Migraine Relief Tips

If you’ve had a migraine before, you know how miserable they can be. Over the years, I’ve found a few things that help to relieve my migraines, so I wanted to share them here.

Note: I am not a doctor! These are my own, non-scientific observations, and I don’t claim that any of these tips have scientific or medical merit. They could very well be nothing more than a placebo. Or they may not work for you at all. If you are suffering from migraines, please talk to your doctor first.

Act quickly

For all of the following tips, it’s important to act as soon as your migraine symptoms start. I have found that this can significantly reduce the severity of the headache. However, I haven’t found any methods that eliminate the aura - for me, it just has to run its course (which takes about 30-45 minutes).

Take a pain reliever or migraine supplement

I take both of the following as soon as my migraine starts:

Ibuprofen (2 tablets, 200mg each): For me, ibuprofen seems to significantly reduce migraine headaches. Unlike Tylenol/acetaminophen, it doesn’t cause nausea.
MigreLief-NOW (4 capsules): This is a variation on the “regular” MigreLief (found under “Everyday Stack” above) with a different blend. It’s designed to be taken when a migraine starts rather than every day.

Eat something delicious

I’ve found that eating something delicious seems to reduce the headache, or at least distract me from it. My (non-scientific) theory is that foods that produce dopamine work the best. For me, those include:

Cheese
Pepperoni pizza (I keep one in my freezer for emergencies)
Basically anything with carbohydrates or sugar

I don’t recommend eating these foods all the time - eating junk food every day could make your migraines more frequent! But for the occasional migraine, I would rather eat a little bit of junk food if it helps to relieve the headache.

Drink something

Your first priority should be to drink one or two glasses of water. Staying hydrated can help reduce the frequency of migraines. So if you’re getting a migraine now, you might actually be dehydrated.

Drinking a beer or glass of wine can help you relax. If I’m at home, I’ll usually drink a beer right when my migraine starts, or when it seems like a migraine might be looming. However, keep in mind that excessive drinking every day could actually cause more migraines in the future.

If you’re at work (or if it’s too early for alcohol), try caffeine. A cold soft drink works especially well, due to the trifecta of caffeine, sugar, and cold. But I’ve also had good luck with espresso.

Be cool

For me, heat can be a migraine trigger. If I have to drive during a migraine, I turn on the air conditioning and point the vents at my face. If I’m at home or at work, a small desk fan seems to help.

I’ve experimented with applying ice to my forehead while lying down. This sometimes helps, although it is usually too much of a hassle.

Relax and find your happy place

If you’re at home, lie down in a dark room and listen to some relaxing music. If the sound of the TV helps you relax, you can turn that on (although actually “watching” it may worsen your aura).

Basically, you want to try to find your “happy place”.

If you’re like me, your migraines tend to happen at the worst possible time - when you’re stressed and busy. Then the migraine takes you out of the game for a few hours or more, which just makes things worse. Try not to think about this. Remember that the migraine is not your fault, and that everyone feels sick or under the weather sometimes.

What to do if you’re at work

If you’re at work, it may not be possible to simply relax, much less take a nap. Everyone’s work situation is different, but here are a few things to consider:

Are there any easier tasks you can work on until the migraine begins to subside?
Can you work in a darker area for a while? For example, if you’re working outside on a sunny day, are there any tasks that can be done inside or in the shade?
Depending on your schedule and the time of day, you may be able to take a 15-minute break or lunch break. If nothing else, this can give you a chance to take some medicine and think of a plan for the rest of the day.
If you think it will help, tell someone. While you may want (or need) to power through your migraines, you may find that some of your coworkers and/or bosses are sympathetic or are migraine-sufferers themselves. Migraines are very common, so you probably aren’t the first person in your workplace to get one.
Bring a “migraine kit” to work, containing pain medicine, a snack, and maybe earbuds (so you can listen to music).