It seems these days I get migraine headaches every day. They are so severe sometimes that I have to have absolute darkness and quiet, because of the pounding and the nausea. Is there any kind of herbal remedy for this? I am so tired of taking narcotics, and barbituates for this. They bring me down so much. But the doctor keeps insisting that this is all he can do. This new drug called imitrex which is non narcotic doesn't work for me either. Any suggestions would be helpful. I am so tired of suffering.

just a thought:
have you tried a nutritionist, or an eye doctor? i also get headaches very often, but i realized that it is from eye strain. a chiropractor maybe can help also, they can solve a lot of problems naturally.

Hassia offers good advice. Migraines can be triggered by certain foods. It's possible that something in your day to day diet is causing them. Humidy and changes in Barometric pressure can also cause headaches.

But to answer your question, yes there are herbal alternatives. If you have a local health store or health food store check out their products. You should find homeopathic liquid tinctures packaged with a dropper. There are different ones for different ailments. I've used the anti-naseau product and had great results.

Have you ever had any problems with grinding and/or clenching your teeth?

When I was younger I had the worst migraines, which sound alot like what you're feeling - had to just have quiet, darkness, and a nice cool washcloth over my face. Oh, and tons of aspirin (tylenol didn't touch it, and ibuprophen wasn't available OTC yet).

I lived with these for about 5 years before my dentist noticed that my bite was WAY off, and had been getting worse all of the time. He referred me to an oral surgeon - I had a very severe form of TMJ, where part of my jaw on one side had actually grown in adulthood, causing very severe grinding and clenching.

After having surgery to correct it, and having my jaw wired shut for 7 weeks, I wore a night guard when I slept for a couple of years. Eventually I stopped grinding.

One sign that it could be jaw related is if, when you have a headache, it feels like there's a band going over the top of your head from ear to ear...that seems to be where alot of the pain centers when the jaw bones or jaw muscles are involved.

Although my surgery was over 20 years ago, to this day I HAVE to have nitrous oxide for any and all dental procedures as I cannot hold my mouth open and in one position for any length of time without suffering for days. (The dentist appreciates that when I have nitrous, I don't inadvertantly BITE him!)

And although, thank heaven I don't have this problem, I know a few people who have severe reactions to cleaning products, detergents, etc. I kmow there's a name for this, but don't recall at the moment what it is...

I hope you find relief - believe me, I can relate and feel for you!

This may seem a little extreme, but I read recently that researchers have discovered that botox injections might help. Click here for more info.

I have severe migranes too, almost everyday. I tried to pay close attention to my diet to see if there were certain foods that may cause this, I didn't find any. There is a suuplement that I bought at GNC it is called Migra-plex, don't know if it works yet, the lady said it may take a few weeks. I'll let you know how it works.

Thanks for all of the replies. I found out that I have TMJ. BUT there is no way I am going to get my jaw wired shut. I am going to see about getting a night guard though.

Prior to my surgery, which was necessary due to actual bone growth, I gained a tremendous amount of relief from the night guard!

When I clenched in my sleep, the night guard only allowed my front teeth to connect...which alleviated ALOT of the muscle tension leading to daytime headaches.

I wish you luck, and hope this helps! Giz