If you want conventional advice, I guess the best thing is just to follow what your doctor says.
If you want experimental advice, I went to a talk on rational drug policy, at which it was mentioned that 5-HT2A agonists, aka psychedelic drugs, stop migraines. The theoretical neuroscience behind it checks out too (modulating vasoconstriction).
Where cluster headaches are discussed, but cluster headaches and migranes are very similar in terms of treatment.
This might work prophylactically, and might work at dosages below concious perception of mind altering effects, depending from person to person.
Unfortunately I don’t see this becoming prescription medicine any time soon, due to the problem that someone could claim to have migraines, and there are not objective symptoms. I don’t know your opinions on legality, or what the law is like where you live, but there are also so-called ‘legal highs’.
Otherwise, apparently diet works very well, but you have to be extreme about it. Something along the lines of cut out everything except one meat, one vegetable and one fruit, and then if that works add foods back in one at a time.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation is also being tested at some places with promising results, if you want to be on the cutting edge.
I’ve also tried taking magnesium supplements, but they had a negative effect on me i.e. strange dreams and lack of sleep.
There are far worse side-effects than strange dreams.
I have migraines too, so this is something I am knowledgeable about and interested in discussing. I can stop them using beta blockers, but I’d rather not have to take drugs everyday.
Well, the dreams weren’t that bad, but it basically made me an insomniac for the ten or so days I used them. And, as you might expect, that just made my migraines worse. Also, I take beta-blockers as well (propanalol) but they’ve done little. If I were you, I’d definitely use them if they worked. But I’m just saying that because my situation is fairly bad, and I haven’t had any side effects from them.
The psychedelics look promising, I’ll have to keep an eye on that. But they’re illegal in the UK for any purposes. I’d definitely keep the dose sub-psychedelic.
TMS also looks promising, so I’m definitely going to ask my doctor about that. I’ll also try and get one of the home use ones, if its not too expensive.
By the way, have you found anything particularly effective beyond the usual recommendations?
Well, the dreams weren’t that bad, but it basically made me an insomniac for the ten or so days I used them.
That sounds like pretty strong effect that I wouldn’t expect a normal person to have. I would research potential causes. Maybe you have too much magnesium in your system?
I have a relative who’s in the medical field, and when I told him about this, he told me that my body is probably just absorbing the magnesium too quickly. But then again, that may just be because of the type of tablets I was taking http://www.bulkpowders.co.uk/magnesium-bisglycinate-tablets.html. But I probably don’t have too much magnesium in my diet. I had a blood test showing normal levels of trace elements and all that jazz.
Insomnia might be an acceptable side effect, if only it cured the migranes. Yes, I am taking beta-blockers—for me there are no noticeable side effects, and I while it would be better to stop migranes without drugs, its far better to use drugs than to have migranes, unless the side effects are really bad.
The psychedelics look promising, I’ll have to keep an eye on that. But they’re illegal in the UK for any purposes. I’d definitely keep the dose sub-psychedelic.
A quick search indicates that the ‘legal highs’ have now been made illegal, so that isn’t a loophole.
BTW, where about in the UK are you from?
TMS also looks promising, so I’m definitely going to ask my doctor about that. I’ll also try and get one of the home use ones, if its not too expensive.
I think there are places that do TMS in Bath and London. Its £500 for a prescription TMS hat last time I looked.
By the way, have you found anything particularly effective beyond the usual recommendations?
Beta blockers work well enough for me. I havn’t tried diet or TMS, and most of the other drugs didn’t work, and/or had really bad side effects.
I’m from london, so I might check out some places near here, if that’s cheaper. And yeah, insomnia would be acceptable if it got rid of the migraines, but no such luck. What were the side effects, by the way?
Well, I’m taking it, and nothing much has happened so far. I’m due to up the dose in a few days, and I should be off it in a month. So, I think it better to err on the side of caution. Maybe after I’m done with it, and tried a few other things out, we can swap notes?
If you want conventional advice, I guess the best thing is just to follow what your doctor says.
If you want experimental advice, I went to a talk on rational drug policy, at which it was mentioned that 5-HT2A agonists, aka psychedelic drugs, stop migraines. The theoretical neuroscience behind it checks out too (modulating vasoconstriction).
See this:
http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060911/full/news060911-05.html https://www.erowid.org/plants/mushrooms/mushrooms_article8.pdf
Where cluster headaches are discussed, but cluster headaches and migranes are very similar in terms of treatment.
This might work prophylactically, and might work at dosages below concious perception of mind altering effects, depending from person to person.
Unfortunately I don’t see this becoming prescription medicine any time soon, due to the problem that someone could claim to have migraines, and there are not objective symptoms. I don’t know your opinions on legality, or what the law is like where you live, but there are also so-called ‘legal highs’.
Otherwise, apparently diet works very well, but you have to be extreme about it. Something along the lines of cut out everything except one meat, one vegetable and one fruit, and then if that works add foods back in one at a time.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation is also being tested at some places with promising results, if you want to be on the cutting edge.
There are far worse side-effects than strange dreams.
I have migraines too, so this is something I am knowledgeable about and interested in discussing. I can stop them using beta blockers, but I’d rather not have to take drugs everyday.
Well, the dreams weren’t that bad, but it basically made me an insomniac for the ten or so days I used them. And, as you might expect, that just made my migraines worse. Also, I take beta-blockers as well (propanalol) but they’ve done little. If I were you, I’d definitely use them if they worked. But I’m just saying that because my situation is fairly bad, and I haven’t had any side effects from them.
The psychedelics look promising, I’ll have to keep an eye on that. But they’re illegal in the UK for any purposes. I’d definitely keep the dose sub-psychedelic.
TMS also looks promising, so I’m definitely going to ask my doctor about that. I’ll also try and get one of the home use ones, if its not too expensive.
By the way, have you found anything particularly effective beyond the usual recommendations?
Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it.
That sounds like pretty strong effect that I wouldn’t expect a normal person to have. I would research potential causes. Maybe you have too much magnesium in your system?
I have a relative who’s in the medical field, and when I told him about this, he told me that my body is probably just absorbing the magnesium too quickly. But then again, that may just be because of the type of tablets I was taking http://www.bulkpowders.co.uk/magnesium-bisglycinate-tablets.html. But I probably don’t have too much magnesium in my diet. I had a blood test showing normal levels of trace elements and all that jazz.
Insomnia might be an acceptable side effect, if only it cured the migranes. Yes, I am taking beta-blockers—for me there are no noticeable side effects, and I while it would be better to stop migranes without drugs, its far better to use drugs than to have migranes, unless the side effects are really bad.
A quick search indicates that the ‘legal highs’ have now been made illegal, so that isn’t a loophole. BTW, where about in the UK are you from?
I think there are places that do TMS in Bath and London. Its £500 for a prescription TMS hat last time I looked.
Beta blockers work well enough for me. I havn’t tried diet or TMS, and most of the other drugs didn’t work, and/or had really bad side effects.
I’m from london, so I might check out some places near here, if that’s cheaper. And yeah, insomnia would be acceptable if it got rid of the migraines, but no such luck. What were the side effects, by the way?
Do you really want to know the side effects I got from Amitiptyline and risk the placebo effect?
Or is my simply writing this dangerous?
Bloody information hazards.
Well, I’m taking it, and nothing much has happened so far. I’m due to up the dose in a few days, and I should be off it in a month. So, I think it better to err on the side of caution. Maybe after I’m done with it, and tried a few other things out, we can swap notes?
Seems wise.