Migraine Headache

Oh my God do they hurt. In the last 6 months I've developed migraine headaches.
My questions are: What causes them? Is it possible for menopause to cause them? Vitamin deficiencies? What do you do to help them? What type of pain pills do you use?
Thanks ahead of time.
Ciao Leslie

Hormonal changes are notorious for causing migraines. HRT might help them, might not.

I have used Depakote and Topamax as migraine preventives. Depakote packs on weight like crazy so I don't recommend it. Topamax robbed me of six months of my life,didn't tolerate it ramping up OR ramping down. It sucked, but it helps a lot of other people. There are a few other meds used to prevent migraines.

To treat them used I Midrin/Duradrin (same med, two different brands) with pretty good success. I reacted badly to Imitrex, which was brand new on the market back then, and wasn't thrilled with the side effects of the ergotamine drugs, though they worked well for me when I got them in the ER a couple times.

Hi Leslie... I get migraines, have had them for years... In my family they are hereditary. I'm not sure what causes them for all people ... mine started in puberty and started getting gradually worse- so I suspect for many women hormones play a role. 

I haven't found any differences in the rate or intensity of my migraines before or after my WLS(s). If you have talked to your doc, and are sure these are Migraines and not headaches masking other problems... I have found that Topomax has been my lifesaver... I went from having 3-4 severe migraines a month that lasted for several days, down to about two mild to moderate ones per month- these are usually helped by imitrex to stop them from getting out of hand, and Lorcet for residual pain.

The three prong approach, Topomax for prevention, Imitrex - to stop them when they come, and Lorcet for the pain that is a part of them seems to help me manage them the most effectively.

Additionally, I do take phenegran for nausa as needed with them and am starting to take benedryl as the ER doc that gave me the last ****tail tells me that they put that in their IV ****tails to help with blood vessels in the brain, and to help the patients rest... not sure of all the research behind it yet... have an upcoming appt with my PCP going to ask more questions.

Hope this helps some... Good luck with them... they are pure hell when you are in the middle of one.

Blessings,
Chellie

 Topomax is my life saver!! Imitrex and others did nothing for me. I take 50mgs of Topomax a day and might get just one or two minor headaches a  month now. As compared to before when I was getting two a week. Oh, and Inderall (which is actually a hbp pill) was great too, I had to take those instead of my Topomax when I was pregnant. 

You might want to talk to your PCP.  Before I developed high blood pressure, I was on a low dose beta-blocker to prevent migraines.   After a while, I ended up going on a high dose since my blood pressure was sky high.  Now that it's normal, I don't take any meds.

I get them often when I am under a lot of stress.  Maybe you can find some good way to relieve your stress before it gets out of hand.

With pain meds, I had the most luck with Imitrex injections than any of the pills.  What I'd usually do to try and get the pain to pass was make myself puke to relieve the pressure in my head.  I didn't have as much sensitivity to light and sound as I did to smells.  My sense of smell would intensify like a super power ... I could smell if the carpet had been vacuumed and it would make me nauseous.  

Certain foods can be triggers as well.  Things like chocolate and oranges.  I forget what else is on the list.  My doctor suggested that I keep a log to see if I could find any patterns.  

Good luck.  I hope you find relief soon... migraines are definitely no fun. 

I get migraine headaches once every few months, so it isnt too bad. I take imitrex, the shots and I am much better.

I know 2 people who took topamax and it wrecked both of them. One of them it somehow changed her body chemistry so now she has chronic kidney stones and the other made her so doped up that she couldnt function. She would constantly forget things and felt like she was in a cloud all the time. So I would be really careful if you are considering topamax. I have a friend who takes atenolol as a preventative and that helps a little. The one thing she realized that triggered them was severe fluctuations to her system like not drinking caffeine every day and then having a latte or a diet coke. Also when she low carbs and enters ketosis she will have migraines for the first week (I do too) and then once she is in ketosis it keeps the migraines away but if she has ice cream or a carb binge and gets knocked out she will get the migraine then and again when she reenters ketosis.

You may want to try and track when you get them and see if there is any correlation to anything.
I knew someone who used to always get migraines when she would go to the gym and it turned out that it was something in the stuff they used to clean the equipment. She couldnt understand why and she thought she was allergic to exercise for a while.

 Yes, menopause could be a contributing factor.  Diet, caffeine, lack of sleep, stress, hormones, ad nauseam are all causes.  You can start using a headache journal- write down everything you eat/drink, how many hours of sleep you get, the weather, meds/vites you take, your emotional state everyday for a month and then when you get a migraine, notate that as well and include all the symptoms you have (sensitivity to light/sound, nausea & vomiting, where the pain is, ect).  This can give you an idea of what may be causing it if it is something environmental...

As for meds- there are a lot of options out there.  Most are as needed to treat them as they occur.  If you are getting them frequently, you can take certain meds (anti-epileptic or beta-blockers/ACE inhibitors) to prevent them, but I urge you to avoid going down that path unless necessary, those meds can have some pretty hefty side effects.  Some great PRN meds are:

1. Caffeine- try a Diet Mt. Dew right at the onset and partner it with #2 on this list
2. Excedrin Migraine- this is OTC
3. Imitrex- pills or injections
4. Fioricet
5. Midrin
6. Amerge
7. Axert
8. Maxalt
9. Relpax
10. Zomig  ect

Before my DS, I was getting 2-3 migraines per WEEK.  I was on a stupid high dose of Topamax to try to prevent them, to no avail.  For my headaches, I was on Fioricet or Midrin (depending on time of day- the Fioricet is FULL of caffeine) and Phenergan for nausea.  Midrin has been the most beneficial to me.  Since my DS, no more migraines (other than a breakthrough every now and again) thank God!  

Hope this helps!

Thanks everyone for all the help. These suckers hurt like nothing I've ever felt before. I almost want to go to the ER. If I did go to the ER would they be able to give me something to make it go away quick so I didn't have to suffer all day?

I got migraines when I was 15 or so.  Suffered with them until menopause,when they stopped.  They got worse if I went off low dose BC pills.  Haven't had one in about 3 years at least.

If they are true migraines, they are caused by dilation of blood vessels in the brain, and thus caffeine, nicotine, ergotamines (prescription) can help.  Imitrex helped but ONLY if I took it before the headache got full-blown.  Codeine helped once they got started, but made me worthless for anything that required using my brain.

I almost flunked out of Yale my senior year when they turned into cluster headaches (I was able to make up the work, but had to go through graduation with an empty diploma).  I took off 2 years between college and grad school, because I was afraid I was not going to be able to cope.  During those two years, I learned some biofeedback and other techniques that helped deal with them, including abort them, and I was able to go back to school -- although I still got them about 6-10 times a year.

My daughter gets them too.  It sucks.  You've to figure out what combination of things works for you.

In addition to all of the other good information you have received, another thing you might take a look at is the migraine/magnesium connection.  You can google it to learn more but essentially a magnesium deficiency can cause migraines.

Hope you feel better quickly.