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Physiology & Medicine / How to treat migraine?
« on: 24/11/2011 01:10:19 »
About 6 months ago I, very suddenly and surprisingly, started having migraines - the first one lasted a week.
When I visited my GP, my usual doc was on holiday, and I saw a locum doctor, who also suffers from migraines.
She prescribed me Sumatriptan. I'll try to recall what she said, but I was in much pain at the time and might get a it slightly wrong!
She explained that a migraine involves vasodilation of the blood vessels in your head. An ingredient in Sumatriptan causes these vessels to constrict. I have since read it is also effective with Cluster Headaches, which I find impressive, as I honestly thought nothing could be done about those.
Aura are my first sign of an impending painfest, so I always have a pack of Sumatriptan in my handbag in case this hits, and I take it as soon as I can, as the longer I leave it, the less effective it is.
On the pain relief front, I have been informed that opiate-based painkillers (such as Codeine) can make migraines worse.
Something cold on my head can provide lots of relief, I have been known to lay in bed with a pack of frozen vegetables melting all over my head! I assume this works on the same basis as the vasoconstriction as Sumatriptan - cold stuff makes our blood vessels narrow to try and reduce surface area and retain more body heat.
I'd also try to note what you were doing when the migraine hit. For me, it is surprising bright lights that get me - the glint of some sunshine reflecting off something is usually my cause, but I don't know more than that.
When I visited my GP, my usual doc was on holiday, and I saw a locum doctor, who also suffers from migraines.
She prescribed me Sumatriptan. I'll try to recall what she said, but I was in much pain at the time and might get a it slightly wrong!
She explained that a migraine involves vasodilation of the blood vessels in your head. An ingredient in Sumatriptan causes these vessels to constrict. I have since read it is also effective with Cluster Headaches, which I find impressive, as I honestly thought nothing could be done about those.
Aura are my first sign of an impending painfest, so I always have a pack of Sumatriptan in my handbag in case this hits, and I take it as soon as I can, as the longer I leave it, the less effective it is.
On the pain relief front, I have been informed that opiate-based painkillers (such as Codeine) can make migraines worse.
Something cold on my head can provide lots of relief, I have been known to lay in bed with a pack of frozen vegetables melting all over my head! I assume this works on the same basis as the vasoconstriction as Sumatriptan - cold stuff makes our blood vessels narrow to try and reduce surface area and retain more body heat.
I'd also try to note what you were doing when the migraine hit. For me, it is surprising bright lights that get me - the glint of some sunshine reflecting off something is usually my cause, but I don't know more than that.