I can feel it the minute I open my eyes in the morning; the beginnings of a menstrual migraine. My eyes are heavy, a distant throb lurks in my head, every muscle in my neck and shoulders is tight and sore and if I don’t take immediate action the migraine will blossom into a full fledged, send me to bed, pounding. I don’t care for the spacey feeling prescription pain-killers give me so I have developed my own migraine home treatment strategies.
I never used to have migraines but around the age of forty this new symptom reared its ugly head. They usually show up the day or two before my period and disappear when my period starts. The older I get and the closer to menopause the worse my periods seem to be. I bleed heavier, have worse cramping, headaches, and get- shall we say- crankier.
Hot Showers and Stretches
I have a family and full time job so pulling the covers over my head and refusing to move doesn’t work very well for me. So, I force myself out of bed and into a hot shower. I try and take an extra five minutes in the shower to do neck rolls and shoulder stretches, and massage the tight muscles with the water as hot as I can stand it.
Over-the-Counter drugs
My migraine home treatment plan is dependent on over the counter medications. I take a full dose of naproxen or ibuprofen in the morning. I usually alternate medications every three hours, with my doctor’s approval. See your doctor before taking more than the recommended dosage of any medicine. I am careful to take the pills on time because if the medication runs out, I will have a full blown migraine and the pills won’t help at all.
I am not much of a breakfast person. Sure, I know it’s supposed to be the most important meal of the day and blah, blah, blah but I usually make do with a cup or three of coffee and call it good. However, when I wake up to a menstrual migraine, I find eating a little something helps stop the mild nausea from becoming worse. I usually have a banana or toast and of course, coffee. The food also helps stop me from feeling too shaky and is necessary to avoid problems with the medications.
At work during the day I try and take a few quiet minutes, usually over lunch, to close my eyes and rub my shoulders. I hang my head forward and push my fingers firmly into the tight muscles of my shoulders and neck. If I’m lucky, I can get a co-worker to give me a quick massage. A can of pop helps when I start to drag in the afternoon. The caffeine helps keep the headache at bay and perks me up a little.
In the evening, I usually try to get to bed early and do as little as possible. A heating pad on my neck helps. No arguing with the kids, vacuuming, shopping, gardening or anything strenuous or stressful. The dust bunnies will wait and the kids will be ready to argue whenever I am.
Migraine Home Treatment Works for Me
My home treatment strategies do not make my migraines disappear but they do dull the pain and bring it down to a more manageable level. I know I’m lucky as I can usually manage the migraine pain with relaxation strategies and over the counter medications but I sure don’t feel lucky when I wake up with the beginnings of a menstrual migraine. If your migraines are disrupting your life, seek treatment from a doctor.
