Adding that I did investigate taking hormones. The idea there is that you can avoid sudden ups and downs in hormones to avoid the inflammation that might cause on your vessels. I suffered from horrible menstrual cramps too. I didn't need the estrogen for birth control so I really thought long and hard about taking something that would profoundly effect my body every day of every month, for a problem that only happened for maybe 3 days out of the month. If I had needed birth control I would have done it, and there are other upsides to taking estrogen, but also some downsides. I would take the lowest dose possible, that's for sure.

I experimented with progesterone cream and found that to be expensive and useless. That discouraged me from experimenting with the estrogen creams. I have a diet high in phyto-estrogens so I didn't experiment with taking those, although black cohosh, Latin name Actaea racemosa, Cimicifuga racemosa, which is very estrogenic, did seem to have some effect, just not necessarily good or bad. It made me a little dizzy and upset my stomach. You might want to look into upping your intake of estrogenic plants if you don't eat a lot of them already.

I had migraines for several years that were stress-related. Like Bestyears and pal, if I took meds as soon as I sensed a migraine starting, I could stop it. I also took the Extra-strength excedrine (which is the same as the migraine excedrine, just renamed once they discovered how well it worked). Once I moved to another school in a different district, mine disappeared.

So much interesting information. Mine started suddenly about three years ago. I get a circular aura (like a prism) in one eye which slowly expands until it disappears and then the migraine starts. I did a lot of reading and found that some people may have a food trigger. I have a relatively simple diet and realized that the migraines started after I began eating almonds as a snack - probably as much as a cup throughout the day. When I stopped the almonds, the migraine pattern went from every couple of days to once every month or so. For me, some times lying down for an hour or doing some EFT (tapping) helps with reducing the intensity. I usually end up with a low grade, tolerable pain on the side of the head opposite the aura which lasts for 6-8 hours.

I too, just recently started getting migraines. My just shoot through my eye. I eat a simple diet as well but eat a lot of raw almonds and drink almond milk with a protein shake every morning. My blood pressure was pretty high and a change in meds seemed to help., but not completely. I will nix the almonds and see what happens!

I thought of this post as I just read a TIME magazine article "Brain Pain" that suggested Aimovig, the first FDA approved drug to prevent migraine headaches in adults. It is delivered by self-injection and offers new hope to sufferers.

Another migraine sufferer here and it has been a bad headache week. Figuring our triggers can be a key. My big head is a great barometer and predictor of bad weather!.. Yeast is another one for me so I need to decide on those occasional bread stick or donut binges if it is really worth it or not.

I agree that taking Excedrin at the first hint will usually do the trick for me..then on to prescription meds if needed.

I took a preventative for a while and it worked well. I took amitriptyline, an anxiety and depression drug. For headaches you take a very small dose and it has the side effect of making you sleepy. Taken at bedtime, that was wonderful.

Hope you find out what works for you.

Geez, there are a lot of us here that suffer from migraines. I also used to get them monthly, and they would last for a week. Nothing helped. I had a hysterectomy about 8 years ago and that stopped those. No hormones.

Now I get weather related headaches that sometimes turn into migraines. I have found Advil Sinus Congestion & Pain helps. But like everyone says, if it gets too far ahead, nothing helps. Sometimes it only helps/doesn't knock out.

Perfume and bright lights can trigger them as well. Sometimes I have auras. Sadly, I love chocolate and while I don't eat that often, some kinds/things trigger them. Like Hershey Kisses. But not Hershey Nuggets. So I just avoid.

Hope you can find some relief.

Yes, Allison, unfortunately you're right - so many. I'm grateful for all the advice, but it's sad that it is a fact of life for so many. I feel a bit of a whiner complaining as it seems others suffer way more than I do. Generally, I'm only at that nauseous, can't function pain level for a few hours (and it doesn't get that bad every time) - the rest of the time the pain is at a level where I can function pretty well - just not ideal.

I think I will likely start with Excedrine Migraine and also cut out the almonds. Since I've been losing weight, almonds have been my go to snack. Who would have thunk. I'm also trying to simplify my diet. I'll have to research foods more thoroughly - not sure which plants are high in estrogen.

Perfumes are definitely a trigger. Not all scents, but I still remember the first time I walked into a Bath and Bodyworks. We were on vacation and stopped at a mall. I had to go back to the hotel room and miss the rest of the day's fun. Now I make a wide berth around the store's entrance.

I appreciate the knowledge everyone has shared. You've saved me a ton of research and I'm guessing others reading will benefit, too.

I used to get menstrual related headaches every month, but since I went to menopause, I don't really get them anymore. Same thing happened to my mother, so I was expecting it. I do still get headaches, but they seem to be more stress/tension related.

I wish that I had not still gotten migraines after menopause but my migraines are so mild that I only have to take a sliver of a Tylenol for migraines. I break the pill into about 8 pieces. And take one piece whenever I get a migraine.

For five years I did a health food nut thing where I ate lots of healthy natural foods I took a ton of flax oil and I kept my teeth meticulously clean. I still do the teeth thing. The flax oil really worked and for two years I was migraine free. Nowadays I get a mild migraine from my many triggers.

I have so many types of triggers that I was told I would never ever get relief I was pretty much disabled for my early twenties after trying a barrage of drugs that were worse than the migraines believe that or not.

My triggers are hormones although it is not as bad since I've gone through menopause. Barometric pressure, any kind of stress, MSG or any other kind of preservatives, alcohol of any kind particularly red wine, black tea and coffee, white flour and sugar.

I was told by the dietitian that I'm constantly low in potassium. We tried everything and finally we found that bananas are tolerable for me and I have to add peanut butter otherwise the bananas don't work as well. I've been on this diet for the last 10 years and I'm used to it. For the last 8 years I've been able to work for the first time since my early twenties so I'm happy to sacrifice fancy foods for health.

I had a hysterectomy at 41, and immediately began taking Premarin. I don’t remember when the migraines started, but it was after that. I was so tired of being sick, and missing days of work each month. I tried to figure out triggers-perfume? Yes, that, must be it. Chocolate? Of course! Yogurt? The sun? Elimination of any trigger made no difference. Finally, I dropped the Premarin. I have not had one headache since, and it has been many years. I think hormones play a much bigger role than neurologists address. I, too would hoard my migraine pills, because of the cost and insurance’s refusal to pay for more than 10 pills per month, even as the doctor warned me to take them at the first sign. I found that excedrin would enhance the benefit of the pill, and my neurologist said he received a lot of anecdotal reports supporting that.

I’m sorry you’re starting to get migraines and I hope the cure is just a simple change from some trigger foods. I’m another who’s suffered many many years with migraines; long before I even became an adult. While not always, perfumes or strong scents as well as some foods are a trigger for me, chocolate, nuts and the food enhancer, monosodium glutamate.

I’ve seen all kinds of doctors but the only help I’ve ever received was a prescription years ago for some Caffergot which is basically caffine. It worked but only if I caught it at the time of it’s onset where I usually loose parts of my vision. Once it showed it’s ugly head, though, it was too late.

Unfortunately, employers are not very understanding about migraines and looking back to when I had less flexibility on the job, I really don’t know how I was able to cope or function with so much pain and nausea, especially when they lagged on for days at a time. Needless to say, there were many days where I’d drive home in tears and back to work the next day in tears again. I thank God that I don’t get them as frequently as I used to, maybe once a month now as opposed to several times a month before,

Excedrines work because the asiprin in them thins the blood and the caffine opens up the vessels in our brain allowing the blood to flow better. Irregardless of their downfalls, I don’t hesitate to take them if I feel like a migraine is starting. I know it’s over kill, but I even keep a few unopened boxes of them in our pantry and I always make sure to have them with me where ever I go.

I have just started having headaches just about a month ago. I am pretty sure it's hormonal. I've never had headaches to speak of other than the occasional one here and there...this is about to drive me crazy! It's not a horrible headache, but a dull pain on one side of my head that comes and goes. It could possible be a tension headache...not really sure but it's really annoying. When you have a headache, you just don't feel like doing anything. I suspect hormonal though because suddenly the hot flashes have become really bad also.

I’ve suffered from migraines for over 40 years, and they got worse after menopause instead of better. I now have about 15-18 headache days per month. I couldn’t live without eletriptan, which gets rid of most of the pain. I also take topamax as a preventative, jury still out on whether it is helping. Triggers: chocolate, walnuts, alcohol, bright light, lack of sleep, stress, missing meals, getting overheated, over-exertion, air travel, changes in weather. I’ve tried beta-blockers, antidepressants, OTC pain killers, Botox, acupuncture, dietary changes, even narcotic pain killers don’t relieve the pain. Still to try: sphenopalatine ganglion block, $10k per treatment (my insurance will pay 80%), and the aimovig. A study I read was not encouraging on the latter. Haven’t seen the Time article, will have to look it up.

I take an HRT to lessen migraines and the affects of menopause as a whole. I really think it helps, but I also think there are many other factors and causes which I ignore. It seems so insurmountable to figure it all out.

One soapbox issue I have is for those who may have any other potential symptoms of Celiac disease, is to be sure to include your headaches. This is how my daughter was finally diagnosed. Her Celiac presents neurologically, ie, her gluten allergy causes inflammation in membranes of her brain which causes headaches, vision loss, and fainting. Prescription meds work but they also can make one very sleepy. So just a "head's" up in case it's remotely an option for other sufferers.

yes..my celiac(diagnozed too late even though I was a textbook case since I was born-but nobody knew much back then) played a big role in my neurological..downfall let's call it. I don't quite understand the mechanizm..but yes I'd be much happier camper now if they'd diagnoze me properly when I was a very little kid, and my Mom took me to doctors, not knowing what to do with me, and they said "it's probably nerves" as they didn't know back then what to look for.

The diet is the easiest part of all that jazz. Really, really is. Helped me so much with other symptoms. But if goes too far for too long(took more than three decades, in my case)-neurological damage caused already sometimes can't be helped much. You can just try and manage it. It's not villi that become normal again after several years of strict diet.

so yes, if anyone of you happen to have celiac-stick to the diet. Even if you're currently asymptomatic, I heard some people are.

Everyone's different of course,and other unique factors come into play, so don't freak out, just in case:) yet do stick to your diet.

lobby I hope your daughter feels much better soon..

April, I do think more people will get a celiac diagnoses based off neuro issues going forward. My daughter has been totally GF for just about two years now and it has made a world of difference for her. She feels better just in general. We had some screwy doctors appointments until I finally just booked her with a neurologist. He, it turned out, has celiac as well and is really aggressive and proactive in studying this area.

My daughter was also diagnosed with "nerves." She's 100% with her gf diet, but her doc wants her off caffeine and as a grad student...that's something she can't quite adhere to!

I just used manufacturer’s coupon to get Aimovig for free while my insurance sorts out the PA with the dr. So I’ll be getting my first dose tomorrow. After insurance approval, the $50 copay will be reduced to $5 with the coupon for 12 doses. Really mixed reviews on side effects, keeping My fingers crossed. Will let you know how it goes.

Saypoint, after I posted about Aimovig above, I did further research and found this encouraging response:

http://time.com/5282661/aimovig-migraine-treatment/

Nannygoat18, thanks, I read that. I also read a lot of user reviews that described lightheadedness and flu-like symptoms, nausea, headaches that didn’t respond to the usual rescue meds. Others had good results like the Time article. The scary part is that the side effects, if they are bad, might last a month, but I’m Going to give it a try.

Yes, the outcome is unpredictable but the success stories are certainly impressive. Hoping that yours is among them.

Excedrin Migraine (one caplet) seems to do the trick for me. I tend to awaken between 3-5 am with excruciating pain. I sometimes have ocular migraines, and still get results with the Excedrin. Nothing else I've taken helps.

Saypoint, I can't even imagine what you must go thru. I can barely stand my minor ones once or twice a month. I hope you get some relief.

I went and asked at my large chain pharmacy about Excedrin Migraine and she said they don't carry it. I will try another store, but I'm worried that it may not be available in Canada. The pharmacist looked it up and said that it is the same as Excedrin Extra -Strength but has caffeine or maybe she said both have caffeine?

In the US the extra strength has caffeine. I think it is actually identical to the migraine formula, it’s just named differently for marketing?

They are the same, both contain acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine in the same dosage.

Interesting conversation. Topamax 100 mg q day has virtually eliminated the debilitating migraines that I’ve had most of my adolescent and adult life. Four out of five of my sibs have migraines.

I still have imitrex tabs but I rarely need them.

topamax has unsettling side effects. You feel like you can’t retrieve your words at times.

Rebound headaches unfortunately are common if otc headache meds are taken too often.

ILoveRed, I‘ve been on topamax 100 mg for about 3 months with no change in the number of headaches. Did you find it worked right away, or did it take a while?

Botox,

I suffer and use Imitrex to varying degrees of success. I tried Botox and it was like...a vacation.

Migraines are the kind of thing that you have no idea of the impact they have until you go awhile without them.

I'm getting ready to get it again, as recently I had an episode of "rolling" migraines for a few days.

My "normal" for a while was 2-3 a week.

Glad the Botox is helping you, pennydesign. I had it and it didn’t help, plus it made my eyebrows drop a but and I looked like an angry bird for 4 months. It finally wore off about a month ago. Plus my insurance left me with an $800 balance out of pocket. Total cost before insurance was almost $5k

That's an insane amount, Saypoint...I think I paid 500 total.

With the drooping, I would say you had someone less experienced in injections? Botox is relatively new for migraines, so I went to someone who does it all the time for aesthetics....Plus I love not having that worried look..some mistake the lines for anger, but (for me) it's just being utterly confused at the world... :) Now I just look blank rather than confused. An improvement? IDK...

The Botox I had was administered by a neurologist. 32 injections in forehead, above ears, back of neck, and a couple in the shoulders. When I had it 5 or 6 years ago it was just a few injections in the forehead, cost about $400, insurance didn’t cover it at that time. Back then it was someone who did it for aesthetics at a dr. office.

I used the aimovig yesterday for the first time. No headache today, first time this week without one. Too early to say, but no bad side effects yet. Fingers crossed.

Oh fingers crossed for you too, here.

It's a debilitating thing. And I'm old enough to remember (from my mom) how doctors dismissed them as a woman's issue and, I suspect, something that was somewhat hysterical.

Thank goodness times are different now.

Anyway, best of luck that all who suffer get some measure of relief so that we can do more than merely get through the day. :)

Just coming back to say that I finally gave up on over the counter meds and started on a triptan. I tried it for the first time yesterday and it worked. Effects lasted for about 12 hours when I had to take another. Cautiously optimistic. My only concern is that a few years ago, I stupidly took a serotonin uptake inhibitor for a few months when I was in the midst of a life crisis and my family doctor decided this would help. It drastically changed my personality (not for the good - made me short tempered and obnoxiously over confident) and I'm worried the triptan will cause a recurrence. Admittedly, I'm probably not understanding the science of how these work, I only know they both involve serotonin.

My doctor also thinks it may be related to a pinched nerve problem that I let go for way too long and we are now treating.

Saypoint, I really hope the Aimovig is working for you. Would love to hear an update from you and others who are trying it and other methods to help control the pain.

It must be such a relief to find something that makes you feel better - and so fast. Let's hope for no side effects.

I'm giggling at the term "obnoxiously over confident." Is it like driving recklessly?

No to estrogen, cancer is not the only risk, stroke is another. I had migraine with aura my whole life. Caffeine works well at the first sign of my headaches. I get a visual scatoma preceding pain and if I took Advil, aspirin or Tylenol with coffee, tea or a coke I could avoid the migraine. Excederine headache is just aspirin and caffeine. Ironically I have not had a aura headache since my stroke. Closing the pfo or maybe plavix cured them. Good thing too because with warfarin and plavix tripans, Advil, aspirin and even ssri's are off the table. Limited tylenol too :(

Just a warning...my GF has suffered with migraines for years and at the age of 62 suffered a heart attack. She was fit, exercises frequently, weight in control and no history of heart disease, but they attributed it to the vaso-constricting medications she was on for her migraines. Fortunately, she's made a full recovery without relapse and is on new meds.

All triptans are not exactly alike. Sumatriptan is one but there are others. Your body does tend to become immune to them after a while, which is why they are always coming out with newer versions. The inflammation of migraine is related to serotonin levels in your bloodstream, which go up and down for a whole host of reasons. Triptans bind to the serotonin uptake receptors in your body, but you body can create new ones, which is why the drugs can lose their effectiveness over time. The gut is one of the manufacturers of serotonin and also responds to it, which is why it plays a role in migraine management but also why migraine sufferers often have gut issues like IBS. And hormones also influence serotonin. That's why managing migraines is a merry go round. Mine have greatly diminished after menopause. And I occasionally get a bad spell of IBS, which comes and goes for no discernible reason.

I would definitely see a doctor. Also, do you have a holistic dr. in your area? The gal that does my hair, has had some really weird medical issues sees a holistic dr. They have done some lab work that her regular dr didn't, really offered alot of info about her diet, supplements, etc. I have been impressed at the results. Also, I have a friend who suffered with migraines for years. She tried several different medications (I'm not sure what) with not-so-good results. She now does the botox injections. I believe they inject at the base of the skull. I'm not sure how often she gets these, but they have greatly helped. You might want to check it out. Also for me personally, I would not do hormones.

This is all great info. I don’t like taking any drugs so I’m really focusing on diet, exercise and massage/phisio right now. Hopefully, this will mean the drugs can be used sparingly. My migraines started in perimenopause so I was focused on that but now I’m thinking it might be linked to a really bad pinched nerve in my neck that comes and goes.

Ive also been reading a bit about the whole link with gut biome to general health including mental health. heard something recently about treating depression By changing gut biomes. So interesting.

daisychain don't forget about mindfulness meditation as a treatment too...

https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/spotlight-treating-migraine-meditation/

Daisychain, after my stroke it was found I have a rare autoimmune disease, Antiphospholipid syndrome and lupus. I met a immunologist that my hematologist recommended. He is researching the mind, body, gut connection in autoimmune diseases. He got me started on a high resistance starch/ fiber diet, vitamin d supplements, a half hour of daily exercise and mindful CBT treatment for my PTSD.

In the six or so months since I started these four things my weight has dropped, my hot flashes have stopped( my last period was in October ironically the day I had the stroke). My CRP and esr( inflamation markers) are lower, my fatigue is gone, my cognitive scores are higher than right after my stroke and my antibodies dropped from very high to negative. I swear by prebiotic food fiber, fermented foods and yogurts rather than probiotic supplements which leave your body to quickly to change gut flora. I also truly believe the mindfulness CBT, by calming my mind, has healed my gut and body. Prevention is so much better than treatment!

roarah, I am in awe of your recovery and find your description of the treatment really interesting. I just did some quick reading about the resistant starch diet. Did you just add resistant starch to your regular diet or did you change your regular diet plus add resistant starch?

Roarah, I too am so impressed with your recovery, diet and lifestyle changes. I also have lupus but my rheumatologist is not as knowledgeable or maybe just behind the times. I have read about resistance starch before and need to do some investigating. I have been drinking small amounts of Kefir and eating plain yogurts. Thanks for sharing !

Alternatives to drugs with proven results include meditation (it causes blood vessels not to swell so much) acupressure and acupuncture. I was never able to get hooked up with an acupuncturist but I did try acupressure and I think based on that, that acupuncture would also be good. And yes, botox is a new treatment worth investigating.

There's no advantage to not taking pain killers though. As has been described, if you wait too long, they don't do any good. Take them early and you'll end up taking much less and they will be effective at lower levels.

Cran, I am sorry to hear you have lupus. I hope yours is in remission. Mine presently is and it makes such a difference! I had a very long remission, 27 years until my stroke. For years I needed only survalance after initially, at 23, needing prednisone for kidney issues.

Insoluble fiber acts just like resistance starch. So, I saw Dr. Kreigel' team at Yale but he recently left to work with Roche to develop possible treatment or vaccine for lupus so now I see a colleague of his. It is very hard to alter our flora but studies of high fiber diets and lower sugar were proven to work for matabolic syndrome, i.e. Type 2 diabetes, so it was suggested I beef up my fiber intake to atleast 20 grams a day. I eat two cups of all bran with unsweetened rice milk every day and have a bowl of steel cut oats for an afternoon snack to hit almost 30 grams of fiber. The rest of my diet is normal fruit, fish, veggies, yogurt, some treats, potatoes and pasta so the bran and oats are the change I made.

Resistance starch is in pasta and potatoes and many other foods. Pasta and potatoes cooled after cooking are supposedly higher in resistance starch than heated is. Yams are a good source. I like to use food sources more than supplements. High fiber, low fat and sugar diets are proven to help maintain health and diverse gut bacteria. Fiber, (resistance starches) are considered prebiotics which feed the good bacteria while sugar and fat feed the unhealthier ones.

Also have your vitamin d regularly checked. Insufficiency is linked to higher lupus and Antiphospholipid antibodies and thus flares. I now supplement for mine was low.

xo

Thank you for your experience roarah. It is wonderful to read of your recovery from the stroke.

I read years ago about rice and potatoes changing after cooling for 12 hours in the fridge so do that. What I'd never read is that you can use potato starch instead. Interesting article

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/resistant-starch-101#bottom-line

Thanks roarah for all the great information. i Just skimmed it, my daughter is getting married this weekend and things are getting busy around here. But will come back to it next week. I appreciate it.

I've been a migraine sufferer all my life, but they are clearly triggered by a bad diet (esp. sugar and white carbs) and also by alcohol. I have really worked on my diet and I completely stopped alcohol a number of years ago as it became more and more a trigger. I probably get a migraine once every 2 months or so now, and I swear by Excedrin Migraine. There's a p.m. version as well that is very effective.

Well, I've added 1 cup of All Bran to my daily diet and am adding potato starch to my smoothies. I figure it can't hurt. Also, physio seems to be helping my nerve/muscle pain. It's too early to tell if the physio will help the migraines as it has been less than a week and I usually get a migraine every 2 or 3 weeks.