Migraine Sufferers

[diva det]

i too am a migrane sufferer
i have been since i was 13 when AF showed up
seems my body doesnt like hormone changes. I get them before AF, when AF stops, just before i O and just after. So yeah up to 4 a month.
Tried everything including the preventer which didnt really work.
Just have to knock myself out, and lie down till the vommitting and headbanging stop- such fun

The best thing about being pg is that i dont get them when i am!!! No hormone changes.
Other triggers for me are citrus fruits and juices, MSG and sometimes tomato based products

i got limited success with natropath, osteopath and a/p - reduces the amount and try and regulate my hormones

odette

[sconeonamission]

Hey! Yeah I suffer from migranes too(don't remember what age they started but I know it was in high school), but I'm not on any meds and, thankfully, haven't had to be hospitalised. I don't have a trigger, but know when I'm about to have one, and if I get on top of it quick enough - I can make it less severe. One of my warning signs is fuzziness. Things seem to blur while they're in focus iykwim. If I don't manage to get to it in time, it can be anywhere from still be able to make myself do things, to in a dark room with no noise, light, smell or touch. I get headaches a few days before AF, sometimes a migrane.

rufalina mentioned accupuncture. I tried that for just my normal everyday headaches... It worked! Was sprung by AF (before I was tracking it) as there was no lead-up headache! Will have to make a mercy dash next time I have a migrane!

[Aimz]

Nic - mandarins are probably worse than bananas as they are a citrus (citrus fruits are very high in amines). Have a look at the diet and work out which fruits are low-amine and try to find one that he likes. Just a thought!!

I always get a headache the day before AF too - every single month without fail.

[emmalou]

This thread is great, for some stupid reason it never occured to me to discuss this on here!!!
I have suffered migraines since around 14yo. they're definitely hormonal and worse just before and during AF. I wouldn't say we put off having children, but i was probably making myself sicker worrying about what would happen when i'm pregnant and not able to take my best friend Imigran and 2nd bestie Aspirin! At the end of the day we own a business and i need to be there, taking maternity leave is a stretch but i can be flexible, i'm not so career minded just enjoy what i do and have worked hard to be good at it. I'm happy for the change but can't afford to not be there for the pregnancy aswell as afterwards.

4 months before we started ttc i went to the naturopath and joined a gym. The naturopath put me on some hormone balancing herbs (since feb 2007 i only have 1 ovary and that 1 doesn't like to ovulate- sometimes once a year if not on pill) and gave me some homeopathic migraine drops. I know you're either into that sort of thing or not, but I've certainly found it has worked she's amazing! I think that combined with going to the gym and getting regular exercise which admittedly i didn't do enough of. My migraines have been less frequent and at the very least i can stop a headache turning into a migraine by using the drops.

Massive breakthrough for me I've tried acupunture, chiro, chinese herbal doctors, preventatives can't think of more but basically since i've been in the workforce i've spent a lot of time and money on treatments, some of them have helped a bit but then stop.

So now I'm 15weeks preg and my migraines were great- non existent for first 12 weeks and no where near as bad asthey were in the last couple of weeks. Keeping my fingers crossed it stays that way! I'll certainly be keeping my eye on this thread to see everyone else's tips!!



P.S. Does everyone hate it when you have a migraine and someone says "yeah don't you hate it when you have a headache" meanwhile i'm trying not to vomit all over them!!

[Aimz]

Or when they say "Just take a panadol - you'll be right"..... Ummm helloooooo if you knew what a migraine felt like you would not be suggesting panadol - you would be suggesting a tranquiliser!!

Or when people say "yeah I think I've had a migraine before..." hahaha YEAH RIGHT!

[emmalou]

So comforting when you just want to throttle them! LOL My hubby has learnt don't touch me, don't talk to me just walk away and turn off the light! Please!

[Aimz]

Haha my DH is the same - he knows to stay away when I have one. Although he was very good yesterday when I had a real nasty one - he even held my hair back while I was vomiting!

[BellyBelly]

Migranes can be treated with acupuncture - its one of the conditions recognised by the WHO as treatable by acupuncture, which is of course safe in pregnancy.