Migraine

We had a little bit of discssion about this on another thread, and it piqued my interest so I thought I'd bring it up.

I see my "toolbox" as a list of things I do when my migraine pain is bad and I have exhausted my abortives. Or when I'm on an abortive and it isn't working on this mirgraine. And I am really curious to see what you all do when your migraine pain is bad. Basically, "what is in your toolbox?

I know there are a lot of things we say will probably overlap such as ice pacs or heat. But, I'm still interested to find out what you do that I might know about that I'd like to try to add to my "toolbox." I know my toolbox list is long, but I need a variety of things to choose from.

Here is what is in my toolbox:

*ice packs: I rig it w/headbands so that I can walk/sit around w/them on
*warm shower
*Pilates
*Headache Yoga
*sitting out on the porch in a comfy chair (getting some fresh air)
*while I'm in the comfy chair I love to listen to the birds singing.
*While I am outside reading & journaling
*Laying on my back in the grass (of course when it is a bit warmer!) I watch the clouds. It is very calming.
*listening to my relaxation cd
*diaphramatic breathing (breathe from your stomach not your chest)
*relax my jaw (I tend to clench my teeth without knowing it.)
*correct posture
*Take pills on time (I sometimes forget and that triggers my anxiety)
*Eat & drink appropriately
*Use biofeedback techniques
*Watch relaxing DvD of Hawaii...Just shows images of Hawaii with local music; I love it b/c I feel like I'm in Hawaii and it relaxes me. I guess you could say I'm taking a mini-vaca away from the pain.
*I have a bowl of shells that I hold in my hands and focus on teh rough edges of the broken ones and rub my fingers over the smooth ones. For some reason it is a really good distraction.
*I rock in a rocking chair. The movement helps calm me.
*watching Turner Classic Movie channel!
*praying for others.
*Reading encouraging scriptures/statements
*I also keep a headache notebook that I read. Just after I have gone through a rough spell where I have just lost all hope. I evtually come to a place where I regain hope. And I write down statements for myself (hope-filled ones) in the notebook. Rational ones that the pain will get better. So that next time I get to that "down frustrated angry hopeless" place again, I can look and see that the sun will come out again after this storm. I've found this to be helpful because even though my DH tries so hard to say the right things...nothing is better than myself talking to myself through the pain. This tool has proved invaluable!

Phew...that was long! Okay Have at it! I can't wait to hear what is in your "toolbox!"

Kelly

Let's see if I can remember everything!

* Ginger or peppermint Altoids (amazing for nausea)
* Herbal tea: ginger peppermint, orange ginger mint, or lavender, depending if I'm more headachey or more nauseous
* Lavender or peppermint essential oil (I have a burner)
* This "headache relief" stick I bought that has lavendar, sweet almond and peppermint essential oils - apply to temples and the back of my neck
* Lavender lotion for my hands
* Lavender soap in the shower
* Warm shower
* Ice pack, or cooling patch
* Hot tub of water for my feet
* Mindless tv - the stupider, the better
* Crocheting
* Cross-stitching
* Reading, if I'm up to it
* Relaxation techniques I learned in biofeedback - diaphramatic breathing and a few others
* Fresh air
* Coffee - don't use this one too much anymore
* Walking around sometimes helps
* Lots of water
* Curling up on the couch with a warm blanket, a sleepy kitty and my boyfriend

I think that's it - herbal tea is my big one. And anything lavender. I just bought some new lavender hand lotion for work.

Hi Kelly. What a great idea. I don't have nearly that much in my toolbox! I will post it later, I have a BEASTIE right now. I just saw waht you posted about using your icepacks with headbands. I use to do that, too, until I found really good ones that go in a sleeve with velcro. It my absolute most favorite thing. They have the plastic ones with velcro,too, but I don;t like them as much. I tend to need something between me and the plastic and they don't stay cold nearly as long. I bough mine at Wal-Mart, but they quit carrying them last year. They had 4 left on clearance and I bought them all!! (The velcro wears out after a while)

I just found the package of the last unopened one I had, and it has a website on it. It is www.medi-temp.com
You should check it out. It has been a lifesaver for me. It is so convenient, and like I said, it stays cold for a long time. You can also use it on your neck.

I hope this helps. And I will try to get back on here and list my toolbox tomorrow.

Sherry

Wow, MJ, I never thought of lavender products. Even after talking meds that usually knock me out in the evenings, I still am awake! Someone had recommended lavendar befoe, but I just brushed off thier suggestion. What cool idea. I may look around for some lavendar soap or cancles or essential oils. So cool!

How does the hot tub help your feet? Does it distract the pain from your head? I've never heard of this before.

This is so cool to hear your ideas. I'm going to add some of them to my toolbox if you don't mind!

Kelly

Thanks Sherry, I'll look that up...the ice pack that is. With the ones where the velco wore out, could you go to a craft store or a hardware store adn buy Velcro to replace the old ones on your ice pack holder? I think I might have even seen this at the grocery store in their misc. aisle. Sometimes you can get relly heavy duty stuff. And it is preety easy to apply.

Oh and I hope teh beastie goes away soon!

Kelly

My computer,
My gobs of ice packs, warm packs, etc...
my kitty cats
my brookstone "Nap" products

You guys

Ice pack
Hot shower
Fan (for noise and because my head burns during a migrine)
Relaxing my jaw
Coke
Massage from dh
Praying

Jamie, Oh! kitty cats is such a good one! My dog is such a good comforter for me. Btw, what are brookstone "Nap" products? And you are so right... "you guys" is a huge one for me too now that I've found you!

Deb, I love the massage idea from DH! I may just steal that one!

Kelly

I buy a lot of my lavender products at The Body Shop, simply because they don't add any extra fragrances. It's sometimes hard to find lavender without vanilla added, but The Body Shop's products have never given me a problem. They also sell essential oils.

The hot tub of water for your feet helps because it draws the blood out of your head. Used in combination with an icepack on my head, it helps a lot more than you would think! Sometimes I add peppermint foot salts to the tub of water, too.

Feel free to add some of these tools. I'm so glad you started this thread! I'm looking forward to reading what everyone else has to say.

quote:

Originally posted by Kelly, FlywithHope:
Wow, MJ, I never thought of lavender products. Even after talking meds that usually knock me out in the evenings, I still am awake! Someone had recommended lavendar befoe, but I just brushed off thier suggestion. What cool idea. I may look around for some lavendar soap or cancles or essential oils. So cool!

How does the hot tub help your feet? Does it distract the pain from your head? I've never heard of this before.

This is so cool to hear your ideas. I'm going to add some of them to my toolbox if you don't mind!

Kelly

quote:

Originally posted by Kelly, FlywithHope:
Jamie, Oh! kitty cats is such a good one! My dog is such a good comforter for me. Btw, what are brookstone "Nap" products? And you are so right... "you guys" is a huge one for me too now that I've found you!

Deb, I love the massage idea from DH! I may just steal that one!

Kelly

Kelly,

Here is the link to one part of the "nap set" from Brookstone. I have a version of this with eye shades... I guess it's the travel version. But, here's a picture of a similar product

Good question. Let's see. Things in my toolbox...

* sense o' hoomer
* family time
* calling my sister
* playing games I have to concentrate on on the puter, like Alchemy and Luxor
* my ice blob
* reading
* a nice warm bubble bath with a book
* lounging around with my fuzzy blanket and a book if I can handle it or maybe a movie
* going for a walk and getting some fresh air
* forum time~ very much so
* a nice mug of tea or a Pepsi break

Hey, where's all the pillows?

quote:

Originally posted by dragondroolHOST:
Good question. Let's see. Things in my toolbox...

* sense o' hoomer
* family time
* calling my sister
* playing games I have to concentrate on on the puter, like Alchemy and Luxor
* my ice blob
* reading
* a nice warm bubble bath with a book
* lounging around with my fuzzy blanket and a book if I can handle it or maybe a movie
* going for a walk and getting some fresh air
* forum time~ very much so
* a nice mug of tea or a Pepsi break

Oh, I forgot to add Coca Cola. Ain't nothing like the real thing, baby!

Gatorade too, but that's more of a postdrome thing.

Books on tape or podcasts. I'm photophobic, not phonophobic, and I tend to get agitated if I have nothing to do, or listen to- which would make the migraine worse.

Knowing that the beastie is gonna be over sometime soon, and that if it gets really bad, I can call a friend to take me to the ER.

* Massage from dh (tops on the list)
* A cup of tea
* Hot shower
* Balancing Oil (aromatherapy oil mixture with peppermint,
great on temples and neck)
* Gentle stretches for my neck and shoulders
* Phone number for the local pizza take-out for the family's dinner
or a casserole stashed in the freezer
* A "free pass" (I give myself permission to let go of some of the
responsibilities of the day)
* Play-doh, watercolors, coloring books, and videos for the children

Wow, I really didn't realize I had so many.

Liz

My toolbox contains:

*hot tea with sweet and low and half and half
*Coke Classic
*Pepto
*purring kitty (any one of my 5 will do)
*laying down
*hot shower
*my forum family
*all ringers off/phones go unanswered
*depending on how bad it is - I may play a video game, but I usually don't do a tv show that I really like because I can't really concentrate on it. I may watch a movie - but again not one that requires following plot.