Danielle Bradbery won season four of The Voice when she was only 16 years old. Since then, she has become a successful country music recording artist. Unfortunately, fame isn’t the only thing that found Danielle in her young adult life. Danielle’s recently joined the ranked of the 35 million Americans who experience migraines. It was just in the last year that she suffered her first debilitating headache and since, she’s progressed to migraines that can last up to two or three days. Desperate for relief, Danielle reached out to fans on social media for homeopathic remedies for her pain and symptoms. Thankfully, her fans responded. But Danielle’s always looking for new and more effective answers she can pass on to others.
About a year ago, Danielle Bradbery woke up feeling like she had the worst hangover of her life.
But the country singer hadn’t had anything to drink the night before.
“It’s the worst, confusing feeling,” the 24-year-old star tells PEOPLE. “I remember sitting up and just my eyes and my head, my ears were throbbing and I’m like, ‘Okay, I’m going to lay back down. And have it really dark in here.’ That was the beginning.”
She knew right away that wasn’t a normal headache — but the first of her now frequent migraines. In the last year, Bradbery says she’s suffered from more than 20 migraines — each lasting two or three days. She usually gets them twice a month.
Looking to find all-natural, home remedies, Bradbery turned to her fans on social media — twice she’s posted a question on her Instagram Story asking for migraine recommendations.
“I used my platform to reach out to my fans and be like, ‘Hey, you might need me sometimes with my music — but right now, I need you,'” she says. “It’s super awesome and helpful.”
To stave off migraines she drinks a lot of water, uses peppermint essential oils, alternates hot and cold compresses, drinks ginger shots and takes Vitamin C and Zinc. She’s also started yoga and massage therapy.
“It seems like the remedies and recommendations are endless,” she says.
Danielle said she is committed to natural remedies and wants to avoid medication. The article also said she has a 3-year-old registered support dog named Kaya who can tell when Danielle is in pain and lays on top of her, acting as a weight. I’ve never heard of a support animal for migraines. The article doesn’t state that is Kaya’s function, but I’m glad she helps Danielle in that capacity.
My migraine journey began similar to Danielle’s, from thinking it was a hangover to reaching out to others to learn how to manage them. Mine began a few decades ago but we’ve discussed how people are suffering much more during the pandemic. People are either having them for the first time or their regular treatments are failing them. It’s hell, I don’t know how else to say it. I’ve never been so much at the mercy of my body. I mentioned that I was hospitalized in October. I’d had a persistent migraine and I simply couldn’t take it anymore. They gave me a “migraine cocktail” via IV but the first didn’t take and that night, I was back in the ER. The second finally gave me full relief once I’d returned home, at 11:30 that night. It had been nine days since the migraine began.
All the remedies Danielle mentioned are great. Hydration is essential. The peppermint essential oil works wonders, I highly recommend the Migraine Stick that CB suggested. I am never without one. Zinc is very good for daily maintenance. I am not familiar with ginger shots or Vitamin C as remedies but will try them now that I am. While having a migraine, cold compresses do work. I suggest frozen corn or peas on the back of your neck. Yoga, massage and acupressure are all wonderful, especially for your neck and shoulders but also your lower back, if that’s where you keep your stress.
Know your migraine trigger spot. Mine used to be my left temple but now it’s my left ear. When that spot pricks, respond immediately. I’m not able to manage on natural remedies alone. I have a neurologist and when the pandemic is over, we will probably begin Botox injections. I take a beta blocker and the birth control pill, skipping the sugar pill week. I also have Excedrin migraine and Ibuprofen on hand at all times. If those fail me, I have Imitrex. Danielle spoke to People Health because she didn’t want people to feel alone, and she wanted to share what worked for her. I do too. If any of this helps, fantastic. If you have any questions, let me know.
Photo credit: People and Instagram
I suffered from migraines for 30 years, and they actually stopped completely as soon as we went remote for pandemic. It was like a miracle. I believe it was 30 years of being Black and a woman in PWI academic institutions along with the stress of being chronically underpaid for herculean efforts. As soon as I didn’t have to be on campus anymore, the migraines stopped. It really felt like a miracle. I didn’t realize how so much of my life has been taken over by these white institutions and the toxic, negative interactions that invalidated me and my work despite awards and excellent evals. I’m not saying this is everyone’s situation, but it shocked me how quickly things changed in my body due to the change in location. Unfortunately, I noticed just this week that one started again for the first time, and I could see the exact situation that triggered it. Another reminder to “get out” (Jordan Peele)…
I also got a lot of relief from using a gallon humidifier right next to my head all night.
Anna, as I was reading this article I immediately thought that surely what Danielle Bradbery is suffering from is definitely related to stress! And then I read your comment and thought yes this makes so much sense! Of course you where stressed all the time and it had to come out in your body in one way or the other. It seems so obvious when you’re on the other end of it, right? I not in your position being a black woman (although I am a woman) and I notice that the issues in my life that are constant stressors, whether I immediately recognise them or not, have had a profound effect on my physical health and that has manifested in ways that I would not have expected a few years ago.
Women are already struggling with fulfilling other people’s emotional labour needs on a daily basis, struggling with living in a patriarchal structure and then on top of that we are not adequately renumerated for our work, we live longer but with less superannuation, we walk through life from an early age aware of the fact that we are physically weaker then most men and are vulnerable to the whims of any guy that follows us down the street at night, we struggle to be taken seriously and we are still held to physical beauty standards that men don’t have to adhere to.
The link between stress and physical health issues is not always genuinely seen or given enough weight and I think particularly for women that are in minority groups, it is even more difficult. I am so sorry to read that you have been suffering for so many years. That is heart wrenching. I hope that you can “get out” and feel a bit better. 🙂
@anna, I can totally relate to how switching from working in an office to working from home helped your migraines. I have worked from home as a professor the past few years because I couldn’t function in a university office setting any longer with my migraines. Part of it was the fluorescent lights (which can still be triggering in a grocery store or Target), and part of it was the smells of the cleaning products they would use. I would start vomiting from the pain and then couldn’t stop.
While, as a white woman, I don’t experience the same levels of targeting or different expectations as my BIPOC colleagues, I do see how hard they work for less pay and less acknowledgement as our counterparts. I am sorry you are in that situation, and how negatively it impacts your migraines.
Even though I still have to work from a screen at home, being able to do my hot/cold regimen, lie down if I need to, and medicate without fear of being dopey or unable to string together coherent thoughts, is a lifesaver for me. I get Botox, use one of the new preventative meds, and also have abortives on hand (I use Nurtec which is wonderful). I can’t take NSAIDS (like Excedrin or Ibupofen) so that limits what OTC remedies I can use.
Unfortunately, the one thing the pandemic has been awful for is stress, and stress that I cannot do much about. My oldest daughter has developed migraines as a result of being online all day every day, and she is getting a migraines every other day which is tremendously impacting her attendance and grades. Watching her go through this has been particularly difficult, especially knowing she got it from me. I wish I could take it from her.
There is a wonderful migraine sub on Reddit I’d recommend for anyone suffering from migraines. We talk a lot about what treatments work for us, but mostly commiserate and support each other. It’s r/migraine if anyone would like to join us.
if it makes you feel better, I have the hardest time getting my work published just because it’s cross disciplinary (in an unusual way). So hard to find an audience. Am also a female in a field that’s about 99.9999999% male, too. I get so sick of it all. Can’t imagine throwing racism on top of it, what a nightmare.
@grniewnie, I have similar challenges with being published, and have found a few workarounds to account for my field where I am a square peg in a round hole. My university requires us to publish, but they are flexible in terms of the format. The blog at AAC&U is always open to submissions, and will gladly publish in their forums on a variety of topics. AAC&U is pretty well-regarded at my school, so my publishing there in a “softer” format was welcome. That blog post turned into an offer to contribute a textbook chapter on undergraduate research, so it is pretty visible. If you are interested in diversity issues, consider joining the National Institute of Diversity through the University of Michigan. It’s a wonderful organization and supportive of academics in many fields. They have a quarterly publication, which is open to contributions. Not knowing your field it’s hard for me to recommend more, but I can totally relate to the pressure to publish, and the higher expectations placed on female academics. Good luck!
I know what you mean. I’ve suffered from migraines for 30+ years. This past year, working from home due to the pandemic, has meant fewer migraines and I think it’s because I don’t have to deal with the stress of other people. It truly is a special kind of stress having to be one of the few BIPOC in a sea of white folks within an institution (government) built by and for white people.
Marijuana is my strong recommendation for people with migraines.
I have two friends, one who had to drop out of high school and one that almost dropped out of college because of days long migraines, for both, marijuana was the only thing that reliably helped once the pain had started.
Hi Stripe. Could you tell me more about the marijuana you find helpful, please? I’m aware it can be used for epilepsy, as well. I have a prescription tranquiliser to use if things start to feel bad. I’m a complete novice about marijuana. I was reading on this site yesterday about two different types, one to calm you and the other to get you high. Any information would be great. I don’t trust google, you end up getting so many opinions that aren’t related. Thank you.
I second this!!
I get hormonal migraines every month that last for exactly three days right before my period. No matter what I take nothing works! I used to get migraines regularly for years, but those stopped when I started working from home. Hormonal migraines are worse than my stress migraines. And prescription meds won’t always work when you have one.
This month I tried edibles for it for the first time – I don’t like smoking weed; the way it feels when it hits my throat. Plus the high is very short lived for pain management. The edibles I used were an Indica strain and froze that dang migraine!!! I would take half a gummy every 5/6 hours. I could feel the pressure of the migraine so I knew it was there and where it was but I couldn’t feel the pain!! I was able to sleep and otherwise go on with my day. Also remember even with pain management avoid any known triggers. For me cheese, chocolate etc. Keep hydrated and get lots of rest!
I recently started getting migraines that last 2-3 days. I’m completely out of commission.
I get migraine clusters too (lasting 2-3 days). After years of different medications, the only thing that works for me these days is Botox. Although for the last year during the pandemic, I have not been able to get mine.
I highly recommend Excedrin Migraine. I take that as soon as I feel the “aura.” The migraine stick is helpful as is taking CBD oil at night.
Hi- just saw your post about “cluster” migraines. My husband suffers from cluster headaches, which are often confused with migraines. Similar treatments are used but, there are some important distinctions, that can be good to know to get the correct diagnosis.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cluster-headache/symptoms-causes/syc-20352080
How she describes it is exactly what happened to me about eight years ago and like Hecate I ended up in the ER for consecutive days. I’ve since had the big attacks at least one a year and lighter ones a bit a few times a year. Natural remedies doesn’t work for the big attacks so I have to medicate for those. Lighter ones, I apply natural remedies including hot and cold compression, ginger tea, hot balm and lots of water. Since I’ve been having regular headaches (different to migraine episodes) I have now started massage therapy. Most important, lots of hydration.
Each to their own with coping with a condition. It’s your body, your mind. It is unique. My neurological condition is a form of epilepsy. I’ve worked out the pinch points. Hormones – it is oestrogen related. Tiredness, which is key in ruining anyone’s life. Sugar is a no. Not eating properly and too much at night, where it can impact sleep. I don’t drink. Staying hydrated. Exercising. Which is a good thing – I can’t drive because of it, so have to walk everywhere; pre pandemic this would average 25 miles a week. But then again, I can’t say I’d turn my back on medication. I of course take anti seizure medication but there’s no way I could cope after a seizure without pain killers for the massive headache. I’ve only just been told by my neurologist that certain vitamins are knocked out by my drugs. I now take B12 and D. I slept years away because my B12 levels were through the floor, apparently. I can’t believe I had to find out what was going on by myself, by my own queries, and that my doctor never warned me. So, and I think this applies to any condition, find a doctor who keeps you informed and one you trust, it’s essential, and a good pharmacist who understands your medication, your brands, your allergies to other brands etc. Be prepared to switch specialist if you aren’t getting anywhere. Ask questions and expect answers. I think it was Michelle Visage I heard saying “you have to be your own advocate”. You need to build a team around you. Of course there’s “avoid stress”, which, yes, is great, but these conditions cause stress in themselves. I would say a better approach is, don’t take it personally. I spent years thinking it was my fault. I know it sounds stupid. I felt a failure every time I had a seizure, which caused me stress. With the support of my neuro nurse I have stepped back from that nonsense. Lastly, a supportive mind. I know this sounds strange, but I can go towards the cusp of a seizure by getting into a knot of bad thoughts. As you grow with these conditions so does your understanding of what causes it for you and how you can manage it. All the best to anyone out there who has something like this to deal with day by day x
I also have epilepsy, but fortunately I can drive and barely have seizures. I spend years without any and only have them during my sleep. As for migraines, mine are caused by hormones. In that time of the month is hell for 2-3 days: headaches, feeling nauseated, can barely eat. I have myomas in the uterus and I’m waiting to get it all removed. A few years ago I had surgery to have two myomas removed that were the size of an orange. At the time I did an hormonal treatment that induced temporary menopause… Those were really great months, apart from feeling really hot sometimes, the headaches and the nausea were gone…
I have chronic migraines. I basically have one every day. They started after I sustained a mild concussion from a car accident 3 years ago. Migraines aren’t just headaches. They involve a range of symptoms including, for me, the actual head pain, extreme TMJ, extreme extreme light sensitivity, olfactory hallucinations, tinnitus, dizziness, neck pain, auras, eye pain, teeth pain (the head pain essentially refers to my teeth), face spasms and tingling, nausea, insomnia, leg cramps. It’s ridiculous. Most of my free time is spent on self care to address these symptoms. I’m anxiously awaiting delivery of the latest thing I’m trying – theraspecs tinted migraine glasses. Light exercise, a heating pad, baths, and red light therapy on my neck are also go-tos. Cranial sacral therapy and mayofascial release therapy are extremely helpful services. Also asked for a demotion at work and to drop to 80% time to address stress and screen triggers. It’s so frustrating. The migraine subreddit can be extremely helpful.
All of those symptoms you mentioned is why I ended up in the ER the first time I had a migraine attack. I ended up having a panic attack and high blood pressure. Every time I have an episode now, it’s always accompanied with the panic attacks and high bp. Luckily, I have these types of attacks only once a year. Since the pandemic, I have been experiencing the aura, dizziness and spasms a bit more frequently, almost daily basis. It’s a nightmare and I feel for you and how it’s affected your career.
@Myra, the first attack or the first time new symptoms appear can be so scary! I understand why you ended up in the ER, and it must be really frightening to have an accompanying panic attack and high bp. I feel for you too. Maybe we can take comfort in the fact that migraineurs are anecdotally experiencing more attacks since the pandemic, probably due to the stress, right? Maybe our symptoms will lessen a bit once things get back to normal? We can hope!
I can say 100% cranial sacral therapy is wonderful, my provider retired due to the pandemic and without it my migraines are insane. I am so so sorry that you are battling migraines every day. That has to be hell. I also get many of the adjacent symptoms you describe. It is like being in a hellacious funhouse.
@Liz, it’s awful! I have immense sympathy for anyone dealing with migraines (as I think most people with migraines do!), and I’m sorry you are dealing with them too. I really hope you can find another cranial sacral provider. I ended up pausing my appointments several months ago due to general pandemic childcare issues. Hopefully we can both start receiving treatment again soon.
@chlo I can so relate. Feel funny promoing something, but hope this helps. I just did the TMJ class at yamunausa.com It’s like deep tissue massage and muscle release for the inside of your mouth and jaw that you do yourself. It’s under the live classes but if you email them they might be able to get you a copy. It helped with my jaw tension tremendously. Ugly AF but it works and once you know how to do it it’s free. One more thing- when I worked in an office I got these fluorescent light cover things from a school supply store. They are blue and stick on to florescent light fixtures with magnets. They reduce the pain from the lights a lot. all the best
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQdWqBQe9-k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stPqc9KX-wE
@cuchufli – I’m sorry you relate. Thank you so much for these recommendations! I am going to look up the classes and the light covers. I will try anything! In case you find this helpful, I purchased from Amazon a “Neck and Shoulder Relaxer, Cervical Traction Device for TMJ Pain Relief and Cervical Spine Alignment, Chiropractic Pillow Neck Stretcher.” When I start to feel tension ramping up, using it helps.
Thanks Chlo! take care 🙂
I’ve had chronic migraine for over 20 years. I had tried everything under the sun to make myself feel better: natural remedies, OTC meds, eliminated supposed food triggers, antidepressants, and actual migraine preventatives. I have Imitrex to take to get rid of them, but I was up to about 4-5 A WEEK. I finally convinced a doctor that I needed the botox, and then we had to convince the insurance company. I guess they decided I had finally suffered enough and approved it.
I’ve been getting the injections for a year now, and it has changed my life! It really has been a miracle. It’s not perfect as it doesn’t eliminate one of my worst spots (behind the eye migraines) but damn if it doesn’t work for most of the others. I can still have some symptoms that indicate I am having a migraine, but there is little to no pain associated with it. I got another set of shots two days ago and can’t wait for it to kick in.
Beware that sometimes it doesn’t take. The first time I got the shots I wasn’t super impressed with the relief, but as I’ve gotten more treatments, it’s become more effective. Everyone is different, but it’s worth it to at least try a few rounds. Be prepared though, because it’s over 30 shots. The needle pain doesn’t bother me, but I can see how it would freak a lot of people out. Don’t let that be a deterrent as it only takes a few minutes to inject.
Psilocybin works wonders for some people. It’s found in Magic mushrooms. Even a small amount can relieve people of their headaches for months. Just Google “psilocybin headache remedy “ and you’ll find a lot of information.
Had chronic migraines for over 40 years. Now I am taking the monthly injection Aimovig and also have Ubrelvy as a migraine abort drug and they are wonderful! I average 18 headaches per month, and have for years. For the first time in years I can actually go to work every day and feel like a human. Its amazing! I also do chiropractic and massage, avoid alcohol, try to eat right and relax but such things are not possible every day. I agree with the frozen peas and ginger, but cannot stand the smell of peppermint. Everyone has to find their own path. Finding a doctor you trust and who will work with you is essential.
Ubrelvy changed my life! I’m allergic to the triptan category of meds (anaphylaxis), so Imitrex and all meds based around that one would be fatal if I used them. I’ve been treated like a drug seeker for the last 20 years because of this allergy and would have migraines that lasted 5 or more days. It was a living hell. I may look into getting the Amovig injection as well, because my migraines have been more frequent lately.
When I was pregnant with my son they got worse and I developed ocular migraines. When I had the first one I thought I was having a stroke because I lost vision in one eye. I was on and off bedrest during my entire pregnancy. Hence why I am one and done with my kiddo.
Posting this in case it helps even one other sufferer. I get migraines that last a 2-3 days as well, usually connected to my cycle and hormones. Ive had them since I was 25 and Im now 40. I’ve literally tried. it. all. You name it. Gluten free, paleo, migraine diet, low histamine, essential oils, endless things really. I recently read about electrolyte imbalance in people with migraines, specifically salt and potassium. I have began taking about 1/8 tsp of salt at the first onset of a migraine and it has literally stopped them in their tracks. You just let the salt dissolve on your tongue (gross I know but better than pain) then take a super small sip of water. Dr Angela Stanton has a book called Stanton Migraine Protocol that details the whole protocol but this is the only thing I’ve implemented so far and its helped. She also has a Facebook group that has wildly helpful admins.
Thanks, I also suffer with my cycle, it’s horrible.
It is amazing to read this. I woke up today with my third migraine this week. I use Botox which absolutely helps me (it keeps my migraines lessened from days long to hours long) and I take Nurtec which works so much better for pain. But I agree the pandemic and related stress has made my migraines so so much worse. Usually these treatments manage my migraines really well, but the last year I have had more and more of them. I have found that if I cannot sleep say until 3 am I should just take my migraine meds. 100% that is the sign one is coming. I will definitely get one of those migraine sticks to keep on hand.
I get wanting to do natural stuff and I do plenty of natural supplements etc… But if her migraines are lasting days she really should see a neurologist. The problem is that if you have pain go on indefinitely, it trains your brain that this is what you are supposed to be doing and it begins to recreate it more often. My neurologist explained to me that it is crucial to attack every migraine to prevent this from happening.
I’ve had horrible left-side migraines for several years (face, jaw, teeth, ear, head, neck, even down into my upper chest and back sometimes). I’ve discovered that my ‘graines are triggered by substances going into my body that make my body angry, including but not limited to wheat products, preservatives, processed foods, and a host of other stuff. I now know what to avoid in order to curtail the migraines, but every once in a while I eat something I know I shouldn’t and BAM – 12-16 hour migraine, probably inflammation/irritation of the left trigeminal nerve. Just got the first COVID vaccine and my crazy body gave me a 24 hour migraine from it…not looking forward to the 2nd shot.
For a long time I had chronic migraines and Im more than convinced that it was stress; I was having a horrible time at work and my home life was stressful. I was suffering with classic migraines; aura, vomiting and the head pain. After a few years of being free of classic migraines I developed common migraines (without aura) and will still get them occasionally but the annoying thing about this is that I also suffer from TMJ and there’s times where I can’t really figure out what’s causing the pain. Migraines can travel down over my eye/cheek and the TMJ will radiate up over my side of head (all of this happens on the left hand side). Thankfully my trigeminal neuralgia affects my right hand side hah!
So good to know that I am not the only one that has migraines this severe, this often, even if it sucks that other people suffer with this too. Everyone has different triggers and different methods to stop the pain. For me, medication works best, daily and at the migraine onset. And the medicine has to be adjusted as my body get used to it and it stops working. It’s a constant guessing game. I keep a migraine notebook, but they have apps now.
ps Can I just add that I mentioned my epilepsy on this post because I feel there is some overlap with handling drugs, alternative meds, and avoiding triggers. I did want to mention that the psychological effect of feeling responsible for a seizure or migrane may be similar. My close friend has migranes and we have talked about the feeling that you’ve caused it in some way. As I said, I used to think it was within my control and I would get a seizure because I’d made a mistake in my dealing with it. And she beat herself up when she got a migrane. She felt she had her system in place, not eating this, drinking that, avoiding a b and c, and that it hadn’t worked, once again. That’s where I’m coming from.
I’ve had migraines my entire adult life. And I acutely remember my first one. I almost had a wreck and ended up in ER. But since menopause, things have escalated. I have them frequently. I have headaches every second of every day and pray migraines don’t surface. But they do…three or four times a month. Nothing helps. Doctors don’t prescribe anything decent anymore either because we’re all subsidizing addicts and pill mills. Removing my head with a hand saw sounds preferable during these migraines.
I had such debilitating migraines that I couldn’t work for over a year. They put my on this medication and it turned my brain into Swiss cheese. 15 years later and I still have holes in my memory.
I went to the Mayo Clinic and every doctor under the sun. A chiropractor/acupuncturist cured me after 1 month. I have to go in for occasional maintenance but I haven’t had a true migraine in over a decade.
Imitrex was a nightmare medication for me. I can still remember what it felt like to have all that pressure on my heart every time I took it.
I also didn’t see it mentioned yet but I am prescribed a daily dose of 500mcg of magnesium and during an attack I can double it.
My Neuro said that due to hormones a woman’s magnesium levels dip during certain times of the month and it can induce a migraine. He said it’s why we crave chocolate.
Daily magnesium and 400 mg of B2 have really helped decrease the frequency of my daughter’s migraines. Her neurologist said that these two vitamins can reduce migraine episodes by up to 70% and they’ve helped her tremendously.
There are some amazing new medications that have come out in the last few years. CGRP antagonists. The basic premise is that people who suffer from migraines have an overactive trigiminal nerve. This is the main nerve that runs through the brain. It can explain why migraine sufferers are really sensitive to light, sound, smell and so many other things.
These drugs are absolutely amazing! They are the first migraine preventative that is developed solely for migraines. Every other treatment is a drug that is used for something else but sometimes, as a side effect, helps reduce migraines.
The brand names are- aimovig, Emgality and two others. They are a monthly injection. I swear I’m not a drug rep! Just a lifelong migraine sufferer.
I have chronic migraines and have had for decades. This development has given me my life back.
I went to a headache-specializing neurologist a year and a half ago after having frequent and long-lasting headaches and migraines. She wasn’t pushy about medicine and I put it off for a bit but it was becoming debilitating. I was just too scared of the various side effects of the main 3 types of drugs used (antidepressants, anti-seizure and I forget the 3rd kind) because my body is very sensitive to drugs. She suggested those new drugs specifically developed for migraines, as they didn’t report any severe side effects.
I used Emgality for a little over a year and while it SUCKS giving yourself a monthly injection, since coming off of it a few months ago I have only had a handful of headaches that were treatable with OTC remedies. I didn’t have any side effects at all. My doctor explained that the thinking is that with this overactive nerve, once you take medicine to “calm it down” your brain re-wires and doesn’t immediately start up a 5-alarm fire when you experience a former trigger. (she explained it much more scientifically than that)
A little surprised more people here aren’t taking or mentioning this line of drugs! I had monthly hormonal migraines that got worse and worse, and after a hospitalization, (and on the iv cocktail-did nothing) ended up with a neurologist who put me on Emgality. Yes, giving yourself a shot monthly sucks, and yes, it’s fairly new, but I got my life back, can drink red wine (!), eat barbecue, and not be sidelined for days in the migraine torture chamber. Rare migraine now. Also, the drug company is covering the cost with rebates. Honestly, I don’t even care if I grow an extra toe because of this drug.
This is a serious ailment- I think it should be taken seriously (I had a doctor once tell me to drink more water, get more sleep and eliminate stress- THANKS, WILL DO)
Have had them for decades, 2-4 days at a stretch. Dark room for days, frozen peas on my head, heating pads on my neck and chest. I’ll definitely look in to some of the recommendations on this thread.
Has anyone tried the new Cefaly device?
No but my Neuro wrote a Rx for it for me.
I’ve had migraines for over 40 years. I take Topamax daily. I also get Botox treatments & Aimovig injections. I pop Excedrin Migraine like candy. But it infuriates me when I see celebrities like Serena Williams & Khloe Kardashian shilling for medications like Ubrelvy & Nurtec. While those drugs may help, a lot of these medications are extremely cost prohibitive to many people. The Aimovig injections I get are samples from my doctor’s office. Because I have a Medicare supplement prescription program, coverage of this drug is lousy & it’s extremely expensive for me. I just hope her office can keep giving me the samples.
If your migraines typically last more than 12-24 hours, you can consider a long-acting triptan like Frova (frovatriptan). Imitrex is great, but the duration of action is relatively short.
Ginger powder with lemon juice works wonders. Smear the paste on your forehead and to the end of your eyebrows.
I’m posting in case this may help someone. I suffered from Migraines for more than 20 years- aura, throbbing on one side of the head and one eye, nausea, no relief until I vomited. I went to different Neurologists and was put on Maxalt and nausea meds. Ultimately, what helped my migraines wasn’t the medicine but rather my diet. It turns out that soy and gluten were MAJOR triggers for me and I didn’t know it until I gave up those foods and my migraines went miraculously away. Legit, it was shocking that I went from ER visits for week long migraines and bottles of Excedrin in every purse and pocket (just in case) to zero migraines at all. Sometimes migraines are related to food sensitivities, as I discovered when I went Paleo. How was I able to narrow it down? Because after eating clean for a long time I was exposed to gluten twice and soy on a separate occasion and the migraines came back. It was AWFUL. I know that my triggers are citrus, dark chocolate, gluten and soy. As long as I avoid those foods, I avoid a full blown debilitating migraine. I can’t have any of those and I’m ok with it because sitting home in a dark room and “losing” a day isn’t worth it to me. I hope this helps someone.
you can’t eat soy? uggh i had to eliminate dairy and soy from my diet when breastfeeding my daughter who had allergies and i learned that soy is in EVERYTHING. You can’t really eat out and like every kind of sauce or dressing or even most bread and baked goods have soy lecithin. I’m glad you don’t have migraines anymore but that sucks you have to limit your diet so much.
@sparkles, thank you for sharing this. Diet is a major trigger for so many, yet everyone is different so what helps my migraines may be a trigger for someone else. My neuro is always trying to get me to keep a food diary to track. My mom is allergic to soy and that is a HARD food to remove from your diet. Good for you for doing it! I wonder if you have a low level allergy or an oncoming allergy (my mom didn’t show any symptoms of allergy until age 50). I’m glad you have the tools you need to keep healthy and try to keep the migraines at bay!
In 2019 around Easter I suddenly woke up one morning with terrible pain in my jaw and my neck, mostly in the tendons in the front part. Came out of nowhere. Pain killers did virtually nothing, physical therapy helped but it did not go away. I happened to read a book about amino acids and found a paragraph on using GABA to treat TMJ. Apparently it hjelpes the muscles relax if that is the amino acid you are missing. I suspect that this will be very individual but it is worth a try if you are in pain. Mine went away almost over night. I’ve been taking Now foods True Calm which has some additional vitamins. Now when I can feel the pain coming back I take true calm and it goes away again. It’s like magic for me.
Hecate, I know you’re in LA, but don’t know which region. I wanted to tell you that my local hospital, Orange Coast Memorial, is SO good at treating migraines. My neuro gives me toradol I can inject into myself when I have an intractable migraine. I take Benadryl with it (that’s a second part of the cocktail they give in the ER, then there’s an anti-emetic like ZoFran or the like). When I go to the ER, I ask them not to give me the normal cocktail because I’ve already given it to myself. If it didn’t work the two times I’ve tried, it’s not going to work. The amazing thing about this ER is that the doctors aren’t afraid to prescribe the harder stuff to kill the migraine. Sometimes morphine works; sometimes Dilaudid. Most of the time if you walk into an ER and say you need pain meds they put you on a list. Not this hospital. The Drs there are SO kind and supportive of us migraineurs. I realize it may be a far drive for you, but I wanted to let you know in case you’re looking to cruise the 405 with a migraine! Oh, and don’t go to Hoag in Newport. They suck for migraines.
I used to get debilitating migraines for 2-3 days as well and couldn’t figure out why as they seemed to get worse and worse. Well I visited an acupuncturist to correct my hormones and she told me migraines around the time of your cycle is due to “old blood” is the best way I can recall how she described it. If you have dark blood and/or clots that is not normal (I never knew!) tmi but there should be no clots and your flow should be bright red. The darkness is connected to the migraines because your blood is not circulating as it should. Makes perfect sense! I visited her 3x and within 2 months I had a regular cycle and no more migraines! Haven’t had one since and that was 10 months ago.
Suffered through them all my life. They are truly awful. I use imitrex medicine for the really bad ones but would like it if there were other options. Deep sympathy to all who suffee from them.