Anyone Have Success Stopping A Migraine In Progress?

[Peata]

Family member had to come home from work early due to headache since he woke up. He took ibuprofen before and at work, but it didn't help. Now in bed. Has anyone found a way to stop these or reduce the severity when it starts?

 

[Peatful]

It may be too late...
But if he can stomach it (I get nausea with mine)...
Caffeine and aspirin.

 

[lollipop]

I remember Ray saying a large ice cream milkshake stopped his.

 

[tara]

Only thing that works for me so far is prescription triptans. There are several kinds - I use sumatriptan. I think rizatriptan can be useful if you need it to melt in mouth because nausea wont allow tablet, but it may be higher risk for rebound.
I sometimes have to lie down/sleep with drug, at least sit down calmly. Depending on dose and sensitivity has knocked me out for a while. I would not drive with drug in system.

I don't necessarily recommend these though, because I haven't been able to get a good understanding of how they work. I use them because I ran out of tolerance for the pain, and nothing else has worked.

 

[Dobbler]

Aspirin does jack ***t to migraine or headache in general. As much as i hate naproxen, its the best working for me.

 

[Peata]

Thanks for replies! He was too sick from the headache to hold anything down but a drink of coffee. He slept most of the day. Woke up, able to eat gradually and have coffee, and then was fine by evening.

 

[alywest]

Thanks for replies! He was too sick from the headache to hold anything down but a drink of coffee. He slept most of the day. Woke up, able to eat gradually and have coffee, and then was fine by evening.

If it's bad enough Excedrin Migraine might be the best thing. I know it has acetamenaphin (sp?) but for some reason the combo of aspirin and tylenol is the only thing that actually helps me if the migraine isn't caught soon enough and extinguished with progesterone or a lot of glucose (as in lisaferraro's suggestion of milkshake)

 

[MCF]

A combination of 200mg B2, 325mg aspirin, 200mg caffeine capsule and full glass of orange juice remedies a migraine for me.

 

[alywest]

A combination of 200mg B2, 325mg aspirin, 200mg caffeine capsule and full glass of orange juice remedies a migraine for me.

Nice, I'll have to make a note of that! I hate taking exedrin

 

[peep]

Yes @MCF, there are studies about b2, q10 and magnesium for maigraine. But maigraine prevention. Im not sure if it would help that fast.

If I have headache, I always make sure to get some Sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium.
Something like some salt + banana ...

 

[Lilac]

In an interview, Ray said that when he felt a migraine coming on, he could stop it by quickly eating a quart of (vanilla?) ice cream.

In the same interview, he also tells how many years ago someone told him eating a raw carrot daily would prevent migraines. He tried that and it worked for him.

Also in the same interview (On the Back of the Tiger), he said he was suffering once from a terrible migraine and took a big blob of progesterone, not caring at that point about potential effects on his male hormones. In the short time it took to get back into bed, the progesterone had cured the migraine and he fell asleep.

 

[alywest]

In an interview, Ray said that when he felt a migraine coming on, he could stop it by quickly eating a quart of (vanilla?) ice cream.

In the same interview, he also tells how many years ago someone told him eating a raw carrot daily would prevent migraines. He tried that and it worked for him.

Also in the same interview (On the Back of the Tiger), he said he was suffering once from a terrible migraine and took a big blob of progesterone, not caring at that point about potential effects on his male hormones. In the short time it took to get back into bed, the progesterone had cured the migraine and he fell asleep.

That's interesting because more than once if I run out of my supply of progesterone during the last two weeks of my cycle (before menses starts) I get a horrible migraine.

 

[Mad]

If it's bad enough Excedrin Migraine might be the best thing. I know it has acetamenaphin (sp?) but for some reason the combo of aspirin and tylenol is the only thing that actually helps me if the migraine isn't caught soon enough and extinguished with progesterone or a lot of glucose (as in lisaferraro's suggestion of milkshake)

I second this - I've been a migraine sufferer for 15 years and Excedrin Migraine is the only thing that phases mine. Take it early, then lie down in a dark, quiet room with a cold cloth on the forehead. I rarely take naps but for whatever reason, I can always fall asleep instantly with a migraine. Sleep it off and voila.
I think it was a recent KMUD radio clip where Dr Peat said high dose progesterone stopped his migraines. I've tried a few drops before, but I think he was talking very high dose.

 

[tara]

He slept most of the day. Woke up, able to eat gradually and have coffee, and then was fine by evening.

Glad he recovered. :)

 

[alywest]

Glad he recovered. :)

Did you ever try a really large dose of progesterone when you felt one coming on?

 

[tara]

Did you ever try a really large dose of progesterone when you felt one coming on?

It's a while ago, but I'm fairly sure I had well over 100 mg in 3-4 doses over an hour or so.
WHen I first started using the progest-e, I think smaller doses sometimes helped ward them off (temporarily) if I caught them very early. After a while I think it became less effective.

 

[alywest]

It's a while ago, but I'm fairly sure I had well over 100 mg in 3-4 doses over an hour or so.
WHen I first started using the progest-e, I think smaller doses sometimes helped ward them off (temporarily) if I caught them very early. After a while I think it became less effective.

That's too bad. Have you tried any other brand besides progest-e for progesterone. Haidut was saying on another thread that the soy isoflavones (which are in progest-e) negate andronergic effects of progesterone. I am starting to really believe that migraines are caused by excess estrogen because of their "shock-like" symptoms (imo). I know that RP has never actually stated that so directly (at least I don't think so) but mine are cyclic so I guess I'm biased.

 

[Xisca]

A buteyko slow breathe done with a breathe hold while walking stops migraines. The goal is to mantain a big air hunger while slow breathing. Wlaking during the 1st breathe hold does this. then stop and sit if you want, but slow breathe and stay with big CO2 so that CO2 builds up. not to be done all the time, it is an emergency exercise.

 

[tara]

Haidut was saying on another thread that the soy isoflavones (which are in progest-e) negate andronergic effects of progesterone.

Peat has said migraines can happen in a background of elevated estrogen, serotonin and histamine.
I imagine Haidut and others could be right about soy isoflavones being an issue, and I gave up soy products when I read Peat on the subject.
I'm not convinced there are any in progest-e?
I've not used other brands.
My guess is that I adapted to the higher doses of regularly supplemented progesterone in ways that counteracted or eliminated it, as Peat and gbolduev and others have pointed to.

 

[tara]

A buteyko slow breathe done with a breathe hold while walking stops migraines.

Good that it works for you, and maybe it would work for some others, depending on how their imbalances sit. I've tried this. Buteyko breathing worsens rather than mitigates migraine during prodrome for me so far.
Maybe if I could very gradually build up my CP when not in migraine process it would help.