Migraine Headache Help Wanted

Hello everyone,

I’ve been reading on this site for a little while now looking for any help I can get regarding certain drugs and how they may help with chronic daily migraine headaches.

Let me first make a long story short and give some background info on to why I am here:

My wife has had a severe migraine headache for over 14 months straight…that’s straight, no breaks. She is a drummer (I play bass) so we have had to drop all music involvement and pretty much any activity that has an above average db range. She lost her job as she just couldn’t handle it so needless to say we have been desperate. We have traveled all over the country (been to Diamond Head, Cleveland, Mayo, Headache Care Center) not to mention MANY stints at local hospitals to try anything and everything to help. Current out of pocket expenses (my insurance sucks) is well over $50K.

She currently takes 1-2 oxys and 2-3 percs a day to cope. I hate it, doctors hate it, family hates it but next to the occasional stadol shot it’s the ONLY thing that gives her a break. So this brings me to my inquiry here.
Does anyone know or have any experience in using Meth, LSD, MDMA, etc, in dealing with migraine headaches? I know those aren't considered real pain relievers but I've heard here and there that sometimes those work. While I have no intention of turning my wife into a meth user or whatever it is I may be able to find I am however looking for the occasional substitute drug that will give her a break from all the oxycodone and acetaminophen that she takes on a daily basis. I feel it won’t be long before she starts to have liver problems (yahoo for the new law reducing acetaminophen in those drugs).

She doesn’t smoke and has tried the weed but it just makes her throat hurt. She’s up for trying anything else and I’m willing to do what I can to help her. Problem is I’ve busted my ass as an electrical engineer for 15 years so I’m not about to head downtown and buy up some ice cause with my luck that’d be the day the cops have a sting going on and I’d end up in jail and jobless. I have a chem minor (did pre-med) so I have some chem experience so I guess with the right help I could make up a few alternatives. In no way am I asking for that kind of info here as I know that’s considered rude and I don’t expect it. Just looking for any useful links and/or any personal experiences that anyone could share.

Oh and one last thing…I have heard of some people having some success with shrooms so I did order up the goods to maybe give that a whirl but even if I did everything right it would be at least a month before she could try that. Hey, my dad got his PHD from MIT and MBA from Stanford and says gardening is the shit…lol, so why not!

Thanks in advance for any replies!

 

Migraine headaches can be caused by all sorts of things. Also the person effected by a headache may confuse some forms of headache pain with another, that may not be neurologically related.. For instance a sinus headache is similar to a migraine,. Frontal pressure, that can lead to clustering headache and general feeling or pain all over. Neck pain that can send signals to the front.

Stomach aches, and indigestion that can have the intestine put pressure on spine, Tight bowels, hard stool.. Other Drugs, Foods allergies..

Dental problems, jaw displacement..

Drumming ?..
So therefore we must first eliminate all other possibilities that may be causing a headache, other than neurological stress..

recently I quit tobacco, noticed a change in headaches. Still get them but not the ones I felt like there was someone drilling in my skull.

does you wife smoke?..

 

my bad. I see, you say she does not smoke... Idk if shrooms would help. its possible can you get her to do them??.

even in low doses that would probably not create hallucinations in the user, may still remedy a migraine..

 

If smoking cannabis bothers her, has she tried ingesting it instead?

Might be worth trying.

 

I don't recommend the approach you are trying. People take recreational drugs primarily to get high, and they may have positive side effects, but they may also may have negative ones.

Generally the best thing for a medical problem is a medical treatment prescribed by a health care provider. The conventional method doesn't seem to be serving you well, I recommend that you look into acupuncture. Acu can be expensive to though, so you might want to find an acupuncture school with a student clinic. Here in MA, the New England School of Acupuncture in nearby, and treatments are available for $15 per session.

If you see an acupuncturist, they may also be able to teach you an acupressure self-massage. This would be by far the cheapest treatment

I might be able to describe an acupressure self-massage to you in a pinch.


you might want to check out this book
http://bluepoppy.com/cfwebstore/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=374&ParentCat=33
"Curing Headaches Naturally with Chinese Medicine"

I haven't read this particular title, but others in the series. The series tends to have lots of self-help methods

If you do try acupressure, it's important to get the points right, but easy to get them wrong

hope that something helps!

 

I experience migraines of varying intensity, though they tend to get very, very bad.

Things that have helped me:
-Going easy on major dietary/supplemental changes. i.e. not just abruptly going from lots of caffeine or sugar to none.
-Fighting sleep-schedule fuckery(I understand this isn't always possible)
-Lots of water
-Meditation(If nothing else, it helps me reach that point of the pain no longer hurting - if that makes sense - and then lets me pass out)
-Eating something. I know migraines can annihilate your appetite, but even just a bit of toast.

 

my friend smokes cannabis to help his migraine headaches but it sounds like your wife is a lot worse off than him
and in regards to the LSD- it has been proven to help people with cluster headaches which are completely different from migraine headaches
. I have never heard of MDMA alleviating migraines either.

 

Thanks for the replies so far and to hit on a few ideas that were brought up….
1) Ingesting the weed instead of smoking it…not a bad idea, may give that a whirl.
2) Acupuncture…we’ve tried that along with Botox injections. She found the acupuncture/aroma therapy relaxing but with minimal reduction of the headache main. After 2 months the cost was not worth the benefit. The only thing Botox did was hit me in the wallet for $800.
3) She has tried changing diets…several times. Did allergy tests, stayed away from anything that may cause the slightest reaction. We spent several weeks in another location as to eliminate any household molds etc from being the cause.
4) In short we have seriously tried everything under the sun…hence the reason for my post here. :/

 

Have you tried tryptamine based drugs like Zomig?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triptan

this is the only thing that works OK for my mom, who gets frequent bad migraines. It comes with its own risks and side effects though, tought call between this and opiates.

 

Yep, tried Zomig. In fact, I have a list of over 90 different medications she has tried. If it's on the market I can assure you she has tried it.

 

I used to get migraine bad enough that I could not stand, or have any light or sound. My doc prescribed Midrin, a combo drug, that worked really well for me. It also does wonders for hangover. But that sounds too simple here. Does she have ringing in the ears as well? Since she is a drummer does she have any stress related injury to her shoulders or neck? This includes muscle and bone one or the other or both? An interesting side note tho... When I was pregnant with my 4th child I had what was called a first trimester headache...that is a migraine that, for me, lasted 4 months. The gyn said it is caused by a hormone imbalance and that it usually resolves in the second trimester... I realize that obviously you wife isn't pregnant but some forms of birth control act by making the body Think it is pregnant... could be a possibility.

 

Very familiar with Midrin, actually used that myself after a car accident I was in but yes, she has tried that...no luck.
We've been to the endocrinologist, tried hormone therapy along with several different birth control methods. She was diagnosed with PCOS at the time but there really isn't anything there to suggest that is a cause for migraines.
She has been in 2 major car accidents, one side and one head on collision so right now we are focusing on nerve decompression (hence the Botox) so that really is our focus at the moment.
I really want her so have some fun, at the very least a temporary break, so I am thinking heavly on some alt drugs to give her.
Meth looks easy enough to make and as long as you're not a complete idiot looks like it can be done safely. Along with some organic psilocybin sandwiches I may just give those 2 options a shot.

 

You have tried the drugs, maybe you need to stop thinking of only drugs as a treatment.

I suffered since childhood with migraines and the only thing I would get short term relief using FiorinalC but only enough to function. I now only get a migraine 2 to 3 times a year instead of a month.

Niacin is not harmful and yet it causes a flush. During a migraine blood vessels constrict, it can help to cause them to open.

Vitamin C, vitamin B6, choline, tryptophan and or magnesium when taken daily have had promise with the reduction of attacks.

Chiropractic manipulation of the spine can help as it takes the pressure of nerves in the spinal column.

Acupressure can help as it causes changes in the pressure of vessels.

Acupuncture can help as it redirects the sensors in the nerve endings.

Aromatherapy can help. Essential oils peppermint, lavender, and marjoram when combined and applied to the temples helps.

Myotherapy has been shown to help some by working with the muscles it again redirects blood flow.

Blood sugars should be checked especially for hypoglycemia. Avoid anything that makes the pancreas over work. Chromium helps some.

Feverfew is an amazing herb. Equal amounts of feverfew, lavender, sage, mint, lemon balm and rosemary infused as a tea have had good results.

Tiger balm applied to the temples will open blood vessels.

Using an appliance in the mouth to stop the jaw from clenching has had really good results. When suffering from a migraine, temporalis muscles clench causing the migraine to be worse. If your insurance does not cover an appliance many use a really good hockey mouth guard and have results with that. It should be worn at night if you are prone to waking up with a migraine. Though some report that even after the onset it helps to wear it.

Massage is another helpful tool to relax the body. Migraines tend to make one clench the whole body.

Some have found cranial manipulation helps, it is a little more intense than chiropractors but if you find someone reputable it might be worth looking into.

Hope something helps.

 

Actually there is a link between PCOS and extended migraine...I googled "pcos and migraine" and there are ALOT of women saying that they have both. The medical community is silent tho... also spinal decompression...a physical therepist will know about that. But I still think it's hormonal...and of course I know everything.... JK I hope your wife gets some relief.

 

wow, it does sound like you've tried a bunch of things

acupuncture is often way overpriced, unfortunately. And as with any treatments, the quality of practitioners varies widely.

You still might want to take a look at the headache book that I mentioned. It's only $12, or you could probably get through a library through ILB. Learning acupressure massage wouldn't take more than a few minutes, and might be worth it.


So you saw all of these fancy doctors, were they able to say anything other than "your wife has migraines".


The meth idea sounds, really, really bad to me. I've heard that meth is something that you can be addicted to after using it only one time. Maybe there are people who have just used it occasionally, but I've never heard of that. Very easy to become a meth head.


If you are really willing to go to great lengths, she could probably get world-class acupuncture and chinese herbal medicine in asia for cheap (lots of travel expenses though). High level practitioners can get results when lesser practitioners fail.

hope something works!

 

I agree with e7m8. I have known alot of Meth heads and a few were able to keep their day jobs and maintain a normal lifestyle for awhile but it has always caught up with them. The consequenses are dire and your life as you know it will never be the same. I too strongly recomend to stay away from meth.

 

Thanks to everyone for all their insight and/or suggestions! I will stir upon some of these ideas and see what I can come up with.

 

If she hasn't been helped by ergotamine tartrate, which I assume she has tried, then I have doubts about LSD, however, if she had some success with ergotamine, LSD or another tryptamine might help at a low dose.

 

You should also get a brain scan. She may have a brain tumor or other structural flaws.