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risos
Aug 29, 2004, 3:05 AM
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Hi everyone I just want to know if there is anyone out there who suffer from migranes and if you do, what does it trigger and what do you do to get reed of it... Im now trying accupuncture and taking some weird caffeine tablets that ease the pain... but honestly its nasty to get it during a climb or on a trip... anyone else feel this way?
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timstich
Aug 29, 2004, 3:34 AM
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Acupuncture = placebo
You might as well use positive imaging, as it is cheaper. You don't say if you are male or female in your profile and this makes a difference with treatment. I'm male and have what is called classic migraines. This is just pain without the visual distortions. I take blood pressure medicine to prevent the attacks, which does a very effective job. I use beta blockers now, where as I used to take a calcium blocker. They make my arms tingle and go numb more frequently when I sleep on them, however, and I get lightheaded more easily. Otherwise, no problems. This therapy doesn't work for women, however.
Women I know who have migraines tend to go with Imatrex and watch their caffeine intake. In other words, keep your caffeine intake steady if you drink coffee or don't drink it at all. I'm not sure about other therapies. Watching your diet seems hopelessly complex, but I guess it's up to you how much you want to experiment with treatments. I am happy with mine.
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reno
Aug 29, 2004, 3:56 AM
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I used to get them frequently when I lived in Georgia, but have had only one since leaving there in '03.
My normal blood pressure is too low to take a Beta-Blocker or Calcium Channel blocker, so if I get a migraine, here's what I do (in order):
* Find a dark, quiet place.... no noise, no strong odors, no lights. And just lay there for a while.... like two hours or so.
* Two Extra Strength Tylenol and a cup of green tea. Back to the room for another two hours.
* Take a long nap.
* 600mg Ibuprofen, with some toast. Back to the room for another two hours.
* Imitrex injection.
Keep in mind that I personally don't like to take medication, thus my use of Imitrex as a last-ditch effort. I've only had to take it twice. The second time, I even tried a Percocet first. No dice.
Triggers are fairly "classic" for everyone: Red wine, chocolate, some cheeses, etc.
Finally: Don't take Imitrex unless your doctor has done a really good neuro workup. Imitrex is good for certain types of migraines, but if taken for a basilar migraine, your world will become a very bad place, very quickly.
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jerrygarcia
Aug 29, 2004, 4:01 AM
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How ive dealt with imitrex since age 15.
Before imitrex: Go home, lay down in bed and sleep the day away.
After imitrex: Take imitrex and the migraine is gone.
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risos
Aug 29, 2004, 4:15 AM
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well first of all thanks a lot for the responce its good to see im not the only one with migranes....
I should edit my profile... yes im male.. nevertheless all the doctors Ive seen here in mexico have never recomended any of the medicines you are suggesting so I should really look into them... Ive been checking if there are any foods that trigger them but appart from red wine theres nothing else ingested that triggers them, nevertheless big efforts, heat and lack of drink seem to trigger them every time, thus my frustration cause those are common things while cliimbing, even if I make sure im well hidrated I cant do withoug the other two, but if there si a medicine, like the one you are suggesting which can check them it sounds prommising...
thanks
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tradbum
Aug 29, 2004, 4:41 PM
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My wife used to get classic migranes and they were generally trigged by either food or stress. Of course, all the stuff she loves, red wine, brie, smoked salmon, pepperoni, Diet Coke (phenylalanines in the sweetener), etc. Her Dr. prescribed Imitrex and it works great, but it's also $10/15 a pop (with insurance). Since she got pregnant and had a baby, she hasn't had any. Hormonal changes?
My boss gets migranes too, and almost daily. His are almost entirely stress related (which he doesn't deal with very well).
Get him out to hit a few balls and relax and he's ok after a bit.
After seeing what it's like and what a spouse has to suffer through seeing a spouse have one, I'm glad that I don't even get headaches.
Hope you can get it handled!
Smitty
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darkstar
Aug 29, 2004, 4:54 PM
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when do you usually get them ? ive had them on and off for years .when i get one i began to not be able to see what im looking at ...i have only periferial vision...then after about 30 mins the pain comes on .... one was so bad it left me curled in a ball for 2 days ... ive found that mine are triggered by bright flashes of light ....and overdoing it on a hard overhanging route .... my trick that reeally works for me when i feel one coming on is to run cold as i can find water over my head for like 10 mins .... if im driving or riding in a car i wet my head over and over and let the wind cool it ... sometimes i use ice but its always important to chill my entire head ... funny huh but it works ..i also find that walking slowly helps it go away .... so when i get one ill get some ice water and began to walk and ill keep my head wet and cool as i can for about 30 mins ,sounds funny but......this really help me .....dark
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outdoorsie
Aug 29, 2004, 6:59 PM
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In reply to: Ive been checking if there are any foods that trigger them but appart from red wine theres nothing else ingested that triggers them, nevertheless big efforts, heat and lack of drink seem to trigger them every time, thus my frustration cause those are common things while cliimbing
I started getting migrains about 2 years ago, and I got frustrated because I had a few while on climbing trips. Luckily (and unrelatedly) just after I started getting the migrains I started seeing a dentist about my jaw popping. I have had a really bad pop everytime I open my mouth for 5 or 6 years, and I knew it was TMJ but I was told the only way to treat it was with surgury, so I tried to ignor it. Anyway, after seeing a dentist who was not a hack, I found out my migrains were related to my jaw problems, and that there are plenty of ways to treat it without surgury.
Moral of the story: My main triggers are BEEF JERKEY and BRIGHT SUNLIGHT (two very common factors on most climbing trips with my husband). Beef jerkey is horrible because it stresses out the muscles in your jaw and all over your head and causes the headaches. Now when I climb, I don't partake in any chewy snacks (no gum either) and I *always* wear sunglasses. I haven't had a migrain since.
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timstich
Aug 30, 2004, 2:15 AM
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In reply to: well first of all thanks a lot for the responce its good to see im not the only one with migranes.... I should edit my profile... yes im male.. nevertheless all the doctors Ive seen here in mexico have never recomended any of the medicines you are suggesting so I should really look into them...
These are just blood pressure medications. Verapamil was the calcium blocker I took and the beta blocker I am now on is called Atenolol. Try the Atenolol first. It's cheaper and appears to actually be easier on your system. It slows your heart down, too, which might prolong its tissue life.
I don't bother with figuring out my "triggers" and all of that. This prevents the attacks. I drink and eat what I like. I can even get fairly dehydrated before headaches come on, and when they do they are regular pain ones.
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bonads
Aug 30, 2004, 2:43 AM
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I'm 19 and and used to have bad headaches and migraines every week a couple of years ago. I started going to the chiropractor, and every since, no more migraines. I once had a huge migraine from being at a theme park all day, and when i got back to my town, i went straight to the chiropractor. He adjusted my neck and literally, it went away within 15 minutes. Now, i was never diagnosed with migraines, but i'm pretty sure that was what i had, because my head would hurt so bad, it made me feel like throwing up and crying, and the only way to get rid of it was to go to sleep. But that was at least 3 years ago, and i've never had one since. So maybe that's a venue you should check into. By the way, i am a male.
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wonderwoman
Aug 30, 2004, 2:57 AM
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When I get them, I get them bad! Light and MSG combo are my triggers.
I have lived with them since I was 12 and when I was about 25 I started getting them real bad. Mine always start with a flash of light or a glare off the computer screen, etc. Then I get what they call eye aura's where my vision is like TV static. It moves from one corner of my eye to the other. When my vision is fine, the pain stops.
I started reading about the causes and JAMA (the Journal of the American Medical Assn) advised sufferers to keep a diary of what food you eat, how much sleep you had, stress, time of the month, etc. I was able to link mine to MSG (monosodium glutamate). When I was 25 I was working in a shelter and eating all the crap the clients ate (rice-a-roni and a lot of processed junk). Once I changed my diet, my life improved.
I have to avoid junk foods and ask if MSG is in the ingredients every time I eat out. I basically cannot have any salad dressing, chinese food or junk or I'm in for it. That's the best treatment for me since Imitrex makes it hard for me to breathe and I have an adverse reaction to all of the other heavy drugs that I've tried. My neurologist says that prevention is the best way for me to go, too.
I haven't had them on a climbing trip yet. My biggest fear is getting an attack on a multipitch climb. We need to take some self rescue courses just in case that does happen. I would be helpless if I got one while I was high up. It's scary when you go blind!!
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alucard
Aug 30, 2004, 3:21 AM
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when I get a migrane I find drinking a good dose of water + taking a mersyndol (lovely stuff) and sleepin in a dark room for a couple of hours till the mersyndol wears off
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mountnotyalc
Aug 30, 2004, 3:40 AM
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Reno,
that's weird dude...i live in georgia and have had migraines my whole life. i went to montana last fall and was in patagonia in the spring and didn't have a migraine the whole time. now, i am back in georgia and have had a couple. imitrex works well for me though. good thing huh? might move out west one day to have a clearer mind.
Clayton
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reno
Aug 30, 2004, 4:47 AM
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In reply to: I'm 19 and and used to have bad headaches and migraines every week a couple of years ago. I started going to the chiropractor, and every since, no more migraines. I once had a huge migraine from being at a theme park all day, and when i got back to my town, i went straight to the chiropractor. He adjusted my neck and literally, it went away within 15 minutes. Now, i was never diagnosed with migraines, but i'm pretty sure that was what i had, because my head would hurt so bad, it made me feel like throwing up and crying, and the only way to get rid of it was to go to sleep. But that was at least 3 years ago, and i've never had one since. So maybe that's a venue you should check into. By the way, i am a male.
If a Chiropractor could "Fix" your headaches, then they were not migraines.
The etiology and pathophysiology behind a migraine has nothing to do with anything a chiropractor can "fix" (assuming a chiro is able to really "fix" anything at all.)
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saro
Aug 30, 2004, 9:04 AM
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I get the textbook version. It starts off with visual aura and it last for about 1 hour and then the visual aura stops and the head ache starts. I could not trace it to any particular food. I pretty much get it once a month.
My doc says that it is probably because of some chemical imbalance in my diet. He says if I get more calcium in my died that magnesium, then it might cause migrane. You gotta get calsium and magnesium in 1:3 ratio. Now I am taking Magnesium supplements daily.
It didn't totally stop my migrane (yet) but I feel that the intensity is reduced.
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peroxide
Aug 30, 2004, 9:25 AM
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The drugs mentioned above are definitely effective. Another tool I use if I am without drugs is peppermint oil. I place a drop under my nose and find it a great aid in relieving the migraine. It could be a psychosomatic response but it works for me.
Cheers,
Peroxide
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denmarkbob
Aug 30, 2004, 11:44 AM
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i just read an article that said that one of the syptoms of lyme disease are migranes...and that it often goes undiagnosed...i dont know if you have deer ticks in new mexico,but in southern newengland its an epidemic..just picked one of those little suckers off my hip yesterday..starting antibiotics today...it may be worth getting checked for lyme
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darkstar
Aug 30, 2004, 11:51 AM
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seems alot of people have the same triggers .... bright light and bad food ... i read about the cold thearpy in a medical journal ...you all should try it ...just chill your head without chilling your body ...if you do it in the aura stage the head ach want come dark
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cammaniac
Aug 30, 2004, 12:08 PM
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In reply to: just picked one of those little suckers off my hip yesterday..starting antibiotics today...it may be worth getting checked for lyme
You use antibiotics everytime you get a tick?? I find that quite unusual. Why?? We have lots of ticks in GA as well, I get them stuck sometimes and have never even considered using antibiotics. Of course I'm not a pill popper either, I only use pills if I absolutley have too.
As for migraines, I just found out that I have them. I get wild(like LSD wild) visuals, partial blindness and then a terrible headache. I have had three in the last three weeks, but before that it had been six months or so. I go to the neurologist this week. To make sure that it is migraines and nothing more. I haven't really found any good remedies other than dark, quiet, and I have tried excedrin which did shorten the duration.
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ahddrew
Aug 30, 2004, 12:39 PM
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I have regularly had migraines since I was a kid and thus I have always been interested in hearing others people's insights and stories regarding migraines. What I have found is that nothing is "typical" about migraines. There are so many different triggers that lead to different headaches (not everybody gets pain in the same place) and some people's last longer that others.
I when I was young, my triggers were not enough sleep and chocolate. Somewhere along the line I started using caffeine to help cure the headache (look at contents of Excedrin Migraine) and that has become my principle trigger. If I try to quickly lower my caffeine intake I get a migraine, which rapidly becomes a vicious cycle of trying to ingest caffeine, while not throwing up.
I think that all agree to just chill to make them tolerable. Cool, dark, and quite spots are my only respite. The duration of mine can be 30 minutes to days, depending upon how long it goes before I do something about it. If I notice it right away, I take a few shots of espresso (highest concentration of caffeine that I usually have in the house) and "chill". If I wait too long, like when I get one in my sleep, I am usually in for it for many hours. I wind up with my head hurting so bad I vomit. I take my double shot and Excedrin, lie down, get up vomit. I repeat this as long I have to until I absorb enough to get out of it and sometimes it takes days. I have also recently found that having my wife massage the muscle on my skull (especially temples and neck) is really helpful
With traveling this has been rather problematic too. If I am going on a trip, I curtail (slowly) my caffeine intake and try to get it down to one cup a day and do everything I can to ensure that I get my one and only cup each day.
Like I said, everyone is different:
* One friend gets them from a flash of bright light (driving and the sun flashes in face). He is debilitated for 15 minutes and then on the way. He usually hurts in the same part of head as me (front to center of head)
* Another friend gets them from the wind blowing across her ears and has learned to always carry a pair of foam ear-plugs to prevent migraines. When she gets them, the back of her head and into her neck hurts.
IMO the key is to find your triggers and play with methods to minimize their duration. There have been many interesting ideas presented with the posts here (never heard of fish as a trigger, other than a "trigger fish"). I've never tried Imetrex, but perhads I should.
What is "mersyndol"?
Best of luck all!
Sorry for the long post.
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darkstar
Aug 30, 2004, 1:50 PM
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YOU GUYS REALLY NEED TO TRY COLD THEARPY .... i swear it works wonders ....dark
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alucard
Aug 30, 2004, 1:59 PM
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In reply to: What is "mersyndol"? .
mersyndol is magic I tell you, I take it when I get a bad migrane. I also took it when I almost dislocated my elbow 2 years ago.
this is a basic run down on it
MERSYNDOL is an extra strong pain relief medication designed to have an analgesic calmative effect. MERSYNDOL’s calmative properties maybe especially useful in the treatment of tension headaches and migraines. Where as the antipyretic properties of MERSYNDOL maybe useful for treating fevers, MERSYNDOL is also a suitable alternative for those individuals who cannot tolerate aspirin. MERSYNDOL is available in packs of 20, each tablet contains codeine 9.75mg, paracetamol 450mg, doxylamine succinate 5mg. MERSYNDOL brings fast, effective temporary relief of strong pain and discomfort associated with the following medical conditions;
Tension Headache
Migraines
Back Pain
Fever
Muscular Aches and Pains
Neuraglia
Pain Associated with Trauma or Surgery
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paulv7
Aug 30, 2004, 2:12 PM
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I get migranes usually 1 or 2 a month. I have found excedrin migraine or excedrin tension headaches works wonders. Specially if you feel it coming on and take them right away.
I have never been able to find what triggers mine. I kept a food diary for awhile and watched the activities I did. The only thing I know that will trigger mine is being dehydrated. If I'm out all day and don't drink enough, as soon as I get in the car and relax a massive headache comes on.
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far_east_climber
Aug 31, 2004, 6:08 AM
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I don't get them but my sister gets them alot. What she does before a migrane comes on is drink a hell of a lot of water and go lays on her bed with her eyes closed.
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harrisha
Aug 31, 2004, 7:34 AM
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I get them infrequently and when I get them they stay around for days. My neurologist is a friend and keeps me loaded up on samples usually Maxolt or something that begins with a Z. He also told me I could take three Aleve at a time. The first time I got a migrane I dealt with the effects for five days, but what I took right at the start was a combination of two Aleve and two Excedrin Migranes. It sounds like a lot but no it won't kill you. Sleep and dark, quiet rooms also help.
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