O/T - Okay, I'm back/been migraining

[Guest guest]

, " Kathleen Petrides "

<WoobeyQueen wrote:

Been suffering from a migraine and then today I felt like

> I'd been on a bender without the " pleasure " .>

 

 

Hi, Kathleen,

 

I thought I'd respond, as I've suffered from severe and frequent

migraines for about 28 years. I hope other people don't mind me

posting this long response; I thought there might be others who would

benefit, also. Don't read this post if you're not interested in

migraines!

 

I don't know whether your headaches are frequent or not, but I

thought I'd share some of the things that have worked for me. It

usually takes a lot of experimentation to find something that will

work for you, as everyone responds differently, and their migraines

may be triggered by different things.

 

I see a top specialist (a neurologist)in Seattle and I've tried lots

of preventive drugs (as well as accupuncture and many alternative

things), but usually quit them after a year or so, as I dislike the

side effects. However, I'm taking one now that I believe is helping.

It's been tested successfully in Germany, and is an herbal product

called butterbur (petasites). The brand that was tested was

Petadolex, and so that is what I take. I order it online from Better

Health International. It takes about a month to be effective at

reducing migraines. I haven't noticed any side effects, although it

might be helping my allergies, it's been reported to do so. If I

forget and just take two pills/day, I'll often get a headache. But if

I consistently take three pills/day, I do fairly well (for me!). I've

been getting about nine a month, but a year ago, I was getting about

20 a month. Fifty percent reduction is considered successful

treatment.

 

The other part of treatment is the pill you take to stop the

migraine. I think I'd have committed suicide by now if I wasn't able

to take the new drugs that have been developed in the last twenty

years or so. I have tried most of them, and again, you need to find

what works for you. You probably know that it's important to take a

pill as soon as possible when the migraine starts; otherwise you may

have a hard time stopping it. Which type of migraine pill to take

partly depends on how quickly your migraines develop, and how long

they last, as some pills are much faster acting than others, and some

are longer lasting. And, hopefully, you can work it out with your

insurance company (if you're covered). That part can be very

frustrating.

 

I've not found Maxalt to be very effective for me, but it may be for

you. Amerge worked pretty well. For a couple of years now, I've been

taking Imitrex 100 (not the regular Imitrex, this is more powerful).

It usually works within a half hour, and is very effective at

stopping the pain. However, I often feel kind of groggy and out of it

afterwards. Anything is better than three days of pain and vomiting,

though! Be careful about not taking more than the recommended dose

without discussing with a doctor, as these are very powerful drugs.

If you can find a knowledgable specialist, that's best, as many

doctors are ill-informed.

 

The other amazing thing I've tried recently, and it has worked two

out of three times, is rubbing the Morocco Method (a line of natural

hair care products sold online) mix of volcanic ash and other natural

ingredients all over my head (not on my face)and letting it dry and

tighten for an hour or more. Rinse off in the shower. It is very

similar to clay, and the third time I used French green clay (used

for facial masks)to coat my head, and it worked, too. Both products I

mixed with water to make a creamy paste, and massaged them into my

head. I was happy to find something that works atleast some of the

time and is not a drug, although it sure makes you look awful!

 

I hope some of this has been helpful, feel free to write to me if you

have questions.

 

Best wishes to you,

Autumn Scott