Well Women Guide to Migraine and Solutions

My mother suffered from migraine, and I suffered from the age of 12. I did not actually know that I had migraine as it began with an annoying "sparkling" in front of my eyes which started as a small dot and gradually spread until most of my vision was blocked. It lasted around 20 to 25 minutes and then disappeared. It left me feeling weak and tired and sometimes slightly nauseous. I was so glad it had gone, I didn't care. I did not actually get any pain at this stage.

I did not tell anyone. It happened every so often until I was around 17 then I started getting pain too. Sometimes I would just get the disturbed vision, sometimes I would just get pain and sometimes both. They accompanied my periods most months.

After the birth of my second child, I started to get migraines every month. After the birth of my third child, I had it nearly every week. This would coincide with the time I had Hashitoxicosis. Consequently I lived on Neurofen Migraine tablets.

Sometimes the migraine's were so severe, I would have to go to bed in the dark and with total quiet. I would feel nauseous, as though I was going to vomit. Sometimes I would have diarrhoea. My neck was always stiff with them. They were always on either one side or the other and this varied.

On one occasion, the smell of Calvin Klein's Eternity started my migraine. It was sprayed on me in a department store by a well meaning sales assistant.

Around 2002 onwards the migraines increased. I was having them every week and they were lasting two to three days. They were always severe and on the days that I did not have them, I had the visual disturbances.

I was taking birth control pills at the time and had not yet been properly diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease or given medication. It was not until 2006 that I was finally prescribed thyroxine and hey presto, no more migraines.

They were caused by my thyroid condition. They must have been or why would they go away when I was given thyroxine?

The other question is....why was I getting them at the age of 12?

Vascular changes in the brain were once thought to be the cause of migraine where there was a decrease in blood flow.

At present there are only a few drugs that can control migraine and all of them were developed for another condition such as high blood pressure, epilepsy and depression and new drugs are being tested all the time.

Since 300 million people worldwide suffer from migraine, it is surprising that this condition has not been attended to sooner and it is one of the most poorly treated and understood conditions.

Typically migraine has the following symptoms: Severly throbbing often searing pain sometimes located on one side of the head, sometimes "aura's" precede the pain or accompany it. Sometimes the aura's are stand alone. The migraine is often accompanied by nausea, vomitting, sweating, fever, and a sensitivity to sound, light or smells. Sometimes a feeling of paralysis or weakness down one side of the body or face, pins and needles in the face and/or lips may be experienced.

It can be enough to put us in bed for a few days and sometimes people are so ill that they go to casualty suspecting that they have had a brain haemorrhage. Many people also worry that they have a brain tumour.

They cost industry billions in sick leave.

New research suggests that rather than a decrease in blood flow, there could actually be an increase, of nearly 300 per cent.

What can trigger a migraine?

Certain foods and drinks such as chocolate, cheese, wheat, dairy, sugar, chemical additives such as MSG and other artificial flavourings, colours and preservatives, processed meat, alcohol, caffeine, food allergies or intolerances, chemical sensitivity.

Dehydration, hunger, too much or too little sleep, stress, physical exertion such as intense exercise and even sex.

Hormones. Imbalances from menstruation, PMS, Menopause, pregnancy, birth control pills, HRT.

Bright light such as sunlight reflection off metal, fluorescent light, loud noise/music, strong smells chemical smells.

Weather changes and changes in altitude.

Medication Is it doing more harm?

Having a migraine is the one time that reaching for pain killers is justified. Like dental pain, you are desperate to get rid of the pain and even now that I am clear of migraines and have only had comparatively mild attacks a handful of times in the last 3 years, I still carry neurofen or ibuprofen with me. I have also suffered severe dental pain, so consequently, I can never go anywhere without painkillers, although I never seem to need them. Just having them in my bag makes me feel safe.

Also taking too much headache medication can have a knock on effect meaning that you actually get a headache because of the medication, or lack of it!

Medication such as ibuprofen can cause ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding, strokes, heart attacks, dizziness etc.

Some migraine medications even contain toxins such as aspartame which is counterproductive as aspartame is a migraine trigger, so what is the sense in that?

How can we avoid them?

In the first instance, if you suspect that you may have a thyroid condition, see your GP for a firm diagnosis as medication with hormone replacement Levothyroxine or Armour will often rid you of them since migraines generally accompany underactive thyroid conditions or Hashimoto's.

If this is not the case, then avoid any food triggers like the plague.

You could also try adding a teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper to a glass of water at the onset of a migraine as endorphins are released by the brain when the pepper reaches your stomach. This would have to be as soon as the migraine starts as you are not likely to want to do this when the migraine is advanced.

One study suggests that the scent of green apples significantly relieves migraine pain.

Massaging the crown of your head may also work for some.

Some other suggestions from migraine sufferers are:

Soaking your feet in very warm water containing half a cup of Epsom Salts. The reason for this is that the heat of the water alters blood flow to the brain and the magnesium in Epsom salts helps to relax tight muscles.

Massage by a therapist to break up tightened muscles in the neck if this is considered the cause.

Daily consumption of Evening Primrose Oil, to correct catabolic metabolism as a preventative and Sinusbuster Nasal Spray, (has been said to relieve a miraine in a matter of minutes) to treat any migraine pain.

Detox yourself of heavy metals using Chlorella Heavy metal toxicity is considered a major cause.

Many migraine sufferers have multiple food allergies and Dr Jacob Teitelbaum states that as many as 80 per cent of migraine sufferers have a gluten/wheat sensitivity. Could IBS and migraine be related or even different forms of the same food allergy/intolerance?

Also consider soya/soya lecithin as a trigger. Those with a thyroid condition are best off avoiding soya.

Avoid chemicals in cleaning products and artificial air freshener.

Try Magnesium Supplements. There have been some brilliant results with these and one woman reported that migraines she had been experiencing for 30 years disappeared when she used magnesium daily. See her quote below:

"During the period of my life when I was like many people a skeptic about orthomolecular medicine I had come across an article in a magazine about supplemental magnesium being a "cure" for miagraine. It was only a few years ago that I came across a similar article and being more enlightened decided to supplement with magnesium though I hardly believed that it would cure my headaches and felt that I was probably just wasting my time. However to my surprise and great relief the miagraines I had suffered for over thrity years were no more save for twice when I forgot to supplement for a few days. I also feel more clear headed , am able to eat foods that were once triggers (e.g. citrus,cheese),don't fear and avoid pulsating or flickering lights ,can tolerate smells that once would have seen me in a aroom holding my head and can adapt to changes in weather or sleeping pattern without this triggering an aura and the accompanying throbbing head.I still am wary of my triggers and don't push it too much though situations that would have certainly triggered a miagraine no longer do so. I I hope this is some help to other miagraine sufferers."

Also see this other quote from another lady:

YOU are VERY MUCH on track with the use of MAGNESIUM to combat migraines. As I read the other comments I realized that over my years of suffering migraines (possibly inherited the tendency to have them from my mother who also suffered from them) I had tried many strategies which only worked about 50% of the time on the good days.

Then about 10 years ago I read about magnesium outsmarting migraines. Since it is a mineral I decided I could take it. After all I took iron and the added iodine in my salt. So, I tried magnesium and found that it would wipe out a migraine faster and safer than any migrain med the doc had prescribed. I told my doc, she was amazed.

AND then I found the other benefit, the magnesium helped control my asthma!!!

I since have found out that the area of the US I live in has NO magnesium in the soil or the water. Migraines are rampant. I have told my work colleagues about magnesium, they tried it, and it reduced the impact of a migraine for them.

My questions beyond MIGRAINES are these: HOW many chronic illnesses are triggered by a regional mineral deficiency? HOW many pharmaceuticals are ingested in order to control something that may be more of a mineral deficiency or imbalance?

Avoid paint fumes and varnish fumes, pesticide and all chemical cleaners.

Inhalation of lavender may help. Put about 10 drops into steaming water and inhale with a towel over your head.

Some have had relief with daily supplementation of CoQ10

glutathione enhancers - keep regularly detoxed.

Try Feverfew tea. Using fresh is best.

Avoiding cows milk may help. (another potential trigger and many are allergic/intolerant to it)

To be continued as more ideas are found. 13/8/08