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Chronic migraines

K

kaffirlime

Messages
33
Hello! I thought of asking if you have any advice. I have chronic headaches that get worse from walking, pounding, head pressure, circulation problems, light sensitivity etc etc. They often last all evening. I can't take ibuprofen and even paracetamol gave me flushing and is not effective. I am trying to get nimodipine from my doctor, it is supposed to improve cerebral circulation and helped my headaches in the past.

What has helped your migraine headaches? I get them about every day along with the severe fatigue. But I can't stay still because I get ill if I don't move daily (body pains flare up, wonder if it's fibromyalgia or what is the cause for this? Inflammation? I am also considering Trental because it helps with circulation and maybe inflammation, but am not very comfortable self-prescribing anymore). I really don't know what I should do, life is just full of symptoms that have no explanation. Also this seems to be linked to the post-exertional states somehow.

Thanks for any thoughts!
 
Dechi

Dechi

Senior Member
Messages
1,454
I sometimes have migraines, and once I had one that lasted 2 weeks, until I went for massotherapy. The therapist massaged the back of my head for about 5-10 minutes and went I got back home, I realized the migraine was gone !

Maybe something to consider if your body can tokerate it ?
 
Shoshana

Shoshana

Northern USA
Messages
6,035
Location
Northern USA
I like the massage suggestion, I think I will try that.

Also, you might consider trying the herb called butterburr. It comes in softgels, from Petadolex.
 
BeautifulDay

BeautifulDay

Senior Member
Messages
372
I sit on the side of the bath, with my feet in nice toasty water, and I place an ice pack on the back of my neck. It cools the blood going into the head, while warming my always cold toes.
 
Shoshana

Shoshana

Northern USA
Messages
6,035
Location
Northern USA
I forgot, I have sometimes done similar, putting my feet into a small warm water tub, while at same time, a coolpack on my head.

Thanks for that reminder, and for the idea that it might work with the coolpack on back of neck, would be much easier than the ways I have tried to balance it on top of my head, and sometimes NOT able to do it, for that reason!!
 
R

Richard7

Senior Member
Messages
772
Location
Australia
you may want to look into PoTS. PoTS can be associated with migraine.

If the pounding is in part palpitations you may find that taking some potassium helps. I take it as potassium chloride which you can get from places like iHerb, but the easiest way to get it is as low sodium salt or sold as "rite salt" or "lite salt" which are mixtures of sodium and potassium chloride.
 
K

kaffirlime

Messages
33
Richard7 said:
you may want to look into PoTS. PoTS can be associated with migraine.

If the pounding is in part palpitations you may find that taking some potassium helps. I take it as potassium chloride which you can get from places like iHerb, but the easiest way to get it is as low sodium salt or sold as "rite salt" or "lite salt" which are mixtures of sodium and potassium chloride.
Click to expand...

Yesterday the headache was triggered by eating salty food, so potassium might be worth a try. How much potassium would be safe to eat? I do eat lots of bananas.
 
pattismith

pattismith

Senior Member
Messages
3,941
kaffirlime said:
Yes I have head pressure very often, I took beta blockers for a couple of days and now it's worse again.
Click to expand...

I had head pressure for years, worsened by some meds...

Then I tryed Diamox, a drug given for chronic intracranial hypertension, and found it to give benefits, which confirmed to me that it was likely a problem of intracranial hypertension.

Thyroid dysfunction is one possible trigger for intracranial hypertension, so I had a thyroid hormon panel test done and found I have a Low T3 Syndrome (low fT3 with high rT3). The treatment is very simple so I started T3 and my head pressure immediately disappeared and didn't come back. I had this head pressure for 30 years!

Here possible causes for Intracranial Hypertension you may want to know:

  • a blood clot on the surface of the brain – known as a chronic subdural haematoma
  • a brain tumour
  • a brain infection – such as meningitis or encephalitis
  • hydrocephalus– a build-up of fluid around and inside the brain
  • blood vessel abnormalities – such as an arteriovenous fistula or arteriovenous malformation
  • a blood clot in one of the veins of the brain – known as a venous sinus thrombosis
Rare causes include a blockage in the circulation of fluid at the bottom of the skull (Chiari malformation), inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain (vasculitis) and abnormal skull growth in children (craniosynostosis).

Idiopathic IH

In many cases, the cause of chronic IH is unclear. This is known as idiopathic IH, or sometimes benign IH.

It mainly affects women in their 20s and 30s, and has been associated with:

 
R

Richard7

Senior Member
Messages
772
Location
Australia
Hi @kaffirlime sorry about taking so long to answer.

You can really take quite a lot of potassium chloride as long as you dilute it in water. You cannot take it dry though.

If I have palpitations I will generally have 0.5tsp or so in a glass of water or tea or coffee.

But I also have PoTS so I make up and drink 4-6 litres of cold tea (mostly herbal) each day with additional salt and potassium (and magnesium and sometimes tricalcium phosphate - which does not dissolve) so I have frequent moderate doses over the day.

I guess I have about 6tsp a day at the moment, but it varies a lot depending on how I feel.
 
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