What is the best med in your experience?

[JOYJOY123]

I have been having Migraines/Tension Headaches for as long as I can remember. Most recently i have been taking Analor Oral (aka Fiorcet) to treat this. I have been on this for about 9 months, and over time it has stopped having quite an effect on me. I was/am at the point with this medication where a 40 pill supply, which used to last me longer than a month, is now lasting me about 2-3 weeks, tops.  My doctor gave me a temporary prescription of Midrin. only 18 pills. they were gone in 4 days. I was not abusing either of the medications. taking them like i am supposed to. with the analor my directions say, "take 1-2 tablets every four to six hours as needed for pain". well, i used to be fine taking one every six hours and the headache would stay gone. maybe one, two at the most, a day. Now i am up to taking them 2 at a time every four hours...and my headache is back at around 2 hours, so i am having to deal with it for two hours with no medication. i am not supposed to take over the counter pain relievers on top of this. The Midrin i just dont believe is strong enough. the directions on it say, "take 2 capules at first sign of migraine, then one capsule every hour until headache is gone." I gave up after 4 hours and took my analor, because at least it dulls the pounding a bit. and it helps me sleep. i tried the Midrin for 4 days. two at first sign of the migraine and then one every hour to no avail.

Ok, sorry, just trying to get a bit of history in there. lol. My question is: With so many different medications out there, i would like to hear what everyone else is taking and how they work, good or bad experiences, etc. i am really just sick of the pain and want to get better. i have a 3 year old son who is not getting my full attention because, "mommy has a headache" about 50% of the time. Please, any answers are appreciated. I want as much info as i can get to go to my Doctor with!!

[JOYJOY123]

Thanks!! i really like homeopathic methods so i have printed these out and will be starting them shortly!!! i will let you know how they work for me!!

[hava]

You have tried several medicines. This pranayam - breathing techniques will help you very much.Do not stop before 4 months. You will start to feel the benefit in days and will be able to enjoy quality time with your son.Your immune system will get stronger  with the extra oxygen and the need for medication will decrease. Drink warm water.
Build up your timing gradually.If you feel tired or dizzy, stop and resume after 1 minute.
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
----

[JOYJOY123]

thanks for the response. i have tried both Imitrex and Topamax with no help. i am almost at my wits end....the headaches are a DAILY occurance. ugh. the next step my doctor wants to take is a catscan and/or mri which we are doing in February. I have stopped doing or being around, as much as possible, anything and everything i could think would be the stimuli for the headaches. they are completely dibilitating. i have taken many trips to the er even. which i hate doing because they always accuse me of trying to get "my fix" on pain meds when that is completely NOT the case. :( i am just frustrated with it. they found a spot on my brainstem on my last mri that they believed to be a mineral/calcium deposit so they said it may be putting pressure on my brain. so we are checking that as well. ihave a great doc. i am just trying to get any info on any meds that might be helpful. ugh. thank you though for all your info!!

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi,

Thanks for writing in.
Medications like Imitrex are very helpful in aborting acute attacks of migraine while medications like Topamax are effective in reducing the frequency of attacks. Please discuss this with your doctor.
Also please maintain a headache diary and try to identify a trigger for your headache. This can be a food product like caffeine, red wine, processed meats, cheese, foods with MSG, artificial sweeteners, or can be environmental stimuli like bright lights, loud noise, lack of sleep and stress.
Hope this helps!