migraine symptoms treatment

Read and learn more about migraine symptoms treatment. For more, visit the Migraine Headache website MyBrainPain.com

Q: what are the medicines for the treatment of migraine accompained with symptoms of?
photophobia, phonophobia and vertigo and pain even radiating to cerviacl level…….are the normal headache tablets like paracetamol, ibuprofen, diclo or asprin effective……

A: Vertigo is the only symptom you describe that is not a usual symptom of migraine. Have you been diagnosed before or are you trying to diagnose a new type of headache that you are suffering from? If you have been diagnosed and these are your “usual” symptoms, then ibuprofen or aspirin taken with a beverage with some caffeine (if you normally drink it) work very well together as the analgesic works on pain and the caffeine helps to dilate blood vessel. Constricted blood vessels (not as alarming as it sounds!) are thought to be one of the major causes of migraine. It’s helpful to take both at the first hint of migraine coming on as the headache is easier to treat the earlier you notice it and start treatment. If this as a first line of self help doesn’t help or relieve your symptoms, then there are some new medicines available with a prescription that do work very well. Everyone has different techniques for helping themselves more environmentally ie; laying down in a darkened room, taking a bath etc. However, I would want you to be certain that if this is a new type of headache for you and your symptoms feel severe then you should seek medical help for a diagnosis. Good luck.

Q: I want know more about migraine headaches: It’s symptoms & treatment.?
Also, are women more prone to migraine than men?
Every time I’m stressed or tensed I get a severe headache. It also happens after journey, when I am out for a party or when I work continuously on the computer.
I get a throbbing headache and my eyes really hurt. I have problem with any kind of light. Even a pin drop hurts. I feel as if I’ll throw up but I don’t vomit. No pain killer seems to work. I feel better only when i lock my self in a dark room, blindfold my eyes and go to sleep. It sometimes last for a day and sometimes for 2-3 days. I may get it once in ten days and sometimes once in 2 months. Is it migraine?

A: Well, there is the fairly new Swiss method “Atlasprofilax” to really get rid of your migraine – in ONE treatment.
No medicine, only a manual treatment in a continuous movement. Invest 220 Dollars* and enjoy your new life!

(*plus a trip to California or to Europe, actually, because it’s not yet common in the US)

I’m absolutely convinced of the method, have sent more than 30 people there personally and probably many more by www. Until now there is a 100% positive feedback.

The homepage is nothing to be proud of, but the treatment is!

Q: What are you triggers, symptoms and treatment for migraines?
Example my triggers are certain foods, my symptons are that i see spots and then i don’t know what i want to do to treat them

A: In the sources section below, I have listed a webpage which outlines all the common triggers for migraines/headaches.

To treat migraines, don’t try to guess, don’t listen too much to friends or colleagues, but go to your doctor. Most migraines are treatable, but a medication or technique that works for one person, does not necessarily work for another.

You have to get a thorough checkup and then, if your problem is found to be a migraine (and not something else), then your doctor will prescribe a medicine to stop each migraine and perhaps also some preventative medication (that stops you getting migraines so easily or regularly).

If the initial medications don’t work or only partly work, go back to the doctor and get the treatment modified.

Good luck!

Q: Would you volunteer to help a new online community about migraines?
A new web site is looking for volunteer health information reviewers to share their opinions on the best information on the web about migraines. We feel that reliable information is hard to come by quickly and easily and are organizing information on migraines to better help people find the information they need.

We need help from people with knowledge abor experience with migraines to look over the content our experts have found (migraine symptoms, migraine treatments, related migraine conditions, etc) and tell us which links are most useful to you, and what you think will help others. It won’t take much time to be a volunteer – you can do as much or as little as you want to, and you will help many other people like yourself by sharing your opinion. Also, by volunteering you will get to see the best and most current research that health experts have found online about migraines. Please visit our web site to learn more or to volunteer. http://www.movinghealth.com Thanks so much
And I also want to ask advice on the best way to get volunteers. thanks in advance!

A: As a person who suffers from the terrible pain of migraines would assist with the on-line community volunteer. Unfortunately I am returning to Iraq in 3 weeks and my time and access to the Internet will
be limited due to my duties over there. As to seeking other to volunteer….you can always post your request on Migraine Support Group bulletin boards on the net, contact local hospitals, pain clinics and the offices of doctors who deal with migraines…..such as neurologists.

Good luck.

Q: what the best treatment for Unbalanced Dysfunctional Breathing disorder. What are the symptoms please help me?
HI I am chad mercure and i having problem with my lung for a few year get short of breath really easy and think i have asthma. I get cold that not go away some of my teacher thought it was whooping cough. The symtoms of short of breath coughing every morning and tire and short of breath when doing exersices and sleeping or relaxing. I also get heart burn and somtime i cannopt speak or complete a sentence. I get this strange feeling inn my chest like there a build up of presseure in my chest and tingly feeling all over and barly can grip things. but this happens about once a month. I get gagging feeling in the morning and get the feeling of being hot like a hot flash. What can it be my doct dose not know what it is and i need help. With my sleeping when i get up i get migraines headache and stiff ness. I get alot of migranes pounding headache and they almost feel like cluster headaches. I did a test online, it shows i might have Unbalanced Dysfunctional Breathing thanks you chad mercure

A: Hi Chad. Sorry you’re not feeling well. I’ve never heard of UDB. Nowdays, Docs give new names to old problems. They do this is part for $.It’s a marketing gimick. There just used to be “heartburn” now there’s 5 different catagories. Know what I mean? What has changed in the last few years for you? Asthma (in eastern tradition) is related to our emotional being. Do you have certain thoughts when you have these attacks? Could you be allergic to something new in your abode? We tend to quit exercise when it’s uncomforable but don’t let that stop you. You can improve the condition of your lungs through exercise. It’ll take time and you must go slow but in time, your lungs will be in better shape. Try sleeping with your upperhalf propped up. Not just on pillows though, that’ll give you an even stiffer neck. There are pillow wedges you can buy or you can even use . . .I don’t know . .bricks of books . .put something under your mattress so you sleep at an angle. You might be allergic to something in the house; mold, pet dander, dust, plants . .etc. Also, might you eat too quickly? Strange question – yes but that could cause the heartburn and some breathing difficulties. You could get a small air purifier, leaving it on in the day, turning it off at night. The hot flashes are symptoms of being out of breath. Take a yoga class. It will help with your breathing. Or read up on breathing exercises. Best of luck, Chad. I hope I helped. Hope everything works out for you.

Q: Migraine treatments?
Anyone know any really effective treatments for migraine?
I suffer from classic symptoms. Starts with blind spot and progresses to sparkling zig-zag line, which slowly grows then moves up and away, leaving me with headache for a couple of days.More latterly I’ve had an odd lack of sensation in my arms towards the end of the attack. I’d dearly love something I can take which would stop these. I have on average two or three a month, usually fairly close together.

A: Hi Peter. I’ve suffered from migraines for 20 odd years. I’ve done a fair bit of research about them as I’ve just about had enough of them now. A good place to start is the Migraine Trust website. You’ll get plenty of advice there, as well as some comfort from reading about the woes of fellow sufferers!

I’ve tried the following. Immigran and other triptans (they do get rid of the headache but make me feel wierd for at least four hours – who knows what they are doing to my body), Solpadeine (in my opinion, an addictive drug that’s best avoided – it’s the codeine that’s the problem), acupuncture and deep needle acupuncture (didn’t help me but can help some), massage, trigger avoidance, eating every three hours, taking various herbs…. I manage my condition by making sure I get plenty of sleep, I go to the gym when I can and bizarrely, drink Lucozade when I feel a migraine coming on. Sometimes this helps. However, I still get headaches, but usually I can just about get through what I need to before collapsing. I take 3 aspirin when I need to.

There’s two newish bits of research which might help you. If you suffer from migraine with aura, you might want to get a scan of your heart. Recent research suggests that there’s a connection between migraine sufferers and small holes in the heart (which can be corrected easily under minor surgery). Also, there’s a condition called Hughes Syndrome (sticky blood) of which migraine could be a factor. You can self test for it by sending off for a kit from www.hughes-syndrome.org.

I hope this helps – good luck!

Q: Have hormonal issues – what is best pill/treatment to make you feel totally normal without side effects?
Have had hormonal issues & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (post glandular fever) for years. Found Yasmin to be the best pill but do feel a little flat (& fat) on it. Have tried extended periods of natural prog cream, other pills as well as naturopaths, chinese herbs, endocrinologists, etc. without much success.

My symptoms (mainly pre-menstrually):-

* Bloating
* Sever PMS – Irritable, depressed, hungry like crazy
* Weight gain
* Migraine (at some point during, before or after period)
* Sugar swings/cravings
* Generally unwell (annoys me when people say PMS is not an illness!)
* Poor circulation
* Aches & pains all over
* Feel old although am young
* Very dry skin, hair

I know this is the million dollar question and I wonder if we can ever truly feel like we deserve to. It’s so unfair that some women suffer and others don’t. This has been passed down the generations of women in my family and am quite concerned about my own daughter who is fast approaching pre-puberty.

A: I would talk to your doctor. Most medications have side effects, but I would talk to your doctor for the best suggestions.

Q: After treatment for Lymes disease?
Do all symptoms disappear facial palsy/pins & needles/muscle cramps in legs/hip joint pain/train of thought/short term memory/loss of vision/migraines ECT? I have had symptoms for 10 months without treatment

A: If you know you have Lyme Disease ( only a doctor could diagnose this) why didn’t you get the anti-biotic treatment….Symptoms will not go away by themselves.

Q: what is the best essential oil for dealing with mild vertigo?
I have mild Vertigo the symptoms are
migraine
dizziness
loss of balance
slight hearing loss in one ear.
there is no medical treatment for this condition
are there any essential oils i can treat it with? I am mildly allergic to Orange. (i get migraines with Orange)

A: Try this:

http://www.viableherbalsolutions.com/prod20.htm

Q: Optical Migraine??? Or signs of a stroke???
My sis was experiencing what she felt were possible signs of a stroke, double vision, sharp pains in head, headache, fatigue, & numbness in her face & right side of her arm. She went to doctor’s right away, afterwards, doctor feels that she is too young to have a stroke at 30yrs old & that it may be an Optical migraine. My family has never heard of this & are researching it & trying to understand it. Is there anyone that can tell us what types of treatment that has worked for this type of migraine because I think my sister is still experiencing these symptoms. Also, my family are still worried and would like for her to get a second opinion because my aunt had a stoke a year ago so we all want to be safe. The doctor didn’t even take any blood. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks.

A: FIRST OF ALL there is such a thing as a OPTICAL MIGRAINE it is a migraine with aural symptoms so regardless of what other users suggest that is a valid diagnosis, however given your sisters family history it would be a good idea follow up with a second opinion.

Migraines normally do not follow with symptoms of numbness, especially in the limbs. If your sister has any other symptoms I would suggest going to the emergency department, where they can perform a CT scan to see if it is a stroke.

Good luck.

Q: What is the difference between status migrainous, chronic daily headache, and transformed migraines?
I have migraines that seem to go on forever and I don’t react well to treatment. When I’m not having pain, I’m having the other symptoms. I had a headache specialist who said I had Chronic Daily Headache and Migraines. How can I be sure that they’re just regular migraines with chronic daily headaches?

A: I have found the following in the net today as I search on and try to answer your queries;

Below lists some of the major headache types:

* Migraine
* Muscle Contraction Headache/Acute Tension Type Headache
* Chronic Daily Headache
* Cluster Headache
* Ice Pick/Ice Cream Headache
* Sinister Headache: Meningitis/Subarachnoid Haemorrhage/Cranial Arteritis
* Facial Headache: Acute Sinusitis, Post Herpetic Neuralgia, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Temporomandibular Joint

Today, despite the toll headaches still take on millions of people around the world, we have made enormous progress in treating them. New medications, combined with nondrug therapies, are preventing, stopping or managing some of the toughest headaches around.

Tension headache
Tension headache is the most common type of headache. Two out of three people will have at least one tension headache in their lifetime.

Sinus headaches: Sinus headaches are associated with a deep and constant pain in the cheekbones, forehead or bridge of the nose.

Ice-cream headache
Eating something very cold can cause a sharp pain in the middle of your forehead or over one temple. People who get migraines may be more likely to get an ice-cream headache — so-named because it comes on immediately after eating ice-cream.

Migraine headache
Three times as many women (15 per cent) as men (5 per cent) suffer from migraine, and hormones are thought to play a significant role.

Cluster headache
Cluster headaches are relatively uncommon and tend to mainly affect men.

Vascular headaches
Vascular headaches are related to blood vessels; includes migraines and cluster headaches.

Secondary headaches
A secondary headache is a side effect of another disorder.

Hormone headache
Some women experience severe headaches including migraines at times when their hormones fluctuate, for example, around the time of their period each month or around the time of ovulation.

Chronic progressive headaches
Also called traction or inflammatory headaches, chronic progressive headaches get worse and happen more often over time.

Eye strain headache
If you have visual problems that have not been addressed by prescription glasses or contact lenses, you can get an eye strain headache, which typically causes pain and a weighty feeling around the eyes.

Temporo-mandibular joint headache
Some people may get muscle tension and pain related to a disorder of the temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ), the joint just in front of each ear, where your jaw bone connects to your skull.

Acute headaches
Seen in children, these are headaches that occur suddenly and for the first time and have symptoms that subside after a relatively short period of time.

Mixed headache syndrome
Also called transformed migraines, this is a combination of migraine and tension headaches. Both adults and children experience this type of headache.

Q: Doctors & nurses – if a patient came to you with these symptoms, what would you think?
TMJ, depression, low *normal* body temp, chest pains, breathing issues, daily headaches – frequent migraines and tension headaches, sensitivity to light and sound, cough, diarrhea for 3 months, thyroid disease, endometriosis, PCOS, ovarian cysts, hair loss, weight gain – mostly in midsection, food sensitivity, nausea, sleeping problems, IBS, constant gas, intolerance to multivitamins, excessive sweating, burning sensation in arms, joint pain in ankles knees & hips, muscular pain in upper legs and forearms.

I just found a family doctor and made an appointment – I’m guessing I’ll need a referral to a specialist, my endocrinologist thought I’d need to see a rheumatologist since my vitamin d levels are okay, so are my thyroid levels & my lupus test was negative. I’ve gotten the vibe from a lot of people that this may be fibromyalgia. Any other ideas? Also, what kind of treatment options are there? Any doctors out there who don’t think it’s all in your head?
I’m not looking for some moron to tell me there’s nothing wrong with me. You have no medical background and probably haven’t even graduated from high school, so I’m not looking for YOUR advice. If you aren’t smart enough to figure out that the first few words in my question are “doctors & nurses” and that means I want answers from someone with a clue – than you’re an idiot. Go waste your time on someone else’s question.

A: I am not a dr. but yes it does sound like fibromyalgia. But, since you have trouble sleeping, and the shits all the time and can’t take a multi vitamin, I really think you need to see a nutritonist. You can get really sick from not sleeping and having the shits. It depletes the vitamins in your body, causes your cells to damage easier, your anit-bodies to attack your self instead of invaders, it can bring your immune system down, there are so many things that can go wrong if you can’t sleep and have upset stomatch all the time. All of your body works together too if one thing isn’t right everything else gets throw off too it like a domino effect. If your body isn’t working efficiantly your just going to get worse and worse. A nutritionist will work with you to get your body on a path to getting stronger, you can take the drug nessicary to feel better but if you body isn’t working the way it should due to bad nutriton (or depletion of nutrients) or sleep deprivation its going to be that much harder to get to feeling better or even get better period. You need to go to the dr. and i really thing you need to get your insides back to working the way it should. It will take awhile, nutrition and vitamins are not like taking a drug that you feel the effect from in 30-40 minutes it will take a few months to finally feel the effects. One supplement or even herb may not work as well as another, kinda likek meds too. Please go to the nutritionist. I live in constant pain from endometriosis and i know how much it sucks to feel like your life is worthless because you can’t do anything fun or fufilling and i don’t think anyone should know a constant state of pain. Get better damnit.

Q: what is the best treatment for a child who seems to be experiencing migraines, besides elavil, we tried it?
other symptoms, nausea, regurgitating, sometimes vomiting, tired, has chills, noise, riding in car makes it worse

A: http://www.neurologyreviews.com/feb04/nr_feb04_foramen.html

Q: Does this appear to be a Migraine?
About 8 days ago I got a headache. I didn’t really think much about it, i took some alieve and went to bed. Well over the past week the headache has not gone away. Some days it’s way worse than others. I went to the doctor yesterday who said i may have tension headaches and she prescribed me some epidrin. My symptoms are:

constant pain in the front of my head, mostly in my eyes
Dizziness
nausea

I asked for an eye exam in case it was my eye sight getting bad, but my eyes are fine. I’ve done the pressure point thing in my hand which helps some, the medicine mostly just makes my stomach hurt and makes me dizzy. It does relieve the pain in my eyes a little bit. Sleep is the only thing that helps. But i don’t want to sleep my life away, i have to go to work, i have a life…how do you deal with it? My dad suffers from migraines so i know my chances for getting them are higher…Any preventative or treatment advice?

A: Yes this sounds like a migraine, I get them too. I get a wierd fuzzy thing in my eye that I cant get rid of then I feel dizzy and sick, headachey and once I even fainted. But this was solved when I bought tablets from the chemist – its called Migraleave. Its really good, you take a tablet on the first symptoms of migraine and it should clear up. Good luck x [[I hate migraines they are awful and they should invent a proper cure]]

Q: Should I go back to a Chiropractor after he has caused me pain?
I’ve suffered from increasing migraines & tmj for the past 8 years, which have been getting worse and worse, more and more frequent. . . I now take preventative medications which help, suffer from chronic nausea, experience periodic numbness in my limbs. . . the list goes on. So, when I went to a chiropractor and he told me he could cure me (eventually) I was willing to give it a try — after 4 years with a neurologist and only treatment of symptoms, I’m willing to give anything a try. Well, on the 3rd day/adjustment, I left with a burning pain at my shoulderblades, moving down my spine. I went in the next day for my appointment, got an xray, an explanation about arthritis, and another adjustment that was supposed to fix the problem.
The pain is no better, I skipped today’s appointment to give my back a rest, and took a muscle relaxant last night — still in pain, and I am not sure what to do.

A: I would never try to diagnose your migraine condition over the Internet. However, you have mentioned a complex of symptoms which could indicate a type of migraines, which involves spasms of the basilar artery (specifically migraines with limb numbness). This type of migraineur has a significant risk of stroke when treated with chiropractic manipulation and it is therefore contraindicated (not ever done with these symptoms until the diagnosis is ruled out). You need to see a neurologist or headache specialist. The neurologist could also evaluate if there is a cervical (neck) condition. Usually with your symptoms an MRI would be performed to rule out a herniated disc in the neck.

While I frequently send patients to Chiropractors, and think when used appropriately, they can be effective, they can increase the severity of conditions if the diagnosis is not accurate.

Additionally, nobody who has any knowledge of migraines would claim to be able to cure them. As a chronic neurologic condition of which the complete mechanism is not understood, the best anybody could promise is to control or decrease them. I would not recommend seeing anyone who states they can cure this condition.