I understand completely the "hurting from hurting" you're talking about! I've had migraines for weeks (literally one for 6 weeks before we got that one to go away) before we finally got them under control, I'm down to one or two a month now, and they only last for hours and not for days YEA. It's not the habit forming I worry about with the firinol (I know I spelled it wrong, but don't want to look up the correct spelling), it is the migraines's response to pain meds, and the rebounding. AND it can happen with the excedrin also. Just a warning. IF you think the pain may no longer be a migraine, but the "hurt from hurting", stop all meds for pain and the hurt will go away, if it is still a migraine, I still go with the ER, or back to the Dr for an abortive med..imitrex (doesn't work for me, but nothing says it won't work for you), relpax, migrinal, etc. Try adding Magnesium tablets. Up to 1000mg per day. Yes 1000mg. DO NOT start at 1000mg (they cause diareah)...they also help prevent migraines. Another option is chiropractor, helped DD#1. Didn't help me, I also tried Accupuncture..also didn't help me, but that doesn't mean I do not think they will help people. Mine finally took a Migraine specialist and playing with many drugs to get the righ combination. Vickey-MN

Hi, I've been waiting to post for a few days so I could give a fair assessment of exactly 'how I am responding' to treatment. I can now say, with absolute clarity and conviction so that no one is confused here, that I do have episodic migraines 2~4 times a month. I can usually head those off at the pass with Imitrex shots or pills; I switch up depending on how soon I can get to the headache. A pill if I'm not nauseous or vomiting. A shot if I am over the edge. THAT being said, I want to tell you where I am with treatment right now. For migraines: 1) The neurologist told me that the 50 mg of Imitrex tablets that I was using was probably not strong enough and told me to use 100 mg tablets or double the 50 mgs. I couldn't believe it, but I've already had an opportunity to use this new dosage and I had less side effects from taking this amount -Vs- taking the lower amount! No kidding. (2) He also put me on Topamax as a prophylactic. It's too early for me to tell how this will work. So far, no side effects that I can tell. It's quite involved to start taking this medication as they increase the dosage, so it takes a series of increasing dosages over three weeks to get to a target amount to start. I'm still in those parameters. For this current chronic headache: Having been in a constant headache state such that I have been since March, I could not eve differentiate with clarity the pain levels. I felt so inadequate and sickened trying to explain the pain levels without sounding so ridiculous, exaggerating, or needy... to a doctor, when you can see that there are other people with more serious medical needs than mine in the waiting room. Anyway, when they ask, "What is your current pain level?" I answer something RIDICULOUSLY conservative like, "6 or 7," out of a 10 point scale, with 10 being the worse. NOW that I have had some success with this pain, I can tell you I was like a damn 30 and I am NOW a 6 or 7 on the pain scale as I type right now.~~ !!!! So, how have I improved this much? Well, I had the occipital nerve block last week. I believe you'd call mine the 'greater nerve block' -Vs- the alternative 'lesser' nerve block. If you Goggle it, you will see what I mean. Before I continue, I have to tell you, this is a treatment that I believe every single doctor and NP in America should know how to do. It is that amazing. But please, pay attention closely to my description of my experience. I say this because with some of my key words you **might** find some phrases or explanations in medical journals online, but it's not easily out there to tell you from a lay-person's perspective, how this feels and how it has affected me. Also, without going into boring details, I have to say that here in Jacksonville, FL, I could only find ONE neurologist to do this occipital nerve block and he was is associated with Shands Hospital. Even the neurologist that referred me to him did not do them. Now I know he's not the only game in town, but doctors just don't do these things like I think they should! SO MANY people could find relief, I am sure. OK, here's what happened. The doctor comes in after getting approved (by insurance) for the procedure (2 day, 2 hr. wait), and explains that he is going to put in 8~10 shots in my neck and upper shoulders. He WARNED ME that if he did "not hear certain sounds", that he would "stop the procedure" because "this is like a truth serum; I can tell if you are really in pain or not... nerves speak and they can tell me exactly what kind of pain that you are in." The needles were not inserted into my brain or spinal column. I sat in a chair, leaning my head on a pillow on a table in front of me. The doctor felt for the base of my skull and within 6 ~ 8 minutes had injected all shots. Two or three down the left side of my neck, then two or three down the right, and four places across the top of my back shoulders, with two being to the left of my spine and two on the right, rather evenly spaced. What was AMAZING was when he put in the first needle on my right side of the neck upper at the base of my skull. As he inserted the needle, it sounded like it was going into Styrofoam. The sounds that came out of that nerve as the needle and medicine went in would have made you think I was possessed and demons were crunching their way out of my body. It hurt like a blank-blank because he rubbed each shot sight's medication in with his thumb after shooting in the meds. All I could say the entire time is, "OMG. Lord Jesus, come," over and over. My nerves made audible sounds like chewing Cap'N Crunch cereal, and lesser sounds like Rice Crispy's in the beginning. Let me clarify this for you: the nerves made a **CRUNCHING SOUND** AND **SNAP, CRACKLE, POPPING SOUNDS**. The doctor said that these were "some of the worst/best sounds he has ever heard come out of a patient...up there in the top three." He also assured me I would feel 100% better when I left; clarifying that I would not feel 100%, just 100% better. Boy, do I know what he means. The occipital nerve block was quick easy and AMAZING. It was painful, but after what I've gone through the past few months, it was tolerable and worth it. I'm going to have another one in 11 weeks. He also said that some Migraneurs find relief from this, too, even though I'm doing this for my head injury swelling and trying to stop the pain cycle. Also, I left the office after about 10~15 minutes and of having the ONB and have had no real side effects that I can tell other than soreness and a slight bruising in one area. What did it do for me? My chronic headache throbbing stopped within five minutes of the ONB (Occipital Nerve Block). Now, my head still feels like I've been battered and hit hard, very, very tender, but at least the headache is gone. I had a slight thumbprint size bruising in one area on my neck from the shots. Other than that, all has been good. Two days after I had this done, I awoke with a migraine, not sure what kind of a headache it was, I took the Imitrex 100 mg dose and in 30~40 mins. it was gone. So, I talked to my FP doctor who followed up after the block. I explained the still extreme tenderness when I showered and walked and wind in my hair, but the throbbing WAS GONE. But now, I just felt 'damaged'. I also explained I was still had the issue of not being able to sleep and was still nauseated. He understood. He gave me a 'cocktail prescription' of Benadryl, Reglan, and 20 mg. of Prednizone to take three times a day for swelling and nausea. I have never, ever been able to take Benadryl because it will knock me for a loop. But, honestly, I've taken all five days and I actually slept every night except for last night, which I was up about five times. The meds have not made me sleep during the day at all either. So, I'm waiting right now for another Prednizone prescription for maybe another 10 days. We'll see. Thank you all so much for your suggestions and sharing your sites. I am going to keep all info and I have read some of the sites already. I pretty much follow the low tyramine diet as is and miss chicken livers. Here is a link that might be useful: Occipital Nerve Block

Definitely AVOID CFL! Flourescents normally flicker at about 60 cycles, which causes migraines in a few of us (me included!) Even the ones that claim to be flicker free give me headaches! LED is excellent - no flicker. Halogen can also be good. Incandescent is totally safe for you. Beware of poor dimming. Some dimmers or fixtures being dimmed can cause flicker. There are many new LED bulbs that have beautiful light, available in different spectrums of color. Look for the color temp - bright white has a very high number (4000), and warm white is a lower number (2800 ish). Diffusers will not help you. In my office, they actually installed a movie lighting fixture - pure LED - that has excellent light and is quite small. Be aware, they are not cheap, but quality LEDs will last for years. We have 3 mini pendants (1.5 watts each) made by Bruck that we leave on 24/7.

For me, the only trigger I have been able to figure out is a change in sleep patterns. I used to take Imitrex but it started giving me cold sweats immediately after taking it so now the doctor has prescribed.......it starts with an M but i can't remember what it is called. Oh, yeah Maxalt! As long as I take it AS SOON as the symptoms start it will get rid of a migraine. If I wait too long, I have to lay down in a cold,quiet, dark room with a cold eye compress on.And sleep..The worst thing is when I get sick too. Most times I throw up and get dizzy and once it threw me into a seizure. But, no matter what I feel like a zombie the next day just like Linda said. I have had them since about the age of 10 and they are debilitating for me also. I feel bad for anyone with migraines