Have you ever had a migraine?

[AARPTeri]

What remedies do you use to alleviate your migraine?  Any of these - https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2019/migraine.html

[rw9075483]

I read the responder comments with great interest.  Like several of the other responders, I started at about 6 years of age with life-long migraines.  I will be 76 in a few days.  I agree that various types of headaches are reported falsely as migraines.  I first find myself taking my glasses off and then figuring out that my eyes are out-of-focus.  Ocular is my earliest warning followed by the 'halo + upset stomach' signals that a migraine is starting.  In the early years, I would retreat to a dark quiet room and sleep for 30 minutes.  If I did not stop and retreat within 5 or 10 minute threshold, the pounding migraine pain would progress into simultaneous vomiting and diarrhea!  Not fun or pretty! AND there’s no way to travel home, to the Dr. or anywhere!

In my early 40's my husband dragged me to his Dr [I grew up in my Mother's health food store and never used MD's or drugs].  The Dr craftily convinced me to try Cafergot [ergotamine and caffeine] to see if it helped and to eliminate tumors, etc.  He did me a big favor!  I found that 1/4 pill within the first 10-minute window would eliminate my migraine in 20 minutes. I would throw water up, so I use a coke to take my pill.  The bubbles helped settle my stomach enough to keep the pill down and the caffeine enhanced the drug. 

In my early 60's I was now getting 2 to 3 migraines per week.  As I aged, they were increasing!  I happened to go to a non-traditional heart Dr. who suggested I take Niacin.  At the same time, I decided to go on a cruise and asked around for an herbal preventative for sea sickness.  The consensus was Ginger Root powder in capsule form.  So, at about the same time I started both Niacin and Ginger Root supplements.  To my surprise, I had a wonderful side-affect to love.  I had NO MORE migraines! 

Over time, I have continued the Niacin and Ginger.  I find I have been getting maybe 1 migraine per year!  A magnificent improvement over 2 to 3 per week!  I still keep Cafergot in the fridge, in my suit case and some in my purse, but I really don't need it!  Good luck on getting rid of your migraines! 

[mathemt]

Had headaches since I was a kid. (I'm now past 70.) Really got bad when I was in college. I always carried aspirin with me, and most of the time it did the trick. When I was in my early 20's and was out with my wife, I had such a painful headache, the likes of which I never had. I went the next day to the doctor and was diagnosed with migrains. Was given fioricet. For many years, 1 capsul when it started relieved the pain within a half hour. When 1 capsul didn't work, my doctor advised me to take 2, the first time only, and then 1 every 4 - 6 hours. Years later when I was in my 50's, they got so bad, (on the basis of 1 - 10 pain, I had a 13), I went to a neurologist. He prescribed maxalt for the times that the pain was 8 or higher, even if I had already taken Tylonol or fioricet. 

Another way I relieve my headache pain is to have a large, strong cup of regular coffree. This helps many times, so much so, that I don't have to take any meds.

While in the midst of a migrain, lie down in a dark room or use sleep blinders to keep out the light and place something cold on the sight of the pain. 

[BarbaraL375981]

I have severe migraines several times a month, and finally, my doctor has found a medicine

[JenniferLee]

I used to get migraines so bad, I didn't just think I was going to die, I knew I was going to die and wished it would hurry up and put me out of my misery.  To add to the agony, I would also get sinus headaches that often appeared to trigger migraines.  After decades of suffering, I read somewhere to take two Advil and two Tylenol as they both work a bit differently.  That didn't work for me until I added two sinus decongestion pills.  That always worked, and within 20 minutes, but I had to eat a few crackers with them to keep the pills down, which was not easy because of the extreme pain and nausea -- the slightest movement or light or sound was excruciating.  My mother told me that the best thing about getting older was that her migraines went away.  And you know what, they have gone away for me, too (I'm 68).  I haven't had a migraine in about five years.

I'm sure a lot of people who say they only have to take two of any kind of OTC pills and it gets rid of their migraine don't really have migraines, just headaches, maybe even bad headaches.  I never understood about my mother's migraines until I had my first one when I was about 20 years old.  I called her and apologized for my lack of sympathy and understanding.  Only someone who has had a real migraine and suffered the horrific agony can truly understand.

[lz5307]

2 EXCEDRINS AND WITHIN 5 MINUTES, IT'S GONE!!

[palobears]

I found, through many years of trial and error, that Excedrin was the only OTC pain reliever that worked for me. I learned the hard way that Excedrin will, over time, increase the number of migraines you get every month, until you have more migraine days than not.  Be very careful.