Natural Remedies for Migraines

I have been using Cayenne pepper to treat my Migraines. I take 2 small caps. and an over the counter pain reliever. I DO NOT take any "Migraine" Medication with Cayenne pepper. But I find that it works great. I also take cayenne pepper the day after a migrain to get rid of the remnants of it.

I frequently have headaches and migraines and was complaining at work one day about how nothing works and a coworker suggested that I try cayenne pepper on the tip of my tongue. Her grandfather swore by it and she agreed it worked. Well, today was the moment of truth. I woke up with a headache and reached for a pinch of cayenne to put at the tip of my tongue. Since it is a pepper it does burn a bit, but within minutes my headache was gone. I'm a believer!

Once migraine becomes chronic the nerves in the head become over sensitised, small triggers become a major cause of pain and the cycle is difficult to break.

I've had a Cefaly neuromodulation device for about 2 years. It was almost unendurable to use at first, probably due to this over sensitisation effect. I used it as recommended, daily, for the first month or two but I admit I slackened off and used it only occasionally thereafter. Gradually it became easier to use and I restarted the daily use this year. Only then did it really work. I've had only one migraine in the last two months (usually average 13 per month).

It's not cheap (about £300) and the electrodes have to be bought regularly (they last longer if you're scrupulous about cleaning your brow before use, and putting them straight back on their plastic sheet afterwards). However, this device has broken a chronic migraine condition that's lasted decades.

I should add, I've been careful never to overuse migraine medicines, though I suspect the bar is set too high, especially for ergotamine-containing meds and some people can probably go into overuse while keeping well within the recommended limits.

Eliminating any source of inflammation, so far as possible, also has a role to play. Gum health is critical and food intolerances should be explored.

I also take a couple of supplements and it's taken a few years to hit on a combo that seems to work for me. Magnesium L-Threonate, a B multi; and Vitamin D in Winter. I do better without the high dose vitamin B2 recommended by headache doctors.

Celery juice has been a MIRACLE for me. JUST celery juice alone...no other fruit or veggies. Drink on an empty stomach is best but if you can't drink whenever. I had migraines for years and drinking celery juice every day - one cup - CURED them.

As one of the most vivid memories of early childhood, migraine headaches have been a part of my life since the age of four. Luckily, they occurred about once a year until my teenage years when they came on with a vengeance, at least 4 times a year. In my twenties, I discovered foods were a trigger; usually coffee, chocolate and especially cheddar cheese, with the older the cheese, the more severe and quicker the onset of pain.

I tried acupuncture and new prescription glasses but get headaches persisted. In all fairness, acupuncture helped but with varying degrees of success. In my late forties, exercise was the new trigger, with intense running, pull-ups and even moderate yoga triggering the headaches.

Finally, my wife mentioned that her yoga teacher was a chiropractor and new exactly how to solve my headaches. After three short 10 minute visits to the chiropractor, cracking my spine in the neck and back, I am migraine free. Now I perform yoga twice a day and avoid my trigger foods and have been migraine free for three months.

WARNING!

I, too, signed up for one year of chiropractic adjustments to help prevent migraines. Started out at 3 times a week and would slowly decrease to just once a week (once you are 'adjusted', you need less 'adjusting' :) The first month, I had one of my worst migraines EVER! I decided that things are moving around and maybe I have to get a little worse before I can get a little better. The next month, 'normal' amount of migraines. The next month... A few more than usual. And, month four... WORST MIGRAINE MONTH EVER IN MY LIFE. The kicker is that I would walk into the clinic without a migraine. The chiropractor would knock me in the head with that 'miniature cattle knocker'. I would leave with a monster migraine starting. I let this go on for a month. It got to the point that I was getting a mild migraine out of nervousness to go see the chiropractor who was going to give me a migraine all in the efforts to PREVENT migraines. And I was paying for all this wonderfulness! Would you believe that I lost 8 months of money on that contract?? I signed it. I owed. Even though the services were harming me. I'm not saying dont try it, I'm just relating my experiences. I would suggest not signing a contract, though, at any rate, until you are sure youre headed in the right direction.

Migraines began with cycle but progressed into 14-day long periods of pain, nausea and light sensitivity. They do run in my family. Tried ACV, magnesium, riboflavin and elimination of caffeine to no avail. My chiropractor did a nerve study and I began an aggressive series of 48 visits starting at 3 times per week. I am 99% better! I might have 1 migraine every 3 months now, which is still usually cyclic and they are not at their previous intensity.

Dear Earthclinic, Thank you for putting up such a fabulously informative site. I am a daily visitor. After reading some virtues of coconut oil on your site, I decided to drink it daily for weight loss. Well, I began to notice that if I had a couple of teaspoons coconut oil in the morning with my breakfast, then I didnt get acidity the entire day. Also, I didnt get migraines that day. I am quite susceptible to migraines close to my periods. So during those days, I have a couple of teaspoonfuls twice/thrice a day, and dont get migraines that day. In fact, I now carry a small bottle of coconut oil in my purse, and drink some of it if I start feeling a migraine coming on, or if I start feeling nauseous(sign of acidity)--after drinking the oil I burp (because of acid base neutalization and subsequent gas release, I guess), and my acidity/migraine goes off.If I am home, I may drink the coconut oil with some cold milk--helps immensely. If I am out, I drink the coconut oil by itself, and just drink some water on top of it to take the oil taste off my mouth. Ever since I started taking coconut oil (thanks to earthclinic), I have been free of migraines and acidity nausea. My facial skin had open pores previously--the pores have closed now (!!) since drinking coconut oil and skin looks moisturized. Thanks again.

I avoid anything with coconut oil in it! It gives me terrible migraine headaches. My whole family runs this allergic reaction. Now, I don't know if it's "virgin" - it's the C.O. you see in lots of products (candy, esp.) A small amount can set me back for a day; more has caused me a visit to the ER! I did not run across anyone else who said they had the same reaction, but my dad, aunts, cousins, etc. all are allergic to C.O.

I have suffered with hormonal migraines for years. My last pregnancy I had them every day for my entire second trimester. 3 months straight... I'm pregnant again and started getting them again at 12 weeks. They are incapacitating, and brutal. I just recently discovered if I drink 8 oz. coconut water every day, they drastically improved.

I ran out of coconut water and didn't take it for about 5 days.. yesterday, the migraines came back. I'm convinced there's something to replenishing your electrolytes, since coconut water is SO good at keeping you hydrated and has the best source of electrolytes.

Also, it's much more tasty if you mix it in with a smoothie, or some pineapple juice.

I have suffered from migraines for many years, quite often relating to my menstrual cycle. I feel like I had tried everything, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, drugs, changing my diet, and nothing seemed to make a difference.

I usually just lay in bed with a hot water bottle attached to my head for hours on end, waiting for sleep to come so I could sleep it off.

However, I think I have finally found a remedy that works regularly for me.

One thing I have found about migraines is that they are connected to dilation and constriction of blood vessels in the brain. When you get a migraine, your blood vessels dilate.

So, the magic cure for me is two things.

A) as soon as I start getting ANY sign of a migraine, I drink the strongest coffee I can find and as much of it as I want. I don't normally drink coffee, so it affects me quickly. The coffee constricts the blood vessels and helps ease the pain of the swelling in the brain.

B) also what I do is heat up my feet and cool down my head. This helps with my circulation. I find when I have a migraine, my feet get very cold, so if I heat them up by soaking them in hot water or using a hot water bottle on them and cool down my head with a cool compress, I get relief.

Finally, I have been taking gingko biloba regularly as it is good for improving circulation.

I have not had problems with migraines now for almost 8 months.

I started suffering from migraines a few years ago and I had tried almost all natural cures I found in books, sites (I tried almost all cures listed in this site) etc.. I was desperate the migraines were getting worst there were days I could not even got up from bed. While visiting my grandma I mentioned the migraines and she told me to try coffee with a few drops of lemon. Since I don't like coffee and had tried almost everything I thought it wasn't something as simple as a cup of coffee that would make me feel better. One day I was so desperate that I remind that and thought I had nothing to lose trying it. I drank a cup of coffee with 5/6 drops of lemon and it was like a miracle the migraine was gone in 15 minutes. I hope this could help people who, like me, suffers from bad migraines and their bodies don't react well to other cures.

I first started taking cold showers as a suggested remedy for migraines. It more than worked. It also helped alleviate skin breakouts, regular muscle cramping, and some blood pressure issues (I changed nothing else in diet or exercise to be sure this was what was having the effects) I find it's best to start barely warm and slowly get to cold. If you can't stand ice cold at first just go "on the cool side" till you get a tolerance. You don't have to *freeze* to get the benefits. Also I find cold baths do *not* have the same therapeutic effect as' cold showers (anyone else?)

In the summer time when I get a migraine that would not quit, I would go in the afternoon to the springs, which is like jumping into ice water, and the migraine would got away instantly, I had always used ice packs which helped, but did not get rid of them, jumping in ice cold springs did, which would be the same as really cold water in your shower or bath.

After suffering from 2 migraines in one week, I decided to try colloidal silver. If migraines are caused by an underlying infection, this will truly heal you! I took one teaspoon, three times per day. By day 3, for the first time in weeks, I no longer needed Claritin, Advil, or natural supplements. In addition, I am eating cilantro daily mixed in a smoothie (1/2 cup). Read the testimonials on colloidal silver and you will be amazed.