Desperate times call for desperate measures....

What are some of the most desperate things you've tried in the hope of helping this pain?? One of mine was a CD with a noise on it that was supposed to get rid of your headache. I found it online. I've tried some ridiculous things but this might be the topper! How about you? (I hate to say how much money I've wasted trying to find some relief)

Gail- what was the CD noise? Was it relaxing, at least? Or thoroughly annoying?

I've tried lots of things as well- a relaxation CD designed for migraine. One of the talking ones- but since I haven't noticed stress to be a trigger, not much help.

Many years ago (thirty, maybe?) I bought a book that promised a cure through accupressure. I remember being oh so confident it would work- tried it without taking meds and ended up with one of the worst migraines I'd had until that point.

Currently I'm playing with a cheap biofeedback device that measures the temperature of your fingers (the idea is to warm the hands so as to draw the blood away from the head). Not difficult, not too helpful- though it is relaxing and so I've taken to using it while waiting for the meds to kick in. I'd actually like to try biofeedback with a professional (with better equipment!), but my insurance won't pay and money is too tight right now.

Supplements- right now I'm trying something called Calm- just magnesium that dissolves in hot water. I'm going to try this for a while and see if it helps anything.

There's more, I'm sure.

Love, Anna

I think it's not that I've done weird things but the amount of things I have tried. 3 nightgaurds (two regular one NTI), chiro 3 different times, accupuncture 3 times, changed my diet endlessly, water pillow/2 foam pillows, etc. I was going to have sinus surgery but a second opinion saved me from that.

The noise was just that, a noise. No, not relaxing. Like a long monotous beep. I've heard of the magnesium you're taking. Haven't tried that one though. Are you still taking the B2 and magnesium? I am, no change though. I recently purchased a handheld acupunture device. You put an ear device in each ear for 45 minutes or so. It's supposed to work through acupuncture points in the ears. It did nothing. Oh, the things we will try to get rid of this pain. I've just ordered some ginger capsules (a post I saw here). I will try that. Are you going to? Let me know. Hope your day is ok.

Glad to got that second opinion!

Yes, b-complex (though I'm considering adding B2 in a larger dose). The magnesium- though I might try a chelated form (I tried that before but perhaps not long enough? Chelated means it's bound to amino acids and supposedly more absorbable- maybe it is?).

Acupuncture was not helpful, though I enjoyed the process and really liked the practitioner. But she wanted me to take supplements and I couldn't read what was in the box as it was written in Chinese- I was afraid of mixing them with my regular meds.

Botox twice - paid for out of pocket (very expensive) and no help- but gave me severe neck pain both times- I'm actually still dealing with that. This was a great disappointment as I had such high hopes for it.

Oh ginger- yes- I do find it helpful for nausea and love the taste. It feels right. I think I'll try some now. . .

Oh, I'm very sorry about the Botox. I had read that that might help. I wonder why it gave you a sore neck?? Odd. re: chinese supplements..I wouldn't have wanted to take it either without knowing what was in it. It's sometimes hard to know what to do. I almost tried Botox. But the dr. didn't want to do it. REALLY expensive as you say. Be well. G.

After trying every treatment under the sun; Hysterectomy...at age 27. My brilliant doctors talked me into that one. To make a long story short, at age 24, I started getting true menstrual migraines. They put me on lupron for 6 months which shut my hormones off. Went 6 months with no migraines. Got the full hysterectomy, immediately got put on estradiol. For almost a year, I was migraine free but experienced severe dizziness, which they said was vestibular migraines (pretty much migraines without the pain but caused dibilatating dizziness).

Then I started getting the migraines back, like my body was cycling again! Now there are only 10 days out of the month that I don't have migraines. My doctors have no idea why this is happening. Now I'm 31 and still deal with the migraines.

Oh well, there is nothing that I can do about it now, but deal with it. I have been for 7 year now

After trying every treatment under the sun; Hysterectomy...at age 27. My brilliant doctors talked me into that one. To make a long story short, at age 24, I started getting true menstrual migraines. They put me on lupron for 6 months which shut my hormones off. Went 6 months with no migraines. Got the full hysterectomy, immediately got put on estradiol. For almost a year, I was migraine free but experienced severe dizziness, which they said was vestibular migraines (pretty much migraines without the pain but caused dibilatating dizziness).

Then I started getting the migraines back, like my body was cycling again! Now there are only 10 days out of the month that I don't have migraines. My doctors have no idea why this is happening. Now I'm 31 and still deal with the migraines.

Oh well, there is nothing that I can do about it now, but deal with it. I have been for 7 year now

I have even tried rubbing lavander and/or peppermint oil behind my ears, cuz those two specific scents (not used together though) are supposed to rid you of your migraine pain...HA!

There is one thing that I haven't tried...HEAD ON! What a joke! I would like to put something on their heads...the back of my hand LOL! These kinds of people play a large role in why others think migraines are a joke and that only hypochondriacs make a claim of suffering with this kind of tremendous pain

If our pain wasn't real, why would we be so desperate to try ANYTHING to get rid of it???

Dawn

Dawn,

I love your avatar, your haircut is so cute! I have to say though, those big windows and the sun shining through looks painful to me! I miss my old basement apartment so much! Even during the brightest part of the day it was pitch black down there if you wanted it to be, what a selling point to us migraineurs.

I love lavender and peppermint scents when I'm migraining. I don't like the scent of my apartment too much, not because it smells bad but just because the residual smells of cooking really bother my head so I burn candles that fill the house with it. I especially like lavender because it relaxes me and I usually get worse in the night time. Peppermint is nice for those days I wake up with a big one.

Thanks for the compliment Gia...

BTW, I do love those scents, and one way to fix the after cooking smells without lighting candles (cuz my sense of smell is magnified times 1000 during migraines and I need to have the house smell a certain way...), boil a pot of water and put in a few drops of that lavander oil or whatever scent you find soothing. It works like a charm for me anyway. I love lavander as it's my favorite scent, so that's what I do...usually save that for after cooking. We live in WI and ice fishing is big up here, and my hubby brings lots and lots of fish home to clean and cook. The smell of cooking fish physically makes my eyes burn, and I get instantly sick to my stomache. Fish smell is the worst in my opinion, and the lavander oil boiled in water on the stove eliminates that smell in no time.

Oh, the window in the picture...that is the smallest window in the house. These windows are a blessing and a curse for me. When I get a migraine, those are closed, blanketed, whatever I have to do to shut out all the light. On the handful of days that I am feeling ok, I want to soak up the sun and light as much as I can, cuz God knows my life is filled with enough darkness from these migraines.

Dawn

I've tried many things over the years.

Some have cost money and been no good for me;
Osteopath.
Cranial osteopath.
Acupuncture.
Having all my dental fillings changed.
Reflexology.
and a woman who tested for food tolerance by putting different foods in my hand and pulling on my other arm to see if it made me weaker (recommended by someone who knew someone etc).
There has probably been more.

Physiotherapy on my neck didn't help my migraine but freed my neck and I can look over my shoulder now. It looks like that was actually caused by the migraine and not the other way around so I still do the exercises I when it starts to stiffen up.

Loads of other things have been suggested by well meaning people and I've tried them all. They might be wacky but cost nothing and you never know;
Sleeping North-South, South-North etc.
Standing with one foot in hot and one foot in cold water during an attack. If it doesn't work, change feet.
Put your head in water as hot as you can bear it during an attack to expand the blood vessels. There is a logic but it made me sick.

All said, none of these are dangerous and, who knows, may have worked for at least one person. It could be you! I stop short of faith healers.

Dawn wrote: On the handful of days that I am feeling ok, I want to soak up the sun and light as much as I can, cuz God knows my life is filled with enough darkness from these migraines.

I'm with you on this Dawn.

John

I tried the glueten free diet for 5 weeks. No change. No coffee for 1 l/2 years. No change.

I flew from VA to Texas to see a man who supposedly had cured lots of famous atletes of migraines. This was on the advice of my cousin who had a friend that was "cured" of his migraines. It was just alot of massaging twisting and pulling all over my body. Cost $900, results-none!
Cindy