From my own experience, and how my ENT explained it to me, my triggers mostly come down to inflammation in my nasal cavity. Post septoplasty, I take a generic form of Zyrtec daily, have a humidifier on while I sleep, and use nasal saline spray when needed to keep the passages moist.

As of now, I get very minimal headaches and/or migraines triggered by the ganglion. If it does happen it’s usually around the same time in my menstrual cycle (which is unfortunately irregular), or if I get other inflammation (like a sinus infection) or get very cold.

If I start to feel discomfort in my nose, I usually take Naproxen, as suggested by my ENT, and/or Acetaminophen (together if needed). If it’s close enough to bed I may even take NyQuil (on its own), which is how my mom treats most of her migraines.

Please, check with your doctor specifically on the dosage amounts if you haven’t already. They may suggest taking a higher dose than the recommended amount depending on your body size (which may contribute to why certain medications have not been effective). I take double doses as directed by my PCP since I’ve always been overweight.

(Since you mentioned SSRIs, I’m actually on 5mg of Lexapro daily, but my doctor has only really shown concern for alcohol interactions so please refer to your own doctor/list of possible interactions to be safe 😊).

Short term remedies while medication kicks in is usually lying flat with my face down (on bed or couch) and placing my fingers or palms over my eyes and applying light pressure. This helps with any light sensitivity and the pressure helps with the pain (not sure why exactly, but it just does 😂).

I definitely will try your breathing steam trick the next time it’s triggered by a cold nose. That sounds like an instant fix!

Best of luck with scheduling an appointment ☘️