Headaches or Migraines - Page 2

suede · July 27th, 2007, 02:20 PM

I think the biggest misconception about migraines is that "a migraine" is just a "headache" - that is not the case at all. A "migraine headache" is just one of many symptoms that a present themselves when someone gets a migraine. Many people suffer from migraines and never get the "migraine headache".

suede · July 27th, 2007, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrettyGirl

Well, I went to the doctor last night and he referred me to an allergy/sinus specialist. No answers, but he said headaches (especially among women) are very common. He said it could be anything: weather, diet, stress, medications, hormonal, environmental, etc...basically, until I see a specialist, he advised me to take benadryl at night and he gave me some Flonase nasal spray. He also said to keep a log of my headaches and not try to make any major changes regarding my caffeine intake. One cup of coffe (what I drink daily) isn't bad, so he said don't eliminate it or I'll probably make the headaches worse. He gave me this thick packet to fill out (regarding my food, my daily habits, my work environment, my home, any allergies I may have, etc...) and I send it in to the specialist and they'll evaluate it before they actually see me. I guess they try and figure out what could be triggering these headaches or if I'm allergic to something and not aware of it. We'll see...maybe I am just having really bad sinus headaches and pressure. Thanks everyone for your input.

You can do a food elimination diet and take note of when your headache ceases but then you should add the same foods back so you can note if you have the same cause the second time.

Can you describe the pain you are having because sinus headache pain is not the same as a full blown migraine.

Motrin makes a really good sinus/headache pill - it comes in an orange box with white lettering.

I don't think anyone mentioned it already - if so - I'm sorry..

soy by products can often trigger headaches if you have an unknown allergy to them - much like people with a gluten allergy the soy can do the same.

I've found that an ice pack over the area in pain and another at the nape of the neck while lying down is helpful.

Good Luck.

I get migraines and tension headaches very often - I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

Icepik · July 27th, 2007, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suede

I think the biggest misconception about migraines is that "a migraine" is just a "headache" - that is not the case at all. A "migraine headache" is just one of many symptoms that a present themselves when someone gets a migraine. Many people suffer from migraines and never get the "migraine headache".

My boss always claims to have migraines. She confuses a bad headache with a migraine. I tell her, everytime she complains, "If you actually had a migraine, you wouldn't be here at work, you wouldn't be standing and you wouldn't be having this conversation!"

She still doesn't get it. I would love for her to have just ONE actual migraine to understand what one actually feels like.

KrisNine · July 27th, 2007, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suede

I think the biggest misconception about migraines is that "a migraine" is just a "headache" - that is not the case at all. A "migraine headache" is just one of many symptoms that a present themselves when someone gets a migraine. Many people suffer from migraines and never get the "migraine headache".

Yep! A headache is a symptom of a migraine!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icepik

My boss always claims to have migraines. She confuses a bad headache with a migraine. I tell her, everytime she complains, "If you actually had a migraine, you wouldn't be here at work, you wouldn't be standing and you wouldn't be having this conversation!"

She still doesn't get it. I would love for her to have just ONE actual migraine to understand what one actually feels like.

I say the same things to the people I work with. I tell them, if an advil works, it's not a migraine. They think my Zomig is a painkiller. Like a vicodin. They always tell me to take a Vic. Vicodin doesn't dent a migraine. Just makes me sick and makes the headache worse. I actually have the Imitrex shots now. In case I get a headache that won't go away. I give myself the shot and it's gone in less than 15 minutes.

suede · July 27th, 2007, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icepik

My boss always claims to have migraines. She confuses a bad headache with a migraine. I tell her, everytime she complains, "If you actually had a migraine, you wouldn't be here at work, you wouldn't be standing and you wouldn't be having this conversation!"

She still doesn't get it. I would love for her to have just ONE actual migraine to understand what one actually feels like.

AMEN!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by KrisNine

I say the same things to the people I work with. I tell them, if an advil works, it's not a migraine. They think my Zomig is a painkiller. Like a vicodin. They always tell me to take a Vic. Vicodin doesn't dent a migraine. Just makes me sick and makes the headache worse. I actually have the Imitrex shots now. In case I get a headache that won't go away. I give myself the shot and it's gone in less than 15 minutes.

OMG - ladies I am right there with you when it comes to people that never had one, think they get them and "understand" - it gets me all pissy when I hear it.

I can not tell you how many times I've had to explain that these migraine med are triptans and what exactly a triptan is and that it's not a pain killer.

Years ago I had a boss that never believe me but when his grand daughter started to get them and she went through the same hell I did all of a sudden I was treated differently.

Anywho.....

I've never had an imitrex shot - hmmm I'll have to look into that.

Thanks for sharing that!

I've taken Zomig for years but when it stopped working I went to Amerge - INS wouldn't cover it for more than 2 refills nor Imitrex so now I use Maxalt and hit my doctor up for Imitrex 100mg samples because they seem to work the best. Since you only get 9 pills a month and when you need more than 1 to get the migraine to stop it goes quick.

KrisNine · July 27th, 2007, 04:27 PM

I got my doctor to give me the shot once. It comes in a two pack. It's like an epi-pen type thing. He gave me the other one to take home. Zomig comes in 6 packs, so my insurance only covers 6 per month. My doctor gives me freebies all the time. Plus, I now have a prescription for the Imitrex shot (which is a total lifesaver). I can get 4 of those, in addition to the 6 Zomig per month, per my insurance. I stock up on them if I can.

Icepik · July 27th, 2007, 04:31 PM

I get 6 Imitrex 100mg tablets per pack. I THANK GOD I have coverage (I pay $6 per pack), or I'd be spending well over a hundred dollars per pack.

I feel horribly for anyone not covered.

KrisNine · July 27th, 2007, 04:35 PM

$6?!?! That's awesome. I have coverage and I pay $60 for Zomig and $35 for the Imitrex shots. Per month!

PrettyGirl · July 27th, 2007, 04:45 PM

Migraine

Migraines are a neurological disorder. Usually migraine causes episodes of severe or moderate headache (which is often one-sided and pulsating) lasting between several hours to three days, accompanied by gastrointestinal upsets, such as nausea and vomiting, and a heightened sensitivity to bright lights (photophobia) and noise (phonophobia). Approximately one third of people who experience migraine get a preceding aura. The word migraine is French in origin and comes from the Greek hemicrania, as does the Old English term megrim. Literally, hemicrania means "half (the) head".

Migraine is widespread in the population. In the USA 18% of women and 6% of men report have had at least one migraine episode in the previous year. Wrongdiagnosis.com reports that 10% of people have been diagnosed with migraine and 5% have migraine but have not been diagnosed), with seriousness varying from a rare annoyance to a life-threatening and/or daily experience. Treatments are typically expensive. Periodic or unpredictable disability can cause impoverishment due to patients' inability to work enough or to hold a job at all.

Migraines' secondary characteristics are inconsistent. Triggers precipitating a particular episode of migraine vary widely. The efficacy of the simplest treatment, applying warmth or coolness to the affected area of the head, varies between persons, sometimes worsening the migraine. A particular migraine rescue drug may sometimes work and sometimes not work in the same patient. Some migraine types don't have pain or may manifest symptoms in parts of the body other than the head.

Migraine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Headache - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pippin69 · July 28th, 2007, 12:29 AM

Lemon and mint sound good to smell. I've tried the mint one and it helps.

Sniffing anything with lavender also helps regular headaches, and since it's calming, can help in relaxing during a migraine as well.

I've heard sniffing a green apple can help with a migraine, but I've never been able to get up long enough to get one during a migraine to try it.

PrettyGirl · December 7th, 2007, 06:58 PM

I still get them. I went to another doctor today and she said she thinks I'm having muscle spasms...neck/shoulder area that aggravate these migraines. She said it sounds ergonomic, totally work related. I'm on the computer a lot at work. I'm definitely taking all this paperwork to them Monday morning...I'm using up my sick leave for all these appointments and now I'm realizing it should be on work time. How come I didn't get one migraine in September or October when I was on vacation for 3 weeks? I need to go to a workers comp doctor. It's my working conditions.

Dixie Normos · December 7th, 2007, 07:07 PM

I've only had one migraine to date, caused by barometer fluctuations (a thunderstorm was on it's way). I would only wish those things on child molesters and rapists. I was so nausiated, and it felt like there was something in my head trying to get out, sounds sounded different, and I couldn't stand the brightness of my room.

yanna · December 7th, 2007, 07:21 PM

I suffer from migraines and get 2-3 episodes a month that last between 12 to 24 hours of varying intensity. I almost always get them in the weekend (just as I unwind from work). I have many triggers, drinking is one, unless I manage to take enough drugs before getting a hangover it will trigger a migraine that's off the charts. Stress is another. I haven't managed to discover any foods I should avoid. And sometimes I get one from exercising, esp. if my heart rate (and I guess my blood pressure too) gets very high. At its worst I'm in bed wishing I could die. I vomit until there's nothing left to vomit. I can't see much from my right eye (I actually read that migraine sufferers get a huge blind spot in the eye on the affected side so that explains it), I get cold sweats, I can't stand light or any sound or cigarette smoke or any strong scent. It's hours and hours of relentless pain. I got prescribed Maxalt but it doesn't always work

So, no offense, daily headaches do sound bad but I wouldn't call them migraines.

suede · December 7th, 2007, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yanna

I suffer from migraines and get 2-3 episodes a month that last between 12 to 24 hours of varying intensity. I almost always get them in the weekend (just as I unwind from work). I have many triggers, drinking is one, unless I manage to take enough drugs before getting a hangover it will trigger a migraine that's off the charts. Stress is another. I haven't managed to discover any foods I should avoid. And sometimes I get one from exercising, esp. if my heart rate (and I guess my blood pressure too) gets very high. At its worst I'm in bed wishing I could die. I vomit until there's nothing left to vomit. I can't see much from my right eye (I actually read that migraine sufferers get a huge blind spot in the eye on the affected side so that explains it), I get cold sweats, I can't stand light or any sound or cigarette smoke or any strong scent. It's hours and hours of relentless pain. I got prescribed Maxalt but it doesn't always work

So, no offense, daily headaches do sound bad but I wouldn't call them migraines.

OMG

You get them bad too.
I'm so sorry.

I don't know how you deal with the vomiting.

Get to your doc and see if he/she has any other samples for you.
I really loved zomig but it stopped working for me so I go between Imitrex and Maxalt and I don't really love either but my insurance will give me 27 pill a months of those two.

I'm on day 5 of a migraine - it just won't go away (makes mes rather blue to be in constant pain).

yanna · December 7th, 2007, 07:38 PM

5 days of a migraine, that sounds so awful! I think I've never gotten one that lasted more than 3 days. 27 pills sound good, I have to make do with 6 lousy Maxalt pills whenever I remember to go get them prescribed. I've had to buy them a couple of times and it's no fun. 24 euros a pack of 3 pills!

I'll see another neurologist soon as I'd like to see if there's anything more I can do.

Sometimes it's actually good when it gets to the point when I vomit, it's like I reach the peak and then it slowly gets better. Other times I'm just vomitting from the moment I wake up, the pain is just so awful.