Migraine Headaches

[calendula]

Watch out for any synthetic scents--scented candles and diffusers, "air fresheners" of any sort, perfumes and scented body products, etc.

Most scents contains hormone disrupting chemicals, all derived from petroleum products. It used to be, not sure if this is still true, that some "air freshener" products (particularly the jelly-like one that was contained in a plastic holder with perforations) contained formaldehyde. Watch out for Febreeze products as well, these are made from a weird sugar molecule and never actually leave your environment, you just can't smell them after a while.

I am quite chemically-sensitive (I have mild asthma) and can't even walk down the "cleaning products" aisle at the grocery store without getting a massive headache. I can smell that aisle two aisles away, because we don't have anything in our house that is scented (other than with certain essential oils that I know I can tolerate).

Okay, that's funny that you mention Febreeze. I got a Swiffer duster about five years ago that has disposable dusters. The refills are Febreeze lavender scented. I haven't used them in years because we had switched to our own homemade cleaners, but I ran accross them under the kitchen sink the other day, and thought I may as well use them up because they're just hogging up space under there. So, I have been doing spring cleaning all this week with those febreeze dusters. I know that I haven't used febreeze every time I've had a migraine, but there could be something to it.

Also, I have no idea if this is related to my migraine, but last night as I was getting into bed the muscle in my upper arm started to twitch. No big deal, it happens. But it kept going. All night long, and it is still twitching as I type this. It doesn't hurt, but it's annoying.

 

[valmom]

My SO gets migraines - usually 4 or 5 times a month. So far, triggers seem to be all artificial sweeteners, bright lights (esp flashing!), sinus problems (she is allergic to everything! and when she lets herself get clogged it triggers a sinus headache that morphs into a migraine), and monthly hormonal shifts. Every shift in hormones triggers a migraine.

She has taken several of the triptans in the past, but I warned her that they kick back if you use them too often. I got her to try Excedrin Migraine with caffeine and two of those can frequently shut off the migraine before it takes hold. For whatever reason, just coffee doesn't work.

 

[lwheelr]

Twitches can be from not having enough potassium, calcium, or magnesium.

Twitches, heart palpitations, and frequent hiccups are all related.

 

[calendula]

Twitches can be from not having enough potassium, calcium, or magnesium.

Twitches, heart palpitations, and frequent hiccups are all related.

I was thinking it's maybe calcium. I haven't been eating much dairy lately for whatever reason, and I drink a lot of coffee. I read that coffee leeches calcium from your body.

 

[savingdogs]

I was reading that coffee itself can trigger migraines for some folks.

 

[murphysranch]

i get the aura, which only 15% of ppl are lucky enuf to get this early warning. As soon as I realize (figure out) that the aura has started, I take Midrin. The Rx says take 2, but I take one and it prevents the headache from occurring.

My trigger is stress buildup. I was in Vancouver WA recently for a week, and on my last full day there, I got a migraine while at Lowes. I dropped everything, ran to the water fountain, and swallowed a Midrin. Sat in the car until the aura (blindness) went away and then went back to my shopping for my DD's family. (My DD and family are very stressful to me, but I do love them regardless).

Midrin. I never go anywhere, even on a walk, without it.

 

[chipmunk]

I got my first migraine when I was in 6th grade. I get the aura like you (flashing lights that increase in size until about 2/3 of my vision is blocked); it lasts 20 minutes, then I have 20 minutes until the headache. It lasts 6 hours, then I'm wiped out for about a day.

For me, it's almost always hormonal. Both my mom and grandmom had them, and my mom told me she eventually stopped getting them. I'm finding for myself they have pretty much stopped occuring as I move into menopause (hallelujah! Talk about a major advantage of getting older!). I am SO thankful that my daughter didn't inherit migraine tendencies.

 

[Marianne]

Oh ouch. It's been years since I have had one. Only had two my entire life and that was bad enough. I can't imagine how people deal with life having so many.

The last time I had one on the horizon, I had heard about coffee possibly helping, so at 2 a.m., I was brewing a pot. Worked for me. It never developed into a full blown migraine, and I have never had one since. Thank goodness.

For those who suffer, you have my sympathy. Again, ouch.

 

[Crooked Gate Farm]

For some reason when I get a migraine my body temp drops. I notice that if I bundle up I can generally get over it faster. A few hours versus a day. Luckily I don't seem to get them as much anymore. Better sleep, less stress and less store bought food have done a world of good!

 

[calendula]

It's funny, I didn't actually get my first migraine until after I had my first son, and I would have been around 22 years old. He was about 10 months old--I remember when it was because it was on Halloween and we were trick-or-treating. I wonder if the hormones does have something to do with it. It probably would have been around when I was weaning him off breast milk.

That was also at a time when I lost a lot of weight. I had gained a lot during my first pregnancy (60 lbs!). I got gallstones and had to have my gall bladder removed. I think my very unhealthy eating during my pregnancy contributed to this. I decided to start eating better and exercising after my surgery, and I lost all the weight I gained during pregnancy, plus a little more.

I don't know if any of this has anything to do with my migraines, I'm just kind of turning over different things in my head. But, things that I am working on right now are handling stress better, making sure to get enough sleep, and making good food choices.