rachael Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 Been on Lithium for about a year, I never before had migraines, but in the last six months or so, I had two migraines (or so I think), terrible headaches and light sensitivity for two days. Did any of you also get migraines after starting Lithium. And since most painkillers are off limits, what do you do?It's not a dealbreaker, Lithium is fantastic, I can put up with some headaches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crtclms Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 I have Chronic Daily Migraine and am on lithium. However, I've had bad migraines that happen frequently, or last for days, since I was 13. So I don't know if in your case, headaches are a side effect of lithium or just bad luck. But I thought I'd let you know my experience.If you have more than 3 migraines a month, you should get a referral to a neurologist. They can give you a med to take daily that prevents or lessens the occurrence of migraines. If you are "only" having them once or twice a month, unfortunately you have to tough it out.Personally, on the second day of a migraine, I would go to an ER or Urgent Care for a shot. Narcotics are not the sort of thing they are worried about with lithium, it's Nsaids that are at issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 When I was on lithium I did not have migraines. Ice packs help me a lot though when I am getting a migraine, or any other headache. I also use flexeril (muscle relaxer) that also helps. Do you think it is a food that triggers it? Like chocolate, wine, cheese ... here is a list of some foods that could be triggers:http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/features/identifying-food-triggers-for-migraines?page=2Other things like stress, lack of sleep could trigger them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crtclms Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 It just occurred to me, are you getting dehydrated? That can give you a bad headache, and you need to to drink a lot of water on lithium. You might want to up your fluid intake for a week or so to see if the headaches get better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachael Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 From the list, it could be avocados, I've been eating loads of them and didn't use to. It could be stress, I also think both times I did get dehydrated, but the headache stayed far beyond the dehydration. I'm generally quite good at drinking enough, but on some days, it's just hard to drink 2-2.5l (the weekend just before the most recent migraine, I went to a outdoor concert, alcohol and not enough water). I also suspected the strobe lights. Thanks, I'll maybe make a doctors appointment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crtclms Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 I *think* (and this is only based on my experience) that the headache doesn't automatically go away the minute you are re-hydrated. But I get migraines a lot, and anything can set them off, so that may just be me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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