You Poor Thing. I have suffered from migraines since at least age 8 -pediatrician, physicians & neurologist actually think I have had them since infancy -due to fact run on both sides of family. I feel for you. When I first started getting sick with "mystery" illness (Lupus)the frequency & intensity of my migraines increased. Sorry response so lengthy -just skip next paragraph to get to list of triggers, meds, & websites with info. As a lifelong sufferer I just want you to know you are not alone &just want to share information that I have learned & wish I would have know along time ago.
I have been to numerous neurologist throughout the years -most of being when there still wasn't a lot of knowledge or understanding about migraines. I even saw a neurologist who helped develop Imitrex in the early 1990's. Anyway......the last neurologist I saw (Dr. Ottley) was a few years ago. She has helped many people significantly reduce frequency & severity of migraines to even abolishing some patients migraines. She taught me a lot about different triggers & signs (pro-domes) of migraine that I did not know about. She tried several different preventive medications & combinations of medications to the point I felt like a lab rat & was not having the success we were both hoping for due to the fact that I have multiple triggers &I'm hyper sensitivity to medications. Even though I wasn't one of her "success" stories I have been able to manage them better than I used to. Chiropractic care, massage therapy & biofeedback are great natural alternatives to help ease migraines & there frequency.
Types of triggers: Food allergies, hormonal (menstrual & ovulation), weather (such as barometric pressure) ,
heredity, changes in sleep pattern, illness & stress (not all physicians recognize stress as a trigger)
Medications: Triptans (specific class of medications that abort migraines) Brand Names: Imitrex (injectable & tablets),
Zomig, Maxalt (melts or tablets), Frova, Sumavel (air injectable) & others I'm unfamiliar with. A few of these
are now available in generic form. Phenegren/promethazine, Compazine & Zofran are prescription
anti-emetic/anti-nausea medications.
Pro-domes or Auras: Vision disturbances (floaters, sparkles, blind spots, blinking lights), abrupt mood changes,
Speech disturbance (slur of words), Abrupt craving (salt, chocolate, sugar), Mental Fog
(brain thinking faster or slower than what you can speak or unable to think clearly), sharp
pain &/or dull achiness in shoulder blade or neck, & extreme thirst.
Food allergies/allergies: Nitrates (found in processed, smoked, cured food), Monosodium Glutamate (MSG found in
processed foods such as chips, soups, pre packaged meals, Chinese food, fast food, the list
of foods is lengthy), aged cheeses, wine & artificial sweeteners -just to name a few food
allergies.
I learned from keeping a daily journal & through Dr. Ottley about my specific food allergies, pro-domes/ auras and triggers (such as strobe lights & watching a movie in theater) . Stuff I didn't realize or overlooked because it wasn't in any of the information that I had read regarding migraines. They have made leaps & bounds in migraine research especially in the last 10yrs. Check out MAGNUM -National Migraine Association website, My Chronic Migraine website, or www.headaches.org
Also learned that the order in which takes meds during a migraine is important. If you are experiencing nausea or vomiting the meds you take to abort the migraine are not going to work as well. You should treat the nausea 1st & as soon as you feel less nauseous take the migraine specific med &/or pain medication.
As soon as you feel a migraine coming on is when you should take your meds. Rest in a dark quiet room & an ice pack applied to side of head/area where migraine is can help ease pain until your meds kick in. It is harder to abort a migraine that you wake up with because migraine is in full swing. Should take meds as soon as you can & repeat meds as directed.
There are over the counter meds such as Advil Migraine & Excederin Migraine and Dramamine for nausea.
If you start to experience migraines more than once in awhile & they start to become more prominent in your life (which I hope they don't) your physician or neurologist may put you on a medication or combination of medications to help prevent migraines. You can find more research on prophylactic medications on websites I listed.
I am fortunate that I have a physician that believes in chiropractic care, biofeedback, & massage therapy. I know when my neck or back is causing migraines & a visit to chiropractor or massage therapy helps a lot. When I am stressed I use biofeedback techniques to help relieve stress.
Once again sorry so long. I am not an expert by any means - just a migraine sufferer that has 40years experience with migraines & misery that comes along with it. Hoping to help in way I can. Take Care