SOmeone told me that if you drink a mountain dew, within twenty minites the migraine will be gone.

I guess it would be work a try!

Hanging head....

I am on big gun stuff it sounds like....

200mg Topamax daily and then when I do get a headache and yes I still get the dang things.....Maxalt

I start with Liquid-Gel Advil (because it does start to work sooner than the regular Advil) and I take Caffergot - a Rx with caffeine in it. 2 at first and then one every 1/2 hour. Thank goodness I don't get them often. *knock on wood

Oh my god I couldn't even deal with take 50mg twice a day. How to you even move while taking that much?

Mt. Dew and two excedrin extra strength works great for my migraines. Had a really bad migraine this past week lasted me almost 7 days with the left side of my face being numb, and loosing parts of my speech. Scared the day lights out of me. So far none of the meds prescribed by my doctors work. Just the Mt. Dew and Excedrin Extra Strength.

Hi,

I'm new to the headache forum but not new to headaches/migraines.

For 30+ years I suffered headaches/migraines and muscle spasms. I spent thousands of dollars on chiropractors, drugs(was addicted to codeine in my late teens for head pain treatment), physiotherapy (some doctors believed it was stress) and one psychiatrist. These were all good people who helped me the only way they knew how to. Some achieved temporary results which were a relief but it meant that I was looking at a lifetime of therapy.

Then, something else happened in my life and I decided to do an elimination diet. I was like a new person, with a new lease on life!!! Grains were my biggest offender. Now, no therapy, no headaches, no muscle spasms, etc.

Most books promote wholegrains, even if they're gluten free. Wholegrains really just don't work well for some people though.

It's been six years for me, and I'll never look back. I'm in better shape over 40 than I was at 30! (And I haven't taken a single pill in all that time. Pretty good for someone who would go through a bottle a month during some phases of my life.)

i take topamax.. but for some reason thats not doin anything
they uped me to two in the morning and two at night.. maybe someone
has an idea of something else i could take?

I've suffered with headaches since early 2000 (well, all my life, but we're talking BIG headaches I'm assuming here).

I have a routine if I can catch a headache comming on, I start a STRONG pot of coffee brewing, and hop in a hot shower for about 15 min. Get out and take two Tylenol Cold and Sinus Rapid Release Gel-Caps with a half cup of Welches Concord Grape Juice, eat a cup of cottage cheese and drink a cup of coffee, then lay down in a dark quiet room for an hour. If I can make it through the whole process, then by the time the hour is up, the headache is totally gone!!!! But let the phone ring, or the kiddos start hollering or something, and there aint nothing to do but lay in the fetal posistion for several hours.

I have yet to find any migrain or pain meds to deal with my headaches. Except for those that just flat knock you into oblivion

I'm a long term migraine sufferer who has put a LOT of time and thought into controlling the problem. It is my belief that for many of us, "control" is the operative word here and not total "cure." It often takes a multi-faceted approach to get good relief. Probably everyone should try an elimination diet at the onset. I think getting a good book on the subject is the first place to look. In addition, seeing a neurologist with a special interest in the topic is the probably the next thing to do. I do know that certain medication and certain medication in conjunction with one another can be helpful. Topamax, although a difficult medication, has a reputation for bringing help to many. The "abortive" type medications can also be wonderful. These are things like Maxalt and Imitrex. Everyone should be very careful to avoid taking meds like Exedrin, especially in excess. Rebound, where a medication or substance causes your headache to come back quicker and/or stronger, is a very real problem. Some vitamins to try and/or ask your Dr. about include: Calcium/Magnesium, B2 (B Vitamins in general) and CoQ10. Migraine suffers should probably either not drink coffee, drink decaf or keep it to a minimum. One option to consider would be to only have a regular cup of coffee when you are trying to get rid of a migraine (or headache). Have your coffee with a medication like Imitrex to provide a little boost...help it to go away quicker. If you are drinking coffee all the time, this will NOT work nearly as well (if at all).

I was sooooooo reluctant to go on a prophylactic, but verapamil, a calcium channel blocker (40 mg at night, every night) did reduce the headaches.

If I still get one, Imitrex works pretty well for 90% of the time. It is a dangerous drug, however, as it can cause heart attack, stroke or even bowel ischemia. These risks are reduced if you take 50 mg instead of 100 mg. So, I'll first do 50 and go up if necc. But the last time I took it I had gut cramping and so I am really trying to avoid it.

Sometimes I will throw in a little sudafed, but I think this is dangerous too.

Other things include Vicks in my nose, peppermint oil near the parts that hurt, taking a hot bath and then lying with my head on a heating pad (caution: fire hazard, though it has never happened to me), taking my phone off the hook, eating whatever it is I crave, and chanting to myself over and over: oh please God make this stop.

I was recently diagnosed with Hashimoto's Encephalopathy, which actually may be the cause of my headaches. It's treated with steroid pulses. When I am between pulses and get a headache now, I'll take just 5 mg of prednisone and it usually does the trick if the other things don't work.

I hope you get relief from your pain. It sounds like we are all different here, so I hope you find what works for you!