First off I'm so glad I've found this group as I've learned so much
this weekend searching through the posts.  I've been suffering from
headaches for a while now.  I identified caffeine as a trigger over 10
years ago and totally eliminated caffeine from my diet.  I can't stand
the thought of eating chocolate any more because I know how bad I will
feel the next day (the migraine comes almost exactly 20 hours after
caffeine intake).  Then I found aspartame was giving headaches
(non-migraine though).  For the past few years I've been having
headaches and searching for the trigger.  In January a visit to an ENT
gave me some relief, he did a cauterization.  That lasted about 4
months and they're back, worse than ever.  Another cauterization and
nasal sprays from the ENT don't seem to be helping.

About 2 months ago I noticed that my headaches seem to be weather
related.  I'm glad this is confirmed in this group, no I don't feel so
crazy. ;)  I'm trying to find out more about this.  I've been reading
the weather online each day to see the barometric pressure, but I
haven't seen much of a correspondance, unless a change of only 10
points can trigger a headache.  Has anyone done any measurements to
see what kind of change triggers headaches?  I think I will start
tracking the pressure 3x a day and see if I can make the connection.
The weather trigger really became obvious for me while I was on
vacation in Phoenix, AZ.  We'd been there for 2 weeks and I hadn't had
any bad headaches.  The weather was the same every day, 110 degrees
and sunny.  On the 2nd to last day I got a migraine.  Later that
evening, a storm came, which is rare for Phoenix.  It was there that I
made the connection.  Back at home in Paris, France, it's going from
the sunny to rainy season and I've had lots of headaches.

In the past 2 weeks, I've had two migraines on Saturdays.  I haven't
observed any weather change overnight from the previous Fridays so I
wonder if these are stress related.  My job is very very stressful.
I'm seriously considering looking for a new job.  Like yesterday, my
migraine was only on the right side of the head, and seemed to come
from behind my right eye.  All I had was Tylenol which didn't help and
Tylenol with codeine which didn't help the headache but did allow me
to sleep all day.  Oddly enough I saw a tv show about migraines.  I
plan to see a specialist this week as I can't stand the thought of
another migraine Saturday.

One final thought, for the past 5 years I've had what I thought were
gall bladder attacks.  They occur on average twice a year.  I also
have Crohn's disease so of course I thought they were a crohn's
attack.  Twice I went to the ER and they checked everything and
couldn't find any cause.  Ultrasound of gall bladder is normal.  It
feels like someone is stabbing me with a knife, about 2 inches above
the navel.  They last about 8-10 hours.  I had one back in January, a
couple weeks into a new job.  And I had one last weekend.  I never
heard of an abdominal migraine before the TV show but now I wonder if
my stomache pain might be abdominal migraines?  I haven't found a
description for what they actually feel but mine are definitely like a
stabbing above the navel.

Here in Paris we have a hospital with a migraine specialty.  Monday
morning I'm going to make an appointment.  My mother had migraines for
years so it's possible it's genetic.

-Michael

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Hi Michael..

Welcome to our little group.  I don't remember anyone doing any serious work
on the relationship between barometric pressure and headaches but, as you
read from our notes, most of us are affected by it.  For me, it's low
pressure -- you know, when it's rainy and "blah" out.  That's a sure
trigger.  Clear, cool days are best for my head!

Can't help you regarding your tummy, though.  I have suffered with IBS and I
remember early in my twenties, before diagnosis, a pain that would center
above my navel.  The funny thing was, that if I fell asleep with it I'd wake
up pain free until I started my day.  Then it would come right back.

Hope we can help you in some way.  Again, welcome!

Liz
"NewsBirdie" <newsbirdie@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:f8e9d7ff.0410092149.3bd0afb8@posting.google.com..
> First off I'm so glad I've found this group as I've learned so much
> this weekend searching through the posts.  I've been suffering from
> headaches for a while now.  I identified caffeine as a trigger over 10
> years ago and totally eliminated caffeine from my diet.  I can't stand
> the thought of eating chocolate any more because I know how bad I will
> feel the next day (the migraine comes almost exactly 20 hours after
> caffeine intake).  Then I found aspartame was giving headaches
> (non-migraine though).  For the past few years I've been having
> headaches and searching for the trigger.  In January a visit to an ENT
> gave me some relief, he did a cauterization.  That lasted about 4
> months and they're back, worse than ever.  Another cauterization and
> nasal sprays from the ENT don't seem to be helping.
>
> About 2 months ago I noticed that my headaches seem to be weather
> related.  I'm glad this is confirmed in this group, no I don't feel so
> crazy. ;)  I'm trying to find out more about this.  I've been reading
> the weather online each day to see the barometric pressure, but I
> haven't seen much of a correspondance, unless a change of only 10
> points can trigger a headache.  Has anyone done any measurements to
> see what kind of change triggers headaches?  I think I will start
> tracking the pressure 3x a day and see if I can make the connection.
> The weather trigger really became obvious for me while I was on
> vacation in Phoenix, AZ.  We'd been there for 2 weeks and I hadn't had
> any bad headaches.  The weather was the same every day, 110 degrees
> and sunny.  On the 2nd to last day I got a migraine.  Later that
> evening, a storm came, which is rare for Phoenix.  It was there that I
> made the connection.  Back at home in Paris, France, it's going from
> the sunny to rainy season and I've had lots of headaches.
>
> In the past 2 weeks, I've had two migraines on Saturdays.  I haven't
> observed any weather change overnight from the previous Fridays so I
> wonder if these are stress related.  My job is very very stressful.
> I'm seriously considering looking for a new job.  Like yesterday, my
> migraine was only on the right side of the head, and seemed to come
> from behind my right eye.  All I had was Tylenol which didn't help and
> Tylenol with codeine which didn't help the headache but did allow me
> to sleep all day.  Oddly enough I saw a tv show about migraines.  I
> plan to see a specialist this week as I can't stand the thought of
> another migraine Saturday.
>
> One final thought, for the past 5 years I've had what I thought were
> gall bladder attacks.  They occur on average twice a year.  I also
> have Crohn's disease so of course I thought they were a crohn's
> attack.  Twice I went to the ER and they checked everything and
> couldn't find any cause.  Ultrasound of gall bladder is normal.  It
> feels like someone is stabbing me with a knife, about 2 inches above
> the navel.  They last about 8-10 hours.  I had one back in January, a
> couple weeks into a new job.  And I had one last weekend.  I never
> heard of an abdominal migraine before the TV show but now I wonder if
> my stomache pain might be abdominal migraines?  I haven't found a
> description for what they actually feel but mine are definitely like a
> stabbing above the navel.
>
> Here in Paris we have a hospital with a migraine specialty.  Monday
> morning I'm going to make an appointment.  My mother had migraines for
> years so it's possible it's genetic.
>
> -Michael

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On 9 Oct 2004 22:49:09 -0700, newsbirdie@hotmail.com (NewsBirdie)
wrote:

>
>About 2 months ago I noticed that my headaches seem to be weather
>related.  I'm glad this is confirmed in this group, no I don't feel so
>crazy. ;)  I'm trying to find out more about this.  I've been reading
>the weather online each day to see the barometric pressure, but I
>haven't seen much of a correspondance, unless a change of only 10
>points can trigger a headache.  Has anyone done any measurements to
>see what kind of change triggers headaches?  I think I will start
>tracking the pressure 3x a day and see if I can make the connection.
>The weather trigger really became obvious for me while I was on
>vacation in Phoenix, AZ.  We'd been there for 2 weeks and I hadn't had
>any bad headaches.  The weather was the same every day, 110 degrees
>and sunny.  On the 2nd to last day I got a migraine.  Later that
>evening, a storm came, which is rare for Phoenix.  It was there that I
>made the connection.  Back at home in Paris, France, it's going from
>the sunny to rainy season and I've had lots of headaches.


I'll repost some links I have collected. I tried charting barometric
pressure on a spreadsheet along with symptoms and other possible
triggers. I found that I was soon able to farely accurately predict
the barometric pressure.

Unfortunately there is not one answer. Some people react to any change
at all. Others to a drop in pressure, others only if the change is
significant, others if the change is rapid, others to a rise in
pressure . . . The only thing to do is chart it and see what affects
you.

I have always felt better once a storm hits but my son says his head
begins to hurt then. I worked with a guy whose migraines would start
after mine was in full swing. I was kind of like the canary in the
mines for him.

Heat and humidity also affect me.

I haven't checked these links recently to see if they are still valid.

http://healingwellmigraines.subport..ine/111488.html
The researchers then analyzed government weather data and looked for
correlations:
Twenty-two percent of the patients were sensitive to low temperatures
and low humidity;
12 percent had migraines triggered by high temperatures and high
humidity;
A passing front or otherwise-changing weather pattern affected 10
percent; sensitivity to high barometric pressure affected 8 percent,
and low pressure affected 5 percent.
"For many years, we have known that weather changes can act as
triggers for migraine attacks," says Dr. Seymour Diamond, director and
founder of the National Headache Foundation. However, he adds,
"previous studies have shown that barometric pressure changes, rather
than the combination of low humidity and cold weather are
responsible."
http://www.weather.com/newscenter/t..>
graines.html
http://home.att.net/~jhonni/
http://www.nature.com/nsu/000203/000203-1.html
http://www.healingwell.com/library/..mcelhinney1.htm
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/den..21.ht
ml
http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/10c81e.htm
http://www.aan.com/neurovista/febma..article228.html
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1700.51371
http://www.migraine.ca/web/faq.htm
http://www.touchtmj4.com/4weather/w..nbarometers.asp
http://www.canoe.ca/HealthReference/migraine_9.html
http://www.headaches.org/topicsheet..r_physical.html
http://www.weather.com/maps/activit..ndex_large.html
http://www.pcipr.com/newsroom/IHC/2..IHC_Weather.asp
http://aol.weather.com/newscenter/t..>
thritis.html
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/6346/quest4.htm
http://members.rogers.com/cmmn/articles/migraine.html
http://members.rogers.com/cmmn/articles/cosmo

Kadee

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Hello,

I agree that it does not seem to be one thing. Here in Florida, I know that
getting dehydrated will do it for me, if it is the first day I have been out
in the heat (usually fishing or working in the yard) but if I do it a second
day, it probably won't. Some of the afternoon storms cause them. One of the
hurricanes as it passed by this summer - for 2 hours pain and then nothing.
If I change my sleep schedule on the weekend and sleep in late, I'll get
one. If I have been working on a project at work and am stressing, then I'm
fine. When the project is over and no stress, bam. I do think cutting way
back on caffeine has helped, too.


"kadee-did" <kadee@inorbit.com> wrote in message
news:5lmim0h4obmlnucskemjfiika9fl1vmjui@4ax.com..
> On 9 Oct 2004 22:49:09 -0700, newsbirdie@hotmail.com (NewsBirdie)
> wrote:
> 
>
>

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"NewsBirdie" <newsbirdie@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:f8e9d7ff.0410141220.51490761@posting.google.com..
> Update:
>
> The hospital with a migraine specialty was full but they referred me
> to a specialist in private practice.  He was very good, kept asking me
> if I had more questions and he took a lot of time to explain things to
> me.  I really liked him.  He gave me two medicines:
>
> Metoprolol 50mg/day
> Amitriptyline 10-20mg/day
>
> On the Amitriptyline he said to take 20mg but if it makes me too tired
> I can take less.  I told him how I wake up at 4 or 5am every day
> because I can't sleep and that I'd be glad to be tired!
>
> I've only taked them 2 days now so it's too early to tell if they're
> working.  I was having real migraines maybe 1 per month at the most,
> but a lot of dull headaches that made me feel like I was wearing a hat
> all the time.  I'm not sure what you call those.
>
> Anyway, I see in this group that these two medicines are very
> effective so I'm glad he chose them.  Thanks to everyone for the
> wonderful information here.
>
> -Michael

Both have good reputations as preventatives.  The amitriptyline (marketed in
the US as Elavil)can take 2-6 weeks to reach its therapeutic peak, so be
patient.  The Beta-blocker (metoprolol) will work faster.  I would love to
be able to take either Beta blockers or calcium channel blockers as
preventatives, but they gave me side effects, oh, like my skin turning blue,
fainting, having a pulse of 36, that sort of thing.  My dr at MHNI used to
joke, "We can give you more and you'll never have another headache again!"

Mike, did they give you anything to take as the headache strikes?  or any
techniques to cope with them? Do keep us posted!

Kelly

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Hi Michael,

Lucky you living in
Paris..actually I would say lucky you living a 2 hour  TGV ride from
Provence!  J'aime la belle france!.

As for your bad Saturdays..are you sleeping later than during the week?
That actually is a migrain trigger for many of us.  If you can rise at the
same time on Saturday, you might find they go away.  Some folks can actually
sneak back into bed after an hour or so, although I've never been able to do
this.

Good luck!

Kelly

"NewsBirdie" <newsbirdie@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:f8e9d7ff.0410092149.3bd0afb8@posting.google.com..
> First off I'm so glad I've found this group as I've learned so much
> this weekend searching through the posts.  I've been suffering from
> headaches for a while now.  I identified caffeine as a trigger over 10
> years ago and totally eliminated caffeine from my diet.  I can't stand
> the thought of eating chocolate any more because I know how bad I will
> feel the next day (the migraine comes almost exactly 20 hours after
> caffeine intake).  Then I found aspartame was giving headaches
> (non-migraine though).  For the past few years I've been having
> headaches and searching for the trigger.  In January a visit to an ENT
> gave me some relief, he did a cauterization.  That lasted about 4
> months and they're back, worse than ever.  Another cauterization and
> nasal sprays from the ENT don't seem to be helping.
>
> About 2 months ago I noticed that my headaches seem to be weather
> related.  I'm glad this is confirmed in this group, no I don't feel so
> crazy. ;)  I'm trying to find out more about this.  I've been reading
> the weather online each day to see the barometric pressure, but I
> haven't seen much of a correspondance, unless a change of only 10
> points can trigger a headache.  Has anyone done any measurements to
> see what kind of change triggers headaches?  I think I will start
> tracking the pressure 3x a day and see if I can make the connection.
> The weather trigger really became obvious for me while I was on
> vacation in Phoenix, AZ.  We'd been there for 2 weeks and I hadn't had
> any bad headaches.  The weather was the same every day, 110 degrees
> and sunny.  On the 2nd to last day I got a migraine.  Later that
> evening, a storm came, which is rare for Phoenix.  It was there that I
> made the connection.  Back at home in Paris, France, it's going from
> the sunny to rainy season and I've had lots of headaches.
>
> In the past 2 weeks, I've had two migraines on Saturdays.  I haven't
> observed any weather change overnight from the previous Fridays so I
> wonder if these are stress related.  My job is very very stressful.
> I'm seriously considering looking for a new job.  Like yesterday, my
> migraine was only on the right side of the head, and seemed to come
> from behind my right eye.  All I had was Tylenol which didn't help and
> Tylenol with codeine which didn't help the headache but did allow me
> to sleep all day.  Oddly enough I saw a tv show about migraines.  I
> plan to see a specialist this week as I can't stand the thought of
> another migraine Saturday.
>
> One final thought, for the past 5 years I've had what I thought were
> gall bladder attacks.  They occur on average twice a year.  I also
> have Crohn's disease so of course I thought they were a crohn's
> attack.  Twice I went to the ER and they checked everything and
> couldn't find any cause.  Ultrasound of gall bladder is normal.  It
> feels like someone is stabbing me with a knife, about 2 inches above
> the navel.  They last about 8-10 hours.  I had one back in January, a
> couple weeks into a new job.  And I had one last weekend.  I never
> heard of an abdominal migraine before the TV show but now I wonder if
> my stomache pain might be abdominal migraines?  I haven't found a
> description for what they actually feel but mine are definitely like a
> stabbing above the navel.
>
> Here in Paris we have a hospital with a migraine specialty.  Monday
> morning I'm going to make an appointment.  My mother had migraines for
> years so it's possible it's genetic.
>
> -Michael

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It's interesting that your European doctors put you on Amitriptyline.
That's what my Canadian doctor had me on (20mgs too), though when I
came back down to the States, the specialists here say they don't
prescribe it too much anymore. Seems the side effects bother people,
but my guess is that there are so many other newer drugs for people to
try. Amitriptyline took a few weeks to really start working. I slept
well (and had the strangest dreams!) and gained weight too. In fact,
that became a bit of a problem (I was thinking about food all the
time, which isn't normal for me) so I recently went off of it. But the
BEST thing about Amitriptyline besides the great sleeps was that it is
a very slight anti-depressant. I didn't realize until I started taking
it how depressed I had become over getting migraines. I just felt very
hopeless. The Amitriptyline pulled me out of my dark mood and I acted
more like my regular self. I hope it works for you.

Good luck!


newsbirdie@hotmail.com (NewsBirdie) wrote in message news:<f8e9d7ff.0410141220.51490761@post
ing.google.com>..
> Update:
>
> The hospital with a migraine specialty was full but they referred me
> to a specialist in private practice.  He was very good, kept asking me
> if I had more questions and he took a lot of time to explain things to
> me.  I really liked him.  He gave me two medicines:
>
> Metoprolol 50mg/day
> Amitriptyline 10-20mg/day
>
> On the Amitriptyline he said to take 20mg but if it makes me too tired
> I can take less.  I told him how I wake up at 4 or 5am every day
> because I can't sleep and that I'd be glad to be tired!
>
> I've only taked them 2 days now so it's too early to tell if they're
> working.  I was having real migraines maybe 1 per month at the most,
> but a lot of dull headaches that made me feel like I was wearing a hat
> all the time.  I'm not sure what you call those.
>
> Anyway, I see in this group that these two medicines are very
> effective so I'm glad he chose them.  Thanks to everyone for the
> wonderful information here.
>
> -Michael

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> Mike, did they give you anything to take as the headache strikes?  or any
> techniques to cope with them? Do keep us posted!

Yes he gave me a box (6 capsules) of Naratriptan.  I hope I won't need
to use it.

The Amitriptyline is making me very tired.  Before starting it, I wake
up between 4am - 5am and usually have trouble sleeping and finally
give up around 6-6:30am.  Often I go running at 6:30am!  Since
starting Amitriptyline I slept until my alarm goes off, haven't woken
up on my own at all!  Today is Saturday, and I slept until 9am.  And
I'm still tired.  Does anyone know if the tiredness will go away as I
get used to it?  It's nice to sleep well but being tired all day is
not good either.  I'm only taking 8mg, he said to go up 1mg a day to a
max of 20mg.  He said if I sleep too much to stop at 10mg.  I think I
might stop at 8mg!

No headaches this week, usually they're worse on the weekend so I'm
hoping they won't come! ;)

Thanks
Michael

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> It's interesting that your European doctors put you on Amitriptyline.
> That's what my Canadian doctor had me on (20mgs too), though when I
> came back down to the States, the specialists here say they don't
> prescribe it too much anymore. Seems the side effects bother people,
> but my guess is that there are so many other newer drugs for people to
> try. Amitriptyline took a few weeks to really start working. I slept
> well (and had the strangest dreams!) and gained weight too. In fact,
> that became a bit of a problem (I was thinking about food all the
> time, which isn't normal for me) so I recently went off of it. But the
> BEST thing about Amitriptyline besides the great sleeps was that it is
> a very slight anti-depressant. I didn't realize until I started taking
> it how depressed I had become over getting migraines. I just felt very
> hopeless. The Amitriptyline pulled me out of my dark mood and I acted
> more like my regular self. I hope it works for you.

The full price for my bottle is 3,48 Euros, a little over $4 US.    It
has 800 drops which at 10 per day is 80 days.  That's almost $1/month
for the treatment!  So it wouldn't suprise me if the US has never more
expensive medicines.

He started to give me something else but the side effect was diarrhea
and since I have Crohn's Disease he changed it to the Amitriptyline.

I've been sleeping too well, please tell me that the tiredness goes
away once we get used to it!

Also I'm rarely depressed but I do have a slight anxiety problem, so
I'm curious to see if either have anti-anxiety effects.  I read that
one of them does I don't remember which.

Finally, are these two medicines safe for long term usage?  It seems
people use a 6 month treatment and often when they try to stop the
migraines come back.  I hope to at least get on a minimum dose.

Thanks
Michael

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> The Amitriptyline is making me very tired.  .. Does anyone know if the
tiredness will go > away as I get used to it? .

In my experience, absolutely, yes.  When I first started on it, I was groggy
all the time.  Now, I'm fine during the day, but sleeping better at night.
Interestingly, on the rare occassions I forget to take it at night & instead
take in the morning, I am sleepy throughout the day .. but never as much
when it was new to me.  BTW I've been on it for many years.
As always, however, YMMV

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