Migraine Headaches - Plainfield,IL

My sister gets horrible migraines.... she has found increased magnesium and I think calcium helps with migraines. Also she drinks gatorade... something with the electolyte boost helps the migraine too. She has tried every prescription drug however none of them seem to help. Being on the pill can also cause them to be worse.

Good luck

A friend of mine used to suffer from horrible migraines for years. After several MRI's, medications, etc, a dentist diagnosed her with TMJ. The dentist put a retainer-like device in her mouth and she hasn't had a migraine since. Best of luck!

I get migranes around the time I get my period. I have had them off and on since my teen years when I started on bcp. I have stopped drinking caffiene, cut back on chocolate, nitrate additives, and artificial sweetners. I also started making sure to drink lots of water each day, and exercising more regularly. I can now say that they are no where near as bad or as often as they used to be. I now take ibuprofen at the onset of one and can still function the rest of the day.

Hi A.,
I get migranes all the time and for me, stress, weather (high low pressure), and dehydradration really make it worse or bring them on. When I feel a headache come on I always stick with my morning cup of coffee otherwise, i get the caffeine headache on top of it all. I also drink tons more water. One thing that has worked for me...or at least I saw a decrease in headaches was that I did a detox program (clean eating..not fasting). I found one that worked for me and took a mild approach but did the detox for longer than the original plan. If you are interested I can give you more info but it really decreased the migranes for a good 6 months. I used to take notes of when I had them and what I ate so that I could speak with my doctor about it. Funny enough he was only looking for allergy foods not if the diet was high quality. So I think that allergy foods and high quality and clean foods should be thought of together.....Thanks, V

I have a friend who suffered from migranes for years. She changed her diet to only include organic meat and dairy and hasn't had a migrane since. Everyone's different, but it's worth a try.

I've had migraines since my 20's. For awhile they were really, really bad and would last for days but as time went on and I got into my late 20's they were less frequent and less severe. I was on a few prescription migraine meds but after a couple of years they lost their effectiveness. I've never found a natural solution that worked for me and OTC meds couldn't touch the pain.
When I was pregnant they completely went away only to come back with a vengeance once I was done breastfeeding. Now I'm on a beta-blocker every day and I haven't had a headache in 8 weeks (knock on wood).
And yes, I do find that weather is a factor (especially hot, humid weather) as well as stress and fatigue. I try to get enough sleep, keep my stress to a minimum, and when the hot summer weather gets here I stay in the AC and up my water intake. I
Good luck- I hope you find a solution for your migraines. I know they're miserable!

A.,
I suffered for decades. I tried meds--both pain and beta blockers. Ergostat was the only medication that ever helped and it is no longer available.
Supplements helped me. If you want info on those, let me know.
Victoria

Hi A.. I'm so sorry to hear about your migraines. It sounds like we have a similar pattern of being migraine free for awhile and then going through spells of several migraines over a few days. After keeping numerous headache journals I have not been able to determine triggers for myself and over the couter medications do not work at all for me. Before I got pregnant I took Zomig, which was a miracle drug for me - within 30 minutes any migraine was gone. Also, when I got into a migraine cycle, I took amatryptline (sp?) everynight as a preventative measure. Now that I'm pregnant I am not taking any meds, so it was nice to read some of the responses below to try. Good luck - hope you feel better soon.

I used to get migraines just like that. Starting around age 15 and continuing until a couple of years ago. Like you they would come in clusters (which I was told is actually more common in men, but whatever, it's what was happening). The one thing that has seemed totally stop my headaches was to get off of hormonal birth control! Even though I know that's not what started them (the headaches started before I ever went on the pill) stopping has really made my life so much better. I have an IUD now and have been so happy with it. If you're on the pill, it's worth talking to your doctor.

I used to get HORRIBLE migraines VERY often! I went and got tested for sensitivites. I found I was "sensitive" to corn syrup(not high fructose corn syrup). It gives me the worst migraines! Also, many preservatives and gelatin! I really stay away from that and now I maybe have one migraine a month that is controllable!
When I feel one coming on my weird home remedy is Coke and fries or plain potato chips. I know it is the caffeine, but not sure if it is the salt that helps or the potato part!? Also, if I catch it in the beginning before it is really bad Exedrine Migraine works to take the edge off. If not, I now use Relpax. But it only works if I can take it and lay down for a while.
As far as the weather goes I have alsways wondered the same thing. Sometimes I think maybe I am having more of a sinus headache than a migraine on weird weather days. So, I am not help there. Good luck. Maybe go get tested for "sensitivities". It is different from allergy testing and non-invasive. Knowing what to stay away from has made a HUGE difference for me! Let me know if you want the info on the place I went :)

Hi A.,

I was diagnosed with migraines in the first grade. Back then, my triggers were nitrates and artificial preservatives (specifically, bologna sandwiches!). As I've gotten older, I've discovered other triggers, mostly stress, fatigue, and hormones.

For me, caffeine helps a lot, but I know it's a trigger for others. I've used Midrin and Imitrex (both pills and home injections) over the years, but I usually get the most relief from Excedrin Migraine taken with extra caffeine and organic crackers, a dark room with the air conditioning on cold, accupressure on my hands and feet, and an extra-tight eye/sleep mask.

I got a lot of relief when I went off the Pill and switched to the ParaGard IUD (no hormones). I also avoid processed meats (especially sausage and pepperoni) or anything with too many artificial ingredients (unfortunately, soda). Have you tried organic, natural peanut butter? As far as pain relief, you might try things that change your blood flow (accupressure, massage, heat, cold, etc.). It might help relieve the pressure.

Good luck! Migraines are so hard.

I suffer from monthly migraines. I am currently on the Birth control pill, so my gyne doctor said they are all hormonal, because I usually get 2-3 during my cycle. My doctor advised me that the moment I feel a migraine coming on, I should immediately take 2 ibuprofens and drink caffeine. I experimented this last month, and I immediately took an Excedrin migraine pill, and drank caffeine. (I highly suggest a Chai tea from Starbucks). My head was pulsating from all the caffeine, but I didn't get the horrible migraine pain that usually makes me vomit or makes me think my head is going to explode. I also suffer from optical migraines, where I only get the blurred vision and no headache. When I get those, I have to sit in a dark room, usually close my eyes for a 1/2 hour and they eventually go away. I believe those are all stress related and it is when I work too much on my computer.

I have chronic migraines. They started as a teenager, as I have gotten older they have become worse and more frequent. Are you seeing a neurologist? They are the only ones that can really help you. I am on a beta blocker EVERY day. If not I would be having migraines at least 5 days a week. I know they offer lots of new medications to help block the pain.

I also went to a "Migraine class". This was a lecture situation where they spoke about causes, prevention , lifestyle and medications. This was valuable information. The class was held at a diagnostic clinic and led by the neurologist. It was offered free.

I have never found a home remedy. I do use the pressure point on my hand that I squeeze to aliviate pain.. You squeeze very hard the skin between your thumb and your pointing finger. But the minute you let go, the pain is there again.

The Motrin Migraine can help, but Hydrocodone is the pain medication that helps me in the very few times, I now feel the migraine.

Our daughter now has migraines every once in a while and has pain meds for them..

I had the same issue and finally went to a Naturopathic Medical Doctor who told me gluten was the trigger for my migraines. After many failed meds and bogus medical reports, I took gluten out of my diet 5 yrs ago and have not looked back. I was getting migraines 1-2 times per week, they started off monthly and got progressively worse. I thought the same thing, weather, monthly cycle, etc. Anytime I eat gluten, I will get a migraine in 24hrs. Gluten is in everything unless you take it out of your diet for 2-weeks. I also don't eat soy or much dairy. I was off of migraine meds and acid reflux meds in 3 months.

J., MPH
Chicago Family Health Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-7158-Chicago-Family-Health-Exam...

I am so sorry to hear about your migraines! My sister-in-law has suffered for years, she has finally gotten them pretty much under control. She went to a nutritionist who mapped out a diet plan for her. Soy is a major trigger for her and any leftover food. Food apparently breaks down and develops amino acids that trigger the migraines. She does not eat any leftovers and freezes no food that she buys at the store. She can buy food that is already frozen and cook it. Nitrates and Nitrites, soy sauce (any soy), MSG are also triggers. The weather is also an issue. When a storm is rolling in she can feel it coming. Her menstrual cycle was also a trigger.

Biofeedback has worked for her, you have to train yourself to do this, with the help of someone. She also goes for acupuncture when it gets bad which really helps.

Stress, stress, stress is a major trigger. She exercises religiously.

She does not take any medication anymore, did not like the side effects.

Good luck I hope this helps!!!!

Sleep deprivation is one of my triggers, and they are also related to my menstrual cycle. If your hormones are "off" because of pregnancy, birth control, or other reasons, that might be something to look at. I do avoid chocolate and that has helped a ton, but isn't a sure-fire fix. I have had really good luck with Imetrex, but I know it doesn't work for everyone. I also find standing in the shower with warm water really firing down does help a little bit, even if it doesn't get rid of the pain entirely (sometimes if it's too bad to stand up for too long I just sit in the tub with the lights out and the water running. Maybe someone will have an amazing home remedy, but my best advice is to keep working with your doctor until you find the med that best works for you. Good luck!

I have suffered from migraines since I was 7 years old... that is actually when they diagnosed me! I have periods where I am migraine free for many months and other times I have cyclical headaches... be very careful about using over the counter analgesics such as Excedrin - if you use them more than twice a week - you set yourself up for rebound headaches.

The weather is a huge trigger for me. I am on a daily antihistamine, prescription beta blocker (I have a serious adverse reaction to all migraine meds!! and can't take them) - so prevention for me is crucial! I follow the migraine threshold diet as much as possible (I still have caffeine in my coffee daily and I drink an occassional glass of wine) - I don't eat processed foods, no msg, no preservatives, no artificial sweeteners, I take zinc, b complex, calcium, vitamin D, multivitain daily. I did see a chiropractor for a while - but that left me with chronic neck pain!

If you don't see a neurologist - you should... you need to know what your triggers are - keep a headache journal - and rate your headaches on a 1-5 scale each time they happen - that way you have data to give to the doctor.

I get eye migraines around the time that I get my period. I will see "floaties" and know that within 20 minutes, I'll have a migraine. I take an OTC migraine med and that works fine for me. Fortunately, I haven't needed anything stronger. Some months, I don't have them, which is great.

I've notice that I get them more (sometimes 2-3 days during my cycle) if I'm too tired or too hungry or if I eat too much sugar and refined carbs. Switching to a more clean (less processed foods) diet has helped.

I hope you find relief soon.

Oh MY gosh!!! You and my husband Must be related!!! LOL.......about 6 months ago My husband was diagnosed with "cluster headaches" on top of his migraines. Our Primary Care Doctor put him on Topiramate 25mg for the cluster headaches....but be careful this med tends to take away your taste on sweet things like cookies or soda (which might not be a bad thing...lol) it just leaves a sour taste in your mouth which my husband did not like so he now only takes those meds every other day instead of everyday and it really helped with that side effect. We have also seen that my husband gets a couple sinus headaches just before he gets a bad migraine...which yes can be weather induced...He also just started on a new migraine med called Maxalt-MLT 10mg he has only had to take that twice so far and it Really helped him a lot!!! He has tried soOoOo many meds over the years for them and with no success that he was so surprised that with this one in 20 minutes it was tolerable and by the time an hour passed he was perfectly fine. As far as triggers for him he know it seems to be something in some cheeses. Like for example if he eats a cheese burger from McDonalds or wendys poof headache with in 45 minutes, but If I make cheeses burger's and I only use provolone or cheddar hes fine. Now my SIL cant eat Ham in anyway shape or form or she gets migraines that last for days...its so weird how we are all so different....I hope this helps...best of luck!!! I know it is not a fun road to be traveling down.

Hi A.,
My husband is a chiropractor and has helped many patients with migraines. Here's a blurb about it from their website:
Headaches

Headaches are a growing epidemic in our society today. Often headaches are dismiss as a part of everyday life. This Is Not Normal! The average person should only have one headache every three to four months. People that suffer from headaches try to mask their pain with aspirin, Tylenol, and sometimes even stronger medications that only give temporarily relief to their pain. Headaches have been directly linked to subluxations (spinal misalignments), muscle imbalance, and nerve irritation. Chiropractic physicians are trained extensively in the diagnosis and treatment of headache conditions. If you suffer from headaches everyday, once a week, or even once a month, your body is telling you Something Is Wrong, and chiropractic care has had proven success with eliminating headaches!

I would definitely suggest seeing a chiropractor and I can give you some referrals (as his office is in Sycamore).
Take care,
D.

It has been discovered that we can learn to listen to what our body is trying to communicate through physical symptoms. Our body systems learn to react to stressors in different ways: headaches, migraines, allergies, IBS, high blood pressure, chronic infections, neck and back pain. The list goes on. The good news is that what is learned can be unlearned. You can learn to interrupt emotional patterns that weaken the immune system and the bodies natural ability to heal. A couple books I recommend are Dr Sarno's The Mind/Body Prescription, Louise Hay's You Can Heal Your Life. Body Wisdom is the next in a series of mind/body classes I offer at Wright College. I'll share how I learned to interrupt a 30 year pattern of sinus headaches and infections.

Yes weather can be a cause of migraines. Check the barametric pressure when you have your migrain and keep a log of that for your doctor along with the intensity of your migrain