Migraines

[Crowbob]

When I was 12-18 years old I got debilitating migraines 3-4 times per year. Scintillatinig scotoma (flashing, twinkling little lightening bolts) prodrome, then-wham-serious headache 3-5 hours, pounding, throbbing pain right behind both eyes. On my knees, forehead to the floor, both hands squeezing my skull on both sides while rocking fore and aft. Photophobia with no nausea. Neurologist gave me tiny light blue pills, "Cafergot" a caffiene/ergotomine preparation that only worked if I took it during the flashing light phase. Boom! Aborted headache. Carried two in my wallet for years and years. Got my first one in 15 years last fall. Can I still get "Cafergot"?

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by s_morrison57

Tobra
Where do you get this lidocane, is it over the counter? I don't suffer from any form of headache in a normal sense but when I was working in Chille we were at about 17,000 ft. with the drill and camp was at about 15,500' and we used to get these massive pounding headaches from the thin air and they sold a pill that I'm sure was just like our tylenal and it would just take the headache away, like gone in 10-15 min. My sister suffers big time from migraines and I gave her some to try, she can feel them coming on so the first time I gave her a couple and checked back in about 3/4 of an hour, she had completly forgot she had a head ache. I was going to ask my uncle what was in these things, he's retired now but was the Dean of the Faculty of Pharma Science at a major university here in Canada, but I don't think his spanish is up to it. I wanted to start making them and selling them, get into the drug business
Tobra if your interested I can give you the spanish ingrediants for these pills, there might be something there that might help some suffers

lidocaine is a super cheap local anesthetic, not available OTC

i bet there was some coca in your Chile pills

[idontknow]

Originally Posted by Looking_for_911

I've wondered if the flourescent color balance of artificial light could cause many of the cases of migraines.
Flourescents emit a light that is green, look at your photos if they haven't been color corrected. You add magenta to get rid of it. Could this color shift - away from daylight balanced light - put some strain on the eyes/brain, etc?
Hmmmm.

Fluorescent bulbs com in 4 standard "colors" of light depending on what was cheapest at the local supply shop. I believe the strain comes from the 60hz pulsing of the light. I've heard of a few tales where strobing lights can induce headaches, nausea, stroke, etc.

Alternately, it's only older magnetic ballasts that run at 60hz. Newer electronic ballasts run anywhere from 5khz to 20khz. This would explain why some areas of fluorescent lights can trigger migraines while others not.

[rammstein]

Originally Posted by mca

Right now I have samples of Maxalt. I am honestly scared to take it due to the possible side effects - throat swelling, bloody poops, etc. That being said, I am willing to try it. I know that it is important to get it in my system at the first onset of a migraine.

But how do I know the difference between a regular headache and a migraine? Do I just take it any time I feel any sort of headache?

Old thread BUT I never knew you asked-

For me (and by the way, since my last post I've only had ONE migraine- prety good for a half year), Maxalt has no side effects to speak of- no bloody poo or swelling. One time years back I needed it a few times over a weekend, and I think it constipated me, only because I've never failed to poop like that before or since. Sorry for the graphic detail, be we are being medicinal here.

As for knowing the difference, just wait 5 minutes. If it is a migraine, you will know. I've come to realize that I will always know when it is real- if I am questioning it, its not a migraine.

[azasadny]

I've had migraines most of my life and I take Relpax for them. It works for me...

[mca]

Originally Posted by rammstein

Old thread BUT I never knew you asked-

For me (and by the way, since my last post I've only had ONE migraine- prety good for a half year), Maxalt has no side effects to speak of- no bloody poo or swelling. One time years back I needed it a few times over a weekend, and I think it constipated me, only because I've never failed to poop like that before or since. Sorry for the graphic detail, be we are being medicinal here.

As for knowing the difference, just wait 5 minutes. If it is a migraine, you will know. I've come to realize that I will always know when it is real- if I am questioning it, its not a migraine.

Thanks. I eventually took one last night at around 8:15pm after having a headache all day yesterday. The Maxalt worked in about 15 minutes - amazing! I felt a little odd - as if I had chugged a few beers. Little hung over this morning. But wow ... those things work. No bad side effects either.

[9146racing]

i had migraines my entire life. started when i was 4 years old and with 47 still get them a couple of times a month. drugs work for me only a limited time and then wear off after longer use. then i have to switch. i am on imitrex injections now and they have worked for me since 2 years.
what really worked for me is writing a journal on when i go to bed, how long did i sleep, what did i eat, when, ...goes for drinking, smoking, traveling through time zones, ...and when you get them. i could pin point after a while what the triggers are and influence the amount of migraines. my triggers are chocolate, large amounts of sugar, garlic, alcohol and bleached foods. when traveling to Europe i found that time difference is a factor as well. i use sleeping pills to get a uninterrupted good night sleep which minimizes the risk of getting one. my advice is to have a close look at your habits. you will learn allot. every little step helps.

my 5 cents,

[mca]

Originally Posted by 9146racing

i had migraines my entire life. started when i was 4 years old and with 47 still get them a couple of times a month. drugs work for me only a limited time and then wear off after longer use. then i have to switch. i am on imitrex injections now and they have worked for me since 2 years.
what really worked for me is writing a journal on when i go to bed, how long did i sleep, what did i eat, when, ...goes for drinking, smoking, traveling through time zones, ...and when you get them. i could pin point after a while what the triggers are and influence the amount of migraines. my triggers are chocolate, large amounts of sugar, garlic, alcohol and bleached foods. when traveling to Europe i found that time difference is a factor as well. i use sleeping pills to get a uninterrupted good night sleep which minimizes the risk of getting one. my advice is to have a close look at your habits. you will learn allot. every little step helps.

my 5 cents,

Interesting input. Funny that you should mention garlic. I actually googled "garlic headaches" before reviving this thread. I had a TON of it for dinner - then awoke with headache at 4am.

I started a journal but couldn't find any correlations. I really thought it was due to my allergy nasal spray. So much for that theory.

[syncroid]

I used to get them quite often until I figured out what the triggers were. For me the triggers are preservatives in foods. Sodium nitrate, sodium nitrites, MSG is a big one too. Even sulfites in some wines will do it. I will sometimes get them on the first or second day of a vacation. I think that is my bodys way of telling me I shouldn't burn the candle at both ends.
I can always tell when I am getting one. The first sign is the visual scotoma. It feels at first like you have walked into a dark room after being out in the sun or a flash bulb has gone off in your face. (blind spots) Then the kaliedascope in the perifery vision. Cafergot seems to help if you take it at the first sign of visual scotoma. If I don't have any of that I drink a coke or mt. dew with a couple of advil. The visual effects usually last about 30 minutes. Being in a quite dark room helps too. Most of the time I don't get the headache.

[jhelgesen]

My wife used to suffer several times a week. Her neurologist put her on vitamin B2. It has solved the majority of the headaches. Axert then relpax are there for backup, but rarely needed.

[9146racing]

preservatives, sodium nitrates and sulfites are on my list as well. although i tried some organic wines that have no sulfites, i still got them due to alcohol. adjusting to my trigger list was not difficult, although i do miss a good glass of wine with a good dinner.