# Migraine Advice Sharing



## Diesel_Bomber (Oct 23, 2007)

GreenLED's thread on migraines got me thinking that there are enough migraine sufferers on this board that we might be able to help each other. I didn't want to hijack the other thread, so I started this one. I'm thinking we list our symptoms, triggers, and what has helped us. Perhaps others may not realize that symptoms they're having are migraine related, and of course can try some of the suggestions given.

My symptoms:

My symptoms vary and I don't always have the same symptoms. Common ones for me are vomiting, extreme sensitivity and pain w/ light and sound, seeing tracers, tunnel vision, extreme pain in one eye or the other, extreme pain in one side of my head or the other, severe chills even though a thermometer shows me to be running a slight fever, lethargy during and for days after, and of course massive head pain in general.

Triggers/warnings:

Stress and blood sugar fluctuations definitely contribute, but sometimes I get them just out of the blue. I also get a small warning about 20 minutes before a migraine is going to hit me. Sometimes my vision goes all blurry for half a second, sometimes it's like I got flashed in the eyes with a strobe, sometimes I hear a loud noise too. Actually it's less of a strobe or noise, and more like the sight/sound parts of my brain got overloaded for a microsecond. Sometimes my scalp will tingle, first one side, then switching to the other. Haven't come up with any correlation between scalp tingling and migraines yet.

What has helped me:

Keeping a diary of my general doings. What I've ate, drank, how much I've slept, made love, exercised, blood sugar levels, how I've generally felt, stress level, etc. After several migraines I went back over my diary to see if I could spot a trigger.

TedTheLed suggested Fiorinal awhile back, and it's helped a lot. Thank you, Ted! It doesn't lessen the pain so much, but helps with the other symptoms and lets me get to sleep(the only cure I've found so far........a good solid sleep) much easier. It knocks me out pretty well so I can't take it when I need to be active.

A large dose of naproxen sodium taken *immediately* after I get my warning can take a lot of the hit out of a migraine and allow me to function through it. This is extremely helpful when a migraine comes along and I'm halfway through installing an injection pump on some piece of machinery and it's still a 2 hour drive home. It's a short window of opportunity, and if I miss it then nothing I take makes much difference. By large dose, I mean 1600-2400 mg's, which I am NOT suggesting anyone else take without explicit directions from their doctor. This is so important that I carry a pill case with four 800mg tablets of naproxen sodium with me at all times.

Caffeine helps somewhat in the very short term, but generally upsets my blood sugar, which creates further problems.

Frequent exercise helps A LOT. I try to ride 15 miles at least 3x a week, and definitely feel it when I don't. I ride an exercise bike because I have hip problems and the last thing I need is to have my hip give out on me when I'm 7 miles from home, and with the way people drive around here riding a bike on the road is suicidal stupidity.

My wife massaging my scalp and temples in a cool, dark room is amazingly soothing, relaxing, and relieves a lot of pain. Often puts me to sleep in minutes.

Edit: After perusing my diary again, it becomes obvious that fast food of the McDonalds/BurgerKing/Jack-in-the-Box type may contribute as well. I already avoided these establishments like the plague as I prefer real food instead of chemicals, but I'll make even more effort now. The few times that circumstances compel me to eat at these places I'm generally under a good bit of stress already, which doesn't help.

That's it folks. Hope this helps others. :buddies:


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## greenLED (Oct 23, 2007)

My symptoms:
Annoyance at bright lights and certain sounds (almost like sensory overload sometimes), nausea & dizzyness (just like being car sick and about to puke). Oh, yeah, the throbbing headache, which seems to "migrate" from side to side inside my head. 

Triggers:
Severe stress (whatever that encompasses). Bright lights give me at least a headache. Other than that, I'm not sure I've pinpointed a clear set of them. At the onset I get light auras, and the last 2 episodes I've completely lost peripheral vision. The first time was a complete blackout on both eyes; the second time, normal vision was replaced by "Windows Media Player" light effects.

What has helped me:
Hit'it hard and early with meds. I have a prescription for "Migradorixina" - don't know what the equivalent in the US would be. It doesn't take all the pain out, but it dulls it and I can function with only mild discomfort. Also, it's non-narcotic (or at least not as narcotic as the stuff I once got from the local doctor). I supplement that alternating Advil and Tylenol.

Other than that, neck massage, staying in dark, quite places.


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## will (Oct 23, 2007)

I believe that sometimes the Migraines are caused by combinations of events. 

There are two types of Migraines, cluster - you get a bunch of them over a period of time and then none for period or time. The other type of is regular migraine - you just keep getting them. Migraines have certain features, the aura - the visual artifacts, and generally feeling like you want to vomit. 

Triggers - I think that stress plays a very big part of the picture. I used to get at least one or two a week. Years back I started to ride a bicycle 3 - 4 times a week. That lessened the severity of the headache and after awhile they seemed get to the point of once every few months. 

Food triggers

Red Wine - 
Diet anything - most products contain asperatame which gives me a headache.
Salami - some aged cheeses
Foods containing MSG.

I think that the blood sugar level plays into it as well. Sometimes I feel like a headache is coming on - dunkin donuts coffee, milk and sugar, two jelly donuts seem to do the trick ( here again - stress may be part of this )

Flourescent lighting - the older lights that flicker ( may be imperceptable, but there. ) The color of the lights. cool white seems to be the worst. There are lights that throw off a pinkish hue, these seem to be 'mood enhancers' and seem to help prevent migraines. If you work in an office with overhead lighting, get a non-flourescent desk lamp. 

Finally one weird trigger - having my teeth cleaned with the ultrasonic tool that dentists use. ( This may be stress related) I have them do the cleaning all by hand now - the old school way. 

Getting rid of them - lots of Excedrin ( or generic ) if it is real bad - the cool, dark, quiet, room. 

I have stayed away from most prescribed drugs. The early ones indicated that there may be problems with families that have heart problems. I am ok, the family has had problems, better the headache than a stroke or heart attack.


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## James S (Oct 23, 2007)

lack of sleep for an extended period of time is the only thing that can reliably trigger mine. Sometimes it's just like somebody snuck up on me with a load of bricks, but that only happens very rarely.

I can usually feel it a day or 2 before it really hits and if I can just get a good nights sleep or 2 I can stave it off. But if I dont... then I'm out of commission for a day and feeling lousy for another couple.

I suffer more from the nausea and dizziness than from the pain. Or at least the nausea is usually the symptom causing me the most discomfort. Reglan is the best prescription for that, and you can get it as a shot to really stop it in a hurry. But for beginning symptoms I can alieve, aspirin, caffeine, and meclazine and get through till I can get to sleep.

they have some better drugs now to stave them off, can't remember specifics, but it's worth asking about as they aren't nearly so sedating or problem causing as they used to be.

I have also read that IV magnesium can sometimes stop them too if people end up in the hospital. I did try magnesium supplementation for a while but it made no difference at all to the frequency of my symptoms. (and indeed if you read the studies it doesn't help  )The only thing that helps is to get enough sleep and deal better with stress. My problems have gone from 2 or 3 times a month to 2 or 3 times a year since quitting my last job  Stress is a killer!


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## MikeLip (Oct 23, 2007)

I always know when I have one coming - I get the classic aura several hours in advance. Strange vision, intense sensitivity to noise, light and, in my case, certain odors. For some reason my wife just doesn't get it, and will continue to talk rather loudly to me while I'm sitting in a quiet darkened room, hoping to stave it off.

Maybe she's after the insurance money 

Annnyway, my choices as to what I can take are severely limited because I am also a kidney transplant recipient. Tylenol is about it. No aspirin or aleve. If I am sure I don't have to do anything more like driving for the day, I keep darvocet handy and that knock back the migraine a bit and helps me sleep it off.

Triggers? It's hard to set one off normally, but if I already have a stress headache I can convert it to a migraine easily. Cheddar cheese will do it, as will high nitrate foods like ham or any cured meats.


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## greenLED (Oct 23, 2007)

MikeLip said:


> I get the classic aura several hours in advance.


That's interesting. Mine hit me like a derailed train - auras, then BAM! 10-15 minutes later the migraine hits full force.


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## MikeLip (Oct 23, 2007)

greenLED said:


> That's interesting. Mine hit me like a derailed train - auras, then BAM! 10-15 minutes later the migraine hits full force.



Ugh. I guess I'm lucky then. I at least have time to prepare, and go home if I'm at work.


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## SolarFlare (Oct 23, 2007)

I don't suffer from migraines myself, but my mother did for years. She would spend days in bed with the curtains drawn, really severe head pain, shakes, vomiting and phono and photophobia (bad symptom for you flashaholics ). She was prescribed a drug called Imigran (Sumatriptan) and it's changed her life, as soon as she feels a migraine coming she takes one and is able to carry on quite normally. Not sure if she suffers any symptoms at all or wether it's just so much of a relief from what she was used to that it barely registers. Anyway she swears by them after probably 30+ years of other treatments that never worked, hope they're available for you guys to try out .


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## mudman cj (Oct 23, 2007)

Mine sound similar to Green LED's. First the strange vision problems like a blurry region around the periphery of vision, regardless of which eye(s) I use, followed by the intense headache and nausea about 20 mins later. At that point I just want to be unconscious. The problem is, I am far too uncomfortable to fall asleep. That's where drugs can help. 

I haven't found anything to allow me to continue going through my day, but I have tried Imitrex and Migrin-A. I guess they help a bit, but I have to keep trying new medications in hopes of finding one that works better. One of these headaches will ruin the entire day, because even after a few hours of sleep I still feel rotten. The next day is usually much better.

Triggers: I think it may be related to my blood sugar combined with reading a computer monitor for too long. The fluorescent lighting also seems to contribute. I have also had one triggered by consuming a highly sweetened caffeinated beverage on an empty stomach. I try to stay away from sugary cereals for breakfast and too much time spent focusing on a computer screen.


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## Diesel_Bomber (Oct 23, 2007)

greenLED said:


> That's interesting. Mine hit me like a derailed train - auras, then BAM! 10-15 minutes later the migraine hits full force.



Ditto, get my flash/bang warning and within 20 minutes I'm in trouble.

Thanks for contributing, everyone. I hope this helps someone.

:buddies:


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## Sinjz (Oct 23, 2007)

Was this a migraine?

No sensitivity to light or noise. Didn't feel like vomitting. No aura, tracers or tunnel visiion. Simply a dull mind numbing headache and extreme sensitivity to touch near my head. Any touch, even a light one, sent a wave of burning pain across the side of my head and hairline. Only happened to me once in my life.


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## MikeLip (Oct 23, 2007)

Not really. Was alcohol involved?  Truly, it doesn't sound like a classic migraine. But then what do I know? I'm not a doctor. Sounds bad enough though!


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## gadget_lover (Oct 24, 2007)

I've lived with migraines for 40 years. The first hit in high school, and I thought I was going die. 

Sypmtoms; Tunnel vision, followed by muddled thinking followed by the sensation of a railroad spike through my forehead. About 30 minutes from visual cue to pain. I sometimes feel out of sorts for a day or two afterward.

Treatment; If I catch it in time, two tylenol and two Sudafed (the real one) and lots of water do the trick and it never becomes painful. If I don't catch it in time I need to sleep in a dark room till it passes. I've had demerol injections in the emergency room twice.

Trigger; The only trigger I've identified is flickering light. Cheap florescent lights are almost garanteed to trigger one if there is no other light source.

Prevention; I learned that 'foto-grey' (photo-chromatic or self darkening) glasses filter out a lot of the flicker. Because light is the trigger, all my glasses are photo-chromatic. I am down to a few migrains a year.

Caution; When i am suffering a migraine my judgement is shot. I once drove 15 miles of twisty road with a killing headache and able to see only about a 10 degree area. I'd decided to make it home and it never occured to me that I was not fit to drive.

Daniel


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## DoubleDutch (Oct 25, 2007)

I used to have attacks when I was in my puberty / adolescence. They have since faded away, thankfully. Only one or two attacks of two days non stop headache a year, but nothing like the migraines, and I'm able to function during them.

Now the main triggers for headaches are: eating too much in one meal (especially meat; so I'm not much of a BBQ-er ); more alcohol than one bottle of beer per night (anything stronger is out of the question) and chocolate; sleeping in a too warm and/or badly ventilated bedroom.

Typical triggers for the migraines would be:
Irregular mealtimes; French cheese; chocolate (still is); too much sweet food and lack of salty food; too little sleep; bright light




; stress. 

Symptoms:
Aura and "postage stamp" -like rims in my field of vision. An hour or so after that, severe pain at the temples; very sensitive to light and noise; general nausea.

Treatment:
All I did was curl up in a dark, silent(!) bedroom and try to move as little as possible. Even breathing hurt. Even thinking hurt. After trying to catch it early with medication (Aspirine and Paracetamol; I never took the more typical migraine med.), I never took pills for more than 36 hours; after that they seemed to worsen the pain and nausea. What would help after the worst had gone: massaging the temples and a long warm shower, on my head, massaging the top of my head.

Aftermath:
And after it had gone, I would feel strangely light in my head, and 'empty' for another day. 

Kees


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## lampare (Oct 25, 2007)

mine started about 14-15yrs old for awhile i would just get an aura no migraine,then over the years they turned into full blown migraines.Hospital trip demoral iv push with compazine.total darkness 24hrs.After years of testing one doc found out it was low blood sugar and abrupt changes in sleep patterns.they are down to about 1-2 a year, was using imiterx injections, but doc took me off them for fear of heart damage at 40 and older.Its been long trip,when they were at thier worst I was thinking about suicide.It has been 1 solid year no pain still get auras but they go away after 25 to 30 mins hope the cycle is not starting all over again. Thanks for reading hope it helps. Joe


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## Stillphoto (Oct 25, 2007)

My migraines come around somewhat randomly, although I certainly have a sensitivity to scents. Strong potpourri almost always does the trick, as does incense, and sometimes the wrong perfume can. Otherwise I can tolerate most perfumes and colognes. Skipping a meal can sometimes do it, but not often. On one photo shoot that I was assisting on, we had to go outside into 90 degree weather, and then back into a 65 degree model home. A whole day of temperature swings like that every 10 minutes really got to me, not to mention I never got hired by them again. Sometimes I get the tunnel vision, usually only with bad ones. Pain seems to come from the temples or forehead area.

I have prescriptions for both Maxalt and Vicodin, which seem to usually do the trick. Though I'm supposed to sit in a dark quiet place for 30 minutes after I take them, sometimes I'm able to keep on working. Tylenol and the like have 0 effect on them, even a few excedrine. Strangely enough that little accupressure spot on your hand seems to temporarily release the throbbing sensation / severe pain. Anyways when I'm really down for the count its the above two pills and and ice pack on my head, and then sleep. I will say that one of the best feelings is waking up from a horrid migraine without one, I usually have a great day afterwards.


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## UncleFester (Oct 26, 2007)

My ex-wife suffered from migraines (yes even before she met me.. LOL). Our usual schedule had her being home from work before me. I could tell when she had one because I could smell it in the house. (it changed the way her breath smelled). As soon as I popped the door open I KNEW she had headache.
She had tried several meds with no success until finding Ergotamine? (sp?) and caffine. We found we could self medicate her with an old fashioned Coke an two NoDoze... Whodathunk?????? It worked surprisingly well for her. I have no idea how she is doing now. (that was 15 years ago).


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## Yenster (Oct 27, 2007)

Maxalt tablet (10 mg Rizatriptan Benzoate) and two Alieve tablets(2 x 220mg Naproxen Sodium) taken with about 12 oz of water. I take this whenever I get a migraine and it works like a champ. Probably 95% of the time, I'll forget that I had one and then realize it an hour later and feel great.

I hardly think of myself as a migraine sufferer anymore because of this combination since it works so well for me. I usually get severe pressure and pain in my eyes and eye sockets. My head would ache with a dulling pain. I would just want to close my eyes and sleep it off. But now I really don't have these issues anymore...I just take this combination when I feel my eyes and head start aching and it works great.

The Maxalt is expensive, even with insurance, but it's worth it!


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## will (Oct 27, 2007)

lampare said:


> .... one doc found out it was low blood sugar...



This is only the second time I have seen this, This fits in with Dunkin Donuts and 2 donuts that seem to work for me at times.


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## Diesel_Bomber (Jan 1, 2008)

Bump.

Possible break-through I wanted to share. Melatonin has been suggested several times for my insomnia. It made no difference for my insomnia so I stopped taking it. Shortly after my last post in this thread, my doctor mentioned that a couple studies have shown a lack of natural melatonin correlating with migraine sufferers. I haven't seen the studies but figured what the hell. I started taking melatonin again, 3mg slow release whenever I have a free 8 hours to sleep. Not a single migraine since, and normally I'd have had a couple at least. Summer is migraine season for me and winter is never as bad, so this is somewhat expected, but I'll report back with results again come August.

:buddies:


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## will (Jan 1, 2008)

I still feel that part of migraine suffering is due to stress. Stress can be many different things to different people. Sometimes the thought that you are doing something positive relieves some of the stress and lessens the frequency or severity of a migraine. I am not saying that there are not vaid physical reasons for migraines, just that there are many reasons for them.


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## chmsam (Jan 2, 2008)

As a long time sufferer, 40+ years although not more than a few each year, I can tell you that there are definitely multiple triggers. For me they include but are not limited to, sinusitis, stress, nuts, chocolate, caffeine, second hand smoke, and some alcoholic beverages (certain styles of beer, some red wines, and less refined distilled malts -- a.k.a. cheap whiskey). 

Sinusitis and stress lead the pack by a large margin, especially when the two are combined. Second hand smoke is number three on the hit parade. If I combine chocolate, peanuts, and certain fruits I know that I had better pop a tablet or two or I will be in trouble. I rarely get a hangover simply because I almost never have more than two drinks so I can easily tell what caused the onset if alcohol is the culprit.

From what I have read most prescription medications have potential side effects and complications that make them unappealing to me. If I feel one coming on I can usually beat it by hitting two or three Excedrin and getting some shuteye. I have a reputation as being a tough old bird since I have worked under mercury and sodium lights with a migraine. For the past few years I have tended to get only a 3/4 strength migraine though, so maybe that's cheating. A full blown attack will lay most folks out for a day or two and leave them feeling wiped out for another day or so after that and I rarely am an exception to that.


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## James S (Jan 2, 2008)

If you can beat them without resorting to the stronger drugs thats great. Stronger medicine always has the potential for stronger side effects. But even aspirin causes ulcer flare ups in some people. Avoiding stress isn't always possible either  Would be nice to retire early (or, just right now?) but thats not an option. For some folks where that is the only or the most obvious trigger then there are probably things you can do to help. Unfortunately some people just aren't in the easy to find trigger group and require serious meds at random intervals without anything that they can do as far as behavioral modification. I have a couple of friends that carry around some serious head medicine and the side effects for them seem to be very mild or even non-existant and yet the results are dramatic. So dont be afraid to at least try the really good migraine drugs if you suffer and can't make it stop by avoiding that 3rd glass of cheap whisky  You will almost certainly find that the side effects are nothing compared to the disease.


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## powernoodle (Jan 2, 2008)

Mine are rare and very mild in comparison to you guys. Mild visual disturbances in the form of shimmering regions (like "snow" or static on a tv screen) that start in the center of my field of vision and migrate outward over 30 - 60 minutes. Very mild headache between my eyes. Mostly its just that I cannot see through the visual disturbance until it moves out of the center of my field of vision. A cakewalk compared to what some of you encounter.

One trigger is bright light, but mostly it seems to happen spontaneously.

Breathing into a paper bag (reducing O2 blood gas and resultant vaso-dialiation) seems to help if done at onset.


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## chmsam (Jan 2, 2008)

Well, some of the joys of being poor include the inability or unwillingness to part with the coin o' the realm enough to buy more than one or two libations, so that is rarely a problem. In other words, I am too cheap, too old, and too boring to tie one on anymore. :mecry:

Now if I were a mean old son of a gun and someone I did not like had one and I was into payback, I'd turn on fluorescent lights, boil up some really stinky Polish sausage, put on some Bjork, shake their bed gently side to side, ask "Are you alright? Are you alright? Are you alright?" a lot. I mean, that is if I were a mean old son of a gun. Might even let a really stinky, old, wet dog jump up on the bed with them and lick their face, too. Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm, good dog! It's the little touches that really count, dontchyaknow!

After many years I am well aware of my triggers but the newly afflicted are *strongly* advised to keep a journal of what they eat and drink, weather conditions (temp, humidity, and barometric pressure at the very least), amount and quality of sleep, and all activities. Do this daily and keep after it! This will let you spot patterns in your migraines. Trust me, this helps a whole bunch.

As for myself, I do not like to take any medications at all if possible, and in the past I had done a lot of research on migraine meds which is a few years out of date I admit. I don't get migraines all that often these days (a miracle given my current stress levels), but I have never had good luck with side effects of any meds so I have worked long and hard at making myself aware of onset symptoms. Several friends suffer from migraines as well, and the stories they have about their various meds have pretty much convinced me that (again, speaking only for myself) what I do works very well indeed for me.

These are nasty boogers. People who have never had one, including medical personnel do not believe the havoc they can cause on your life. This is a common reaction. There are other threads here and the topic is also easy to research on-line. I suggest anyone who suffers do a lot of searches. Being informed for yourself helps when you have to deal with doctors who might not be aware or understanding and there are lots of them out there. Not that all doctors are schmucks, but there are more and more every day as far as I can tell. Pain and headache clinics are good things to investigate if you are not getting relief and/or are suffering from them more than a few times a year.


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## stevep (Jan 2, 2008)

I used to get allot of migraines, I have reduced them to a few a year using the following; Oil of Evening Primrose, Feverfew, B complex, magnesium, acidophilus. When I do get one the pain is greatly reduced and of much shorter duration.

I posted the above in the other thread, I have added coenzyme q10 to the list. You can google most of these with the search term"---- for migraines." I hope this helps someone.


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## Thujone (Jan 2, 2008)

Thankfully mine have subsided a lot since I was younger. But Mine ramp up over the course of a couple hours. And without treatment get to the point where light and smells and sounds all seem like sensory overload. I find myself in the fetal position in a dark room often with tears from the pain. Thankfully when i recognize one Zomig has proven 100% effective and fast acting for the last 3 years. I have been getting one every 6-9 months but if i hit it with the Zomig it wipes it out. Imitrex is what I had used before but it was not a good fit for me. 2 thirds of the time it would just make it worse, seemed like it was just not effective if I was too late in taking it.


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## shakeylegs (Jan 2, 2008)

Several people mentioned NSAID's as a migraine treatment. I had occasion to load up on ibuprofen and tylenol to control pain over a 10 day period. The doses were large enough to trigger partial kidney failure. Having spoken with my physician and others, it seems the NSAID's have a cumulative toxic effect over one's lifetime. I now have to avoid all NSAID's and have had to find other ways to deal with health issues including pain. For pain, aspirin is the first line of defense, Tramadol a step up, and Percocet the big gun. I'm sure most people will successfully tolerate reasonable doses of the NSAID's but if you have any reason to believe your kidneys are compromised, or if you are dosing with them regularly, I'd suggest looking for an alternative.

stevep mentioned coenzyme q10. Oddly enough I was able to increase the efficiency of my kidneys and avoid dialysis by adding coenzyme q10 to my daily regime. 

I'm shakeylegs and I approved this message


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## Wits' End (Jan 3, 2008)

I don't suffer from migraines, however after a 4 year hiatus my 24 year-old son has started again. His cure for 4 years? He had a twisted, almost ruptured bowel. Surgery to fix that and a V-P shunt revision were enough of a total system shock that we had hoped they were gone. They have been increasing in intensity and frequency over the last 6 months. He has had a prescription for Depakote (sp?) increased from 250 mg (?) to now 1000. It has lessened the severity and hasn't had the personality altering affect that he had with his last medication. 4 years ago he would get hit by them severely, writhing in pain for an hour or more at a time. The only thing that would break them sometimes would be a trip to ER and a dose of morphine. I have sympathy for those who suffer. I don't recommend the twisted bowel cure though. I will suggest he keep a diary, good idea to look for triggers. Any suggestions for treatment or Doctors in Minnesota? His Neurologist is skilled but I wonder if there is something we are missing. some of your suggestions I would think would have been given to us earlier.


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## Dantor (Jan 3, 2008)

I really feel for you people. I don't suffer but My fiance does and she gets em bad. Usually stress induced (work). 
This cure may sound odd to you but we found it by accident and it may or may not do anything for you.

Our wally world has generic Dr Pepper called "Dr Thunder" and we noticed whenever she had a migraine and drank the soda, it would subside. She's been using it for well over a year now and uses less medications, over the counter things. 

I would never think a soda pop would ever help anything but make your teeth rot or give you to much sugar, but it helps her migraines and no other brand/type works (we've tried). I'd be happy if it helps any of you...


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## chmsam (Jan 3, 2008)

Small amounts of caffeine do help, but only in small amounts. That's one reason why Excedrin works. However, too much caffeine can act as a trigger so be careful.


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## tiktok 22 (Jan 3, 2008)

http://www.migraines.org/

Hope this can help anyone who suffers...


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## sawlight (Jan 3, 2008)

I used to "Poo Poo" migranes, "It's a headache, how bad can it really be?"
I am VERY sorry for that!!!
I am fortunate, I figured mine out, after several trip to the ER and many numorous drugs, including blood thiners.
Mine were caused by a SRI I was takeing. They were BAD!!! I could count the cycles in flourescent lights bad!! Tried Lortabs, tried Excedrin migrane, nothing!! I was eating tabs like candy!!!!
Oddly enough, Advil was EXTREMELY effective!!!!
Just trying to share, and sympothize!!!


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## James S (Jan 3, 2008)

Gotta find what works for you, that is the truth. I went through a bad spate of them a few years ago that were not responding to the normal over the counter type additions and got a few different prescriptions. Can't remember which one of them actually did the trick, but none of them had any side effects on me at all. So dont be afraid to try just because of some nasty stories from your friends. If you can't get things under control any other way, take the darned prescription drugs. There are many different acting things available that can help and chances are extremely good that you can find one that both helps your headache and doesn't mess with the rest of you. 



> Having spoken with my physician and others, it seems the NSAID's have a cumulative toxic effect over one's lifetime.



This is not exactly true. Damage to your kidneys can be cumulative, but also can heal. But taking a normal dose under normal conditions does not damage your system at all. Prescription doses of these drugs are much much more than the over the counter doses and those dont hurt your kidneys any either as long as someone has checked your liver enzymes to make sure that nothing else is wrong with you and making sure that you're not drinking a 5th to wash them down every 4 hours. Lots of booze makes them definitely damage your kidneys. This is why those are the prescription doses. But you have to abuse advil and booze daily for a decade to get noticeable kidney trouble if at all. DO NOT be afraid to take pain meds if you need pain meds, just dont abuse pain meds.

I'm pretty close to my kidney doc... she has had 2 of my children...


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## shakeylegs (Jan 3, 2008)

James S said:


> Gotta find what works for you, that is the truth. I went through a bad spate of them a few years ago that were not responding to the normal over the counter type additions and got a few different prescriptions. Can't remember which one of them actually did the trick, but none of them had any side effects on me at all. So dont be afraid to try just because of some nasty stories from your friends. If you can't get things under control any other way, take the darned prescription drugs. There are many different acting things available that can help and chances are extremely good that you can find one that both helps your headache and doesn't mess with the rest of you.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



James,
I won't quarrel with your wife, and I won't rely on my personal experience to rebut her advice. But 2 nephrologist have advised about this cumulative effect business, as did my wife's cardiologist, and a close friend who is a surgeon. Both my previous and my current nephrologist prohibit use of all NSAID's by their at risk patients. A recent, and unsolicited, opinion of my wife's cariologist was the same, and he too mentioned this cumulative effect. In his words "just stay away". He did not know about my condition.

Just for the record, alcohol is a rare treat, something I've largely avoided over my lifetime. Additionally, my kidneys were probably in a compromised state prior to my 10 day ibuprophen/tylenol binge which immediately preceded the onset of my kidney trouble. 

Certainly, if modest use and abuse of NSAID's was harmful, we'd see many more cases of kidney failure. Still, for what it's worth:

"The incidence of Acute Renal Failure, although relatively common, is difficult to define, and the incidence of drug-induced renal failure (DIRF) is even more difficult to ascertain. Current information suggests that ARF accounts for 1% of hospital admissions . . . Worldwide, the reported incidence of ARF in critical illness is 1% to 25%, with 3.4% to 4.9% of patients requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT).3 *DIRF occurs in 18% to 27% of hospitalized patients with ARF, and 20% of hospital admissions for ARF are reportedly caused by drugs, particularly nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)*."

See this link for full article:
http://www.uspharmacist.com/index.asp?show=article&page=8_1978.htm

And the American College of Physicians warns that chronic kidney disease is now at record levels, with acute renal failure having doubled over the last ten years. They warn physicians that people with varying medical conditions, including diabetes, autoimmune diseases and perhaps high blood pressure, among others, may have undetected kidney disease. They advise physicians "should thoroughly review any drugs—both prescribed and over-the-counter—your kidney disease patients take. Many common drugs, such as NSAIDs and certain antibiotics, can cause acute kidney dysfunction or damage and should be avoided."
full article here:
http://www.acponline.org/journals/news/oct02/kidney.htm

I would simply suggest that anyone using NSAID's on a regular basis might wish to research this issue further, especially if they might be subject to compromised kidney function.


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## Dantor (Jan 4, 2008)

> I could count the cycles in flourescent lights bad!


my fiance who suffers from them can do that! and all strobe lights effect her bad.


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## MikeLip (Jan 4, 2008)

chmsam said:


> Small amounts of caffeine do help, but only in small amounts. That's one reason why Excedrin works. However, too much caffeine can act as a trigger so be careful.




Bingo. Caffeine is a double edged sword. I have found that a cup or two of tea or half-decaf, half regular coffee is safe. More than that and I have a headache. LESS than that and I have a headache. The latter is probably due to caffeine addiction, and indeed I can shake it after a few days without it. But to much is bad news. So if you are a migraineur and use caffeine in any form, be careful about it!

Migraines suck!


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## Finbar (Jan 4, 2008)

I guess I am lucky that I do not have the super pain head splitters like some of you, but I do have cluster headaches. Also called "suicide headaches".

Mine, I think, were related to heavy college loads, lack of sleep, and poor eating habits.

I do not get the visuals some of you have...I did, but that is a different subject all together.

The worst stretch I had was waking up and going to sleep with a headache for eight days straight. The second worst was for sevens days. Most are six hours in duration. I have not had any for some time now.

I used to eat aspirin like popcorn. Sometimes it worked sometimes not.

What seems to be effective for me is Fioricet. It contains caffeine and butalbital. Two would normally do the trick.

Hope this works for you. It will cure most headaches temporarily. Do not know how effective it is for migraines. Next time you have one, gently squeeze your ear lobes. Press further back from the lower end more towards the cartilage part of the ear. Somewhere in the middle. You may have to press more forcefully than I mention here. Bad part, when you release your lobes, the headache returns. I have seen some use clothes pins to further apply the accu-pressure. I even saw a thing on tv where they used the clothes pins to go to the dentist. I am not that brave. Me likes tha gas. (*see "The Pink Panther" or "Little Shop of Horrors" reference for your viewing apleasures - "This is not for you. This is for me. I'm gonna enjoy this...hehe, hehe.")

Another accu-pressure treatment varies is usefulness. Under your eyebrows, about halfway in the middle, there is an indentation. You will want to slide your thumb more towards your eye to hit the good spot. Press lightly here for relief. You have to get back towards the eye. It too will stop once you remove the pressure. Do not use clothes pins here. I had an English girlfriend apply this to me and it did stop my headache episode. It seem to work better if someone else applies this method on you, than you yourself. I am uncertain if it has to be an English Lassie or not. One of those mysteries of the Universe type thing.

Hanging your head lower than your body off a bed is interesting also.

I have always wanted to try the ice thing too.

BTW, if I go to sleep during a headache, I sleep more deeply than in normal sleep. Some of the best sleep ever.

YMMV.

Fin


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## MarNav1 (Jan 5, 2008)

I don't have them thank God, I had a freind that would vomit when he got em. But I was just curious, does magnesium help anybody? It's a very beneficial mineral for the body and it's hard to take too much. Pretty cheap as well, orally or Epsom salts. Has anybody had success using it? I know it REALLY relaxes me.


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## James S (Jan 7, 2008)

> I would simply suggest that anyone using NSAID's on a regular basis might wish to research this issue further, especially if they might be subject to compromised kidney function.



I don't think anyone would argue with this  But I didn't think it was that clear earlier in our conversation. For an otherwise healthy person that has a headache once in a while, there is no reason to suffer more than necessary if a couple of ibuprofen will help you. The over the counter, occasional use dose of any of these meds isn't going to hurt your kidneys. However what they are learning through researching some of this stuff is that people dont use them occasionally and dont use them in the doses recommended on the packaging and you definitely can do damage to your kidneys with high doses, frequent or continual doses, and taking it when you're dehydrated, or your kidneys are already stressed by other drugs or alcohol. I looked up the numbers at NEJM and it was people that combined similar drugs (ibuprofen and tylenol you cannot take together as they are processed the same pathway and easily leads to overdose) or people that just took really high doses for a really long time that were mostly harmed. One of the things that leads to confusion is how they reported the results by saying things like 5000 or more pills over their lifetime, makes it sound like each tiny pill is making you a little worse. but I still dont believe that was the intent of the information. I am not a doc though, so I may very well misunderstand the point.

If you're going to be on chronic high doses of these meds it had better be for a good reason and it had better be under doctors care and monitoring of your kidney function. If you just need a couple for a headache once in a while taking the dose as printed on the bottle is not going to whittle away at your kidney function. If it makes you feel better drink some extra fluids while you're doing it but as long as you're not actually dehydrated it wont cause you problems. Further it looks like acetaminophen is actually more toxic at higher doses than ibuprofen. So if you know that you have kidney issues and dont have stomach issues it might be better to take that. Also dont mix different kinds at the same time. I believe, but am not sure, that Alieve and Ibuprofen are processed by totally different methods and can be taken together, but I might be remembering that wrong so look it up if you really need to do that. It's easy to get confused about just what you're taking. Many over the counter meds are now huge combinations of drugs. Most often contain an NSAID as well as the other drugs. You can completely accidently triple your NSAID dose or worse if you're not careful. there are antihistamines with them already in it, decongestants with it already in it, cough medicine already in it, and then you also take a tylenol and your single dose for your cold actually has 4x the dose of NSAIDS!! This is I think where they are suggesting that people are going wrong and getting hurt. 

Watch out what other stuff you're taking too. You can take all the homeopathic alternative treatments you want since generally water is a good thing for your body  But be very careful with herbs as they can actually contain real active substances which react with drugs. Sighted in the same articles I was reading up on were some really serious, put you on permanent dialysis level problems caused by some "chinese herbs" added to some weight loss regimens. Specifically what they thought were involved were "Stephania tetrandra and Magnolia officinalis" but they also said that some of the chemicals they found in the preparations couldn't be explained by the list of what was supposed to be in them. So other stuff is toxic to your kidneys too.


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## Diesel_Bomber (Aug 9, 2009)

Little bump and update.

Melatonin didn't do a darned thing to help migraines, as I'd hoped.

Have not had a single one since I've retired, though. I'm going to say it was a combination of lack of sleep, irregular eating habits/blood sugar, and STRESS. All gone now!

:buddies:


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## Patriot (Aug 10, 2009)

Congrats DB! That's excellent news. My GF suffers from them terribly so I'm always doing research about them. Interesting, that you mentioned sleep, regular eating schedules though since we were just discussing that. The most semi-recent find was a lack of protein which changing apparently helps many people by going to a high protein diet.


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## binky (Aug 10, 2009)

Dantor said:


> my fiance who suffers from them can do that! and all strobe lights effect her bad.



Maybe this'll be useful info, I don't know...

My wife has a friend who was getting migraines all the time. This might be relevant -- she checked the side-effects of the birth control medication she was taking. "May cause headaches" was at the top of the list.

She stopped taking it and the migraines she'd been suffering with for a long time (years?) immediately went away. Obviously, she's now searching for a suitable replacement for the medication.


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## MarNav1 (Aug 10, 2009)

I used to know a woman (about 30) who got them frequently. She tried alot of different stuff. Seemed like foot massage and the chiropractor worked best for her. Fibromyalgia and Lupis were in her family too, don't know if there is a connection. I feel for you guys, I get panic attacks, not much fun either.


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## greenLED (Aug 10, 2009)

My most recent ones have been triggered by ingestion of dark (>70%) chocolate... never had that happen before, and I'm a big chocolate eater.


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## will (Aug 10, 2009)

Be careful of diet foods - especially those that contain asperatame..


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## Brock (Aug 12, 2009)

As Daniel said Sudafed has helped me a LOT. I used to get migraines at least once a month. About three years ago I went to a different doctor (by chance) because every time I had a regular cold it would turn in to a sinus infections and this was happening 3-5 times a year. She said to start taking Sudafed (the real one) and a Claritin daily. I was quite reluctant at first but then I was surprised to not get another sinus infection after my next cold. Well it has been 3 years now and not a single sinus infection and the best part is my migraines’ have decreased in frequency and severity.

I am sure migraines’ are caused by all different things, but for me a lot of it must have been sinus based.

All I can say is it is worth a shot. I just wish I had found this earlier.


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## greenLED (Aug 12, 2009)

Brock, taking Clarityn-D (D for decongestant) would be the same thing as taking Clarityn+Sudafed.

OT: I don't care how much they try, pseudoephedrine kicks phenylephrine's patootie in terms of effectiveness.


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## Bullzeyebill (Aug 12, 2009)

greenLED said:


> Brock, taking Clarityn-D (D for decongestant) would be the same thing as taking Clarityn+Sudafed.
> 
> OT: I don't care how much they try, pseudoephedrine kicks phenylephrine's patootie in terms of effectiveness.



I agree. In the past I have taken Actifed, which also contains pseudoephedrine, when I have head colds and it works wonders as a daytime med, no run down feeling. Recently the formula for Actifed has been changed, leaving out the pseudoephedrine and substituting another ingredient. This in response to the those in authority who are worried about the drug culture. As it is, we in CA have to sign a log if we purchase an over the counter med with pseudoephedrine in it.

Bill


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## Diesel_Bomber (Aug 13, 2009)

greenLED said:


> OT: I don't care how much they try, pseudoephedrine kicks phenylephrine's patootie in terms of effectiveness.



No kidding. I stocked up before pseudoephedrine was "banned" so I'll be good for awhile. Here in Oregon it's not available with out a prescription, and for a year before that you had to sign with ID for it. Thanks druggies, much appreciated. :ironic:


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## Diesel_Bomber (Apr 4, 2010)

Just a bit of a bump and an update.

Not a single migraine since I retired. Clearly my biggest trigger was stress.


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## Bullzeyebill (Apr 4, 2010)

Diesel_Bomber said:


> Just a bit of a bump and an update.
> 
> Not a single migraine since I retired. Clearly my biggest trigger was stress.



Congratulations.:thumbsup:

Bill


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## sawlight (Apr 5, 2010)

That is GREAT news! I am happy to hear that!


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## blasterman (Apr 5, 2010)

Yeah...good news!

You original post was 100% spot on. Mine started when I was in grade-school, and I vividly recall leaving school in the middle of the day and literally screaming in the car on the way home because of the excruciating pain. We didn't have insurance at the time and my parents never understood what was wrong, so I just dealt with it. 

I broke my left femur when I was 12 being stupid. Snapped it cleanly in two. On a pain scale if an accute migraine is a 10 the broken leg was a 4. That's how I explain to people how painfull male migraines are.

I get maybe three on them a year now. Less if I excercise regularly. Stress doesn't cause them for me, but I tend to find ways to refocus stress. I get more aggravated arguing with the pin-headed_inbred_trolls here who claim LEDs are only 30 lumens per watt efficient because that's whats available at Walmart 

I can usually feel the things coming as you described, and the prescription is a heavy dose of Naproxen and either a sedative or something with a bit of Codeine in it just to force me to relax.


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## Diesel_Bomber (Apr 5, 2010)

Thanks folks! Hope this thread helped others, too.


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## greenLED (Apr 5, 2010)

I just went through a sequential "storm" of migraines - about one a week for a month. The doctor gave me a month-long treatment - forget the name but the component somehow blocks the calcium absorption pathways in the brain (that's how I understood it), making the blood vessels contract less dramatically, which supposedly is what causes the migraine. Plus, he swapped my current emergency meds for one that includes caffeine (plus the regular components my previous prescription had).

I'm still unable to eat dark chocolate, but I'm 100% sure now that lots of stress facilitates the onset of my migraines. I've been running and keeping myself active, but that hasn't helped much - will keep at it. Oh, and I gotta stay far away from bright lights...


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## fisk-king (Apr 5, 2010)

My dad suffered severe migraines as a child up until his head on collision w/ a tree when he was 15 (head hit the windshield, no seat belt). Migraines went away immediately after the accident.

I suffered from migraines as well when I was younger which at times would have me on the floor in tears holding my head. Then at the age of 16, I was leaving Golds Gym where I T-boned an elderly lady who car stopped at the middle of an intersection on top of a hill (didn't even see her). I had a large Met-Rx shake which two nurses, who came to my aid, thought I had puked everywhere:shakehead. After a large chunk of glass removed from my head (no seat belt), I no longer have migraines. 

I believe there are simpler ways to remedy migraines:thinking:


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## Hitthespot (Apr 6, 2010)

Fisk-King---I believe there can be many different reasons for Migraines and not all of them are benign. Here's my story.


I used to get severe migraines around 6 years ago. They started in my forties. The Symptoms seem to spell the problem out easily now, but back then I didn't get it.

triggers, 

Over sleeping
Stress
Chocolate (espicially before going to bed)
Extreme strenuous arm activity.
smoking too much

Cause (swollen vein in my head) aneurysm. It burst around 5 years ago. I was very fortunate to survive.

I now get frequent headaches but no where near as bad as the headaches before the aneurysm burst, and I would no longer call them migraines though many of the symptoms are the same. The dizzyness or feeling of topling over is the worst. A mixture of Acetaminophen and Asprin or Ibuprophen with a cup of coffe helps my headaches a lot. Many times I can go from non-functional to functional by taking the above mixture.

The moral to this story is simple. If you get frequent headaches from laying down or sleeping longer than usual times, OR you just had the worst severe headache of your life, go to the doctor and have an (dye) MRI of your head.

Bill


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## Apollo Cree (Apr 6, 2010)

*Acetaminophen/Tylenol Warning*

It bears pointing out here the extreme danger of *overdosing* on acetaminophen, which is the main ingredient of Tylenol and many other meds. 

Even if acetaminophen is safe when used as directed, overdoses are very bad. They tend to shut down your liver. Shutting down or impairing the function of your liver is extremely bad. It's like everything becomes poison, and it affects every part of your body. Even if your liver recovers, you may have permanent damage to other parts of your body. You can have problems like skin falling off. You can be screwed up for life. 

Never take more than the recommended doses of acetaminophen. Be careful about taking different medicines containing acetaminophen. For instance, taking NyQuil and Tylenol can be problematic, since both contain acetaminophen. People with bad colds can be in trouble because they may tend to overuse the NyQuil because it makes them feel better. Throw in heavy Tylenol use and you increase the danger. 

Vicodin and several other high powered pain meds have acetaminophen in addition to the "main" painkiller like codeine. Don't get nonchalant about the codeine and OD on the acetaminophen. Don't mix vicodin and other acetaminophen drugs. 

Acetaminophen poisoning is the one of the most common forms of accidental drug poisonings. To me, it seems particularly insidious because you don't necessarily get any warnings as you approach a dangerous dose. The level at which dangerous liver problems occur can be affected by other drugs, toxins, medical conditions, or alcohol. 

Me, I stay away from any acetaminophen containing drugs whenever I have a choice. Everyone seems to be concerned about aspirin and other NSAIDs effect on the stomach. I'd rather risk stomach acid problems than liver problems. If I start having stomach problems, maybe I'll switch. 

In particular, parents need to be careful about liquid acetaminophen for the kids. There's an "infant's" formula that you give infants with an eyedropper. There's a "children's" formula that you give with a spoon. If you mix them up and give a spoonful of the infant's formula, you can give a kid a serious overdose.


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## greenLED (Apr 6, 2010)

Hitthespot said:


> Cause (swollen vein in my head) aneurysm. It burst around 5 years ago. I was very fortunate to survive.
> ...
> The moral to this story is simple. If you get frequent headaches from laying down or sleeping longer than usual times, OR you just had the worst severe headache of your life, go to the doctor and have an (dye) MRI of your head.


Glad to hear you survived, Bill. My father died from a ruptured AVM.

...and, yes, people should get an MRI (with contrast) done to rule out the presence of an AVM.


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## Launch Mini (Apr 6, 2010)

I have no idea what my triggers are, but they always are predicated by the aura or wavy lines. Best I can discribe it as, if you were wearing a diving mask & partially submerge it under water. The line where the water meets the air has a similar distortion.
I need to hammer back 2 Zomigs immediately or I am done for.
The Zomig just upset the stomach to no end, but at least my head doesn't feel like it's in a vice.


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## Hitthespot (Apr 6, 2010)

greenLED said:


> Glad to hear you survived, Bill. My father died from a ruptured AVM.
> 
> ...and, yes, people should get an MRI (with contrast) done to rule out the presence of an AVM.


 
Thanks Green and I'm sorry to hear about your dad. I too know those who have passed away from ruptures, and not just the head. My mother had a severe swelling of one of the veins in her stomach that had to have a stent put in. Unfortunately she passed away young from lung disease. "smoking literally killed her.

One good thing was after the rupture I quit smoking after smoking my whole life. Smoke free for going on 6 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bill


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