I have a severe migraine. Ideas, please?

Mourkoth · Mar 26, 2004

Yes, I have suffered from migraine headaches. For the short run, try Excedrin extra strength. Then after you get to a doctor, try Imatrex. Seems to work pretty good. For the long run. Do experiments with your diet. Write down everything that you eat in relation to your headaches. Experiment with different foods daily until you get a eye popping head splitter. Then write them off your diet. I can't eat milk products. Skim milk is OK, but no heavy cream or "Real" ice cream. I can't eat any type of mellons. No watermellon, honeydew ect. I had had blinding migraines with nausia where I had to stay supine in a dark room for at least the entire day. I had about one a month. Since I cut those things from my diet I haven't had one in over three years.

sharann, BSN, RN · Mar 26, 2004

Poor thing. I know those migranes can be debilitating. The only thing I can offer is the same as Mourkoth said, go get an Rx for a migraine med in the Triptan family of meds (Imitrex etc). For now, I would suggest lying down in the dark with a cool pack to your neck and or head. Some aromas help me too such as a mild smelling lavender oil/lotion applied to the wrists and sniff it deeply.

Good luck. If you aare too ill to work then just don't get the vacation pay. Which is worse? I don't think you are too effective a nurse if you can barely stand to open your eyes, right? Feel better soon!

gwenith, BSN, RN · Mar 26, 2004

There is some evidence that fluid loading helps - they have been giving 1Ltre N/S in our ED with results.

Also change the temperature of your hands - it is supposed to set up a sympathetic response with the cerebral blood vessles - I have forgotten the original reason but it is such a simple intervention that it is worth trying.

Mourkoth · Feb 26, 2006

The advice about recording your food is the best idea. I had migraines for years. Usually in the summer and probably one a month sometimes two. I watched my diet and recorded everything. I found out that it was watermellons!! Well, specifically any kind of mellon. Now I have only one in probably the last three years. I can say exactly what caused that one too. It was really hot and my kids wanted a watermellon. I bought one chilled it and cut it up into several pieces. On the last cut, I licked the knife and that was it. My first migraine in three years.

epiphany · Feb 26, 2006

The diet watch works well for me, too. I can't eat any processed starch, sugar, or white rice during the onslaught of my migraine. I also make ginger tea by boiling slices of fresh ginger for the nausea.

Yoga used to help me a lot when I was doing it frequently.

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Feb 26, 2006

I hope you called off and were able to get an appointment with your doc.

I've only had a few true migraines in my life and I'll go along with the allergy theory because I they only occurred while I was going to classes in this one building for some reason, about one every couple of months while I was a student there. The only thing that helped was to leave as soon as I felt it coming on, which I learned to do after the first couple of times.

Can't do that if it's a food allergy, though, so I hope you did call off because the lights, noise, and excitement of the workplace are really awful.

Not to mention driving.

Hope you're feeling better very soon.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Feb 26, 2006

Get an eye exam, to make sure this isn't caused by vision changes. That was what triggered a lot of mine.

I have a bag of dried lavander that i sniff whenever i feel one of these coming on (after i take 2 pills). It helps.

Nurse Ratched, RN · Feb 26, 2006

Original post almost 2 years old - hoping headache has resolved .