Migraines
Natural Remedies

Natural Remedies for Migraines

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.

Stevia

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
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Posted by Sonja (Greenwood, La) on 07/18/2011
★★★★★

About a year ago I stopped drinking anything with caffeine in it and quit eating chocolate as this was advice given in a book about preventing migraines. It helped my migraines not to be as long and as painful, but they came back none the less. I decided to stop using artificial sweetener in my lemonade I make every day and started using Stevia. One package every morning is all I use. I NEVER get migraines anymore as long as I faithfully use this natural sweetener. I have made the mistake of not using it for a couple of days and I wind up with the start of a migraine. But if I take some stevia, mix it in some water and drink it real fast before the migraine gets worse, it gets rid of it for me. I don't know what it is about this natural sweetener that has cured my migraines but I thought I'd share it with others just in case it can help them too. The stevia I get is the Wal-Mart brand that is in the vitamin section in a box.


Stop Drinking Tea

2 User Reviews
5 star (2) 
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Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn.) on 11/15/2007
★★★★★

To Lisa from St. Clair Shores, Michigan (ll/14/07)' Were you perhaps using Nutrisweet (aspartame) to sweeten all that green tea you were drinking? If so, it was more likely that aspartame was causing your headaches - it is notarious for causing headaches and many other problems. Honey or stevia is a much safer sweetener.


Stop Drinking Tea
Posted by Lisa (St. Clair Shores, Michigan) on 11/14/2007
★★★★★

Just wanted to let people know if you have terrible migraines, consider your diet. I started a journal and realized I was drinking about 6-8 cups of green or white tea daily for the health benefits; when I stopped drinking it, my migraines disappeared instantly. I had suffered terribly with migraines 1-3 weekly for about 10 years! Hope this can help someone. Please share with anyone who gets a migraine.

Replied by Vickie
(Spokane, WA)
12/26/2008

It was probably the caffeine in the tea that was giving you the headaches. Green Tea is high in caffeine. I don't know about the White Tea.

Replied by G
(Spain)
11/10/2016

Tea, black, green and puerrh all destroy Dao the enzyme that regulates histamine - too much histamine- migraine.


Supplements

2 User Reviews
5 star (2) 
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Posted by Vi (Saskatoon, Canada) on 06/01/2009
★★★★★

PMS/Menstruation/Migraines:

I decided to try a new vitamin and supplement regime to get myself off of a very expensive migraine medication that I needed without fail on a monthly basis! However I've been surprised at the changes that went beyond just no migraines. I felt happy, no bloating, lots of energy, and once my period started, I didn't have the awful lower back pain (I actually cleaned the car and ran errands on the first day), and NO MIGRAINES! If you can believe it I didn't even need an Advil. I'm kind of amazed at this because I don't have a great diet, and don't get as much exercise as I should. Unfortunately it's hard to tell what exactly is doing the trick, but from research on this site and others I've started taking:
*SAMe - S-adenosylmethionine - 12 days before - noticeable improvement in mood
*Vitamin B6 - start 12 days before
*Vitamin B complex - daily
*probiotic - daily
* Vit E - daily
*Mg - daily
*Calcium - daily - at night - to help with sleep, and interferes with absorption of other vitamins
* 1 tbsp flax oil, split over 1.5 tsp am and pm or I feel nauseous
* Salmon oil - daily
* 2 tbs apple cider vinegar - one am and one pm - so far only the common brand but will try organic next time
* garlic tablets (improves circulation)

I've also been taking melatonin, starting 12 days before, but I suspect that it's actually making my sleep worse, though some sites say it can help with migraines.

Replied by Anonymous
(Anonymous, USA)
06/02/2009

Magnesium is supposed to help migraines.

Replied by Kat
(Lax, Ca)
04/02/2011
★★★★★

Once I hit my early fourties I notices I started having migraines every month, some would last for over three days! Anyhow, I noticed it was right around the time of my cycle. I've seen all the specialist and tried some things. I really wanted something easy and natural, that I can take when I'm traveling. A Naturopathic medicine doctor , she suggested BUTTERBUR extract. I take a few when I feel the slight pressure in my head, and I know it is an early sign of migraine coming on. Anyhow, BUTTERBUR extract apparently increases circulation in the brain. This has been truly amazing! No more migraines! Hopefully, BUTTERBUR extract will help other be cured of migraines.


Swedish Bitters, Digestive Complex, Vitamin B12

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
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Posted by Takoda (Xeresa, Spain) on 05/20/2010
★★★★★

10 years of weekly migraines gone with Swedish bitters, a digestive complex and sublingual vit B12.

I take 2 tablespoons of Swedish bitters at the slightest hint of migraine- sometimes several times a day(I take a bottle wherever I go).
Also I take 30 drops of a digestive complex which has artichoke(cynara scolymus),fumaria (fumaria officinalis), boldo(peumus boldus Mol) bitter chamomile, rosemary and artimisia absinthium). These I take after any cooked meal.

And I take 2 sublingual vit B12 a day, double the recommended dose.

I would recommend a big lettuce based raw vegetable salad everyday as one main meal and I believe that all the above would cure any migraine that is digestion related. (I feel my whole chemistry has changed)

Good luck.


Taurine

1 User Review
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Posted by Prioris (ME) on 03/28/2023
★★★★★

There are quite a few reports on internet that Taurine is helping many people with migraines. I had occipital neuralgia and it greatly calmed down the pain. I took 2000 mg twice a day untill it was gradually minimized. I think mine starts with very subtle anxiety that eventually translates to pain in back of neck and head. It hurts when I put my head on pillow.

I speculate that if you have osteoarthritis which is caused by systemic infection, that will also contribute. You can take minocycline for osteoarthritis.

I realize the neuralgia makes your life very miserable so I hope this added information will help solve the puzzle.


Trigger Point Massage

2 User Reviews
5 star (2) 
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Posted by Jon (Miami) on 09/12/2015
★★★★★

My friend had a migraine so bad that he threw up. I was pretty concerned for him, and knew that migraines often start at the base of the skull, where the neck muscles attach. So I had him rest his head completely on just my thumb and index finger, and after a minute, his pain was gone.

There are massage devices that you can buy on Amazon that do this, or perhaps try putting two tennis balls in a sock so they don't roll away. Hope everyone feels better!


Trigger Point Massage
Posted by Nicole (west islip, NY) on 04/10/2006
★★★★★

I suffer from horrible migraines which begin with a tightening in the muscles at the base of the skull then affecting 1/2 of my head, especially behind the eye. The pressure of the massage breaks up the tissue that is inflamed. Ice packs help too.


Turmeric

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
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Posted by Elodie (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) on 10/17/2012
★★★★★

Whilst I acknowledge everyone is unique and that this may not work for everyone, I wanted to share my recent experience with using tumeric as a natural remedy for treating migraine.I have been getting semi frequent migrains for the past 12 months, and put it down to neck problems/stress. I get the kind which start in the head and travel down to the face, particularly behind the eyes. Sometimes this is accompanied by nausea. Meditating seems to alleviate it somewhat, but as soon as I get up and start moving about again, the pain comes back. So on the weekend I resisted taking a pill and instead reached for some freshly minced tumeric. I bought organic minced tumeric from the health food store. I took 2 teaspoons with warm water, layed down in a dark, quiet room and fell asleep meditating, anything to divert my attention away from the pain. I woke up the following morning, migraine gone, pain free, feeling relieved! I guess the anti inflammatory effect of the tumeric really helped me, and would strongly encourage people to try this before they reach for the nasty pharmaceutical pill.


Vitamin B and Magnesium

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
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Posted by Chris (San Antonio, Texax) on 07/31/2007
★★★★★

My wife had suffered from debilitating migraines for years. The various presciptions the doctors prescribed did not work and had significant side effects. Finally, I did a ton of research and found that migraines are caused by a deficiency of Vitamin B and Magnesium. Since then, a good B-complex vitamin and magnesium supplement a day keeps the migraines away. They start up if she misses more than a day. Also, before she started this supplement, she ended up in the ER again with a massive migraine--I convinced and strong armed the doctor to administer IV magnesium (it couldn't hurt). Amazingly, her migraine was gone in 10 to 20 minutes. He had never seen this--my wife was amazed--she didn't know what the doctors did and didn't believe me until the doctor confirmed. Since then, she is very careful about taking her B-complex and magnesium supplements.

Replied by Tom
(Regina, Sk)
10/24/2010

VITAMIN B2 RIBOFLAVIN

It's possible that several of the B-Complex vitamins act synergistically for specific problems, like migraines. Niacin (straight nicotinic acid form of B3) has evidence of working, and there is also evidence that B2 riboflavin can effect the same relief from migraines, but possibly via a different pathway.
[URL=http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/vitamin-b2-000334.htm
Migraine Headache

Several studies indicate that people who get migraines may decrease the frequency and duration of the headache by taking riboflavin. One double-blind, placebo-controlled study showed that taking 400 mg of riboflavin a day cut the number of migraine attacks in half. The study did not compare riboflavin to conventional medications used to prevent migraines, however, so more research is needed.

The NIH US National Institute of Health has an entire Searchable huge database of studies done in institutes of all kinds from all over the world:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19649688

Studies on adults show the effectiveness and tolerability of riboflavin in migraine prevention, while data on children are scarce. This retrospective study reports on our experience of using riboflavin for migraine prophylaxis in 41 pediatric and adolescent patients, who received 200 or 400 mg/day single oral dose of riboflavin for 3, 4 or 6 months. Attack frequency and intensity decreased (P < 0.01) during treatment, and these results were confirmed during the follow-up. A large number of patients (77.1%) reported that abortive drugs were effective for controlling ictal(relating to seizure or convulsion) events. During the follow-up, 68.4% of cases had a 50% or greater reduction in frequency of attacks and 21.0% in intensity. Two patients had vomiting and increased appetite, respectively, most likely for causes unrelated to the use of riboflavin. In conclusion, riboflavin seems to be a well-tolerated, effective, and low-cost prophylactic treatment in children and adolescents suffering from migraine. On the linked NIH page at the top is the Search. Just use any string like 'migraines and Vitamin B2'.


Washing Your Feet

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Kathy (Piqua, USA) on 05/17/2008
★★★★★

For migraine cure: Washing your feet always helps. Feet have accupressure points (energy centers). Also the muslims wash their feet 5 times a day. -(in Bible also). I believe washing feet helps to ground you. I also think migraines come on from being too psychic for too long. To solve problems we reach out for answers and need to return soul to body and ground. The sixth chakra needs to close.*** Also slowing down and living in the present grounds you.


Water

2 User Reviews
5 star (2) 
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Posted by Joyce (Easley) on 08/26/2014
★★★★★

My sister had terrible migraines tht would even set her in the hospital. Nothing could stop the pain. Her migrain trigger ended up being the Depo Provera (birth control). I have heard many others since say that Aspartame triggers theirs.

My migraines were directly linked to not drinking enough water. I could be gettting a migraine and drink a huge glass of water and it would stop within minutes. No 'hangover' from it either.


Water
Posted by Ron (Emporia, Kansas) on 01/02/2010
★★★★★

Migraines...Water

I got this information from studying Carey Reams in the early 1980s. He had been one of the leading experts in soils and minerals for the Department of Agriculture.

Many people get migraines because they are low on water (dehydrated).

A Simple Test:
* When you have a migraine headache or feel one coming on = drink three (3) glasses of regular
clean water (8 ounces each) one right after the other.
* Wait for 30 minutes.
* If after 30 minutes your migraine is gone or much better = you were dehydrated.

Many people substitute tea, coffee, soft drinks, etc. for water because they do seem to satisfy the thirst. But, these are chemically different than water and affect the body differently than water.

I have known many people who complained they had a migraine. Most of the time this test worked.


White Noise

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Kat Hallyblue (Mccomb, Ms) on 12/04/2013
★★★★★

I have suffered from migraines for years. Nothing worked. I have found an immediate relief without drugs. white noise celestial white noise. 10 hours long youtube video free.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcJ-o_fh1B4 after a couple of minutes I noticed big difference. I have problems with sounds and light with migraines. Please Please put this for migraine relief.

Please do not play white noise loud, just softly works better.



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