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Migraines

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Bluelighter
Joined
Oct 13, 2004
Messages
1,543
Location
Vic, Australia
My mother-in-law has been getting migraines for the last 3-4 years. They occur at *least* 3 times a week, and sometimes may last for days. She has had MRI scans and all that, but her doctor just can't seem to find the problem. She had gone through and finished menopause, so it can't be hormones.
She said to her son (my boyfriend) earlier 'If I have to live like this for the rest of my life, I don't wanna be here' :(
She spends *SO* much money on her medication which doesn't do much (if anything) anyway.
Apparently going on detox can sometimes help with migraines/headaches, so we are going to give that a go together. Apart from that, we have no idea what to do or try anymore.
I hate seeing her like this, and was wondering whether anyone else has/had experienced anything similar, how it was treated etc.. Any advice/help would be *much* appreciated.
 
i bet that they originate due to stress. i used to get them all the time (about once every month) and finally i realized that i was just too tense, eventually i learned to control my stress and my responses and now im migraine free.
 
I average around4 migranes a week. i"m lucky though, b/c i can just take 800mg of advil and they go away within an hour. I did find a significat reduction in how many i got after i

-quit drinking
-quit cigs
-quit pot



helped a lot...
in that order.
 
Bleedingheartcommie~You are lucky if you got away with 800mg of Advil and an hour for migraine relief. That's what I need for a headache.

THAT kind of pain and duration would be welcome in comparison to the whopping towers of pain that I can be blessed with. That motherfucking pain would laugh in the face of a bottle of Advil.

Luce~Botox injections might be worthwhile alternative for your mother-in-law. It falls under therapeutic use not cosmetic in the US, so the patient is covered by insurance if they have it. I am not sure how the Australian health care system works though.
 
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^She doesn't drink, or smoke anything.
Sometimes stress can trigger her migraines, but I really doubt they are due to that. She never stresses (that I know of) and her doc would have already suggested that to her and advised her on how to handle it. But it's still happening.

*Edit*- meant for bleedingheart
 
I know caffine can help.... more caffine that is

My nero-psychiatrist toldme that the latest theory on migrains is that they aren't blood being trapped in the head or any thing like that. They are the nerves in your head getting confused and sending the wrong signals to the brain. So, it's your nerves telling your brain taht they are hurting and hurting bad for no good reason. this is why migranes make the surface of your head, your skin, your face, your teeth, arms ect hurt instead of inside the head like a headache. (though a migraine often sets off a headache as well.


yeah, I am very lucky in the scope of things with my advil... most people cant even hold pills down b/c the pain is so bad.

interestingly though, advil is the only thing that will work. IB proffin in generic form won't even work... nor will asprin or any other pain killer, ever perscription strength..

so i think it has more to do with the thinning out of my blood, I think that's what does it for me



oh yeah ..... she should try a chiropractor...... I went to one in highschool and that helped a lot with the migrains.... cut them back from every day toonce a week

good luck
 
I agree with the Chiropractor idea. My dad used to get horrendous migraines, which eventually turned out to be his spinal cord being pinched by the vertebrea in his neck.

Also what are her eyes like? I know I get painful and persistant headaches from eye strain, if I don't pay attention to the warning signs of one coming on, it can easily turn into a debilitating migraine. :\
 
It could be due to food allergies. Get her to keep a food diary and see if you notice any correlations between her food intake and the onset of the migraines.

But remember it may be an immediate reaction, or one that occurs 1-3days later, so it's important to keep the diary for at the very least two weeks, however a month would be best.

Also, acupuncture and/or massage may help.
 
I have, on average, 2 migraines a month. I have not been able to associate any environmental variables that may precipitate them. However, I saw an allergist and since I have been on Zyrtec they are not as severe.

The only thing that alleviates my migraines is Maxalt. It is a script med. that dissolves on your tongue. After I take a Maxalt the migraine is gone within 5 minutes. If it is a true migraine, no OTC medication will even begin to alleviate the pain.
 
I think she has tried the chiropractor, acupuncture and massage. Nothing seems to help.
star*- She is allergic to MSG (which is in noodles etc) and has since cut it from her diet. Apart from that, there is nothing else we are aware of.

Any suggestions on the detox idea? Is it worth a go?
 
i had a very rare form of mono in high school, and it was accompanied by severe migranes. doctor perscribed opiates!
 
BHC, you've taken 1 GRAM of Ibuprofen and it hasn't helped? How often do you ingest this much? Ibuprofen belongs to a class of drugs called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These drugs are used for the management of mild to moderate pain, fever, and inflammation. The maximum daily dose is 1.2 G
 
paradoxcycle said:
BHC, you've taken 1 GRAM of Ibuprofen and it hasn't helped? How often do you ingest this much? Ibuprofen belongs to a class of drugs called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These drugs are used for the management of mild to moderate pain, fever, and inflammation. The maximum daily dose is 1.2 G
Click to expand...

That's what it says on the OTC 200mg packets but in reality it's more than that. For example, you can get 800mg ibuprofen tablets on prescription and it says on those packets one shouldn't take more than 4 of those per day and hence 3200mg is the recomended maximum, obviously though one should take the least possible.

Source: http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/ibup_ids.htm
 
There are MANY triggers for migraines and headaches and everyone has their theory. I don't think anyone REALLY knows what causes them because there are so many and therefore we have trouble treating/preventing them. I used to get them all the time when I was younger. I kept a log of the activities I'd taken part in (everything from internet surfing to LSD usage) and the foods I had eaten. I also kept record of my sleep schedule and medicines taken. I found no pattern or obvious trigger in my seven years in middle school and high school. I destressed, changed the diet, slept more, slept less, smoked more pot, went to the chiropractor, etc.

Honestly, smoking pot probably was the best thing for my migraines then. Later in life it actually caused a headache. But at the time, it helped. The chiropractor helped, too. I also found that after having been prescribed many different Rxs for migraines, Excedrin Migraine and a hot bath in a completely dark bathroom with no interruption and very little movement helped a LOT! I also recommend sleep if she can get comfortable in an area with no sound and no light if she has that sensitivity as I did.

Also, a lot of these migraine prescriptions are suggested to be taken as early as possible, to prevent them. Some of them can be taken daily-like Midrin/Duradrin. I took those until I think my body became used to them and it stopped helping. My doctor put me on Imitrex, which helped until I got used to it. At one point, he advised me to come into the office or hospital if I had one and he'd give me a shot of Demoral. THAT helped. :) But, if she gets the migraine "aura" and can sense this one's just not going to be a normal, every day, every person headache, she should take something immediately. Also, tell her to stay hydrated. Water is essential to any type of health, including headaches.

I don't know if this helped but, there ya go.
 
I was plagued by migraines throughout my last few years of high school. The only things i can recommend are Imigran(nasal spray or injection) to treat acute migraines, a drug called Deseryl(in Australia) to prevent them and drink heaps of water, no smokes, coffee, alcohol etc. apparently pure oxygen helps too but i never tried it. Good luck, there are lots of forums out there on everyones tips on how to treat migraines so have a good look on the net.
 
Originally posted by Skyline_GTR
That's what it says on the OTC 200mg packets but in reality it's more than that. For example, you can get 800mg ibuprofen tablets on prescription and it says on those packets one shouldn't take more than 4 of those per day and hence 3200mg is the recomended maximum, obviously though one should take the least possible.

Source: http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/ibup_ids.htm



Suggested dosage is 1200 mg-3200 mg (1.2G-3.2G). I don't really make it a habit of encouraging people to ingest the maximum daily limit of something that can be very harmful to your body.
 
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