Migraines - Baltimore,MD

Hi, Melinda, I have found that by removing all toxins from my home, and adding in excellent vitmains, I get fewer migraines that respond more quickly to less medication. There are MANY other women who have had the same experience. I have converted my home to Melaleuca products and the results are astounding! I'm happy to provide more info, if you'd like. Good luck. N. B.

Melinda-
I have two very close friends who both suffered from migraines many times a month. Both of them have gone to a Dr. Wichin (who does alternative medicine) here in Northern VA. Sounds crazy I know, but he helped them discover which foods and vitamins their bodies were "allergic" to and set up treatment--easy treatments--to help them realign how their bodies take in vitamins. Neither has had more than one migraine a year since!

Similarily, a third friend, who didn't go to Dr. Wichin, but changed his eating habits and absolutely avoids foods with heavy preservatives and hugely processed foods, also reduced his migraines considerably. What you eat has more to do with it then you might think.

Here's the contact info:
Dr. Wichin ###-###-####
104 Elden St, #14, Herndon, VA

Best of luck! We hope you'll be able to enjoy some pain-free days shortly!!

Hi Melinda,
I am a lifetime migraine sufferer who recently found relief. My mother suffered from a migraine related stroke when she was 23 -- and I have severe ones that are similar in nature with aura, loss of sight, numbness and loss of feeling down one side of my body. The pain is excruciating and I am/was completely debilitated for 48 hours with a post-headache depression (which is the low seratonin levels and completely normal).

My doctor put me on a daily medication called elavil-- now its normally prescribed for depression but in low doses it regulates the brain. It helped and definitely minimized the symptoms of my migraine but I was still getting them.

I am a fitness instructor and coach and therefore pretty in tune with my body. I know my triggers and felt like I was missing out on great food and life! So I did some research and found that CoQ10 and most important, magnesium is showing to help with migraines. I started dosing myself 1000 mg of mag a day and a tablet of CoQ10. I had not had a migraine since then. Now when I come off the magnesium, they return.

My neurologist was impressed by my turn and asked what I was doing... I told him taking magnesium to which he answered, "OH sure... the research shows..." !!! Why it wasn't suggested to me, I don't know, but doctors treat with medicine and not all of them understand nutrition and supplements. (I have a great primary that does but that's another story!)

So that's what would suggest... do the research and maybe give it a try. Also, I highly recommend a great book by leading migraine doctor Buckholtz from Johns Hopkins called "Heal Your Headache". You can't miss out on life and you also can't stop to deal with a migraine and the roller coaster when you have kids. Good luck!

My 5 year year old son has suffered from migraines for years, and although it took a long time to diagnose b/c they started before he was verbal, we finally figured out what was going on. He was put on a daily dose of Periactin, and for a year did not suffer from one migraine!! His neurologist suggested we wean him off of it, and he's been doing fairly well...he has had only one migraine in the 2 1/2 months since he's been off the med, and has complained of a handful of regular headaches, for which we give him Motrin. I would rather give him Motrin every so often than have him take a daily medication. The side effects we noticed were tiredness, irritability and increased appetite (which was fine b/c he is skinny). The FDA hasn't approved Periactin for migraines, I believe it's an antihistamine, and also used for appetite stimulation, but it worked on his migraines!

Hi Melinda

I know it sounds weird but it worked for me. Drink gatoraide. I thought it was crazy and in your situation it may not work but for me especially around the menstrual cycle it really worked. I hope it helps you. Good luck L.

I have suffered for years with headaches since I was 12 and migraines since I was about 17. It seems I live with my sunglasses on. I get headaches every day and migraines about 2-3 times a week. My doctor has me on Atenolol. IT is for blood pressure, but it also opens the blood vessels in your brain that causes or adds to migraines. I need to go to the neuro unit at Portsmouth but they don't have any openings. I also live on Mt. Dew. I have a can every day for breakfast and another can in the afternoon with a high protein snack, the cafeine helps the headaches a lot. I also read in a home remedy book that if you have a migraine to chug down 2 bottles of gateraid since it replenishes your body and it will help your electrolites come back to normal. I have also found that warm compresses on my eyes help alot.

Have you tried a daily preventive therapy for your migraines? I have used Depakote extended release tablets in 500 mg's for several years now and they have made a HUGE difference in my life. I only get 1 migraine every month or two now and all it took was one pill a day. I would recommend seeing your neurologist and discussing a daily therapy. If it is affecting your life this much, then it's time to take action!!

I feel your pain. I get them weekly and no medicine helps. actually nothing helps. I also have a cyst in my sinus so when that acts up I drink coffee and take some sinus medicine. I am surronded by windows, which is a trigger, and have 2 computers. I wear light brown sunglasses while at work. I take them off for clients, but any other time I have them on. It helps cut down in the glare and adds warmth to all the bright blue screens. HTH

I can't relate to migraines, but with flourescent lights, there are camera filters which change the light's um, whatever film is sensitive with. could filters like these be made into glasses? Ask a photographer or Photo store for more info. and some filters to try out.
Also, the lights give off a noise which drives me bonkers. I don't know if ear plugs will help, but what can you lose?
Good luck with this.

Try magnesium citrate. start with 400mg. it might make you go to the bath for a day, stay on that dose for a week then slowly up your dose. You lose Mag. during periods. take calcium citrate from wal-mart 1 -2 tabs a day everyday, and see if all settles out!
You might need to be adjusted by a chiro!!
God BLess

Hi Melinda,
I used to get several migraines a month and was on neurontin daily, which actually made them worse! I had issues with florescent lighting and sitting through meetings but they would also come on with no apparent trigger. I found acupuncture and I am completely off meds, and can't remember the last time I had a migraine. It is also wonderful for many other ailments, mood, not getting sick as much, etc...
If you live in the Columbia area (or are willing to travel to Columbia), contact Karen Johnson at the Acupuncture Alternative ###-###-#### and tell her S. D sent you!
Good luck - I know how hard it can be living with migraines!

I hear ya! My friend has migraines and she was getting them once a month, so I recommended she try this essential oil blend M-Grain. I practice homeopathy and I usually use Young Living's essential oils, but I didn't know if it would work because I don't get migraines myself. She said she didn't care because she has a 2 year old to take care of and it was getting overwhelming. When she had another migraine she called me and was excited about how well it worked. She just put a drop on her head, forehead, temples, feet, then inhaled it for a fifteen minutes and gone! She has had to go to the emergency room for these before and it was a great relief for her to find this. You have to get it from a distributor, so you can order it from my site at www.youngliving.org/amoreyr. I'll send you a rebate for whatever I make off of it since it's your first purchase, and I don't care to make loads of money off it. I'm really just a distributor for the discount like everyone else.
Hope this helps!

I'm a migraine sufferer too, although lights don't bother me as much until I already have a headache. Have you thought about getting your eyes checked? Maybe you could get some slightly tinted lenses to wear (no prescription, if you don't need them) to help when you're out shopping or in places with fluorescent light?

I fell your pain Melinda. What I found that has helped me immensely, down from 1- 2 migraines a week to maybe 2 a month, maily form weather changes, is I got rid of the toxins in my house. I use ONLY Melaleuca products. I also started taking vitamins Daily, and that seemed to help my body adjust better, also from Melaleuca. You can e-mail me at ____@____.com if you want me to help you place an order.

If you know at work the lights are triggering it...do you think wearing sunglasses in situations where you are outside of your own workspace would help? If so, maybe discussing this with your boss may be helpful, so that you can be the best you can be while at work. I have no idea if sunglasses would be helpful, but thought I might suggest it...
K.

I have been suffering for 18+ yrs and been on everything under the sun and I had every test possible....until i found a great Dr of Neurology, at Bethesda Naval base and he put me on Topamax. I call it my lifeline. I have to take it everyday, but have not had a migraine in 4 months!!!!!! Now I have had a couple of slight headache but nothing Excedrin can not handle for me. Go ahead and look up the drug online and read about it. I hope this can help you.

A.

Melinda,

I feel your Pain! I used to frequently get migraines as well and they were absolutely miserable. The medicine that I now take which has very very minimal side effects... no dopey feeling though... is Maxalt-MLT (rizatriptan Benzoate) 10 mg. This is a orally disintegrating tablet but works wonders very quickly.

I have no idea if this even exists, but I wonder if wearing tinted glasses of some kind would help? Maybe check with an eye doctor?

Hi Melinda -
I too get migraines from the fluorescent lights - my eye doc cued me into this - it's a result from the flicker of the fluorescent bulbs. I also work in a cubicle setting and have had the bulbs over my desk removed (I use a desk lamp now). You can't get away from them - they are everywhere - so I feel your pain. At meetings, I usually try to look down (like at my paper, etc) instead of up where the flicker can affect my eyes. I also tend to let people know that I get headaches and see if we can turn down the lights some (this helps dramatically). What I have found works for me is Excedrin Migraine. If I can feel one coming on, I take 2. They are loaded with caffiene and that helps me a lot.

For some of my known triggers, caffeine plus a serious decongestant in advance of the migraine really seems to help. For the lighting problem -- I know this may feel awkward, but can you carry sunglasses with you? That may be tricky to do in business meetings I know. The next best advice I've got is to work with your doc on finding a prophylactic daily med to keep them at bay rather than to treat them when they arise. I take Imitrex but hate the way I feel for about 6 hours after -- and it makes me have to pee every 15 minutes which no doc has ever been able to explain to me, but it is real and I am not a crazy hypochondriac!!! Everyone's body is different, so you may need to experiment. And, YAY for your office that they responded appropriately to your needs in order to be an efficient worker.

Hi Melinda,

I used to suffer from migraines (especially in my teens, but since I've grown up they've gone away). I can't make any suggestions about what to do with the fluorescent lights, but I do have a suggestion about migraines that come on because of your period.

I have never able to stop the pain once it starts, but I do have a trick from stopping one BEFORE it starts. When I start to feel the aura coming on (vertigo, inability to focus, everything has an aura around it), I take two aspirin and drink something with caffeine in it. IF I don't do this, my migraine usually starts within 20 minutes, but if I do this my migraine usually won't come at all.

Hope this helps a little bit.

Hi Melinda,

I have been suffering from Migraines for the past 30 years without any real relief (thanks to everyone for the great suggestions on this post - I will be trying many of them!) and I also have found that fluoescent lights and flashing/strobe lights from police cars, ambulances, firetrucks, etc. are triggers. I wear dark glasses/sunglasses when I am out in the stores, supermarket etc. or close my eyes if I am not driving until they pass. I do not care how I look wearing them if they stop the onset of a migraine. When people ask me why I am wearing dark glasses inside, I simply tell them that I am a migraine sufferer! Yes, I even wear them when I am out at night if there are a lot of bright lights. Now that you know one of your triggers, protect yourself from it. Good Luck!

Hi: Suffered for 2 months straight with a migraine everyday - stopped functioning for the most part. Had an MRI. THe neurologist told me I'd be "fine in 6 years" (I was 47 and premenopuasal - this is a very common symptom). He presribed 2 meds - one to prevent, one in case they came on. In the meantime, I went to see an acquaintance who founded Crossings in Silver Spring - they provide outstanding complementary care services, including acupuncture (www.crossingshealing.com). I have had 100% relief since. There are so many residual benefits (less anxiety, for one) that I go monthly. Her diagonsis was very different than the neurologist's and she treated me accordingly. I have a body that is very resposnive to acupuncture so it may not work for you. That said, I strongly encourage you to try it and if it works, great. While I am not at all opposed to medication, I honestly couldn't see myself taking a strong drug everyday - it made no sense. My neurologist (Harvard medical school) was fully supportive of the acupuncture as he said there is piles of research proving its benefits (I have since read some of it). I'm as happy as I've ever been! Good luck.

Hi,
Please consider having some acupuncture treatments. I've had treatment for many years and know people who had migraines and cntrolled them well w/ treatment. Often the headaches become much less, spacing themselves farther and farther apart!The practitioner will help w/ other tips that can help. Go on-line to the Maryland Acupuncture Society or the Acupuncture Society of Va. to find an acupuncturist near you!

Good luck!

A.