Stop My Headache Now!

What is a way to make migraine symptoms less severe without medications?

I've been having migraines for about 3 months. I am on Relpax, but I can only take it 3 times a week. I want to see if something natural helps, because with insurance 12 pills cost $40.

Public Comments

1. I would say the first step is getting to the root cause! Neck injuries can cause that problem so possibly a physical therapist or chiropractor to get you back in shape! We are naturally balanced and any interuption to that physical attribute can be quite painful in more ways than one!

2. I've never heard of relpax, but there are plenty OTC meds you could try when you don't have yours. Exedrin for migraines are pretty good. Dark room, saltines for nausea, quiet, hot bath, back massage, anything to relieve stress and tension. I hope you feel better.

3. a very quiet tranquil room, a warm cloth on your forehead and if the back of your neck hurts a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel for 20 minutes. Soft music in the background (like the sounds of the ocean or rain). works for me most of the time. Good Luck

4. peppermint oil, a hot shower letting the water caress your head & some of the over the counter meds help some. the best thing is sleep, if you can just get in a cool dark place and go to sleep it will usually go away on its own. i suffer from migraines also & i know how expensive the meds are. i take imitrex & it cost $60 for 9 pills WITH insurance, but when you get a really bad one you'll pay whatever just to get relief. you may want to talk to your doctor about trying some other medication that works better for you.

5. When I suffer from migrains the only thing that helps me is darkness and total silence and then usually a nap.......Good Luck!

6. I have the same problem and usually what helps me is dark rooms, complete silence, and a good nap. stress is the cause of mine and the doctor tells me to change my daily routine.

7. Headache is a pain in the head, scalp or neck.
Headaches can be caused by minor problems
like eyestrain, lack of coffee or more serious reasons
like head injury, brain tumors, encephalitis and
meningitis. Taking painkillers continuously can
have harmful side effects, so it is better to
modify your lifestyle. More information available at

8. Believe it or not, $40 isn't bad for 12 pills. There are 6 other drugs like Relpax (in the class called Triptans). Perhaps you could check with your prescription provider to see if any of them are on your formulary. Here are their names:

Imitrex
Zomig
Maxalt
Amerge
Axert
Frova

Your prescription insurance provider might charge less for these. Another way to reduce cost is if you are prescribed Imitrex. It comes in 25, 50 and 100 mg tablets. If you find either 25 or 50 to be sufficient in handling your pain, your doctor can write the prescription for the larger mg. dosage. For example, you need 50 mg, you get 100 mg and buy a pill splitter. Then take ½ of a 100 mg pill.

Of course, there is no guarantee the other triptans will work for you. I am just brainstorming to see if you can save some money. Your health comes first, always.

Please don't go splitting medications without making sure it is perfectly safe. Some medications are dangerous if they are broken or chewed. I know Imitrex is ok for this.

You might want to try magnesium. I am not sure the dose or type but it is supposed to help prevent migraine as it seems sufferers usually have low magnesium. You could probably find the magnesium info out in a search online.

See if your doctor would discuss a preventative medication for you. Some anti-depressants are not too expensive and they help with pain.

Discussing your financial concerns with your doctor might help. Sometimes they have samples of prescriptions you can have for free (to help out). And perhaps your doctor would pay attention to the price of medications when he suggests something for you.

I hope you get a handle on things. Migraine is an awful disease. I hate to know anyone else has to suffer through it.

9. There's a new development in migraine therapy:
http://www.neurologyreviews.com/feb04/nr_feb04_foramen.html