Migraines..how to prevent them???

[Taya6]

Every now and then I get a severe migraine that is always accompanied bith numbness and tingling in my arms, hands and face. The worst part is the very start of my migraine. I could be driving and in a blink of an eye I lose partial vision...usually peripheral vision. These are warning signs my migraine is on it's way, not a very good warning since this has happened driving my daughter to school. Then I become numb, it's pretty intense in my face, even my tongue. It's so weard! Then my vision usually gets better when the migraine starts. It always lasts between 8-12 hours then just becomes a dull ache through the following day. I live a very healthy lifestyle, I exercise and eat Organic, no dairy and think I am a fairly healthy person. Does anyone have any suggestions on preventing migraines for someone who does not use drugs of any kind over the counter or prescription? I'm always looking for that "Natural" cure. Any advice is greatly appreciated. I am deperate to figure this out and to make thse migraines a thing of the past! Thank you!!

[EricaL]

Hello Taya,

I'm a migraine sufferer of nearly 20 years. I've gone through many different stages of migraines. I get aura like you are mentioning. It typically lasts 20 minutes to 30 minutes, the worst is 45 minutes and that's when I know it will be very, very bad. Sometimes I vomit, sometimes I do not. Sometimes I get aphasia (you can't speak or think for the most part) and sometimes I don't. Sometimes I get numbness and tingling along my right arm. I get numbness and tingling on the right side of my face. Sometimes I'm super dizzy... sometimes not :)

I'm just one of those lucky migraine sufferers that has lots of funky side effects that may or may not strike me. The first thing that I would suggest that you do is keep a headache journal. If you want to go about eliminating migraines without seeing a neuro or physician and getting scripts (but it's always recommended you see a doctor, I'm not saying to not do so) then finding out the cause is usually a good way to do it.

I can get a migraine from flashing lights. So sometimes I'll be driving in traffic and the light reflecting off bumpers will trigger it. Lack of sleep will trigger a migraine. Having a certain type of alcohol to drink will trigger one. Smelling chemicals will trigger one. I have severe migraines that must be prevented though, so it took me a long time to discover what were my triggers and learn how to live with them.

See if there is a type of food you have, maybe a new vitamin or health drink? Sometimes the ingredients in health drinks, organic vitamins, and other things like that will trigger a migraine for me. I've not identified which ingredient it is, but I'm careful with them.

Have you recently been injured? got rear-ended? Fell off a bike? Anything that might have hurt a nerve?

If your migraines can be linked to a trigger, you just live without that trigger. If you've been injured, then stretching or other physical activities might make them worse or better. I've found acupuncture can be very good for migraines.

There are some herbs that people say help offset migraines. I've not found them successful though, but I'm more of an extreme case.

[hava]

Natural cure for migraine and associated symptoms.
Build up your timing gradually.If you feel tired or dizzy, stop and resume after 1 minute.You will benefit faster as you are not on any medicine and have a healthy lifestyle.Come back to report your progress.Continue the exercise once a day, after the migraine has disappeared.
Kapalbhati -(Do it before eating) Push air forcefully out through the nose about once per second. Stomach will itself go in(contract in). The breathing in(through the nose) will happen automatically. Establish a rhythm and do for upto 15 minutes twice a day.(Max 60 min/day) Not for pregnant women. Seriously ill people do it gently.

Anulom Vilom -  Close your right nostril with thumb and deep breath-in through left nostril  
then – close left nostril with two fingers and breath-out through right nostril  
then -keeping the left nostril closed  deep breath-in through right nostril
then - close your right nostril with thumb and breath-out through left nostril.
This is one cycle of anulom vilom.
Repeat this cycle for 20 to 30  minutes twice a day(maximum 60 minutes in one day).
You can do this before breakfast/lunch/dinner or before bedtime or in bed.Remember to take deep breaths into the lungs.

Bhramri Pranayam -Close eyes. Close ears with thumb, index finger on forehead, and rest three fingers on base of nose touching eyes. Breathe in through nose. And now breathe out through nose while humming like a bee.
Duration : 5 to 15 times

[Kari98]

I have had migraines for the first time in my life after my neck was injured when my car was rear ended.  I am 43.  I know migaines can be scary.  I had loss of periphal vision, would see lines, be senstive to light and vomit.  Usually I would wake up and go straight to vomiting.  Now when I feel the Naseau, I take an anti Naseau med and lie down in a dark, quiet room.  I take Imitrex by Nosespray. Unfortunately, I must take Protriptylene every night before bed as I was averaging at least 3 migraines per month.  I had tried chiropractor, Accupuncture and diet with no luck.  My doctor does not know how long I will have to keep this up.  I have myofascial pain and a herniated cervical disk(s) C5-C6.  Hope some this helps.
  Kari98

[ngraham819]

i'm not a doctor, but have been researching the link between magnesium deficiency and migraine.  my neurologist suggested taking a magnesium supplement, so maybe discussing with a doctor the benefits or risks might be an idea.  good luck.

[Taya6]

No response???

[Taya6]

Thank for scaring the ever loving **** out of me, I looked up the symptoms and I don't have one of them! My aura lasts about 20 minutes, I do not feel paralyasis...its a numbing sensation. No fever, no vomiting and nothing else stated in the symptoms.


Symptoms of FHM and SHM:

Episodes of prolonged aura (up to several days or weeks)

Hemiplegia (paralysis on one side of the body)

Fever

Meningismus (symptoms of meningitis without the actual illness and accompanying inflammation)

Impaired consciousness ranging from confusion to profound coma

Headache, which may begin before the hemiplegia or be absent

Ataxia (defective muscle coordination)

The onset of the hemiplegia may be sudden and simulate a stroke.¹

Nausea and/or vomiting

Phonophobia and/or photophobia

[dr_simran]

Hello Dear,
You probably have hemiplegic migraine where , the symptoms are indicative of vascular disease and can be thought to be stroke.There are neurological signs of numbness and associated weakness with hemiplegic migraine.
You should consult your physician and monitor your blood pressure levels

Reduce stress
- Practice Aerobic exercises
- Develop a regular sleep pattern also massage will help you.Meditation will help decrease pain and increase concentration and self confidence.Avoid stressful events.


.Refer http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11432020
Best