Natural Remedies for Migraines

Breathe Into a Brown Paper Bag

Posted by Homebaked (United Kingdom) on 04/29/2020
★★★★★

Had a migraine that was escalating and a search for remedies brought up breathing into a paper bag. I was sceptical but willing to give it a shot. I added a drop of peppermint essential oil to the bag and did 20 mins of breathing. And it worked! Didn't cure it, but there was an 80% improvement in pain & other symptoms. Definitely worth trying.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Flower's Mom (Pueblo of Acoma, NM) on 08/08/2019
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

ACV and honey for migraines.

The other day one of my co-workers was sitting at her desk with her head lowered, cupping her forehead in one hand and massaging her head and neck with the other. I asked her if she was all right and she said I have a migraine. So I logged in to see what Earth Clinic has posted for migraines and saw the remedy of 2 Tbsp. of ACV and 2 Tbsp. of raw honey in a glass of water.

I asked if she usually takes something for it and she said she takes Excedrin but that she did not have any with her. So I told her that my #1 resource for natural healing recommends ACV and honey in a glass of water and told her that I had both of them if she would like to try it. She looked up at me and said let's do it. I mixed it up and she drank it. About 20 or 30 minutes later another co-worker asked her how she was feeling and she said she felt a lot better! And for the rest of the day she was her usual bubbly self.

What is particularly interesting about this is that I work for a tribal government and these folks are Native Americans who, for the most part, have lost or forgotten the old ways, replacing them with medical services provided by the federal government through Indian Health Services. But many of them have witnessed my journey and have come to me for help for themselves and for their animals. They are re-discovering that Mother Nature has provided all that we need!

Thank you to all who post on this website, you are changing and saving lives! Flower's Mom

Liver Detox Herbs

Posted by Carolyn (Tx) on 06/11/2020
★★★★★

I had migraines for years. I did have some triggers, but avoiding them didnt solve. My problem was heavy metals and silver fillings. I did a heavy metal detox program with an integrative physician (expensive, but worth it). No longer have headaches. The liver is under a lot of stress to keep things cleared out, and requires support.

Gaps Diet

Posted by Maggie (Springfield Mo) on 09/23/2020
★★★★★

I hope this helps someone, I know there is a lot of suffering out there. I am a nutritionist, researcher and have used the GAPS diet in gut and brain related conditions over the years. One client, a mid-30s mother of 3 boys had daily migraine seizures so severe that she was unable to function.I recommended she try the GAPS diet as I had so much success with ASD children improving. GAPS requires a bone broth, to meat stock, advancing diet to heal the gut lining and prevent leaky gut and, ulimately, leaky brain.

After 30 days she was seizure free, and no longer having the migraine headaches she had had since she was 13. She was a miracle, but I have come to know that miracles are not rare but happen everyday all over the world.....more and more as people wake up and take control of their own health.

Coriander Tea

Posted by Marinda (Idaho) on 07/31/2020

Wow, this is wonderful information. Thank you for sharing with us. I'm going to make tea with the coriander seeds and steep it for a few hours to make sure it's plenty strong. I wonder if these threadworm parasites are also responsible for causing menstrual migraines. The majority of migraines I get are just before my menstrual period.

Coriander Tea

Posted by Ana (Canada ) on 07/30/2020

Hi Janet,

How do you make tea, and how much do you drink?

Coriander Tea

Posted by Janet (Nshvl, Tn) on 07/30/2020
★★★★★

Coriander is the seed of the Cilantro plant. The plant is Cilantro, the seed is Coriander. I had migraines for decades, since I was about 16. It was a misery that put me in bed with a bag of frozen peas on my head until I could go to sleep and "sleep it off". I would wake up with my whole head sore from the pain.

I read all of Hulda Clark's books and she said that migraines are caused by a microscopic wormlet called Strongyloides, commonly called threadworm. Horses and cats are their preferred hosts, and we get the worms from them. Women get migraines much more often than men, and its probably because we associate closely more often with cats than men do.

Dr. Clark said that Coriander would kill them and stop migraine headaches. I found some corroboration for this theory in some ladies who live in India and Pakistan. They take it in tea form and it dispels migraine for a long time. Its a common remedy there. I tried it and my migraines stopped.

If I am reinfected by being in close proximity to carrier cats or horses, the migraines will begin again. A couple of days of coriander tea, and goodbye migraines.

Magnesium

Posted by Marie-Louise (Zurich, Switzerland) on 07/26/2020

Hello Beth,

I have also Migraines since ages. Lately I am taking Vita Biosa for an other issue. My Migraines starting to be less. You can buy the Original also in England (see comments at Amazon first). Because of Covid I red about Melatonin. But Melatonin can also help Cluster headaches and Migraines and other pain issues. Try a sustained typ before bedtime.

Regards,

Marie Louise, Zurich Switzerland

5-HTP

Posted by Beth (London, England) on 07/24/2020

Thank you, yes. I've tried both. Feverfew grows in my garden and I took it every day for years but the migraines only increased in frequency.

Magnesium

Posted by Beth (London, England) on 07/24/2020
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Magnesium L-Threonate

I've had chronic migraine for decades, not associated with medicine overuse nor unhealthy habits. Over the years I've tried most remedies without success. Propranolol as a preventive did seem to halve the frequency for the first year or two of use, at the heavy cost of lack of mojo and brain fog. But in the third year migraine days crept back up to 11/month. I experimented with increasing the dose a little but even 10 mg more caused disabling lethargy. By this year status migraine developed. I had some initial success in breaking that with a Cefaly device. This was expensive and again the efficacy waned after a few weeks.

The stated dose for Magnesium L-Threonate is 3 capsules a day. I tried just one at first, mid morning, with an additional sprinkle of magnesium citrate (400mg) daily with breakfast and within 2 days ,not only was the headache gone but also the brain fog. First clarity I've had in 3 years. I reduced the Propranolol gradually and so far so good. I've now had 2 weeks of clarity and only one mild headache. Early days but even two weeks off is a major breakthrough.

Pencil Massage

Posted by Alelen (Poland) on 12/16/2018
★★★★★

With my migraine attacks, I managed to massage my head with a pencil or charcoal, made in a certain way:

First, massage the right half of the head, then the left. I never crossed the center line. I started from the base of the nose, eyebrow arch to my temple. I was returning to the root of my nose with the side of the central line of the forehead, towards the base of my hair and towards, behind my ear. I drove lightly along the lines, stopping for moments in the points where the light pressure brought relief. Then, circular movements on the skull, then sliding down the side of the cervical spine to the shoulder blade. On the shoulder blade, I made several times a fast sweeping motion from one blade to the other and only in this place I passed from right to left. And I started everything from the beginning this time, the left hemisphere.

If I did this massage, when the migraine started, it was enough once that the attack did not occur. When I let in a lot of pain, sometimes I had to repeat it all two or three times. I had terrible attacks of migraines, many years. When I started using my idea with a pencil, the attacks quieted down until they stopped. I have not had migraines since 2005.

I should not hide it for myself. Unfortunately, no one treats it seriously when hearing the word pencil. And this is about graphite (carbon variety), which I simply collect electrons from the surface of my head. The massage pencil should be blown, of course, but not sharp. Preferably HB.

Since I do not speak English and I use a Google translator, I apologize for any errors in the translation.

Acupressure

Posted by Marie (Hawley, Pa) on 12/14/2018
★★★★★

I'm 68 in good health but still get migraines. I've had prescription medication for 20 years but sometimes it doesn't work. I tried the ice packs on the back of my neck for 2 hours and that helped. Then I pressed real hard on the top of my neck, both sides and my migraine was almost completely gone!

Potassium Citrate Powder

Posted by Denise (Us) on 11/25/2018 50 posts

I'm going to try Ted's remedies after reading the causes he talks about in the link I will attach below. I had one of the worst migraines (hemoplegic) last evening about 6pm. Hadn't had one in months. I had eaten a bag of seaweed chips that were very salty, and I added a lot of salt to my home-made soup which was already cooked in broth. So I will at least give Ted's recommend a shot. I feel I was helped a lot by the Epsom Salt, mixed with Magnesium Chloride Flakes but after reading Ted's info, I won't use the Magnesium Chloride if I have a migraine. I guess the chloride can cause a migraine so I think I got lucky it didn't make it worse. Here is Ted's link and I'll try to get back here if I get this migraine completely cleared up. It usually takes 2-3 days to completely pass: https://ted.earthclinic.com/cures/migraines.html

Breathe Into a Brown Paper Bag

Posted by Brett (Ca) on 09/03/2018
★★★★★

My doctor showed me an article in the NJOM years ago about bag breathing for migraines. This has changed my life and made me functional when otherwise I might be a mess.

Peppermint, Lavender Oils

Posted by Katie (Cholula, Mx) on 07/16/2018
★★★★★

Apply a couple of drops of mint essential oil to the base of the neck and where the pain is, as well as lavender essential oil to the temples. I was shocked at how quickly this works! It completely removed the migraine within 10 minutes.

Celery Juice

Posted by Naturalhealth (New York, New York ) on 07/11/2018
★★★★★

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.

Mind Over Migraine Remedy

Posted by Susan (Upstate Ny) on 05/13/2018
★★★★★

Mind over migraine remedy.

I woke up with a headache yesterday which progressed to a migraine, perhaps my worst one ever. I tried the ice pack at the base of the neck remedy for migraines but it was very uncomfortable when you have axe splitting pain in your brain. The last thing my body wanted was an ice pack on my neck. Better on the forehead but only for 20 seconds at the most. Maybe I'm wrong, but there isn't much you can do about a migraine when you get to the point of such severe nausea that your body gags every time you move your head. This went on for several hours. I ended up sucking on an ice cube and then lying in bed half propped up with a pillow over my eyes and forcing my brain to go into quiet mode. Every time a wave of pain seared through my brain as I lay there, I forced myself to go empty. I fell into a half sleep and continued to stay quiet in my head every time the pain cycle hit. I didn't allow myself to get up until the pain had all but passed. The pain was gone after 2 hours. When I could eat and drink I took a potassium and a magnesium supplement and that definitely helped.

Maybe it was just a matter of time anyway, but next time I will try quieting my mind as soon as I have migraine symptoms and see if I can get it to pass more quickly.

Acupressure, Garlic, Peppermint Tea

Posted by Mary (Arcadia, Ca) on 03/19/2018

Dear Marthe,

What your feeling maybe something bad your sickness reminds me when I had bad headaches. I would get just like you with the vomiting and diahrrea. One day I felt a huge bang in my head it was a BRAIN ANEURYSM. Then it burst and that is when I found out I had a BA. Please go check yourself with your doctor. Better to be safe than sorry!

Acupressure, Garlic, Peppermint Tea

Posted by Marthe (San Diego) on 03/15/2018

I am 67 years old and started getting migraines about 5 years ago. My migraines are severe. Along with vomiting, I get diarrhea which actually helps relieve my headache. I also use cold compresses on my neck and apply pressure to my lower neck.

5-HTP

Posted by Ingrid (Il) on 02/20/2018

I take amino acids to treat my gene mutation, enzyme deficiencies in Fibromyalgia. Migraines are a common symptom of Fibro. But I would NEVER recommend an amino acid or a hormone (like 5-HTP or melatonin) unless it muscle tested well for that person. The only way to tell if the product is right for you, or is any good or even tainted, is through Applied Kinesiology/ muscle testing. I believe everyone should learn how to detect if one's body's BP spikes when stimulated by something. AK enables a person to do this. I Say...Learn AK!

Acupressure, Garlic, Peppermint Tea

Posted by Cat (Spain) on 02/18/2018

My mom's chronic hormonal migraines vanished definitively at menopause.

Breathe Into a Brown Paper Bag

Posted by Myrtle (Fayetteville) on 02/06/2018
★★★★★

I get migraines on stressful days. I had one last week that lasted for 2 days and I tried so many natural remedies and couldn't shake it. I checked to see what I hadn't tried yet at Earth Clinic. "Breathe into a Brown Paper Bag."

That seemed rather a long shot. Way too simple. But I was desperate.

I got a brown paper bag and breathed into it (sealing it up around my mouth.) I did this for maybe 10-15 minutes. I also used an ice pack on my neck.

My migraine began to lift. The next day it tried to return and I used the brown paper bag for 15 minutes a couple of times a day. I dropped one drop of basil essential oil into the bag to breathe since that may help a migraine.

The next day my head was completely clear with no "it may start any minute feeling."

I am taking feverfew now to see if I can prevent them.

I wonder if I am hyperventilating, mildly, when stressed and this is bringing on the migraines, which is why the paper bag is helping to get my CO2 levels back to normal.

Nettle

Posted by Mama To Many (Tn) on 01/27/2018
★★★★★

Turns out Nettle CAN help in the case of migraine.

My daughter had a migraine this week. She tried a couple of things but nothing was helping.

Finally, I suggested nettle tincture. She took one dose (one dropperful) and then 15 minutes later another dropperful. It didn't totally eliminate her headache but made it much more tolerable.

She hasn't taken nettle daily for quite some time, so I don't think it was a blood purifying effect as when daily use seemed to eliminate migraines.

I have noticed with my children that they have "go to" remedies. One responds well to coconut oil. I give it to him for everything.

This daughter responds well to nettle.

So, I think the moral of the story is, when nothing is working for what ails you, consider what remedies your body has responded well to for ailments in the past.

~Mama to Many~

Cayenne

Posted by Fenix (Vancouver, Bc) on 12/31/2017

Mama, thank you for your insight!

Cayenne

Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 12/27/2017
★★★★★

Dear Felix,

Our experience is that cayenne pepper or other herbs in capsules (when I make my own using NOW brand empty capsules) is that you begin to taste the herb in under ten minutes. Maybe even faster. (Taste, as in you taste it if you burp.)

If you are using cayenne as a rescue remedy for a heart issue (while waiting for further help) you want the cayenne to get into the blood stream as fast as possible and may not have minutes to wait while the capsule dissolves. If you have with you cayenne capsules, you could always empty them into water and drink it down. Not pleasant but, as my mother in law would say, "It beats the alternative! " Also, Herbalist Dr. Christopher recommended an entire teaspoon in the event of a heart attack/stroke. That would be 4-5 capsules.

Hope this helps!

~Mama to Many~

Cayenne

Posted by Fenix (Vancouver, Bc) on 12/23/2017

I'm curious how immediate is "immediate" with cayenne capsules? I'd imagine that having to digest and break down the capsule barrier would slow it down considerably compared to taking cayenne directly, but is it not much of a difference or a very noticeable delay? This may seem like a silly question, as if I'd never taken a capsule before in my life! However I don't generally tend to observe the exact timing required for capsules to take effect, nor do I have experience with taking cayenne capsules myself, so have no idea if different herbs or supplements tend to have different variables involved... such as if cayenne is so "hot and active" that it can "eat through" a capsule faster than, say, another herb, when in the warm, internal environment of the body (I realize I could be over-thinking this and grasping at straws that have no real, logical basis as I ponder the possibilities with this issue).

I ask about the speed of ingestion/absorption into the bloodstream for a very different reason actually, as I'm a bit concerned that I may possibly be a candidate for heart issues, or possibly even stroke. And though I don't believe I'm in serious danger, it's been at the back of my mind to keep an emergency dose of cayenne on hand with me at all times (or whenever possible) and tell those who're close to me about its ability to stop a heart attack or stroke in its tracks. I make jewellery, so I've been considering making a pendant to wear on a necklace... along the lines of a slim stainless steel, waterproof, pill container that I can pour cayenne pepper sauce into, as it seems the easiest to administer in the event of an emergency, whether I have the capability to self-administer it myself, or whether it be someone else helping me (if anything should ever happen then hopefully I won't be alone! ). I've also considered using a glass vial type of pendant, but they tend to hold less liquid while the stainless steel seems more durable and functional, with a larger capacity.

However seeing your comment makes me wonder if cayenne in capsule form might be more practical for this purpose, since keeping liquid in a vial and periodically having to replace it to keep it fresh seems like messy, fussy business for something that's only meant to be an insurance measure of sorts. Capsule-form seems rather handy, but if it doesn't act fast enough to stop any attack in progress then it'd defeat the purpose. Any feedback or advice on this matter would be great (including if this seems like a ridiculous idea... though I'm not sure I'd be easily deterred as I see no harm in wearing a pendant that could potentially safe my life or someone else's... especially since I wear chunky jewelry anyways and can even make it look nice! )