Headache remedys?

[DisneyFreak23]

Does anyone have some easy home remedys to cure a headache? i have been getting them about once every 1-2 months and they get so bad that i get nauseated and i have to miss any activities that day. I have one today and its not to bad, but does anyone have any remedys?? or tips??? anything would be appreciated at this point. its so frustrating!!!!

TIA!!

-DisneyFreak23

[DisneyDog]

I have taken excedrin, which works really well but makes me jittery. I now have a prescription that works very nicely. The trick with the prescription, and probably with excedrin also (since they are both containing caffeine) is to take the medicine as soon as you notice the headache coming on.

Also, you might want to note if there are any triggers that each headache has in common (sodas, chocolate, smells in the air...). If you are getting sick along with the headache, it is probably a migraine. You should probably mention this to your doctor. The prescription has really been wonderful for me, because I don't get migraines very often, but when I do, I feel awful. The prescription, if I take it immediately, takes the headache away before it even really starts. PM me if you want to know the name of the medication.

[MNNHFLTX]

My husband tends to get headaches more than I do, but Excedrin Migraine (or the generic equivalent) works well for both of us. The active ingredients in it are acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin and caffeine. I know it's not a home remedy, but you might want to try it, if you haven't already. :)

[DisneyDudet]

Sounds like a migraine to me. Since, when you have one, it prevents you from doing normal, daily things, it is time to see a dr.

I get migraines when I'm sleep deprived and under a lot of stress. I've had a few, and you just know when this little headache is a migraine. I use Excedrin Migraine, but it tends to not help my most horrible ones. I don't get nauseated, but I can't go into the light or loud places.

Hot baths, and a cold, dark room, away from noises usually sets me to sleep. I try to take a tylenol PM and sleep off the headache, which tends to help. With Excedrin Migraine, there is caffeine in it, so those who are sensitive to caffeine probably shouldn't take it. Even a cup of coffee with a tylenol can help as well.

But if you are having to alter your daily schedule when you have this type of headache, I think you should see an MD.

[DISNEYFIX]

I am no Dr. but.....Go buy a gel mask that you put in the freezer. It works very well.
Good Luck.

[tinkwest]

I'll agree with the others that it sounds like a migraine. I also agree with those that say diet can be the cause of your suffering. For me it seems to be chocolate too late at night. Next day ---> Migraine!

I never get a migraine in the middle of the day or at night. I wake up with it. I immediately take Excederin and drink a 12 oz can of V8. It works for me almost every time. If it is a day that I have the luxury of being able to stay in bed for a bit, I'll lay with an ice pack on the back of my head for about half an hour after taking the medicine.

[BrerGnat]

See your doctor. Any headache that causes other symptoms such as nausea or sensitivity to light/sound/smells and ALSO requires bed rest to get over needs medical attention. You probably have migraine (which is NOT a headache, it's a disease that can be kept under control with meds). The migraine headache pain is the is the manifestation of the migraine condition.

Talk to your doctor. There are many, many treatment options and medicines. You don't have to suffer. OTC stuff can actually make migraines worse, if that is what you have. They can cause rebound headaches, which can be excruciating and last for days and weeks on end. The problem is that migraines don't usually respond to painkillers, since it's a blood vessel dilation/nerve irritation issue. Painkillers take the pain away temporarily, but do nothing to address the cause of the pain, which is the blood vessel dilation.

I have had migraines all my life. I was officially diagnosed at 15 years old, and have been able to function with a combination of Imitrex, Midrin, and avoidance of triggers. It's a big guessing game until you figure out what causes them for you and a lot of trial and error with meds, but it's worth it.

For home remedies, the following help me when I have bad headaches and am waiting for the meds to kick in:

-COLD pack on the back of my head, near where my neck and head meet

-Pressure point: squeeze the area between your thumb and index finger (the fleshy part) as hard as you can. You will feel pain there, but if you keep pressure on it, you will notice after a few moments, your headache will go away. When you remove the pressure, it will come back. If you can keep alternating hands for about 10 min, it might take the headache away completely. While you are doing this, sit somewhere that you can relax, close your eyes, and make sure it's quiet.

-Stick your head in the freezer and breathe in the cold air through your nose. Seriously, this sounds totally weird, but it helps!

[thrillme]

You've got to try to figure out more so what kind of headach it is. For example quite often a sinus headach will lessen a little when you're still and then intensify when you move, bend or stand. A tension/stress or migrane will pretty much have more constant pain.

Try a HOT bath with Johnsons Baby Magic Mentholatum bath (Green bottle) and take a decongestant that helps with sinus pain or try any pain reliever.

Sometimes while taking this hot bath I'll freeze a wet wash rag and put it around my neck. The hot/cold thing really makes stuff disappear.

Also don't blow off the idea of "massage therapy".

One friend of mine swore by Midol (even though she had a partial hysteractomy) it really helped her a LOT.

You might want to talk to your doctor about these since they're occuring fairly regularly.

[Marilyn Michetti]

This is an old time remedy, but people swear by it, and it's safe, plus inexpensive. What do you have to lose?

Smear the bottoms of your feet with Vicks Vapo Rub, wrap your feet in a towel, and, (supposedly), your headache goes away.:confused:

Like I said, what's to lose?:shrug:

[BronxTigger]

I'm going to print out this thread and try some of these things! I get migraines 2+ times a month and excedrin does nothing. The prescription medicine doesn't help much either because I have to take it at the first sign of the migraine but I usually wake up with it so it's too far into it for the medicine to work right.

[brownie]

I'd recommend seeing a doctor. There could be environmental or other causes that could be dealt with to prevent the headaches in the first place.

For me Motrin works best. Tylenol won't do a thing for my headaches.

[Dragongirlx]

I get migraines too triggered by stress or food colourings and the only thing that works for me is sleeping throught them. However somethimes if I feel one coming on I have a stong cup of coffee and that prevents it.

Doesn't work all the time though

[ncscgirl2005]

Pressure point: squeeze the area between your thumb and index finger (the fleshy part) as hard as you can. You will feel pain there, but if you keep pressure on it, you will notice after a few moments, your headache will go away. When you remove the pressure, it will come back. If you can keep alternating hands for about 10 min, it might take the headache away completely. While you are doing this, sit somewhere that you can relax, close your eyes, and make sure it's quiet.


I was going to suggest this too. I don't take meds unless it's a last resort. Usually I just do this and it takes the pain away. Or I take a nap if I can.

[PrincessCandaceMarie]

See your doctor. Any headache that causes other symptoms such as nausea or sensitivity to light/sound/smells and ALSO requires bed rest to get over needs medical attention. You probably have migraine (which is NOT a headache, it's a disease that can be kept under control with meds). The migraine headache pain is the is the manifestation of the migraine condition.

Talk to your doctor. There are many, many treatment options and medicines. You don't have to suffer. OTC stuff can actually make migraines worse, if that is what you have. They can cause rebound headaches, which can be excruciating and last for days and weeks on end. The problem is that migraines don't usually respond to painkillers, since it's a blood vessel dilation/nerve irritation issue. Painkillers take the pain away temporarily, but do nothing to address the cause of the pain, which is the blood vessel dilation.

I have had migraines all my life. I was officially diagnosed at 15 years old, and have been able to function with a combination of Imitrex, Midrin, and avoidance of triggers. It's a big guessing game until you figure out what causes them for you and a lot of trial and error with meds, but it's worth it.

For home remedies, the following help me when I have bad headaches and am waiting for the meds to kick in:

-COLD pack on the back of my head, near where my neck and head meet

-Pressure point: squeeze the area between your thumb and index finger (the fleshy part) as hard as you can. You will feel pain there, but if you keep pressure on it, you will notice after a few moments, your headache will go away. When you remove the pressure, it will come back. If you can keep alternating hands for about 10 min, it might take the headache away completely. While you are doing this, sit somewhere that you can relax, close your eyes, and make sure it's quiet.

-Stick your head in the freezer and breathe in the cold air through your nose. Seriously, this sounds totally weird, but it helps!

Wow, this is me too...and the same meds too! I was diagnosed at 19 too....and it stinks I still have them, and I'm also part of studies at hospitals and such for treatment and breakthroughs...although its still an ongoing process

[thrillme]

Pressure point: squeeze the area between your thumb and index finger (the fleshy part) as hard as you can. You will feel pain there, but if you keep pressure on it, you will notice after a few moments, your headache will go away. When you remove the pressure, it will come back. If you can keep alternating hands for about 10 min, it might take the headache away completely. While you are doing this, sit somewhere that you can relax, close your eyes, and make sure it's quiet.

.

I used to do this too. It does work (at least temporary) but...I admit I could never squeeze hard enough on myself to get it to work. It worked best if I got someone else to do it for me. I can take a good amount of pain but...I just couldn't inflict it on myself to do enough good. Not that it hurt a lot I just needed longer steadier pressure. If my headach is bad enough I just don't have enough in my hands to do it well anyway.

[katzctkpt]

I agree with some of the other post. Sounds like a migraine. When I get one I usually take 800 mg of motrin go to my bedroom darken the room and have everyone leave the house for complete silence and sleep it off. I usually get one maybe 3 times a yr and I know when they're coming on I see little white spots. But if you have 1 a week or more see a doctor.

[Sean Riley Taylor's Mom]

I suffer with migraines as well. I take Imitrex at the very first sign of one.

It sounds like you may be getting them as well.

I usually go in my room, close the blinds and curtains and lay down without moving until the meds kick in. If the kids are home I explain to them that I need it extra quiet and I put a pillow over my head to make it as quiet as possible. My kids know when I have a really bad migraine and are good about keeping quiet and watching a movie for a little while since I really cannot even function when I get a bad migraine.

I have been dealing with them since I was a teenager. No fun at all. :(

I hope you can get some relief soon.

[IloveDisney71]

I wish I had some home remedies for you to try but I don't. My best advice is to see a doctor. Start keeping a diary of the foods you eat and your sleep patterns and sometimes you can figure out what your "trigger" is. My triggers are caffeine and altering my sleep habits (sleeping too much OR not enough). I was diagnosed with migraines when I was 22 but had been having them before that. None of the migraine miracle drugs work for me so my doctor put me on 2 maintainance drugs to help keep their occurance down. They work pretty well. When those fail, I have some heavy duty painkillers to help me go to sleep so I can "sleep" it off.

The typical tips were mentioned in previous posts: dark, cold rooms, ice pack on the neck, hot bath (I know that sounds like a contradiction but the hot bath can ease some of the tension). Good luck and think about seeing your doctor. There's no need to suffer through the pain! :thumbsup:

[ckaranassos]

This may sound totally wild but for me when I am suffering from a migrane the only thing that works is Advil liquid gels (sometimes it takes three), Mc Donalds fries (salt) and a fountain soda. Some people these items might trigger a migrane but for me they are the best fix. I feel your pain (literally). Good luck!!

[conorsmom2000]

I don't suffer from migraines, which is what this sounds like, but my husband does. For him, he either needs Excedrin Migraine or his prescription medicine.

I suffer from tension headaches and tend to wake up with them - the pain is in the back of my head, by my neck, and right over my eyes. I can barely function when I have one. The only thing that works for me is take 1 Tylenol PM - whatever is in there to make you sleep seems to be enough to "relax" the tension and ease the headache, but it's not enough to make me fall asleep (since I wake up with them, I normally need to stay up!) Then I have to put an ice pack on the back of my neck and over my eyes. After sometime, I switch the ice pack on the back of my head for one of those herbal heat wraps (the kind you warm up in the microwave) and keep that on for a bit. After that, I'm good to go.

I probably get these headaches twice a month and they are just awful. :( I hope you find some relief!

[animalkingdomguy]

Aspirin, Cool compress in the forehead, Dark Room, Silence. Good Luck.

[mrsgaribaldi]

First get checked by a doctor to rule out any other problems.
If it is a migraine, sorry that you get them. Many things can trigger a migraine, red wine, cheeses, smells. chocolate and many others. For me a big trigger is coffee. I don't drink it usually but when I went to work I would have some and then always get a migraine. :ill:
Sometimes you can take a beta blocker to try and prevent the migraines from starting. I take Inderal. I take Maxalt when I get a headache. It is a prescription med for migraines, it comes in pills and melt in your mouth tabs for when you are :ack: There are other meds you can take to try and prevent the migraine and to get rid of it. Topomax is one to try and prevent them (it didn't work for me)
Something that did work is accupuncture. A couple times a week I would go and it really helped. I recommend it alot to people at work. I know you wanted home remedies but if it is a migraine alot of times home remedies just won't cut it.
But please go to your doctor and get a check up. Like someone said, a headache that makes you miss the days activities is not normal and should be investigated.
Good luck:mickey::pixie::pixie::pixie:

[Tinkerbella]

I'm no Doctor but from my experience with migraines (which is extensive) it's best to learn what triggers your migraines - i.e. noises, lights, foods, etc. Avoid these. If these are unavoidable then take defense with medication like Excedrin Migraine. Also I'd ask if you're on any prophylatic medication like Topamax?

Topamax is a great medication that takes about a month to build up in your system. Once it does though the frequency of the migraines really should decrease. Also I'd recommend Zomig (you'll need a prescription) for fast acting migraine relief. Zomig is just a one use nasal spray that works wonders! I cannot rave more about Zomig! I LOVE it!

When a migraine strikes I take my Zomig, turn off all the lights, t.v.s, lie down with a 7Up a take a cat nap and typically wake up refreshed.

I hope you see a doctor and start feeling better soon. As somebody who has been through her fair share of migraines I can truly sympathize with you. They are just awful and no fun to state the obvious! Good luck!