Migraines

trafalgar_2

What about this one
http://www.millennium-solutions.co.uk/herbal-medicine-supplement/Migraine_Headache_Treatment_medication.shtml



Or this is a good one

http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/migraine.html

Very informative and tells what can trigger, what to avoid, when to see doctor etc

Hope it helps

wirm

What about this one
http://www.millennium-solutions.co.uk/herbal-medicine-supplement/Migraine_Headache_Treatment_medication.shtml

For the above website:
Common triggers for migraine and tension headaches include: Stress and anxiety, Depression, Improper sleep, Changes in weather & atmospheric pressure, Missing a meal, Eating certain foods, Drinking alcohol, Over exposure to sun, Female hormones, Strong odors, Motion (in a car or boat) etc. However, in truth, virtually anything can appear to regularly trigger a Migrain attack. However, despite appearances the true underlying cause is usually related mainly to dietary deficiencies.
During 1994-96, a migraine headache study was conducted at the Loma Linda University's School of Public Health in California. The study demonstrated that inadequate diet plays a leading role in causing migrain headache, in particular it was found that a low-fat, high-complex-carbohydrate diet significantly decreased the occurrence of migraine headaches.

Conclusion: Proper diet, reduction of stress, exercise, and nutritional supplementation offer the prospect of ameliorating migraines, if not substantially reducing or eliminating them.

mini

I'll have to look for the name in Boots, I should be there at some point overthe next few days, your symptoms do sound very different to mine though, have you tired asking a pharmacist what they could recommend?

Would be worth keeping track of what you are eating, I know my food triggers and have to decide whether a chinese takeaway (I suspect its the MSG in it) is worth a few days of pain and sunlasses

I have just looked up MSG MonoSodium Glutamate and it is linked with migraines ???

http://www.migraine.org.uk/whatcauses.htm

mini

seems a good website

http://www.migraine.org.uk/ Iinked to how to treat and its whatthe pharmacist said, impressed by the site keeping independence from drug companies

wirm

Problem being that I havn't had a migraine for about a month now, kinda hard to keep track of what I eat, although I do try and do this mentally....

Like to thank you both for all the help so far! ;D

IvanOpinion

DW used to suffer very badly from migraines (2-3 a week) but by reading up and finding out common things that cause migraines and cutting them out she gets far fewer now. Some common causes seem to be
- chocolate
- dairy products (cheese, cream etc.)
- red wine

She does not avoid these things completely just keeps a very close eye on how much she eats (generally most migraines appear if she over-indulges in one of these - e.g. she got one just after easter - I had no sympathy because she had just polished off MY easter egg). Try cutting the above items out for 2-3 weeks and then bring them back in one at a time to see if it helps.

Ivan

vanoonoo

my aunt has problems with certain types of dairy products (including chocolate if I can stretch the boundary of dairy that far) and caffeine being contributory to triggering her migraines - so whilst your coke theory was shot down in flames maybe it's something else with high caffeine or sugar levels?

smellycat_2

I have a migraine right now. They go from an ache or pressure in my head to a full blown migraine in about 5 minutes and I always take pills for them the second I get them. I also go through a routine when I get one to try and eliminate the causes, and often when I get one it's because I haven't done something like eat or because I have changed my sleeping habits. Migraine sufferers benefit from a regular routine and a decent amount of sleep, well I know I do! Also, does anyone else find that they just *know* when a migraine is coming? My head starts feeling strange and then I just know its gonna be a migraine and not another type of headache.

However I also got headaches and migraines because of air presure, and that annoys me so much as it's not my fault and I can't do anything about it!

IP - i'm with you on the sicky feeling. It feels like someone is strangling me constantly and I'm on the verge of being sick. I used to be sick when I was younger but I'm almost phobic of it so I'll do anything not to be. So I normally go straight to bed and try and relax. I also find putting pressure on my head where the migraine is also helps, It's always on my left side near my temple and if I inhibit the blood flow it stops that over-full pot feeling (well put).

A lot of E numbers list headaches as side effects, so really there's a lot of food out there that can trigger it. Mine generally doesn't appear to be dietary based but if I eat something swimming in E numbers and colouring then I can get one.

Mrs_Thrift

Thankfully I only get migraines rarely now, and although I don't know what causes or triggers mine, I do know I'm more likely to get one if I'm tired and haven't drunk enough water for a couple of days.

I usually have at least my 8 glasses of water a day and if I don't hit the target for a couple of days I can really feel the (negative) difference.

When i can feel a migraine coming on I top up on water, try and relax, stop looking at the computer screen so much (that's the hard one!) and keep away from bright lights in general.  

Usually I can stop the threatening feeling of "I'm-a-migraine-and-I'm-coming-to-get-you" becoming a full blown "I'm-a-migraine-and-I've-got-you-and-you-can't-get-out-of-bed-or-open-your-eyes!"  But the threat can last two or three days.  Yuk!

Pal

I have no experience of migrane however I figure that you might appreciate some advice from someone who never really gets headaches. After all, perhaps I am doing something right?

My personal (probably misinformed) opinions are based on the following non-scientific observations:

- unfit people seem to get more headaches than people who exercise regularly;
- Stressed people get far more headaches from relaxed people;
- the only real time I get headaches is when I damage my neck muscles, either through sleeping strangely or doing something daft in the gym or squash court;
- One of the known side effects of many painkillers (especially codine, an ingredient in Nurofen) is headaches. When the painkiller wears off you are left with a headache which you then treat with a painkiller....
- Headaches are one of the first side effects of dehydration.

I am fairly sure that the latter point is one of the most important. I know people who complain of headaches all the time and all they ever drink is alcohol, tea or coffee, all of which are known diaretics.

The above also fits in with my grossly generalised view that women suffer from headaches more than men, perhaps because on average they tend to drink far less, exercise less and take more painkillers?

As for the difference between migrane and a headache. Is it possible that migrane is simply a stress related trapping of nerves and muscles in the neck and back of head, brought on by stress from headaches caused by some of the factors I mentioned before? Lots of people describe "feeling migranes coming on". Could it be that this is because you are stressed and so get a headache, which makes you more stressed, which in turn guarantees the migrane?

I have no idea. But if I was suffering I think I would start by forcing myself to drink three or four pints of water a day and take up a yoga class or basic aerobics to stretch myself out and help me relax.