Natural Remedies for Migraines

I was suffering with migraine headaches and neck pain for for 7 years. I changed my diet, drank more water, which helped, but didn't cure it. I used peppermint oil topically for the pain, and drank Apple cider vinegar when I had a migraine, which would help also. But overall I still was getting the headaches every few weeks and the neck pain was daily.

I started getting sessions of Bio Energetic Synchronization Technique a.k.a. B.E.S.T. This was life changing. After 3 sessions my neck pain was gone. The headaches took longer to go away. They slowly occurred less frequently, until eventually no more. I feel 10 years younger and now have energy to exercise and am overall much happier and at ease in all areas of my life. I recommend this for anyone who has not experienced full healing from the other things you may be trying. There is a nutritional component to the treatment which may go well with some natural remedies you can find on this site.

I have had migraines for a long time. Over the years I have been experimenting with many things. I get the migraine over the right eye. I don't have any aura's although the back of my eyes would hurt.

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.

Hi Melissa!

Sounds like my story, too. Except I do drink organic coffee, twice a day. Now I opened my essential oil box and took the peppermint oil and rubbed my right side of the head. Today is the 7th day of my migraine. Pills work, but I got allergy and this morning because of such desperate state I took my ibuprofen and then antihistamine. My poor body... But it gave some relief. I am having hormonal migraines (at least I think so, because they appear before ovulation and after, and if pain is for 7 days, then I would say it longs my whole ovulation period). Then short after there is the first day with its weird headache and then again the same. These days I tried: acupuncture, lavender oil, ginger, pine pollen, bamboo, vitamins B, ice packs, peppers. Now I just read that cardamom bean can help. Once I am ready to get up to search for it, I will try it, too. What is that demonic pain that us women must experience? What are we paying for? Anyway, thank you for your comment, I feel already ease from the mint oil!!! Be blessed!

Inga.

I would like to share this info with all the migraine sufferers who read Earth Clinic.

There is no doubt that my weekly 3 day migraines were caused by congestion, and a lack of digestive enzymes . At last after 15 years of suffering here is my sucessful and natural remedy answer and no more migraines at all!

Eat 3 meals a day and if hungry between or after meals only raw fruit.

The last meal must be finished by 7 pm if you go to bed at midnight to allow at least 5 hours to elapse between the last meal and going to bed. (to allow the liver to cope)

Eat 90% raw food, ie 2 lettuce based salads a day organic if possible, and sprouts for protein eg lentil sprouts, chick pea sprouts , mung bean sprouts, and alfalfa sprouts. 5 cups of sprouts give 50 gr protein. Breads made from raw sprouted wheat with chick pea sprouts dried 8 hours in a dehydrator, raw vegetable juices eg carrot, spinach and celery, dried and fresh fruit and soaked (for 8 hours) and rinsed nuts and seeds which can also be made into nut or seed milks. also 2 tablespoons a day of seaweed if you can eat seaweed. Salad dressing can be with raw organic apple cider vinegar or lemon and raw organic cold pressed olive or sesame oil and unrefined seasalt. As many avocados as you like

If you eat something cooked then take immediately afterwards natural enzymes eg natural pills made from natural pineapple and paw paw or papino , about 6 times the dosage on the bottle

Walk at least 1 hour a day to oxygenate the body and improve circulation

Drink at least 1 litre of mineral water a day - never tap water

Avoid sugar ie sacarose, brown or white- instead have raw honey

Avoid sweeteners instead have stevia

Avoid coffee and black tea instead have red tea(Puerrh tea)

Avoid processed cheese (specially blue cheese it is a certain migraine) instead if you must have dairy then have fresh cottage cheese Avoid dairy yoghurts and milk instead have nut and seed milks and cheeses made at home.

Avoid meat, eggs, poultry and fish instead have sprouts, nuts, seeds and seaweed Cooked legumes and grains also give me migraines but sprouted no problem. Good luck this works!

Personally I can't eat more than a quarter cup nuts a day.

Your suggestions are very well for any who have migraine headaches. I just wanted to mention that it sounds like your migraines may be linked to a congested colon. This may not be the exact cause, but it is a key triggering factor, and you may want to try colon hydrotherapy on a regular basis to help cleanse the bowels.

Our bowels are extremely weakened from modern-day living (devitalized food, less movement, less oxygen and more pollution including chemicals in almost every man-made object that our bodies are burdened with, etc.). The weakened bowels (which results in all elimination in the body - liver, kidney, skin, etc. - to be compromised) can cause so many different symptoms it is unbelievable. Headaches are a classic example of bowel troubles, and I highly suspect migraine headaches to be directly linked as well, though the exact causes may differ. Another way to know how well your bowels are functioning are the sinuses. Whenever sinuses are congested, bowels are congested, and a thorough colon cleanse using colonics can literally clear the sinus congestion as the major bowel obstructions are eliminated. This may at times take multiple daily colon cleansing sessions. Extreme cases such as sinus infection may take a few days of colon cleansing to relieve, but pain will decrease with each cleanse in most cases.

I only wanted to mention the colon issue because of your comment on cooked legumes causing migraine headaches. Cooked legumes are constipating food. They are nourishing, and they do have fiber, but they are still heavy, especially since they are often paired with grains (which are also constipating, especially when eaten alone with no salad or vegetables). Whether the cause for legumes being hard to digest is a lack of enzymes in modern man, a lack of movement, not enough fresh foods, toxins in the food, certain bacteria fed by the food, overconsumption, or a combination of these things, they can still be eaten, but if a headache occurs, colonics can be a saving grace and relief.

Perhaps the real solution is to eat a perfect diet, but most people just can't accomplish that today, and I'm not quite sure if that is even possible considering our culture and the Earth's conditions. The body needs help, and this is one of the most simple methods. Colon hydrotherapy is so effective that it used to be the first thing done by old world cultures (the origin of the term physician, physic being an enema), and the next best thing was a laxitive (which some locals here in rural Appalachia erroneously call a physic since they probably were unable to perform enemas safely - in the old days, whenever signs of illness came on, they would take a "physic" which was castor oil in this case).

The most important function of a colonic is to improve elimination of toxins (which are considered "unspecified" and nonexistent by our Medical Association) from the body. Also, by eliminating accumulated filth in the bowels, you are removing a breeding ground for harmful organisms in the body. Since the body has the burden of waste removal eliminated, it can go back to functioning properly and put more of its resources into healing. This greatly improves the immune system, and the body is much less susceptible to picking up contagious illness.

I wrote this to give some of my experiences and observations about colonics since it seems that there is not enough mention of colon hydrotherapy for these people suffering with migraines and headaches. In my opinion, it is one of the first thing that anyone suffering with migraines should try. Regardless of the cause, which most often I suspect to be a combination of toxicity in the body combined with other factors, colonics can ease the body's burden and allow it to do what it is necessary to overcome and heal the crisis situation.

An example of using colonics to help with nauseating headaches is as follows: I once was a vendor at a market which also had a vendor selling power equipment. He would regularly run the gas-powered tools to demonstrate to customers. By the time the market was over, I started becoming quite ill. After five minutes of driving home, I had to pull over and let my partner drive because I was in very bad condition. The nausea and headache and fatigue was intense. Upon returning home, I immediately did a colonic with likely 7 to 10 gallons of water. By the end of the colonic, I was greatly improved and able to function normally. There may have been some remaining symptoms of the toxicity, but through the colonic the body was enabled to heal, and by the next day they were gone.

This situation was not solely caused by the chemicals in the exhausts. It was a combination of several things, otherwise everyone around would have been equally ill (including my partner who is more prone to toxic poisoning from chemicals than I). Other factors may include stress, diet and the condition of the digestive and elimination organs.

It is worth noting that colonics alone are not the answer. They help the body when it is weakened, but the conditions that caused the weakness need to be changed for improved conditions. These conditions will include toxins/chemicals in the environment (synthetically scented candles, air fresheners, detergents, certain synthetic materials, cleaning chemicals and fuels, exhausts, there are so many things that can cause a toxic environment), and diet conditions are another major contributor to a toxic body. Dairy, sweets, refined foods, and overconsumption of meat, grains, starches, and lack of fresh food in the diet will weaken the body.

I hope to have given some direction to any in a hopeless case. There are multiple ways to heal and improve any condition, but this is one that I think could help where nothing else seems to have worked. For those of you interested in trying colon hydrotherapy, it may be advisable to include a probiotic in your diet (such as primal defense) to be sure that you maintain the proper levels of beneficial intestinal flora. And also follow some of the principles outlined in the post above that this is a reply to.

Good health, and God bless!

I came across Butterbur and Feverfew as recommendations for Migraines and decided to buy both for my husband who has migraines due to multiple Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI.) Most people who write about treating migraines tend to have had them most of their life, or it's related to their menstrual cycles, so I didn't have high hopes. Previously, the only things that have worked for sure have been Botox (to freeze all the muscles along the skull front and back) or percocet (which pretty much works with everything but it's a pain to try to get that from the doctor's due to drug-seekers.) Otherwise, if he's lucky, at the start of a migraine, he can take 1600 milligrams (that's right, 8 200mg pills) and get it to go away. However, this doesn't always work, and on top of that his doctor warned him that he'd be at risk of renal failure if he happened to be dehydrated when taking such a dose. The doctor was otherwise worthless.

I've been giving him 3-4 Feverfew (380mg per pill) pills a day, and 3-4 Butterbur pills a day as well. It's not til now that I've realized the Butterbur has extra Feverfew thrown in. (ButterBur 75mg and Feverfew 200mg.) So far, it's been three days since he's had a headache or migraine. February 9th and 10th he had a headache (which is fairly unusual--he tends to get migraines every other day--sometimes everyday, sometimes only 2-3 times a week.) It's now the 12th-- so clearly not definitive at all, but I wanted to put this out there since it's promising so far. I plan on giving him these high doses until the two bottles run out (which I bought at the natural food store) and then buying online and bringing down the dose and seeing if a migraine shows up or not.

I've looked into overdosing and it's mainly digestive upset-- he hasn't had any of that.

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.

I've been suffering from migraines for 50 years. The solution for me and many others I've gotten onto this is simple: The herb feverfew. It is a natural dilator. I had used B3 for years but feverfew does not have the flush issue.

Take two tablets of feverfew every day until migraines subside, then every other day. If you are under lots of pressure (job, family etc) make sure you take two daily.

Feverfew works if the sufferer has a "classic" migraine; light halo, light sensitivity leading to blurred vision and usually nausea.

This is to be taken as a preventative not as a pill to be taken when the migraine is upon you.

Yes the stuff is amazing for fixing the squigly lines and the throbbing headach after. If you take a capfull in the morning and evening the thing stays away permanently and if you forget for a week or two when you do get an attack its over with quickly and theirs no headache. Which only serves as a reminder to get back into the habit.

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.

I have suffered severe migraines since a car accident in 1994. Despite the onset being caused by trauma, I do still get the same 'classic' migraine symptoms as people who have not had a trauma. Of course, have seen every doctor and tried every drug available. My current cocktail has been a triptan - Relpax, four Advils, a Relpax 2 hours later (if needed), and Stadol (if the second Relpax fails). If I get to that point, I am in for 72 hours of hell.

A few days ago, I found the ACV cure and was so excited that I ran right out and bought organic ACV and organic honey. I almost wished for a headache to test it out. I was so positive it would work! Watch out what you wish for. A mere 2 days later and the familiar feeling in the right temple started. No worries. I can get rid of it easily! I mixed 2tsp ACV and 1tsp honey in 8ozs warm water. (Ugh! ) Went up to bed. Forty five minutes later, husband noticed I was agitated from pain. "Your new thing didnt work?" Me, "Not yet. " I just knew that if I could go to sleep that it would be gone by morning. My positive attitude had to count for something, right? No. At 2:00AM, I was up to a level 8/9. It was almost as if I had drank wine (one of my worst triggers) Two rounds of Relpax and 1200mg's of Advil... Four hours later... and sleep finally came.

Ok, I am willing to try it again... Even though I feel like the ACV actually exacerbated my condition! I dont think I used enough ACV. I thought I remembered it being 2tsp, but now I see that people are using 2 and 3 TBSP. I will give an update after I try it again.

Can anyone tell me the purpose of the honey? Is it to make the whole sour cocktail more palatable? Or is there an actual purpose for it?

I tried it again last night. Felt the migraine coming on. After a couple of hours, it was worse. I took the appropriate amount of ACV. Migraine actually got worse. An hour later, I tried a second 'dose'. Fast forward another hour. Migraine getting out of control... Level 8 . Took Relpax (triptan) and four Advil. Another hour later, headache under control. I really wanted to join the majority on this miracle ACV cure, but it just doesnt work for me. It actually worsens the migraine as if I had drank wine or champagne.

ACV also made my migraine worse.

I have not had a migraine for 15 years. Last night I started getting the blind spots and flashing lights in my vision that usually precurser my migraines. I went to earth clinic and found the ACV recommendation. I took 2-3 tablespoons with honey in 8oz water right away and the vision impairment went away and I never got a headache. Thanks!

Apple Cider Vinegar with honey is a wonder drug for Migraine. I used to get severe migraine attacks during sleep and usually wake up with pain. The pain and nausea will extend to 2 days.

This remedy gives instant relief from pain and I am feeling better.

Thnx, binu

I too suffer red from menstrual migraine a week before and after my period for the past 20 years. One day I had a sudden urge to eat oats. So I started taking it every morning for breakfast for 2 weeks. When my menstrual cycle came, the migraine was completely gone. I also make sure that I have enough sleep cos lack of sleep would also trigger the migraine.

Hi, Jackie, Good news and bad news. Bad news first. You have probably already discovered this - buying organic food or good supplements (without fillers) in this country is hard unless you buy on the internet. I personally don't like doing this. But there are some good shopkeepers willing to help if you do the research for them. Farmers cannnot sell direct here because of insurance problems but some health shops will order for customers.
Good news. I followed this regime back in '95. I had severe IBSb(bleeding) chronic candida, headaches and general malaise. I could tell you where every toilet in the south of the country was as I was always having to stop a few times on any journey.

A friend was studying acupuncture and asked if I would go to him as a case study. The day before that my cervical smear had come back positive. Now I was looking at camera's being put up and down - and - my privates being poked at. So I ran for it. He and his instructor recommended that I see a nutritionist. I was a bit wary because we were just coming out of the days when nutritionists would recommend "egg and grapefruit" diets for losing weight.

Anyway the following was what she recommended.

Supplements - Vitamin E. (for help with healing)

Preferably all organic but not necessarily.

Breakfast - Porridge with water or red grapes

Lunch - homemade vegetable soup with homemade brown bread or brown scones

Dinner - chicken, fish or lamb - boiled, steamed or grilled only. Carrots, broccolli and potatoes boiled, steamed or grilled only.

For drinks and snacks - Water, black tea and more grapes.

No sauces or salt or sugar. What you see above is it.

The recomendation was to follow this for two and a half to three weeks then slowly start to re-introduce food i.e one at a time and if there was a reaction go back to basics for a few days then re-introduce another food.

It was daunting and the first three days I felt awful(detox) and dreaded mealtimes as my family were having lovely "normal" meals. By day 4 I knew this was working. By day 7 if I had been told to stay on this for the rest of my life I would have done it gladly. After 2 weeks my family all started to follow this regime because the transformation was obvious. The house had its toilet back. I felt so good that I only introduced 1 or 2 foods a weeks to see if I had a reaction but didn't eat them again and stayed eating that way for 4 months. Turned out my main intolerances are milk and mushrooms. I can drink milk or I can eat mushrooms. Put the two together and I get diarrhea and headaches within an hour and then for about two days everything I eat upsets my stomach.

Sorry to other readers that this is so long. This regime may not be perfect but as a working person this was accessable and easy to implement.

I get migraines. I typically get from 2 to 4 per month, and they can last up to 4 days. Often, they don't respond to either OTC pain relievers or prescribed tablets. For some reason, when I get a migraine, I crave salt. I thought it might be the iodine my body wanted, so I tried 6 drops of iodine solution in a glass of water. While it didn't cure my migraine, it did provide immediate relief, and as a bonus, I noticed I could breate more clearly, think more clearly, and had more energy. Don't know what the reason could be, but these results are consistent.

I am a faithful reader of Earth Clinic. I saw this post regarding migraines and the use of a cool pack. I passed it along to my mom, who suffers from migraines multiple times per week. She tried it with her last episode, and she said it helped substantially. Thanks, EC!

I usually do not get headaches or migraines but this time I was really feeling flu-like symptoms, cramps bloated and I had a headache which turned into a migraine, I had the migraine for three days. So I looked up Earth Clinic. And drank about 1 T of Apple Cider Vinegar in some water ...then I read the story a lady shared about using cold packs for migraines. We have the flexible ice pack in the freezer I layed down and place it on the back of my neck where my brain stem is for about 15 minutes and my migraine went away. Great remedy and it worked for me!

I am currently sitting here, unable to sleep due to a rapid onset of a migraine. Did I mention the carrots? LOL! I don't have an ice pack (you can bet I am buying one tomorrow!) right now, but what I do have is my son's bag of carrots-fresh out of the fridge-on the back of my neck at the base of the skull. I am staring to feel some relief (it's been about 5 minutes), and I am pretty sure that if I raid the fridge for more produce, I may actually be able to go to bed soon! I have suffered with migraines since puberty (I'm 34 now and am post total hysterectomy, so I know it's not the hormones anymore) and I never thought that I could get such fast relief! Thank you EC and those that post what works for them!

I wanted to put my two cents in regarding Apple Cider Vinegar for migraines: I have had migraines all my adult life and have been on various medications for them, some of which worked somewhat and some which didn't. In recent years I've tried natural remedies as well, and several months back read about ACV for migraines. I began drinking 2T in warm water with honey, and drank it every day for two months. In addition, when a migraine came on during that time, I chugged a glass of the same mixture. I am sorry to say neither method worked in the least bit. I have had luck with ACV for dermatological issues and as a hair conditioner, but for migraines and (my son's) asthma, it didn't work at all. I'm glad it's a cure all for some, and really wish it had worked for us. Oh well!

magnesium cured my migraine. I took 400mg and within a half an hour it was gone!! Thanks to those who previously listed this as a cure. I will never take my prescription medication again.

I bought my daughter a very good air purifier with multiple filtration system and it cut her migraines back to next to none from almost constant.

Feverfew, which is an herb has cured my migraines. You can either grow the stuff, chop it up (a tablespoon's worth) and add it to a cup of hot water to make a tea. Or you can buy it in the health food store in tincture form. Don't buy the dried because it doesn't work. Add a few drops of the tincture to a cup of hot water and drink up. You can drink the tea just a migraine is coming on or drink it as a preventative. It's a nice tasting, soothing tea.

It works! My 12 year old daughter just tried this and shockingly IT WORKED! 10 minutes in and the pain was subsiding. 15 minutes in and the pain is nearly gone!