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Posted 7/11/2006 7:48 PM (GMT -8)
When I was 18 I was diagnosed with migraines.  They mostly appeared around the time of my periods and were effected by chocolate, dairy and red wine.  I am 46 now and over the years the character of my headaches have changed.  I never did have auras but have always had light and sound sensitivity.  Now the only trigger that I seem to have is a sudden lowering of barametric pressure.  Anyone else have that exprience?  I have taken Imotrex for these headaches for the past 8 years and it has been wonderful!
Posted 7/12/2006 3:47 PM (GMT -8)
I get them almost every rainy or heavy day. It's my most consistent trigger. I also get some sinus pressure on days like this, so at first it was hard to tell them apart, but sinus headaches don't make you nauseous or light sensitive and respond to tylenol.

I bet others respond to air pressure. I always have been able to feel it in my brain (like a funny rush) when the pressure changed (especially when travelling) For four years I lived at a very high altitude in NM and could feel the change in pressure in my head driving from Albuquerque to Gallup.

I think it makes perfect sense that your system would respond to the change in pressure with a migraine. Migraine often are triggered by changes in routine, plus, like the ears, our vascular system would be pressure sensitive. Our whole body is. It's a combination of solid, liquid and gas, so changes in pressure could effect lots of things.

Kate
Posted 7/14/2006 9:53 AM (GMT -8)
hi everyone!
I thought my migraines were sinus related too, and my otolarengoligist thought it could be as well, so I had a sinus endoscopy done. Thats where they go up in your sinus' and shave the blockages out. They take out tissue and bone fragment, and in my case, polups. I have much better sinus' now, and hardly ever get sick, so thats a miracle in itself, but I still get migraines!
My question is this, Does any doctor really know what causes migraines? Can they tell you where they come from??
Thanks!
Shannon
Posted 7/21/2006 12:48 PM (GMT -8)

Oh my gosh, this is the bain of my existance.  Constant changes in weather have been giving me migraines for a long time.  As soon as I feel that the weather is changing, I hit my abortive, Stadol Nasal spray.  It is the only thing I have ever found that has the chance of warding off a migraine.  The only bad part is when it happens during the night while I'm asleep, I'll wake up with a full-blown migraine.  I also have the same problem with extreme temperature changes setting off an episode.  I really sympathize with you.  This usually ends up in a trip to the ER at least once a week.  I can't wait for fall to come.  Keep us updated on how you are doing.

Best wishes,

Leigh Ann cool

Posted 7/28/2006 9:57 AM (GMT -8)
I have always been effected by humidity, heat, and extreme cold, and living in New England you can experience 2 out of 3 on any given day. People have always thought I was nuts or making excuses for why I couldn't do things (ie. lay out in the sun, work in the garden, or go to outside events on a really hot or humid day). It is really comforting to know that other people in this world do understand where I am coming from. My daughters think it is really funny that I can predict when we are going to have a thundershower because I get a headache about an hour before...I don't find it amusing whatsoever, but at least someone gets some entertainment out of it. I had really good luck with Imitrex for a long time, but then it stopped working and no other Triptan seems to work at all for me. I am currently on Midrin when I have a headache (might as well say almost daily),Lexapro 20mg a day, and Percocet for when nothing else works (about 20% of the time) I get headaches on average of 16 days a month, but the Midrin has been a lifesaver.
Posted 7/31/2006 11:56 AM (GMT -8)

NHKAT,

I can tell the weather just like that also.  Since your Imitrex isn't working for you anymore, I might suggest my abortive (STADOL NASAL SPRAY), which works great if I get that kind of lead time.  It isn't much good, say, if you wake up with a full-blown migraine, but it is the bomb if you can catch it up front. 

Just my experience,

Leigh Ann cool

Posted 8/2/2006 11:34 AM (GMT -8)
Only problem with that for me is that I had sinus surgery in April and they don't want me to use any of the sinus stuff yet.
Posted 8/4/2006 10:57 AM (GMT -8)
You are the same age as me and I am noticing an increase in mine and I'm blaming it on pre-menopause.  Though I live in Calif. where there is not much of a change in pressure, I got home from a vacation in Chicago two days ago and yesterday down with migraine all day.  It was cloudy and humid and rainy.  I think that might have triggered it, although everytime I fly I get a headache that night or the next day. I don't get it.
Posted 8/6/2006 1:16 PM (GMT -8)
Hubby was on stadol. That is a pain med and very addictive. Hubby can tell when the pressure is dropping before the weather forecasts it. Flying which he has to do doesn't seem to bother him it is when storms are here or around.
Posted 8/11/2006 8:47 AM (GMT -8)

Hello all, I am new to this site as my headaches are just getting to the point where I have to stay in bed for a full day.  I really believe they are weather related.  I am also per-menopausal (I think)!  Anyway, where do I start? Can a dr really do anything for these, or do they just go away.  They are really draining me monthly (also around my period).  Thanks for any info.

MA

Posted 8/21/2006 9:15 AM (GMT -8)
Hi,

I have been getting migraines since I was about 16 and I am 42 now.  My earlier ones were all cyclical but now I do seem to notice that I get what I call "marathon migraines".  Its Monday now and I have had one since Friday - and we have had storm system all weekend.

I currently take Topomax, Fioricet, and Maxalt. 

Haven't found anything that breaks these marathon migraines but the Topo does help somewhat.

smurf

 

Posted 8/21/2006 2:13 PM (GMT -8)

Hi Cheryl, thanks for the info.  I am seeing my doc in the morning; I will ask him re the meds.  Do you feel better as soon as the storm starts?  I do.  It's like a feeling of relief instantly.  I sometimes get dizziness and aura - everything but the migraine.  Is this common?  Thanks again, and hope you're feeling better.

MAXX

Posted 8/22/2006 8:26 AM (GMT -8)
Hi Maxx,

Yes I do get relief once the storm hits or passes.

I also get the aura/spots in my eyes, nauseua etc, without getting full blown migraines. They scare me all the time.

One thing that helps is that I take a maintenance dose of the Topomax, but if I am stuck in one of those marathon migraines the Dr has me up the dosage for a few days.

Cheryl
Posted 8/26/2006 4:41 PM (GMT -8)
The weather definetly triggers my migraines. I don't think age plays a roll in this either. Oh, I hate migraines. I take Stadol for mine.

Susie
Posted 8/27/2006 3:29 AM (GMT -8)
Hi All,
I also get barometric migraines and relief when it rains.
Breathing pure oxygen at the first sign has helped me. I also take Imetrix if I'm not fast enough with the oxygen. I get a migraine the night of any fly time.
I used to get the blinding auras about 20 minutes before horrific head pain. (20 years) Now, for the last 10 years, I get auras that are sorta fun, if I'm not doing anything important. My own private light show that lasts about 10 min. without any follow-up migraine.
The migraines come on about an hour after I eat in the evening so I take excedrine after eating and it subdues them. I average about 3 a week. about 6 weeks ago, I tried some Hoodia, an appetite suppressant, over the counter (Hoodia.com) and I havent had a migraine since. I have posted about it.
Retouch
Posted 8/27/2006 2:17 PM (GMT -8)
Hi, I hope you get this message, this is the first time I have been on this site. I suffer from barometric migraines horribly. I even had a terrible sinus surgery which just about killed me, and to NO relief from these migraines. My e mail address is jbruch@buckeyeweb.com, just incase I cannot get back into this site.
Posted 5/24/2007 12:38 PM (GMT -8)

 

I have had migraines since I was 17, I am now 48.  I had 2-3 migraines a year.  Now I am geting 2-3 a month.  My whole life I lived below sea level and now I live at 8000 feet.  After a very bad storm and coming out of the fog of a migraine, I realized that the barametric pressure always changed right before I got a migraine.  I beleive that the cause of my headache are the high  the barametric pressure and the high alitude doesn't help.  I am ready move out of the mountains.

Also, Topomax made my headaches worse.  I was have rebound headaches after taking my these meds as well as others.  Stadol is great fun but the worse for rebound headaches AND addiction problems.

After doing some reading my uneducated solution would be oxygen when these incidents occur.  Does any one have an opionion on this and how do I go about getting oxygen?

Thanks!

Sick

Posted 5/31/2007 2:40 PM (GMT -8)
Hi Sick of Headaches,

Welcome to Healing Well. I sort of understand your thinking where oxygen is concerned and the weather systems!!

Oxygen is given as an abortive treatment for Clusterheadache as it has the same effect on the blood vessels in the head as Imitrex does!!! It's use in migraine is not yet proven!

However, that said I have home oxygen as an abortive my my headaches which I have found very useful although it does not work all of the time. I only use it as an abortive! It is high flow oxygen 7 -15 litres per minute with a non-rebreather mask (mask with no holes in it). This allows you to breathe 100% pure oxygen, which as I said before when it works has the same effect as imitrex but without the side effects. But also unlike Imitrex can be used many times per day!!!!

Now my headaches may not be migraine, I am still waiting for a diagnosis! I am in the UK, so I do not know where you are so cannot advise you as how to obtain the oxygen! Also I can have up to 5 attacks per week!

I hope this helps, please do not be afraid to ask any more questions!

take care

Ann
Posted 8/18/2008 7:13 AM (GMT -8)
Living in the NE of the US we have an abundance of high and low pressure weather patterns.   I suffer.  A lot.  I just spent a year in the SE and was much healthier.  It does make a difference where you live.  I wake up and go to bed with a headache everyday and they are more intense when the weather is crappy.... what, in NY?  Really?

I wish there was something to do.  I have PTC and a valve that regulates the spinal fluid in my brain, but the weather messes it up.  I hate it.  I have no abortives, am told NOT to take otc medicines such as advil, tylenol, etc because of rebound headaches.  I have a great neurologist, but I don't get much relief from these headaches.  Stress increases them too so it is cyclic.  Headache, stress, more headaches, more stress, depression, headache/stress, suicidal.... awful.

 

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