Just a quick initial post in case it may help anyone. Yesterday I took my first almotriptan and it has really helped with pain round eyes and all over. I took it around 5pm and it is still helping today. I've also noticed that I can taste food better and my sense of smell is improved. I've been able to move my arms enough to massage my neck and shoulders too. I'm not getting too carried away as I've had both gabapentin and nortryptiline help in the past but then the effects stopped. As a sufferer for over 30 years it is amazing to find a tablet that helps. I'll keep you updated if it continues. In the meantime I wish everyone a great weekend.
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Firstly I tried a beta blocker then neurologist put me on to Topirimate. So much better, used to be out for full day of vomiting, now I can actually work through
You're welcome, migraines are just awful aren't they. Preventive imo is a good way to go, mine are less frequent & definitely easier to deal with. Hope your relief continues
I had never been officially diagnosed but my worst symptom for years had been terrible pain around eyes. I'll look into prevention now. Once again many thanks and have a good weekend.
Migraines are awful, the only thing that works for me is migraleve,tried sumatriptan and it wouldn't touch the migraine. There were issues with migraleve supply in the spring but thankfully it's now available. It's wonderful when something actually works. If I take it early enough I can carry on doing my daily tasks.
Hi, and glad you’ve found something to help relieve your migraines. I try my best not to use tablets (worried about side effects etc). There is a holistic company I found and their products are brilliant. The website is called motorbikers.cc and the product is called head banger. As it’s all natural ingredients there is no limit on how much you can use or even spacing it’s usage although it’s suggested to leave it 20 minutes to soak into the skin before reapplying. It’s been a god send for my migraines as most tablets won’t affect me x
Migraines have been the bane of my life for many years and the reason I had to give up work. I take Zolmitriptan for flare-ups and Noratryptaline as a preventive but don't find the Noratryptaline very good in Winter when my migraines take on a life of their own.
I've had migraines all my life. One of my earliest memories is having a migraine. It's really interesting reading what everyone has to say. It's only recently that I was finally given something that prevented them- Topiramate. It doesn't always work but it has made a HUGE difference compared to my life beforehand.
I'd like to find something that works for getting rid of migraines when I do have them. Currently I'm prescribed Sumatriptan (which rarely works for me), Domperidone (for nausea- this has saved me from getting worse many times) and if things get desperate, Cyclizine. I only take this as a last resort as it knocks you out and can make you very woozy the next day. I also take painkillers.
I'd like to find out if some of the meds mentioned here would be appropriate for me as Sumatriptan is so unsatisfactory. Thanks for sharing.
Hi, I have also suffered with migraines all my life and I have been taking Topiramate the last 14 years - truly saved my life! But I still get some migraine attacks, even though they are milder and no longer last for days like they did before I started with Topiramate. And for the attacks I take Zolmitriptan. There are lots of different types of triptans - which one that works best for you is something you need to test out, one after the other. I did that and ended up with Zolmitriptan - after discarding 4-5 other. Sumatriptan is an old type of triptan, the first one that came on the marked in the 90s, try one of the new ones, try a low dose and then a higher dose - if no difference, try the low dose again. Give it a good few tries before you give up and move on to next one on the list. All of this you need your GP onboard on of course - if not willing, you need a referral to a neurologist or pain specialist on a head ache clinic. There is a triptan for you waiting, I am sure!Oh, and you also need to learn to take it at the right time....not too early, and certainly not too late - in both cases it won’t work.
I am glad to hear that and it ties up with some of my experience.
I have for years prior to my diagnosis suffered from many things like brain fog, relentless tiredness and pain amplification. There is some alternative thinking in the USA that describes Brain Fog (or Fibro fog) as Silent Migraine - a Migraine without a headache.
That encouraged me to think about treating it as migraine and then everything started to work. Migraine is a bit like a brain overload and it is not surprising that you thinking become muddled and sensations might become exaggerated.
Brain load is important and the principal load is visual. The next highest is stress or relentless pressure and for Fibro sufferers that can be like runaway feedback because stress causes symptoms and the symptoms cause more stress.
The most potent drug I tried and still use is humble aspirin, 70mg daily or 300mg when I am on the verge of a migraine (but that has to be with food at that dose). I also found migraine treatments work too.
If you feel woolly headed, you are already in a silent migraine. Shut your eyes and empty you head. Sustain for 40 minutes. I sometime wake up feeling better but a bit disoriented. When the migraine is bad - I also get flickers in my vision, darkening peripheral vision and on two scary occasions total blindness.
When I look back on this I realise that many of my symptoms have been neurological and the pain amplification is because my brain has been in trouble. So learning to remove the brain load is also important.
You really hit the spot for me too because you mentioned your sense of smell coming back - same for me.
Knowing it as migraine helps to improve the response to it. Then you need to understand what your triggers are. It can be hyper-sensitivity to toxins (it is often Sulphite preservatives in foodstuffs for me - they are in almost everything). And the hypersensitivity is when my kidneys are not working too well due to a flare. So I have learned to significantly modify my diet to unprocessed and unpreserved foods and to eliminate alcohol because it does become toxic when I am in that state and it does led directly to silent migraines.
Best wishes to you - I am glad you have found a path forward
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