A headstart on pain (Migraleve)

Member Name: bollinger28

Product:	Migraleve
Date:	21/07/07 (730 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quick and effective way to combat some of the more severe migraine symptoms

Disadvantages: May not work for all migraine sufferers

I've always suffered with the occasional headache, but in the last couple of years, these have developed into more severe migraine attacks. Recently, I have been suffering from a severe headache once every other month or so. The pain is so severe it really does cut like a knife and any movement at all is best avoided. On occasion, the symptoms have worsened into actual vomiting. This is not pleasant at the best of times, but made ten times worse when you have a head that just won't stop throbbing and the action of leaning over a bowl (or toilet), sends daggers through your skull. Normal pain killers just don't even touch the sides and it is impossible to function normally. Luckily for me, I was recommended that Migraleve may well help alleviate some of the worse symptoms of a migraine, and they really do seem to do the trick for me. If my migraine symptoms are caught in time, a couple of tablets enable me to function reasonably normally and go about my daily business.

~~ WHAT IS A MIGRAINE? ~~
A migraine is a severe and disabling headache. It affects about 10% of the population and effects mainly women. There are common migraines (migraines without aura), which usually take the form of severe headache (often on one side of the head) nausea, vomiting and visual disturbances. You can find yourself particularly sensitive to light, sound and smells. Something that usually smells quite pleasant to you every other day of your life, will suddenly make you want to heave. Then there are classic, or aura migraines, in which an attack is heralded by warning signs such as flashing lights, blind spots, black dots or zigzag patterns before the eyes. You may find you are unable to focus on even the most mundane task. Again, the symptoms are severe headache, nausea, vomiting and visual disturbances.

I find that I tend to suffer from common migraines. My particular symptoms are severe pain (usually over the right side of my face, especially behind my eye). On occasion this has resulted in nausea, followed by vomiting. There has been no way I can carry on regardless and go about my daily routine. All I want to do is crawl into bed and shut the curtains. Unfortunately, lying down (or bending forward) just makes the pain worse - too much blood rushing to the head I guess. Instead I have to try and rest sort of propped up on cushions on the sofa. Not very comfortable, but it does ease the pain in my head.

Migraine symptoms can last from a few hours to a few days, but most people will find the attack is over within 24 hours. Afterwards, you do tend to feel exhausted and kind of washed out. The frequency of attacks is individual to each sufferer. Some will suffer once a week, and others only 2 to 3 times a year. I tend to get a migraine once every other month, although they do seem to be on the increase as I get older.

~~ MIGRAINE TRIGGERS ~~
Possible triggers for migraines can be any number of things. Some people find theirs are caused by their diet. Specialists recommend that migraine sufferers avoid the four C's - chocolate, cheese, citrus fruits and caffeine. Personally, they don't seem to make much difference to me, but my grandmother only had to eat the tiniest bit of plain chocolate and she developed a migraine. Alcohol, especially red wine and port, are also best avoided if you think you are going to be susceptible to an attack.

Other sufferers will swear blind that their trigger is caused by their hormones. As the majority of migraine sufferers are women, a hormonal trigger can be at the root of a lot of migraines, and I am convinced that mine are all tied up with changes in my hormonal levels at certain times of the month. Studies have shown that menstruation can be the cause of a lot of attacks, increasing in severity as the sufferer approaches the menopause.

Stress, too can play its part. A busy week at work can result in a Saturday morning migraine for some...your body's way of rebelling and telling you to slow down and take things at a more even pace. Some find that the weather can play a part in triggering an attack. Excessively hot weather or a thunder storm certainly doesn't help.

A drop in the body's blood sugar level can also trigger attacks, so most sufferers should try and keep their levels up through regular eating of light meals or snacks. Oily fish such as mackerel, salmon and tuna are thought to be a good addition to a sufferer's diet as they provide an anti-inflammatory action on the body. Similarly, ginger is great for helping combat nausea. Fresh ginger root can be grated into cooking or boiled in hot water to make tea.

~~ GETTING HELP ~~
Even if you suffer from none, some or all of the above triggers, those that suffer from regular, painful migraines really need to seek medical help. Doctors can prescribe stronger drugs (such as diclofenac, naproxen or tolfenamic acid) for the pain. If painkillers do not help you, then there are a variety of triptan medicines that can also be prescribed. However, for those such as myself, that find themselves suffering once a month, there are over the counter remedies that are fast and effective in providing relief from the pain and symptoms of an attack. As soon as I start to experience any of my usual migraine symptoms, I reach for the Migraleve tablets. If caught in time, these tablets are most effective in dampening down a headache and combating both the nausea and vomiting.

~~ WHAT IS MIGRALEVE? ~~
Migraleve is the brand name for a set of tablets made by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare and designed to treat migraine attacks. There are two different types of tablet, both packaged in a silver box and coloured coded on the outside to show whether there are pink or yellow coloured tablets within.

The pink tablets are designed to be taken at the first inkling of a migraine attack, as they can prevent the migraine symptoms worsening. Migraleve pink tablets contain three main ingredients, paracetamol, codeine and buclizine hydrochloride. Paracetamol is used to treat mild to moderate pain and is good for reducing fever. Codeine acts to block the transmission of pain signals to the body. Buclizine hydrochloride is an antihistamine which prevents the development of nausea.

The yellow tablets contain mainly paracetamol and codeine, and should only be taken if the pink tablets have not worked. They must only be taken four hours after the pink tablets and then repeated every four hours if the symptoms persist.

** Please be aware that you should never take more than 8 of either coloured tablets in the course of 24 hours **

~~ PRICES & AVAILABILITY ~~
The tablets are readily available to buy over the counter in most good chemists and supermarkets.

Migraleve Complete 12 pack from £4.39 (mix of pink and yellow tablets)
Migraleve Complete 24 pack from £6.51 (mix of pink and yellow tablets)
Migraleve pink tablets 12 pack from £3.89
Migraleve pink tablets 24 pack from £7.15
Migraleve yellow tablets 12 pack from £3.49
Migraleve yellow tablets 24 pack from £5.68

Larger packs of 48 tablets are available, but only through prescription from your doctor.

If, like me, you tend to recover well enough by taking some pink tablets, you may only need to resort to buying a very small packet of yellow tablets, just in case.

~~ OTHER ~~
These tablets should be avoided by anyone with high blood pressure, liver or kidney problems due to the amount of paracetamol they contain. Anyone who is pregnant or breast feeding should take advice from their doctor before taking. They should not be given to any child under the age of ten, but reduced dosage levels are suitable for those aged 10 or above (see detailed instructions contained within each pack of tablets). Similarly, they should never be taken in conjunction with any other products containing paracetamol and it is advised that you avoid alcohol whilst they are in your system.

They can make you feel a bit drowsy (especially the pink tablets), so they do advise that you try to avoid driving or operating machinery. Some users have reported allergies such as skin rashes or itching but I have not suffered anything amiss. The only side effect I can think of is, that like a lot of other pain killers, they can cause slight constipation.

~~ RECOMMENDATION ~~
If taken in time, these tablets are a total godsend. Two of the pink tablets work quickly and effectively to dampen down the severe pain in my head. I won't go so far as to say they get rid of my headache in total, because they don't. What they do is muffle the pain and make it bearable. I can function reasonably normally and I can go about my daily routine. I can certainly go into work and operate a computer; I just have to avoid doing anything too physically strenuous. The pink tablets certainly do combat the nausea and sickness, which is just as well as I couldn't bear to have to go into work and risk having to stick my head into the office WC to be sick. Recommended.

~~ FURTHER INFORMATION ~~
Migraleve Website:- http://www.migraine-advice.com. This is a really informative website with lots of advice on migraine triggers and lifestyle advice. You can fill in an online questionnaire to test whether your symptoms are those of a migraine. They also provide a free guide called "Living with Migraine", which you can send away for.

The Migraine Action Association:- http://www.migraine.org.uk/. Site which aims to provide unbiased information on all aspects of migraine.

Patient UK:- http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23068789/ - well written and easily understandable guide to migraine - what it is and what you can do about it.

Summary: Mostly effective over the counter remedy for migraine headaches