Heat induced migraines - sports query

Hello everyone!

I'm new to the forums. My name is Evan, and basically i'd like to hear peoples opinions / ideas. I've had migraines basically as long as i can remember (short but severe, the kind that turns you into a vomiting, foetal position mess ). I've been taking a drug called mersyndol which (after a little while) basially lets my head calm enough to get to sleep and wear it off that way.
They have dropped in number over the passed years (although not enough), but my main issue these days is that i'm a full time martial arts instructor, and obviously i train as well. Problem being is that (well i always get them during summer anyway) i wear a traditional gi (karate pj's ) and being that my body doesn't rid itself of heat properly as it is, whenever i have a hard session it's basically a given than a migraine is going to come out of it.

I've tried super hydration, taking painkillers beforehand. I've heard there are some ice vests and stuff you can get but i'm not sure how well that would go under my uniform and how well it would go with the obvious extreme exercise i'm doing. What other options to i have? Or how else can i try to treat / prevent it from occuring? It's very frustrating as i train hard, but quite often have to end up sitting out / missing content because my head just could not cope with it any more.

Thanks for your time!
Evan

I made this neck wrap this past summer when I went to Africa. It dd a great job of keeping me cool and avoiding just the problem you are talking about. You put these little beads in the scarf that absorbs water and keeps you cool. It worked amazingly well.

http://mymagicmom.com/cooling-neck-wrap-tutorial/

Thanks for the response Unfortunately i don't think i could wear anything like that in the dojo, it's a little too obvious. It is a nice idea though thank you

Have you ever tried Indomethacin? I was getting severe headaches after intense aerobic exercise. Now I take Indomethacin before every run. It works great, ask your doctor about it. It is a NSAID, but for this purpose works much better than any other NSAID.

Some thoughts:
Are you eating enough? Or eating often enough?
I cycle a lot, and I used to get a migraine every time I went for a ride (didn't matter how long I was riding). Turns out, I have to eat wayy more often than other people. I'll have a snack immediately before leaving, and eat every 10 or so miles (maybe sooner). I also drink 2x the amount of others.

Warming up is also very important. If I jump into something really fast I'm much more likely to get a headache.

And this probably isn't an issue with you, but how often do you train? I find that if I cycle very consistently (daily), I don't get headaches. If I go only occasionally, I'll get a headache every time.

@ jagmig
No i haven't tried that to be honest. Apologies but i'm not actually sure what an NSAID is in the first place. I'm assuming it's an over-the-counter kind of thing?

@ConcordGrape
My nutrition hasn't generally been too much of an issue. Eating wise, yeah i eat enough. Hydration wise - well i'm probably not drinking enough at the moment, but i did go through a period of time where i was drinking heaps in the hopes that more hydration would reduce the chances of it happening. I had a ring fight last year, and was drinking 2-3 litres a day in my training leading up the that, but same thing still happened unfortunately.
In regards to training - i don't get as much training as i'd like these days, as my focus has shifted towards teaching, but i am active every day, just not to as high a level of exertion.

Basically with my migraines it's as though my head collects all of the heat and just builds up and up and up. It's like my body doesn't dissipate heat properly or something.

I get what you're saying. This happens to me as well, though maybe not to the extent you describe.

Maybe try tiger balm, or something similar? I always use it when i have a headache and it makes my head feel cooler immediately.
Have you heard of florida water? This is something we used when cycling in the southern u.s. in the summer (100 degrees +). If you put it on a rag it will stay cool for a while...maybe you can find a way to use this?

I'll keep thinking about this...

NSAID = Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (Aspirin, Ibuprofen, and others that you need a prescription for)