Migraine Headaches

You should be evaluated by a migraine specialist. If this has been an ongoing problem it is unlikely caused by a brain tumor but a doctor should make that determination.

Consider this: A migraine headache takes on a life of its own once it has been triggered. It can rage on for days because the sufferer becomes more sensitive to other triggers while under the influence of a migraine. The triggers pile up and make your life miserable. You need some medication help but you also need to make some significant lifestyle changes which can cut way down on the need for migraine meds.

You need to start paying close attention to what triggers your migraines. Triggers can result from bright lights, irregular bedtimes, sleeping late, drinking, too much computer, tobacco smoke, flourescent lighting, paint and perfume fumes, etc. The list is endless and only you can determine what your particular triggers are. The most common culprit is food although it is one of the least understood by doctors. In fact, most doctors have very little understanding of migraine triggers. Legumes, oranges, chocolate, msg, wine, aged cheese, soy sauce and certain medications can all trigger migraines.

For certain people some very common foods can set the stage for a migraine to occur. Soy and corn are two common triggers for migraine yet are virtually ignored by doctors. If you check food labels, those two foods are in every processed food in the grocery store. Think high fructose corn syrup that's used in almost everything sweet. Soy is at the base of most foods and is a big problem for many people. Cutting out ALL processed foods for three months may make a difference in your life. You may find that you can only visit the dairy and produce aisles at your local supermarket and forget the rest. You are fortunate if you have a Whole Foods and Trader Joe's in your area. They sell less processed more nutritious foods.

It's not as bad as it sounds. Just eat fresh veggies, fruits, whole wheat pasta, marinara with olive oil only, plain meats like steak, hamburg, turkey, chicken, and fish. Cook with olive oil only. No deli meats. No mayonaisse. Find a whole grain bread without corn or soy in it and stick to it for the trail period. Find a good buckwheat pancake mix with no soy or corn. It is hard work to switch off processed foods but you may be rewarded with a lot less migraine pain and better health. Without the constant trigger of foods your migraines will decrease and you will be less susceptible to other triggers.

Book suggestions:

Headache Relief by Alan M. Rappaport, MD & Fred D. Sheftell, MD

Headache Free by Roger Cady, MD & Kathleen Farmer, PsyD

Was It Something You Ate? by John Emsley & Peter Fell

Well, for starters..if you feel like you were misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder then you really need to talk to your dr. Depakote is a very strong medication, and if you don't need it then you shouldn't take it. That's like someone taking medicine for high blood pressure when they don't even have hypertension. Depakote is used for many things like migraines, bipolar disorder, and to control seizures in people with epilepsy. I have taken Depakote since I was 15 and am now 25 and never had any "severe" side effects. I did have some sensitivity to sunlight in the beginning and some drowsiness, but those symptoms passed once the medicine got in my system and my levels were where they were supposed to be. You really should talk to your dr though and just explain to him/her that you feel like you were misdiagnosed. Hope this helps some:)

(heres a new person writing in:)

Also, you could have a lesion in the right temporal lobe have you ever had any neurologist test you for epilepsy, this is another disorder for which depakote is prescribed.. Often behavioral symptoms coming from righ temp lobe are misdiagnosed as stemming from manic depression and then one can be prescribed lithium which wont work--but Depakote does. Tgretol also may work, but its best to stick with what you know --and where the side effects are bearable-- rather than try a new med and risk bad discomfort. I have been thru all this.

Symptoms from lef temporal lobe can be misdiagnosed as schizophrenia. Yerachmiel

to get rid of a headache you need to get rest or eat something spicy.

massages help get rid of headaches. if you massage the top of your nose the headache can go away too. put a cold towel or ice pack on your forehead to make it go away.

Typically once a year.

Valproate level, liver function, and CBC. Had it every year myself since 1996.

Depakote (aka - divalproex) is used in the pediatric population as an anti-seizure or a mood stabilizer medication. Its most common side-effects are: dizziness, headache, nausea, sleepiness, and liver irritation.

Individual practices vary. You may go to another ER and find they treat migraines completely differently. I tend to not use opioids for migraines after the patient has failed non-opioid treatments, others use opioids as first line therapy. Also depends on the patient - some patients go to the ER and say "only xxx works for my 'migraines'" and have the expectation that they will get whatever they demand. If I am busy and don't have time to discuss the issue of narcotic rebound headaches, I will just given them their shot, discharge them, and move on.

Sometimes, it depends on throughput.

This is from personal knowledge. Topamax and Depakote are used together to stop someone who is rapid cycling due to Bipolar I case. This is where in a single 24 hour period their mood will go from very high to very low. Topamax is an anti-seizure medicine, as are alot the meds used to treat mania. It enhances any meds that the person is already taking. It also controls the sleep pattern in the brain, allowing a more restful sleep. There are no nightmares and alot no dreaming. With this type of sleep, if there is an episode, it usually comes pretty quickly under control. The topamax helps to make things more steady, but the nick name for it is dopamax. It take a while for you to get stupid. But if you have been manic, you have been thinking like lighting, so by the time you get a little dull, it is a good thing. Topamax also has weight loss to it. Depakote has weight gain. So that is even.

I've found many people on the internet saying how they are prescribed to both medications at the same time so yes its fine

Yes, I have them both and have taken them at the same time. you are fine just DON'T PLEASE DON'T over the amount prescribed. Okay okay good.

Bread is not known to cause headaches, but certain allergic reactions to the bread could lead to headaches.

It's the depakote that causes weight gain! Have your doctor find something else to replace it.

1) Hair Loss

2) Lots n lots of weight gain

3) craving for food (especially sugary stuff)

4) Frequent headaches

5) Hair color change (i was born with dark brown hair...now i have light brown)

In over 85% of affected persons, the most universal symptom is headache. The headache is severe and tends to be on one side (unilateral), and worsens at night.

Peppermint oil is one of the most commonly used essential oils to treat headaches and migraine attacks. Check out

Migraines are not simply an intense headache, but a neurological disorder. During a migraine, there is a spreading cortical depression (which means that a portion of the brain electrical activity slows down for a short amount of time) and then there is inflammation of the nerves and blood vessels. For some people, this results in the visual disturbances known as aura. For other people, balance issues. For other people, numbness of the extremities. There are many different ways migraines can manifest itself, and it is all unique to that person.

Anytime it is the first time new neurological symptoms arise, seek immediate medical care.

To prevent headaches, don't consume things with caffeine. Caffeine promotes headaches.

I too am wondering this. I had meningitis at 3 years old and have suffered a lifetime of terrible migraines. I am now 27 and on daily medication to prevent migraines and moving up to more serious medications each year.

Sometimes sinus drainage makes your head hurt.

dry skin, wash hair in white vingar

Migraine headaches are characterized by throbbing or pulsating pain of moderate or severe intensity lasting from four hours to as long as three days. The pain is typically felt on one side of the head.

Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) is a prescription medicine capable of causing side effects if not use properly. Each patient is different, so great care should be taken while using prescription drugs. This drug may be taken only as it is prescribed by your physician.

Yes. Bad teeth can cause infections in the jaw, which can spread to muscles, like your neck muscles. Always practice good mouth hygiene.

A migraine that causes paralysis in one side of the body is called a hemiplegic migraine. There are two kinds: Familial, where you'll have a family history, and sporadic - which can happen to anyone. It becomes very important to get the proper diagnosis of hemiplegic migraine, because if you have this particular kind of migraine you cannot use vasoconstricting medications such as the triptans (Imitrex, Zomig, etc..) or DHE (Dihydroergotamine, also found in Migranal nasal spray.) Normal migraines with aura can also cause numbness and confusion, but they will not cause the paralysis. One of the main forms of prevention for hemiplegic migraines are the calcium-channel blockers, as there may be a faulty gene responsible for the disruption of calcium in the cell, causing neurons to misfire. Verapamil is the only calcium-channel blocker approved for migraine prophylaxis at this time. Generally these medications will be paired with anti-epileptic medications such as Topamax or Zonegran. If you do have hemiplegic migraines, you should be under the care of a headache specialist.

Bipolar disorder is not a disorder that comes in stages. If you are referring to how "bipolar" this person is, well, they are bipolar. So really, how moody they are depends on the day.

There have been studies proving a linkage between blood clots and migraines. The veins develop blood clots during the migraines. This can easily explain why migraine sufferers are more prone to having heart attacks and strokes more than the normal individual without migraines.

Since the brain is the controller of the body, a tumor's presence can cause almost anything in the body to become dysfunctional. Most frequently the diagnosis of someone who falls asleep abruptly and without control is Narcolepsy.