Towards Ending Migraines

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tara

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do you get the headaches on one side?

I always get mine in the same places. Not sure what this is about. Ray has talked about endorphins causing asymmetric symptoms and I think that this may be my issue, again back to endotoxins in my case.


ecstatichamster said:
do you get the headaches on one side?
Yes, mine are always on the right. In the past they used to sometimes be on the other side, or alternate, but the last several years it's always on the right. Sometimes nausea, usually loss of appetite and general unwell feeling. It can severely interfere with brain function - certainly can make me seriously unsafe to drive (this is scary - I really try to avoid it), and interfere with my ability to pretty much anything (eg struggle to reach out for a glass of water beside the bed, let alone get out of bed for the loo) for a couple of days, if I don't heavily medicate. The medication tends to make me incompetent for a couple of hours or so.

ecstatichamster said:
Coffee: I started up with coffee to defat my liver. I couldn't handle half a cup. I had some crashes, but I persisted and now I drink 8 or 10 cups of espresso a day with no ill effects. It took 3 or 4 weeks.
Hmm. I've never persisted with trying to raise my tolerance much. I was drinking more with lots of milk for a while, but I think the milk was messing me around. Had you had previous periods of coffee drinking in your life, or was this new for you too? Tempting to try again, but I'm a bit chicken. :)
 
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I never had more than a few cups a day. I was a tea drinker but reusing loose tea over several infusions to minimize caffeine.
 
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BB77 said:
Hi Tara ... new here ... so hope this is how I can maybe assist with your headaches?! I take folic acid daily now .... it works so amazingly for me... and i made spray of magnesium and spray that on the back of my neck... rub it in & keep doing this ... Of course everyone is different .... however, it could be worth trying ... BB

Hi BB,
Just responding here so I can keep this advice with my main migraine content. :)
Thanks for these suggestions. How much folic acid do you use? I think there may be concerns about large doses, but maybe a little would be worth a try. I may have some lying around from when I was pregnant, though that would be pretty old.
I'm trying to be more systematic about Mg supplement, but I like that idea of quick topical solution on a threatening migraine. I have some Mg oil, but it irritates my skin, so I don't use it regularly. Just mixed a little with water and slopped on the back of my neck last night - will try to remember that option as another thing to throw at it.
 
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I've been taking one capsule of standardised feverfew per day for a month now. No obvious improvement. I did manage to get a fortnight without migraine (though I was fighting it pretty hard the last couple of days of that), but the following week - this last one - I've had migraine on 5 days out of 7. Medicating with sumatriptan, and not losing the whole day, but still limiting.

Got some micellar casein - looks like a clean formulation. It tastes great! I've had a tablespoon or two a few days, but forgot about it when I got sick again. Not enough to test whether it gives me the same problematic symptoms I usually get after having too much milk for a few days. It would make it much easier to eat more protein and/or less meat, as long as it doesn't mess me around.

Got Haidut's tyromax. The last few days I've switched out one of my doses of 1/4 tablet nutrimeds thyroid (~1/2 grain, I think) for 2 drops of tyromax. Some days topical, some days oral mixed in water, one day straight oral (don't intend to repeat that - too strong - maybe the DMSO). So it's now: 1/4 tab nutrimeds for two doses, chicken neck soup for one dose, and tyromax for one dose. Will probably replace another dose with tyromax in a couple of weeks if I see not negatives. I like it better than the nutrimeds, but the nutrimeds carry well, so I'll probably keep using this when I'm away from home - lunchtime dose or travel.

Got another cold. Taping mouth at night again for the duration.

Still struggling to go to be and turn out lights at a good time. I sus[ect this of being a key issue, but finding it really hard to change. Occasional wakefulness, but usually sleep well when I try.

It's supposed to be summer, and we've had a few nice warm days, but not all that many. Reached coconut oil melt in my kitchhen only 2-3 days so far this summer. Hopefully Feb will be warmer.
 
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I've had a few clues here. Got a headache two days ago, pretty bad. I used aspirins instead of ibuprofen which helped somewhat but still I got the whole body shitty shitty feeling.

One clue is from Ray Peat, where I read he said the sugary milkshake could prevent a migraine. I took a ton of sugar including a protein shake with a lot of coconut oil and sugar, and a glass of Coke, and I didn't get a headache yesterday. Doesn't mean much but it may be something I'll keep trying.

I get a very un-headachey "too clean" feeling before it gives way to a shadow which morphs into the headache. If I take a ton of sugar in the form of a shake and a coke, etc., during the early period, maybe I can head them off.

The other thing I noticed was Ray said vitamin A "touching" his lip, in other words the topical stuff that he accidentally consumed, triggered migraine. I had taken vitamin A two days ago, so maybe that could have some causality.

I'm avoiding vitamin A for now.

Actually, my headaches have still been far less frequent on this diet, and also, even the other day, wasn't quite as intense as it used to be.
 
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so far, I can say that taking massive amounts of sugar seems to be working pre-headache. So far anyway. I have a big bottle of Coke and it doesn't progress. So far. A few days anyway.
 
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Great success continues. Today I had many triggers. Intense sunlight. Exercise. Cigars. And just consumed a ton of sugar and kept the headache away.

Stayed away from vitamin a.

Pretty impressed.
 
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The other thing I noticed was Ray said vitamin A "touching" his lip, in other words the topical stuff that he accidentally consumed, triggered migraine. I had taken vitamin A two days ago, so maybe that could have some causality.

I'm avoiding vitamin A for now.
Since I saw you write this a week ago I've stuck to topical application of ADEK (except for progest-e on gums). Longer time required to assess.
 
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Amino acids: Started regular amino acids glycine (~2-3g), taurine (~1g) a couple of weeks ago. Mixed a batch of powders with oyster shell and Mg supplements for a week's worth. In this week's batch I've added lysine (~500mg), BCAAs (~1g?). I've used all these AAs occasionally before, but this is the first time I've got it to a more regular daily routine. I'm mixing them with oystershell and Mg carbonate/M glycinate powders for convenience.
I've been managing half-pie consistency on taking the Mg-Ca-amino acids mix the last month. I've had at least one dose every day (good), but only occasionally get around to a second dose, let alone a third. That means I've probably been getting about half what I intended of all these.

Just made another batch - a month's worth: similar doses to above but glycine ~5g, BCAAs ~1500mg, Mg glyc ~1g, Mg carbonate ~1g, Ca carbonate ~2g. I I have 3tsp/day. But I might only get half that most days, if the last month's predictive.

Have been using the tyromax for one or two of my four doses a day. Was doing someimes drinking in water, sometimes applying topically, but the last few days gone to drinking it in water only. (still also using nutrimeds and NWT for other doses.)

Still love the taste of casein, about 10-20ml most non-migraine days for the last three or four weeks. But a bit suspicious of it messing with me. Skipping it for a couple of days till I feel more robust (or can't resist).

Occasional measuments of morning temps still 36.4. Just a little low.

Got sloppy and acquired a sunburn this week. But managed to swim! I've had a couple of slow-mending shoulder injuries in the last year, and wasn't sure I'd be able to. My breathing was easier than I remember from last time - 3-4 strokes/breath, as opposed to 2-3 strokes/breath previously. I'm guessing more sugar, Mg, Ca, and some attention to breathing practice the last three years are relevant to this. Had a couple of warm days - hit coconut melt briefly. Playing in the sea. :)
 
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whit said:
Tara, have you ever tried red light for migranes? I know bright light can seem counter intuitive. MB and infrared have helped me in the past. The back of the neck or forhead if it's tolerable.
My wife has allergies to certain foods (that she loves) that give her migranes.

Hi whit,
Thanks for this thought.
I haven't tried a dedicated infrared light. I have been getting sunshine more the last couple of months with summer. ONe winter I used occasional very strong halogens for a light supplement. Sunshine's better (as long as I don't overdo it and get burned), both seem to do me good, but it hasn't reduced migraine frequency or stopped a beginning migraine. I have thought about getting a better light set-up, but haven't figured out the logistics of what to get, how to mount etc, within my price range. May try this at some stage - it seems like a potentially useful tactic for other reasons too.
I don't usually get photophobic, except for very bright light - eg sun flashes off cars when I'm driving - so I don't have anything against using light.
 
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Tara, I'm finding sugar very helpful. I had a not-bad headache a few days ago when I had some starch, not sure if that was it.
But I'm a sugar fiend and it seems to help. Coke, ice cream, honey, are my best friends these days.
 
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Tara, I'm finding sugar very helpful. I had a not-bad headache a few days ago when I had some starch, not sure if that was it.
But I'm a sugar fiend and it seems to help. Coke, ice cream, honey, are my best friends these days.
I'm eating quite a lot of sugar most days, as well as usually one moderate serving as starch most day (usu potatoes or rice, occasionally home-made bread). Low blood sugar/hunger I've recognised for years as a trigger for me. But I've been pretty systematically avoiding it for more than a year, and getting at least as many migraines. I think overdoing the sugar may be another way to set me up for a crash. Once migraine prodrome is underway, more sugar often makes me feel worse.
 
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I'm eating quite a lot of sugar most days, as well as usually one moderate serving as starch most day (usu potatoes or rice, occasionally home-made bread). Low blood sugar/hunger I've recognised for years as a trigger for me. But I've been pretty systematically avoiding it for more than a year, and getting at least as many migraines. I think overdoing the sugar may be another way to set me up for a crash. Once migraine prodrome is underway, more sugar often makes me feel worse.

Right. Did you do the liver defatting routine with coffee and K2?

I had crashes too but since I did the coffee/K2 thing, I don't have them and I don't have cravings much anymore.

I'm finding sugar can ward off the type of headaches I get, at least sometimes.
 
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I use ~3 mg K2 most days, have done for many months, and before than about a year averaging ~1mg/day. I've not tried the much higher doses spome people have used - may consider it.
Not tried a serious attempt at higher caffeine - still too scared of the. The only drug I have that is effective once migraine is underway (triptan) has been known to fail after more coffee. When the triptans don't work, it's really scary, as well as long and painful - and I am a single parent, so I have to be able to at least somewhat function for at least some of the time to take care of my kids. They are big enough that there are times I can go to bed for a couple of hours when I need to, but not for three days.
Maybe I'll dare the coffee sometime. I do drink small amounts, and when I feel as though I've had too much sugar, a little coffee feels helpful.
 

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I'm just chipping in to confirm ecstatic hamster on ice cream: it cured my migraines, only one since June 2014, sun light also helped. Sugar yes, but ice cream beat other sources. some things respond fast, others continue to plague me, but I'd also second the sunlight and liver angles.
 
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I'm doubtful about icecream - I seem to get less tolerant of milk and milk fat in prodrome. But maybe I'll give it a go next time I get teh opportunity just in case. :)
 
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Check it out. It's a weak study, but it's a low risk experiment.
Thanks Hugh.
My initial hunt for a local source of hydroxycobalamin seems to show intramuscular injection by prescription, and no other sources.
I've been supplementing small amounts of cyanocobalamin for many months, and eat liver regularly. I haven't got my head around the pros and cons of the different forms of B12.
 

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Thanks Hugh.
My initial hunt for a local source of hydroxycobalamin seems to show intramuscular injection by prescription, and no other sources.
I've been supplementing small amounts of cyanocobalamin for many months, and eat liver regularly. I haven't got my head around the pros and cons of the different forms of B12.

If you can get your hands on the hydroxycobalamin ampoules it's relatively easy to do the injection without a doctor by yourself.
Or are the ampoules itself by prescription where you're from?
 
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Or are the ampoules itself by prescription where you're from?
Thanks Skally,
Looks like there are 1mg ampoules for injection from one source, but I haven't quite figured out if I can get it direct or only with drs prescription. The study Hugh pointed to was for intranasal delivery. I wonder if the same formulation could work for that?

Since I haven't tried the sublingual methylcobalamin, which seems easier to come by, maybe that's worth a try too?

Or does liver have a range of forms and likely cover my bases well enough anyway?
 

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