Chronic migraine relief suggestions

my suggestion is to try an occipital nerve block, they work for my migraines for 6 months at a time!

I get occipital nerve blocks. Mine last 3 months. @deniseleann, your 6 months is out of this world wonderful. This goes to show that not everyone will experience the same results but, some relief is better than no relief at all. I would suggest asking your doctor about this also.
I have to add that I also get an auricular nerve block at the same time, as my pain is in 3 distinctly different regions. Good luck to you.

Bless you!! I buy Soft Tiger Balm on Amazon. I think it is from Thailand. My pain management doctor always loves it when I give her a jar. I rub it on my temples and carefully under my eyes. I then take a washcloth and run it under the hottest water I can stand. I place the washcloth on my entire face and breath in the tiger balm.

As a preventative, I take 900 mg of gabapentin each night. I also take 50 mg of amitriptyline each night.

I wish you could take maxalt, it ,too, was the answer to my prayers. I can not take the generics for maxalt or gabapentin.

Hope something that I use can help you. Keep the faith. I feel so badly because I have felt your pain and frustration.

I am a longtime migraine sufferer and seeking input from others who also deal with migraine. Currently, I’m getting some relief from dry needling.

I had chronic daily migraine for many years (starting at age 30) and had lost hope of ever living a normal life. After many failed treatments, propranolol stopped the daily migraine cycle. Later (bc apparently you're not supposed to stay on propranolol forever), I experimented with other treatments such as Topamax (helped a little but made food taste awful), Botox (which I still do), Emgality (helped at first, but its effectiveness waned), and now Vyepti infusions. But propranolol was the game-changer for me that made all these other treatments possible. I also found going gluten and alcohol free made me less prone to attacks. Hope this helps.

That's the winning formula for me too. My problem is I don't have a rescue drug that works for me. Triptans don't work. Any suggestions?

Have you tried all the different triptans and all the different strengths? Rizatriptan comes in 5mg and 10mg, and I take the dissolvable version. There also Sumatriptan. Eletriptan also comes in different strengths. My doctor also told me that being on an SSRI helps the triptan work better at a lesser strength. It may be worth talking to your doctor about taking an SSRI to see if that could help the triptan work? You probably have tried all these and if so, I am sorry they don’t work to relieve your pain.
Beyond triptans, things that have worked for me include using an ice block on the back of my neck (which is where I get my migraines), pressing on my temples very hard in hopes the pounding will stop, and sometimes (believe it or not) throwing up. (I found this out accidentally, when I threw up and suddenly my migraine was gone). I have also tried high doses of ibuprofen and Tylenol, although these usually just take the edge off and don’t fully get rid of the migraine.
Another thing I do is measure out my coffee to the ounce and have the exact same amount each day so as not to trigger a migraine. I also drink a ton of water, and keep my diet consistent bc certain food additives can also trigger one.
Sending hope you will find some abortive med that works.

I appreciate your note. I have tried different doses and different types of triptans, including the ones you mentioned. Unfortunately, no success. And like you, I've tried high doses of Advil and Tylenol with similar results. I do use cold patches on my forehead which numbs the pain and allows me to function. There are a couple of new rescue drugs coming out that I intend to try. Thanks for your suggestions.

I am so sorry you are going through this, Migraines are a nightmare no one really comprehends until the "Monster" has come for them. I was in a motorcycle accident with TBI and neck injury, that's when this started for me.
My Neuro put me on Butorphanol Nasal Spray and Xanax. The Nasal Spray is a narcotic spray mist, it bypasses the stomach and goes straight to the pain. Within 15 minutes I can get relief, but I save it for the really BAD Migraines because there are only about 10 sprays in each bottle. When I say relief, I am not saying you will feel good enough to have a "Normal" day, you won't. That said, for me at least I can manage a few household chores, stay inside in a dimly lit, colder, quiet home and pace myself to accomplish something other than laying in bed wishing I would die. ( Wash a couple loads of laundry, dry, fold and put away, things like that) So, I choose the Butorphanol, relief from the "Monster".
The Xanax relaxes my neck, I have ON as well; so calming that down has to happen. Muscle relaxers knock me out completely and destroy my stomach. The Xanax also helps me sleep when I have a migraine.
I am 70 and can't take the migraine abortives anymore, too hard on my heart. I have been having daily migraines recently and it has been miserable. I have tried everything, preventables by pill and injection, migraine abortives which I can no longer take, anti depressants AND I had Migraine Occipital Nerve Decompression and Excision Surgery in Boston, a HUGE surgery without a win. No one wants to live this kind of life, but there is no cure. Hang on! Kasey7

hey, i’m in a similar boat with daily migraines. layering preventives with small lifestyle tweaks (hydration, stretching, blue‑light filters) gave me a bit of breathing room. i also read a case series on combining botox + magnesium over at The Migraine Network — gave me a few new questions to ask my neuro. might be worth a look. hang in there