Terrible Visual Migraines

pavlovs_dog

with regards to the coffee - dont stop completely, but gradually cut down. if you think migraines are bad, try coffee withdrrawal headaches. it is not a pretty sight :eek:

i agree with everyone that it is important you go see you doc (or at least in the meantime, go have a good chat with a pharmacist and see if they can perscribe something over the counter).

also, it may be worth your while going to have a check up with your optician. sounds bizarre, but you'd be amazed at what they can tell about your general wellbeing by looking at the back of your eyes. they may also be able to do something to help.

if you have a boots advantage card, i believe you can still get a voucher from the advantage card machine for a half price eye test (£9 instead of £18)

hth, and get better soon :beer:

ts_aly2000

Hi irishwench,

Noooo, you've been great!! Rambling is good. We need more ramblers in the world.

This monthlys bit is quite interesting. Naturally my body has no way of producing any of the sex hormones at all, male or female. Which means if I get it wrong I can have the absolute monthlies from hell, but generally most of the time I'm just hit and miss. They're all synthetic oestrogens but I have a mixture to choose from. Generally I cycle them, where I'll spend a number of weeks on one type, then a number of weeks on another. Premarin isn't really an option as I'm not starting a moral debate on that one, although when I've had it in the past it's by far the most effective of the lot.

To be honest, I don't think it's hormones. I think it's having got into a bad pattern since this breast augmentation in September. Generally I eat well but all of the things mentioned are there; cheese, choccy (small bar a day), coffee, sugar.

TELL you one thing that I think does cause headaches.... Nuts. That's just something I've noticed over the last few months. Certainly on more than two occasions, a migraine has followed nuts.

It's never headaches either. It's always visual migraines. They've maybe been increasing in frequency over the last year. Normally I won't take anything. I'll just lay down down and sleep it off.


Hey Skin and Pavlovs dog

Oh don't say thyroid. That's all I need. My hair is coming out quite alot at the moment though... See what you've started now!

The coffee I won't give up outright. Truth is that one of my favourites is a Nescafe Hazlenut Frothy Coffee which we've been having for about the last two years.

Well we'll see what happens in the coming weeks. The gym is going to be the clincher as I can't wait to get back.

nn xx

Ted_Hutchinson

Medications for Migraine Prophylaxis

Listed in the section "Limited evidence is available to support the use of " are magnesium, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), coenzyme Q10.
Check out your eating magnesium: foodsources, take particular care when cooking green veg that you are not throwing the magnesium away by boiling rather than steaming them. The magnesium leaches into the water you cook greens in and so steaming is best, using up the water under the steamer in the gravy if possible. Magnesium Chloride flakes are cheap £6.75 for 25kg, (ideal for putting on your drive to melt snow ice as it doesn't damage the concrete as much or scorch the plants by the drive) putting a couple of cupfulls in the bath will not only relax your muscles but allow transdermal absorption of the magnesium and thus redress any possible insufficiency. You can buy it from places like CWG, farm supplies companies as it's used to calm pigs, stop milk fever etc. Epsom Salts (magnesium sulphate) is another alternative but you may find this is more expensive.

Magnesium Oxide the form found in most supplements is reputed to be not very effective with only some 4% being absorbed.

Some mineral waters are higher in magnesium, so check the label, I think Evian has a reasonable ratio of Magnesium to sodium

Calcium content (mg/l): 78
Magnesium content (mg/l): 24
Sodium content (mg/l): 5
If you drink it while you are eating a meal more is absorbed than on it's own.

ts_aly2000

It's nuts!!!!

Haven't had a migraine for a couple of days now. OH and I just went shopping and had our little treat in the car, 21p Tesco salted peanuts. And low and behold..... visual migraine right now as I'm typing this.

I suspected nuts from last week.

Off to make myself sick shortly to bring up the remainder

Aly xx

elona

ts-aly

If it is thyroid problems then it is not the end of the world!
It took me years to get diagnosed as hypothyroid and a while to get the right level of thyroxine but I am feeling a lot better now.

If you are hypothyroid then you get all prescriptions free - not just thyroxine- I would not have realised if my chemist had not told me.

Are you sure the trigger is the nuts - it might be the salt?

vizcacha

I do sympathise - I get them myself :eek:

it's like this isn't it ? :wall:

Definitely go to the docs if you haven't already.
He'll be able to give you medication on prescription

When you see the flashing lights thing take your painkillers straight away - don't wait for the headache to kick in - and lie down somewhere dark and quiet- I find if I don't do that the migraine is more likely to return later

Also, sip some rescue remedy in a glass of water during and after the attack

From what you've said, definitely avoid nuts

I find caffeine is a trigger, when I withdraw from it



you also might find this interesting

http://www.geocities.com/cfsdays/migraine.htm


Also if you're getting alot of attacks it might be worth taking a feverfew tablet every day as a preventitive (this has helped me oin the past)

hope you get it sorted

pickle

It may well be stress but try eliminating all cleaning chemicals and any other chemicals eg. aerosols from your environment. I sometimes get triggers from paint, petrol, air fresheners etc. Use non-chemical cleaners like bicarb and vinegar. It may help. Could be hormones too. I got them in my teenage years and then again in my thirties.

PS. The GP can prescribe a preventative medication so they don't occur in the first place so it may well be worth a visit.

mom23

Hi i get horrific migraines!! (or used to) anything could trigger it especially certain smells (bonfire etc) after several years of thinking i've got a brain tumour, a new doctor suggested taking a couple of asprin as well as my usual painkiller (imogran) i thought yeah asprin no way but i tried it a
nd it def works!! i also went on a diet last april and gave up bread???
I do still get the odd migraine but nothing like before, it used to rule my life.

ts_aly2000

And here we go again.......

Today; Two coffees, single cheese ploughmans sandwich.

emilyt

Please go and see your doctor. They will tell you to make a food diary.
I too sufer from migrain. Hemiplegic migrain. Basically i get flashing lights and numbness down one side of my body. They control my life. Stress, hormones,foods,doing too much, even laughing can bring on an attack. I really do sympathise with you. The only drug that helps me is Zomig rapimelt. Only on prescription though. You really need to make a doctors appointment. Hope this helps.