Migraine

[mosaix]

Christian Nash's poem regarding migraines seemed to spark a discussion on the subject.

I thought I'd start a thread where we could share our experiences and maybe help each other out.

My migraines (looking back now) were associated with low blood sugar or lack of carbohydrate. I got them mainly at school when I was doing a lot of athletics. I didn't get them during my last year when coincidentally we got a new athletics teacher who was a AAA's coach. He suggested that before a race (I used to run cross country and mile for the county) we took glucose tablets. I didn't relate this to my migraines disappearing until I started playing squash regularly some years later and they returned. This time my doctor (also a squash player) recommended a high-energy sports drink before, during and after the game. I haven't had a single attack since. If any sufferers are leading a very active lifestyle then low blood sugar should be considered.

Like Christian blurring of vision in my left eye was a sign that an attack was imminent. Once the headache started any sensation, smell, sound, taste, light, would bring on instant vomiting. Generally, my attacks lasted about 24 hours.

My wife's migraines are food related as well but in a different way. Trial and error has taught us that eating any two of the following - chocolate, cheese, alcohol (red wine is the worst) - in a twenty four hour period will trigger and attack.

My wife works at the local medical practice and they have visiting specialists once a month to deliver lectures. Last year a migraine specialist visited. He refused, point blank, to accept either the low blood sugar or food combination theories for triggering migraine despite several of the doctors recounting 'cures' in their patients brought on by managing their diets. So it's worth getting a second opinion sometimes if your medical practitioner doesn't seem able to treat you effectively.

One of the problems with treating a migraine is that the stomach usually stops digesting food soon after an attack starts so oral medication is often ineffective, especially if vomiting is experienced as well. This has led to some medications being available in suppository form.

[AnyaKimlin]

With mine I find I can usually head them off by a glass of Pepsi and rubbing ibuprofen gel mixed with tiger balm on my forehead. I have to catch it when my head starts feeling heavy before issues with the eyes start.

The Pepsi (I am guessing it isn't the caffeine as Coke and IRN BRU don't work) works pretty well in reducing it if I am out and about.

Mine are probably related to my ME - going without dairy makes them worse, but they seem to have no other food related connection. I don't often vomit but it takes a lot to make me vomit - even with pregnancy it didn't happen very often.

[Metryq]

Wasn't she a character in the King Arthur legends?

[BookStop]

I get a couple migraines per month, usually lating 3 days each. If I can catch the early warning signs - for me it's flashing lights across my vision, making it impossible to read, or even drive since the blind spots can be large and move - I can take ibuprophen and caffiene to head it off. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, and I don't always have warning signs, so those are the worst.

I'm vegan so I don't tend to eat any foods that would be considered "normal tirggers", with the exception of red wine sometimes.

One thing I find interesting, that multiple doctors have told me has no bearing, is that my very first migraine came a few months after having my thyroid removed. Correlation? Docs say no, but I find it a helluva coincidence.

[rune]

I get migrain every month, its my monthlies that start mine so no way of avoiding it!
I get something that was described to me - by my Dr - as Stroke Migrain

Apart from the generally affects - severe head pain, vomiting. I also fall over, loose the feeling in my face on one side, go blind in the eye on the same side I fall over and loose feeling in my face. Loose co-ordination of my hand-eye. So I tend to knock things over. Oh and I can loose my memory for a few days, comes back eventually though

They can last anything up to a week, though the worst affect is about 3 days

[HareBrain]

Well, mine are pretty feeble compared to your lot! They start as a fierce white blotch with a lemon-yellow edge, in the centre of my field of vision, which slowly creeps outwards until it looks like a hungry ameoba. If I catch it as this is starting, and go and lie down in the dark, it goes away in half an hour and apart from feeling drained and a little nauseous, that's it. Otherwise it's worse, but only for a few hours.

It seems to be light changes that causes them most -- I've had them from flickering light (cycling past a winter-bare hedgerow with sun behind it), and coming from bright outdoors into the dark, and possibly in combination with being low on energy. But this is three or four times a year at most, and I mention it only for comparison.

[JunkMonkey]

I only started getting them when I was in my thirties. After the first one I went to the doctor, described my symptoms and she agreed that's what I had had. Said there was bugger all she could do about it but gave me a fact-sheet of possible trigger foods. I quickly realised that one piece of paper was my entire diet. Just about everything I ate was a suspected trigger food.
I very rarely have them these days (15 years later). I suspect the smoking gun in my case was red wine, or alcohol in general. I've been dry now for 10 years and still eat cheese, strong coffee, and chocolate in stupidly large quantities.

[Lilmizflashythang]

I too get them every month. Sometimes twice a month. Mine are hormonal mostly. The rest are stress related. That reminds me, JM, the past 15 years, have they lightened in the stress level. Cause if they have, yours may have been stress related as well.

[Adasunshine]

Originally Posted by rune

I get migrain every month, its my monthlies that start mine so no way of avoiding it!
I get something that was described to me - by my Dr - as Stroke Migrain

Apart from the generally affects - severe head pain, vomiting. I also fall over, loose the feeling in my face on one side, go blind in the eye on the same side I fall over and loose feeling in my face. Loose co-ordination of my hand-eye. So I tend to knock things over. Oh and I can loose my memory for a few days, comes back eventually though

They can last anything up to a week, though the worst affect is about 3 days

Mine too are "stroke migraines" and your description sounds scarily familiar, to be honest I am quite glad I'm not alone in this as no-one else I know gets hormonal migraines. Fortunately for me, my trigger was the combined contraceptive pill so easily nipped in the bud although the mini-pill can still trigger intensely painful headaches so I stay away from them altogether at the advice of my GP!

Mine usually start off with a searing pain in either temple followed by paresthesia on the same side of the face (it's usually right-sided for some unfathomable reason) which is then followed by a horrible dull ache behind both eyes, numbness of the face and relevant side of the body, an overwhelming feeling of dizziness (although I haven't fainted yet (*touch wood*)), aversion to lights and intense fatigue.

If I don't get myself to a pitch black room where I can sleep limitlessly, they can last for up to 3 days but if I'm able to sleep they usually clear within 24-48 hours.

My hormones subject me to a lot of unwanted side effects but these migraines are by far the worst of them.

xx

[JunkMonkey]

Originally Posted by Lilmizflashythang

JM, the past 15 years, have they lightened in the stress level. Cause if they have, yours may have been stress related as well.

Hardly. I now have no money and three kids under 10 - and I'm the stay at home parent. One of the most stressful jobs I've ever had :-)

I still have my migraine kit by the side of the bed: eye mask, cooling gel headband, asperin, and 10mg Maxalt Melts. The Maxalt was prescribed by my new doctor who gets stonking migraines when she eats cheese. She swears by them. They appear to work for me too.

[Lilmizflashythang]

I get your meaning JM. Mine have the sounds for the most part, but--proving that there is always a bright side--I do have some interesting light shows. Can definately (that doesn't look right) get good inspiration for my stories. Someone close to me, used to have Chronic Migraines. Those that last the full 5-7 days, and some of them more than once a month. I'm just glad I can take the Excederin Migraine. I'll be sick anyway, might as well be because of the asprin and not the headache.

[rune]

Originally Posted by Adasunshine

Mine too are "stroke migraines" and your description sounds scarily familiar, to be honest I am quite glad I'm not alone in this as no-one else I know gets hormonal migraines. Fortunately for me, my trigger was the combined contraceptive pill so easily nipped in the bud although the mini-pill can still trigger intensely painful headaches so I stay away from them altogether at the advice of my GP!

Mine usually start off with a searing pain in either temple followed by paresthesia on the same side of the face (it's usually right-sided for some unfathomable reason) which is then followed by a horrible dull ache behind both eyes, numbness of the face and relevant side of the body, an overwhelming feeling of dizziness (although I haven't fainted yet (*touch wood*)), aversion to lights and intense fatigue.

If I don't get myself to a pitch black room where I can sleep limitlessly, they can last for up to 3 days but if I'm able to sleep they usually clear within 24-48 hours.

My hormones subject me to a lot of unwanted side effects but these migraines are by far the worst of them.

xx

You are the first person Ive described my migraine too that actually recognises it. I use to try and tell folks I worked with what they were like but they didnt believe me.
They did mind you after I collasped at work once with it and was told to go home at once if they came on again!
Which was regular as clockwork, but at least they didnt moan quite so much.
Im not on the pill dont take anything like that and still get them. I do find they can come worse in fazes. I can go months where they arent so bad and then have months were they are terrible

[Dave]

My best mate gets Migraines and has always been on medication. His are stress related and I remember very clearly the University final exam in which I had to take him out of the examination hall and immediately to the medical centre. He had that facial paralysis just described by rune and also the sickness. It was quite shocking to observe and very like the symptoms of a stroke. Since then I'm afraid I've never had much sympathy with people who say they can't come to work because they have a "bit of a migraine." In my opinion, a headache is something quite different.

[JunkMonkey]

Originally Posted by Dave

"bit of a migraine."

I agree, I don't think there is such a thing. It's like being a bit pregnant.

[rune]

Originally Posted by Dave

My best mate gets Migraines and has always been on medication. His are stress related and I remember very clearly the University final exam in which I had to take him out of the examination hall and immediately to the medical centre. He had that facial paralysis just described by rune and also the sickness. It was quite shocking to observe and very like the symptoms of a stroke. Since then I'm afraid I've never had much sympathy with people who say they can't come to work because they have a "bit of a migraine." In my opinion, a headache is something quite different.

I use to find it annoying when folks moaned about me going home from work when I had a migraine coming on. They would say "its only a headache"!
Its like everything, you cant really appreciate a something until you have experienced it. And Migraine isnt just a headache!!!!!