Ever changing migraines

[Androger]

Hi I am 64 yrs old and have had migraines since I was about 15, my mother had them and now so does my daughter and two of her children. Over the years I have been able to control them by learning my triggers and over the counter medication. Stress has a big influence, and when I stopped being a midwife they stopped for over 10yrs. When my mother became ill about 8yrs ago they came back with avengence. I have visual aura and partial loss of vision to start with then the headache, and recently I have had two occasions when I have had complete loss of vision and a feeling of pressure in one eye. It only lasts about a minute but very uncomfortable. They come at random times, sometimes I wake up with the flashing lights in the middle of the night. I am at the stage now where I don't take any medication as nothing makes a difference and I am able function, which I consider lucky but they turn up most weeks. The GP offered my amyltriptolene (not sure it that's how you spell it) but read the side effects and decided it wasn't worth it. I'm starting to think my food intolerances which are getting worse might be a trigger now, as I always get one when I get an upset gut, but not sure whether it's the upset or the disruption to blood sugars. A major trigger is caffine, so I avoid it completely. Was given a normal coffee by mistake a couple of weeks ago within minutes had pressure and loss of vision in left eye, then aura, and then a headache. So I'm obviously not as bad as so many people whose posts I've been reading but would be grateful to hear about anyone similar and what they've tried.

[Clazzy78]

Hello.

I've been on amitriptyline for depression on a couple of occasions and when I've been on it my migraines are much less frequent. The side effects can and do out people off but, I'm on gabapentin for meralgia paraesthetica at the moment and that is exacerbating my migraines.

The side effects for me on amitriptyline was weight gain, fatigue and mild urinary retention, I couldn't empty my bladder well. This remedies as soon as I stopped the tablet. I was on 70mg.

Are you looking for preventive treatment? I may need that too soon and my menstrual migraines are getting out of control frequent, like every afternoon for nearly 3 weeks before!!

I'm sure you'll get some great answers.