Acyclovir and Headache

[Pamie988]

I have migraines since puberty and now just turned 65. For the past 5 years my headaches have gotton steadily worse, and while Imitrex 100 helps, my headaches have almost taken over my life EXCEPT I got a mild case of shingles about a month ago and took Acyclovir for one week. I had a dull headache for the week I took it, but immediately after I quit taking it, I didn't have a headache for one week. I mean I really didn't have a headache - not even a 1 on a scale of 1-10. I don't remember the last time that happened. I always have a headache, even when I don't have a headache - it is there in the background. I have had all the tests - brain, arteries, EEG, etc. I have been on extremely restrictive diets, exercise, etc., etc.

I am going to an Ear, Nose and Throat to follow up on a cyst in my sinus that I have had for a few years to follow that line. Have you ever heard of such a thing of the Acyclovir? Could it be related at all, or is it wishful thinking?

Sincerely,

Pamie988

[Mark_Land_O_Lakes]

I Take 800mg of Acyclovir twice a day and 100mg of lysine in the morning. My migraines are generally controlled by this. Once and awhile I will get a migraine often accompanied with with a scalp breakout and I stop taking the Acyclovir and lysine until the pain goes away. Then I resume my acyclovir and lysine. I now rarely have any problems. But I always have to go a week once and a while without my Acyclovir and Lysine.  Is the herpes virus simply one of my triggers or is the herpes virus the root cause off all my migraines, I don't know. The pain and breakouts are always hemispheric in nature. Migraine specific medicines have also helped, but are generally not needed while I am taking Acyclovir, 800mg twice per day.  I have been treating my migraines or "migraine like" condition like this for many years. The pain also can occur in other parts of my body but always hemispheric. Right now it's my right scalp and I have stopped taking my medication temporarily and I have been using an ice bag on my head and I have tried heat as well. I think the ice might have help tonight.

[T_Huggy]

I also get migraines literally every day, and I too have had multi-day relief from my migraines while on, and for a short time after stopping, Acyclovir. I am going to test taking Acyclovir again to see whether it affects my migraines and will post here when I have results.

[stephmens]

i suffered from migraine for 2yrs. The pain was at the back of my head and it felt heavy like something was getting bigger. When i shake my head I could feel the migraine shaking like a ball. No medication helped, pain was only reduced for a few hrs and then it's back. After 2yrs of pain I decided to try my own formula. I bought this Chinese ointment while I was still staying in Ghana and I put the ointment on the location of the pain then I will pour cold chilled water with ice on the back of my head. I think i did it once a day for a month or less and the pain disappeared. For over 7yrs now I haven't had headache. I have never had a pounding headache since. I only have slight headache when I have fever, i don't even call that headache because of my migraine experience. I will post the name of the chinese ointment bought from Ghana in my next reply.
or as a substitute try something like the heat cream for massaging at the pain site and then pour chilled cold icy water on the pain site for about 15-20 like I did with my chinese ointment