Summernoelle, like you, my migraines are linked to the weather. I am miserable when a storm is blowing in and then as it breaks, and the showers start, the intensity of the migraine goes down, and after some hours in a dark room, the meds kick in.

When I first made the connection, I thought people will think I am crazy. But then I did a lot of research, and found that the electrical disturbances preceding a storm can indeed trigger migraines.

The solution: I bought an ozoniser which releases a stream of negative ions into the room along with blasts of fresh air. In fact there are special air purifiers, which are specially targeted to migraine sufferers. It really works for me.

As for meds, I've tried them all (the last 33 years!) , including Topomax, but like you and Jer702 said, the side-effects... my kids say they made me a different person!

Now, I am off all preventatives, but on a combination prescription for when I have an attack. The key is to take the medication EARLY... if you get an aura, at the first sign! Don't wait for pain or nausea.

Karen

I inherited my migraines from my mother (and both my brothers too).
My migraines are linked to weather, too. Complicated by the neck vertebrae problem (inherited too).
After suffering for more than 20 years where no doctor wanted to give me anything else than painkillers, I found a wonderful neurologist.
After half year I went from migraines twice a week to perhaps one in a month. (And the doc is still not satisfied!)
The secret - plain magnesium - the sort you can buy among vitamins in supermarket. You start to take it twice a day - in the morning and the evening for two weeks, continue once a day for another two weeks and end another month or two with one in two or three days. I had to prolong the cycles - I had to go twice a day for almost 2 months, but still - after two weeks you could feel slight difference.
I need to start again now (3 or 4 years later) - I get now once a week a weird migraine - all the symptoms up to throwing up (sorry) but not the intense pain. Some pain - yes, not able to concentrate, not able to walk because of vertigo, not tolerating light or sound, but not the blinding pain I usually get. The theory of my neurologist is that after so long, the migraine is still severe for "normal" person but my pain level is much higher and I simply cannot feel it as much. Through the body knows. My office is a dark cave quite often and I have wonderful co-workers who know to let me be and sometimes even proofread for me on these days. I am lucky that my employer understands it - at one time I had to start working later, because I got migraine in the night, took pills and woke groggy, 2 hours late for work. I did stay later, but still...

I still need prescription drugs for the migraine attacks with severe pain, that was not the point of the mentioned magnesium therapy. The point was to prolong the intervals between attacks.

Perhaps you could try it too - taking magnesium tablets shouldn't be risky and counteract any other medication (to be sure ask your doc). When I started I thought: it cannot make it worse and I am ready to try anything!

Thanks majka_ze, that's the second time in this thread that Magnesium has been mentioned and like you said..we're always willing to try anything to see if it works. I will definitely grab a bottle and see how it works out. Thanks

summernoelle--Just checking in to see how you were feeling

I'm feeling better today. I have been getting dizzy-is that normal for migraines? Also spots and weird stuff in my vision, but that is "normal" for me because I have been having that for about a year and my stupid doctor thinks it is fine. But luckily no headaches and able to get out and do stuff. I am going to go the a new neuro next week to see what I should do. Thank you for asking!

Yes, dizziness can be normal for migraines. When both my mother and me get migraines, it temporarily destroys the coordination center in the ear. We do a mean drunk impersonation.
But with the others symptoms - no way it is normal. See a new doc.
Are you having the spots in your vision all the time? In such case, get your eyes examined. Well, do it anyway - my migraines go always worse because I need new eyeglass prescription. I notice this even when I think to see fine.

Another tip for migraine attack - try caffeine. Better than coffee is coke - for me is it diet Pepsi (could be a taste thing). And try eat a banana, if you can. It has all the elements you need. It works best on onset - wash your pills with coke down, eat the banana (it is better than on empty stomach) or at least a bit of it.

Yeah, they are every day, several times a day. Weird mirrored spots, splotches of light, or shooting stars. Anywhere from a few seconds to 20 minutes long. They started when I went off Topamax. They started a few times a week and now are everyday, multiple times a day. The neuro blew me off about it, said it's just part of the disease, and blah blah blah. There is a disease call Optical Migraines or Aura without migraine, and apparently that is what this is. I did have my eyes checked-they are fine. Hopefully a new doctor can help. of course I have myself convinced that it's something much worse.

Even optical migraines shouldn't come every day or even more often! Can be that you have them, it is even probably, but I would still try to find a way to prolong the intervals between them.
It took me over 20 years not to let the doc tell me what is normal for migraine and that I have to live with it. Usually you don't have to! I had to find a specialist in migraines - I don't know if you have them or can find them easily. I was lucky because there was a program here in Czech republic from the health department, where you could find these docs and make a direct appointment. Normally you would need to go through a family doctor.

Summernoelle, glad to hear your feeling better today. I just got over a nasty migraine myself today. I too get the sparkly (shooting star) type visions too and my neurologist said that, that sympton was also one relating to migraines.

That makes me feel better. You get on the internet and find a way to convince yourself it is a brain tumor! I'm sorry you had a rough day today with your headaches.
Does it amaze anyone else that with all the science we have they are still not really sure what causes these suckers? They have general ideas, but the mechanism of it is still unknown? It shocks me...there are a lot of people out there like us who are suffering.
My aunt had severe migraines every single day of her life for 10 years. No doctor could stop them. One day, she said enough and went cold turkey off her meds (not a great idea...). After 3 weeks, she started on the holistic stuff-Mg, Acai and giving up any and all toxins. Eating completely organic. Not one headache in a year. So much of it for her was eating clean and nurturing her body. She feels better not being medicated, too. Very interesting!

Yeah my Mom did the same thing with the homeopathic dr. herself worked for a while but she stopped going....
My neurologist actually doesn't recommend me taking anything either. He says in the long run they just make it worse. Easier said than done not taking the meds though. I still like using the ice packs and as mentioned in one of previous posts I'm going to try the acupuncture/chiropractic path again soon.
My migraines feel worse since coming to Raleigh and I was talking to a friend about her DH and she said when they lived here it was really bad for him but since they went to Arizona it was way better. I've known for many years now that the weather is one of my main triggers but not my only one. I'm actually hoping DH gets transferred elsewhere because of my migraines.

Most everything I'm reading on the internet and a couple of books I have on migraines states that you take calcium along with the magnesium, but not at the same time. The dosage is twice as much calcium as magnesium.

I'm starting mine at 1000mg of calcium and 500mg of magnesium daily. My SIL get migraines too and talked to a nurse friend of hers that confirmed this to be a very helpful regement for migraines.


HTH K'ly

http://www.vitaminworld.com/pages/healthnotes.asp?xs=0EC021B1A6DB44949465EFB5954C2B59&org=nbty&ContentID=2242005#Homeo-Directions-Insert

I hope this link works...I found this while on www.vitaminworld.com website looking at magnesium and calcium.

HTH2 K'ly

The other thing I have heard are the different type of Mg. The ones that end in "ate" (acetate, malate) are good and easily absorbed. The ones that end in ide (oxide) are not and won't be as effective.

There is a book call the Migraine Magnesium Solution, or something similar. It says that it acts almost identical as drugs do to counteract the excitotoxicity (sp!) that can cause migraines.

KlyKat thanks for the link, I just read it and great info. I'm still shocked that I didn't know about the whole Magnesium thing..very interesting.

I finally got an appointment with a new neuro-next Tuesday, so about a week. He specializes in headaches and aura without migraine, so I am hoping he can help better than my previous one. There is rain in the forecast for this week, so hopefully I can get through it without getting sick.
Thank you guys for the help, and jer for starting this topic!

Good luck with your appointment and let us know how it goes.

Hi guys! Here is an update. Today was my appointment. I secured childcare, filled out 10 pages of forms and drove across the Metroplex to be told once I got there that this is a "preexisting condition" that my insurance won't cover the neurologist visit for another month. I was in tears when I left, wondering what on earth I am going to do for the next month if these headaches continue. Luckily I haven't had one since Friday.
What's stupid is that we called the insurance companies ourselves and it should be covered.
Also stupid-I get there and the girl behind the counter was all "Oh, you're Summer, aren't you? "Yes," "I love your cakes! I have been trying to get one from you FOREVER but you're always booked." OK, let's make a deal Free cake=office visit now, please.
Stupid insurance companies.

Oh Summer I am so sorry!!! I can really feel your pain and frustration. But just so happens I found out from my SIL that her pharmacists, which she use to work for, told her to take 4500mg's of Fish Oil a day split between morning, noon and night.

I get a migraine every 10-12 days that lasts 3 days so I just came out of one on Saturday, but I started on the Fish Oil that day. So we will see what happens.

klykat, I seriously don't know how you deal with that. I really don't. I have heard that about fish oil as well. There is a doctor whose articles I read and this is what he says to take:
800-1000 mg Mg acetate (broken up throughout the day so it isn't too hard on your tummy)
400 mg Riboflavin (b2)
100 mg Feverfew
1-2 grams fish oil

The main things are that you need to slowly start the magnesium, start with 100-200 mg and then work up over a couple of weeks. Also, this is supposed to take 1-2 months before you can see a difference.

Summer---it's really a pain, no pun intended. I take alot of Imitrex but it's getting to the point that it only relieves the pain for a few hours maybe half the day then it comes right back.

I've read about all the above you mentioned but never about taking them to along with one another. Seems to make sense though.

Migraine suffers will understand when I say I could certainly stand a few little needle sticks if it would help my migraines

I have had migraines my whole life. Last year they started getting worse and I was having 6-7 every month. So my doctor put me on Topamax and I have had 2 migraines since December. It has worked great for me.