I don't get horrid migraines, but I do get the visual auras followed by a moderate headache. I get tension headaches as well. My migraines are almost exclusively triggered by hormones. I'm on a continuous low-dose birth control pill to control them.

I have both occular and regular migraines. Started at menopause.

My Dad is on anti-seizure medication after having a stroke and that resolved his migraines. Mine went away coincidentally with a low dose ACE inhibitor for hypertension. My daughter has had good results with a large dose of B vitamins (we may have a genetic factor inhibiting metabolism of B vitamins).

But I don't worry about it much. It's the least of my worries.

Fortunately, most of them were hormonal so getting old has reduced the frequency to one every couple of months or so. Most of the time I can slam some caffeine into my system and abort them. The only really bad ones are the ones that are established when they wake me up. Nothing to do with those except put a pillow over my head and wait them out. Narcs make mine worse.

and starting to throw a tantrum when she triggered a migraine and really started to hurt! That's the last tantrum she ever threw!

Wish I had known about it's effectiveness for the years that came before I heard about it. I still have to take it with some form of anti-inflamm but it works 90% of the time.

Those that wake me up - yep, it's usually too late to tackle those but I have large gel icepacks constantly in the freezer and put one at the back of my head near the neck and one over the top of my head that also covers my eyes. Icing is sweet relief during those bad boys.

I have taken Vicodin but it seems to have become less and less effective over time.

it's also good for my back spasms. If I ice them as soon as they start, they go away in 24 hours instead of ten days.

I get hormonal migraines. I have had some complicated migraines. I am now getting occular migraines.

Complicated migraines are scary. Fortunately, they don't occur very often. I am hopeful that the occular migraines are a temporary side effect of the lens implant I had recently. We'll see...no pun intended.

I use Maxalt when i get one, but they seem to be fewer and further between. For a while i was probably getting one a month. Now it's probably more like 2 or 3 a year. Not like i ever had a seriously chronic issue with them. But, even less so now.

Not sure why.
GAC

Sorry for replying so late, but I just found this thread.

For almost 30 years I suffered with horrible migraines, sometimes daily. But I have almost eliminated all forms of headache.

I take 400 mg of magnesium citrate every morning and every night. Magnesium citrate, or any kind of magnesium ending in 'ate', is more readily absorbed by the body than other forms. I also take feverfew extract (90 mg) each morning and night. About a month after starting this regime, I noticed the migraines decreasing in severity and frequence. I do occasionally get a headache, but I can usually stop them in their tracks by taking another dose of feverfew. Be careful with the magnesium, though. If you start taking too much before your body adjusts to it, you can have bouts of diarrhea. Start with one capsule per day and gradually increase until your body can handle it.

I buy feverfew extract at Whole Foods, but you can also order it online from Nature's Way. I purchase magnesium citrate online from Pure Matters.

It's wonderful to have my life back and not have my schedule ruled by migraines!

the last one I had..lasted 3 weeks. I couldn't raise my head off of the pillow. I endured MRI's, CT Scans and Lumbar Punctures.

Finally, one morning, it was just gone.

During all of this, a referral to a headache specialist was given. When I finally got the appointment, the headache was gone.

However, he did a doppler of my head and said that there was vascular damage in the place that I had the headache.

He put me on a calcium channel blocker and low dose anti-depressant. Even though these medication doses were eventually tripled from the low doses, after 4 years I was weaned off of them. He also put me on some type of caffeine pills mixed with a narcotic for breakthrough headaches.

That has been 15 years ago and I haven't had a migraine since. (knocking on wood)

They are both really bad - sometimes a tension headache will trigger a migraine. Fortunately I don't get the migraines too often. I take Treximet for the migraines and I've found that going to a chiropractor has really helped my tension headaches. The chiro visit includes a massage and I think it is the massage (of neck and "shrug muscles&quot more than the adjustment that helps me.

From the back of the room. Came in late to the discussion.

Last edited Sun Apr 7, 2013, 09:24 PM - Edit history (1)

I used to have the constant threat of a migraine and would get the throw up kind at least five times per year. GONE...
I make my own with cream and the flakes ... It helps all sorts of health issues.

Transdermal Magnesium Therapy - http://www.ancient-minerals.com/products/?gclid=CPTayOD-ubYCFY4-MgodczMAAw

http://www.naturalhealingtools.com/product_information/mag.clay/Magnesium-Oil-Guide.pdf

but I suffered from almost daily migraines for years until I discovered that I cannot tolerate nightshades. I cut out the tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, etc and it made a huge difference in my headaches and arthritis pain. Since then, I have cut out gluten and most dairy, all of which caused inflammation and neuro issues.

I know I'm late to the thread but I've had migraines since I was in high school and they've become more frequent over the past few years. They are debilitating and the prescription drugs to deal with them all seem to have nasty side effects. I'm going to look into the magnesium supplements suggested here. Thanks!