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Migraines triggered by protein deep in the brain
New Scientist ^ | 7 October 2015 | Jessica Hamzelou

Posted on 10/15/2015 3:35:58 PM PDT by moose07

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To: Talisker

That’s an impressive mix of chemicals.
Ibuprofen is the only chemical I can safely take that is off prescription.
It eases most of the pain.


41 posted on 10/15/2015 8:21:16 PM PDT by moose07 (DMCS (Dit Me Cong San ) - Nah)
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To: aimhigh

Was it a Blood pressure problem?


42 posted on 10/15/2015 8:22:59 PM PDT by moose07 (DMCS (Dit Me Cong San ) - Nah)
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To: blueyon

Same here. I actually split them into thirds and if i take it early enough it keeps it at bay.


43 posted on 10/15/2015 8:24:37 PM PDT by riri (Obama's Amerika--Not a fun place.)
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To: moose07

I’ve had migraines since childhood. In my forties I read an article that suggested a link to dehydration. So I decided to try to be more hydrated. I never drank very much, just coffee and drinks with meals. After I’d done that for a while I noticed my sense of thirst developed. I didn’t really notice it before. Then I noticed that every time I got a migraine I also had dry cotton mouth. Maybe there was something to this.

Now I know that if I allow myself to get to dehydrated I will get a headache, and I can tell how close I am to getting one by how much liquid I’ve taken in and how thirsty I get. It can still be hard to keep up. But even when I wake up with a headache now, if I drink a lot of water, maybe a liter, and take a couple of Excedrins, it will go away. It never did that before, it lasted all day. I know longer take prescription meds at all. I know that for me it was dehydration all along.

Most people go around partially dehydrated all the time.


44 posted on 10/15/2015 8:34:09 PM PDT by mlo
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To: blueyon
Interesting stuff.

Sumatriptan is used to treat migraines. It helps to relieve headache, pain, and other migraine symptoms (including nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light/sound). Prompt treatment helps you return to your normal routine and may decrease your need for other pain medications. Sumatriptan belongs to a class of drugs known as triptans. It affects a certain natural substance (serotonin) that causes narrowing of blood vessels in the brain. It may also relieve pain by affecting certain nerves in the brain. Sumatriptan does not prevent future migraines or lessen how often you get migraine attacks.

45 posted on 10/15/2015 8:53:56 PM PDT by moose07 (DMCS (Dit Me Cong San ) - Nah)
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To: moose07
Lots of people including myself and wife encounter what are known as "ocular migraines" - pretty much the visual aura experienced by those suffering from migraine headaches, without the headaches - they start more as a feeling or sense that something imperceptible is missing in the center of the visual field, and grow until quite vivid quivering and colorful zig-zag lines start to move outward from the center to the outer edges of the field, expanding until they gradually fade away at the outer edge - they may appear for both eyes or just in one, and take from five to ten minutes to run their course - only occasionally are they followed by a mild and short-lived headache....

The May-June 2014 issue of "American Scientist" had an interesting article about the phenomenon, in which they said research suggested that it came from a genetically derived deficiency in the "release and uptake signaling molecules in the synapses between brain cells" - serotonin and glutamate - which apparently build to an abnormally high level because of the deficiency in the reuptake mechanism until a sort of "flashpoint" is reached, setting off waves of hyper-activity which spread throughout the brain but are apparently mainly in the occipital region in the case of ocular migraines - my own "attacks" which take place probably every couple of months have become more an entertaining nuisance than a worry since I found out that both my eye-doctor his eye-doctor-son experience the same issue and say "there's nothing to be done about it".....

46 posted on 10/15/2015 9:38:07 PM PDT by Intolerant in NJ
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To: moose07

I only take it to deal with a migraine.


47 posted on 10/15/2015 10:44:15 PM PDT by Talisker (One who commands, must obey.)
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To: moose07
It may be, thanks for the ping, but right now I've got a blinding headache and can't absorb any information.

48 posted on 10/15/2015 11:30:39 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
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To: moose07

Nothing commercial has ever worked, and only one “home remedy” was worth anything. That’s where a strong friend would hold my head in his/her hands, applying constant lifting pressure for up to two minutes. I relaxed while he was doing this, so he literally was holding my head.

When he finally let go, the headache was gone. I’ve done to same to other people with success, but don’t have that many strong friends, these days.

I don’t know why it works or how; I just know it does.


49 posted on 10/16/2015 5:41:36 AM PDT by Monkey Face (Everything happens for a reason. Often, the reason is you're stupid and make bad decisions.)
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To: tumblindice; All

I’m just reading through this post and am astonished at how many of you suffer from migraines.

I wish you all well.

.


50 posted on 10/16/2015 6:05:38 AM PDT by Mears
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To: Monkey Face

Morning ‘Face.
Blood flow and tension in the neck appear to be responsible for a lot of the symptoms in this thread, but by no means all. :)


51 posted on 10/16/2015 7:34:47 AM PDT by moose07 (DMCS (Dit Me Cong San ) - Nah)
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To: mlo

You are so right about the dehydration. I’m never thirsty and have to force myself to drink water. That keeps the headaches away.

Another thing that helps when the migraine begins - immediately put your hands in warm water. If you’re out, go to the lav and place them under warm running water. It helps. Somebody told me that putting your feet in warm water helps too. Never tried it.


52 posted on 10/16/2015 7:44:55 AM PDT by ladyjane
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To: Intolerant in NJ

will check that article out. I have tried and tried, to no avail, to find the trigger for my migraines.

I do get the exact same visual aura, with the very same zig zag lined spot. It almost looks as the the spot or blob is lined with neon. It’s that bright, even with closed eyes.

That normally takes 1/2 hour to subside. I certainly can’t work on the computer when it happens, and during it, I can’t see very well and numbers come out in doubles. the ocular incident normally, but not always, leads to a headache in my case. The headaches are not as horrible as they used to be. I’ve found the whole ocular migraine problem to be something I just have to deal with, and I am not as seriously bothered by them, as I used to be. I am male, and this all started in my early 50s.. 63 now.


53 posted on 10/16/2015 8:36:04 AM PDT by Chuzzlewit
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To: moose07
Was it a Blood pressure problem?

No. After finding it worked, I was surprised to see all the internet articles on beta blockers to stop migraines.

54 posted on 10/16/2015 10:56:03 AM PDT by aimhigh (1 John 3:21)
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To: Chuzzlewit
Here's a link to the article: Perspective on the Migraine Mind....

Not so much a clinical article but more on descriptions of the phenomenon - most striking to me was the reproduction of someone's impression of how the experience appears in the visual field which pretty well captures mine exactly - the drawing was done in 1902 - this is not something new we're dealing with.....

55 posted on 10/16/2015 12:51:38 PM PDT by Intolerant in NJ
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To: Intolerant in NJ

If you do a Google image search for “migraine aura” you will see dozens of renderings of the aura, some by very good artists. Several of them look almost exactly like mine did.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=migraine.aura&FORM=HDRSC2


56 posted on 10/16/2015 3:42:57 PM PDT by Yardstick
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To: Yardstick

It is somehow oddly comforting to know that other people share in such bizarre experiences....


57 posted on 10/16/2015 9:27:39 PM PDT by Intolerant in NJ
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