DIY Homemade Migraine Remedy
I am a chronic migraine sufferer and can remember getting headaches around the age of 9. Over the course of my life, I have tried pretty much every single over-the-counter and prescription medication there is. They either don’t work, give me multiple other problems, or overall make me feel like crap. I’d soon much rather just suffer through the migraine. My headaches are manageable and tend to go away rather quickly. My migraines, on the other hand, are not quick, nor are they easy to deal with.
A migraine will put me in bed. Pretty much for the entire day. I have to be cold. I have to be in the dark. And no one can make noise. Because the meds don’t work, I would just lay in bed all day with an ice pack, waiting for it to run its course. I did a lot of sleeping. Sometimes it hurt so bad I couldn’t sleep. So, I would just lay there. The following day, I would have what we migraine sufferers call the headache hangover. Because a migraine zaps so much out of you, it takes another 24-48 hours for your body to recoup.
Migraines have caused me a lot of grief in my work life as well as my personal life. It’s not so bad now that I am able to work from home. I don’t have to feel the guilt of calling in. But I miss out on a lot when I cannot work. My income depends on me, not my employer.
I knew there had to be something out there that would work for me. I tried natural supplements, headache salves purchased from stores, and many other lotions and potions. I remembered there were some holistic treatments I had tried in my 20s (I’m going to be 4 this year *gasp*), so I wanted to get back to that.
I’ve been using this homemade remedy for a while now. It’s my go-to when I feel the first signs of pain. I place it all over my neck, chest, and the back of my neck. Sometimes, it takes care of all of the pain, and my headache or migraine is gone. Other times it greatly reduces the pain that I don’t have to be in bed. It has been a while since I have been stuck in bed with a migraine. So long now that I can’t even remember when. I guess that is a good thing!
I’ve had a great friend send me some samples of Young Living’s peppermint, but it was out of my budget, and I did not want to get involved with an MLM company. I’ve tried too many of them over the years and just haven’t had much success. I stumbled on Spark Naturals. It was important that I find a company where I could easily shop from home. I live in a rather rural area where natural stores are hard to come by. The closest one is expensive since it is in a tourist town. I’m not convinced that cheaper is always better so I wanted to compare it to the Young Living sample I had received.
Armed with my coupon, I decided to try the 4-Pack Essential Kit. The Essential kit comes with Lavender, Lemon, Melaleuca, and Peppermint. From research, books, and past experience, I knew that all four of these oils had wonderful uses, so I would get my money’s worth.
While I do like Young Living oils, I firmly believe that folks can use more than one brand. For example, I was gifted some YL Joy, and I am really enjoying it.
Using a small container (Altoids tins are perfect for this) mix some coconut oil (the kind you use to cook with since it gets hard), 2-3 drops peppermint oil and 1-2 drops of lavender oil. Mix well. I keep mine in the refrigerator, ready to go when I need it. I put lavender in mine because of its calming properties.
DIY Homemade Migraine Remedy
Ingredients
- 1 empty tin
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 2-3 drops peppermint essential oil
- 1-2 drops lavender essential oil
Instructions
- Make sure your tin is clean if you are re-purposing.
- In your tin (or jar) add the coconut oil and then the essential oils.
- Blend well.
- Keep in a cool, dry place.
I am extremely happy with the Spark Naturals brand and happy that this method is so much better than popping pills and the risk of damaging my liver and kidneys.
PS: If you are a chronic pain or chronic migraine sufferer, here are a few books that helped me in my journey.
Chemical Free Me : Karyn Close was born and raised in rural America. She’s a proud homeschooling mom of a beautiful daughter and is constantly striving to provide the very best that she has to offer her daughter. After 20 years of research, trial and error and a relentless pursuit in finding answers, Karyn has found the secret to ridding herself of chronic migraines. She shares her journey that involves self-discovery and the realization that living simple, organically and frugal is much easier than paying a dear price later on down the road.
Nearly 1 in 2 Americans suffer from some chronic condition―either an illness like fibromyalgia or conditions such as migraine headaches or chronic neck and back pain. With numbers like these, it’s fair to say we have a health crisis on our hands.
Respected therapist H. Norman Wright, along with Lynn Ellis, a researcher with firsthand experience with fibromyalgia, lupus, and chronic fatigue, shares practical, hopeful answers for those who suffer from what are often called “invisible illnesses.”
Readers will benefit from realizing they are not alone even if others don’t understand what they are experiencing. They will also find
- helpful ideas for managing relationships with their doctors and their families
- insight into God’s perspective and caring for those who suffer
- practical ways to manage the stress, fear, and depression that often comes with chronic illness
Coping with Chronic Illness is the perfect resource for those who struggle as well as for their families and friends, lay counselors, hypnotherapy practitioners, medical professionals, and pastors.
Need a travel bag to bring your oils along?
Grab your essential oils travel bag! Handmade with lots of love.
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Note: I am not a medical professional. This is not an intent to treat, diagnose, or cure. Please check with your medical professional.
I don’t get migraines all that often, but when I do, I am completely useless. I am definitely going to try this next time.
I’ll definitely be giving this a try. I get terrible headaches on occasion, and over the counter medicines don’t agree with me. Thanks!
My husband gets migraines occasionally and we usually just have to wait them out. I hate that. I love that this remedy could actually help him.
Headaches can be really disruptive. It’s good to know so many remedies exist.
I haven’t gotten migraines since jr high school when I was suffering from epilepsy, but I do find that I am a complete wimp when I get any type of headache and it takes a LOT of motrin to put a dent in it. I’m definitely putting this in my toolbox for the next time. Question : do you slightly warm the coconut oil for mixing? I find it hard as a rock at room temp.
I don’t do any warming. I put the coconut oil right in the container I am going to keep it in, add the oils, and then use my finger to mix it up. I find that doing this warms it on its own. If you were going to make a large batch, then you could warm it a little to mix easier. But this is meant to be like a Vicks rub or salve so I keep it hard at all times. Then I just run my finger in it and put it in the palm of my hand to warm, then all over my chest, neck, behind my ears.
I lose my sight when I have migraines and have finally seen a neurologist. I’m going to try your remedy because losing my sight with three boys is awful. I’ve also cut out caffeine, sugar, and I’m trying hard with dairy especially cheese.
Sometimes I do, so I can relate. I have gone through eliminations with various foods and it doesn’t seem to be any one I have tried.
I am blessed to only get them every so often! I would prefer this treatment instead of taking pills. I am going to have to remember this
For me this is much better than taking pills. I don’t want to even think about the potential damage to my liver or kidneys.
I love DIY recipes, they are always so much better than buying in the store. I don’t get migraines very often, thank goodness.
I get migraines all the time and they’re such a pain! The doctor prescribed me pills because I get them just about every day. It was horrible before I was able to get the prescription. I love your DIY recipe though! I’ll have to try this out to see if it helps me. I’d much rather use this then a prescription! A much better option for me!
I have tried preventative migraine meds and migraine pain meds. The side effects were horrible. It’s just easier for me to push through them.
I never had issues with migraines until a few years ago. I have not found anything that truly works on them. This concept intrigues me.
I keep reading more and more about essential oils and I think I need to look into this more. Seems to be a miracle cure for many things.
I am just now getting into essential oils myself, love them! I use them with the coconut oil also! Pinning this!
Thank you for the pin!
This sounds great! I’ll have to try this next time I get a migraine!
I get migraines as well. And have just recently found out that peppermint oil indeed helps. I purchased my bottle from a health food store. It cost 7.99. I thought that was kind of high. I wanted to get the lavender as well but couldn’t afford it. Thanks so much for sharing your remedy. I am going to have to bite the bullet and get the lavender.
That’s actually a pretty decent price for essential oils. I paid $6.50 for a 5ml bottle. A little goes a long way.
I get headaches often, over the counter meds work fine for most of the time but it’s those days I need something else. I wouldn’t mind trying this out.
Luckily, I don’t get migraines often but when I do, I would much rather treat them with something natural and homemade like this than some chemical-filled drug.
I am a lifelong migraine sufferer, and this looks like it would really help me. I am always looking for ways to not suffer anymore.
Thanks for this awesome recipe, I hate getting migraines and I’d love try this to get rid of them!
I love using essential oils for things. I have been using them for over a year and have had great experiences.
I am glad to hear you have had good experiences!
I love your tips! My cousin always suffers with this, atleast now I know what to do for her. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing this. I suffer from migraines a lot and they can be so debilitating to me, great to have a DIY remedy.
I get a lot of migraines so this would be really helpful for me.I will give it a try.
I occasionally get these migraines as well and have for a very long time. This sounds like a great alternative to laying in bed all day being miserable and something that I will definitely give a try.
Sometimes I still have to lay in bed, but at least I can better manage the pain and all of the side effects of the migraine.
Thank you so much for this! I’ve fortunately identified the triggers for my migraines, so usually I can avoid them. But when I do get them, they really take me out.
I don’t get them often but this is awesome! Thank you! Seems coconut oil is a miracle product for everything! Thankfully I always have it on my shelves!
I agree. I use it for a lot of things.
I am new to the essential oils, but this sounds like a good recipe to keep handy for the occasional migraine i get! Thanks!
I’ve been using EO off and on for many years. I like that their is so much more information about them out there now.
That’s pretty awesome that you’ve come up with your own remedy that works. I was getting them monthly for a long, long time after I had my last baby. Thankfully that’s subsided now! They were no fun at all.
I’m so glad to hear that you are no longer getting them monthly. They really aren’t any fun.
I’ve been getting headaches lately, probably form the heaters. I’m taking notes and will give your home made remedy a try. Thank you.
Well this seems easy enough and I think better than taking a bunch of meds. I rarely suffer from migraines but I do know a few people that do and I will pass this info on.
There are so many uses for coconut oil! I don’t suffer from headaches often, but I bet I could find other uses for this homemade remedy. Thanks for sharing!
Thankfully, I don’t have migraines, but I will share this with those that I know that do. I love natural remedies.
Omg I’m all about this kinda stuff!!! Anything homemade and natural remedies are awesome to me 🙂
Me, too! Love it.
I am suffering a lot with migraine headache lately. I can’t manage any works during that pain. This is really helpful to me. Thanks a lot for sharing the homemade Migraine Remedy.
I really hope it provides you with some relief.
What a smart little solution! I will have to try it out next time I get a particularly bad headache.
Having a migraine remedy like this is so helpful. I suffer from them from time to time.
I used to get migraines quite often as a teenager, but I seldom get them now. I do use peppermint oil whenever one occurs and it helps out tremendously.
Peppermint is such a wonderful thing.
I have been suffering the most awful headaches the past week or so, nothing seems to help so I really must try and make some of this to see if it does help me 🙂 x
I really hope it helps you. I had to play around with the formula a bit to find the right combo to help me. I know a few people who add lemon to theirs.
I love anything that smells like Peppermint. It relaxes my mind.
Hi, I live in singapore where the average room temperature is about 27 degrees Celsius maybe, so I was wondering whether I can substitute anything for the coconut oil as I’m afraid it will be in the liquid form here. Or do you think I can make it into a roll on or something? I will really like to try this recipe.
Hi Jess, I have seen others use pure aloe vera gel or shea butter. You can use old jars like from Vicks vapor rub, baby food, small jam jars and things like that. They work well for headache balm.
You can mix it with coconut oil and then keep it in the fridge. That is what I do. Keep it in there until I need it. If I leave the coconut oil out, it does stay liquid. I am going to be trying the aloe version for myself. I’ll be posting that here, too.
If you buy fractioned coconut oil, it will always stay a liquid. You can also use almond or hemp oil. You’ll want a carrier oil like that for a roll on. I would not risk using regular coconut oil in a roll on. It could harden a bit and cause your roll on to clump and break.
i get migraines weekly. sometimes more than once. my med list is ridiculous and I’m not able to work because of the combined nightmare of migraines and meds. my short term memory is shot. I’m making this today and if it gives me relief with the pills, you will be my new hero.
thank you!!!
*WITHOUT the pills….
I really hope this works for you! Sometimes it does not kill the migraine 100%, but it certainly does help me quite a bit!