Migraine help needed ASAP!!!

Nah, Maxalt doesn't give me any nausea. Just makes me drowsy—I just nap for an hour or two and I feel totally refreshed once I wake up.
Here’s the lowdown on side effects (I dug up the official drug info): most common: dizziness, sleepiness, fatigue.
Less frequent: stomach pain, diarrhea, chest pain, neck pain, muscle weakness, feeling heavy or exhausted, thirst, dry mouth, throat irritation, tremors, temporary facial flushing or heat, racing heart, insomnia, restlessness, shortness of breath, brain fog, sweating, itching, blurred vision.
Rarely: fainting, high blood pressure, tongue swelling, hives, facial pain, changes in taste.

Don't touch Maxalt if you're allergic to any of its ingredients, if your high blood pressure isn't under control, or if you have heart disease (like a risk of a heart attack). Also off-limits if you have severe liver or kidney issues, or problems with cerebral blood vessels (like stroke risk), or if you've had a TIA. You also can't take it if you've used MAO inhibitors (certain antidepressants) within the last two weeks, or if you've recently taken ergotamine, dihydroergotamine, or other 5HT1B/1D receptor antagonists like Sumatriptan, Naratriptan, or Zolmitriptan. Basically, if you take another migraine med—say, Imigran—and it doesn't work, you have to wait at least 24 hours before you can use Maxalt.
If you take something else first and it fails, you need to wait at least 6 hours before trying another medication...

For me, the best remedy is just retreating to a dark room and trying to sleep it off.
I don't know if you've heard about this old-school home remedy where you slice up some potatoes and hold them against the area to draw out the pain. Might be worth a shot...

A medication doesn't cure anything; you just retreat to a dark room. It doesn't make the migraine disappear, it simply provides relief.
Nathan Peterson11, thank you for such a detailed response. I find that Zomig makes me extremely drowsy as well. I deal with many side effects from Zomig, and it seems this will be no different. I intend to try it, though my main challenge is finding the time to take it while caring for my young child.

Well, I guess I've officially joined the migraine club too. I've been using Zomig and it works wonders for me after trying Imigran (though not the spray version—how do you even use that thing?). Before that, it was just coffee and forcing myself to sleep through the attack.
With Zomig, the migraine feels more like a standard intense headache, especially if I can just rest in a dark room. I don't deal with vomiting as long as I take it right when the aura starts, so I always keep it on me. If I wait until the aura passes and the real show begins, then everything comes back up.

A while back, acupuncture actually helped cut down the frequency of my attacks quite a bit, though I haven't done a session in years. This past summer was honestly one of the worst seasons I've had since they first started hitting me in my teens. I spent some time digging through sites looking for common triggers, and now I try to avoid those in my diet. It really helps space them out. I also take magnesium supplements daily, which I'm happy to say has made a noticeable difference in how often they hit.

When one hits, it's straight to the Zomig.
I'll ask my doctor about the Maxalt dissolvable tablets next time I pick up a prescription.

I totally agree with Sam Hall15 that people are increasingly confusing a regular bad headache with a true migraine. There’s no "just powering through" it by drinking tea or lying in a dim room. A real migraine is excruciating. You can't just sit at a computer at work, clicking away and sighing about a little head pain, and then act confused when someone asks if you're experiencing an aura.🙂

I deal with these tension-type migraines, and honestly, when an attack hits, I’d probably accept a death sentence if someone offered it to me just to make it stop.
A family friend of mine is a neurologist, so I've tried absolutely everything under the sun... from every standard medication you can find at a local CVS to specialized imports. I've even been giving myself injections. It actually got to the point where even Tramal wasn't touching the pain, and that's some heavy-duty stuff.
We haven't been able to pin down what actually triggers them, either—it could be food, stress, the weather, or hormonal shifts during my cycle. It's impossible to tell.
I've gone the acupuncture route, tried homeopathy... nothing works. Period. All I know is that after more than 10 years of this misery—dealing with almost daily headaches or this constant throbbing in my temples—I am just completely drained, and my quality of life has totally tanked.

Kevin Cook11 said:I deal with these tension-type migraines, and honestly, when an attack hits, I’d probably accept a death sentence if someone offered it to me just to make it stop.
A family friend of mine is a neurologist, so I've tried absolutely everything under the sun... from every standard medication you can find at a local CVS to specialized imports. I've even been giving myself injections. It actually got to the point where even Tramal wasn't touching the pain, and that's some heavy-duty stuff.
We haven't been able to pin down what actually triggers them, either—it could be food, stress, the weather, or hormonal shifts during my cycle. It's impossible to tell.
I've gone the acupuncture route, tried homeopathy... nothing works. Period. All I know is that after more than 10 years of this misery—dealing with almost daily headaches or this constant throbbing in my temples—I am just completely drained, and my quality of life has totally tanked.

Almost every single day? Man, that sounds awful, I totally get you, even if they aren't full-blown migraines every time. What kind of tests have you done so far, since nothing seems to be helping with those near-daily headaches?

I’ve gone through the absolute ringer with medical testing—full neurological workup (EEG, EMG, color Doppler, X-rays, CT scans, MRI), plus seeing an ENT, an ophthalmologist, a physiatrist, and even a psychiatrist just to rule out stress... but it hasn't changed anything. Every single day I wake up with at least a dull headache that almost never fully clears, and I constantly deal with this pressure and occasional throbbing in my temples throughout the day. Before an actual attack hits, I get this predictable aura; it’s like looking through fire with sparks jumping in front of my eyes, the pulsing gets way more intense—usually on my left side—and smells become unbearable. Once the attack peaks, even the tiniest noise or scent drives me crazy... whether it's the smell of my sheets, food, or any kind of cosmetics. This whole thing can drag on for two or three days. I’ve actually blacked out from the pain three times now. My last massive attack was back in June, and honestly, even injections didn't touch it... I just had to grit my teeth and suffer through it. Before that, though, about 20 minutes after an injection, I’d feel better, get incredibly hungry, and then be able to crash into a deep 15-hour sleep.
I tried Zomig as soon as it hit the market, and somehow I managed to trigger nearly every single side effect without the pain actually subsiding. Before that, I was using Imigran. And don't even get me started on painkillers; I've tried everything under the sun, from over-the-counter stuff to the heavy-duty prescription meds.
It’s making it so hard to stay active, go out to anywhere remotely noisy, or travel. Not to mention staring at a computer screen all day at work... yeah, life is pretty miserable right now.

When I’m dealing with an attack triggered by everything going on around me, my go-to move is just cutting out the light... it’s pretty easy enough to just blackout the room. But the smells? I don't know if it's all in my head, but I swear my sense of smell just goes into overdrive. It's like even the tiniest scent becomes incredibly intense. And the noise—even the sound of my own breathing starts to grate on my nerves. My family feels just as helpless as I do when this hits; they hate seeing me like this. They end up just hovering... nothing gets done, no cooking, no chores, they just whisper around me... trying their best so I don't feel any worse.

I'm 26 now, and I've been dealing with migraines for about 12 or 13 years—though there have been some breaks here and there. It was at its absolute worst back in high school; I’d go through these stretches where every single Saturday I’d wake up with a migraine. It always starts with this tingling sensation in my left or right arm, which then spreads across my neck to my face, lips, and tongue. Then comes the visual stuff—sometimes it looks like "rain" coming in from the side, other times it's like a flash of light. That part lasts maybe 20–30 minutes, and then everything suddenly clears up, leaving me feeling okay for just a minute or two before the pain hits. It's always in the same spot, right above my left or right eye. Honestly? The aura is actually worse than the actual headache. A full attack lasts about 12–13 hours, and the next day I'm basically in a coma—any sudden movement makes my head throb, and I can barely even look at anything.

When I saw my doctor about ten years ago, she just chalked it up to vision issues and sent me to an eye doctor (turns out my vision was totally fine). For years, I had no clue what was happening until I heard this radio program specifically about migraines that described my symptoms perfectly. After that, I finally went to a neurologist and did the whole routine—EEG, color Doppler, etc.—but all the tests came back normal. As for homeopathy or acupuncture as treatments? This forum is actually the first time I've even heard of them. My neurologist just immediately prescribed Maxalt and didn't mention any other options. Well, a week later, I finally got to try it. Conclusion: worst migraine ever. I was stuck in bed for three days straight; the pain wouldn't let up for a full 24 hours, and I was vomiting every half hour. Is it possible that's a reaction to triptans? I haven't touched Maxalt since. I've noticed that for milder migraines, Nurofen helps—but only if I take it right at the start and, obviously, if I don't end up throwing it all back up.

I still haven't pinpointed a specific trigger, but it seems like they hit hardest in early spring and fall—basically whenever the weather is acting up and the barometric pressure drops. I work a lot of night shifts, so I'm constantly sleep-deprived and my eating habits are a mess because my metabolism gets thrown off. My neurologist claims sleep deprivation isn't the cause, though.

I've actually gone three weeks without a migraine so far. Before this, I had a month where they were hitting me every 2 or 3 days. I seriously thought I was going to have to quit my job. These migraines absolutely wreck my quality of life, especially my ability to actually work. I don't know how much longer my boss is going to be understanding about it...

Gerald Johnson said:I'm 26 now, and I've been dealing with migraines for about 12 or 13 years—though there have been some breaks here and there. It was at its absolute worst back in high school; I’d go through these stretches where every single Saturday I’d wake up with a migraine. It always starts with this tingling sensation in my left or right arm, which then spreads across my neck to my face, lips, and tongue. Then comes the visual stuff—sometimes it looks like "rain" coming in from the side, other times it's like a flash of light. That part lasts maybe 20–30 minutes, and then everything suddenly clears up, leaving me feeling okay for just a minute or two before the pain hits. It's always in the same spot, right above my left or right eye. Honestly? The aura is actually worse than the actual headache. A full attack lasts about 12–13 hours, and the next day I'm basically in a coma—any sudden movement makes my head throb, and I can barely even look at anything.

When I saw my doctor about ten years ago, she just chalked it up to vision issues and sent me to an eye doctor (turns out my vision was totally fine). For years, I had no clue what was happening until I heard this radio program specifically about migraines that described my symptoms perfectly. After that, I finally went to a neurologist and did the whole routine—EEG, color Doppler, etc.—but all the tests came back normal. As for homeopathy or acupuncture as treatments? This forum is actually the first time I've even heard of them. My neurologist just immediately prescribed Maxalt and didn't mention any other options. Well, a week later, I finally got to try it. Conclusion: worst migraine ever. I was stuck in bed for three days straight; the pain wouldn't let up for a full 24 hours, and I was vomiting every half hour. Is it possible that's a reaction to triptans? I haven't touched Maxalt since. I've noticed that for milder migraines, Nurofen helps—but only if I take it right at the start and, obviously, if I don't end up throwing it all back up.

I still haven't pinpointed a specific trigger, but it seems like they hit hardest in early spring and fall—basically whenever the weather is acting up and the barometric pressure drops. I work a lot of night shifts, so I'm constantly sleep-deprived and my eating habits are a mess because my metabolism gets thrown off. My neurologist claims sleep deprivation isn't the cause, though.

I've actually gone three weeks without a migraine so far. Before this, I had a month where they were hitting me every 2 or 3 days. I seriously thought I was going to have to quit my job. These migraines absolutely wreck my quality of life, especially my ability to actually work. I don't know how much longer my boss is going to be understanding about it...

It sounds like we’re dealing with almost identical aura symptoms—that flashing light effect, visual disturbances, and that weird tingling in my hands and face. I also notice mine hitting at pretty much the same times of year. Say hi to your GP for me; if she’s referring you to an ophthalmologist for migraine aura, it seems like she's just checking boxes without really understanding the issue. My own neurological tests came back clear, aside from some minor capillary issues in one hemisphere that shouldn't actually trigger these attacks. For me, the worst periods are definitely spring and fall, especially when the weather starts clearing up or during the weekends. It might be because we both work irregular shifts and our circadian rhythms are constantly out of whack.

Give my best to your neurologist, too. I’ve been struggling with some sleep issues lately, and it's really starting to wear me down. Does anyone else deal with this, or have any tips that actually work? Sleep issues are definitely one of my main triggers. For the last five years leading up to this spring, I was working rotating shifts—everything from early mornings and afternoons to those brutal overnight stretches. It messed with everything: my sleep schedule, my circadian rhythm, and even my eating habits (which is also listed as a major trigger alongside a bunch of other factors). Because of that, I’d almost always end up having attacks over the weekend rather than during the week. Back in March, I finally switched jobs and moved to a steady schedule, and honestly, I had an incredible summer for the first time in ages. Getting my biological clock back on track at 34, especially since I've dealt with migraines since puberty, made all the difference in the world.

Last year, I spent a lot of time Googling migraine triggers and looking into how eating or sleeping disorders affect things. It finally helped me realize something that had been eluding me for years: during my ten months of serving in the Army, I didn't have a single attack. Looking back, it seems pretty obvious that having a solid sleep schedule, regular meal times, and zero stress made all the difference. I guess there might be something to the nutritional balance of military food, too, though saying that feels a little silly. 😬)

Well, I think we've stumbled onto something else here. I actually mentioned another little detail about this earlier on, which was... I've been taking magnesium lately, and honestly, it’s made a noticeable difference for me. It just seems to help everything settle down.I was digging around online looking for potential triggers and stumbled upon something interesting: magnesium deficiency. I’ve actually started chewing on those magnesium gummies you can pick up at CVS, and honestly, whether it's just a placebo or not, they seem to be helping me. I'm planning to track down those lists of dietary triggers and foods that help soothe things, too. Lately, I've also cut back on caffeine, am trying to stay away from cheese—especially anything with mold, since a bottle of funky Pinot Noir sent me straight to the ER a few years back after a string of attacks—and I've ditched the alcohol. Plus, now that I'm off shift work, it's much easier to stick to a steady sleep schedule without all that constant jumping around.

I haven't tried Maxalt yet. It honestly surprises me that your neurologist didn't suggest anything else—though I guess it’s not that shocking when money clearly talks, even for people who claim to follow an ethical code. For the last few years, I've been using Zomig. I gave Imigran a shot before that, along with all those standard over-the-counter painkillers, but nothing really worked. Still, I've learned one rule applies to pretty much every medication I've ever taken: Take it while you still have the aura. If you wait until after, you’re basically just inviting nausea and vomiting. Some meds can actually make things way worse if you take them once the headache hits, because then you're stuck dealing with stomach issues on top of everything else, making it impossible to just lie down and sleep through the misery. It makes the whole experience ten times more brutal.

Back in my teens, I tried acupuncture and it actually thinned out my attacks, giving me a few years of peace. But eventually, it became frustrating again, feeling like I was being sidelined every few weeks or months. Acupuncture definitely helps some people more than others, but honestly, you should look at your lifestyle and work environment first. Good luck.

Gerald Johnson, I have dealt with terrible issues at work due to migraines. I ended up changing jobs constantly because employers eventually grew tired of my condition. I know how difficult this is for you. In fact, I worked for years while managing everything privately at home out of fear that I might be fired. These migraines truly diminish one's quality of life, both professionally and personally. Partners also struggle with them. It feels as though no one truly understands.

My doctor mentioned that muscle fascia surgeries are performed here in the States, and they seem to have a high success rate.
He also suggested a preventative medication—I can't recall the exact name right now, something starting with T. It's quite pricey and typically used for epilepsy, though I believe you can get it via prescription from a specialist here in the US. Thank God I haven't dealt with a migraine in quite some time, so I'm a bit out of the loop. The last time one hit me was right before a trip, and since I was buried in work, I went to see a doctor who gave me two injections and prescribed some incredibly potent painkillers.

boldbison26 said:Gerald Johnson, I have dealt with terrible issues at work due to migraines. I ended up changing jobs constantly because employers eventually grew tired of my condition. I know how difficult this is for you. In fact, I worked for years while managing everything privately at home out of fear that I might be fired. These migraines truly diminish one's quality of life, both professionally and personally. Partners also struggle with them. It feels as though no one truly understands.

Exactly! It’s nearly impossible to explain what a migraine feels like to someone who hasn't lived through one. The lack of empathy is everywhere. When they first started hitting me back in my teens, nobody took me seriously—not even my parents. They thought I was just making excuses to skip school, or blamed it on watching too much TV or some other nonsense...

Work is its own special kind of hell, though my boss (for now) is cool about my absences. But there have been a few times where an attack hit mid-shift when there was zero chance of finding coverage—so I just had to stand there and suffer through it. Just miserable...

Ethan Hall10, thanks for the deep dive and all the advice—I’m sure some of this will actually be useful.
I have one question: how tight is the link between migraines and triggers? Like, how much lead time are we talking about before the pain hits? So far, my migraines usually flare up when the weather shifts suddenly—specifically during those big drops in barometric pressure—so I've been obsessively checking the forecast. In those cases, the migraine typically kicks in either the day before or at the latest, first thing in the morning on the day the weather turns bad. As for any other triggers, I haven't been able to spot a pattern yet.

Most people assume a migraine is just a headache. For me, everything else is actually worse than the pain itself. While medication helps settle the ache, the nausea and my sensitivity to light, noise, and scents are truly awful. I can't handle any food, and even water makes me feel sick. Being around people is difficult too. It is best if everyone simply leaves me alone during those times.

I used to end up in the ER all the time because of my migraines—they’d hit me with a cocktail of three different injections (pretty sure one was Trodon, which is a super strong painkiller), and even then, it barely touched the pain.
I finally took some advice to heart, and ever since I started doing things this way, the attacks are actually pretty rare.😛I still deal with migraines with aura, though—it’s more about that initial dull ache and pulsing sensation before the full-blown attack hits, along with all the usual aura symptoms. I’ll just take two Advil (you know, that standard over-the-counter stuff you can grab anywhere in the US) and the attack never even starts—all the symptoms just slowly fade away. But, if I'm too slow and don't get those Advil in my system right away, I get hit with an attack so intense that absolutely nothing helps—I'm stuck just lying motionless in a dark room, waiting for it to pass...🙄

I followed that same approach, jadeseal17. As soon as I suspected a migraine might be starting, I would take an analgesic just to ensure I remained productive at work. This habit eventually escalated until I became dependent on codeine and had to undergo detox. The reality is that a headache does not always progress into a full migraine.

That approach works for me since my attacks aren't super frequent. Honestly, relying on painkillers all the time feels wrong—they can be pretty toxic and you definitely don't want to end up hooked. Has anyone here tried daily herbal supplements to see if they help thin out the frequency over time? A friend of mine was taking some plant-based tablets and said she saw a real difference after about a month—her attacks became much less often, and even when they did hit, they weren't nearly as intense. There was this one supplement sold over in the States—I think it was called "Dolorex"—that she used. Believe it or not, it actually contained ingredients derived from silkworms🙂. I know it's an import, but I'm not entirely sure where it's manufactured or how much clinical testing it's actually undergone.

Kevin Cook11 said:I deal with these tension-type migraines, and honestly, when an attack hits, I’d probably accept a death sentence if someone offered it to me just to make it stop.
A family friend of mine is a neurologist, so I've tried absolutely everything under the sun... from every standard medication you can find at a local CVS to specialized imports. I've even been giving myself injections. It actually got to the point where even Tramal wasn't touching the pain, and that's some heavy-duty stuff.
We haven't been able to pin down what actually triggers them, either—it could be food, stress, the weather, or hormonal shifts during my cycle. It's impossible to tell.
I've gone the acupuncture route, tried homeopathy... nothing works. Period. All I know is that after more than 10 years of this misery—dealing with almost daily headaches or this constant throbbing in my temples—I am just completely drained, and my quality of life has totally tanked.

After half a century of these brutal, beastly headaches that modern medicine can't seem to solve, I finally gave in and tried acupuncture (it was a recommendation from a neurologist who was basically out of ideas). It doesn't cure the underlying issue, but it does temporarily dull or eliminate the pain. At least it gives you a moment to catch your breath. And I guess taking Maxalt right when you feel it coming can help too. Hang in there; those of us living with chronic headaches at least know our heads aren't just there to hold up a hairstyle.

One word: Maxalt

If I catch it early enough, the migraine doesn't even get a chance to kick in. Even if I wait until the pain is already hitting me hard, it brings the whole thing down to a level where I can actually get through the day... sort of.
It’s worth every damn cent.