I can?t bear migraines pain anymore!

[scott_mighty]

I am almost 28 and haven't suffered with migraines long, other than menstrual migraines. But I just have sort of dealt with them. Recently I have been getting migraines more often. Even more recently I got a migraine that I have had for 8 days now. It pretty much left me debilitative. The doc prescribed me some Imitrex which did nothing. Then I got a shot of De-moral and Phenergan, which let me sleep peacefully and wake up with a miagraine still. He gave me some samples of Relpax, which I dug into and helped, but the price tag is so high, I am not sure I can depend on that daily. He also put me on 25 mg of topamax to help prevent them. So far I still have a migraine and am at my wits end. I guess I am scared because my mother has gotten a migraine every day for as long as she can remember. I?ve seen her in pain. I can?t even think of having that pain. I just want to get rid of it.

 

[Daniel E.]

He gave me some samples of Relpax, which I dug into and helped, but the price tag is so high, I am not sure I can depend on that daily.

The Relpax homepage does link to a Pfizer website for people without prescription coverage.

BTW, are you sure that tension headaches have been been ruled out? (For tension headaches, the most effective treatment for someone I know seemed to be hot baths with jets of water from a bath mat.)

 

[sister-ray]

Hi there,

I been getting migraines for ages now some are aniexty stress related, others hormonal, my GP tryed a few tablets and none worked, he sent me to see a neurologist and they put me on Sanomigran (Pizotifen)( UK) and they have helped, they havent cured it but have eased some of the horrible things you get with migraines and made them more managable. Im not sure if they are available where you are but it might be worth asking your Doctor and if they are and he thinks they are suitable for you give them a try. I hope this helps.

 

[Daniel E.]

BTW, a book on my bookshelf What Nurses Know and Doctor's Don't Have Time to Tell You does emphasize the importance of prescription medications for migraines, and it also gives some self-care advice:

- Lie down with a scented eye pillow over your eyes. The pillow will block out light, and the scent (of your choosing) can be very relaxing. Eye pillows filled with flaxseed can be chilled in the freezer. I use the ones from It's My Nature. (pg. 7)
- Keep a headache diary. Your headache may be related to a particular food, time of day, situation, the weather, and for women, the time in the menstrual cycle. (pg. 9)
- Add caffeine to your pain medicine, which can help relieve migraine pain. (pg. 9) [Daniel's note: Many headache medications already contain caffeine, so you may want to check with your doctor first.]
- Go to a dark, quiet place if you are having a migraine headache. Unplug the phone. (pg. 10)

And some advice on coping with migraines:

Coping skills

Living with migraines is a daily challenge. Headaches can be both incapacitating and unpredictable and may interfere with your job, your relationships with family and friends, and your overall quality of life. Although new treatments offer more options for pain management, you may still get disabling headaches. You may also occasionally feel anxious or depressed. These options may help you cope:

* Counseling. A counselor or therapist can teach you techniques for managing stress and coping with pain. Family therapy may help the people in your life understand more about migraines.

* Support groups. Like many people with migraines, you may find that these groups are a good source of useful information as well as support. Group members often know about the latest medical treatments and self-care or complementary remedies. Your doctor may put you in touch with a group in your area. The American Council for Headache Education Web site also provides referrals to support groups nationwide.

* Balance. Try to balance the use of medications with regular exercise, relaxation techniques, nutritious meals and adequate rest. Allow yourself at least a half-hour every day for relaxation.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/migraine-headache/DS00120/DSECTION=11

 

[ThatLady]

Another thing that might help you:

Fill a tube sock with rice (real rice, not instant rice). Seal the open end of the sock, either with a wide rubber band or by sewing it closed. This "rice sock" can be either heated or cooled.

For migraine, most people find a cold sock to be most helpful. Put the sock in the freezer until it's very cold. Then drape it around the back of your neck and lie down in a cool, dark room. Cover your eyes (the scented pillow that Daniel suggested would be great) so no light gets in.

If the cold doesn't work for you, a heated sock may. Heat the "rice sock" in the microwave for two minutes. Use as described for the cold sock.

Please, let us know if any of these suggestions work for you. If they don't, perhaps we can come up with some other ideas.

 

[Daniel E.]

Another suggestion regarding cold application is to use a gel cap:

http://ecam.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/nel035v1.pdf (includes picture)

(They do sell cold application gel caps at Amazon.com.)

BTW:
Chart of Commonly Reported Migraine Triggers

 

[Daniel E.]

The problem with getting the cranial gel cap is the cost and shipping time. Anyway, for future reference, the best cranial gel cap for migraines seems to be the Migra-Cap:

Migra-Cap (About.com review) ("Cold therapy, light blocking, and gentle pressure -- all in one.") [The problem is that it is costly -- 39 pounds -- and is shipped from the UK. In comparison, ice is basically free. A cranial gel cap with less features is called Estro-Gel and is available by third parties at eBay and Amazon.com for about 40-50 US dollars.]

A cold application product for daily wear:

Thera-Med Cold Pack Headache Band (About.com review)

more reviews at: http://headaches.about.com/od/produ...Products_for_Headaches_Migraines_and_Pain.htm

 

[Retired]

Welcome to Psychlinks, Scott M! If your doctor prescribed Imitrex, we have to presume you have been correctly diagnosed with neurological migraine as opposed to other forms of headache.

I would suggest you read this Psychlinks posting on migraine triggers for your further information. Be sure to read posts #1 and #2 in that thread.

In order for Imitrex and the other so called triptan class of medications to be most effective, they must be taken as early as you detect the onset of a migraine.

Different people have different ways of reading the signs, as some will sense what is called a migraine aura (flashes of light in the vision) while others will detect certain sensations in their head or in their tummy.

The best is to go with your intuition, when you feel a migraine is coming, take the Imitrex, Zomig or Maxalt.

Did you report the failure of the Imitrex to your doctor? You may need a dose adjustment.

Sometimes Imitrex won't be effective in some people, which is why you doctor can prescribe one of the other triptans, listed above. Everyone's brain chemistry is different in how it responds to these medications, and if one compound (molecule) is not effective, another might be.

If your doctor has not already done so, I would propose you maintain a log over a period of time, at least a year of what you ate, did and what was the weather the day you experienced a migraine.

Soon a pattern will evolve, which can help you avoid the triggers.

There are effective treatments for migraine today, with very specific medications, which may require some time to fine tune.

Work with your doctor, preferably a neurologist with a professional interest in treating migraine. There are strategies that can improve your quality of life.

Finally, do a search on Psychlinks (top toolbar) for the search word "migraine" (without the quotations). Look for some of the resource postings on Migraine, including some interesting reports posted in the last few days by Dr. Baxter.

Keep us posted on your progress.

 

[Daniel E.]

BTW, for more info on migraine prescription medications:

http://www.migraines.org/treatment/treatctm.htm#III

 

[Daniel E.]

And an article cited in a previous Psychlinks post that discusses some of the pre-migraine signs/sensations that TSOW talked about:

Anatomy of a Migraine

 

[Retired]

Excellent resources, Daniel! Thanks for remembering.

 

[leecorey]

Just a tip, a lot of sufferers have a problem with sensitivity to the 3 C's - Cheese, Chocolate and Citrus!!! While your head is so bad, it may well be worth cutting these out of your diet for a while to see if there is any difference before gradually introducing them again and noting any changes!! Meanwhile you can try using Migravent Product. I am using since last week, its good. I think they have a site by same name migravent.