Peppermint Oil
★★★☆☆
WORKED TEMPORARILY
(Fountain Inn, Sc)
07/11/2014
Amanda,
Re; Migraines
Solution to classic migraines...I had them since 17 years old. Need to use dilation nutrient...I use either B3 (niacin) in quantity to feel a flush in scalp, face and upper torso...if too much aspirin can relieve itch. I later found that the herb "feverfew" taken five times weekly at two tablets per day can also be a great dilator. The theory is that some genetic types use up more B3 and under pressure or other triggers the capillaries around the eyes collapse in a cascading effect...so supplement with a substance that can neutralize the genetic flaw. I take the niacin three times weekly...usually 250 mg will produce the flush. But a "newbie" should start with 50 mg and work up next day until the flush is obtained. If taken after a light breakfast the effect is greater and faster. You don't need to take both at the same time.
That is my theory and in practice I have no more classic migraine headaches UNLESS I fail to take the niacin/feverfew for a few weeks. Then ...bam! ...migraine time and I curse my stupidity for running out of the preventative.
(Atlanta, Ga)
10/29/2015
★☆☆☆☆
I've read in many places where people had great success using peppermint essential oil (which must be diluted with a carrier oil prior to application to your temple area). I'm not one of those people. In fact, the peppermint EO made the migraine I am currently experiencing much worse. I wonder why that is?
Peppermint Oil
I have seen some people writing in remedies that include putting undiluted essential oils on their skin. I think I saw a remedy for headaches or migraines that recommended putting peppermint essential oil on the temples. I have been studying aromatherapy for 5 years, and one of the most basic lessons is that you almost NEVER use essential oils undiluted. Peppermint essential oil in particular is considered to be a skin irritant to all skin types when used undiluted. If put on the temples, the strength of the fumes could seriously irritate the eyes and the delicate area around the eye. If you are going to try any remedy including essential oils, DILUTE FIRST! Even if the remedy doesn't specify it, you'll be saving yourself from possible complications.
Peppermint Oil
★★★★★
Peppermint, Lavender Oils
★★★★★
Potassium
Some things that have helped has been vitamin B2 and magnesium (magnesium oil). These helped some but still not good. I find just putting the magnesium oil on my hands and fore arms and rubbing hard until it heats up avoids skin irritation. Probably helps absorption also. I also use magtein every now and then.
I came to realize that the migraine originated from the right side of skull base between my skull and cervical. For years I have felt neck stiffness and discomfort there, but was unable to diagnose what it was. About 3 years ago, I developed chronic meningitis so wondered if may that was still there. So that complicated things.
I went to a chiropractor. My migraine calmed down more. I still had to use the magnesium oil but could sleep well. After about a month, I came to realize that the discomfort I had was pinched or compressed nerves. The chiropractor treatment wasn't helping quickly enough so I researched some supplements for pinched nerves and found that calcium and potassium is used.
I have been taking some calcium over the years, so decided to look into potassium. I have been taking a few potassium gluconate 99mg tablets for occasional hemorrhoids and diarrhea which it resolved quickly. I didn't realize it but 99mg is just 3% of fda recommended 3500 mg. So I upped my dose to 1200 mg. I took it in divided doses thru day. I found that stiffness in my neck mostly dissipated in a day. They say that people who have low magnesium are also prone to low potassium levels. I have ME/CFIDS so I have been predisposed to low magnesium. Thru experimentation, I have found, magnesium oil and magtein the best. They help the body in different ways.
Foods have less impact on my migraines also.
The only caveat I read is that if you have kidney disease (this likely means kidney failure) that you should be careful with potassium. My kidneys are fine. I am 60 year old male. I went down to a health fair and got my kidneys checked out for $10 without a doctors approval. This is convenient because I don't like using conventional doctors for anything.
They kind of hype the caveat all over the internet probably scaring a lot of people away from potassium because they assume everyone has failing kidneys and kidney disease. If you are taking prescription medications too long, I can see a lot of kidney failure occurring. I stay natural. Some people take 10 grams pf potassium a day with no ill effects.
I notice potassium wasn't listed as a remedy so something for you to research and experiment with if you have a migraine. I am not done with my own experimenting but want to get this out there for people struggling with migraines.
(Fl., US)
02/21/2015
Just an update. I have come to the conclusion that I have Occipital Headache causing migraine.Still trying to find a solution for it. I think the way potassium may help the nerve pain is the ratio of sodium and potassium in body effects the nerve firings.
Too much salt in blood could make nerve firing worse so potassium is an antidote. I have come across one anecdotal report who minimizes salt in their diet and it has helped significantly. So just one more thing to experiment with.
(Fl, US)
03/26/2015
Potassium Citrate Powder
Progesterone Cream
★★★★★
Raw Cabbage, Crystallized Ginger
★★★★★
To stop the symptoms developing and to lessen the syptoms when I already have one, I eat some chopped raw cabbage (contains the same active ingredient as aspirin, I believe) and chew a piece of crystalised ginger root. This lessens both the headache and the sick feeling. I don't swallow the ginger, just chew it and swallow the 'juice', then spit it out. Because for some reason it gives me hiccups!!
(Houston, Texas Usa)
06/08/2010
I have taken Indonesian type of ginger candy (usually in the Asian section of a regular grocery store, natural health market,or sometimes you have to find an ethnic grocer)--they are strong but tasty. It has helped with sea sickness, nausea from dietary indiscretions and other self-inflicted causes, and with sinus-type headache. I have not tried for migraine but I will. Ginger candy is also good for kids who are motion sick or just have a tummy ache---no danger of overdosing, tastes good, etc. but it does have a fair amount of sugar so mind that....
Raw Local Honey
★★★★★
I have suffered migraine headaches since I was 30 years old. They identified were so bad that I would vomit. I have used Sumatriptan to abort a migraine, which normally works. I am now 50 and am going through menopause. While I believe that my migraines are hormonal in nature and may be ameliorated by a change in my hormone levels, I have had a much better time since having two cups of black tea each morning, and in each cup putting a spoonful of raw, local honey. I also cut way back on dairy, but I think it is the honey that has made my situation so much better (and made me really regular too! ) I am so pleased! I did not see honey here as a remedy for migraine, but I definitely think it is.
Red Wine Vinegar and Baking Soda
★★★★★
I ate some bad chinese food and got a really bad migraine headache followed by nausea. I layed in bed to try to wait it out but it just got worse. I had this for about 5 hours.
Remedy: My grandmother (85 years old) is visiting from Spain and when I told her how I wasn't feeling good, she made me the following mixture:
1 8oz glass of water
15ml of red wine vinegar
15ml of baking soda
She mixed it all together and forced me to chug it while the baking soda was still fizzing. For a few seconds later I felt like I was really going to vomit! But then miraculously 5 minutes passed and my headache had COMPLETELY dissapeared and a couple of minutes after that I had no more nausea!!! i couldn't believe that this old natural cure worked so effectively! And the baking soda kept making me burp which felt really good!
After that I got a lecture from my grandmother about not eating chinese food, while she waved her finger in my face! She's so cute.
Thanks grandma!
EC: Yep, that MSG will getcha every time!
Reflexology
★★★★★
Remedies to Prevent Migraines
1. Walk for an hour and a half nonstop everyday for circulation
2. Daily, take pills made of black grape peels and pips, Take 1 and a half or twice the amount recomended on the bottle (for circulation)
3. Take digestive enzymes whenever you eat anything that isn't raw. And/or other natural digestive aids.
4. Try not to get very upset emotionally.
5. Eat one or 2 big lettuce salads with lots of raw ingredients everyday & avoid the well known triggers- coffee, chocolate, any cheese that isn't fresh or cottage (Blue cheese is especially dangerous), milk, cream, ice cream, and soya sauce, or miso or soya products that resemble meat, and black tea.
6. Sleep in a very well ventilated room (preferably in a howling gale)
Rosemary Oil
★★★★★
I have a strange story to tell. Early last week I developed a blistering headache/migraine after working on a sick person (if I had known they were sick, I wouldn't have gone near her). I had never experienced so much head pain before in my life and everyday to got worse. Even my hair hurt to touch it. I had to stop wearing my baseball cap it hurt so bad.
None of my usual tricks to heal myself were working. I had a brain storm and decided to go completely of the reservation. Rosemary oil!
I took a 2 oz. sprayer, filled it with 1 oz. warm water and 20 drops rosemary oil. Shook it til mixed and went to the shower. Ran hot water over my head for awhile, then sprayed my wet hair with the rosemary mixture. Moving my hair around so it makes contact with my scalp. I have short hair so 1 oz. did one treatment for me. Adjust formula according to your needs. After the spray bottle was empty and my hair was completely saturated including my scalp, forehead, around both ears and neck. I got out of the shower and left the mixture on my scalp to air dry and went to bed. Expect to have crazy dreams… I did.
When I woke up. The pain and brain fog I was experiencing had decreased by about 50%. So I decided to repeat the experiment again the following night. Again the head pain and fog decreased again.
Tonight is my 3rd night and again decreased.
What I noticed over the past few days is that rosemary oil does help a lot with headaches/migraines and brain fog. Also, my hair was really soft and thicker too.
Now, how did I come up with this?
The first records of rosemary's use as a medicinal herb date back to ancient times in the civilizations surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. The herb was thought to have strong effects on memory and in strengthening the mind.
Rosemary has a tremendous variety of folk uses and mythology associated with it and a number of snippets from folk lore. It has particularly been strongly connected to memory and remembrance since ancient times. The main historical medicinal uses of Rosemary have been as a tonic to the brain and as a gently cleansing liver medicine.
Andrew Chevallier writes 'Rosemary is a well-known and greatly valued herb that is native to Southern Europe. It has been used since antiquity to improve and strengthen the memory. To this day it is burned in the homes of students in Greece who are about to take exams. Rosemary has a longstanding reputation as a tonic, invigorating herb, imparting a zest for life that is to some degree reflected in its distinctive aromatic taste'
Chinese physicians used Rosemary for headaches, indigestion, insomnia and malaria. Rosemary is also much used in European traditional medicine to strengthen the heart and blood vessels and there is a keen appreciation in this old culture of Rosemary being a herb that clears congestion in the liver and gall-bladder thereby lifting the mood and resolving 'liverishness'
Rudolph Weiss says 'Rosemary has a general tonic effect on the circulation and nervous system, especially the vascular nerves; it is therefore effective in treating all chronic circulatory debilities, including hypotension (low blood pressure). It is particularly effective in asthenic young adults who are pale and lack physical stamina...' Rosemary can be used for treatment of general and post-infectious debility in older patients'.
Thomas Bartram writes that Rosemary's actions include 'antibacterial, anti-depressant, antiseptic, circulatory tonic, diffusive stimulant, diuretic, sedative, mild substitute for benzodiazepine drugs. Used in European pharmacy to strengthen the heart and allay arteriosclerosis' and he suggests its uses can include 'migraine headaches, or those from high blood pressure. Headaches of gastric origin or emotional upset, psychogenic depression, cardiac debility, giddiness, hyperactivity, tremor of the limbs, flitting pains from joint to joint. To strengthen blood vessels by decreasing capillary fragility and permeability'
The medical properties may have been over-rated by old Parkinson the herbalist (John Parkinson 1567–1650), but some are recognised even to this day. Thus rosemary is used as an infusion to cure headaches, and is believed to be an extensive ingredient in hair-restorers. It is also one of the ingredients in the manufacture of Eau-de-Cologne, and has many other uses in the form of oil of rosemary. ‘The rosemary is for married men, the which by name, nature, and continued use, man challengeth as properly belonging to himself. It overtoppeth all the flowers in the garden boasting man's rule; it helpeth the brain, strengtheneth the memory, and is very medicinal for the head.
Rosemary worn about the body was believed to strengthen the memory and to add to the success of the wearer in anything he might undertake.
It is as an emblem of remembrance that rosemary is most frequently used by the old poets. Thus Ophelia:
‘There is rosemary for you, that's for remembrance; I pray you, love, remember.'
And in The Winter's Tale:
‘For you there's rosemary and rue; these keep Seeming and savour all the winter long; Grace and remembrance be with you both.'
In the 17th century, Nicholas Culpepper wrote in his herbal that rosemary helps “diseases of the head and brain, as the giddiness and swimmings therin, drowsiness or dulness, the dumb palsy, or loss of speech, the lethargy, the falling sickness… It helps a weak memory and quickens the senses.
Salt and Water, Acupressure
★★★★★
I have also learned a technique someone told me about that has helped stop migraine pain. You go inside your mouth with your index finger and massage the area of the jaw juncture. Your thumb massages outside and your index finger inside. When you find the point it will be very sore. I actually worked both sides (right and left) at the same time... and relief came in about ten minutes. I hope this helps other people and ends the suffering.
(Columbus, Ohio)
04/22/2010
Sinus Buster
★★★★★
you can find it on the web. It works so well I no longer need to carry hydrocodone with me at all times. I even make my own using elixir of cayenne and water in a nasal spray bottle..Try it and see for yourself.
