Dealing With Migraines

[wearepeople]

Migraines plagued my youth.

MSG and dark chocolate were the most likely culprits for my migraines.

The onsets are called auras. The funny vision. For me, I would look at someone's face, for example, there nose would be missing. Simply covered with their skin tone. Or I would look at a digital clock and certain bars of the digits would be missing.

The first few migraines, this scared me to no avail. Then the pain set in.

It would start behind one of my eyeballs, usually the left. Then move to one side of the back of my brain. The pain scared me. My mind wrapped around it like a python constricting its prey. Usually the pain would get so intense that I would vomit and the pain would reach a peak during the expulsion. Afterwards, it would gradually subside.

The last migraine I ever had:
The aura set in, my vision went wild. Instead of panicking, like I always had in the past, I accepted the strange vision and even enjoyed it. I also started to prepare.

I quickly filled the bathtub with hot water. I gathered washcloths to put over my eyes. I put a Bob Marley CD (Exodus) on low volume and repeat. (Can't remember if I smoked pot, something tells me I did.) I turned out the lights. I gently submerged myself in the bath, still enjoying the funny vision. The Bob Marley CD read, "ob ar ey". I laughed inside. I let my body and mind relax, doing my best to accept what was around the corner.

I waited for the pain to set in, gently accepting that it was on its way. I laid there for a couple hours. Nothing happened.

The aura subsided, the pain never hit my eyeballs, and the best part: I've never had a migraine since.



My strongest compassion goes out to all who have had a migraine.
I feel lucky I haven't had one in ages. (knock on wood cliche here)

Did I cure myself from migraines? I have no idea. I hope so.



Do your best to relax. Focusing on the pain seems to make it worse. Focus on all things positive.


[YOUTUBE]

 

[d*l*b]

I wish the relaxation idea would work with me!

I’ve suffered from a variety of migraine types, the most recent significant attack was two back-to-back, lasting three months each! Both hit while I was asleep so I had no chance to medicate. Luckily these only gave me about 12 hours of pain in the whole period, the main effects being loss of most of my vision (that rocked my world in itself!).

If I suffer an extended-length classical migraine (the main effects of mine are usually about 12 hours, the fact that I can be in this state for months terrifies me) it is highly likely I will resort to suicide. Life simply wouldn’t be worthwhile.

The vast majority of attacks I have had are classical migraine and the only thing I have found that gets anywhere reliably is the triptans, I have used Sumatriptan and Rizatriptan. I currently use Rizatriptan which I have as wafers, these can be placed under the tongue and are effective in 10–15 minutes for me. They are a revelation. My attacks at their worst are so severe there is no way I would try anything else than the triptans except in the most extreme of emergencies.

Once I was denied sale of Sumatriptan by the pharmacist (you can get it over the counter here, but have to fill in a multi-page form – filling forms correctly when your vision is fast disappearing and your brain is scrambled is complicated!). My issue being that my migraines are not regular enough anymore for me to be seen as fit to get emergency triptans without prescription, I have to lie on the form to get through, but forgot. On this occasion in desperation I took a microdose of DMT, the attack did recede but as I also sometimes suffer from aura-only migraine there is no way I can be sure.

 

[zombicyckel]

I have headaches that can last a couple days, the only thing that works to kill the pain is to take a shower and go and watch series all day without trying to move so much. Im good at switching pain to feeling nothing. Exactly when I hurt my self instead of thinking like S..T. I just take a long breath and its gone. But headaches are diffrent, the pain last to long to be focused away.

 

[d*l*b]

The classical migraine I suffer usually goes along the following lines (if allowed to run their full course):

• Visual disturbance (aura)
• Numbness in the mouth
• Numbness in the hands, gradually spreading up the arms
• Loss of coordination
• Loss of use of hands/arms
• Head pain
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Reduced motor function / reduced speech
• Burn out that can last a day or two after the attack

Some people get a period called prodrome which precedes the aura stage, sometimes by days or even weeks. I have never noticed this in my attacks, but my current triggers are the weather and stress so I’m not sure whether they could actually fit into the types of attacks I have.

Head pain is just a small part of migraine symptoms for many migraineurs (not to say the pain is not one of the more significant symptoms). The only ‘natural’ relief for the pain aspect I have found so far is headbutting a wall as hard as I can. Once I managed to get a dose of dihydrocodeine to numb the pain a bit but I was in a relatively small amount of pain, I can’t see it doing much in most of my attacks.

 

[zombicyckel]

The classical migraine I suffer usually goes along the following lines (if allowed to run their full course):

• Visual disturbance (aura)
• Numbness in the mouth
• Numbness in the hands, gradually spreading up the arms
• Loss of coordination
• Loss of use of hands/arms
• Head pain
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Reduced motor function / reduced speech
• Burn out that can last a day or two after the attack

Some people get a period called prodrome which precedes the aura stage, sometimes by days or even weeks. I have never noticed this in my attacks, but my current triggers are the weather and stress so I’m not sure whether they could actually fit into the types of attacks I have.

Head pain is just a small part of migraine symptoms for many migraineurs (not to say the pain is not one of the more significant symptoms). The only ‘natural’ relief for the pain aspect I have found so far is headbutting a wall as hard as I can. Once I managed to get a dose of dihydrocodeine to numb the pain a bit but I was in a relatively small amount of pain, I can’t see it doing much in most of my attacks.

woah womiting and diarrhoea and visual disturbanse, I got it good all in all. but headaches aare the worst.

 

[Kambogahuascanga]

30 years with Migraines at least once a month.

After doing Kambo 3 times in 3 hours I haven't had one in over a year.

This is a miracle considering I had tried everything previously. Even when I didn't have a full blown migraine, I many times had a gnawing pang in my temples.

Now learning more about Kambo from Giovanni Lattanzi, I have learned that to knock out the migraines in a swifter/easier manner is to apply on the ears --- auriculotherapy on the temple meridian. I did this recently and did notice even greater release in that region.

 

[Jin]

i just read this thread now

i too have been suffering with migranes and Scintillating scotoma ,
usually i have no pain in my head ( only very rarely )

what happens to me is the aura and Scintillating scotoma completely weirdfy my vision for 30 minutes or so and then it goes away

i suffer with photophobia and sensitivity to light everyday even withoput the migrane , for me this state of photophobia is very unpleasant as whenever i go out in the daylight anywhere , its just very uncomfortable ,

can anyone offer any advice on reducing photophobia ? because i'm kinda photophobic all the time and its just painful ?

 

[corpus callosum]

As others have mentioned, migraine is a term which encompasses many symptoms and head pain is not a pre-requisite for the diagnosis.Some like Jin have the retinal features only ie scintillating scotomata (amongst others); I also wonder if Jins persistent photophobia may be another epi-migrainous phenomenon.This becomes more likely if the migraine history is longstanding, constant in its symptomatology, and in the absence of physical signs on exam which would suggest other diagnoses.

If so, a small dose of a beta blocker or tricyclic (if not allergic/contra-indicated) may be worth a shot.

 

[Jin]

thanks for replying corpus ,

i'll be looking into beta blockers soon

so glad we have an MD on the forum

 

[Ilex]

Some people have had success using feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) to treat migraines. It works best when taken daily for a few months, as a preventative method, but can reduce the symptoms of a migraine when you feel one coming on, too. Parthenolides in the plant are probably the main active constituents, and plants harvested in northern climates after a few frosts are the most potent because the parthenolides are produced by the plant essentially like an antifreeze (feverfew is one of the last plants to die in the fall).

 

[d*l*b]

i'll be looking into beta blockers soon

I was prescribed beta blockers (Propranolol) and took myself off them after not too long (a month or two?). I don't know if this is common, but I found functioning hard as they made me airy headed, moreso than being stoned even.

With my most recent heavy attacks the doctors prescribed me tricyclics (Amitriptyline) but after looking at them I decided not to take them. I felt they seemed too much of a broad brush stroke and worried they may interfere with life.

On a purely personal basis I'm wary of messing with my brain chemistry daily unless I'm issues that are so regular that my life was not liveable (of course what liveable means is totally subjective). I currently see my attacks as being rare enough that I feel pretty safe just popping a Rizatriptan, only issue is attacks in my sleep.

Due to the brevity of your attacks most abortive medication won't be fast enough unless you can inject (I asked for this before I found Rizatriptan wafers but they didn't seem to keen on it). The fastest onset I have found is about 10 minutes with Rizatriptan wafers.

Have you worked out what the triggers of your attacks are?

 

[Aegle]

May I ask has anyone tried micro-dosing psilocybin mushrooms by any chance? I don't suffer from migraines though my mom does and I have given her some capsules of psilocybin so that she can treat her migraines with micro-dosing psilocybin rather than treating the migraines in a pharmaceutical way.

Also migraines seem to have a deep connection with your diet and stress levels so she has to make sure not to eat specific foods and to try and keep her stress levels to a minimum other wise if her stress levels become heightened all of a sudden it triggers excruciating migraines for her. Perhaps taking an adaptogen like ashwagandha may help alleviate harmful migraine reactions to stress?


Much Peace and Kindness

 

[Jin]

Have you worked out what the triggers of your attacks are?

no not really , before reading this and a few other threads on the nexus i had no real idea what migranes were , infact i learnt about scintilating scotoma and aura's recently , however i have been suffering with this for the past few years

i believed maybe it was my previous drug abuse that was causing this ! also i thought maybe it was earlier forms of dementia setting in ! i also thought it could be a genetic condition , i know i should have been more informed however i rarely suffer a headache or pain in my head while the migrane happens i only seem to suffer strong visual disturbances so i had'nt looked into the subject of migrane deeply , however a quick read through the threads and wikipedia got me updated

now i have quit have choclate and other packaged foods from the last week

i am also not really planning to have any pharmaceuticals to cure this , i'll just let it be and if it gets better thats good if not thats good too

i am kinda more worried about my photosensitivity because the aura's and scotoma lasts 30 mins to a little more however i am photosensitive all the time and that sucks ,