For the last month or actually probably more, I am getting almost daily migraines

I am currently trying to get off narcotics(because i am addicted to codeine) and this is REALLY making it difficult! The vasodialator type of drugs like maxalt and imitrex are not an option for me, because I have issues with my heart. I REALLY dont want to go up in strength from codeine, because i am afraid ill just develop an addiction to that too. But i mean what can i do? They are one sided, changing sides every so often. I am taking a beta blocker and nortryptyline already, both are supposed to stop migraines.

I have a 15 month old son and im a single mom so its not like i can just retire to bed when i am in that much pain. I have to be up and mobile.

[DOWNINNATICK]

Hi Rainbow;
I feel your pain, I have daily cronic headache which I to take pain meds for, but I'm also taking Amitriptyline. I have been out of work now for a year and a half, and the doctor is still trying to find the right meds for me. Have you been to a headache specialist? I go to Faulkner Hospital to the headache clinic there, nothing has really worked yet, but he is working on trying to find the right meds. I have been to a pdoc who also specialist in combining meds to control pain, they only problem with that, I sleep too much, was late too work all the time as well I feel asleep at work, so I lost my job.

I have used tigar balm on my forehead, it helps for a few maybe you could try that, it is a chinese herbal med, it feels like you have icey hot on. If you have sensive skin it may leave your skin red for a few hours, but when you hurt like h'll you will do anything.

They will try to tell you to meditate, listen to soothing music or even try tapping, (here is the site to check it out) http://www.tapping.com/

Just know you are not alone and sometimes a takes doctors a long time to listen to you and send you to someone that will help. Even at that it may take a few different doctors, I have had one send me a letter don't call us, will call you we can't help. As well as telling me to have more sex, have a baby and it's all in your head. What your doctor may say now, your headaches maybe a rebound headache from taking your pain meds too long an tell you the slowly go off of them.

Good luck and I hope you find releif soon.

Cindy

[sweetyjss]

Originally Posted by Rainbowzz

For the last month or actually probably more, I am getting almost daily migraines

I am currently trying to get off narcotics(because i am addicted to codeine) and this is REALLY making it difficult! The vasodialator type of drugs like maxalt and imitrex are not an option for me, because I have issues with my heart. I REALLY dont want to go up in strength from codeine, because i am afraid ill just develop an addiction to that too. But i mean what can i do? They are one sided, changing sides every so often. I am taking a beta blocker and nortryptyline already, both are supposed to stop migraines.

I have a 15 month old son and im a single mom so its not like i can just retire to bed when i am in that much pain. I have to be up and mobile.

My husband responded miraculously to Topamax. It is a seizure medication but it was just right for preventing his migraines. When I was having daily migraines the one thing that slowed down the amount of headaches was Depakote. Again, this is a seizure medicine. I don't know how old you are but the thing that helped me the most was when I had to have a hysterectomy. So many things improved. I had to have my ovaries removed also. When I was at the Cleveland Pain Clinic I was starting to get a migraine and they gave me two aspirin and whispered in my ear to go and drink a coke. Excedrin taken before the headache starts to really hurt can sometimes abort the migraine. I can't take Excedrin so I am now on the Beta Blocker and I try to stay away from my triggers. Bright light, strong perfume, change in weather, etc. I guess that once you've had daily migraines that you look at a once a week migraine as a blessing.

I am so sorry that you are suffering. I hope that by now you have had some relief. I'm so, so sorry for you. Really.

[TrespassersWill]

Beta blockers can also cause bad migraines. I was given a beta blocker for a heart problem and it made me start having bad migraines after months of not having any. I stopped the med and the migraines went away. The papers that came in the box of med did list migraine as a side effect of the med!

Something else that I found can cause migraines is clenching teeth at night while you sleep. Does your jaw muscles from the side of your ear down side of your neck feel tight or tense when you first wake up? That is a sign of teeth clenching or grinding. Do this buy a football mouthguard (the kind that doesn't have the strap attached) and wear it to bed. I get the mouthguards that you dip in boiling water then mold to fit the mouth and cost all of 99 cents at Walmart. Wear the mouthguard to bed a few nights and see how you feel when you wake up. A chiropractor told me about this and he was so right.

Oh also artificial sweetners like Aspartmane and Sucralose are known for causing migraines.

[ErinBear]

Hi Rainbowzz,

I'm sorry to hear about your troubles with chronic migraine. I hope by now they have eased up some. I have trouble with migraines also, and used to have them on a daily basis. We tried various treatments for them. I tried beta-blockers, various anti-depressants, and Neurontin. The medication which was a miracle drug for me was Topamax, as another respondent mentioned. I've been on it for years. Since I started taking it and we got the correct dose, I very rarely have a migraine....maybe one every three months, and I usually know what causes it. It often happens when I get far too little sleep, and in combination with my menstrual cycle.

It's hard with pain medication. Being on pain medication itself, unfortunately, can make headaches more likely (as you may know). It's really hard going off of them, I know, and my heart goes out to you. Medications like tylenol, which are often a component of medications that you describe, can make migraines more frequent. It's really tough going off of these medications, but you will probably be better off in the long run in terms of the headaches.

In the meantime, there may be some other things you can do. If you drink coffee or tea, consider cutting back or eliminating it. It can also trigger migraines. Try to get good sleep on a regular basis - a real challenge with a young child, probably, but sleep deprivation can also be a trigger for migraines. You can also check on the web for a list of foods that can trigger migraines in some people. There are some foods which really cause migraines for some folks, and you can see if eliminating those foods might help you. I have friends who know that they will get a migraine right away if they eat chocolate or have a glass of wine. Some folks are very sensitive to tomatoes or other foods. These are things you can try that may be part of the puzzle in helping you feel better.

Are you seeing a neurologist about your migraines? There are neurologists who specialize in treating migraines. If possible, try to search out a neurologist with special training in this area. If there isn't one in your community, try a city near you with a teaching hospital. It was the real turning point in my treatment. I wish you much better days ahead.

Take care,
ErinBear

[January]

Hi Bowz,

I'm so sorry you are having migraines. Everyone has given you such good advice, I feel I can offer very little. I am having up to four migraines a day. I have pain medicine for it, but all I do is sleep all day when I take it.

The one thing I can suggest is eat a piece of bread or crackers or something so your stomach isn't empty and then take a couple of Excedrin and drink a Mt. Dew. (I can just hear all the gasps now. ) Now I'm not saying it's the healthiest thing in the world, but it helps in a pinch.

[Rhapsody]

Sorry you are suffering from migraines.... I have suffered from them since I was a teen and the best thing that worked for me is to take a few Advil's, drink some Mt. Dew and then go lay down in a very quite and dark room for as long as it takes for the pain to subside.

((( hugs )))