Migraine relief help?

A while back, I used to deal with "standard" migraines—the kind without any aura or those flashing lights in front of your eyes. One time, or maybe twice, I took some Immigrant tablets, and honestly, my heart nearly jumped out of my chest. I felt absolutely miserable, regardless of how bad the headache itself was.
My neurologist finally prescribed me Maxalt, and my primary care physician wrote the prescription, so I went ahead and picked it up. It comes in this little plastic container with three tablets that you're supposed to dissolve on your tongue once those spots start appearing in your vision. Everyone who suffers from migraines seems to swear by this stuff, and doctors talk it up constantly. I haven't actually had the chance to try it yet.
I’m really hoping I won’t even need it, but if I do, I truly hope it does the trick. 👍

Though, if I’m being honest, what I’m most terrified of is heading into work this Monday. I have a feeling my coworkers are going to trigger a migraine the second I walk through the door! 😠

Everyone reacts to medication differently.
Personally, using an Immigrant spray just leaves me feeling even worse than before.
It clears up my aura symptoms and that blind spot in my vision, sure, but then the headache hits twice as hard and lingers for almost two days...
My doctor once prescribed some pills to take on a continuous basis—I can't even remember the name now—basically a type of medication used for epilepsy. I took one single dose and felt completely "drugged" for three whole days. After that, I told her: NEVER AGAIN!!!
We're all wired differently...

mistydrifter55 said:Everyone reacts to medication differently.
Personally, using an Immigrant spray just leaves me feeling even worse than before.
It clears up my aura symptoms and that blind spot in my vision, sure, but then the headache hits twice as hard and lingers for almost two days...
My doctor once prescribed some pills to take on a continuous basis—I can't even remember the name now—basically a type of medication used for epilepsy. I took one single dose and felt completely "drugged" for three whole days. After that, I told her: NEVER AGAIN!!!
We're all wired differently...

Yeah, my neurologist also put me on those daily pills, and when I went to my GP to get the prescription filled, she basically told me she wasn't crazy enough to take them herself. As for the Imitrex spray, it's the only thing working for me right now—if I spray it right at the start of an attack, things settle down immediately—but if I miss that window, I end up needing two sprays a day, and then I feel totally drugged out.
The absolute worst was that Zomig pill, or whatever it was called—one time I took it while I was in the car and honestly thought I was going to pass out. For about two minutes, I had no clue where I was or even who I was, and I broke out in such a cold sweat I looked like I'd just walked through a rainstorm. It was terrifying. 👎

I've been using Maxalt following my neurologist's instructions—taking the dissolvable version the second I feel an attack coming on. However, my doctor suggested trying three cups of coffee and some Plavigard first to see if that helps stop it in its tracks. I haven't actually tried that combo yet; honestly, it feels like a lot to take all at once, but I'm not sure. What do you guys think?

Christian Cruz41 said:I've been using Maxalt following my neurologist's instructions—taking the dissolvable version the second I feel an attack coming on. However, my doctor suggested trying three cups of coffee and some Plavigard first to see if that helps stop it in its tracks. I haven't actually tried that combo yet; honestly, it feels like a lot to take all at once, but I'm not sure. What do you guys think?

Personally, I could never handle three Excedrins—my stomach would absolutely revolt. Even just one single Excedrin tends to make me nauseous, which is just great. My doctor over at the pain management clinic actually told me to just pair some Imigran spray with Voltaren Rapid; she said I could even take two of those, and I’ve tried it—it really does work for me.

I used to get by on taking two Advil twice a day, but like you said, my stomach just couldn't take it anymore... at least Maxalt doesn't do that to me.

Charles Cox8 said:Thanks for the heads-up. 🙂
It usually starts like this: first, there’s this weird flickering in my peripheral vision—could be the left side, could be the right, doesn't really matter—and everything just starts spinning. My field of vision gets totally blurry, too. It’s like I’m half-blind, though I can’t even describe it properly. The light and noise become unbearable, and sometimes, I lose the ability to talk normally. It isn't even because of the pain, per se, but more like some kind of mental brake is being pulled that just stops me from communicating. It might sound crazy, but in those moments, I basically go mute. Then, once that settles down a bit, the headache hits me like a freight train. Since I’ve never actually been diagnosed with migraine and other headaches, I just grab a 400mg Motrin and hope for the best. If I'm lucky, the pain stays manageable or maybe just stays mild. A few years back, I had this terrifying period where my entire left side—face, throat, arm—just went numb. Honestly, it was one of the scariest things I've ever felt. Thankfully, it just stopped on its own.
This whole thing started back when I was maybe six or seven years old, and honestly, it just hasn't let up since. Like I mentioned before, I actually went to see a neurologist last year, but the doctor told me straight up that it isn't even a migraine.
Has anyone else dealt with something like this? Seriously, if you have, or if anyone out there knows, I’d really appreciate some advice on who I should even talk to. I honestly thought I could just handle this on my own and get it sorted, but I failed. I guess since it isn't something that happens all the time, I wasn't exactly being super persistent about it. Especially after they told me my CT scan came back fine. So, yeah. Help.
Thanks!

An orthopedic surgeon I know deals with these exact migraines; whenever they hit, he has to head home because he literally can't talk to patients for that exact reason...

Hey everyone, I've been dealing with migraines for about 3 years now. It all started right after I had my baby. At first, it wasn't too bad, but over time, they just got more intense and unbearable. I went through all the tests, even did an MRI, and everything came back totally fine. The light would kill me, I'd be throwing up constantly, and it felt like every third day I'd just wake up with a pounding head. In the beginning, meds actually helped, but eventually, nothing worked. Some of them would last for two full days. One doctor suggested I try acupuncture and some Chinese herbal tea blends she prescribed. I stuck with it for 7 months, going twice a month for sessions, and things slowly started looking up. Now, they happen super rarely, and when they do hit, I can still function normally—the light doesn't bother me anymore and I don't get sick. Even a basic painkiller helps sometimes, though occasionally I have to take Maxalt lingual, which is honestly one of the best things out there. Most importantly, drink tons of water. My advice to anyone struggling with migraines? Give acupuncture a shot.

mellowraven32 said:An orthopedic surgeon I know deals with these exact migraines; whenever they hit, he has to head home because he literally can't talk to patients for that exact reason...

Maybe you could ask him if he's actually gone in for any tests, and if so, what kind?

The thing is, every single time this happens, I start getting these massive fears that I'm actually "losing it." And I get the feeling that nobody is taking me seriously. Maybe there's a decent neurologist out there somewhere who would actually listen to me with some empathy.

Ugh, just reading this makes my whole body ache. 😢

Charles Newman3 said:Personally, I could never handle three Excedrins—my stomach would absolutely revolt. Even just one single Excedrin tends to make me nauseous, which is just great. My doctor over at the pain management clinic actually told me to just pair some Imigran spray with Voltaren Rapid; she said I could even take two of those, and I’ve tried it—it really does work for me.

Voltaren Rapid helped me out too, but is it impossible to find now? Is it just out of stock everywhere?

I’ve already learned how to recognize stroke-like symptoms before my migraines actually hit. When that aura starts creeping in, my doctor tells me to just take some Voltaren Forte and Apaurin. Usually, things settle down after that. Or so I tell myself... 🙄

My tongue went numb, my left side felt paralyzed, my left arm was tingling, and my eyes hurt so badly I thought they might pop right out—plus, I couldn't stop vomiting!

I had a very similar experience myself. It actually started in the morning when I began seeing flashes in the corner of my left eye, and then, after maybe an hour or so, the left side of my head started throbbing. Shortly after that, the right side of my face, my right hand, and my tongue all went numb. I couldn't even speak properly; I was basically just mumbling nonsense.
After that happened, I went through the same routine you ladies did—emergency room, then seeing a neurologist... Up until then, I'd dealt with migraine and other headaches, but they never had an aura.
Honestly, I don't think a migraine with an aura can even be compared to the ones without it.
I also tend to agree with most people here that stress is probably the primary trigger.
My neurologist prescribed Altmax for me too, so I'm really hoping it helps.

Anyway, I have one question. I was taking Yasmin for about two months, though I stopped using it roughly 20 days ago. Now, I’m reading on CNN that combining that specific pill with migraines can actually be fatal. 😲 Obviously, the last thing I’d ever consider is taking them again, but I was wondering if anyone else here has had similar experiences?

I've been dealing with migraines since elementary school. As usual at that age, nobody takes you seriously—not my parents, not the doctors. At my first appointment, the doctor just sent me to an eye specialist because she assumed it was a vision issue, even though the migraine symptoms were crystal clear back then.
I'm 27 now, and the way these migraines manifest has shifted constantly over the years. In the beginning, they were accompanied by intense paleness and uncontrollable vomiting 🤮. Later, during high school, they turned into "weekend migraines," where I’d wake up every single Saturday with a massive attack. Then in college, I actually started getting migraines with aura but without the actual pain. A few years ago, things hit a new low when I’d go completely "foggy"—my tongue would get tied and I wouldn't be able to squeeze out even the simplest words. Those episodes could drag on for three whole days...
A couple of years back, I saw a neurologist, just like most of you, and went through every test imaginable. Everything came back normal. The diagnosis was vestibular migraine, and they prescribed me Maxalt, which I took a few times, but it didn't really do much. Sometimes Motrin helped. Obviously, everyone reacts differently to medication, so I guess you just have to try everything.
The biggest issue was how often they hit. There were stretches of two or three months where I’d deal with one or two migraines every week. It happened at work a few times, but the worst part was being solo on a shift—there was no one to cover for me, so I had to spend all eight hours on my feet. About eight months ago, I stopped doing sports entirely, and I haven't had a single migraine since.
Reply to post: That aura you described happens because blood vessels in the head constrict and then dilate—it's basically a "brain storm" caused by the brain reacting to a specific trigger. To get rid of the migraines, you have to identify that trigger, and the list of potential culprits is pretty long. I recommend reading the book "migraine and other headaches"; it goes into quite a bit of detail about how migraines function and what causes them.

Motrin rocks! 🙏

...I'm 29 years old, and I've been dealing with migraines since I was 16. And I'm talking about the complicated kind—the ones where my arms and tongue cramp up, and sometimes I even lose the ability to speak. When it first happened, I honestly thought I was having a stroke at 20. I did some reading afterward, and someone had mentioned stress as a factor. For me, the absolute biggest triggers are stress and food. To anyone else suffering through this: please, try tracking exactly what you ate right before an attack hits, and take note of how your stress levels have been over the past week or even longer. Often, it’s that moment when your body finally tries to relax after a period of intense tension that the migraine actually strikes. As far as medication goes, I've tried just about everything doctors could prescribe. Right now, I rely on diclorapid to knock down an attack, which I can get over the counter (though I usually have to take two once the aura starts). I personally feel it's much easier on my system than things like Imitation, Zomig, or Maxalt—the side effects from those specific drugs were absolutely brutal for me.

Gregory Campbell3 said:

My tongue went numb, my left side felt paralyzed, my left arm was tingling, and my eyes hurt so badly I thought they might pop right out—plus, I couldn't stop vomiting!

I had a very similar experience myself. It actually started in the morning when I began seeing flashes in the corner of my left eye, and then, after maybe an hour or so, the left side of my head started throbbing. Shortly after that, the right side of my face, my right hand, and my tongue all went numb. I couldn't even speak properly; I was basically just mumbling nonsense.
After that happened, I went through the same routine you ladies did—emergency room, then seeing a neurologist... Up until then, I'd dealt with migraine and other headaches, but they never had an aura.
Honestly, I don't think a migraine with an aura can even be compared to the ones without it.
I also tend to agree with most people here that stress is probably the primary trigger.
My neurologist prescribed Altmax for me too, so I'm really hoping it helps.

Anyway, I have one question. I was taking Yasmin for about two months, though I stopped using it roughly 20 days ago. Now, I’m reading on CNN that combining that specific pill with migraines can actually be fatal. 😲 Obviously, the last thing I’d ever consider is taking them again, but I was wondering if anyone else here has had similar experiences?

Listen, lady, if you suffer from migraines, FORGET about that kind of contraception entirely!!!!!

Man, I deal with migraines too, and I’m talking about the absolute worst kind—the ones with aura. I finally managed to pin down my main trigger, though, and it’s basically anything involving intense light. Like, sudden shifts in brightness totally wreck me—think sunrise or sunset, those weirdly bright patches when the clouds break, or even just driving out of a dark tunnel. Don't even get me started on neon signs or massive stadium floodlights... it's brutal. These days, I try my best to dodge those situations by making sure I never leave the house without my sunglasses. But let's be real, you can't always control the environment, and when you can't avoid it, the attack hits you like a freight train.

It usually hits me right after I’ve been grinding through a massive stretch of stress and finally hit a period where I can actually breathe—like when I’m on vacation or just getting more than seven hours of sleep and my brain isn't stuck on constant standby mode. :-)

It all started about a week ago with some mild dizziness and this sensation of stumbling while walking. Then, just yesterday, things took a turn for the worse—I started seeing flashing lights in front of my left eye, and now it’s spreading to both. On top of that, I’m dealing with intense pain on the right side of my head, accompanied by vomiting and total weakness. Is this a migraine? Honestly, I feel completely neurologically shattered. I’ve already gone through the ringer with an MRI, an EEG, blood work, everything. I even saw a neurologist, but what did they tell me? "It might be something, or it might not be." That’s it? Just a vague shrug? So, what am I supposed to do now?

steelscout6 said:It all started about a week ago with some mild dizziness and this sensation of stumbling while walking. Then, just yesterday, things took a turn for the worse—I started seeing flashing lights in front of my left eye, and now it’s spreading to both. On top of that, I’m dealing with intense pain on the right side of my head, accompanied by vomiting and total weakness. Is this a migraine? Honestly, I feel completely neurologically shattered. I’ve already gone through the ringer with an MRI, an EEG, blood work, everything. I even saw a neurologist, but what did they tell me? "It might be something, or it might not be." That’s it? Just a vague shrug? So, what am I supposed to do now?

That is such a strange thing for a neurologist to say! You really need to get over to Mount Sinai Hospital and see Dr. Paul—they are the gold standard when it comes to neurovascular disorders.