Surgery and migraines

 I'm scheduled for surgery on December 19. I've had terrible migraines for years now. Have any other migraine suffers experienced relief from headaches after surgery? 

Hi there,

I've also suffered from migraines for 10+ years and had the same question. I was just sleeved on 11/18, so only a few days out, however, my pcp said that getting some of the weight off will help with the migraines. He didn't really go into the why of it, and I can't really see how because even when I weighed 70lbs less than I do now, 10yrs ago, I still had migraines. I have had one since being sleeved and couldn't take my meds for it. It was miserable. 

So I don't want you to have false hope that this is going to cure your migraines, but my doctor claims they will improve. I have found that just staying very hydrated and eating regularly keep mine at bay most of the time. Sometimes one just pops up and you can't really do anything about it. 

Have you asked your doctor about it? 

My migranes were usually hormone related, but sometimes were more than once a month.  I have only had one since surgery in June, relieved by one Max-alt.  I think my normal blood pressure is helping to keep them away.  I stopped needing BP meds after surgery.

Hi there! I have been dealing with migraines for about 18+ years, my mother, her sister, my sister, her two daughters, we all have them. I've been on a lot of different things, last week prior to surgery, I had botox in my head to help out with them. I don't think it's worked.

I did have an increase in migraines during this process because of limitied food intake, coming off sugars and caffenine, and the pain medication. However, I take a beta-blocker for HBP, that has helped. While hospitalized, I made sure my doc knew to write recovery and post op orders for the floor I was on that I could have my migraine injection as needed up to 3x a day. I still had issues, I used ice packs on my head and neck when they were really bad for fear of nausea, cause I had that issue too.

Be informed and try not to stress too much, I know easier said than done! That's what helped me!

:)

 Thanks ladies! My surgeon said this surgery could give me some relief. However, my internist told me today that he doesn't think it will have much of an impact on the migraines. I don't know that I would know how to act if they actually went away!

It did not with me.

Ive suffered from migraines since I hit puberty and it's been a long bumpy road.  Prior to surgery I was taking 100mg daily of nortriptalyn as a preventative medication, followed by maxalt for onset of migraines, when that didn't work I had hydrocodone, and when they were severe I had firocet.  I have to say that I'm 5 weeks post op and haven't had a migraine yet!  That's unheard of in my history.  I usually suffer several a month especially the week prior to my cycle.  Now a few things have changed...I stopped taking my preventative in the hospital because it was too large to swallow.  By the time I got a new script my doc asked me to wait it out and see if I still needed it.  If you would have asked me the answer was yes before surgery as we have done nothing but increase the dose over the past 5 years from 10 mg to 100mg.  I also wasn't given birth control in the hospital so I had to wait out the past month without it.  I will be starting that back in a couple of days.  Yes birth control causes headaches and sometimes migraines, but I was off of them most of my life and just started taking them after my son was born 6 years ago...so they aren't the full culprit of my migraines.  The stressors in my life haven't changed, maybe gotten worse from being out of work for 3 weeks unpaid right before the holidays.  So, for me all I've taken was tylenol since surgery to handle my miniscule headaches.  I'm hoping this stays permanent as I wouldn't wish migraines on my worst enemy.  Best of luck!

Hey there Texas Teacher and Other folks on here that have replied, I noticed the one poster stated they were on noratrypline (SP) for a while. I forgot to mention this valid part!

As a preventative measure, I was up to 100mg (2x at night noratrypline)
I also got up to 150mg of Topamax twice a day. 

In my entire time of having migraines this is the only thing that brought savior to my life! I, not only went from having 24+ a month down to maybe 2, it also in addition, helped with my triggers.

My triggers for me are:

-horomones, birth control-never been on long term changed it, period time was horrific a few days before and during
-smells-like gas, car exhaust is the worst ever! it's like instant migraine, and also certain perfumes!
Unfortunately I have a dog nose, my family always teases me cause I smell stuff like 5 minutes or a mile away before they do, I always say I should be a drug-sniffing dog at the airport! I can literally walk into someone's house and tell if they have gas cooking or even mold.
-I haven't noticed certain foods, but I try to avoid stuff like MSG, and I think cured meat is what it is called, like pepperoni? If I eat a lot of them, then it's to the trenches for me with these migraines.
-Heat-if it gets to hot and I get overheated, it's like instant, for example getting into a warm car that's been sitting and I haven't rolled down the windows or opened the doors for a few minutes, it's instant onset.
-bending over with a migraine makes it worse, I have dysautonomial issues with that.

I used to think I was crazy for having these symptoms my doc verified it for me though.

I use maxalt 10 mg dissovlable and regular tabs now and imitrex shots (2 at a time if it gets bad), phenergan nausea pills, and then zofran dissovlables if I can't keep them down I hope this helps!

P.S. I found charting my migraines helps with my treatment, if you have an iphone you can download an app for free I am sure its like that with other phones too, or you can just send yourself a text message and keep a library!

WOW...ours are sooo much alike.  I'm super light sensative also.  Flourescent lights are the absolute worst! 

Me too with the lights! Esp Fluro ones, also noises and sounds bother me when I am fully in a migraine.

I have also found folks that I use ice packs, like you know the things you get to stick in the kid's lunches? Well I get small ones freeze them and have the readily available for my head, my ex taught me this trick actually when I was having migraines, except she she put wet wash clothes in the freezer for me instead of these ice packs, I later realized I could just use them instead and it helps me out tremedously, especially for the ones that come up from the back of the neck along the shoulders or on the sides of the temples!!!!