Lately I have suffered (yes, the word is suffered) from migraines way too often. Since the end of September I have had least 7 migraines. It takes 2 prescription medication pills and often a shot to cure each migraine.
For me, a migraine feels like a hand is under my skull and is on top of my head and is squeezing my brain. Sometimes the squeezing is rhythmic, other times the squeezing has no rhyme or reason. Either way, my head hurts. Hurts really doesn’t describe the pain adequately enough. Nor does the word squeezing. There is more pressure on one side of my head and sometimes the pain turns into stabbing – like an ice pick through my head.
The pain travels to my eyes. My eyes become super sensitive to light.
My tummy starts to feel queasy. There is another prescription medication to make that go away.
To make a migraine go away I have to sleep. It’s mandatory. I fall into a deep, deep sleep. If I am lucky and I have just taken some magical medication meant to end a migraine, the tightness that is wrapped around my head eases as I drift to sleep. If I am unlucky I simply cannot fall asleep.
I haven’t been charting my headaches in the past….but that task is starting now! I made a google document so I am on top of my medical history. I think I am to the point where a daily preventative medication may be a good idea. Blah, I didn’t wan to go there.
If you take any sort of medication be sure to read the Pharmacy Coupons: Save on Prescription Medications with NeedyMeds post. A pharmacist told me about a site that allows you to print manufacturer coupons for prescriptions at home which allows you to save big at the pharmacy!
Do you get migraines? What works for you?
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Leandrea is a married mom of two girls, ages 4.5 and 6, living in Atlanta, GA. She is passionate about helping people save money one coupon at a time. Read more 
I agree with Jill’s comment above. I suffer from migraines several times per month. I’m a stay at home, homeschooling Mom during the day and bar manager at night so there is no option to go to bed and sleep it off, no matter how badly I need to.
I take Midrin as well and if that doesn’t work after two doses then I wait until I get home and take the heavier stuff when I am able to sleep. The stronger med I take is Treximet but I *have* to be at home and read to go to bed because it will knock me flat out for about 8-10 hours.
Try to stay away from the Topomax or other preventative – they are more like an antidepressant – I tried them and it lasted for about 2 weeks before I begged my doctor to take me off it because I couldn’t function and didn’t feel safe driving or even leaving the house while I was taking it.
My migraine triggers have changed over the years as well – initially they were caused by a small muscle tear in my shoulder (tension headache morphing to migraine) but now weather and hormones tend to play more of a role than anything else.
I have been dealing with migraines since I was a kid and they literally take me off my feet and put me in bed for a good week at the worst and I have been on a few things for them, but right now Imitrex is working for me and something for nausea works as well, along with sleep in a cold, dark, and quite room till it goes away…
Migraines are part of our family history. My grandmother, mother, sister and I all have lived with them our entire lives. My migraines were diagnosed at a very early age (I remember being younger than 5 and having x-rays done of my head – that was 40 years ago). A neurologist gave me a drug in the 1980′s called Midrin. It is a combination drug of caffeine, acetaminophine and a sleep aid that worked well for me for many years. It is very inexpensive and a good drug I think to start with. I would avoid the daily medication (Topomax)if possible. It makes you think you are processing everything through mud. Nothing feels clear. At my worst I had migraines 2-3/week and that was in my 30′s. As I got older, those became less and less and I now have them perhaps only 2-3 times/month. If the Midrin doesn’t work well for you, there is Maxalt (which did nothing for me and you cannot take another for days after you take that dose), Imutrix (which gave me terrible anxiety and chest pressure) and a few other classic drugs out there. The triggers for my migraines have changed over the years and it seems like 2 or more must come together for one to hit. Lack of sleep, sinus related allergies and/or severe stress seem to be my worst three triggers. See if you can pinpoint your triggers and that will go a long way to helping you know how to treat them. If allergies trigger mine, an allergy shot, pain reliever and phenergan for nausea and sleep do the trick. If it’s stress, phenergan and a strong pain reliever and sleep do the trick. When I work in our local ER, one of the docs favorite combinations for treating migraines without narcotics is benadryl, ibuprofen and zofran (also for nausea). Hope some of that helped you. Good luck.