I used to get nasty migraines. They definitely DO NOT respond to the usual headache remedies of rest & relaxation. In fact, if I feel one coming on and lay down, when I wake up (usually not much later) it is FAR worse. So, step one for me was to immediately take a couple Excedrin Migraine tablets as soon as I thought I might be getting a migraine. At this point the medication is effective, if I wait too long, all medications, acupressure, tapping and relaxation techniques are pretty much worthless and I just have to sit up somewhere in agony for hours (lying down makes it worse).
Then I found out that many migraines are actually food allergy related. One that just kills me is some kind of spice. It might be Thyme, but I'm scared to test for it! The other for me is more of an excess issue with dairy products (especially cheddar cheese). I love lots of dairy products but, sometimes, just have too much and that's when I get the migraine. Switching to lactose-free milk and cutting way back on cheddar cheese has made a TON of difference. I've read that there's something about cheddar cheese that is different than other types of cheese and many people get a reaction from varying amounts of it. The lactose-free milk has other benefits for us bachelors too. It lasts MUCH longer than normal milk (like two months compared to a few days - and it doesn't get lumpy or smell either)!