151–160 of 246 posts
I read a book a while ago. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name (maybe AI can find it), but the premise was based on a metaphor: there are multiple hot air balloons that, together, affect the chance/severity of a migraine. Something like food, sleep, stress, hydration, and one more. One of these "balloons" filling up may be enough to trigger a migraine, while all of them partially filling up can also trigger a mi…
I started having migraines at 8 years of age, several a week. This persisted all through my life till 42 years later, I had a blood pressure emergency where I ended up in ER with 190/100 blood pressure. Thankfully, it never repeated and was never diagnosed but as a consequence I was put on Olmesartan, a blood pressure medication that relaxes the blood vessels. Eventually, the dose was reduced to the lowest, 5mg, once…
I get one about once a decade. My mother got them frequently. Real migraines absolutely suck. A lot of folks describe regular headaches as “migraines,” but they are a pale imitation of the real thing. In my case, they usually start in the morning, but don’t get really excruciating until early evening. I usually figure out it’s a migraine, about lunchtime. Around 9-10PM or so, I puke, then the headache starts leveling…
On the contrary, I'd argue that migraines are probably much more common than diagnosed, rather than the other way around. Migraines, much like seizures, vary in both symptoms and severity.
Basically, a migraine is a “day-ending” event. In my case, I’m fortunate that I can still get stuff done in the morning, but after lunch, the day’s pretty much a write-off.
I’m really grateful that they are so rare (I’ve had three full-term, and one “aborted” one, in the last 30 years). My mother used to get one or two a month, and her day ended fairly early. When I was a teenager, I got them more frequently.
I was diagnosed with migraine as a kid when I was 10. The doctor made me undergo a battery of tests including a contrast CT scan that consumed aj entire day, only to confirm at the end of the day that it was migraine. The migraines weren't even that debilitating but my mom was just being extra careful. After that, I still got headaches at a good frequency and tried all sorts of specialists from orthos to opthalmologi…
I only get bad reflux a few times a year and I use baking soda, so I never think to buy HCl at a pharmacy.
Best of luck.
* metaprolol (pulse-slowing beta-blocker): fewer attacks per month, "dampened" attacks, bad side effects (fatigue, energy loss, dark moods)
* magnesium supplements: no noticable effect (they say it might have an effect if you happen to get too little through your food)
* vitamin B: no noticable effect
* simvastatin (cholesterol lowering medicine): some fewer attacks per month, but attacks when they come seem full strength
* candesartan (also a blood pressure medicine): much fewer attacks per month, "dampened" attacks, very few side effects, current "winner"
(CGRP's are expensive, haven't tried.)
For stopping attacks, triptanes work well.
I read a book a while ago. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name (maybe AI can find it), but the premise was based on a metaphor: there are multiple hot air balloons that, together, affect the chance/severity of a migraine. Something like food, sleep, stress, hydration, and one more. One of these "balloons" filling up may be enough to trigger a migraine, while all of them partially filling up can also trigger a mi…
I tried to find this advice in the thread but couldn’t, and I’m surprised since it’s surprisingly common! Some sweeteners such as aspartame can trigger migraines (also some gut issues) depending on the quantity and person. While most of the people can take them just fine in principle, others suffer migraines a while after taking them. In my case, this was a relative who suffered a lot until finding out by pure chance…
I got my first migraine in my early teens. I was over at a friend's house and we were playing in the basement on a summer day, then went outside where the sun reflected off a window into my eyes. It would start with a shimmering pattern obstructing my vision where the bright light was, which would grow into a c shape and get bigger until it surrounded my vision and then faded away. About 15 min after the shimmering p…
I also discovered the dive / ice water reflex sometimes helped my migraine. The reason I tested it is because caffeine supposedly releases some chemicals related to the same chemicals that are released when you vomit. Since my migraines always ceased after vomiting, I used these other methods to induce the same chemical response in the brain. I now keep Excedrin migraine on hand (has caffeine). However, my migraines…
I started having migraines in my late teens after drinking too much alcohol at parties, I used to think they were hangovers. It was only much later, after getting migraines in daily life, I found out after visiting a neurologist that those hangovers were migraines. Been having frequent migraines ever since, most of the time triggered by stress. Often I'd have attacks 3-4 times a week, fortunately the intensity is not…
For instance I've recently started trying magnesium glycinate as a sleep aid.
Anyhow I don't know which is which so I look it up.