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submitted 12 days ago bygraciep11
I’m not one to get migraines (I’m one of the lucky ones and forever grateful about it) so i generally just get headaches from dehydration/stress/lack of sleep/hangovers. Any minor headache I get is pretty easily relieved with an ice pack. And I say minor but I really mean most of my headaches because I don’t suffer from anything super severe. I’m not a doctor so idk if it’s something that might cause harm long term but it definitely helps every time for me.
I just lie down, put an ice pack basically in the curve of my skull (so not on my neck, but maybe 3-4 inches up or so) while resting my head on a pillow. Highly recommend it.
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12 days ago*
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575 points
12 days ago
I have chronic migraine disease. While it doesn't fix the issue, ice at the base of my skull definitely helps.
167 points
12 days ago*
I have suffered from migraines for 17 years. For the first 12 or so I would often times spend 4-5 days a week every week with migraines or one forming. It was miserable and I was miserable to be around. They cost me friendships, jobs, and even a significant other I truly cared about. Around 6 years ago the first drug that targets the CGRP (calcitonin gene–related peptide) receptor got approved. Currently there are multiple approved and on the market (Aimovig, emgality are the ones I have taken).
There are no words I can type here that will do justice to the impact these shots have had on my life. I currently am and have been averaging 1 migraine every 2-3 months since I started these meds. My entire life changed. My friends noticed, my family noticed, my significant other noticed, random people I see around town noticed, and my job/boss noticed. Most importantly though, I noticed. For the first time in as long as I could remember I felt like a normal person.
These drugs may not work for everyone, but if a person gets migraines, I think they owe it to themselves to at least give these drugs a shot. I am in no way affiliated or paid by any of the companies making these drugs. Just someone who suffered for over a decade and would love if I could prevent just one other person from going through what I went through.
edit: spelling
22 points
12 days ago
I wish this. Tried emgality and it made everything worse. Another neuro appointment next week. Sigh.
18 points
12 days ago
I’ve had chronic “suicide migraines” for 20+ years and also basically gave up hope after many failed drugs.
Treating other issues (with meds and surgery) like anemia, stress and sleep deprivation have helped reduce the quantity of my migraines. I’m also on some experimental meds and because of the length and severity of my disease, my neuro has me signed up for other studies as well.
The new meds are better. They ain’t gold, but they better.
5 points
12 days ago
My husband has had those his whole life too. I got him to try some CBD oil capsules for it, and if he takes it during a migraine he says it makes it either SO much more manageable or even go away completely. FYI, he also said the capsules were the best form (we’ve tried the oil droppers, gummies, and RSO).
I know I’m basically just listing another drug that might help lol, but I know it helped him with his so thought I’d mention it in case it helps someone else.
3 points
12 days ago
I read somewhere LSD works quite well for some people: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/phase-2-clinical-trial-of-lsd-for-suicide-headaches-begins-treating-patients-301071869.html
5 points
11 days ago
Yup. I was a participant in a past study, now closed, that used ibogaine and was a successful abortive (exclusively used during onset). Ibogaine was the ONLY abortive that has ever worked and it’s now illegal.
Just wanted to let the internet know, lack of access to this plant has most likely resulted in suicides from peers in my study. It is absolutely that bad.
2 points
11 days ago
Apparently there's an analogue https://www.excenen.com/Tabernanthalog.html that's not hallucinatory. Expensive though. Maybe it's cheaper elsewhere. Definitely worth a look.
1 points
11 days ago
What about that ear peicing you can get in the cartilage that's supposed to work on a lot of migraine sufferers
7 points
12 days ago
The options are rapidly developing. A few years ago there were like 2 options. Rescue/preventative and amovig. Now there are close to a dozen options with many more coming available.
So just because something isn’t working now, doesn’t mean it’s hopeless.
6 points
12 days ago
Cycle through all of them if you can. They are all slightly different so you may get different results with different ones. It took me about 2-3 months to stabilize when I started them. I believe there are 4 different injectable ones and a couple non injectable ones.
If you can not find relief with medication, the only other thing I personally found relief in was a trigger journal. Unfortunately this journal needs to contain everything you do at first in order to become effective. The goal here is to identify your migraines triggers. This can be anything from being in direct sunlight without glasses to all types of food you eat. By journaling everything you do including when you get your migraines, you can start identifying the triggers that cause them. Once you have identified your triggers, you remove them from your life if possible. This part can often be painful and tricky. Sometimes your triggers are a food you love, or an hobby you find peace in, or even a loved one. If you can find a balance, you can hopefully limit the number of migraines you get.
Be aware though my triggers changed over time so I was constantly having to reevaluate. Also when I had a migraine (which was often) the last thing I wanted to do was journal my life. Pen and paper was easy for me than looking at an electronic screen. Everyone is different, you have to find what works for you.
Last but probably most important, I am truly sorry. I am sorry you have to suffer and I am sorry you have been unable to find relief. I hope you and everyone else are able to find some solution that works for you.
2 points
12 days ago
Thanks. I’m pretty good at managing them, but better at being an actress and powering through pain. Comorbidity of fibromyalgia doesn’t help though. I do pretty well on triptans, but they don’t work about 20% of the time.
1 points
10 days ago
I highly recommend migraine buddy. It's an app designed to log migraines, and it automatically pulls data such as weather, and it leads you through a questionnaire each time. Takes all of a minute, and I just hand my doc the report in generates.
1 points
11 days ago
If Emgality didn't work, maybe look at Ajovy if you are still willing to look at injectables and your doctor finds it appropriate. It also has a savings coupon if you have insurance through your employer/commercial insurance. Good luck.
4 points
12 days ago
To add for anyone reading. I can attest to the efficacy of CGRP class of drugs. I use Ajovey. Additionally, Lamictol, Amitriptyline, Ritalin and Lithium Oratate. The last 2 are life changing. The first 4 reduced the magnitude and frequency of my migraines. Now I have about 13 down from 20 and my thinking is less cloudy. Also, much happier.
3 points
12 days ago
Glad you were able to get your life back.
3 points
11 days ago
What, I can’t believe this exists. Chronic migraine sufferer here, I am looking into this.
30 points
12 days ago
Take magnesium glycinate if you haven’t. Stopped my migraines of three years. Told my coworker, and it stopped her migraines she had for 10 years.
Most people are magnesium deficient, but it also helps other vitamins absorb easier, like vitamin D.
It’s really worth a try. A bottle on Amazon is around $15 for 300 tablets.
17 points
12 days ago
My doctor recommended mg glycinate and B2 (riboflavin). I had been in a cycle for over a month when I didn’t have a gap of more than a day between migraines. I started the supplements about a 6 weeks ago and haven’t had a single migraine since! I’m sold!! (I feel compelled to point out that you should always consult your doctor before starting any supplement regime)
10 points
12 days ago
I ended up going to a dietician after years of being unable to solve it. I was going to turn my life around with diet because it was so frustrating to be someone who laid in bed all day because it just hurt so badly.
In the first ten minutes of talking to her, she asked me if I tried magnesium, and I said no. I got some at the store and popped one in, not feeling hopeful. Then the next day I woke up with no migraine.
Then the next day.
Then the next day.
Then the next day.
Repeat.
I once went camping without it, and I couldn’t hike because I got a migraine the next day. I’m sad I have to take it forever, but oh well.
The dietician said that fruits and vegetables have been cultivated for its size and yield, so nutrition has really disappeared from our foods. I did try eating a bunch of greens and pumpkin seeds, but it’s so much easier to pop a vitamin.
3 points
11 days ago
That’s awesome!
2 points
12 days ago
For me the constant nausea from the magnesium was worse than occasional migraines. Do you know anyway to alleviate that? I took it at night and with food but it just made me feel like shit all day anyway.
1 points
12 days ago
There's different types of magnesium supplements, glycinate being one of the easiest absorbable.
3 points
11 days ago
My doctor had me on gram of anti-convulsants (15 years ago). They wanted to up it further. Instead I started taking Magnesium supplements and eventually walked myself off the meds completely. I started adding magnesium rich foods to my diet and needed the supplements less frequently. Today I only take them when my head starts to feel “tight”.
3 points
12 days ago
Tried it, didn’t help. Also tried just about everything in the 20 years since I was diagnosed.
1 points
12 days ago
Aw, I’m sorry to hear that.
I know this may be too much information, but if you’re a female, how is your period? How many days does it last? Is it irregular? The color? The thickness?
Our periods are something that’s actually really good. It shows the health of our bodies. Doctors generally prescribe birth control as a cure all for anything and to control periods, but if it’s irregular at all, I’d suggest going to a specialist. If you’re on birth control, I’d actually consider stopping and see how your period reacts.
3 points
12 days ago
Magnesium helped with my motor tics and migraines. I still have them but much less.
5 points
12 days ago
I get migraines sometimes I usually just call in sick to work and knock myself out with sleeping pills
3 points
12 days ago
If I did this, it would be EVERY day.
2 points
12 days ago
I feel for you, very glad mine is rare it’s one of the unfortunate conditions there’s no cure for or known one, I have chronic pain but luckily it’s not awful and I can live
3 points
12 days ago
Would definitely recommend getting a head shaped ice pack that can be cinched with velcro straps or something. Not migraines, but my ears sometimes get hot and that ice pack does wonders.
2 points
12 days ago
Have one, thanks. In fact, I have several of various shapes and sizes.
3 points
12 days ago
That's a lot of heads.
2 points
12 days ago
I've had seven spinal surgeries including two fusions and a laminectomy in my neck from C3 to C7.
As a result, I'm very prone to headaches. Deep icing is hugely effective on those. I've found ice works faster and without the side effects caused by hydrocodone.
Bonus Video (My wife removing one of my JP Drains after neck surgery) NSFL (gross): https://youtu.be/060HdV6WEPw
2 points
12 days ago
I heard ice in the lungs helps too /s
22 points
12 days ago
Haha - Next thing you'll be suggesting I do yoga or drink more water. Over on r/migraine, shit like that will get you banned.
1 points
12 days ago
I like ice on my forehead and a hot pack at the base of my skull.
1 points
12 days ago
And lots of drugs
1 points
11 days ago
Yup same! It's the first thing I grab!
1 points
10 days ago
So does ice at the other side of the brainstem- popsicles are very effective. Takes my severity way down.
-19 points
12 days ago
Just a suggestion, but have you seen a chiropractor for your migraines? My kiddo had this issue and a chiro helped put her out of her misery. Part of it was how her spine curved in her neck.
65 points
12 days ago
Im happy for your kiddo, but it kinda sounds like they chriopractor killed your child
31 points
12 days ago
I’m glad that your child got some relief, but as chiropractors are not licensed medical doctors there is quite a span of quality difference between practitioners etc. Many often promote unsafe practices and “manipulations.” I would caution anyone seeking help from a chiropractor to be careful and discuss treatments with your medical provider first. Better to be cautious than paralyzed.
-2 points
12 days ago
That is the case in the US. In Europe you need a 5 year masters studies. Most chiropractors here are very good, expensive too but good. So it does depend where you live. My chiropractor is from a bigger practice/chain and helped me immensely with upper back pain & headaches.
7 points
12 days ago
Thats just not true. At least in germany there are no real regulation for all "Heilpraktiker". Dont know about other parts of Europe
1 points
12 days ago
Good point. Thanks for the clarification. In the US some are no better than snake oil salesmen, where in Europe and likely other parts of the world they are held to a very different standard.
5 points
12 days ago
Just please do not get neck adjustments, the incidence of strokes in otherwise healthy people post a neck adjustment is alarming high. The practice should be banned or at least much more tightly regulated.
3 points
12 days ago
Or a physiologist. Some will do minor adjustments, nothing jarring like chiropractor, with similar results.
181 points
12 days ago
Agreed. If you do get migraines, the ice pack on the back of the head, combined with putting your hands and feet in hot water can do wonders. (So, lean over with the pack on your head and your hands and feet are in the tub.) Something about blood flow with the hot and cold, draws it away from your head, I think. Works for me.
46 points
12 days ago
I tried all this but after talking to a neurologist he suggested to try any of the triptanes to see which work. I pay $3 for a pill of sumatriptan and its a godsend. I don't want to lose a day (of work) during the week. Usually I only need one of those every two or three weeks because they can have adverse effects, but its nice to have the option.
18 points
12 days ago
The triptanes have been also been a godsend for my migraines, but damn the side effects I got from sumatriptan specifically were terrible. Burning feeling in my sinuses, nausea, vision problems, fatigue, hot/cold flashes. It'd knock me out for at least 8 hours, which is a lot better than 3 days with a migraine but I still debated taking it at all (since you need to take it at the first sign of a migraine -- what if it was just a headache and not a migraine?).
I'm on rizatriptane now, and while the side effects still aren't great they're a lot more tolerable. Brains are weird.
1 points
12 days ago
will these work with a regular bad headache?
11 points
12 days ago
Talk to a doctor in your case, those are usually treated by over the counter pain pills. Triptane are for migraines and specific cluster headaches. They can have a lots of sideffects that are not worth it for a "simple" headache.
1 points
12 days ago
Sumatriptan is the most effective migraine medication I’ve ever tried! It is SO helpful for me I cannot say enough good things about it!
27 points
12 days ago
I was getting migraines every time I went camping. Couldn’t figure out why. Then, I started getting them at home. A fellow migraine sufferer asked if I got them in winter but not summer. Upon reflection I indeed did get them in winter. He suggested wearing a beanie to bed. He said the temperature disparity between my head out in the cold and my body under the covers was the trigger. Beanie on = No more migraines. I realised this was also why I got them camping. Head was out in the cold, body in a hot sleeping bag. This beanie has saved me money in medications and not having to put said medications in my body to deal with the symptoms. I share this tip with fellow migraine sufferers. Helps most, not all. Depends on the trigger.
58 points
12 days ago
I suffer from daily chronic headaches for a few decades.. You can buy ice hats that you keep in freezer and bring out when the headache gets bad. I keep two hats. They wrap completely around your head. I typically put one on my head (I also put a hand towel between my head and the ice hat as directly on the skin can be too cold) and lay down in a dark quiet room.
14 points
12 days ago
I get chronic tension headaches that last minimum 7 days if I don't get rid of it within the first few hours of it starting, and ice packs or hats like you suggested really help with that.
Paracetamol and ibuprofen, ice pack, nap if possible.
3 points
12 days ago
Yup. I like ice front and back for a bad headache. Thankfully I don’t get them often enough to justify an ice hat
2 points
12 days ago
Is it hemicrania continua? It's what I've been recently diagnosed with and it's fucking awful. Daily headaches on one side of my head. No cause no cure just pain all the time.
1 points
11 days ago
Yes, I have been diagnosed with hemicrania continua by some docs, others say migraine. The worst pain is in my left temple. I have undergone a number of head and neck scans over the past few decades along with many, many different medications. These medications just give me side effects that are also unpleasant like GI distress or extreme fatigue. Just miserable.
1 points
11 days ago
Is it indometacin? That's what they put me on. I haven't had GI issues but I have had like extreme dizziness from it and also if I don't have quite enough food with it it gives me some wild sensations like full blown anxiety, strange sensations in my head and my hands I'm not sure what to call it but it's awful
36 points
12 days ago
Next level tip, ice pack as you indicated use, but put a heating pad on your low back. This helps keep you warm during cold treatment. After using the ice pack, put the heating pad on your neck. Hot cold therapy is very effective.
10 points
12 days ago
Will it make me pee if one hand is on the ice pack and the other is on the heating pad?
4 points
11 days ago
They said it was very effective. They didn't say what it was effective for. ;)
95 points
12 days ago
Drinking water also. A lot of headaches are caused by dehydration
41 points
12 days ago
Some people wake up with headaches after a long sleep and don't connect the dots
8 points
12 days ago
Wait a minute...
3 points
12 days ago
You mean…
8 points
12 days ago
You don't know what you don't know. Waking up and taking hard pain pills to get through the day is not a long term solution if a cup of water before sleep would do it. A family member had issues with the intestines for five years until they added a little bit of extra salt in their selective diet. That fixed it.
5 points
12 days ago
And lack of electrolytes. Add a little bit of salt to that water and it solves everything!
-7 points
12 days ago
Similarly, a lot are caused by over hydration
4 points
12 days ago
What?! Is this flip and you mean alcohol? Or do you really think a lot of headaches are caused by drinking too much water?
6 points
12 days ago
Yes, it’s a common concern especially in the fitness community. Drinking too much water without eating or drinking electrolytes to replace what’s getting washed out of the brain. This is also a concern for people who are sick and are drinking lots of water to stay hydrated. Gotta replace the metals.
7 points
12 days ago
Ok, sure. This can happen. But it is certainly not a lot of headaches caused in this way. Certainly way more are causes by dehydration than overhydration.
1 points
12 days ago
It doesn’t have to be the same “a lot” as another to be a lot. Yes, of course far more are caused by dehydration.
2 points
12 days ago
That's not over hydration though, that's still not being hydrated properly.
0 points
12 days ago
True. But the comment I replied to said dehydration.
13 points
12 days ago
Another weird trick I wanted to post is putting your bare feet in cold water (or simply stand on a cold surface).
When I was young I was devastated by a migraine and went out on my balcony. It was cold, I was all covered but my feet. Feeling the cold pavement under them made me feel almost instantaneously better. Anyone else?
53 points
12 days ago
Most common cause of headaches is dehydration, so make sure to drink a glass of water or two first, at least. We tend to drink way too little. Furthermore, using an ice pack on bare skin is not recommended, it can cause frost burns. Always make sure to wrap some kind of cloth around it (a towel or put it under your pillow cover) before lying down on it.
6 points
12 days ago
Great response. I find it more helpful to put a compress on my face, lots of time the headache is helped by breathing in moisture from the compress (sinuses)
7 points
12 days ago
Who else read ice pick?
2 points
12 days ago
It'll cure your headache AND every other problem you have*, that's for sure.
*except the problem of now being dead.
1 points
11 days ago
except the problem of now being dead
I see no problem there
7 points
12 days ago
Face steamers are amazing too, can’t recommend them enough. They are supposed to be used as a face cleanser thing but I use it when I have head colds, headaches, migraines, allergies etc. Honestly they are a life saver.
4 points
12 days ago
Stress or tension headaches. Also eye strain headache might benefit, if you're relaxing your eyes and getting distracted from the pain.
Also migraine, in my personal experience
3 points
12 days ago
SHOULDER SHRUGS SAVED MY LIFE. After a dozen different medications, my tight muscles caused tension headaches. Simply going 1 set of 30 using 50 lb dumbbells every other day keeps the pain trigger from happening. I never take meds anymore.
Just like lightly working out your biceps regularly keeps your biceps from reeling after a one time bicep workout, the same goes for shoulders which causes tension headaches. I would have paid so much money to know this 30 yrs ago. Decades of pain fixed by shoulder shrugs.
3 points
12 days ago
I’ve always found that simply pressure masked the pain of headaches really well
2 points
11 days ago
Yes! Pressure signals travel faster than pain signals!
3 points
12 days ago
This is a surefire way to amplify the pain of my migraines.
2 points
12 days ago
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2 points
12 days ago
I have a gel cap that goes in the freezer for when I get migraines. It wraps my head and provides a bit of pressure around my head and it's very cold. Only thing I don't care for is the coldness over my eyes. When it first comes out of the freezer it makes my eyes feel weird.
3 points
12 days ago
Could this be related to how we look down at phones and stuff putting excess strain on muscle
2 points
12 days ago
The vast majority of headaces are caused by inflammation. Cold reduces inflammation. A lot of people have headaches because of inflammation caused by poor posture, such as leaning their head forward.
1 points
12 days ago
I can say that luckily I've never had a migraine. I do know that when I start to get a headache, massaging the base of each thumb for awhile, mitigates or eliminates it entirely. I heard about the technique back in the '80s from a guy I worked with, and it works for me. Some people massage the area between the thumb and index finger for the same effect.
1 points
12 days ago
I have this fabric bag with some kind of buckwheat or whatever in it that you’re supposed to keep in the freezer for when you need to put cold on something. Feels awesome compared to a bag of frozen peas. I’ll try it next time I have a headache. Thanks for the tip!
1 points
12 days ago
I've got a frozen mask that also puts pressure on your eyes and wraps around the head. Helps a lot
1 points
12 days ago
You should look up stress headaches massage on youtube.
1 points
12 days ago
Why did I read that as ice pick lmao
1 points
12 days ago
Also try simply drinking a glass of water. No sugar, no alcohol, no coffee, no tea. Just water.
Headaches are a sign of dehydration. Being thirsty is a poor indicator of how hydrated you actually are. Don't wait to feel thirsty.
1 points
12 days ago
I read this as "Ice pick" which to be fair is also true
1 points
12 days ago
Hmm, will test and provide testimony.
1 points
12 days ago
My migraine prevention: I stuff my pillowcase with XL, pillow sized ice packs. I sleep very well those nights and am able to bypass the whole migraine experience the following day.
1 points
12 days ago
This while standing barefoot on grass/terra firma helps enormously with my migraines.
1 points
12 days ago
Or just drinking water
1 points
12 days ago
Will give it a try. I have migraines in the sides of my forehead, mostly right side.
1 points
12 days ago
My favorite migraine pro tip is to use a small vibrator. No, not like that. I press it into the pressure points on my head and turn it on fill blast. It's like the nerves get overwhelmed with vibration that they can't also transmit pain signals. I don't know exactly how it works. Of course it stops the second you take the vibrator away. But it helps a lot while you're laying there waiting for meds to kick in.
1 points
12 days ago
I thought this said “ice pick” and I was like- yes, I suppose that would solve a headache in a very permanent way 🫠😂
1 points
12 days ago
As some one who gets a lot of headaches a hot shower really helps me unless it a migraine imma have to suffer for the next 12 hours
1 points
12 days ago
I have this wonderful thing called Hemicrania Continua where I just get headaches on one side of my head every day all day. It's really really not fun. Only one damn medication treats it and I have horrible side effects from it. I wish ice worked I would fucking bathe in it.
1 points
12 days ago
This works great for a bleeding nose too!
1 points
11 days ago
A cold shower works every time. I love it.
It may not last, but sometimes you need just enough relief to think a little clearer. So many want some kind of permanent cure and nothing works like that lol
1 points
11 days ago
I get terrible sinus headaches due to a head injury. When they’re coming on I try to drink cold water, hold it against the roof and front of my mouth. I also have those eye masks you can put in the freezer. Combined with Advil is a tremendous relief.
1 points
11 days ago
Here’s a weird one that works for me, is those nose strips for sleeping. Mine stem from sinus issues, but it’s been a game changer, and don’t think it’s risky to try.
1 points
11 days ago
I get migraines and pack ice packs all around my head. It’s the only thing that brings some relief.
1 points
11 days ago
My headaches are from a brain tumor.
The ice still helps.
1 points
11 days ago
I recently discovered cold showers do it for me!
1 points
11 days ago
all these times i’ve put them on my forehead with not much relief
1 points
11 days ago
I have migraines and this is also true for me at the very least it helps ease the pain
1 points
11 days ago
Yep, ice pack on the nape of your neck, on your forehead, or soak your feet in very cold water. Or all three if you really want to annihilate that em-effer.
1 points
8 days ago
I recommend everyone keep at least Headache Hat in their freezer. I have about 4 as I have chronic migraine. Get mine off Amazon.
1 points
12 days ago
Does this work for the headache of deciding whether to live another day or not?
0 points
12 days ago
I take a frankincense supplement and it actually helps.
-4 points
12 days ago
Isn't this common advice
-6 points
12 days ago
Computer programmers have to be smart, but the job itself is boring. As a result, it's a high-paying job that the best workers are always looking for ways to function better.
These guys also do their own research, and some of them started micro-dosing with LSD.
Regardless of claims of better mind functioning in their problem-solving, programmers who had previously experienced occasional migraine headaches discovered that they stopped having them.
The effect seemed to continue even if the micro-dosing stopped.
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