What is this thread all about?
Just a place for general discussion. A place to unload whats on your mind and talk about anything - personal, health, help needed, achievements, daily highs and daily lows, theories, predictions and what have you.
Does not need to be Q related.
Has anyone used natural remedies for migraines? Any luck?
I’ve found avoiding triggers helps the most. Things like red wine, cheddar and aged cheeses, dark chocolate, aged and smoked meats, msg. Those are big ones as well as too much sugar and artificial sweeteners. There is a long list out there of dietary triggers. Also avoid dehydration-make sure you’re always hydrating with water. Avoid too much alcohol, too much sleep and not enough sleep, work on ways to alleviate stress. Too much exercise, too much bright light can be triggers. There are so many things but I’ve found working on this stuff offers a lot of protection from getting them in the first place.
As far as treatment when you do get one- I’ve tried many things but the routine I have when I feel one coming on is to immediately take some Tylenol and lay down in a darkened room with no sounds or distractions. Tylenol PM (I just take one PM and one regular) and try to sleep immediately. That isn’t always practical if it’s daytime but if you can get out of the situation causing symptoms to worsen (such as bright light, loud noises, computer work or reading etc) and work on relaxation techniques, you won’t get a full on attack.
Mine was from a TBI and I’m not sure if I get true migraines but I’ve done a lot of research on it and find this stuff helps me a lot. They were coming on every few weeks and now I (knock on wood) only get one or two a year. I’ve tried prescription stuff that made me sick. Nothing the doctors advised ever helped. I used to take my “cocktail” of 2 Aleve plus the Tylenol but don’t need to do that anymore. But it did help back when they were absolutely debilitating. So that’s a lot- hope it gets better for you. I really do.
Also what is TBI?
Traumatic brain injury. Sorry
Ahh sorry you had to go through that.
… you are right also about dehydration. I have to keep up with that. I think that also causes migraines for me.
Great information, thanks fren. I’ve stopped alcohol for years. Staying away from tea and chocolate is the hard one for me. Stress too is a trigger. I agree the combination of aleve and Tylenol is a game changer. I’ll try the Tylenol pm. I’ve taken phenergan too, but you are zonked the next 24 hours, I think the Tylenol pm will be better.
You’re very welcome! I love coffee. I don’t really restrict it ever but some people are more sensitive. The chocolate is an iffy thing. Cheap milk chocolate seems ok for me but the “good” stuff such as a Godiva or anything dark-omg nope. Definitely will bring on a headache.
I think the key is to make yourself lay down and actually rest before it becomes severe. If you get the lights or aura, respect that as a sign and make some changes quickly. It’s much harder to get rid of a full blown headache than nip it early. I really started paying attention to the light sensitivity or flashing lights.
This site is helpful below. I also forgot to mention that I take a beta blocker (Propranolol) for anxiety reasons but it coincidently helps a lot with migraines, studies have found. Not addictive, no real side effects. I also sometimes put a Salon Pas patch on my head or neck and I’m not sure if it does any good but the cooling feeling helps distract from the pain.
https://www.healthline.com/health/foods-that-trigger-migraines#treatment
The ticket for me was daily magnesium (bisglycinate) supplementation.