anyone get migraines?

Got my first one when i was in sixth grade.Lasted a week! I have had a few dozen since then but no over the counter meds work on mine.Excedrin works best at dulling it a bit if i cant get to the hospital.

I get migraines several time s amonth and usually tehy go along with my menstrual cycle, BUt I can also get tehm from pressure changes, stress or change in sleep.

The vision problems you mentioned sound like "occular migraines".  My old boss use to have them and everytime she thought she was having a stroke.  

Migraines SUCK!!![sm=banghead002.gif]

Yep -- I can get them for sure.  And when you get the specks of light -- beware those - they can be a problem. 
 
I find chiropractic a big help (particularly for THOSE types of migraines).  But my migraines are (were at their height) very very related to my monthly cycle/cycle of the moon AND FOOD. 
 
Since you've only had three start NOW to do a food diary.  Look back over the last 24-36 hours and write down everything that went into your mouth.  Each person is an individual but certain things can be a problem:
 
1.  Nutrasweet (biggie cause in me)
2.  Chemicals -- for me, certain food additives will do it
3.  Caffeine
4.  Sugar (particularly caffeien and sugar together)
5.  Chocolate (see #4)
5.  Red wine
6.  Red meat
7.  Turkey
 
For me the biggies surround the sugars (regular sugar and nutrasweet) and caffeine in any form.  Too much caffeine and too little --- caffeine is addictive so any 'change' from your norm can bring on a toxic headache but I found years ago I had to ditch caffeine after 4:00 p.m. and I have to take it easy the rest of the time. 
 
Help:  a good quality analgesic massage oil -- particularly for me White Flower Oil is heaven sent!!  (it's peppermint, wintergreen, menthol and a couple of others in a blend).  A super good quality peppermint oil can be super effective too (Yee Tin oil is another of my favorites and is in my purse all the time)
 
I can see your skepticism -- if you rub just a drop of one of these oils into your temple when the headache is JUST beginning it will help it go away or not worsen.  There is a pre-migraine stage, called the aura that you will begin to recognize.  It's almost more a feelng than a pain but if you rub White Flower into your temples then it will often kill a migraine before it starts.
 
It's not as far-fetched as you might think.  A migraine is blood vessels that begin to pulse and spasm -- the massage oil actually helps relieve the inflammation in the temple area so the blood vessels calm down. 
 
If you search for those oils you'll find them all over the place.  My favorite is [linkhttp://www.morningstarhealth.com]http://www.morningstarhealth.com[/link]. -- I always get what I order and they're reasonable. 
 
My problem is I can't take the big guns NSAIDs -- they make me sick to my stomach.  So I have to use the natural methods but I've learned they often work better than pharmaceuticals. 
 
Tylenol really doesn't do much for a migraine -- tylenol works on the brain ... it's not really an anti-inflammatory technically.  It simply tells the brain you don't hurt.  (the hope beng that whatever is inflamed will simply relax).  Excedrine is an NSAID.  And I think there is specifically a migrain formula of that.
 
Migraines CAN get worse, and frankly a 4 hour migraine isn't a bad one.  They can last for days and you can get so sore that you can't touch your head.  (and I'm always convinced when I get a migraine that I'd love to throw up but if I did I'm always positive my head would simply fall off and burst on the ground and then I'd still have to clean up the mess so I try never to give in to that! *sigh*)  With a really bad migraine they can cluster (one after another) and you can feel 'tender' in your temples for days afterward. 
 
Start writing things down -- once you find the pattern for them you can often avoid them.  Carry whatever works WITH You -- a migraine treated early is often the easier one to deal with.

I get sinus headaches and they suck! Sometimes sinus headaches and migraines can be similar but with a sinus headache the pain tends to be around one eye and if feels like your eyeball is going to explode, your nose may be runny and you'll feel a lot of pressure in your face. The only way they truly go away for me is if I sleep it off. When I do get a sinus headache, I take 2 Naproxen and a Claritin D12 if it's during the day or I take 2 Naproxen, 1 Benadryl D and 1 Benadryl if it's night.
 
If you decide to get Excedrin, make sure you read the ingredients before you go buying one of the "special" ones. Some of the "special" ones have the same exact ingredients as the "plain" Excedrin but they cost more money.

I think I get migraines....they are like the worst headache ever and my stomach is usually sick too.  Is that a migraine?  I usually get them around that time of month, but stress gets me too.  I use this stuff called Head On that you rub on your forehead, then take 4 ibuprofen, and lay in the darkest room I can find.  It takes a while, but sometimes it goes away.  Sometimes, though, I just have to sleep it off.

jjsmom thank you....I looked up the term and that was exactly what it was. The flashy light and blank spots on one side only....the loss of peripheral vision on one side only. It was scary for me because I have amblyopia and have only one good eye anyhow, lol...and of course that was the one that was hinky. The headache was on the opposing side but later just became general and I got a touch of vertigo and nausea. The darkness helped a ton....and silence lol.
 
In looking it up it looks like as a person ages they can become simply episodes of vision hinkyness without headache developing. Here's to hoping that happens here!
 
thanks all for the tips I appreciate the input and info!

I forgot to mention the best remedy!  Dogs curled up next to you being very quiet since they know you don't feel well!

I get them, with the vision problems and usually numbness in one hand and/or foot and tongue before the pain. After the headache, which generally lasts until I can get several hours of sleep, I'll have a "hangover" the whole next day.

If you're having the vision problems beforehand, you probably want to consult a doctor. They took me off traditional birth control because migraines with an 'aura' carry an increased stroke risk and so does estrogen supplementation. My prescription is Relpax, and if I can take it when the first spots appear then headache won't develop.

Yep, I get them too.  They suck, don't they? I use Excedrin to take the edge off.  Mien always (95% of the time) start on the right side at the base of my skull.  They work their way around to my right eye, my jaw and down my right arm. I get numbness on the right side of my tongue as well.

In my case, it's at least partially genetic.  My mom, sis, one of my nieces and DS#2 all get them too. I also notice that many of them are about four or five days before my period starts. Before I had my surgery ( when I had twelve day periods) it seemed like I had them every week!  ACK.

I have never actually thrown up with them, but it's only been by sheer will power a couple of times.  My mom and DS#2 have thrown up.  Fortunately for DS, his seem to last a couple of hours instead of a couple of days.

Hey hey! I am a long-time migraine sufferer, and I actually found a CURE!

Better yet, it's herbal!

I take ONE capsule of feverfew a day. It takes a few weeks to build up, but after that NO migraines. If you start to get one, take one or two extra and your migraine GOES AWAY! It's SO liberating!

It is an anti-inflammatory, and does great on mild arthritis, too.

Look at Dr. Weil's site. He tells about it. I did what he said to do: quit coffee and started using feverfew.

I get the Nature's Way brand. That seems to work the best. I tried the Oregon Organics and those didn't work nearly as well.

This is an herb that has been studied in London and found to be very useful.

If you are on blood thinners, you'd have to be careful. You probably won't ever take another nsaid again (aspirin, ibuprophen, etc.) but if you do, take HALF of what you'd normally take.

Those are the only cautions I know. It doesn't affect liver or kidneys. I'm so happy not to be in pain all the time!

FYI: for me it has also be a mild antidepressant, and it sure does help with asthma, too.

For those who get migraines that coincide with their periods, I've heard that can be caused by hormone imbalances, which can often be fixed right up if you talk to your doctor about them. My grandmother apparently used to get very bad migraines along with her period, but once they realised it was a hormonal imbalance, it was simple to fix.

I was getting awful headaches when I was in LA. I didn't know whether they were stress-related or what, but it seemed like I usually had a headache, and nothing I could get over the counter did a thing for them. In fact, some of it made them worse. The longest one went for 9 days in varying degrees. And the worst one hit while I was waiting at the airport to go to Las Vegas. I was squinting at the artificial lights and wincing at the unpredictable sounds and weird smells made me feel worse. I was about as miserable as I've ever been, made worse by the airport putting us on the plane and then having us sit on the runway for 1 1/2 hours.

Over here you can get meds with codeine over the counter. I do not know how you people live without ready access to codeine. They don't always cure my headaches, but they'll take the edge off the pain and make them bearable at the least.

Fortunately,  I've never even had a headache.  Unfortunately,  I'm up wondering if i'm having some heart problems.  If you never hear from me again, i was[].

ORIGINAL: yanke

Fortunately, I've never even had a headache. Unfortunately, I'm up wondering if i'm having some heart problems. If you never hear from me again, i was[].

YIKES, don't SCARE us like that!

Now you have to let us know you are okay! [sm=eek.gif]

Oh yes the dreaded migraine,  when I was younger I had one that lasted 3 days. I still get them but not as bad as when I was younger. I too get an aura or flashing lights on the edge of my vision, when that happens I just stop what im doing, take some medication and limit my tasks and make note of what is going on in my enviorment. I can be light, sound or smell sensitive. Sometime all 3 at the same time, but that is rare.

I do not take a scripted medication, I usually take about 3 excedrin  migraine, drink an extra glass of water and stop anything that has to do with eye movement,  I rest if able.

Keeping track of what you ate and or did in the 24-36 hours before one is excellent advice. I found out that one of my triggers was chocolate of all things. Lack of enough water is another.

Good luck.

Dawn