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

I think we have to be wary of the word "cure". I think all is worth looking into. But with an amount of caution.

I think the stupidest thing I tried was a magnetic pillow and bracelet on the constant nagging of my aunt. It didn't work. But at least she stopped going on about it!

I tried slamming my head against a pipe in my apartment for about 30 minutes for dull the pain once. It didn't work. Acupuncture, quitting coffee, drinking coffee, soy free diet, allergen free diet (I have numerous food allergies), vegan diet, gluten free....none worked.

Oh, where to begin.....

Traveled from Montana to Los Angeles, CA; Rochester, MN and now currently Chicago, IL to see doctors with more experience than my Montana neurologists who are way behind on treatment;

Energy work using a little wand with a crystal in it (from one of my neighbors)--Zero Point Energy Wand.

Magnetic necklaces and bracelets.

More energy work laying on a pad that does some kind of lite vibration and electrical energy (can't remember the name of the dratted thing);

Traction with 8 lbs of pressure lifting my head from the cervical spine (suggested by PT)--prompted an immediate migraine.

Can't remember any others, but I'm sure I've done other things and just can't seem to remember them at this moment.

Becky

Lately I'm getting tired of the following comments from people when they hear about my migraines:

"Have you tried advil?" DUH.
"What about massage therapy?" Yes, many times.
"Oh, have you tried accupuncture?" Been there. Done that.
"You should go see my chiropractor!" Really I should, The last time I saw a chiropractor it made the pain 100 x's worse.
"How about Excedrin Migraine?" Newsflash: Excedrin Migraine is Excedrin.
"How about Biofeedback?" Yes, can't you see the calmness?
"Have you seen a counselor maybe it's something deep in your past." I've recently been released from therapy after 14 years in it. I think I covered everything there was to cover.
"Has your doctor done an MRI?" Would you like to see the stack of twenty MRI films in my closet? I can show you my brain.

My husband says if he was me he'd deck someone who ask a "stupid" question like that. I'm not an aggressive person, I just laugh it off, but sometimes the sarcasm sneaks up on me. So in a nutshell this is what I've tried.

Accupuncture (including electrical)
Some pills an Ansthiesologist gave me that were supposed to clear my head of environmental pollutants. (REALLY?! Right....I'm just sayin'"
Injections into my opcipital nerve.
Chiropractor
Biofeedback
Headache relief tea
Massage therapy
Physical Therapy
CD's
Sound machines
C-Pap machine (was told i had mild sleep apnea and it could be contributing to the headaches)
Meds meds meds meds (I was going over the 18 page paperwork for my new doctor and there were 80 medications listed..I've tried 45 of them. Seriously.
Caffine free diet
Carb free diet
Sugar free diet

I've never heard of the peppermint or lavender around the ears. My husband tries pressure point therapy...No such luck....then again he's not a professional.

A woman who goes to my church actually had a doctor go in and burn her nerve endings off...Um, doesn't sound pleasant to me.


Oh the legths we go to for relief and still none....

Pranotherapy - Did nothing of course, but that old nice man made me relax so deeply and he was so wise

Food intollerance tests (nothing to do with finding the possible triggers through the elimination diet) like testing the Ph of your skin

Expensive ergonomic pillows

Slices of potatoes on my head

I had brain surgery last summer to remove a large cyst. I was sooooooooooo very hopeful that my migraines would go away. For 5 weeks they did and I was incredibly happy with life, but then I had an aura while walking my dog, followed by a 4-day long whopper.

Recently I've been trying snorting capsaicin (the stuff that makes chili peppers spicy). They sell a nose-spray of it. For 6 weeks it's been really keeping my headaches at bay, but yesterday I had another aura and I am dying inside today. Of course it happened in the middle of having something CRUCIAL to do for grad school and I am now 19 hours into this damn migraine and incapable of working.

Also tried acupuncture. It seemed like it was working at first, but then one time he stuck the needle into my neck in a way that caused excruciating pain. I told him something was wrong but he convinced me to deal with the pain. Needless to say the migraines came back straight away after that.

I had my Mirena IUD yanked out, thinking going off of birth control would help. That thing hurt like a mother to have inserted and cost me $500 and I yanked it out on a whim. Didn't help a bit - in fact, now my menstrual migraines are worse and far more prolonged. And on top of it I have to use condoms with my husband, which is really lame.

I've eliminated almost everything that I love from my diet, as everything I love is apparently a migraine trigger (I'm not talking about junk food, I'm talking about things like bananas and avocados and onions and green tea).

It's a really frustrating disease.

Jwar,

I'm so sorry the surgery didn't eliminate the migraines permanently. You've been through the mill.

I hope you are able to find something that will help, although I think the menstrual migraines are the worst because absolutely any change triggers a migraine, and there's no definitive and long-term solution to treat them (anyway, that's my experience).

Take care,

Becky

Becky,

Thanks for the kind words. I agree with you regarding the menstrual migraines - they are just awful! I had never actually had one until I had my IUD taken out. I was on my second one so I was 7 years into having it. On an IUD your period almost completely goes away, and I guess the menstrual migraines followed suit. Hearing about someone having a hysterectomy (!) to get rid of menstrual migraine is so sad to me, and yet I can completely empathize with that sort of desperation.

Take care,

Jayme

I love this thread. I have tried all of the things you all have already mentioned minues the hilarious massaging and twisting guy! Although I have had various alternative practitioners do similar things. I have spent 100's of thousands of dollars on alternative treatments with no success. Machines that give electronic pulses, machines that give magnetic pulses, hyperbaric oxygen, iv's, not to mention all of the western meds and treatments. I have tried all of the preventatives and abortives out there. I went for a month stay at MHNI. Where they just left me molding in a bed and pumped my veins full of drugs and told me that I didn't want to get well and to stop asking so many questions! Diets (no dair 5 months, no caffiene 4 years, no gluten 6 months, nothing but chicken and greens for 2 weeks). Botox, lidocaine triggerpoint injections. And more things both alternative and western based than I can think of.

My favorite was my tinfoil hat I wore a hat with a tinfoil (some sort of metal based material) that was supposed to block em emissions. It was a cute hat

Mary Anne

ps. I needed the laugh!