Needless to say, I eat a lot of mashed potatoes. (And I wonder why I can’t lose these 6 pounds I’ve recently found on my hips.) Like I said, they make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. But the truth is, they do nothing to help my headache and chances are, they are making them worse because of the carb load. So, I feel the need to ration my servings of them lately and have turned to more creative methods for making myself feel better when a migraine strikes. Anyone that has migraines will tell you that they’ll try just about anything to feel better when they are in pain. Here are some of the things that I’ve tried… truthfully, none of them work. I mean, ok, maybe they take my mind off the headache temporarily, but I end up using the FDA approved methods most… and that’s sucky too.
Ok, here they are, in the order that I think of them. Feel free to laugh at the image of me doing any of these. I know, in retrospect, I get a giggle from those images too. And please, anyone that has had migraines and found something that works, COMMENT! Maybe we’ll all try it and it will work and you’ll become famous and hormonal women far and wide will build a shrine to you!
- I crunch things. It can be anything really… Pringles or pretzels… just something crunchy. I have no idea what this does except maybe run interference with the pain impulses in my brain. I liken it to my not being able to make a left turn across traffic with the radio on. I can’t listen to music and judge the cars’ distance from me at the same time. I also can’t find an address with the music on either, but I digress. The crunching is just loud enough in my brain to be distracting. The relief ends when I run out of chips.
- Red Bull… I love Red Bull. To me, it’s the nectar of the Gods. I have been known to slam a Red Bull along with my pain meds. I know Red Bull gives you wings, but sometimes I find myself flying alongside Lucy through tangerine trees and marshmallow skies… Don’t try this unsupervised.
- Ice and Heat. I’ve used an ice pack and a heating pad… sometimes simultaneously. I only ever ended up with a cold or hot head. Or both.
- Hot Bath. It certainly calms me down especially when there’s nausea involved… but it takes a while and it sucks when you have to jump out of a bath, run over to the toilet soaking wet and hurl. It makes a huge mess and it’s a fall hazard if you’ve got tile floors. Nothing like knocking your melon on the sink because you slipped on the tile whilst running across the bathroom strip stark naked soaking wet vomiting. Next.
- Pressure points. I have no idea where I ever heard this but I had my husband squeeze a pressure point in the webbing of my hand between the thumb and forefinger, which is supposed to relieve headache pain. This honestly hurts like hell and only makes you have a head and hand ache.
- Carbs… yes, I’m circling back to the mashed potatoes, but am also including any refined sugar within reach. It’s a craving thing… probably because my blood sugar is low. Never a good idea really… only prolongs the agony. I’m experimenting with sweet potatoes though… they are supposed to have a low glycemic index. I’m a bit afraid of turning orange like babies do that eat too many of them. I’ll report back when I have any confirmed results or when I turn orange.
- Hair pulling… yes, hair pulling. There is a tension component to migraines. Any woman who has ever had a long ponytail in all day knows the feeling of finally letting it down at the end of the day and feeling your scalp return to a normal position. I have thick hair and honestly the weight of it can sometimes trigger tension, which can in turn trigger a migraine. Sounds hokey right? Well the hair pulling sort of relaxes my scalp, but also hurts as much as the headache does. I have a friend that has tried to convince me to let her pull my ears. Now she’s a fellow PT so I trust she’s onto something. I’ll report back on that one too (if we are still friends after I let her have her way with my ears.)
- Protein intake… this goes along with the whole low blood sugar idea. I’ve been known to eat a coupla Big Macs when I was in desperate pain. Result: guilt for ingesting nearly 100 fat grams in 10 minutes. Pain still there. And now nausea too. I think I need to explore better protein options.
- Mind over matter. Doesn’t work. The pain’s real. The whole “chin-up” thing is nice in theory, but I’m still in pain no matter if I’m smiling in the carpool lane, grocery store aisle. bleachers, bowling league, photo shoot, or anywhere else that I am required to be as a mother and wife. Yes, I look pale and grumpy, and no I don’t have anything in my eyes. If you ask what’s wrong, and all I do is mime the shhh sign then tap my head with my finger, please accept my advanced apology and excuse my rude behavior and overall crappy mood.
- Dark room, no sound, & pain meds. Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. Ok, we all know this makes us feel better. And sometimes it’s the only thing you can tolerate when the headaches are bad. Light hurts. Noise hurts. And the darkness and quiet helps me fall asleep which is nice too. I know it’s not always feasible to retreat to a dark hole and hibernate until the pain goes away but I must say that I am blessed with 3 very understanding and loving men in my life that hate to see me in pain. I also have loving family nearby that will swoop in in an instant and help when I need it. We’ve all bonded in the ER together when they are bad and they understand that sometimes they just make my life stop. I love every one of them for that (and for a thousand other reasons.)
I wanted to add too that I take a full complement of other medications that act as prophylactics and some triptans to abate the headache. Some work. Some work for a while. Some never do. My doctor is patient and understanding and hates to see me in pain. We keep trying new things, and sometimes we come back to some old things to give them another try. With my loving family, my caring doctor, and lots of mashed potatoes (and Red Bull), I keep on keepin’ on.
Please, if you suffer with migraines, tell us what you do that helps or doesn’t. As you can see, I’m willing to try anything… nothing will seem too bizarre, I promise.
Oh, and I guess a disclaimer is necessary… I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. None of this should be construed as medical advice. Please see your doctor before trying any of the ridiculous things I’ve tried above, and please try to keep a straight face while asking him/her if they are ok.
Lastly, a little friend of mine from Massachusetts, who knows I get a lot of headaches, made this for me. It’s a model of a nice little patio table with a sun umbrella and hammock that he thought would be comfortable for me to rest in when I got headaches. I think that it’s the perfect little migraine-relief oasis, don’t you?
The photo up top is from friend and fellow photographer, Laura of OurHouseOfJoyfulNoise.com. It’s an image she created for me… a depiction of what she imagined it must feel like to get migraine headaches. I think she nailed it.
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Well, just like a prayer… answered… here’s the grand finale, Madonna’s Like a Prayer, in full, for your viewing pleasure. 
First of all, I’m testing a bit to see if this new microblog widget really works and if I like it. And second, 
I have gotten migraines since I was a teenager. So for over 20+ years. They have come and gone but never gone away. They are fairly well controlled today by a combination of exercise 4-5 hours/week and topamax 50mg/day. I still get a week’s worth of migraine’s during my period and NOTHING helps those. I have spoken with my GYN about a hysterectomy because it gets that bad. Hugs to you and all the other migraine sufferers, while not life threatening,this is such a debilitating affliction!
Try fasting for a day before those times of month or just eating a lot of salad-leafy green vegetables and bitter vegetables are good for circulation-which should help with migraines-also avoid more carbs then are need in your diet- if you eat a good diet youll be able to not hunger for carbs good luck
I have been suffering from migraines since around 7th grade. I get on average 9-10 headaches a month and that is on blood pressure meds, Topamax, and Zomig. I recently went to my GYN and he told me to take several Aleve when I think I might be getting a migrain and I have been trying that this month and my headaches have gone down to only 4 this month. I tend to always get mine when I ovulate and during my period so he told me to take the Aleve for several days prior to when I ovulate and several days prior to my period though it doesn’t get rid of all of them it has gotten rid of several a month.
I don’t get anything close to what you describe…but do have them. I wish, with today’s breakthroughs, there was a way to prevent what you get…20 a month is outrageous. I hope that you get tons of advice and something that works.
I now want to eat mashed potatoes..though, so thanks for that.
@Claudine Jackson: Exercise definitely helps. The topamax worked for a while too, but I tend to cycle through meds that work for a while and then gradually stop working. I must say that the topamax really messed with me… lots of kidney stones and it made me, well stupid LOL. In fact, we call it stupamax around here. But when it was working, I didn’t care how dumb I felt.
@Regina: Wow, 7th grade! That really does suck. I was fortunate enough to get through college before they started. I can’t imagine having them while you had to study.
@Matt: Hey Matt, just curious, do your headaches come in clusters? Men typically get migraines in clusters. Just curious. Have you seen anyone for them? Or are they manageable?
Well, you know if I had a migraine cure, I would have surely passed it on to you by now! You know how helpless and sympathetic I am to you, every time.
But, that doesn’t stop me from chuckling somewhat, at the images #4 conjures up. Does that make me a bit evil? I think I DO have a little helpful tip for you on that one though, that you might want to try next time: handy bucket!
I remember the time I learned about the trick in #5. Michael and I were in art school together, and had just become smitten with each other. I had a slight headache. He did that to my hand. I felt the pain drain from my head, along with all of the blood my little noggin’ could hold. I nearly fainted, and fell into his arms. I think we then kissed. It was probably his plan all along. ; )
Thanks for the embarrassing photo credit. Don’t blame you for wanting to be sure no one thought you took it. LOL. No…just kidding. I actually almost get a headache just looking at it though, so I might be close after all. {JM} on the other hand, is feeling…published.
Ok…comment. Novel. Whatev.
Wow Teri! We sound so much a like! I suffer from about 20 a month and do many of the things that you have on here – to no avail! This whole thing drives me crazy! I have been having these since my son was born 9 years ago – didn’t get any kind of relief until about 4 years ago when my doctor finally agreed to put me on imitrex. I am pretty sure my dr. thinks I exaggerate about how many I have a month and has blamed them on my period and my birth control – which is ridiculous because I have my period every three months thanks to new low-dose pills. Anyway, recently tried Topamax for a month at 50 mgs – I felt like a psycho! Couldn’t remember simple things, sleepy and flew off the handle in a millisecond, but the weight loss was great – 8 lbs in a month – but not worth it! So, I have no answers for you, but I am training for a half-marathon and have noticed that my headaches are a little less frequent than they used to be…. Sorry to be no help, but at least someone is in the same boat as you…not a fun boat with cute umbrella drinks, more like a john boat on a crappy lake while it’s raining!
fasting and or better diet should help
@Laura@OurHouseOfJoyfulNoise: Michael is a sly dog! I wonder if that’s what Roger wanted to happen too. Although when he tried it, I probably looked the least attractive I’ve ever looked in my entire life, having probably just puked, day old bed-head, in an old ragged tshirt (from that team building exercise from my old work). Then again, maybe I looked cute… not as cute as Big, but cute enough I guess.
@Becky: Becky, I enjoyed the weight loss too… although soda tasted like tin foil and the kidney stones were a bitch! If you think your doc isn’t paying enough attention to your needs, I really hope you’ll look into St. Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute. It’s way the heck down off Macklind by the Science Center, but I’d drive twice as far now that I know how much Dr. Richardson has helped me get them under control. The link is above in the post or you can google it.
@Laura@OurHouseOfJoyfulNoise: Oh, and smart thinking on the bucket. I don’t think clearly when I’m hopped up on pain killers. You know what really is the worst part of the bath technique, apart from the soaking wet naked hurling described above, the NOISE of filling the tub! Ahhh!!!!
Teri, your 3 men, need to run the bath for you. ; ) Also, a little check on you now and then, that your head is still above the water, whilst bathing, is good too.
Hi Terri,
I didn’t know , u too suffer the samething, that I have suffered since I was 2 years old but didn’t know until I was 10 years old. I was “offically diagnosed 9 years ago. The dr I see. He does research everday.
i have tried everything. What does sometimes works for me is a cold pack or a warm shower. I can’t afford shots that costs 60.00 .
I get them more than 20 times, because mine are weather related and stress related and food allergy related.
Chris Teske
So you totally know I’m with you, right? I really had a good chuckle going through that list. I loves me some potatoes too! Mmmm…
My worst one is the pre-cycle head bomb. Usually leaves me in the shape that you mention in the tub, except I get in the hot tub with peppermint and various other oils to combat the headache and nausea. Sometimes it works, sometimes it SOOO doesn’t.
I am so ready to go see your Doc. Sounds like an angel to me.
I also promise to be gentle with your ears… LOL
That was a wild clinical.
@Angela: You totally tell me when you wanna go see Dr. R and we’ll go. Even if I don’t have an appointment. I’ll herd kids in the lobby.
And I trust you with my ears.
Teri, I get them too. I think i was about 11 when I got my first, of course I didn’t realize what It was back then I just knew it was a really bad headache. I remember one winter day leaving school early, I lived right by my school so I walked home, but I didn’t even make it out of the playground and I stood there hunched over with my throbbing head laying sideways on an iced over tree stump not being able to take another step, hoping that my mom would see me as she was making her way home from work.
Through my twenties I had about 3 -5 migraines per month that would totally knock me out, dark room pillow over head total quiet everything still.. and then about once every 6 months a trip to the ER because I would get so sick that I would get dehydrated. anyway for the last 2 yrs I’ve been on Topamax and it has really helped, I get maybe 2 a month but they are usually manageable, I can still function, do what I “need” to do. although over the last few months I have had to up my dose because they started to become less and less manageable. TMAX used to make me really really forgetful. TMAX used to make me really really forgetful. but now I don’t think it messes with me that much. It also used to give me crazy vivid dreams. thats all I got. good luck.
Jeff, doc suggested that we try stupamax again. I’m askeeeered! I was really an idiot on that medicine, well moreso.
Thank you for your help!
This post would be awesome for our next Headache & Migraine Blog Carnival if you’re inclined to participate:
http://somebodyhealme.dianalee.net/2010/05/announcing-june-2010-headache-blog.html