Hi mamas!
I have been getting migraine headaches during my menstrual cycle. I don't get them everyday but when I do the headache pretty powerful. I was looking for any homeopathic remedies or natural cures for these horrible headaches. I have heard to stay away from chocolate and cheese because it makes the headaches more intense. So, I am also wondering if you know any other foods to stay away from that may make headaches worse. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. It is not so easy to have kids and a headache at the same time! Thank you!
Sepia 30 c is a great homeopathic remedy for PMS and migraines.
Deborah Merlin
Mother/author
www.victoryoveradhd.com
suffered for many years and then I went to a mircle worker and haven't had a migraine for 15 years. Please call Master Zhou @ 310-478-1798 and tell Julia that Penny told you to call. It's a little expensive but well worth it!!!
A cold pack on the back of your neck or running your hair/head under cold water should help if it is a migraine... Also, as always, make sure you get plenty of water and rest...
Cheese and chocolate can bring on migraine as well as red wine and some other things... But, if you are getting them with your menstral cycle, they are probably hormone induced, so you are probably not triggering them with food... As contradictory as it sounds, sometimes chocolate can help reduce a headache as well, lol... If you are a coffee or coke drinker, these can help sometimes as well... it's because of the caffeine... There's a perscription pill called cafferdat that they give for migraine sometimes that is basically nothing but a huge shot of caffeine. SO, a caffeinated soda can sometimes help! :D
Huggles!!
~Sarah~
After close to 30 years of migraines, I finally found relieve in a category of meds called "triptans." Imitrex is one, Zomig is the one I take. One dose halt the hammering in my head within maybe 30 minutes. This discovery came after a trip to the ER with a migraine that shots of narcotic painkillers had no impact. The Doctor said, "OK now that we know it isn't a HEADACHE, it is a MIGRAINE, you need a migraine aborter." One dose Imitrex and it stopped. total miracle to me.
I have also suffered from migraines and know your pain. There are several non-pharma things you can do. As far as foods, it is recommended to avoid caffeine, although a little hot of coffee when one starts sometimes helps. Go figure. Best to avoid sulfites-alcohol, cured meats. Absolutely avoid sugar free products with aspartame. Here's a excerpt from an article on the dangers of aspartame.
http://www.naturalnews.com/022785.html
Aspartame accounts for more than 75 percent of the total adverse reactions to food reported to the U.S. Federal Drug Administration. Hundreds of airline pilots have reported symptoms of memory loss and confusion, headaches, seizures, visual disturbances and gastrointestinal reactions as a result of consuming sweeteners.
One of the best things you can do is alternate hot as you can stand, cold as you can stand on your head neck and shoulders back and forth several times everyday at the end of your shower. This stimulates circulation. Do shoulder rolls, stretch your neck by dropping your head, ear to shoulder. Get regular chiropractic adjustments. This has probably helped me
more than anything. Acupuncture can help.
Aromatherapy is helpful. I keep lavendar oil around and will put a couple of drops on my pulse points, wrist and neck. You can find formulas that are great at health food stores and some metaphysical book stores.
Water, water, water. Stay hydrated.
Magnetic necklaces are really helpful. You can find them in many metaphysical bookstores or online. Wear it to bed at night.
If at all possible, at the first sign of a migraine put a bag of ice on your neck.
For hormone driven migraines I recommend Dr Schulze's Female Formula. The Natural Botanical Pharmacy is the Marina. You can order it also online.
https://web2.herbdoc.com/index.php?&c=1
I'm sure you can also find other formulas at Whole Foods or another like store.
You might also try a regimine of Feverfew. It is an herb that you can take in capsule form.
I started out taking one a day for a couple of months when they first started getting bad for
me and then have tapered off. You can pop 3-4 at the onset of a migraine as well.
Finally here's a link that you can find some more info.
http://www.migraine101.com/phyto.htm
Have you tried acupuncture? I have migraines as well. Right now I'm under the care of a neurologist and am using Western medication. However, long ago I tried acupuncture and it did work. I am a believer in acupuncture. I am currently not using acupuncture because I haven't found an acupuncturists near me that I like and my schedule does not allow me to visit an acupuncurists regularly. Good luck!
evening primrose oil helps with PMS and it may help PMS induced headaches. Caffeine is supposed to be bad for migrains too.
I get menstrual migraines too. Dairy also gives me headaches which can lead to migraines (except butter for some reason.) I see an acupuncturist which helps some, but Imitrex is a miracle I believe for migraines, like another mom wrote here. Give it a try. It is very expensive so hopefully you have great insurance.
Good luck.
Marla
http://www.migraine-headaches-information.com/
I can't validate this doctor's statements with a first hand account, but I just started using a couple of his recommendations for PMS and although it's hard to say whether it will completely work or not yet (he claims it takes a couple of cycles), I have found my PMS to be slightly better this month... so far... :)
Stay away from caffeine at all times of the month because it does wreak havoc when your cycle comes around. You can go to a health food store and get Royal Maca, it is amazing and you will see the benefits of it within 30 days.
My biggest suggestion though is to find a great Chiropractor and get checked. My husband is a DC and I can't tell you how much of a difference it makes to have an adjustment each week to prevent that headache, if you need help finding a DC in your area, please contact me!
Good luck,
Wendy
Besides taking Topamax (a seizure medication), I take Migrelief, a vitamin that has magnesium and riboflavin in it. The combination has helped prevent the migraines. When I do get a migraine, I take Relpax (prescribed by my doctor) for the pain, and within two hours, the pain is gone--it's amazing. I'm in a bit of a fog afterwards, but I'll take a fog over the pain any day. Best of luck. I know the pain of a migraine really is miserable!! Especially when you have to take care of kids!!
i suffered with this for 4 years until i did something about it.
for me it turned out to be that i was peri-menopausal in my early 40s. not sure of your age but ... my doctor finally prescribed relpax and it worked!!!! take one as soon as you feel it coming on! and then it was gone! and didn't come back during my whole cycle.
later i found out if i took just ONE excedrin or something with caffeine it also worked and much less $. i'm VERY sensitive to caffeine so that's why only one.
and now that i am post-menopausal at the ripe old age of 46, no more headaches and no more period!
fyi i have a 7 and 9 year old so i went through this all during preschool, kindergarten etc so i know it's tough!!!!!!!
NOTE:(also get off the pill if you're on it - you may actually be menopausal but pill hides symptoms by making you still have your period)
I've taken 250mg of magnesium with my multivitamin every morning for years, and it's helped me control my migrains with Tylenol.
Alisa,
Ugh how awful for you! I don't personally get migraines but my husband does, so I know your pain. For him, it a huge list of things that trigger his (ONIONS are worst, nuts, chocolate, alcohol, dark carbonated soda, many herbs, shallots...). He can usually have a SMALL amount of any trigger food, but not any multiples in combination. Unfortunately, the only way to figure it out is to eliminate EVERYTHING from your diet and slowly (one a week) re-introduce them to your diet to see what foods do it. I recently heard that often migraines are triggered by sleep problems. Wish I had easier answers for you!
Good luck!
Heather
I get migraines now from menopause and I have found that Excedrine Tension Headache works wonders. It works even better than the Excedrine Migraine. And for me, a strong cup of espresso or dark dark chocolate helps. I know everyone else says to stay away from coffee, but for me it is the opposite. I try to avoid prescription medicines, so I'm glad this works for me. And don't forget to keep well hydrated! Lots of water (no sodas or sugery drinks) The loss of blood from your cycle will cause you to get dehydrated too. Good luck!
I have suffered from menstral migraines since high school. some of the non-pharm treatments I use are peppermint/peppermint oil/peppermint tea to help with the nausea that accompanies this life disturbance. Make sure you stay very hydrated. Lots of water babe! Ice packs are my friend :) Lavendar filled eye pillows & a very dark room. If I can catch my migraine in the early stages & can take the time to chill & sleep, this helps with the duration & severity of my headache. My neurologist has had me on increased amounts of Magnesium along with my multi-vitamin. I have also been doing some reading on Butterbur. Some of the health magazines suggest 50 - 75mg of butterbur twice a day along with 400mg of riboflavin & ginger.
good luck :)
I suffered from headaches for years and finally discovered that if I eat raw or partially cooked onions it triggers it. To relieve the migrane that has gone full tilt my doctor prescribed FROVA which works fantastic for me, doesn't make me sleepy and I can pretty much get through my day. I hope this helps.
I feel for you! I have suffered from menstrual migraines for years. I've found that fast food or processed foods have triggered my headaches so I've completely cut out those foods from my diet. I pretty much don't eat anything with MSG in it (which I've read has all sorts of other chemicals in the same family which are in foods) so I'm learning the alternative names for MSG and trying to avoid them as well. I do recommend staying hydrated and eating fruit. When I do get a headache though, I do take Excedrin Tension which helps take the pain away and just gets me to a dull ache. Nothing really helps take away the headache except sleep, a dark room and time. Hang in there!!
Hi Alisa,
Menstrual migraines/headaches are usually a sign that other hormonal imbalances are going on. As one of the other moms said, acupuncture is a great method for stopping this vicious cycle. If you let me know the community you live in AND some of the surrounding communities, I will put out a request for a referral to a practitioner with experience with hormonal headaches and get back to you as soon as I get a good response.
Homeopathy also helps, but when it's a chronic condition, it's unlikely that a low-potency, over-the-counter remedy will be "the one" for you. If you want to try constitutional homeopathy (having your case taken thoroughly to get the most resonant remedy for the unique person that is you), I have a recommendation to a colleague who has offices in both Santa Monica and the H-Hills area. Let me know!
Best regards,
Sybil Ihrig, L.Ac.
Lotus Wellspring Healthcare
456 E. Mission Road, Suite 100
San Marcos, CA 92069
(760) 752-9786
[email protected]
www.lotuswellspring.com