Migraine Attacks and Pain Medications with IBD

[Crohn2357]

Hello, does taking paracetamol help your migraine attacks? Dealing with migraine headaches is hard for people with IBD because we can't take NSAIDs. I found paracetamol is sometimes helpful if taken very early stages of headaches but useless when taken after very painful headache. What do you think? Is paracetamol helpful for your migraines? Also, does triptans aggravate your crohn's? Do you have any non medication ways/tips to cope with migraine headaches? Which foods are you avoiding for your migraine? Do you take preventative treatment for migraine? I find their side effects hard on me.
Thanks.

 

[kristihelene]

Never taken paracetamol. I take neurontin (gabapentin) as a preventative. I use Maxalt at onset of a migraine. I avoid all aspartame. As for non-med acute coping, I've found ice packs at the base of my skull help. Aromatherapy oil diffusers (they make headache blends) are also great. For long term management, I also do physical therapy (I go twice a week).

 

[Crohn2357]

I will think about physical therapy. Do you find it very helpful?

 

[kristihelene]

I do! You need someone who knows what to do, but it's a mix of massage, traction, craniosacral, essential oils, scalp work

 

[Crohn2357]

Thank you very much. Is this therapy special for migraine or another painful disease? I researched and couldn't migraine as a listed disease for physical therapy.

 

[UnXmas]

Have you tried codeine? I know the brand Migraleve combines paracetamol, codeine and buclizine (buclizine treats nausea that can come with a migraine - the paracetamol and codeine are the same as can be found in non-brand name pain meds).

 

[mrjohns2]

A lot of the medications like Excedrin add caffeine as an anti-migraine med. Funny, since caffeine gives some people migraines! Anyway, caffeine or caffeine containing foods (including dark chocolate), I know help my wife.

 

[Crohn2357]

I've tried codeine, paracetamol and caffeine combination but it didn't make any difference for acute migraine also as mrjohns2 said caffeine intake isn't good for migraine.

 

[theOcean]

Personally, I... still take NSAIDs for my migraines because they're the only things effective for them, and I get chronic migraines. I just make sure to limit them -- my neurologist says I'm only allowed to take a maximum of two a week, and I try to make sure that I've had enough to drink and to eat first in case those are the causes of the migraine. If that still isn't it, either I need to nap, or give in and take an Advil or something similar.

Otherwise, if you see a neurologist, you can look into other migraine treatments. I know mine tried triptans with me, but I was unfortunately allergic.

 

[Karajan]

I use a preventer medicine pizotofen 1.5 msg 1 tab at night these usually do the trick, a paracetamol when I get the aura and a migra gel strip on the forehead and they are gone in a half hour usually drink lots of water as well. Hope this helps