MIGRAINES: TIPS & TRICKS - Part 3

VITAMINS and ESSENTIAL OILS

There are a few vitamins that you can take daily that will help you combat migraines, and one that can sometimes help you during one.  One of my more recent discoveries though is essential oils.  I have been using three in particular, that are good to use before and during a migraine.  I was going to cover those in a later post, but I believe they will fit well here as the vitamin list won't be very long.

MAGNESIUM

Magnesium taken daily can help keep them away.  It is best not to miss a dose as it can be a set back to its effectiveness.  My doctor recommended Mag Ox 400 to me, and since I have switched, it has worked even better then other brands.  

(This will be covered in its own section later)  Epsom salt baths twice a week, and while you have one, can help to ease them.  One thing you might notice is a slight case of diarrhea if used with the tablets, but I haven't noticed it being too big of a problem.

VITAMIN B2 (RIBOFLAVIN)

This one can be slightly harder to find.  A recommended dose for migraine prevention is 200mg.  You will find this in a B Complex, but at a much lower dose, so if you already take one of those, you might want to try adding this as well.

NIACIN

This can help if you take it at the onset of a migraine.  Sometimes it helps me, other times it doesn't.  I would recommend getting a flush free kind.

ESSENTIAL OILS

These are amazing!  Whether you use them in a bath, diffuser, or diluted, they can work wonders for migraines!

The three I use regularly for migraine use are, peppermint, eucalyptus, and lavender. 

If you use them in a bath you might need to watch out for skin irritation, but lotion after should help with that.

Bath combo: 

5 drops peppermint

5 drops eucalyptus

3 drops lavender (optional)  sometimes this one makes me nauseous

Diluted:

2 Tbsp base oil (olive, coconut, sweet oil etc)

3 drops peppermint

3 drops eucalyptus

1-3 drops lavender 

Diffuser:

I am still working on getting this right.  So far I have been trying 5 drops peppermint & eucalyptus, but I think it might require more.

I use the diluted on my sinus and pressure point areas whenever I start to notice an onset. They have helped me fight off quite a few, and shorten the length.

Please let me know if any of these helped you, or if you have some that should be added to the list.  Thanks!

(these are suggestions, and you should get an ok from your doctor before trying them)

MIGRAINES: TIPS & TRICKS - Part 2

HOW IMPORTANT IS YOUR DIET?

When my migraines first started, this was the furthest thing from my mind.  My eating habits had been the same, nothing had changed, except this vice grip on my head.  It wasn't until one of my friends on facebook suggested that gluten could be the cause, that I started looking into "triggers" that could be in my everyday eating habits.  

I had no food allergies that I knew of, which made identifying them more difficult.  So I started with the recommended gluten and went from there.  Following will be a list of my "triggers" and other very common ones.

GLUTEN

(Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat (wheatberries, durum, emmer, semolina, spelt, farina, farro, graham, KAMUT® khorasan wheat and einkorn), rye, barley and triticale – a cross between wheat and rye. Gluten helps foods maintain their shape, acting as a glue that holds food together. Gluten can be found in many types of foods, even ones that would not be expected.)    https://celiac.org/live-gluten-free/glutenfreediet/what-is-gluten/

This is a word, that in recent years, has become very common.  It is majorly known for its role in celiac disease, where it does damage to the small intestine.  However, it can also be a migraine trigger.

This was the first thing I eliminated from my diet, and my migraines slowly became less frequent.  When I first started, removing this from my diet was very difficult.  Eating out, was almost impossible.  I would have to eat before we went out just to be safe.  Eating at home though was almost as hard.  You had to read labels on everything before you bought it, and you would be surprised at how much you normally eat contains it.

Now, restaurants are starting to label their menus to help those with this allergy.  Some have separate menu lists, or have the lists on the new Ziosk.  Grocery stores are starting to include a gluten-free section, and food companies are now labeling items that are gluten'free.  

This would be one of my first suggestions for locating any migraine food triggers.  (I will have more on gluten in the Daith Piercing part.)

MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE (MSG)

I could write for a long time on what I have recently learned about this ingredient.  (I might end up making a post just about this at some point, going over other health concerns this has.)  This, however, is focused on migraines.

I only recently discovered and tried eliminating this ingredient.  It has been about 6 months or so, and my frequency and severity have diminished over 50% so far.  I am still getting unknown amounts of it in my diet though, as it has many other names its can go by.  Almost all fast food has this in it, and chinese restaurants have become a huge no.  I was already used to not being able to eat at those because of the gluten, but this was an even bigger issue, one I did not know about.

If I get a little bit of this, I can tell because I almost immediately get a short lasting headache. More then that, and I am guaranteed to be down for at least my regular 24 hours.  

I do not know for sure, but I believe that if I can fully eliminate this I will be better by at least 75%.  This would be my number one suggestion to try first.  It won't be easy, but if it is one of your triggers, it will be worth it.

Here is a website with a list of its many names:

http://www.truthinlabeling.org/hiddensources.html

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

Aspartame and sucralose (Splenda), can cause migraines.  It might not be a immediate thing, the more you drink and eat items with this, the more likely it could become a problem. Xylitol and sorbitol are two others that could eventually cause them.  I haven't found any evidence yet of Stevia causing them.

It might be worth trying to eliminate these first, as they are some of the easiest to find alternatives to.

NITRITES

Nitrites are a preservative found in most processed lunch meats, and the American (and was my) favorite, Bacon.  It is possible to find meat products without this ingredient.  More options are being made available also, as more people continue to need an alternative.

This would be my fourth on my list to try eliminating.

THE 3 C's. CHEESE, CHOCOLATE, CAFFEINE

Cheese: This is another trigger that is fairly common. The more the cheese is aged the more likely it is to cause them.  Phenylethylamine (an amino acid) is the primary cause.

Chocolate: This contains phenylethylamine, tyramine (amino acids), and caffeine.  This is a fairly common trigger for some.  I can't eat it, but I never liked it anyway.

Caffeine:  Caffeine is included in OTC migraine medications, but for some it can cause them.  If I do NOT have caffeine throughout the day, I will get a headache or migraine.  I didn't realize it could be a trigger until I was researching them awhile ago.  When I tried to eliminate it, I got sicker until I decided to give up trying.

OTHER COMMON TRIGGERS

• Nuts 
• Sulfites
• Pickles
• Dairy products
• Alcohol
• Vinegar

(This is by no means a complete list.  Yours could be the same or completely different.  If you have a trigger that I haven't listed, please do so in the comment section.  It could help someone else down the road.)

MIGRAINES: TIPS & TRICKS - Part 1

My Background and Prescription Meds

I have been dealing with migraines for around 10 yrs.  At one point they were so bad that I was down about 20 days a month.  My migraines are accompanied by nausea/vomiting, and last almost exactly 24 hours at a time.  

They cost me a few jobs, along with anxiety (made worse by the migraines), and another injury I have been unable to work.  I have been wanting to do Twitch and YouTube for over 2 years, and am just now to the point where I believe I can keep a schedule for the most part.  I still have at least 1 bad migraine a week, but have been able to through management, make the rest during the week bearable. My husband has been blessed with a great job and salary, and that has been enough to take care of us.

The prescriptions I was given are Elavil (amitriptyline) and Zofran (ondansetron).  

ELAVIL (amitriptyline)

Elavil is for the migraines themselves.  I started out at 25 mg, and am now on a maintenance dose of 50 mg.  I could possibly go higher, and have less frequency, but for reasons I am about to talk about I have refrained from doing so.

The first thing I noticed from this medication, was an immediate weight gain,  When I went to the 50 mg, my total weight gained was 30 lbs.  This is why I have chosen not to ask for a higher dose.  There was a point where it just wasn't worth any more weight.

The second thing, is that if you do not take this medication within a 15 minute window every day, you will have a horrendous rebound migraine.  Double sided, non stop agony.  Once it was so bad, that I passed out from the pain.  (I have a high pain tolerance, so this was a first for me).  I now have 3 alarms set on my phone, 15 minutes before and after, and then one for the time I take it, so that my missing the time is less likely.  

The third and final thing I can think of is if you take the 2 medications together at the same time, there is a MAJOR interaction.   The times I did take it at the same time I was very dizzy, and had heart palpitations.  The doctor and pharmacist did not mention any interactions, but after I got sick I looked it up.

I do recommend this medication to anyone who has as many migraines as I did, it was a lifesaver.

ZOFRAN (ondansetron)

Zofran is for the nausea.  I don't have to much to say about this one.  It keeps you from vomiting, and for the most part does its job.  I still sometimes suffer from nausea, but not having to get up from my ice pack to run to the bathroom makes sleeping them off easier.

FINAL NOTES

I am taking the generic version of both. 

If you have any more questions about the medications, feel free to ask.  

MY NAME EXPLAINED

I came up with my name when things like Lord of the Rings, and Eragon (Christopher Paolini) were big.  Around that time I was really into the Elven language that Tolkein created. This was also the time where I started to get into gaming heavily.  My first Xbox gamertag was Aranel.Argetlam, a combination of the two series listed above.  It means Princess.Silverhand. 

 This was my first gamertag I had created, but for some reason (which I do not remember) I couldn't make it Gold.  So, I had to come up with something else.  I wanted something similar to what I had before, and I used the name Mor Lhach for a horse on a game I played.  It was also Elvish, and so my permanent name was born.

It has become my name across all of my gaming platforms, the name I put with my songs I write, and possibly will be my pen name when I finish my first novel (still not sure I am going to use a pen name).

So, you said what the original means, how about the final one?

AranelMorLhach = Princess Dark Flame

Pronunciation - R - uh - nell - more - lock

My gamer friends gave me a nickname, which is Arnie.

That's the story behind my name, hope you enjoyed! 

PIC OF THE DAY

(Taken today) 

Allie Pearl 

Tennessee Waling Horse

MINI SERIES STARTING TOMORROW!

Migraine Tips & Tricks

This series will be a compilation of things I have learned about easing migraines.  I will be explaining different methods, and sharing my personal experience with them.  The first post will be a brief history, and the current medications I am on, after that natural and holistic remedies will be looked at.

So, What does your name mean?

This will be explained tomorrow, for any that don't know, or are curious. 

SIMS 4 CAS UPDATE

I hope to have the first one uploaded by Saturday.  I was staying with family the last couple days, and haven't had a chance to work on it yet.  Just finished setting up my current computer layout, so I am ready to get to work.  I might stream them on Twitch first, to get used to live streaming, and edit from there. Currently do NOT have a mic though.

PIC OF THE DAY

Romel Shinkoya (Roamie)

Shiba Inu

NEW SERIES ANNOUNCMENT!

SIMS 4 SPEED CAS CELEBRITY EDITION

New YouTube Series

 Winter 2016
This series will feature speed create a sims of celebrities, where the goal will be to create a likeness as close as possible to the real person.  Traits will be selected with a bio to explain the choices.

The first celebrity will be Ariana Grande. Coming this week.

Then a strawpoll will be created to pick the next one, if no votes, I will choose.

They will be available for download via my Origin account.

2A FREESTYLES and HORSE TRAINING

New YouTube and Blog Series

Spring 2017

(There will be some posts before, but due to the weather the main series will start in 2017)

This series will consist of:

• Daily photo blogs of ground, riding, and trick training, along with current supplement and grooming routines.
• Weekly end of week video compilation
• Monthly Riding, Groundwork or Mix Freestyle

First 2 freestyles are already planned, after that I will be doing strawpolls for the next ones.

Horse:

ALLIE PEARL: 12 y/o Black Tennessee Walking Horse 

Rider:

BETHANY (Aranel)

Coach:

CHIP 

Videographer:

CHRIS

Disciplines:

   Western, English, Dressage... My goal is for us to experience it all!

I am hoping that this will eventually be a place where the horse community can share tips, or ask for help from others.