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Migraine help

Elcid

Elcid

Banned
I've been suffering from daily migraines and pressure headaches for the past 4 months.
Could it be stress? Sure. I have a stressful job. My mom has cancer. I have a newborn. Quarantine life, etc.
But my weekends when I try and do nothing but relax they seem to be even worse.
I've always had migraines since I was a kid but never at this frequency. I'd get maybe 1 or 2 a month tops.
Now I'm lucky if I have a few days without one.
I've gone to my PCP.
Did an allergy test, checked a bunch of shit and nada.
Went to an ophthalmologist at the behest of the PCP.
Said my eyes were fine, could benefit from glasses.
Got glasses.
Went to urgent care one day cause of the severe pain, got me on 10 days of some prescription anti-inflamm I can't abuse cause it's strong apparently.
5 days on it I got to enjoy 5 days without a headache.
Went to a neurologist at the behest of the ophthalmologist.
No tumors, nothing in the imaging.
Just tells me try more drugs. Now wants me to do some drug called emgality which I've seen a lot of mixed reviews on online. If I take it, and it doesn't work, then I could potentially be out of commission of 2-4 weeks which I can't afford right now because of work and my three young children.
Out of commission meaning anxiety, severe back pain, coupled with the migraines.
Didn't like the neurologist at all, so indifferent, seems to lack empathy. "Nah no side effects, just do it, you'll be fine."
I look up the drug it's less than 2 years old and yes there are a lot of reported side effects...
I don't know what the hell to do anymore.
Semi-vent thread, semi-asking for advice. Not sure what to do anymore.
Laying in the quiet dark and popping a bunch of pills isn't working anymore.
They're getting worse. It's like a pressure in my head that slowly builds up day by day, giving me daily headaches/migraines until one day it gets so bad I can't take it anymore.
Pop every drug I got but every step I take, every bend I do, anything it just gets worse and then it repeats the cycle.
It's getting harder to work, it's becoming impossible to give my kids the attention they deserve.
I've never felt so fucking defeated in my life.
 
Vyse1800

Vyse1800

Member
I'm sorry to hear of your pain, I've been there. This thing with trying new drugs where the side effects are worse than the symptoms.. think twice. I took a drug on a doctors advice a few years ago and given the choice again, I would not do it. Non-essential (life saving) drugs with permanent and fatal side effects are simply to be avoided in my humble opinion.
 
GAMETA

GAMETA

Banned
Sorry to hear that, man. Paracetamol can help reduce the pain and it won't make you groggy or have any side effects... can you get those without a prescription in the US? (they're sold freely around here)
 
Tesseract

Tesseract

Banned
i had cluster headaches for a few years

best you can do is put yourself in a dark space with an ice pack on your noggin

caffeine helps, foot massages if your significant other is willing
 
Chankoras

Chankoras

Member
Elcid said:
I've been suffering from daily migraines and pressure headaches for the past 4 months.
Could it be stress? Sure. I have a stressful job. My mom has cancer. I have a newborn. Quarantine life, etc.
But my weekends when I try and do nothing but relax they seem to be even worse.
I've always had migraines since I was a kid but never at this frequency. I'd get maybe 1 or 2 a month tops.
Now I'm lucky if I have a few days without one.
I've gone to my PCP.
Did an allergy test, checked a bunch of shit and nada.
Went to an ophthalmologist at the behest of the PCP.
Said my eyes were fine, could benefit from glasses.
Got glasses.
Went to urgent care one day cause of the severe pain, got me on 10 days of some prescription anti-inflamm I can't abuse cause it's strong apparently.
5 days on it I got to enjoy 5 days without a headache.
Went to a neurologist at the behest of the ophthalmologist.
No tumors, nothing in the imaging.
Just tells me try more drugs. Now wants me to do some drug called emgality which I've seen a lot of mixed reviews on online. If I take it, and it doesn't work, then I could potentially be out of commission of 2-4 weeks which I can't afford right now because of work and my three young children.
Out of commission meaning anxiety, severe back pain, coupled with the migraines.
Didn't like the neurologist at all, so indifferent, seems to lack empathy. "Nah no side effects, just do it, you'll be fine."
I look up the drug it's less than 2 years old and yes there are a lot of reported side effects...
I don't know what the hell to do anymore.
Semi-vent thread, semi-asking for advice. Not sure what to do anymore.
Laying in the quiet dark and popping a bunch of pills isn't working anymore.
They're getting worse. It's like a pressure in my head that slowly builds up day by day, giving me daily headaches/migraines until one day it gets so bad I can't take it anymore.
Pop every drug I got but every step I take, every bend I do, anything it just gets worse and then it repeats the cycle.
It's getting harder to work, it's becoming impossible to give my kids the attention they deserve.
I've never felt so fucking defeated in my life.
Click to expand...
You said you also have back pain, it might be a muscular triggered migrane, often times when I get migraines is due to poor sleeping position, stiff neck, foods that happen to have that effect on me like some types of cheese, or dehydration.
Hope you get well.
 
Elcid

Elcid

Banned
Vyse1800 said:
I'm sorry to hear of your pain, I've been there. This thing with trying new drugs where the side effects are worse than the symptoms.. think twice. I took a drug on a doctors advice a few years ago and given the choice again, I would not do it. Non-essential (life saving) drugs with permanent and fatal side effects are simply to be avoided in my humble opinion.
Click to expand...
That's my concern with that shot. It could be a MONTH of side effects.
GAMETA said:
Sorry to hear that, man. Paracetamol can help reduce the pain and it won't make you groggy or have any side effects... can you get those without a prescription in the US? (they're sold freely around here)
Click to expand...
Thanks, no idea I'll look into it though. At this point I'll try dog shit.
Tesseract said:
i had cluster headaches for a few years

best you can do is put yourself in a dark space with an ice pack on your noggin

caffeine helps, foot massages if your significant other is willing
Click to expand...
Thanks, only problem is why I'm incapacitated my wife is taking care of the 3 kids.
Chankoras said:
You said you also have back pain, it might be a muscular triggered migrane, often times when I get migraines is due to poor sleeping position, stiff neck, foods that happen to have that effect on me like some types of cheese, or dehydration.
Hope you get well.
Click to expand...
I said emgality can give back pain. I don't have any back pain atm.
 
Frito_Pendejo

Frito_Pendejo

Member
I used to get them 2-3 times a week. Started when I was around 6 or 7 years old and only started to slow down when I got in my late twenties. Now I get them about 3-4 times a month. I used to take excedrin migraine all the time and it helped quite a bit but I took it so much that it started causing me stomach issues. My emergency pill plus a giant thing of ice coffee usually takes them away. When I get out of bed in the morning I’ll tell you the name of my emergency pill.
 
bitbydeath

bitbydeath

Member
Is the weekend worse cause of the kids? You should try get a sleep through the day even if it’s just for an hour. When I get sick I’m all for hibernation.

images
 
J

jimmyd

Member
You definitely need to do something about the things causing you stress, or perhaps in time you will learn how to deal with it. I've had migraines since I was a kid, they would usually make me throw up. Went to doctors, specialists etc... Had a mouth guard to wear while sleeping because they thought teeth grinding and jaw tension might be causing it. Nothing would work, except I got older.
Nowadays, first sign of a headache I take a normal dose of ibuprofen and it works 99% of the time. Don't know what I'd do without it.
 
Husky

Husky

THE Prey 2 fanatic
Try coffee. It's anti-inflammatory or something. I've had migraines since I was little, and coffee's the best cure I've found. Icepacks and painkillers can be helpful too. Especially the ice. Even if you find yourself in a situation where your headache's seemingly incurable, at least the ice provides a less painful sensation. It's a good distraction.

One pill I've been recommended is excedrin. It's a mix of some painkiller and caffeine. Some people will just take caffeine pills too.

Do your headaches like, spread? Mine start in the forehead, go behind my left eye, and then reach to my left jaw. A whole side of my face in pain. But generally I can feel them coming before they really arrive, so I've got time to brew the coffee. It's gotta be in a french press, it's the only way I like it!
 
haxan7

haxan7

Banned
Tesseract said:
it was bad, i basically had nightmare migraines 24/7 for 2 years
Click to expand...
Damn dude, I’ve heard how bad cluster headaches are and it’s upsetting to me that you had to go through that. I’m glad it doesn’t sound like it happens anymore.

I get the occasional migraine but 9 times out of 10 it’s from caffeine withdrawal. I get the full blown migraine with aura prodrome followed by a severe 8+ hour headache. I found taking a large dose of ibuprofen as soon as the aura starts and going to sleep in a dark room mitigates the pain a lot.

Elcid Elcid i don’t think you mentioned caffeine. Are you drinking it sporadically and getting withdrawal headaches maybe?
 
Last edited:
Jtibh

Jtibh

Banned
T3's helped me with migrane.
Ask your doctor.
Hydromorphin pill can help too.
This is just for the actuall migrane.

I have no idea how to prevent it from happening again.

But you should go to a doctor maybe have catscan or something done to see if there is more happening cancer etc.
 
Cutty Flam

Cutty Flam

Banned
Trying these to alleviate your migraines

-Drink a little bit more than a gallon each day, water

-Correct muscular imbalances especially of the postural muscles. I have a page here somewhere, let me find it and snap a picture. You want to exercise the muscles that are prone to lengthening every other day if you can, and be sure to keep an eye out and stretch the muscles that are more prone towards shortening or getting tight. It’s always best to work the entire body if you can and stretch your entire body or at the very least, the muscle groups that you know need it most. Full body workouts and plenty of cardio sessions throughout the week might help alleviate the migraine

Xqul7Jb.jpg


-Stress is a huge factor too. It’s everyone’s job to do their best to have little strategies to reduce stress be it at work, during competition, study, other duties etc. Sometimes it's as simple as changing your attitude and outlook on things / seeing the positive and beneficial side. You have to find answers and fight to stay level. Easier said than done but everybody owes it to themselves to stay healthy in all ways they can

-Nutrition should be sound. Getting all macronutrients and micronutirnets, water is a necessity and nutrient. Cannot emphasize diet enough. You have to cut your losses and eat only highly nutritious foods. Ice creams? Find a good keto ice cream. Or any keto dessert to hold you over. The less sugar you consume the better, your body will synthesize it if needed plus it's easy to get enough even in the way of vegetables and carbs

-If you are experiencing back pain, then you should start seeing a Physical Therapist or create a program of your own to correct any issues. In my experiences, more activity such as walking, swimming some, lifting will alleviate it. Workout your glutes with some squats, bridges, stretch the major muscles of your legs lightly every day after a walk or workout. Should subside fairly quickly, like 3-5 sessions. You just have to train your entire body and focus on weak points and things will typically balance out if you don't overdo it

-Myofascial release with use of lacross ball after a warm up or training, use in spots around the back, can use on neck, you can even put the ball to your cheek and facial muscles and release those muscles. You probably have many trigger points all over from head to your calves. A foam roller would work well too for alleviating most trigger points and restoring your tissue

I can go into much greater depth if you need help or want to hear more advice

I’m not a doctor or anything close to any of that, but I take health seriously and I’ve only had 2 migraines in my life, maybe less than a dozen or so headaches too. The first migraine I had came out of fucking nowhere, during 6th period 9th grade Spanish class. Maybe like 15-20 minutes left in class, all quiet I think and I was just a little hunched over deep concentration on my Spanish homework or maybe it was class work can't remember and I think I had an aura and then it hit me. Fucking sucked. If you have those regularly, take whatever advice you can get and eliminate them asap, those things are completely debilitating bro
 
Cutty Flam

Cutty Flam

Banned
Meditation can help too. Taking time to simply breathe and clear your mind can be a very powerful move towards health. Sets the tone. Don't underestimate oxygenating the body. It's crucial to breathe well and efficiently at all times if you can cue yourself to remember each time you find yourself taking shallow breaths. Breathe for a few minutes or more
 
FreedomOfSpeech

FreedomOfSpeech

Banned
I've heard people say their migraines went away after going keto.

Headaches suck, can't even imagine the horror that is migraines..
Good luck.
 
Elcid

Elcid

Banned
Thanks for all the recommendations guys. I’ve been on a zero carb diet the past week and thank GOD today I woke up without a headache unlike yesterday. I’ll look into all the drug recommendations and stretches, etc. I genuinely appreciate the advice.

I’ve been functioning off Excedrin up until recently when my neurologist told me to hold off it. Then switched to triptans. I’ve also done an MRI/MRA and they found nothing. Cutty Flam Cutty Flam that’s what my wife thinks may be causing these. Prior to quarantine I used to lift weights and stretch regularly but quarantine has destroyed that. So maybe you’re right. I think I’m going to get back into meditation and stretches/exercise. The only thing is MOST days I wake up with no energy and feeling like I got my ass beat thanks to the migraines.
 
Last edited:
Tesseract

Tesseract

Banned
you'll get migraines if you cut carbs with a handbrake

don't know your situation enough to comment, just offering excess info
 
Elcid

Elcid

Banned
Tesseract said:
you'll get migraines if you cut carbs with a handbrake

don't know your situation enough to comment, just offering excess info
Click to expand...
I’ve done zero carb a bunch of times with no issue. In fact I’ve done it for so long that transitioning into it after a few months of carbs is seamless. I don’t get any of the keto flu symptoms.

On a side note, I’m not going back to the PCP for being shit. Went in twice complaining about headaches and second time he went off on a rant about my cholesterol and the first thing he does is prescribe me Lipitor which the most common side effect is headaches...
 
Last edited:
Cutty Flam

Cutty Flam

Banned
Elcid said:
Thanks for all the recommendations guys. I’ve been on a zero carb diet the past week and thank GOD today I woke up without a headache unlike yesterday. I’ll look into all the drug recommendations and stretches, etc. I genuinely appreciate the advice.

I’ve been functioning off Excedrin up until recently when my neurologist told me to hold off it. Then switched to triptans. I’ve also done an MRI/MRA and they found nothing. Cutty Flam Cutty Flam that’s what my wife thinks may be causing these. Prior to quarantine I used to lift weights and stretch regularly but quarantine has destroyed that. So maybe you’re right. I think I’m going to get back into meditation and stretches/exercise. The only thing is MOST days I wake up with no energy and feeling like I got my ass beat thanks to the migraines.
Click to expand...
Start off slow, even on your worst days, I’m sure you can set aside 10-15 minutes to walk. Even just walking and doing a few minutes of dynamic stretching after the walk is going to introduce movements you haven’t been doing since quarantine. You can always start there and build up, add an exercise or two to start, and add onto the routine as you go on

Anything’s better than nothing. Circulation is way too important to be neglecting. Personally, if I don’t train, my life and health will be in shambles. It might be like that for you as well maybe? You might need it badly for all its benefits just as I do

I would say try a walk for 10-20 min and see how you feel after. If you feel good, try like 5-10 squats, and do some dynamic stretching maybe some static stretching and just rest after that. Next day do the same thing but try squats and maybe a few db rows, try a few pushups on your knees even just to get a feel for the movement again. You'll probably start to feel way better

Play it by ear bro, you know your body best. But try it, and take control of your health. Just start off slow even with the walk, and pick up pace as the minutes go by you should be good
 
N

ngFire

Neo Member
Constante migraines and headaches are a result of high blood pressure and Cardiovascular Arterial Disease. (CAD)

I would suggest you get your blood pressure tested and book an appointment for heart tests. Buy a blood pressure monitor from amazon or ebay.

utswmed.org

Understanding the five most common heart tests | Heart | UT Southwestern Medical Center

Patients who come to the clinic for cardiac evaluation may require certain tests to evaluate their heart. Here are the five exams your cardiologist most often orders.
utswmed.org utswmed.org
www.lark.com

Can High Blood Pressure Cause Headaches? - Lark Health Blog

High blood pressure headaches are not only painful, your headache may be your first clue that you have high blood pressure, or hypertension.
www.lark.com www.lark.com

Good Luck.
 
DelireMan7

DelireMan7

Member
Since I am a kid I am sensitive to headache and "migraine" (according to doctors it's not really migraine but strong headache due to tension in the neck). But nothing as strong as you.

Lack of sleep, stress and bright light are definitely a triggering factor for me.

What helps me :
-Drinking more water
-"Stretch" my neck's muscle when I fell the pain is coming
-Eating sugar (that might be psychologic)
-Listening peaceful music and working on my breathing (kind of meditation)
-Sleeping
-My last resort is paracetamol with codeine. In France, you can have it with a medical prescription, don't know about US. 90% of the time, it works but the codeine make me really sleepy and stoned so I avoid it as much as I can.
 
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