.livejournal.com]

i would too. :P

[katykate.livejournal.com]

btw, migraine often disguises itself like a sinus headache. They feel like sinus, but are actually a migraine.

[plunkybug.livejournal.com]

This is why I usually start out by taking benadryl, to knock me out for a few hours, and then I take excedrin if it is still hurting and not sinuses.

[katykate.livejournal.com]

I usually just bend over--if I don't feel increased sinus pressure, I go for a migraine treatment instead of sinus.

[plunkybug.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see. Very wise. With my allergies, it doesn't usually hurt as I am usually stuffy to some degree all the time.

[katykate.livejournal.com]

you know what's weird with me? I thought I was having allergy symptoms, but I would start getting this stuffy nose leading up to a migraine, even though I had taken my allergy meds...then it would resolve after the migraine did. It's a symptom for some people--swollen eyes, stuffy nose etc. and then it resolves once you kick the migraine. I had no idea until recently...

Not that that's what's happening for you, but it was for me just sort of out of the blue. It was very bizarre.

[plunkybug.livejournal.com]

Well, the excedrin usually helps whether it is sinus or not, but I stop sneezing for a day or so after taking benadryl or something similar. I have been contemplating nasal/sinus irrigation lately.

[alryssa.livejournal.com]

Tom has the same problem. He takes magnesium and feverfew (in the caplet form, because yes, we've grown feverfew and it's VERY bitter) every day. It's a cumulative effect, so it takes time, but the severity and the number of migraines he suffers from are greatly reduced.

For some reason, his nasal congestion can be triggered and can cause migraines as well, so he takes Pulsatilla (6C) a couple of times a day to relieve his congestion which doesn't raise his blood pressure like OTC medications.

He has Imitrex and Relpax on hand from his doctor in case a migraine DOES attack, but he's not using them half as much as he would if he didn't take the herbal stuff as well. (Saves us money in the long run on prescriptions).

[plunkybug.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much. Sorry we missed you at Gally this year.