now this too? ... migraine

[Duck on Wheels]

I was supposed to drive dh to the train station tonight (night train for a morning meeting in Oslo). 10 minutes before we should have left, I had to back out. Vision disturbance like a circle of broken mirrors turning round and round, reflecting, difracting. Kind of pretty, actually, but unnerving. I've had this once before and knew it would become very distracting, so not a good idea to drive. I also figured it would take 20-30 minutes. Last time there was no pain. This time a headache followed. Not the worst headache I've known. The pain, at least so far, is not all that sharp or strong, more like somebody tightening a belt around my skull, tightness and pressure more than pain. So now what? Will there be more of these? Will they get progressively worse? What do you do if this happens while you're out on your bike? Oh well. I'm off to bed. Hopefully it'll be gone in the morning.

[kelownagirl]

Ugh, I feel for you. I had one the other day. I too sometimes get the flashing lights stuff without the pain, but that's seldom. Anyway, maybe you'll be lucky like me and only get them every 2-3 years. It's rare though. Try to figure out what triggered it if you can.

good luck and hugs,

barb

[7rider]

Hi. I take it you've never had one before?
Yes - see if you can figure out what triggered it. Some common things are red wine and chocolate (I think I'd die if those triggered mine!). For me, it is intense bike rides - I don't get vision disturbances, but I get sensitive to light and sound and have severe nausea. I need to pre-dose with Ibuprofen before the ride and then rest and drink lots after hard efforts.

[LBTC]

My migraines haven't yet had that level of vision disturbance, but had migraines off and on for years (was in denial - and I was really stressed then); and the last two had nausea included for the first time ever.

I was able to try a migraine medication as my doctor gave me a sample to try - the good thing about taking that is that if the drug works you know for sure it actually it is a migraine, and not a headache caused by something else.

Triggers I know of for me: red wine and sucralose (splenda), luckily no sign of chocolate being a trigger!

Things that have helped, other than drugs, an aromatherapy blend that includes geranium and bergamot; it's very important to rest and not move; and there are a few interesting yoga things that would help, all involving a bean bag on the head and the feet (weird, I know, but it helped). You probably know this one - but avoid heat on your neck and shoulders. A migraine has something to do with too much blood going to the brain, so heat would just cause the blood vessels to dilate further and allow even more blood in there....if you can handle a cool cloth on the back of your neck it may help...

I'm sorry that you have this to deal with too! Don't we each have enough? Since I moved here in February I've had 2 migraines, which is much more frequent than usual for me; but even stranger is that since the symptoms of Crohn's started I haven't had one. Go figure.

Good luck and take care of you. Definitely if you can figure out the trigger you're way ahead! (sounds like Crohn's, too, doesn't it?)

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[kelownagirl]

Splenda - really? I tried that for the first time week. Will have to give it another try this weekend and hope it doens't give me a headache.

[suzieqtwa]

I get migraines.....:mad: as far as migraines go I don't think they are that bad ,but they last 12 hours ,and I just have this dull throbbing on the left side of my head..its on the same side all the time. Sometimes I see lights ,and halos ,and get very nauseous. I've been prescribed imatrex ,vicodon ,nothing works...sometimes I just take an ambien ,and sleep.
I think red wine may set them off ,or stress. If I'm drinking red wine I always take an aspirin first. Seems to work.
Splenda doesn't give me a migraine, as I use it everyday. It could be anything. I know chocolate dosent give me one.

[Bikingmomof3]

I have severe migraines, several times a week. My migraines begin with an aura- visual disturbance (I lose my vision), then numbness, then intense pain.
BTW, any one of those is also a sympton of a stroke or TIA. I have had a stroke and a few TIAs. :(

Nothing external triggers mine, it is all brain chemistry and the neurologist are doing their best.

If you do not feel better in the morning, call your doctor. If indeed it was a migraine there are some things that can help some people.

I hope you are feeling better.

[LBTC]

Suzie you are truly lucky to have not bad migraines that only last 12 hours. A migraine for me lasts anywhere from 1 to 5 days. Mine are not always accompanied by nausea, and usually with light sensitivity, but the headache pain is so intense that I end up looking like a different person!! :eek: I'm so glad I don't get them often!

I'd never thought about stroke or (what is that other thing) like BMo3 said, but now that someone with experience has mentioned it, it's another thing for me to be worried about. heh.

Duck, I think that she's right, though. Especially if this is a new thing to you - see a doctor to ensure it isn't something like a stroke, and to see if there is a treatment that you can tolerate.

I hope you wake up feeling like $1B!!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[Duck on Wheels]

Thanks all! OMG, chocolate as a trigger? I hope it wasn't the brownies!!! What would life be without chocolate?! :eek: Glad I didn't try the heat pack on my neck last night. I thought maybe neck tension was the trigger, but that would have been exactly the wrong thing to do.

I'm sure I'll have more questions. The headache was not gone this morning. Still there as a dull all-round pressure + some throbbing on the right side just above where forehead meets temple. Not so intense that I took anything for it, though, and since the aura has cleared and I was running late I drove to work (can't take the day off today because I've got an oral exam scheduled and today is his last chance for the course to count as completed in the Fall term). But I will call the doctor. As it happens, he gets migraines too. I called him when the first aura struck and he kept me on the phone for a few minutes asking how it was developing, just so he could be sure that's what it was. Then he called back a while later to hear if a headache had followed. It hadn't then, but did this time. He said I should call back if my migraines escalated or became frequent, so I will. (BTW, don't let anybody fool you that the service is bad under national health!)

Hmmm. throb moved to left side now. Interesting. Oh well. Back to work. Co-examiner here any minute to talk about the pre-oral grade. Sadly it won't be a good one. The paper may just squeek out a pass.

[LBTC]

{{{{{{{{{{{{Duck}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

Right, yeah, I forgot to mention that my migraines were often followed by something I referred to as headache memory. By headache standards these were still pretty harsh, but compared to the migraine that had eased the day before, they were a walk in the park! I've read that it is best to not take anything for these as that will produce a rebound headache....pain goes away with the meds, bounces back worse when the meds are all used up....

Man, I almost forgot. There is a herb that I took for quite awhile that even the medical community has acknowledged is helpful for migraine headaches. For me a small amount each day was a good preventative, so that, while taking it the migraines I got were less frequent, less severe, and didn't last as long.

The herb is feverfew.

What I read indicated that long term use didn't cause any problems. I mentioned it to my doc when I first saw him, and he checked on his computer. That information even said that a high dose would treat an acute migraine effectively.

Good luck, ms. duck! I hope you're feeling super by tonight!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[Bikingmomof3]

Duck,

Sounds as though you have a wonderful doctor. :)

I have suffered from migraines for over 23 years. I have had 5 Neurologists in the past 23 years. I have had several TIA's (mini-strokes or warning strokes) and I had a stroke in August. I am 37 years old. Should you have any questions feel free to PM me.

I must keep a migraine journal for my neurologist. To give you an example: out of the last 22 day, I have had a migraine or a migraine "hangover" (day after groggy hung-over feeling) 15 of those 22 days. And my migraines have actually improved with my blood thinner and Calcium channel blocker (CCB).

Migraines can move from one side to the other-they are "fun" that way.

Rebound migraines can occur, but are usually only triggered when more than the recommended dosage of a prescribed medication is used. Example, one med I have can be used 3 times. If I exceed that my migraine will come back worse. Another one can be used 5 times. If those fail (and for me, they do a lot of the time) I get to live with the pain (which is my day to day experience) or go to hospital.

Feverfew can be good, but if you are any medications, check with a pharmacist because with certain medications it can be bad. I cannot take feverfew as it interacts in a bad way with my anti-seizure medicine. :(

There are many forms of migraines and many ways to treat them.
I personally like heat on my shoulder and ice on my head. I also prefer to be in a cool dark room. But, that is just me. Oh, drinking a lot of water will help and caffeine will as well. Many of the migraine meds contain caffeine. :)

Wow I wrote a book. Ignore all the typos please.

[Duck on Wheels]

Thanks for all the info! Typos hereby ignored.

Fascinating that caffeine helps, yet chocolate triggers. I was a bit nervous about taking my one daily latté this morning, but maybe it actually helped. About an hour or so later I had a sort of "Aaaaaahhhh!" sensation, and the headache melted away. :)

Hugs to you for all you've been through! I can count myself lucky. I'm 57 and just on my second migraine, and that one not too intense either. It was persistent, lasted about 14 hours all told, but only briefly (during that oral exam, shortly before my coffee break) was it intensely painful. I've got an appointmet with the doctor on Tuesday to get some advice on how to handle this in the future, should it become a new regular feature of my life. And next time I'm in the vicinity of an herbal drug source, I'll look for feverfew.

[LBTC]

Duck, I'm glad you're feeling better!

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Jennifer}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

You have endured and are enduring more difficulty and pain than any one person should ever have to! I'd like to send you a hug every single day. :) Okay, well, I can't do that, but I could send you a picture every day....PM your email address and I'll add you to the picture list. I read somewhere that viewing beauty does something wonderful to the brain wiring.....like somehow it's chemically good for you. (good technical description, right?)

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[uk elephant]

I'm no expert on such matters, but here's what I've been told in physiology class about caffeine...it acts as a vasoconstrictor meaning that in causes blood vessels to constrict and therefore limit blood flow. This is why they work in treating some headaches, the blood flow to the brain gets constricted. So the caffeine in coffee can help certain headaches. Part of the problem is that there are many types of caffeine, and many types of headaches. And chocolate can work as a trigger due to some other chemical in the chocolate not the caffeine. So basically you'll have to find out what is a trigger in your case and what helps.


And on a less scientific note: (((((mom))))) I'm sure hugs help!

[bmccasland]

Just reading this, the right side of my head is twitching in sympathy pain..

I'm another memeber of the migrainer club. The only trigger I've found is dehydration. So I try to drink lots of water. Unfortunately, another trigger I can't control is smells. I think I'd take the visual premigraine than a hyperactive sense of smell. You notice thing's that normally wouldn't bother you, which becomes a downward spiral. Last week I had a H.A. started by someone's cologne, also triggered an asthma attack. Had to walk out of the meeting. "Excuse me sir, but you put on WAY too much aftershave, I need to move, you stink." (OK, I only thought it)

So I guess I'm saying, drink plenty of water and get some fresh air.

[ladyfish]

Good thread. Migranes are a real pain (ha, ha). My son has been diagnosed with them (he's 13). It has been a long painful road. We still haven't found a workable solution. He's missed so much school this year. We are trying to narrow down triggers and I think chocolate may be one of his. Also stress.

We've eliminated nitrates and he doesn't eat at school anymore (who knows what is in the food). Some days are good, some days are bad and some days are horrible.

So if anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears!

[traveller_62]

I had frequent classic migraines (one sided intense pain, sensitivity to light and noise, lasting three days) for about 30 years. Typically I would have 3 or more attacks each month. What I discovered about 8 months ago was that my primary trigger was disrupted sleep. If I drink...even just a beer or glass of wine...it completely messes up my sleep cycle and I wake up feeling like I drank an entire keg of beer or a cask of wine.

I've stopped drinking at all and in the past 8 months I've had only three migraines (typically would have had about 24 by now). One of the three was caused by food that I ate that I didn't realize was loaded with MSG (to which I react VERY badly).

Figuring this out was an amazing blessing in my life because I am one of the people that react badly to the new super migraine meds like Imitrex.

So in addition to keeping track of how food impacts your migraines, note how well and long you have slept. If you keep well nourished and hydrated and cut out things that keep you from getting good sleep that might help.

I think when young people get migraines it might be because of the sleep issue. Teens, in particular, have very goofy sleep patterns sometimes!

Good luck to anyone who lives with migraines!

-traveller

[Meaux]

My mom told me that she used to get migraines because of changes in her hormones. Right before her period, she would get them. I also worked with a woman who suffered from this as well. I get migraines from stress, I've been having them for the last year or so. (Thankfully, not many.) Good luck on your oral exam, Duck on Wheels, and I hope you don't have anymore migraines!

[Duck on Wheels]

The student's oral went well. He "talked his way up" from a D to a C, knew the litterature well although his term paper was pretty disorganized.

Headaches aplenty, but no new migraines so far. My doctor has them too so we "compared notes" on the psychedelig visuals, then he wrote me a prescription for a nose spray that can (if you're lucky) stop a migraine after it's started. And if I get any more I should write down what I remember of the day (events, food, etc.) to see if I can work out what triggers them. Definitely not periods in my case, since the first migraine was some years after the last period. Too bad, that. If it'd been my periods, I'd be done with migraines now. :)

[KnottedYet]

Migraine woes. I'm having one right this very moment. Got the ibuprofen in time to stop nearly all the pain, but not in time to stop the pretty visuals and nausea and feeling yucky and stupid and really not wanting to be in bright light.

I've tried 10 or so migraine meds, and really what works the best for me is plain ol' ibuprofen taken before the migraine really gets going. I was a little late on this one today...

[LBTC]

Sorry 'bout your migraine, Knotted....I hope it disappears in no time flat.

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[East Hill]

The joys of migraines. I am certain many of you have similar stories, especially if you are over 40 years of age--

Teenager--I've got really bad headaches. Is there something wrong?
Male Doctor--you're a girl.

Young Adult--I've got really bad headaches. Is there something wrong?
Male Doctor--you're a girl.

Adult--I've got really bad headaches. Is there something wrong?
Male Doctor--you're a girl.

Adult who has visited the local emergency room several times in the last few years due to 'really bad headaches'--I've got really bad headaches. Is there something wrong?
Male Doctor--you're a girl, a hypochondriac, and we think you're coming here because you're addicted to Demerol. We're going to recommend that you have a CAT scan.

Adult who has now had CAT scan--I've got really bad headaches. Is there something wrong?
Male Doctor--well, you don't have a brain tumour, so you must be a hypochondriac. Oh, and you're a girl.

Adult who has had second CAT scan--I've got really bad headaches. What is wrong with me?
Male Doctor--after having me point out that the magazine I had just read in his waiting room would seem to indicate that I was suffering from migraines--Oh, do you get really bad headaches? Are they one sided? Do you get nausea? Do you get aura?
AWHHSCATS--yes, yes, yes, no.
Male Doctor--Well, you might have migraines. Here, try this ergot and see if it works.

Sigh.............

Fast forward to the present. Yes, I am a migraineur. Lots of triggers, too numerous to mention. Not chocolate, though!

Oddly, the last year and a half I have started having migraine fortifications, but without getting a migraine following the phenomenom. Here's a simulation for those you who don't know what we are talking about--although the image is static, and the fortifications are moving constantly. Mine also appear more as big jagged zig zag lines (it's about 3/4 of the way down the page):

http://ohiolionseyeresearch.com/simulati.htm#Migraine%20Fortification%20Phenomenon

Duck, I hope your doctor will find the cause soon. Migraines are a horrible thing to have to go through, and yes, they can increase your chances for having strokes.

East Hill

[Bikingmomof3]

East Hill,
You have had some terrible experiences with doctors and I am sorry. :(

I see my Neurologist in 90 minutes. *sigh*



Male Doctor--you're a girl, a hypochondriac, and we think you're coming here because you're addicted to Demerol. We're going to recommend that you have a CAT scan.

Pity they chose Demerol. Again, I am sorry for your experiences. I am glad you received at least a CT-scan.


TheMale Doctor--after having me point out that the magazine I had just read in his waiting room would seem to indicate that I was suffering from migraines--Oh, do you get really bad headaches? Are they one sided? Do you get nausea? Do you get aura?
AWHHSCATS--yes, yes, yes, no.
Male Doctor--Well, you might have migraines. Here, try this ergot and see if it works.

I was in a trial study for ergotomine years ago. It failed me, but I hear it does indeed help many.


TheOddly, the last year and a half I have started having migraine fortifications, but without getting a migraine following the phenonenom. Here's a simulation for those you who don't know what we are talking about--although the image is static, and the fortifications are moving constantly. Mine also appear more as big jagged zig zag lines (it's about 3/4 of the way down the page):

http://ohiolionseyeresearch.com/simulati.htm#Migraine%20Fortification%20Phenomenon


Cool picture. My aura is completely different, but they are so many types of migraine out there.


yes, they can increase your chances for having strokes.

I am living proof of that. 2 TIAs( transient ischemic attack) in my early 30s, 1 Stroke (age 37) with partial left sided paralysis, new medication and then 2 more 2 TIAs (transient ischemic attack) (age 37), at my last appoitment the neurologist increased medication and blood thinners.

I strongly recommend anyone with severe migraines or auras, seek out a Neurologist who at the very least should do an MRI with and without contrast.
Keep a migraine journal, so when you go to your doctor, you can take the pages with your for your medical records.

Time to get ready for yet another visit to the Neurologist. Hopefully he will not order more tests.

[East Hill]

I think the funniest part of the whole experience was that I was not addicted to Demerol. I was just tired of the doctors not being able to help me. I mean, if I'm dying of a brain tumour, tell me. And then give me those pain meds, darn it.

My husband tells me that he once, and only once, had a migraine. He was very young, about 13 or so. He had the fortifications, followed by a blinding headache. He has told me that he finally went to sleep, and when he awoke, he had a feeling of euphoria, as if it was the first time he had ever woken up, because he no longer had the migraine.

He's quite empathetic about the migraines, as one might expect.

Luckily for me, Imitrex works like a charm. I couldn't use the ergotamine, as I didn't have aura. Ergot only works well if it's used before the actual onset of the migraine.

East Hill

[Bikingmomof3]

I am so glad Imitrex works well for you. :) Sadly, as with most migraine medications, I am allergic to it.

I keep procrastinating and my appointment time is drawing near. I am tired. Two and a half decades of this really wears me out sometimes.

Hey, maybe he will show me more pictures of my brain. :p

[East Hill]

Yes, I consider myself very fortunate that not only does the Imitrex work, it still works. I've been using it since it first became available in the US, around 1993. I've known people who can no longer use it because they built up a tolerance to it.

East Hill

[KnottedYet]

BMo3 - good thoughts for you at your appt!

Ergotamine didn't work for me, either. My visual goodies remind me of those stop-action films of roses blooming; only my "roses" are glowing and blooming backwards. A few times I've gotten blind spots, where it's like someone just "pinched out" part of the world. Those are creepy, because I can't see what's there, and can't tell there's anything missing unless I look around.

[Bikingmomof3]

BMo3 - good thoughts for you at your appt!

Ergotamine didn't work for me, either. My visual goodies remind me of those stop-action films of roses blooming; only my "roses" are glowing and blooming backwards. A few times I've gotten blind spots, where it's like someone just "pinched out" part of the world. Those are creepy, because I can't see what's there, and can't tell there's anything missing unless I look around.


Thanks Knot. :)

I see black spots which eventually make me temporarily blind.

[Duck on Wheels]

My headaches have almost always been one-sided. So maybe I've had migraines all along, but only figured it out when I got the aura thing. My aura looks kind of like a circle saw blade made of broken glass and mirror bits, turning round and round, expanding, and then opening up in the middle as normal vision returns. Pretty, in a nasty sort of way. As for the headaches -- the old ones I could generally deal with using an acupressure point (pinching hard on the sinew in the web between thumb and first finger on the opposite side hand from the headache), or pain meds, or codeine strength pain meds -- depending on intensity. This new one, though, lasted 14 hours and besides the main pain on one side also had full-surround pressure. Fortunately it was not intense. I was on my way to bed when it started and hoped it would be gone in the morning. I managed to sleep, but it was still there until around noon. Of course, by then there was no point taking anything since your stomach tends to stop functioning during a migraine. I didn't know that then (learned it from the doc later), but decided as long as I could manage without I'd better wait it out and learn what it was like. Now I know to try an ordinary pain med during the aura phase, then the nose spray stuff if that doesn't work. Can't take ibuprofen, tho. It triggers Crohns flareups. :(

BMo3: How did it go at the neurologist today (was it today?)? I sure hope they find some treatment that'll help!!!

[Bikingmomof3]

Duck on Wheels,
Only 20% of people with migraines have auras. I rarely take meds with mine, but I have a very high threshhold and having 3 babies underfoot made not taking medicine crucial. Coffee always helps. I have pone medicine I take when it is really bad, but it is not a pain killer. I have too many migraines, I would be addicted to pain killers. :eek:

[KnottedYet]

BMo3 - hon, how was the neurologist visit?

[Artisan]

No more chocolate milk for me as a recovery drink after my rides. :( This is the second time I got an aura after a ride and it seems to only happen when I do the chocolate milk. I do find it odd that this does not happen when I drink chocolate milk at other times but I usually do soy milk. I drank regular chocolate milk, would that make a difference?

I was lucky my husband was with me or I think I would have taken someone out on the drive home. I lost most of the right visual field in my right eye.