Advice needed....Please

I was diagnosed with migraines about 2 months ago. At the time, I had a very severe migraine which lasted for an entire week. I could barely function, I had no appetite, I was always tired, and very dizzy and "out of it." My doctor prescribed meds for the migraines but my insurance didn't cover them and they would have cost me $500!!!! So, my doctor prescribed me codeine instead. But the codeine makes me feel awful. I have tried exedrine migraine and that doesn't seem to help. Does anyone have any recommendations for any over the counter treatments? Right now I feel another migraine coming on and I am so worried its going to be as bad as the first one. Any advice would be great! Thanks!!!

[Kgarey20]

I've had migraines all my life and have tried everything. If your doctor will prescribe Maxalt that will probably work for you. It works by stopping a migraine when you feel one coming on. As for over the counter medicine. I found that if I took half a codiene pill with a Tylenol I didn't feel quite as bad. Also Aleve works pretty well if you take it early on. And it sounds kind of weird but there is a pressure point in between your thumb and pointer finger on that muscle that you can squeeze really tightly and it will alleviate the headache for as long as you are applying pressure to that spot on your hand. The only purpose that little trick serves is to give you a moments relief. Other than that the only advise I can think of is to lay down in a dark room with a cold compress over your eyes. Let me know if any of this works for you. Good luck,

[Maygin]

Thanks for the advice. I will definitely look into talking to my doctor about the medicine. I appreciate it!

[domestictech]

What were the meds that your doctor prescribed? My migraines got to the point where I would have them like 15 days out of the month. My Neurologist decided to put me on "preventative" meds which have to be taken on a daily basis. He has put me on Inderal and Evil both at a fairly low dosage. BOTH those meds have a generic so it won`t cost you a fortune. I do have Imitrex for the migraines that last for days or the really bad ones. Also, with the preventative meds I have not had to have so much of the Triptans like Imitrex,Maxalt ect. which are very expensive basically.

[Maygin]

The medication that would have cost me $500 was Imitrex. It averaged out to about $20 a pill, which is ridiculous. Do inderal and evil work well for you???

[domestictech]

[domestictech]

Yes,the Imitrex is very expensive unless you have insurance. Even then they will only give you about 18 pills a month. Triptans like Imitrex sometimes cause rebound headaches if you take them every day like alot of other meds for pain. Everyone reacts differently to certain medications.  I take the Inderal and Elavil together and they have helped the intensity of the migraines about 80%. Some people have more side effects than others. Most people say weight gain is the biggest problem with Elavil. Some say Inderal causes bad dreams. I get both side effects but they are minimal,possibly because I take a fairly low dosage. I have be taking the meds for about 5 months. It is worth it to me so far. If I have to many problems with these meds my Neurologist told me he will try Topamax. Some people have a lot more side effects with that. I just read that Topamax was approved for generic,the brand is pretty expensive. Here is a link to the article.  http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070910/mylan_laboratories_fda.html?.v=1
Good luck!

[vpozie]

I get terrible migraines several times a month.  Strangely, Pamprin (yes, the one for PMS), actually works for me sometimes.  It doesn't always completely get rid of the migraine, but it usually at least lessens the pain so I can get on with my day (or get to sleep at night).  It's quite inexpensive, and worth a shot.  Also, my doctor had me try vicadin for the really bad migraines, and it seems to work quite well (I only use it before bed, though, because it can make you quite drowsy).

[taubebecker]

Hey,  I just read that headaches are triggered by nitric oxide release and vaso spasms.. and one of the ingredients in pamprin knocks down the nitric oxide.  
I guess that is why they tell you to stay away from any foods with nitrates?  bacon, lunch meat, MSG?    as well as anything that excites the nervous system - caffeine, chocolate, etc

Maygin -  thanks for your post.  I read that verapramil and inderal are good preventatives.
Glad to hear that they work.

Good warning about Imitrex etc  causing rebound headaches...