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Severe and frequent- help!

Posted , 4 users are following.

zoe29222
zoe29222

I am almost 19 and have suffered with severe migraines for 10 years. I get the aura, an extremely painful headache, nausea, vomiting and parts of my body go numb. I have tried all kinds of ideas to make them stop or slightly better but nothing works! I have cut out the typical foods such as chocolate, cheese and other dairy products as well as citrus fruits, I have tried less sleep, more sleep, a regular sleep pattern, drinking plenty of fluids and my GP has prescribed all different kinds of medications to help relieve symptoms and act as preventatives but I still get the migraines on a regular basis. Sometimes more than two a week. Does anyone have any tips, advice or similar experiences?

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • amanda17434
    amanda17434 zoe29222

    Posted

    Hi Zoe,

     

    So sorry to hear how you suffer. Like you, I do all the things you mention to help avoid attacks but I have found that strong smells can also bring mine on. It was years before I connected this additional trigger. It is often mentioned in migraine blurb and so many people have told me they are the same. A migraine will start almost instantly if I am ‘trapped’ in a room with a very potent air-freshener, for example, but sometimes after encountering a strong smell, it is the next day before the migraine strikes. Could possibly be something to consider?

    • Mandie51
      Mandie51 amanda17434

      Posted

      Hi Amanda,

      I have avoided all perfumes and strong smells for years - especially strong aftershave on men! They used to trigger me off when I suffered migraines. I am completely clear of all migraine now and am actually thinking of writing a book about how I did it. Life is brilliant without this dreadful condition.

    • amanda17434
      amanda17434 Mandie51

      Posted

      Hi Mandie51,

       

      So glad for you that you’re migraine-free – nice to hear of someone successfully getting away from it.  Mine have lessened in intensity over the years although I still get them pretty regularly but I’m not sure if this is because of the Feverfew I’ve been taking religiously every morning or to do with getting older. Yes, strong aftershave or Impulse on someone will bring on a bad one. I also have to avoid very strong smelling cleaning products. Good luck for the future.

    • Mandie51
      Mandie51 amanda17434

      Posted

      Hi Amanda, I used to take feverfew - oh it is foul tasting and did absolutely nothing for me!

      Amanda - your whole body as a migraineur is out of balance. A complete re-think is what worked for me. So many aspects. One of the major ones to begin with is the role of caffeine and sugar/carbs in every form. Once I cut these out of my life, I began to feel a whole lot better. Both disrupt the body dreadfully. Basically my body was teetering on the brink of collapse due to bad diet and chemicals in processed food.

  • Nanadotty
    Nanadotty zoe29222

    Posted

    Hi Zoe, I feel your frustration. I also started getting migraine when I was about twelve and over the past 40 years I had worked out most of my triggers. I can eat chocolate, cheese and drink red wine all of which I avoided for years. I can't eat dark chocolate or chocolate chips the type they put in muffins and cookies. I can eat cheese as long as it's not red leister or bright orange cheddar so I just stick to white cheese and I'm ok. And also like amanda17434 smells are a nightmare for me. Burnt toast or garden smoke are the worst. Now I'm going through the menopause the migraine have hit me hard I think this is due to my hormone levels being all over the place the same as when I was a teenager. I to have tried preventatives but there was way too many side effects so now I just use zomig. I was alway under the impression that I couldn't take zomig too offtern but then I googled 'Daily triptan use for intractable migraine' and after reading some interesting information there I'm happy to take my zomig when I need it. I had to find out what intractable means first but all it means is 'hard to control'

    im sorry I didn't have any more to offer than this but I know when I'm not coping with my migraines I like to search for help from anywhere. Try not to let it get you down. 

  • Mandie51
    Mandie51 zoe29222

    Posted

    Hi,

    have a think about it if you would please. If the medications are not working, how about coming off them all with supervision from your doctor? That is what I did as a first step. By doing this you get rid of all the side effects of the different drugs. I believe all medicines hurt the body. Of course sometimes medicine is very necessary but there is far too much pill popping going on without real investigation of the cause.

    Remember the body is very wise, I believe we have all the healing tools within each of us. How about trying water fasting? Freedom from digestion releases the body's natural healing powers. It is a subject worth investigating. If you are a normal weight, then fasting for short periods will not harm you. Personally I never eat breakfast so my body is free of food for 18 hours daily out of 24. I feel wonderful for it. I have a good lunch and dinner but no snacks. So I give my stomach a good chance.

    Years ago I used to eat far too much, always snacking, eating late etc. My migraines were painful and regular. I eventually realised that whenever I had a migraine I vomited. The body tries to tell you what it needs and when we don't listen, it forces you to do what it needs. So vomiting and bed in a dark room becomes imperative, then you heal and the pain eventually goes. Worth thinking about all these things and discussing them with your doctor before you do anything.

     

  • zoe29222
    zoe29222

    Posted

    Hi all.

    Thank you for your suggestions and sharing your experiences. I have found that strong smells (like with some of you guys) doesn't seem to be the trigger for my migraines. I often wake up with them but I am not sure why this is as I eat a regular amount through the day and evening and also drink throughout the night so I don't believe it is dehydration

    I am going to continue to keep a log to see when they come on and also monitor my eating habits incase there is anything left in my diet known to be a cause

    Thanks again

    • Mandie51
      Mandie51 zoe29222

      Posted

      Hi all,

      migraine I am convinced is a severe disturbance of the senses. Therefore because all is out of balance, sense of smell for instance becomes exaggerated. Your eyes become unable to tolerate light. You cannot bear loud sounds. You feel overwhelmed. The idea therefore is to calm the whole body, mind and senses down. This surely must be achieved by a combination of meditation, exercise, diet and just the right amount of rest and sleep. I believe stress, all the modern additives and preservatives in processed foods and everything 'unnatural' in our diet and environment have a huge part to play. Also I know that caffeine was a massive trigger for me. Something as repulsive as coke/diet coke should never ever be drunk by anyone!

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