I have had more sleep this last week than I have had in a long time. Oddly, my headaches have been worse both in duration and severity. Today I didn't sleep very well and the headaches haven't been as bad. Anyone else have this happen?

Hmmm....so you're experiencing a shift in your cycle? It sounds as if you were getting hit at night and during the day, but now the night hits are less and the day hits are increasing? If that's what's going on, sure...we've all experienced the erratic and capricious nature of the beast. Still, there's some relief in getting a good night's sleep. I've gone years without a full night's sleep. Now, I get some nights without a hit. It's like learning to sleep during combat: you get it where you can, and it has to be enough so it is. You might mention to your doc the shift but it could be a sign your cycle is coming to a close. Have to wait and see. Blessings. lance

Sleep was always an awful trigger for me. I remember trying to catch a few winks in between shots of imitrex & hoping to wake up before the next HA. I always tried to be awake before letting the HA wake me, but that is difficult & it can be exhausting.

Melatonin before bedtime helps a lot of us get thru the night. It gets us thru the REM sleep (where the headaches hit) and let's us get the sleep we need. I take 10-20mg (depending on how bad I'm getting hit) before bedtime and very seldom have a night hit.

But one thing I've learned over the years.. If you wake up with even a slight shadow - GET UP - DO NOT go back to sleep.. That's a guarantee of a BIG hit.

I'm chornic and I usually wake up from 3 to 4 EVERY morning with a shadow.. I've learned to GET UP right then and get some coffee down immediately, but any time I've tried to ignore it and go back to sleep it's been the wrong move to make and I was awakened with a major CH.

CH may change your sleeping patterns, but you WILL get used to that (trust me on that one).

:-*

20 mg? I tried it at 9 mg and didn't get any benefit from it. I guess it was too low a dose? I think I will try this again at the higher dose. Do you take it at bedtime or a little while before?

Would someone please define the word?  I'm not familiar with it.

Jerry

I hadn't been either for the last two years, hence my confusion at the HA's getting worse with more sleep...

Ariel, we did a survey on melatonin a while back, informal based on board members use. 18 mg was the average "higher" dose, some went a bit higher as was mentioned above. Some found best results by splitting the dose between standard release and quick release, say 9 mg of each. The quick release would get them to sleep, the standard release would keep them that way. Most took the meds about 30 minutes before bedtime. Hope this helps.

There was a thread awhile back that went into the differences between types of melatonin.

It was generally agreed that the "good stuff" is

n-Acetyl-5-Methoxytryptamine.

Look for that ingredient on the side of the box. Hope this helps.

Joe

Ariel... what Joe said... the melatonin has worked so great for me (I tried it on a low dose twice before I did a higher does. Swore it didn't work the first two times... ummm.. but on the third try it WORKED and I've been on it for years now.)

My prevents are Zonagran (300mg) and Trazadone (100mg) -- I take this at night before bedtime also (I'm one of those people who just can't take meds in the daytime)

Talk to your neuro about prevents. Most people here go with verapamil and lithium (works for so many).. BUT talk to your neuro about some prevents.. That really helps you deal with these things...

Nuther thing.. Look into Batch's D3 regimen.. It's working for a lot of people. I just started on it, so I'm not ready to say one way or the other yet, but there's some really good reports from several on here. It's worth a try...

And let us know how you're doing... We WANT to know...  :-*

Thanks guys :) Gonna read up on that & give it a try, and buy the good stuff!