[MERGED] Migraine

[CaRaMBa]

Hi guys! Just wanna know more or less how many people get migraines, and how often. Sometimes kasi I worry. Also, what are the causes? What are the remedies?

[ann]

i used to get migraines on a regular basis, & i'd often get scared esp. of the "tunnel vision" effect ... but since i've tried avoiding certain triggers, rare occurrence na ang attacks ... my only guide is the letter "c" ... bawas coffee, chocolate, cigarettes, coke, cake ... some ppl i know find bright lights & loud noise serve as triggers ... observe when u get them, what u ate, what happened during the day & find ur own trigger ... i dont know if science has found a cure for this ... regular painkillers just don't work for me ...

[Zen]

Mine comes and goes. I don't really take anything for it but I usually just sleep it off in a cold room. Kse nagkaka-migraine ako pag mainet... :)

[NewtoN]

Migraine attacks become less frequent but more serious/painful as you grow older. The causes are still unknown.

[batang uliran]

Here's a quick primer on migraine headaches:

Characteristics:

1. 3x more common in women - not clear why
2. Onset usually before age of 25
3. Family history in half of patients
4. Usually comes without warning and occurs on average 1 to 2x per month
5. Often with clear triggers
6. Last 4 to 12 hours and rarely overnight
7. 20% with a preceding aura - usually flashing bright lights.

We usually say that if someone can eat through the headache, it is probably NOT a migraine headache.

Typical Triggering factors:

1. Foods like cheese and chocolate
2. Alcohol. (not rubbing)
3. Psychological stress
4. Sleep or sleep deprivation
5. Hormonal changes - eg. menses

Therapy to relieve it:

1. The newest advance here (and have actually seen it work quite dramatically)- serotonin analog drugs such as sumatriptan given by injection for best effect. The pill version is less effective.
2. Ergotamine drugs - such as cafergot at the time of the aura or immediately when pain begins.
3. Good old aspirin/tylenol.
4. Oxygen as an aid to the above.

Notice that we don't usually give narcotic pain relievers since these usually don't work.

Medicines to be taken regularly to minimize the chance of getting a migraine:

1. Beta blockers with propranolol being more effective than others - this is usually a heart disease or high blood pressure medicine.
2. Amitryptyline - an antidepressant.
3. Calcium channel blockers
4. Methysergide - probably the best but has a small risk of lung scarring!

[BadGiRL]

ummm..how does a migraine feel like? para ba syang regular headache na ayaw mawala or mas malala pa doon?

[This message has been edited by BadGiRL (edited 11-16-1999).]

[CaRaMBa]

Thanks for the info! VERY helpful!

If you guys have any other experiences related to migraines please post! =)

[Ira]

Migraine is much worse than the regular tension headache everybody gets now and then. The type of headache is usually the pounding type, and pretty intolerable.

Unfortunately we don't have the sumatriptan nasal spray that they have in the US here. The only available form is the scored tablet form, which costs almost PhP200 apiece. But it's more effective na rin compared to Ponstan or whatever over-the-counters are available.

Addendum for preventive measures:
1. we usually give Flunarizine HCl 5 mg/capsule (Sibelium), 1 capsule 2x a day for at least a month.
2. Avoid salitre--tocino, longganisa, and for the coming Xmas---Majestic Ham!
3. Avoid food with MSG (vetsin).
4. Avoid heat, especially the midday sun.

Anyway, one thing nice about migraines is that it's not going to cause cancer, or stroke, or what-have-you. As you grow older your migraines will slowly decrease in severity, and hopefully disappear.

[Kamatayan]

Basta ang alam ko... ang ulo parang tyan... diba tyan masakit pag walang laman ???

[Ira]

er...Caramba, sagot. Iniinsulto ka na walang laman ang ulo mo.

[CaRaMBa]

Kamats: I know you're VERY smart. Sorry if we're not as smart as you.

Ira: Oks lang yan, we know the truth. :)

[Kamatayan]

Caramba: Apology accepted... hehehe

[p.i.joe]

Caramba: just wanna share my experience about this topic. used to have persistent migraine and colds back when i was there in P.I.(and i don't know why?). when i moved here in the US i noticed that both problems had diminished considerably and the migraine completely gone without me doing anything.

although i still get colds once in a while, i came to the conclusion that the improvement was probably caused by the differences in climatic condition. one day, i consulted an EENT because i began experiencing hearing problems coupled by migraines which i have always attributed to my persistent colds ('ya know hard sneezing & blowing).

boy! was i surprised, it was'nt colds but a bad case of sinusitis which my doctor suspected i've had for a while because of the wide area of infection. needless to say the sinusitis was cured with potent doses of anti-biotics. my hearing had improved and the migraine is once again gone!

medyo magulo, it's hard to pinpoint the relation of my other ailments with my migraine but ever since my sinusitis was cured the migraine never came back.

[grumpy]

time to put my two cents in, since batang uliran has been on my case for quite some time.

both ira and b/u are right about the headache characteristics. what you want to look for, however, in addition to an intolerable pounding headache, which may or may not have visual symptoms as a warning, are associated symptoms such as sensitivity to light or sound, as well as nausea and vomiting. most migraneurs will want to be locked up in a dark closet to sleep it off.

family history is important, particularly for women, but that old adage about only smart people getting migraines -- not true anymore. boys get migraines more than girls in late childhood, early to mid-teens, but outgrow them in most cases. many women have them as part of PMS.

the migraines do change as you get older. some women find that pregnancy reduces the frequency, and in others, menopause cuts them out completely. but they don't abate in all sufferers -- yung minamalas, merong migraine hanggang mamatay!

the medications they mentioned are pretty typical treatment. if no drug pushers or pill bottles are within reach, break out the espresso. caffeine actually helps! however, you don't need to take a preventive medicine unless you're having more than just a couple of migraines a month. beta-blockers are great in younger people; amitriptyline and its cousins, and the calcium channel blockers are excellent for older folks.

p.i. joe, i'm not quite sure about your migraine diagnosis. a lot of people develop sinusitis with a throbbing frontal headache, which is frequently (mis)diagnosed as migraine. you may have environmental triggers prevalent in the philippines that gave you nasal congestion -->; sinusitis -->; throbbing headache. so when you moved to the u.s. (particularly if you're in the southwest, where the air is generally drier, without the mold and pollen that kills people in the northeast and midwest), you got rid of the triggers. so no allergic reaction, no headache. but if you have allergies, you may develop an allergy to something else in your new home and the cycle can start again :( -- sorry.

best thing to do is to work with your physician to figure out what kind of headache you really have, before you go off to mercury and buy everything but the kitchen sink. pain relievers can actually make matters worse if taken inappropriately. rebound headaches can actually be worse than the underlying migraine. you'll be miserable, your doc's going to be miserable, and no one wants to show up to that pity party.

but migraines are not incurable, and you don't have to suffer through them. there are lots of tools in the box, but they have to be used properly.

alright, i've said way too much already. smartass remarks don't take so much effort. (oh, my aching head!)

[This message has been edited by grumpy (edited 11-19-1999).]

[This message has been edited by grumpy (edited 11-19-1999).]

[batang uliran]

Finally, all my pestering paid off! Grumpy is a med school classmate of mine - he's a neurologist and a stroke expert having just finished a 2 year stroke fellowship in Yale and he's back in Manila. So his word on migraines is pretty much the final word!

[This message has been edited by batang uliran (edited 11-20-1999).]

[CaRaMBa]

Another doctor! Yipee! Good for the board! :)

[grumpy]

ack! my cover's blown! why, you dirty, rotten . . .

[Zen]

LOL
:)

[mommyda]

i've been experiencing migraine for how many years now, sabi nila, astigmatism..sabi naman nung iba nalilipasan daw kasi ako ng gutom...hmmm i took all the med. na pampacure daw ng migraine..pero wala pa ding nangyayari..please help! btw, im wearing eyeglasses pero hindi everyday...just when im front of my pc tapos after office hrs..tinatanggal ko na, problema pag nagdridrive na ako..sumasakit ng sumasakit ang ulo ko...and i need to stop for awhile to rest my eyes... please help!!!!!
and also..im new here...am i welcome??!

[Ira]

Hello mommyda, welcome again. :) A little info please on the type of headache you're having: what kind of pain is it--throbbing, shooting, heavy, etc.? Where is it located and where does it spread? What triggers it? What makes it better?

[mommyda]

thanks for the warm welcome, Ira. To answer your q's..I feel heavy pain starting from my temple, then above the forehead.I tried some med. but it doesnt help..so ang ginagawa ko na alng...tinutulog ko na lang then paggising ko...wala na sya! Nagkakamigraine ako kapag stress ako sa work, pagexhausted at siguro lack of sleep na din..and oo nga pala...pagkatapos kong magwork..kasi 8 hrs akong nakaharap sa monitor ko. :)

[Ira]

Sounds like stress/tension headache more than migraine, mommyda--unless by heavy you mean the pounding type. What medications (and their dosages) have you tried? There are meds for headache that work on both migraine and tension headaches, although the strength are different. Could be that the meds you took weren't really strong ones.

[Ira]

I'm just curious...we get a lot of migraine patients in our clinic, and some of these patients are so hard to cure with medications short of Imigran. I don't like giving Imigran much, because of its prohibitive cost (PhP180+ per tablet). Baka mawala ang migraine, magka-stress headache naman sila because of the cost. So I'm kind of polling....how many of you guys are DIAGNOSED as migraine sufferers, what triggers it, and what do you do or take to make it better?

[Lo Lo]

Ano po ba yung migraine?
Paano ba makikilala yan?

[Ira]

Migraine is related to the dilation and excessive pulsation of the external carotid artery. Some symptoms tied up with the headache have been attributed to the constriction of internal carotid artery. Its symptoms are one-sided throbbing headache occuring usually in teenage to early adult years (although sometimes it's generalized headache), nausea, vomiting, flashing lights, blurring of vision, etc. It usually builds up gradually and may last for several hours. Attacks have a lot of trigger factors like heat, missed meals, vetsin, salitre in food, etc.

[ann]

yes, i do ... although i don't get attacks as bad as, say, 5 yrs ago ... they're less frequent, too ... must be bcoz i don't take things as seriously as i did ... ;) ... it was never a generalized headache, it had varieties like the 'helmet' & the 'tunnel' & the moving 'drill' ... it always helps to throw up, eases the pressure somewhat, but the dry heaves r the worst ...

[Kath_]

Hi, Doc Ira! :) Lately I've noticed this throbbing headache at the base of my head, or on the upper portion of the back of my neck. It bothered me much last night while I worked long hours on a scrapbook. My mom told me it was probably coz of my position, while sitting by my desk. I thought it wasn't. Since you mentioned that one of the trigger factors for migraine are missed meals, I began to question my "headache".
Today, for instance, I skipped breakfast and lunch. Just had a little snack at 3 pm coz i was so busy with meetings and stuff. I sat down to type for about an hour, then decided to take a nap. I could hardly fall asleep for a long time because the same throbbing pain at the back of my head came back, accompanied by tenderness in the right lower half of my left palm. I guess made the headache worse, but I didn't feel well at all. I got very irritable earlier, but with an early dinner, i think i got better. Do you think it's migraine?

[Ira]

While it could be migraine because of the type of pain and the trigger factor, chances are, it is stress headache, brought about by your work. :) Rest and an analgesic like Ponstan will most probably relieve it.

[stanch]

hi der ira...
gud day!!
im also one of d so-called migraine boys...
bad trip nga eh...tagal ng wala (abt 2 yrs), tapos yday lang, bumalik uli, i think dis will be attacking me daily na uli up to a certain period....*** do u think shud i do to prevent it from occurring more often (avoid lipas-gutom and stress? shud i take med in advans in anticipation of it? ano ba **** kuya? :)) *** shud i do in case i felt that pain agen? tutulugan ko lang? ive been taking medications and even vitamins for the brain nga eh (avamigran, norgesic, sibelium, to name a few.....)
i rili hate dis feeling...grrr!!
**mamya nga il be attending a frends debut....i hope and pray so that that pain wont strike me later... :) dati i even recall experiencing that pain during an exam, grabe!! pinass ko na lang, i cant think eh, ayun!! bagsak ako dun sa quiz...

[Ira]

Hello, stanch, we usually advice our migraine patients to avoid food with vetsin, salitre (longganisa, tocino, etc.), cheese, red wine, and chocolates, because they can work as trigger factors for your migraine. You also said it, you should avoid too much stress and hunger, and take enough rest and sleep. Once you feel the onset of a migraine coming on, take your anti-migraine medications. Don't wait for it to steadily worsen before you do something about it.

Take the Sibelium 5 mg/cap 2x a day for about a month or two continuously, whether or not you have migraine attacks in that period of time. Sibelium is more a preventive medicine for migraines rather than a pain medication. You might also want to invest in a newer type of medication to carry around just in case of an attack, Imigran (Generic: Sumatriptan, 50 mg/tab). It costs a little less than PhP200 per tablet (sobrang mahal!), but it's very effective. You take 1/2 tablet once you feel the onset of a migraine, then take another 1/2 tablet every half hour till the headache's gone. Maximum intake of around 5 tablets/day, okay? Most of our patients take just 1 tablet and the migraine subsides, in my experience. Those two medications should be sufficient for you. One thing to look forward to regarding migraine: it usually disappears when you get older.

[stanch]

hi ira...
im rili glad to hear *** u said abt getting less ataks as u get older...yipee!! :)
btw, do u know if these migraine meds hav side effects?
kasi i biliv *** im takin right now(Avamigran) to prevent it....is not gud for the heart daw...

:-P

[mommyda]

hello again...Ira, im taking excedrin for migraine...and 2 -4 caplets a day then after taking those...dinadaan ko na alng sa tulog...sabi nga nila nalilipasan daw ako ng gutom kaya ako nagkakamigraine..sometimes naman stress din.. yung medicine na tinatake ko... hindi masyadong effective! any other medications that i can use for my migraine?

[Ira]

stanch: Avamigran is bad for the heart if you already have a history of heart problems (heart attack, angina). But if you take it only during beginning attacks of migraine, and you have a healthy heart (I assume you do, since you are young), then you don't have to worry about it. I assume you take Avamigran once you feel that a migraine attack is starting, and you don't take it when you don't have a headache? Take Sibelium 2x a day regularly so you won't get migraines.

mommyda: You can take Imigran (Generic:Sumatriptan 50 mg). I believe they come both in nasal spray and tablet preparations there in the US. It's very effective for migraines not eased by Excedrin.

[stanch]

hi der agen doc ira...
is it normal for migraine patients to experience its attack more than 2 times a day? i did, one at 11am, another at 330pm, and another at 1020pm...grabe!! kainis sobra!! im afraid im not doin d right thing by taking Avamigran each on that said time...
*** shud i do d nex tym dis hapens agen?

also, im wonderin if its ok if i take meds in anticipation of the atack? for example, i have a pre-board exam at around 1030am, can i take my medicine at around 9 or 930 just so that i wont be experiencing the pain come exam tym, i just wanna be sure....coz i rili cant think during migraine tym...

:-P

[Ira]

Your migraine attacks are more frequent than the average migraine sufferer (ave. that I see is much less than 1 attack per 3 days), but since it's your exams, heightened stress may be causing it.

Like I have been saying, 1.) start taking Sibelium 5 mg/capsule 2x a day beginning now. Take it STRAIGHT for 1-2 months, WHETHER OR NOT you have migraine attacks. This will help PREVENT or at least LESSEN future migraine attacks. 2.) If Avamigran doesn't seem very effective to you--meaning, it lasts for a long time even if you already took the medication-- try Imigran, a newer type of antimigraine drug. I put the dosage in an earlier post. But if Avamigran works for you, then just stick with that. It's okay if you take it when the migraine starts, as long as you stick within the allowed limit of 6 tabs/day. The important thing is, take the Sibelium REGULARLY. That way, during your exams, you lessen your chances of getting an attack.

[stanch]

tnx a lot doc ira for d advice... :)

btw, can i stil engage in sports despite these periods of hardship? hehe, lalim ba nung terms? as in, pede ba akong mag-join sa isang basketball team sa rigorous practices namin? baka mag collapse ako dahil sa sakit pag biglang umatak *** pain..d kaya? :)
also, id like to know ano pang food ang bawal aside from cheese, chocolate, nuts, ....? dey say ksama daw *** ice cream, milk, etc...is dis tru?

:-P

[This message has been edited by stanch (edited 02-24-2000).]

[stanch]

tnx a lot doc ira for d advice...
btw, can i stil engage in sports despite these periods of hardship? hehe, lalim ba nung terms? as in, pede ba akong mag-join sa isang basketball team sa rigorous practices namin? baka mag collapse ako dahil sa sakit pag biglang umatak *** pain..d kaya?
also, id like to know ano pang food ang bawal aside from cheese, chocolate, nuts, ....? dey say ksama daw *** ice cream, milk, etc...is dis tru?

:-P

[Ira]

You can still engage in sports, of course. But try to avoid playing during the hours where the heat is at its worst (10 am-4 pm). Heat and sunlight are known trigger factors of migraine attacks. Take the Sibelium regularly. Food to avoid would be red wine, cheese, chocolates, tocino, longganisa, food with salitre (nitrites) and vetsin, also known migraine triggers. But ice cream's not included in the list. :)

[treenie]

i've been experiencing headaches too, usually on the left side of my head (temporal area, forehead and my left eye). i don't know how to describe the pain but it's really painful. i experienced it again for 3 consecutive days last week. i wasn't able to study bec. of those headaches. tinulog ko na lang but unfortunately when i woke up it was still there. i drank Mefenamic acid and afforded some relief but the next day it was there again. is this migraine? what should i do? what medicines can i take that won't have drug interactions since i have hyperthyroidism and i'm taking Methimazole Tapazole)

[Ira]

It's pretty hard to tell what you have based on just location, treenie--what kind of pain was it? Shooting pains? Heaviness? Pounding? etc. How long does an episode last? What makes it worse? What makes it better? Is it a very severe type of pain or painful but bearable? Are there stressors in your life lately?

[moodswing75]

hello! I have those awful things din. I can't do anything when it occurs. I just take alaxan and then I rest. I still don't know what causes it. I think the sudden change of temp triggers my migraines. Stress din minsan. Sabi nila, just avoid the stuff na nag-co-cause ng migraine eh.

[gem]

migraine is indeed a pain, i have that too, to avoid it, my doc advised me to stay away from coffee, chocolates and foods with vetsin esp those instant stuffs.

Milk, fruits and vegies help too.

For those of u who share the common pain, try to stay away from those things ive mentioned. Sleep early too!!!!

[cybertaz]

i've had these kind of headaches for as long as i could remember. i know its a different kind of headache, coz mine starts from the base of my neck at the back of my head. it feels more like there's a throbbing thing at the back of my head and it really hurts (and I mean a lot!). if it disappears, and i change the level of my head (like bowing down or picking-up something from the ground) the pain comes back again.

i don't know if this has something to do with the two accidents (not recent though) i had involving serious bumps in my head (where i lost consciousness) or if it has something to do with my eyes (since i wear -3.75, -4 glasses).

has any of you guys have this kind of headache too? i take ponstan sf but the pain still comes back. i sleep it off oftentimes. sometimes the pain goes when i wake up, sometimes it doesn't.

do i have to consult a head doctor now?

[brownpau]

cybertaz - Sounds to me like you have a migraine problem. I had headaches like that too before, though they more often started right behind my eyes rather than the back of my head, then spread to my whole brain. It used to happen with excruciating frequency, about once every other week.

After a particularly bad night of tossing and turning with pain, I went to see a neurologist in Perpetual Help, Las Piñas. He said it was a migraine caused by dilation of capillaries in the brain. He prescribed a rather pricy "calcium-channel blocker" 3x a day, and standard paracetamol for recurring pain. The price was worth it. After about two weeks on it, I felt a lot better. My migraine rarely comes back anymore, though I'm still prone to the occasional headache once in a while from staring at computer screens for too long without rest.

My one sin: I didn't go back to my neurologist for a follow-up. Maybe I should.

[Calypso]

cybertaz: Yeow!! I hope you're feeling better! You don't get dizzy, though, do you? Coz I have a friend who bumped her head a long time ago and she's only been having her dizzy spells recently-- actually, they aren't just dizzy spells, but VERTIGO! Hope your condition isn't that scary!

brownpau: Huy, go back to your neurologist na-- or have Doc Ira check it for you (for a fee though :D).

I was also having throbbing headaches-- migrained, actually-- recently, but they stopped when the typhoons stopped. I wonder if that was all just psychosomatic...

[Ira]

Yippee! Something along my line of work finally! ;)

Questions I need answered first:
1. Where exactly does the pain start? At the mid-occiput (back of the head right smack in the middle)? Is it one sided? Where does the pain spread?
2. When does it occur? During times of stress? During midmorning? When you lack sleep? Does the pain wake you up in the middle of the night because of its severity?
3. What makes it worse? What makes it better, aside from changing head positions?
4. Is the headache getting worse as time goes by? O pareho lang ang severity?
5. What other symptoms do you notice when you start getting the headache? Does your vision get blurred? Do you develop nausea?
6. Does your neck hurt?

[brownpau]

Addendum:

I experienced severe nausea and occasional vomiting at the peak of my migraine problem. Doc said it was caused partly by the dilation of blood vessels. All fine now. :)

[brownpau]

Sibelium! I was trying to remember the name of the drug the doctor prescribed me. That was it. Thanks also, Doc Ira!

[cybertaz]

Thanks for your reply guys!
My answers to Doc Ira's questions:

1. The pain starts at the back of my head just above the neck. The pain spreads like a ripple in my head. Its like my heart is the back of my head throbbing.

2. Two days ago the pain started when I woke up. I could remember the same kind of headache when I was sick (flu). Or sometimes in the middle of the day. I can't see no pattern. Sometimes it occurs when I sleep for a longer period of time (like saturdays and sundays). And yes the pain does wake me up middle of the night because of its severity.

3. If I move my head abruptly, or change the level of my head, it throbs. I had to sit down really slow so that it won't hurt. Sometimes if I massage the back of my neck near the head, the pain subsides. Then I immediately try to sleep. Sometimes when I wake up, the pain is gone. Sometimes, if I'm not lucky enough, its still there.

4. The severity of the pain still the same.

5. Didn't notice any other things like blurring vision. Although the last time I had the headache, I felt like vomiting though I didn't vomit coz I successfully forced myself to sleep.

6. Yup, my neck hurt too. But the pain is nothing compared to my head.

One noticeable thing is, even if I don't have the headache (like now), anytime I turn my head abruptly, or if somebody hits my head (like when you're just playing around with kids), I could feel some pain at the back of my head---the same place where my throbbing headaches starts.

I wonder what this is...

[Ira]

It probably is migraine. Try taking Sibelium 5 mg/cap 2 capsules at bedtime for around a month. If you feel dizzy with 2 capsules, cut down to 1 capsule at night. You take this whether or not you have headaches. When you start feeling that a headache is coming on, you can try taking Flanax Forte up to 2x a day after meals. Tell me how it goes.

[cybertaz]

ok Doc Ira. I'll do that and see how things will be...
Thanks a lot!!!

[Ira]

You're both welcome.

[Gilford_Baguio]

:rolleyes:

How can i differentiate migraine from a common headache? Lately, im experiecing on & off headaches even during early morning as soon as i get up. Hours later its gone then late in the day when work is off it occurs again. I usually feel it at the right side of my brain lang. Advise pls. Tnx

[Ira]

Just a few questions:

1.) Characterize the pain.
2.) How severe is the pain, and what medications do you take for it?
3.) What other symptoms do you experience during headache attacks?
4.) What relieves it? What makes it worse?
5.) Do you have a lot of work lately, or are you having difficulty sleeping lately?

[Gilford_Baguio]

1. a bursting pain on Right half of my brain
2. in a scale of 1-10, 10 being the most severe maybe 5-6. I take IBUPROFEN but i avoid it lately.
3.a little neck pains, but the headache the most dominant symptom
4. i think it is relieved few hrs after, no specific activity no relieve it. I just let it pass. Make it worse? Maybe anger or when im angry, get mad at things at the ofis or home
5. Yeah some stress at work, but mental, physical & emotional. Sleep? No difficulty. I have a normal sleep most esp. when im tired at work.

Thanks

[Ira]

From your history, it doesn't seem to be migraine, but more of a stress/tension headache. Migraine headaches are characterized as severe, pounding headaches occassionally with "auras"---e.g., visual symptoms, nausea and vomiting, etc., right before the headache starts, and not easily relieved by ordinary analgesics. You can take any analgesic as needed, like what you are taking now (Ibuprofen), take adequate rest, and avoid stressors.

[Erin075]

Me also Doc Ira, I usually suffer from severe headaches. I usually feel like vomitting and medicines don't really work. But putting on an icebag on my head relieves the pain. Actually it's more of the fact that the cold feeling brings me to sleep. Is this a migraine?

[Ira]

I also need a little more info. Please answer the questions I posted for Gilford_Baguio that weren't in your data.

[Erin075]

1. It's like a banging pain on the whole or sometimes just one side of my head.
2. The pain drives me crazy! Sometimes I sleep na lang. I put an icebag on my head whenever I have this headache. I sometimes take pain relievers like Alaxan, Ponstan. But they don't work.
3. I also feel nauseus (did I spell it right?), weak, and feverish.
4. Putting an icebag relieves it. And I also try to sleep. What makes it worst is when I drink coke, eat chocolates or cheese, when I move, noise and light.
5. I'm not really stressed lately. I sleep well naman.

[Ira]

Your case is more migraine than stress headache. You should of course limit or avoid totally food like chocolates, red wine, cheeses, food with vetsin, and preserved food with nitrates like longganisa or sausages. You can try taking Feldene Flash tablets, 2 tablets to be melted under the tongue once daily on a full stomach as soon as you sense the headache starting. If your BP is higher than 100/70, you can also take Sibelium 5 mg/cap 1 capsule 2x a day continuously for around 2 months as a prophylactic against developing migraine attacks. If the Feldene doesn't work, tell me. You will have to take migraine-specific analgesics for it, although I occassionally hesitate in prescribing them because of their prohibitive cost -- P170+ per tablet.

[Erin075]

Thanks, Doc!

[Ira]

You're welcome.

[Gilford_Baguio]

hi doc!

i had my blood works recently. my cholesterol level is 388 , triglycerides abive the normal too but my blood sugar is normal. my doc prescribed me Lipitor & 2 other capsules like Sibelium & the other 1 i forgot. So what can u say abt it Doc? Tnx.

[Ira]

Go ahead and take them. Lipitor is to lower your cholesterol level, while Sibelium is to prevent your headaches from coming back. They're both effective medications.

[September]

Hi Doc! I'm taking Sibelium daily (2 capsules every night) to prevent migraine attacks. Kaya lang I still feel the "auras" (with little pain). However, my doctor recommended to take Imigran once I feel that the aura (with pain) coming. I'm having a hard time though getting this medicine. Can't find it in any of the drugstores. Do you know where I can get one. Wala sa Mercury Drug eh. Tapos ang mahal pa nya - P170++ per tablet.

Kaasar coz ang sakit na ng ulo ko, ang mahal pa ng gamot!!!

Hope you can help me get this medicine...

Thanks so much!

[Ira]

You can try Zolmitriptan (brand: Zomig) 2.5 mg/tab in lieu of Imigran while drugstores are out of Imigran. You take 1 tablet as soon as you start getting the aura, and then take 1 tablet every 2 hours if your headache is still progressing. You can take maximum of 6 tablets a day (although I haven't come across migraine that doesn't respond to just 2 tablets so far). Unfortunately, it costs as much as Imigran. Don't forget to continue with your Sibelium.

[September]

Thanks, Doc! Shucks! Sana sa 'yo na lang ako nag-consult. My doctor charged me P1,000 for a simple consultation... my gosh!

[Ira]

You're welcome. Consultation with neurologists are by nature expensive because of the relatively longer time spent per patient. P1000 is actually the usual cost, with a minimum of P700 per neurologic consultation in Metro Manila. Still, seeing a physician is far superior to just online consultation, since obviuosly, physical and neurologic exams cannot be performed here. A neurologist will have to examine you to rule out more serious problems before migraine can be diagnosed.

[September]

One more question. As i've told you, i'm under medication di ba? Is it ok to take thermogens (i.e., Xenadrine) while taking Sibelium? I noticed kasi that my appetite increased when I started taking Sibelium. I know Xenadrine supresses appetite.

Thanks again!

[Ira]

It's not okay to take Xenadrine, period. Xenadrine contains ephedrine, a controlled substance whose side effects include nausea, irregular heartbeats, insomnia, nervousness, and in high doses, high blood pressure, tremors and headaches, seizures, heart attacks, strokes and even death. The effectiveness is only short-lived, and even if you do lose weight while taking Xenadrine, you'll gain it back as soon as you stop it. The brand Xenadrine does not have adequate studies about its safety or efficacy so I wouldn't know how it'd interact with Sibelium.

[grrrrl]

DOC, i also experience frequent headaches.

1.) Characterize the pain.
i feel pain on all parts of my head, especially at the lower back and at the temples.

2.) How severe is the pain, and what medications do you take for it?
sometimes it feels like nabibiyak ang ulo ko. i used to take avamigran but it doesn't work for me anymore. now i take stugeron. only problem is if i have work the following day, i'll be too weak (groge sa gamot) to get up.

3.) What other symptoms do you experience during headache attacks?
during attacks i can't keep my eyes open because everything around me is spinning so fast that i always have to vomit.

4.) What relieves it? What makes it worse?
sleep and stugeron relieves it. sleep without stugeron WON'T. motion (traffic) and light (or too much sun) and noise make it worse.

5.) Do you have a lot of work lately, or are you having difficulty sleeping lately?
i always have a lot of work to do. but, yeah, i've been having difficulty sleeping lately.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

what do u think?

[Ira]

A few questions..

1. Which comes first, the headache or the dizziness?
2. Characterize the headache: Is it severe? pounding? tightness/squeezing type of pain? One-sided?
3. What other symptoms occur with the headache other than dizziness?
4. Is there any warning sign prior to your headache/dizziness attacks, i.e., flashing lights, eye pain, etc.?
5. How ofen do these attacks occur?

Lack of sleep can trigger or exacerbate migraine and vertigo attacks. If you're getting significantly less sleep plus too much stress at work or school, you need to take something to help you sleep.

[grrrrl]

1. it's usually simultaneous. but last time (thursday last week) the dizziness came first.

2. at first, the headache was tolerable. then it was gradually getting bad. pounding & squeezing pain at the back of my head, and at the temples.

3. my vision would get blurred.

4. warning signs? my eyes would get heavy and then almost at the same time i'd get dizzy.

5. when i was in college, i'd get them real bad, almost every other month. an attack usually lasted for a week. i'd throw up and couldn't get up. anything i ate went back up again.

now though i get them rarely but not as bad. usually lasts 3 days tops.



thanks, DOC!

[Ira]

You have what's called "classic migraine". Dizziness can be part and parcel of a migraine attack. If the usual pain medications like Advil don't work for you, I'm afraid you'll have to take Zomig (apparently Imigran is temporarily unavailable). See the dose in my reply above. Take this as soon as you start developing signs that you'll get your headache (i.e., dizziness, your head starts to pound, etc.). Only if the dizziness persists after 2 hours of taking the medication, should you take stugerone 25 mg. You can also try the over-the-counter anti-vertigo drugs like Bonamine or Serc. See if they're hiyang to you.

[pangga25]

doc, i read from the newspaper that migraine can only be contained but not cured. i also experience migraine with aura (parang blinking light which blocks part of my sight,i.e when reading a car plate # PYV 783. there are times when i couldn't see the P with my left eye, tapos later on it's my right temple that's aching badly, and i vomit.pag yung 3 naman ang di ko makita with my right eye, left temple ko ang sumasakit.)most of the time, i pass out.i've been experiencing this since i was in grade 6.mom thought i needed eyeglasses, and she made me get one in 7th grade,pero lalo lang lumala yung attacks ko.

[neilq]

i'm just curious since the most recent time i rode a plane (round trip), i got severe headache that tears were falling from my eyes due to the pain. i couldn't figure out why. i had the colds then so i'm not sure if it's related but once i landed, the headache was gone. and i'm dreading the time i'll be flying again. any thoughts on this?

[almightyge]

hi doc,

i have a migraine.. pain is super intense that wont go away for a really really long time like 2 days. unless i take flanax or dolfenol, then the pain would be gone na in 20 mins.

another doc of mine told me that i take coffee therapy daw... it helps avoid or should i say prevent migraines. is this true?

gerald

[Ira]

Coffee (regular, not decaff) will help ease the migraine pain, although it probably won't be enough to cause the migraine to disappear completely. Just continue taking the pain medications as soon as you start getting the attacks. There's nothing wrong with taking analgesics like Dolfenal long-term if they work and your need it. Migraine lessens in intensity and frequency as you get older, so at least that's something to look forward to.

[grrrrl]

Coffee (regular, not decaff) will help ease the migraine pain, ...
is this true? in my case, though, drinking coffee seems to aggravate the migraine.

[Ira]

If coffee aggravates your headache, then it's probably not migraine. Caffeine is a proven "cure" for migraine, because it constricts dilated vessels. Caffeine is in fact an active component of a few commonly used anti-migraine medications in the US.

[stanch]

hi doc ira:
i have a few questions too..

a) the last time i was hit by this migraine was march 2000. and here it is again, attacking me with so much pain (started last sunday).. parang ambilis, every year na yata ako nagkakaroon..
*** ibang friends ko once every 3yrs daw..
how come mine is faster? aside from refraining from eating cheese, chocolate, nuts, sausages.. how else can help me prevent its attacks?

b) another curious question, bakit po ako meron nito? whats the real cause ba? is it simply hereditary lang?

c) by the way, i get this migraine attack every day at approx 9am, can i simply take my medicine (Avamigran or others) around 8 or 830am in anticipation of that attack kahit wala pang "auras"? does this work?

d) related to the previous question, can i just sleep up to 10am just to get past the regular 9am attack? or this doesnt matter since it will only attack a person once he's awake?

e) i think avamigran doesnt work for me na rin, kasi after 30min masakit pa rin.. what other medicine can u recommend po?
thanks..

f) *** sibelium ba kelangan at least 2mos ko i-tatake for prevention of migraine attack? or kahit weeks lang pwede na?

pasensya na po ang daming kong tanong.. kasi naiiyak na **** ako sa sakit sometimes..
thanks a lot doc! =)

[stanch]

by the way, isa pa pong follow up question..

i dont normally drink coffee pero i read from ur message above that it is a proven "cure" for migraine, because it constricts dilated vessels.. makes me want to take a lot of them tuloy..
just for me to alleviate the pain..

serious to no? eh d pati softdrinks and the like na rin? =)

[Ira]

There is no set patterns as to when you're supposed to get migraines. Some people get them daily, while some get them yearly or even less frequently. Yours isn't really very frequent. A lot of the patients I handle get them almost daily. Migraine is often believed to be hereditary, although a good proportion of migraine sufferers also don't have any hereditary factors. The cause is still unknown. As to taking Avamigran, just take it as soon as the headache begins. It won't be effective if you use it as prophylaxis against migraine. You can try sleeping past 10 am if you want, see if it will help. As an alternative, you can also try Mydrin, 1 tablet at onset of headache, and another tablet every 2 hours if your headache persists. As for the Sibelium, you take it daily for a long time if you are a daily migraine sufferer. It will not cure migraine, but it will help decrease or stop migraine from developing. But if you only develop migraine once a year or so, it's probably better and more cost effective if you don't take Sibelium.

Softdrinks does not contain as much caffeine. Anyway, no one says that sodas trigger migraine, anyway, so I don't see any reason why you'd restrict yourself.

[teri1977]

Originally posted by Ira
Coffee (regular, not decaff) will help ease the migraine pain, although it probably won't be enough to cause the migraine to disappear completely. Just continue taking the pain medications as soon as you start getting the attacks. There's nothing wrong with taking analgesics like Dolfenal long-term if they work and your need it. Migraine lessens in intensity and frequency as you get older, so at least that's something to look forward to.

this is so true. coffee helps but with me, i still need my dolfenal tabs. i freak out pag wala akong dala nito.

[sentiments]

doc Ira, ako rin may several headache attacks. di ko lang alam kung anong tawag nung sa case ko.

1.) Characterize the pain.
usually sa right side sya............sa bandang kilay, pataas. masakit sya na parang tumitibok, na parang binibiyak na nasusuka ako.

2.) How severe is the pain, and what medications do you take for it?
masakit sya na tipong iritable na ako. ayoko ng magsalita, gusto nakahiga na lang. kaso pag nakahiga naman lalo lang napo-focus attention ko sa headache ko kaya parang lalong sumasakit lang. tapos nagba-vomit na ako.

3.) What other symptoms do you experience during headache attacks?
parang yung ngalay na ang ulo ko..tapos medyo masakit na yung left lower batok ko.
or minsan may bigla na lang akong makikitang parang mga colors..........yung parang dna, na tipong maliliit na shapes na dikit-dikit na iba-iba kulay. usually, pag ganun di na ako makakita ng mabuti.

4.) What relieves it? What makes it worse?
usually i take advil. nawawala naman. pero pag binabantayan ko sya parang di umeepekto gamot. o kaya tinutulog ko, kaso kinabukasan may parang slight pain pa rin sya. or kaya pag naba-vomit ako nilalabas ko na then itutulog ko na. medyo nawawala naman after nun.

5.) Do you have a lot of work lately, or are you having difficulty sleeping lately?
di naman. ok naman sleeping habits ko.

matagal na to eh. since college pa ako (mga 6 years na). dati akala ko sa mata lang pero nung nagpatingin ako mababa lang naman grado ko (25-50). minsan sumasakit sya ng ganun pag malamig sa ofc tapos bigla ako lalabas sa init ng araw......or nalipasan ako ng gutom.....pero yung ibang instances na ng headache ko di ko alam ang dahilan.

ano kaya 'to?
thanks in advance!

[Ira]

From your history, you seem to be experiencing classic migraine. Try taking mild analgesics first like Advil or Ponstan as soon as you feel the headache starting, not when it's already at its peak. Update me if those meds don't work.

[sentiments]

thanks doc ira!

and i promise to update you with those analgesics


:)

ahmm.......can i ask another question?
is there a way to cure it permanently? lalo na kung mild pa lang naman.............(classic migraine is mild pa lang di ba?)

tnx ulit!

[Ira]

There's no way to cure it. It usually becomes a lot less painful or goes away when you grow older, though.

[sentiments]

i c.......

thanks again doc ira! ;)

[Ira]

You're welcome.

[Gholdbhurg]

doc ira:
totoo po ba na ang pag-inom ng beer or wine,
nag-woworsen sa condition ng mga taong may migraine..

kumbaga, napapasama ang mga attacks?

[Ira]

Alcohol, especially red wine, can trigger or worsen migraine attacks.

[GirlNextDoor]

i have a friend who has been experiencing constant headaches for the past 4 years. as often as 4 days in a week she gets headaches that ranges from mild to really severe. during the severe bouts, she couldn't get up from bed and when she stands up, she becomes nauseaus. she has avoided as much as possible taking any kind of medication for it. she went to a neurologist just last december to have it checked out, the doctor prescribed isometheptene paracetamol (midrid) for the pain. she's supposed to take one tablet once the headache starts and then if after 30 minutes it's still there, she can take another, and then if for another 30 minutes it doesn't go away, she can take advil. the doctor wrote this in the prescription --> impression: migraine without aura . she also advised my friend to undergo CT Scan as precautionary measure (because her reflexes were too fast, and that it might indicate some kind of a rare abnormality. although she said it's not required; just to be sure). My friend decided not to go through the CT Scan because it was quite expensive (7K at the Makati Med). However, after 4 months, her condition still has not yet improved. The medicine took the pain away for a while, but lately, it doesn't work anymore. She still experiences about 5 very severe headaches a month and she discovered that after vomitting, the pain subsides. so lately, she's been inducing herself to vomit (to the point of poking her throat) just to ease the pain.
my friend is starting to worry because she knows this is not a good habit. although the doctor advised taking advil after the second midrid tablet, she has refrained from doing so because she feels that she's taking too much medicine and is afraid of becoming drug dependent. thus, resorts to vomitting.
is this just a severe case of migraine? was the medication too mild? is there any other way to ease the pain?
my friend has high pain tolerance and as much as possible, she doesn't let the headaches interfere with her normal activities except if it's already too painful. and if there's any connection, she lost a lot of hair during those 4 years (since the headaches started). is this something to worry about as well?

thanks a lot. hope to hear from you soon. :)

:dance: :dance: :dance:

[Ira]

Her neurologist's diagnosis and management is appropriate and correct. I would also advise that she undergo a head scan with contrast just to rule out any anatomic problems in the brain and to ease her worries. She can avail of a good quality, much cheaper scan at de los Santos Medical Center, I think it goes for almost half of the amount.

A migraine attack can be severe enough that it can cause you vomitting, transient blindness, as well as all the symptoms your friend experienced. Actually, her symptoms are common. Migraine attacks cannot be permanently eliminated, just controlled. The good thing about migraine is that it will decrease in intensity and severity as you get older. Midrid is a relatively new treatment for problems such as hers, and it's a strong medication, but occassionally, patients will develop resistance after a while, so she'll have to be shifted to another medication. But she doesn't have to worry about drug dependence, because this medication does not cause you to become addicted. Tell her to use it as often as she needs it, and to have a scan and to follow-up with her neurologist.

[tomtom]

the headache i have is a little weird. it feels like an extended brain freeze (the kind you get when you gulp ice-cold beverages). the pain is usually at the top left part of my head. cold air and unusual excitement (like when i unconsciously hold my breath) aggravate the pain. when i'm at the office, i just let it pass; at home, i just sleep it off. i, also, have trouble sleeping.

[Ira]

Is it electric-type of pain (shooting pains, lasting several secs.)?

[tomtom]

yes and throbbing! what is it? is it bad?

[Ira]

If the pain is characterized as "kinukuryente", it's called neuralgia, which can be brought about by stress. It's not bad, just inconvenient. You can take Tegretol 200 mg. 1/2 tab 3x a day for it.

[tomtom]

thanks again, ira.

[ice8103]

Yung migraine ba nakakamatay ba??

[Ira]

Nope.

[eyedoc]

Hi, Ira! :)

Addendum: If you're sure it's migraine, no, it's not gonna kill you.

If you're talking about a headache but you're not sure what causes it, well, it could be anything in the brain [tumor (this could kill you), hypoglycemia (low sugar levels), migraine], eyes [refractive error (grado - you may need glasses). glaucoma (blinding disease), or eyestrain (computer use, long hours of using the eyes)], sinuses...etc.

So, it's not wise to ignore "just" a headache, esp. if episodes are severe and recurrent.

[bluemoon88]

Hi doctors! I've been experiencing headaches for a long time na.
Ang bilis-bilis sumakit ng ulo ko. Mainitan lang ako ng konti, magutom expect it a few mins later,sasakit na agad.
Siguro in 2weeks,around 2x sumasakit ang ulo ko,kahit hindi mainit or what.
I always take biogesic for the pain, dba masama yun? para ngang vitamin ko na yung biogesic coz I always take it.
*** alam if I'm sick or what..Im scared to consulit a doctor.
I dont experience anything about my body naman,
just the headache lang.

Please help baka mamya may brain problems na ko..:(

[eyedoc]

If your headache has been going on for a long time, it would be best to consult a doctor to determine the cause. The worst thing for you to do is to stay in denial and forego going to the doctor. It may portend some other problem which I can't determine by just looking at your post. Or it may just be migraine. Bottomline is, you need to have yourself checked.

[bluemoon88]

oh oh thanks doc!
Nako I'm scared na baka ano na nga ito..

thanks thanks!

[sentiments]

so pano un mga docs pag ganun... kelangan papa-x ray na agad ng head pag parang kakaiba na *** headaches mo?

[your_angel]

kapag kc na-aarawan ako (*** bang lalabas ng bahay na may pupuntahan ka syempre di maiwasan *** maarawan) sumasakit ang ulo ko.. *** kailangan kong sumuka *** mawala *** sakit... like last saturday, grabe experienced ko masakit ang ulo ko that time and nasa gitna kami ng traffic *** talagang nasusuka na ako tapos sabi ng kasama ko namumutla daw ako... migraine kaya un??

[Ira]

X-rays are next to useless unless you have a history of head trauma. If you develop new onset headaches that are unusual in character, see a neurologist for further evaluation.

your_angel: It sounds like migraine.

[your_angel]

nid ko pa ba mag-check sa doctor??? may posibility ba na lumalala eto?? actually, after ko na sumuka nawawala **** siya eh yun nga lang hindi talaga ako pde ng matagal under the sun...

thanks...

[Ira]

You can see a doctor for it, of course. That's the best option, since no doctor online can actually perform a physical exam on you to rule out any other problems anyway.

[sentiments]

tnx doc ira!

your_angel: isa sa mga causes din ng migraine ko *** change of temp, *** galing sa malamig na bldg then biglang labas sa mainit na araw....... ako din nasusuka pag inaatake ng migraine ko (pag di ko naagapan) lalo na nung college days ko... kelangan talaga sumuka ako para mawala...... pro ngayon, yoko na kc sumuka eh, kaya ginagawa ko itutulog ko na ***........ pro usually, pag may aura na ako (parang symptoms nya, like ngalay na batok, o dna-like stars na nakikita ko, or medyo may throbbing na sa head) umiinom na agad ako ng advil...... nawawala naman........

[ck_rei]

Doctors, I have a friend who was diagnosed to have a cease on her brain. She told me that her doctor prescribed her to take Sibelium every night and Dolfenal every time her head aches.

Is it the right medicine? Will it cure my friend? Or should we look for another doctor? Please enlighten me on this one. Thank you doctors :)

[eyedoc]

By "cease", do you mean "cyst"? How was the "cyst" diagnosed? Did your friend undergo some imaging procedure, like a CT scan? Or was the doctor giving one of her impressions, pending further tests?

Sibelium and Dolfenal are not intended to "cure" the problem. They are meant to minimize the symptoms. I believe, however, that the doctor may have recommended some further tests to be done so that proper management may be given.

[Ira]

It might be a cyst in the cerebellar area, but it would be good to type out the complete CT scan or MRI description of the diagnosis. Your description is too brief. I need more information about the case and the CT/MRI reading. Your friend might have just been complaining of headaches and lightheadedness, and the cyst is just an incidental finding. Meaning, it's not the cyst that's causing the symptoms. Offhand, there are a lot of instances that we just give these two medications if the cyst doesn't cause any blockage of the CSF flow or if there's no sign of rapidly enlarging mass. Prescription of these meds does not constitute an undertreatment. They will not cure your friend of the cyst (only the symptoms), which can only be fully treated with open surgery, but not all cases need to undergo surgery anyway.

[ck_rei]

Thanks for the correction. Yes, she underwent CT scan, and they found a fair amount of small cyst on her brain. The doctor then told her to come back after 6 months to see if the cyst were minimized. ( I don't know if this is the correct term)
Maybe I'll just ask for her results to be more elaborate. Thanks a lot Doc Ira and eyedoc.
:) :) :)

[eyedoc]

You're welcome. Happy to help.

[hawaiiana808]

i took that when i had migraine..i thought for minor cases lang un

[eyedoc]

It's a drug commonly prescribed for migraine.

[blue_rain]

hope you can suggest on what's the best way to cure migraine or if not even lessen the attack. i would appreciate if you can suggest herbal medicines than the synthetic ones.

[zetia]

hope you can suggest on what's the best way to cure migraine or if not even lessen the attack. i would appreciate if you can suggest herbal medicines than the synthetic ones.

how long has this been going on?

try the following
-- lessen ur coffee, softdrink intake.
--avoid junkfoods as much as possible. MSG or vetsin can trigger migraine attack.
-- avoid too much sun exposure
-- rest..

or better c ur physician (neuro).. for further assessment of ur condition..

[blue_rain]

since i was a kid i usually got headache. when i was in college i started taking mefenamic acid. i just visited a doctor when my situation got worst. everytime it attacks it makes me vomit several times. i even stop taking mefenamic because i've observed that my system no longer accept it. i've seen an optometrist, ophthalmologist and even a neurologist. the neurologist suggested that i should take coxid the moment i would feel that it will attack. however, i never return for another visit because i wasn't satisfied on his answers and that moment i felt i was just a guinea pig. though i took the medicine (coxid) before i feel it doesn't seem to ease the pain.
right now i just take ibuprofen (so far i works) and avoid food with too much MSG.
i'm just worried because i don't want to be independent on medicines especially the synthetic ones cause i know they also have side effects.

[zetia]

since i was a kid i usually got headache. when i was in college i started taking mefenamic acid. i just visited a doctor when my situation got worst. everytime it attacks it makes me vomit several times. i even stop taking mefenamic because i've observed that my system no longer accept it. i've seen an optometrist, ophthalmologist and even a neurologist. the neurologist suggested that i should take coxid the moment i would feel that it will attack. however, i never return for another visit because i wasn't satisfied on his answers and that moment i felt i was just a guinea pig. though i took the medicine (coxid) before i feel it doesn't seem to ease the pain.
right now i just take ibuprofen (so far i works) and avoid food with too much MSG.
i'm just worried because i don't want to be independent on medicines especially the synthetic ones cause i know they also have side effects.


i see.. how about MRI? it would be better if you see your neurologist again or consult a new one for further study. migraine kasi is not a simple case, you need to undergo some imaging to rule out other possible diagnosis and for years you have that symptom and that is something you must consider.

:)

[Alter_Ego]

I'm really concerned because in the past week I started experiencing pain in the left part of my head, but it doesn't feel like in the brain or anywhere close but in the middle of the left eyebrow and nose bridge. I've been visiting the office clinic very often and the nurse is a bit concerned too. It's recurring and irregular.. I read in the some of he posts that migraine causes you to vomit, fortunately I don't feel like vomiting when the pain attacks, at least not yet. I had history of a similar pain ages ago whenever I need to change the grade of my eyeglasses, I hope this is just one of those.. please enlighten me I just need to confirm this isn't migraine. Thanks a lot.

[smilewarrior]

^Please read this entire merged thread, particularly the first page.

[pecanpie]

there are times when my headache would
last more than 24 hours. oftentimes
right side only. could it be migraine?

[marbles]

I'm really concerned because in the past week I started experiencing pain in the left part of my head, but it doesn't feel like in the brain or anywhere close but in the middle of the left eyebrow and nose bridge. I've been visiting the office clinic very often and the nurse is a bit concerned too. It's recurring and irregular.. I read in the some of he posts that migraine causes you to vomit, fortunately I don't feel like vomiting when the pain attacks, at least not yet. I had history of a similar pain ages ago whenever I need to change the grade of my eyeglasses, I hope this is just one of those.. please enlighten me I just need to confirm this isn't migraine. Thanks a lot.

Diagnosing a migraine requires a full medical history and physical examination.

If the attacks are recurring, you should list these in a journal, including the date & time, what you were doing before the attack, if it was relieved by ibuprofen/paracetamol/mefenamic acid, etc. and also any foods you might have taken. This can help your doctor determine if you really have migraine.

[marbles]

there are times when my headache would
last more than 24 hours. oftentimes
right side only. could it be migraine?

Diagnosing a migraine requires a full medical history and physical examination. Consult a doctor.

If the attacks are recurring, you should list these in a journal, including the date & time, what you were doing before the attack, if it was relieved by ibuprofen/paracetamol/mefenamic acid, etc. and also any foods you might have taken. This can help your doctor determine if you really have migraine.

[richela]

hi...just want to ask for you help. my boyfriend's got migraine, ano po b ang pwede nyang inumin na medicine even without doctor's prescription? thanks

[Misa Hayase]

hi...just want to ask for you help. my boyfriend's got migraine, ano po b ang pwede nyang inumin na medicine even without doctor's prescription? thanks
:no: Next time, write "ba" instead of "b". Please follow our forum rules regarding textspeak. Thanks!

[neil_joseph]

Hello, lately i'm experiencing a shooting pain on any part of my head but more frequently on top of my head , right part. The pain will last for a few seconds but this happens almost everyday, anytime of the day.

Sometimes, there's pain at the back of my head near my neck,face, eyebrow, jawline , teeth and neck.


Are these symptoms of migraine too?