migraine update!

Im sorry joanna. I hope things get back under control quickly. I get really bad migraines here and there, not as much as I used to thankfully. Birth control pills with estrogen give me the worst migraines. I don't think it's actually the pills but the ups and downs in hormones. Now I take a mini-pill and i have them way less often. I have been lucky with my migraines though, they have been treatable to some extent, way better than the luck I've had with my UC. I took pristiq for migraines for a while and that was extremely helpful but I don't know if I would have gone that route if I weren't already suffering from depression. Some of the tripthans work well but others do nothing for me and it can be hard to figure out what works. It was especially hard for me because she gave me samples of 4 different ones and I would get the migraines 3 or 4x a month so I would try one and see if it helps and then wait until i had another migraine to try another. Eventually I found that zomig was helpful but I've had times it didn't help so it's up in the air at this point. I had one a couple weeks ago and I had nothing to treat it. I had to take an NSAID... :(

BTW, I got those grape leaves and I am making a new batch of pickles. I made a batch between the last time I was looking for someting to help crisp and now using the grape leaves and I could taste the leaves and it gave a bad flavor. That time I put them in the jar loose. This time I put them in a tea bag thing and tied it shut. I hope it stops the flavor from being noticeable.

I feel like few of my blood vessels are inflammed on top of my scalp. I feel tingling feeling all the time. I also feel pressure on my cheek and temples. Does UC does this too?

SW, i've not had a tingling sensation or pressure in my face. have you asked your doctor?

NSSG, yeah, i always try random adjustments myself before seeing a doctor. i hate taking prescriptions for every single thing!! i'm not sure if he will want an MRI. i had one in 2013 for severe vertigo and they found nothing. turned out it was just my anemia and c diff causing it.

as for the cramps, they are still there but the diarrhea is gone. i upped my resistant starches at the first sign of the runs! i've been eating a raw potato every day and no more diarrhea. i figured i needed the best possible source of RS i could get. it's so cheap, too, and oddly, i like the taste haha

Bgirl and SW,

Did you ever take advantage of the special offer from 23andme.com to provide genetic testing? It is free for us IBDers:
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=3278843

I have a personal friend who finally found relief from her chronic migraines. She had her saliva tested by the firm 23andme.com. 23Andme gives you your personal genome but can no longer provide health-related results. But GeneticGenie.org will send you your methylation and detox profile using the hundreds of thousands of pieces (called SNPs) of genetic data from your DNA provided by 23andme.

My friend's health results indicated that she had genetic mutations that impaired functions of certain enzymes that could manifest as migraines. But by monitoring her diet, e.g. forgoing sulfur/sulphites containing foods, and some supplements such as niacin, methylfolate (NOT Folic Acid), and methylated vitamin B12, then she could drastically reduce her migraines.

Unfortunately pathogenkiller no longer posts on our forum, a huge loss. But she used her individual 23andme data to take control of her IBD. The DNA test is free and you have nothing to lose. Good information to know about yourself even if it doesn't directly help your IBD or migraines.

This short description does not detail my friend's complete protocol. The first webpage listed below is the result of 45 years of her personal research. The 2nd link below is an excellent summary of MTHFR mutations that can manifest as myriad health issues including migraine.

eslwise.com/DTmigraineprotocol.php

/www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC-NAfB0qE4

I hate to say this, but I suspect, your situation is getting similar to mine, that I suspect connected to the gut flora. Did you try any triptan derivatives? Give them a try, if they fail to work, get Ralefan.

Check RBC Mag and look into taking Magnesium regularly. Something like slow release Mg, along with P5P or Preventa Migraine. Magnesium (Citrate) 200mg 3X a day helped me a lot. It took 3 months to see the effect.

At the same time, maintain a diary of your foodstuff, stress levels, GI health, weather conditions, headache pattern (how did it start, which part of the head it started, did you see aura, how long was aura, how long did it take for full blown migraine, did the pain move around, like started at left side, moved to center and top of the head etc.) and see if there is any trigger. Also check if any of your muscles, esp neck and lower back muscles are pulled/tight etc. Check your posture, sitting/standing/walking etc.

Joanna,

Triptans are a class of drugs primarily used as migraine abortives, like Sumatriptan, Frovatriptan etc. There are some 8 or 9 drugsm Sumatriptan being cheapest. Usually thats the first thing the neuro will write to you as if its a magic wand. If it doesn't help (usually a sublingual tablet or nasal spray), they ask you to try different drugs from same class or different dosage form. Usually, if one doesn't work, others won't either, but still they push it on you.

Re: Magnesium, are you also taking P5P along with it? P5P is a cofactor so just taking Mg may not cut it. There is one enteric coated formulation, little expensive but has good reported benefit.

Re: your neck. I wouldn't be surprised if your migraine stems from there. I have a distinct migraine types, resulting from neck and resulting from the gut. If you have access to TENS unit, give it a try. It confuses the nerves and then signal interruption, you notice symptomatic relief.
and/or
Consult a physical therapist and see use of any kinesio tape may be worked out. This is just a tape that athletes put. It gives me some good relief.

delta, i do have gabapentin and took it a few times before bed. i still woke up with my migraine the next morning. i'd rather find out what is causing it than taking a bunch of meds though. that seems pointless to me. i just hate the side effects of them all!

the magnesium i take is called algaecal. i'm not sure what p5p is though. i haven't seen it in the brand i take. i've had my magnesium blood levels checked and the are normal.

i have not used a tens unit before. are they expensive?? i will have to ask my neuro about it when i see him. great suggestion on the tape, too. there is tons of info online about it and it looks pretty logical to me! seems like osteopaths know the most about this.

yeah, homemade are way better than bubbies in my opinion!!

i guess triptans won't work for me. the migraine hasn't gone away since mid december. it is there no matter what. i was never a migraine sufferer before this but is it normal for it to last a month straight with no breaks? i keep reading online that it lasts a few hours to a few days. makes me wonder if this is even a migraine at all. i'm getting a feeling it's brain cancer or MS. something that will kill me.

UCandME, yes, the intensity is worse when i'm bending over or going from standing to sitting/sitting to standing. i feel like i'm going to fall over when that happens so i grab onto something for balance.

i had a food allergy test back in november and i had zero food allergies. this was the skin prick test so all IGE allergies. i've never had the IGG food sensitivity test done. no doctors here will do it. i actually googled common migraine causing foods and i do eat them all- chocolate, bananas, avocados, cheese, bacon, nightshades. could a sensitivity come on even though i've been eating these foods for so long?

the last thing i wanna do is an elimination diet when i'm 98 lbs. i feel like that's a recipe for disaster.

That's weird, it says on this site that it helps with crispness
primalkitchencompany.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=87

i couldn't find cherry or any of the other stuff in the store.

My pickles were way more crisp but it may just be because I used persian cucumbers. i should try it without the grape leaves and see if the persian ones turn soft. the normal cukes did.

Haha thanks nssg. Yeah, im a worrier but i have every right to be!!! So much bad crap has happened to me so i usually think the worse. Yeah, im definitely on the cancellation list. I was happy to get an appointment this month even though his office is about 1.5 hours away. It better not snow that day.

i will try the lemon salt water trick when i wake up!

my bp has been very low the past month- about 72/58 when i check it with my mom's cuff. i'm not sure what's up. it's usually 85 to 90/60.