Need migraine advice

I don't have any advice, cav, not being a sufferer. But good luck with it. You've had a rough time of late.
(Hey, have you ever rubbed Tiger Balm on your forehead for a headache? It's all the go in Asia, but whether it'd relieve a full on migraine, I don't know.)

Have you tried a cold pack on your head? If that doesn't work, try a warm pack.

I dunno, but I'm very interested, regarding yourself in particular and others as happen, so I'm tuning in here re the comments that people might post...

I'm sorry I can't offer you some personal advice as I am not so unfortunate as to suffer from migraines. I did a little searching on Google though. Several places suggest acupuncture. Is this something you have ever tried?

There was an article in the paper this past week I believe, about a woman who got pain relief through a change in her diet. I don't remember what her exact problem was, I'll have to sift through the papers tomorrow, but it may have been migraines.

Have you looked into support group categories within newsgroups? I did a Google search and came up with the following:

Newsgroup - alt.support.headaches.migraine

Also, from the above newsgroup, I found the following bit about magnesium. There were a couple of different people who seemed to have benefitted from magnesium. Since it isn't a drug or an herb, perhaps in supplement form it would be something your liver could tolerate?



There was also a bit of advice at the Mayo Clinic web site. It wasn't entirely helpful, but perhaps worth a read for you.

Mayo Clinic

cav


Both, Mrs. Walter and I, suffer from migraine.

It stopped with me at the age of about 17, 18 ... and came back as worse, when got some stress re. my mother 1 1/2 year ago.

We have found out that there is no general medicamentation/treatment: wife has had extremely good reaction on accupunture, massages etc.

I just take one or two paracetamol (can't use ASS anymore).

It helps - more or less.

I find acupuncture great for pain, Cav.
I dunno about migraine, though...

I've had weird experiences with acupuncture. Anyway, Mrs. cav sent me to bed early with no supper as I was nauseous and talking crazy (I tend to ramble incoherently when I get bad migraine). Anyhoo, the temperature went back to normal overnight, and I feel fine today. I'm going for a massage on Monday, and she can work on the pressure points in my neck. That usually helps with the day to day, non-migraine headaches.

I had horrible headaches since living in my area of the US, and I found out they were sinus headaches (behind the eyes and in the forhead). Things that have worked for me...

cold back on the neck (around those arteries that go up to the head)
hot shower (to get the mucus out of my head and releave the pressure)
Tylenol synus works wonders (although you may not be able to take that, but there's other homeopathic stuff you can take for sinus pressure)

Good luck, I empathise completely.

cav, Try the following link. Good luck! http://www.sfcrc.com/

Aw, Cav, sorry you're having such a rough time!! I have no advice on this one, just sympathy.

I've been scouring my files and coming up short, I know I saw something recently that was both simple and helpful for migraines, perhaps (I know this sounds weird, but it was just this kind of nonsequitur) an antibiotic. No, don't yell, I know bacteria don't cause migraines, but I use that as an example of a substance, whatever it was, that worked in surprising ways. Whatever it was that I saw was probably in the New York Times, and within the last six months.

Here's a acupressure treatment that helps with mild headaches. Give it a try: With your thumb and forefinger, squeeze the skin between the thumb and forefinger of your other hand. Apply enough pressure for it to hurt a little. Keep the pressure on for a few seconds.

Cav, you poor thing! I had migraines as a teen and into my early 20s. Also had cluster headaches that would last for days. I found some pressure points up the back of my neck that I'd apply pressure to myself. As I recall, caffeine was on the list for do and for don't/ Don't drink too much or you might get a migraine, but if you have a migraine already, have a little coffee. Caff. was in the meds I was prescribed for the headaches.

Drink lots and lots of water and do back and neck stretches (between migraines) to help prevent them.

I used to take meds that didn't seem to help and then I'd sit in the bathroom with the lights off and the dryer running. I'd just lean against the dryer - warmth and vibrations.

Try pushing on pressure points in your ear as well. I seem to remember some relief from a spot.... hmmm... right about where an old lady would grab an impish boy's ear.

cic's accupoint on the hand is a good general pain point. It is supposed to work for menstrual cramps too.

From a sufferer on a chat site about migraine pain:

When I'm in prodrome (the pre-headache stage of migraine, where parts of my field of vision start to disappear, and I become hypersensitive to noise), I have sometimes--not always--had luck interrupting the migraine with slow friction at the occiput (the point where the skull attaches to the spinal cord). By massaging there slowly, starting at the center and working out towards both ear simultaneously, I've occasionally been able to nip one in the bud.

From another online source:

Many people with migraines are allergic to foods that contain tyramine. These include wines, strong cheeses, chocolate, and salted fish such as herring. Some people are also sensitive to citrus fruits, avocado, plums, raspberries, and bananas. However, virtually any food can cause an allergy.

Eliminating these foods from the diet is a good way to determine if one or several of them are responsible for the problem. After eliminating all of these foods from the diet, and the symptoms have gone away, one food at a time can be reintroduced to see if the symptoms reoccur. A new food would be introduced each week

One says nutrient defficienceies might contribute. They listed thyamine and magnesium as nutrients to bulk up on. Natural sources are in.... bread? I can't remember.

Also, a foam pillow like this helps me control my stiff and kinked neck when it acts up. And, if I don't control it, I often end up with a headache.

good lord, forgive my typos....time to goto bed....

Cav, lots of good ideas here.
Another option you might want to consider is getting your teeth checked. A huge ammount of the headaches people suffer originates in the mouth or jaw. Talk to your dentist, trust me, this saved my sanity.