Migraines, beta blockers, and riding

[WindingRoad]

Since mine seems to be somewhat muscular related (especially in my trapezius and neck muscles), I find taking Robaxacet sometimes helps.

Wow, that is what I'm thinking is going on with me? I have been having some serious shoulder and low trap pain on the bike and found that my sternum is uneven and that shifting my handlebars to the right really helps. However the muscles and nerves are still really irritated from before and when I ride it is better but I'm still getting flares of pain. Yesterday at work I picked up something wrong and flared that already angry little ball of nerves up again. Last night about 3 AM I awoke with the worse migraine to date and yes I am having my period right now so I'm sure like most of you it seems mine is also cycle/hormone related. I was actually scared last night the pain got so bad. I felt like I was going to die! It feels muscular though because every time I would try to lay on my side I could feel my shoulder flare up and my head would pound worse. Right now the pain is a dull murmur but I feel like someone grabbed the back of my neck and just squeezed as hard as they could. I guess it's hard to say because I ended up with dry heaves too, gawd I'm a mess.

[malkin]

I had been an intermittant migraine girl forever--after a fall and concussion I had constant headaches. The doc put me on a low dose of amitriptyline (so low, she called it 'tincture of nothing') and it has cut down on ALL my headaches, to the point where I have headaches like a normal person--you know, those people who notice that their head hurts, and then they can take tylenol and feel better.

[abejita]

Since mine seems to be somewhat muscular related (especially in my trapezius and neck muscles), I find taking Robaxacet sometimes helps.

Wow, that is what I'm thinking is going on with me? I have been having some serious shoulder and low trap pain on the bike and found that my sternum is uneven and that shifting my handlebars to the right really helps. However the muscles and nerves are still really irritated from before and when I ride it is better but I'm still getting flares of pain. Yesterday at work I picked up something wrong and flared that already angry little ball of nerves up again. Last night about 3 AM I awoke with the worse migraine to date and yes I am having my period right now so I'm sure like most of you it seems mine is also cycle/hormone related. I was actually scared last night the pain got so bad. I felt like I was going to die! It feels muscular though because every time I would try to lay on my side I could feel my shoulder flare up and my head would pound worse. Right now the pain is a dull murmur but I feel like someone grabbed the back of my neck and just squeezed as hard as they could. I guess it's hard to say because I ended up with dry heaves too, gawd I'm a mess.

Try going to a chiropractor.

When I was taking preventive meds for my migraines, I tried a dozen or so things without success. The my neuro put me on zonegran (an anti-seizure med) and it worked like a charm. I also didn't have any problems with being tired.

[colorisnt]

Never taken beta blockers due to a bad reaction that would most likely happen, but I am now on an Alzheimer's med to avoid kidney stones (topomax may have caused one) and to keep my migraines under control. It's called Namenda and is kinda experimental, but has been really helping so far. I don't know if it is luck or the med though at this time.

Regardless, they put my younger sister on a beta blocker as a treatment. She's a runner and it just about killed her. She had no energy and also couldn't sleep properly (would wake up for hours at a time). I know a few other people who also had issues with it.

I take Maxalt as my quick acting med, but it is almost useless without a daily controller med. I am also on Zoloft, so taking it all the time is dangerous thanks to serotonin syndrome.

I also have endo, but my migraines aren't hormone driven like some. I can't imagine what that would be like. The immense pain from the endo was enough to deal with, let alone a migraine. I haven't had a period in more than a year, so I don't know about that.

[soprano]

The doc put me on a low dose of amitriptyline (so low, she called it 'tincture of nothing') and it has cut down on ALL my headaches, to the point where I have headaches like a normal person--you know, those people who notice that their head hurts, and then they can take tylenol and feel better.

I've had a similar experience with nortriptyline. I have many fewer headaches, and the ones that I do get generally respond well to medication. For me, it's a wonder drug. Taking a daily preventative means that I take far fewer pills overall.

Before the nortriptyline, my doctors had me try verapamil, a calcium-channel blocker which is sometimes used off-label for migraine prevention. The reason that we tried a heart drug first was that the continuous migraines were sending my blood pressure quite high. (Funny how unending severe pain will do that to you.) My BP dropped like a stone, but I also became lethargic and depressed. I couldn't exercise without blacking out, and my heat tolerance was seriously affected. About the only good thing was that it helped some with the migraines, and I started sleeping well for the first time in a decade. After a few months of trying to make it work, and after a few blackouts which resulted in falls, I finally told the doctor, "I'd rather have the migraines. I'm not taking this anymore."