Could you actually die from a headache? Possibly.
At least, thats what I thought was going to happen yesterday when my head was pounding incessantly and someone kept stabbing my brain with a butcher knife. It actually got so bad that I had to go to the doctors office to see what they could do.
It actually started on Sunday so I had a sinking feeling that it was going to get worse. I was hoping that it would go away after the night, but I was wrong.
For anyone who doesn’t know, migraines are basically king size headaches that usually affect a specific area on you head. Frequently connecting to one or both eyes, migraines can be cause by anything from food to lights. Its also very specific to people so no two migraine sufferers have the same triggers. For one person it could be eating MSG; for another, it could be stress or bright sunshine. There is also no cure; only preventative measures. There are medicines available to help with the affects when you have a migraine, but these are expensive and don’t always work.
The outcome of my long doctors visit (about 3 hours) was a prescription for 9 Imitrex pills and a list of common trigger foods. Not exactly a magic wand fix, but it helps a bit.
I was curious, thought, why she (my doctor) only gave me 9 pills. When we went to fill the prescription though, we found that the pills to be over $30 a piece! Since I didn’t really have $300 to burn on medicine, I got 2 (which were $20 after insurance).
My usual remedy for migraines was caffeine, nicotine, and chocolate, which I used for years with success. However, I recently quit smoking so nicotine is out. Caffeine dehydrates and can cause worse headaches. And I don’t have any chocolate on hand. So it looks like I’m going to have to find another relief source.
I’m curious to know how many other people get migraines and what they use to help them. Anyone out there have a sure fire remedy they use for migraines? An old wives tale cure? A guess?