migrain help
I have posted in here before about my migraines. I bought Advil migraine meds once during a horrible migraine and later read the ingredients which included gelatin. I've been having bad headaches lately that last for days at a time. I hardly feel like I can function. I'm reluctant to take the gelatin laden pills because---well...there gelatin laden....(speaking of which, if I'm not going to use them I should give them away to someone who will, right?) The pharmacist I spoke with warned me that most of the migraine medicines are tough on the stomach. When I did take the Advil migraine, i vomited...but about an hour later my head ache went away. I tried eating a banana with the meds, but it obviously didn't work. I'm sure that years of ABUSING my stomach is the reason for my decreased tolerance of these sorts of things.
Based on my research about migraines, I have seen that most of the common triggetrs are things I don't eat anyways (ham, fish, milk, etc...) An exception would be that I consume caffeine, switch supposedly makes migraines worse too, but I find if I dont drink my coffee my head hurts MORE (probally just a sigh of addiction)
What i was wondering is if any of you who have migraines (actually, physically migraines- not just head aches) found an herbal remedy that keep them at bay- like to take preventively. Also, what can I do for acute migraine pain? What adjustments can i make to my lifestyle to help my head not hurt so badly? My MD used to have me on an antimigrain/antiseizure med to prevent them but i was so bad at taking them on a regular basis that she took me off...I really just don't like to take meds when it can be avoided. :-\
AND out of curiocity, does having migraines make one more prone to stroke?
I do get them, Zealia, and I'm so sorry that you're getting them. This is an issue that you should definitely go to your doctor about, because there are lots of different kinds of vascular headaches and it's hard to self-diagnose which one you get.
Mine are as a result of a very bad reaction to fumes from a chemical oven cleaner. It was supposed to be fumeless, and I had the area extremely well ventilated (open doors, windows, a fan). Both my cat and myself suffered blisters from the tips of our tongues down into our lungs. The scarring left me with asthma and with migraines as a result. Asthma can precipitate migraines.
I suggest the following (aside from going to your doctor):
1) check out your HFS and see if you can find a Mygrastick. It's a little roll-on of lavendar and peppermint oils. You swirl it on your forehead and it helps. The aroma helps the nausea and the cooling/vascular action helps with the headache.
2) if the nausea from the migraine "aura" lets you, eat some raw ginger (in a salad, or something). It helps control the queasies and it helps with the vascular action.
3) again, if the nausea permits, if you eat or drink a spicy food, it can help. Eat sparingly, but a cup of rasam broth or something like that really does help.
4) drinking a chilled drink through a straw helps relieve some of my pain.
5) for some people, caffeine actually helps, particularly after the onset of the headache. Take your pain killer with a caffeinated beverage and you might see results. Caffeine is an addiction, like you said, and LOTS of people get dreadful headaches if they vary their levels. If you do try to quit, quit very gradually, not "cold tofurkey."
6) the most awful trigger for me is sulfites -- found in dried fruit, wine, some fruit juices, raisins, fruitcake, etc. The worst combo asthma attack/migraine I ever had was as a result of sulfured dried apricots.
Because these are vascular headaches in nature, I think you are better off on a regular treatment plan than without. Yes, they are associated with strokes:
(From http://www.migraines.org/myth/mythreal.htm)
I used to have horrendous migraines, and Aquilea makes a wonderful anti-migraine herbal tea. It tastes like crap, because it has, among other things, water trefoil, lavendar and horsetail fern in it, none of which (particularly the lavendar!) make a tasty tipple. After I post this I shall Google and see if their blend is still available. It's sold here in Spain so you might have to order it online. It was terrible to drink (don't even think about sweetening it, just choke it down) but it worked wonders. I could actually feel the tension in my head (brain? circulation?) relaxing.
Most of my migraines were based on poorly made glasses and poorly diagnosed emotional problems; both of which are much much better. I do know that alcohol (particularly red wine) is a "trigger" for many migraines, as well as dairy products, particularly cheese. (Not a problem if you're vegan, but the wine might be.) Also of course, the dreaded MSG which goes by many names.
If you can't get Aquilea maybe an herbalist can recommend quantities of these three herbs. Migraines steal your life. Hope you get some good help soon.
EDIT: Here's a list of what's in it:
Chamomile
Passion flower
Basil
Lavendar
Horsetail fern
Marjoram
Water Trefoil
Orange peel
I do know that alcohol (particularly red wine) is a "trigger" for many migraines,
Oh my gosh, this would totally make sense! I really never drink (maybe just a beer to socialize at dinner time) but I recently bought some RED WINE, because the jar was pretty ::) So I've been having a glass of it at dinner many nights the past week. Hummm...intersting. I will also check out tea you mentioned.
Ducky, I'll have to check with my Dr before I try the migrastick. My sister had one of those and I used it and it did seem to work, but then I had a seizure...so we read the label and it said it was not intended for people with a seizure disorder. (which I have) BUT, it could have just been whatever brand she had. Also, i don't seem to have had a seizure in about 2 years. So, maybe I'm not epileptic anymore (I don't take meds for it) but its def. something to talk with my PCP about first. When I get up to Maine I'll probally make an appointment with the DR who was treating me for the migrains and seizures before. Also, will try the ginger thing, coincidently, I just bought a tube of ginger (like a paste?) for a recipe and I looked at it when I was done with the recipe and thought "now what the crap am I gonna do with the rest of this...."
Handy!
Ooh yes, epilepsy so commonly coincides with migraines. Do please check first. Best of luck!
I'm sorry to hear of your migraines, Zealia. I get them. as well. Gladly, I can say that since I've nearly eliminated dairy from my life, I don't get them as frequently. I refuse to take medicine and focus on preventing them.
I think a regular yoga practice has made a big difference in the frequency of my migraines. Also, I make sure to drink water all day (I think I remember you saying at one time that you don't drink enough...is that true?). I try to be very careful about not getting "too hungry." I used to have eating problems that had a really bad affect on migraines.
One more thing I've been meaning to try...I've heard that if you boil apple cider vinegar and stand over the pot to breath the steam, it will make your migraine go away (or less intense, anyway).
Again, I'm sorry you are having these. It's really hard to deal with (especially when people who don't have them just don't understand how bad they are).
I used to get migraines. They just stopped so I am not sure why. What I changed to make that happen. I have heard red wine can be a trigger. Wasn't in my case as I prefer red wine to white and still drink red wine.
I never found a pill that helped. Some of the Asian girls I work with suggested 'Tiger Balm'. No tiger parts in it.
It is a balm (Chinese remedy) that I put on my temples and behind my ears. Totally helped my migraines.
It comes in white and red. Red being the stronger. The red can stain clothes, pillow cases etc. I believe they have now come out with the stronger red in a white.
In Canada, can be found at pretty much any health food store, Asian remedy store, Costco and main stream drug stores.
I haven't needed it in quite some time so I don't know if all the ingredients are vegan. I think they probably are.
It is also great for regular headaches, and muscle aches and pains.
I used to take it on vacations as I preferred using it if I got a headache to drugs when I was going to be diving.
Hope this helps and that you can find some relief.
I've tried the boiling vinegar thing! I didn't find that it helped me (I was already pretty far gone and it made the nausea worse for me) but it's chemically SUPPOSED TO... might be worth a try.
Zealia, I'm not sure about the ingredients in it BUT for the multiple day migraines I'd recommend you talk to you Dr. about a relatively new med called Frova. After my stroke years ago, I was left with a migraine that did not abate for over 3 months, until Frova came onto the market (My specialist told me he had a "New toy" and he wanted me to be the first to try it).... It is a triptan (same family as Imitrex), and (get this) lasts for 24-36 HOURS!!!! You can use it as a last resort. Much of the over the counter "meds" (not herbs) for migraines have mega doses of caffeine in them, so I wouldn't really recommend you drink coffee when taking them unless you want to look like this :o.
As I'm allergic to lavender, I haven't tried many of the remedies above.... But an infusion/tea of slippery elm, chamomile, spear mint, Valerian, and just a tiny bit of ginseng, has helped me out before (of course I have what children like to call a "witches cupboard" full of herbs and what not).
As for the red wine, it is often the tanins from the skins, NOT the sulfates (which are more prevalent in white wine), that are the culprits in triggering headaches.
Here's a list off the top of my head as to what are "known" triggers:
Caffeine (or a change in consumption, IE drink coffee every day M-F but spend the weekend miserable b/c of no coffee)
Certain nuts
Bananas
Chocolate
Red Wine
Cheese (it is the enzymes, the older/sharper a cheese is, the eviler it is)
Different food dyes
Change in sleeping habits (sleeping more or less than what your body is accustomed to)
Stress (duh)
Certain food allergies
Good luck!!!
A long time ago I read an article that discussed migraines; turns out that Vietnamese and Korean people who recieved transfusions in American army hosps all had terrible migraines from the elements in the US-personell-donated blood they were given. Many Asian people are lactose intolerant, etc, and of course the soldiers ate foods the IPs had no contact with, so it makes sense.
An English friend of mine is a martyr to migraines and had the same reaction to her transfusion after surgery in London. She told me: "The donor must have LIVED on cheese sandwiches washed down with red wine, with strong black coffee as a chaser! I must have been the only person in the history of the hospital after major abdominal surgery who lay there and moaned, "My head! My head!"