Migraines every day lately?

[sbgrace]

I have struggled with migraines since my teens. But I identified triggers to avoid many, and I can usually "short-circuit" a migraine if I catch it early enough to take Excedrin Migraine, ice, etc. If I don't catch it fast enough, there's no stopping until I puke my guts out.

I had the worst migraine I've had in quite a while a week ago Sunday. I've had a migraine at some point during the day every day (nearly 1.5 weeks) since that day, often in the late afternoon or evening. Some are less severe than others. Some of those days I've desperately needed to function without holing up in a dark room for hours and I've medicated. Other days I've avoided the Excedrin and had the resulting migraine in hopes I will stop the cycle. It's not stopping. I had another of those run it's course ones today. I feel discouraged. 

I can't figure out what's going on or how to stop this! Thoughts? 

[Farrar]

Could it be allergy triggered? The pollen counts are really high most places now. Mine are often allergy triggered. If you're not taking anything to cut off the allergies, then that could help.

My sympathies. Mine do like this too sometimes. Imitrex helps for me, but sometimes they get persistent for a week even with that.

[6packofun]

I agree about the pollen being really bad.  My dd who has migraines and other headaches has been a mess the past week or so.

[J-rap]

Ugh, migraines are so awful!  We tend to have everyday-type migraines in our family (husband's side -- I don't get them).  This was exactly the time of year that my dh's became everyday.  We had moved out to a rural farm area, and this was our first spring there.  I'm certain it was allergy triggered, and maybe his body had finally reached a threshold of what it could handle (that seems to be the way with migraines).

Once allergy season was over, they got better again, but each year it took longer to get out of that everyday cycle, until eventually they never completely went away.  He pretty much had at least a low-grade migraine then every day...  until we discovered the book Heal Your Headache.  The author is a doctor at Johns Hopkins and goes into great detail about what's happening when you get a migraine, all the different angles that are involved, and how to target them.  It really was life-changing for my dh!

So, I'd first try and figure out the allergy part.  If they don't get better, get the book!  

Best of luck to you!!  All of my dd's get migraines too -- some quite bad.  I could go on and on about them...

[Lizzie in Ma]

Allergies? ?

[Katy]

One of the neurotransmitters involved in migraines is histamine, so often when things are worse in allergy season that's one of the causes.

There are several things that might help:

• Drink more water (histamine is also released by your body when you're dehydrated because water is released with it). If you hate water a couple bottles of gatorade or powerade zero might be a more palatable way to rehydrate yourself. Drink until your urine is completely clear when you're managing migraines.
• Combine H1 and H2 antihistamines (generic Benadryl or similar and generic Zantac)
• Eat a lower histamine diet while your migraines are bad.  This list frequently overlaps the migraine triggers list, but add things like pork, all aged proteins, tomatoes, and vinegar.
• Add a supplement of DAO when you know you will be eating foods high in histamine (unfortunately expensive and only one company now makes it, it's the enzyme that breaks down histamine, it is made from pigs so if you have a religious restriction you should avoid it).
• Eat foods or try supplements containing quercetin (apples), bromelain (fresh pineapple), and possibly stinging nettle (I would only take that in a supplement) because all are reputed to help your body release more of its own DAO and break down histamine.  I suspect histamine is the reason for the "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" cliche, and also probably contributed to several religions restricting pork.
• Close down your house, turn on the A/C, and spend a few hours vacuuming up the invisible pollen (using a HEPA filter vacuum to avoid more exposure).

[Teaching3bears]

is  humidity high where you live these days?  

[mommyoffive]

2 hours ago, Katy said:

One of the neurotransmitters involved in migraines is histamine, so often when things are worse in allergy season that's one of the causes.

There are several things that might help:

• Drink more water (histamine is also released by your body when you're dehydrated because water is released with it). If you hate water a couple bottles of gatorade or powerade zero might be a more palatable way to rehydrate yourself. Drink until your urine is completely clear when you're managing migraines.
• Combine H1 and H2 antihistamines (generic Benadryl or similar and generic Zantac)
• Eat a lower histamine diet while your migraines are bad.  This list frequently overlaps the migraine triggers list, but add things like pork, all aged proteins, tomatoes, and vinegar.
• Add a supplement of DAO when you know you will be eating foods high in histamine (unfortunately expensive and only one company now makes it, it's the enzyme that breaks down histamine, it is made from pigs so if you have a religious restriction you should avoid it).
• Eat foods or try supplements containing quercetin (apples), bromelain (fresh pineapple), and possibly stinging nettle (I would only take that in a supplement) because all are reputed to help your body release more of its own DAO and break down histamine.  I suspect histamine is the reason for the "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" cliche, and also probably contributed to several religions restricting pork.
• Close down your house, turn on the A/C, and spend a few hours vacuuming up the invisible pollen (using a HEPA filter vacuum to avoid more exposure).

 

I had no idea migraines could be caused by allergies.  Hmmm

I get a lot of migraines these days.  

Are you saying you should take Benadryl and Zantac at the same time? 

[Selkie]

I'm so sorry - a week and half of migraines sounds miserable!

Eye or nose irritation are migraine triggers for me. I don't have allergies, but even just getting something in my eye or smelling smoke can make a migraine start up.

[Katy]

1 hour ago, mommyoffive said:

Are you saying you should take Benadryl and Zantac at the same time? 

 

If your allergies are bad the combination will get them in control faster than anything else. I would try it at night or only if you're already out of commission due to a headache though, because benadryl will still make you tired.

[Farrar]

A friend of a friend apparently had ones that were so severe that she had to go to the hospital for them many times over the years. Finally they found the cause was, indeed, allergies. Staying on Zyrtec all the time apparently nearly cured them.

Flonase helps my allergies the most effectively. But yeah, allergies are big headache trigger - migraines and otherwise.

[goldberry]

Lately several people in my life with migraines have increased frequency.  I think sometimes environmental factors are affecting people.  I put my husband on feverfew after he had 3 in two weeks.  I haven't increased mine, but I did a few years ago, started having one a week or so.  Feverfew derailed it.

[catz]

They can be caused by allergies or sinus problems.  Or teeth/jaw issues.  They can be exacerbated by stress.  I've found yeast can be a trigger for me.  I get many less headaches since I started taking probiotics daily.   Flonase was my best defense for a while, but I did wean off of that.

[sbgrace]

Thank you all.

I didn't know allergies could be a trigger, and indeed I've been struggling a lot lately with pollen. I started allergy meds and hope that's the trick. If not, I'll try some of the other suggetions.

So far so good today! 

[Denisemomof4again]

If addressing the allergies doesn't helo, I'd rule out Lymes.  Spring and fall are notorious times for Lymes flares.  I'm currently experiencing sudden onset daily headaches.

[Greta]

I'm on day seven of constant migraines, so I hear you (my worst ever was 32 days straight, and then I got a ONE DAY break before the next round started!).  Mine have been chronic since I started perimenopause.  I don't know how old you are, so that may be irrelevant in your case, but if you're having any symptoms of hormone fluctuations, that could be playing a role as well.  Tyramine is a major trigger for me, so avoiding chocolate, citrus fruits, nuts, and fermented/pickled/aged foods (this includes a lot of foods, from cheese to olives to soy sauce) is critical for me.  Also, alcohol and sulfur-based preservatives (in dried fruit) are MAJOR triggers for me, and I suspect aspartame and MSG are as well, though I'm not as certain (I avoid them anyway!).

If the allergy meds don't help, you might consider seeing your doctor about a preventive medication.  If you are having 15 or more migraine days per month, that's considered chronic, and that's when they advise preventive meds such as beta-blockers, tricyclic antidepressants, botox injections, etc.

I hope you feel better soon!