Triggers & sometimes helping secrets

By 1982

1 min read

Hello my Migraines friends,

Sorry to meet this way but maybe we can help each other. I have alot of the signals that I know are signals, but it's like I get stupid or something. For a couple of days I will be really tired, can't get enough sleep, or crave cheese, sweets. Of course if rain is coming, I know I will be getting a migraine. Whenever the pressure starts dropping below 30.

My secret that seems to work for me is that I rub Vicks on my tempos, neck/jaw (from ear across)/back of neck Jut be sure to use a kleenex. I also put some right under my nose to breath in.

Give it a try. I use it with symptoms oncomig/ & during.

Good luck

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jgs350 Member
I get Barometric migraines, when the pressure will suddenly rise or drop below 30 or if a storm comes rolling in. Drives me batty. Or when the sun is blaring-I like it best when it's cloudy. From the pre-migraine phase all the way thru the "hangover" phase I get the forgetfull like crazy. I cannot remember anything. I lose things left and right. I cannot tell you how many times I lose my water glass, my eye glasses, my cell phone. If I attempt to cook I forget I put something on or how long I put it in the oven or grill and end up burning it, or charring it. I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached and that's the one thing I'd just LOVE to misplace. I cannot follow instructions. If my husband asks to me to help him with a simple task he has to repeat it several times and he's not a patient person to begin with, and he gets so exasperated he starts to get angry. No matter how many times I remind him later this is an affect of the Migraine phase he just must think I'm faking it or something or else he's always forgetting himself. I just don't know. I'm way too sensative to smells so the Vicks would not work for me. I cannot tolerate any scents. Everything in this house has to come in scent free and if it's not I cannot be in the same room with it-I will vacate the room and lock myself up in the bedroom until it's aired out. My former neurologist suggested aromotherapy and I told him I cannot do it that it triggers my migraines. He told me to attempt to tolerate it and I told him several times I cannot do it. He said I was non-compliant and I told him I khow better than him what I can and cannot tolerate and scents I cannot tolerate. He was very obnoxious, rude and had the attitude that I had to suck it up and be like a man and tough it out. He said I would not even give it a try and I told him why I could not. I then told him he was an a-hole and walked out on him and never went back. I got my new neurologist who does not push on me treatments he knows I have tried or cannot tolerate. I like him much better. This neuroligist specializes in migrianes and also suffers from them as well but to a minor extent so he has empathy. The former neurologist always treated me like I was taking up his precious time and was a bother to him. If I can catch a migraine in time I have a new regimine for my abortives a DHE nasal spray Migranal 1 spray followed with portable oxygen 6 litre for 15 min and I can take 1 more spray and I cannot repeat until 12 more hours and then I cannot repeat until 7 days pass: or another nasal spray Sprix which is a form of a NSAID also follow with Oxygen, I can only take 1 spray and repeat in 6-8 hrs and repeat as needed for a max of 4 days in 1 week. For not so severe migraines I can use Indocin. I use meditation and have soothing music on my iPod if I can tolerate noise on a very low setting. I will close myself off in a very dark bedroom with the curtains closed and an ice pack on my head and heat pack on my neck and shoulder. I will cuddle up with my little puppy buddy Paco. He's my source of comfort and when I'm getting a migraine or have one he will not leave my side. He will cuddle up with me super close and the warmth he generates and the frequent puppy kisses he gives me bring a comfort to me. Once in a while I will stroke his soft ears and head and he will snuggle even closer. I'm sometimes bad during this stage if I have a really bad migraine because i will skip meals. But I will usually have a large 22 oz glass of water on my nighstand and will sip on it. And if I'm home alone, which I am during the day, I will have to get up and refill it to try to keep hydrated. My neurologist has me on a strict abortive plan, but I've actually followed this since 2006. I can take abortive meds 4 days of the week but 3 days I cannot. So If I'm having Migraines 7 days of the week, which I usually am, 3 days of the week I am abortive med free and I CANNOT take OTC as they conflict with my preventive meds so I have to find ways to tough it out so I meditate, pray, meditate, pray, stay enclosed in my dark room with ice, heat, ice and more heat until I can get my pain level down to a 6 which I can sorta function 1/2 way human. But My migraines have been daily since May 2010 and they have yet to figure out why and they cannot use the excuse of medication overuse because I only use abortives 4 days out of the week. Some weeks the 3 days of non-abortives I admit are pretty darn hard. Some days I jokingly say where is my bullet to bite down on. But my MRI and CT and blood work have come back ok. Now this past week they have done more blood work to rule out other illnesses to treat me for Fibromyalgia. After all these years and constant pain from the head to the hip and a bunch of other things, but Fibro can also cause migraines in addition to other things. But if this is the case......... Well, like they said don't count your chickens before they are hatched.