[Archived] Migraines

[tcj_jones]

I got my first migraine when I was about 14. I was in my class room and my vision became so blurry that I thought I was going blind! Thirty minutes later and I was in absolutely excruciating pain, eventually throwing up and spending close to twelve hours in bed, actually crying into my pillow. It felt as though somebody was taking a screw driver to the back of my eye socket and twisting it around.

Over the years they've got less severe, although more frequent, and I've slowly learnt what my triggers are - lack of sleep / changing sleep patterns / early mornings, cheese and stress, in particular - however, they still have a reasonably big impact on my life.

I used to take triptains but stopped because they always seemed to result in me getting immediate 'rebound' migraines and I'd be in bed for another five hours. Now I stick to Nurofen migraine pain, which I find help shorten the period in which I am held up somewhat. Even still, when they come on, nothing can stop them, medications only seem to make them slightly more bareable. I've learnt prevention is the key. Unfortunately, this isn't always possible - for example, we can't always ensure that we'll stay in a routine and get enough sleep. I once tried daily preventative medications, but they didn't really make much of a difference either.

I don't get them particularly frequentlly but, when I do, they stop me from doing anything whatsoever. All I can do is get to bed as quickly as possible, take some herbal remedy sleeping tablets, and try to sleep through it. Obviously, this can impact upon your daily life. Both my parents have a history with migraines and my Mum actually gets them numerous times daily and has done for more than twenty-five years - since she had me and my brother, in fact.

With uni coming to an end and work on the horizon, I'm worried with how I'm going to deal with these. Sometimes I won't get one for six months, but other times I'll get them three times in a week (as has been the case this past week).

Anybody got any experiences to share or tips on how they overcame them etc? Any unusual triggers?

[koi]

Feel your pain brother! I started at 16 (now 31) and have had some right ol' bangers . During this time I've had four periods of sustained pain when I had migraine after migraine which needed hospital treatment.

Like you, I've been through the A-Z of medication with varying degree's of success. The problem I found is that the most successful ones such as imigran have side-effects almost as bad as the migraine. The only tablet I take on a daily basis is a prescription drug called Propronolol, 160mg a day. That cuts down on the frequency of migraine and most don't develop past the headache stage - I've not had any serious vision issues since started them (when my vision became blurred I knew trouble was ahead!). I did get a breakthrough a couple of years a go when I met my gf. She's a nurse and at that time worked with a consultant who also suffered migraines. His advice for treating the pain was as follows:

Take a bottle of coke - the proper stuff not diet etc. Drink a quarter then drop-in two Solpadeine Max tabs and wait for them to dissolve. Once dissolved it's a case of down it in one. It's not actually too bad, it's tastes like flat coke with a bitter twist. The dis-solvable tablets are absorbed much quicker and the caffeine in the coke increases the metabolism thus getting the stuff in your system even quicker still. Believe me, this works though I prefer Anadin Extra, it seems to kick-in a bit quicker. Downsides, well I get the shakes after taking it and my GP warned of issues with so much caffeine in your system. If things aren't improving after an hour you can take another tablet but don't take two, alternatively take a couple of ibuprofen tabs, I don't forget you must always take tablets when you have food in your stomach. If you cant manage food drink some milk or milk thistle.

You do have to be sensible with this, regular use will diminish its effectiveness and no doubt have health implications. I must say I also get some relief from those cool strips - particularly as I get really hot when I have a migraine.

Triggers etc, well I've never really found a definite trigger. Certainly dehydration, tiredness, stress and quite possibly false lighting (I ALWAYS get a migraine when I visit places like the NEC) have contributed but I've never really felt stuff like food and drink as caused problems. If its any consolation I didn't get too many at Uni!

[Ricky]

31 now and been suffering with migraine since I was 14. I went on a medical trial through Kings College London which looked into links between migraine sufferers and hole in the heart. The theory was that 'dirty' blood could pass through the brain and trigger migraine. I didn't have a hole and the trial ended there.

I've been given everything from amatryptaline to drugs for epilepsy. I've had all the triptains, Imogran subject injections and all sorts of things.

I know find that strong painkillers are the best option for me, migraines dont tend to knock me out for quite as long these days. I can generally get into work later on in the day.

My triggers are pork, lack of sleep, and caffiene..... oh and alcohol. Since I stopped drinking so much I've found I don't get migraines as often.

[Ritchie]

Brandy seems to be the main trigger for me. Shame really as I do enjoy that particular tipple.

They've always been infrequent though, and I'm usually good to go within a few hours. The white zig-zag lines are horrible, mind.

Anybody who suffers them frequently has my sympathy.

[Tom]

I'm awful with headaches and migranes, horrible things, the only thing that helps me is lying in a dark room

[DE.]

I started having migraines when I was 11... grew out of them eventually and haven't had one (touch wood) since I was 15 or so.

Absolutely awful pain though, I feel for you. My mum still gets them to this day, and the only solution really is to stay away from bright lights and try to relax. The gagging that comes from it is horrid, especially when you know you don't need to throw up. I found painkillers didn't help me at all, usually i just threw them up a few minutes after taking them. I just tried to lay really still and think of the pain leaving my eye into the air. It sometimes worked a little bit. Doctors can sometimes prescribe specific medication for it that you can't get over the counter, if they become so bad you're struggling to live normally.

Best thing is just to try and work out your "triggers" and avoid them as best as possible. i always used to get these weird glowing lines appear in my vision when I was close to having one. Upon seeing them I always used to stop what I was doing (if possible) and lay down. Not sure if you have any visual stimuli that acts as a warning, but the lines for me were always a warning sign.

[DP]

Very strange in that I've had migraines on and off since I was about 15 (so half my lifetime) but have had periods of my life without any at all (2 years maybe) and then other times when I've had them monthly. I also suffer from eczema, and this has affected my life a lot more but I can never remember having migraines over the times when my exzema has flared up. It appears to be one or the other, and the main cause has to be - stress.

Now there's not much you can do about stress, but your body copes a lot better with it when you're looking after it rather than abusing it. Sh*t in, sh*t out.

I'm not allergic to any food stuffs but have found the following things leave me feeling bloated which can often lead to my eczema/migraines being triggered:

- Dairy, esp cheese

- Eggs

- Wheat

- very fatty foods

- caffeine

Migraines come much more out of the blue but it usually trends with the lack of sleep and dehydration.

Saying that, when I'm generally content with what's going on in my life and there isn't anything nagging the back of my mind then I can get away with a hell of a lot more. I suppose that makes me fairly lucky.

TC Jones - If you're just starting work then it's best you just enjoy those first few years and not worry too much about your debts or getting on the property ladder (I'm still not on it and I couldn't care less). I found the routine of work more than welcome after the warped sleeping patterns I had when I was a student. Keep yourself fit, hydrated, eat plenty of fruit and veg and keep your vices under control (but not too much as you need to have some fun)

[Spencer]

I suffer from Cluster Headaches - apparently not related to migraines but awful nonetheless. As the name implies the attacks come in "clusters" which can mean a week, a month or over a year of waking-up in intense pain every night in the middle of the night without fail. The only uncertainty is when the clusters are going to stop - once you're in it, there's a guaranteed attack every night until the cluster decides to leave.

The attacks, if you can't abort them, usually last between half and one hour where you're in so much pain you can't keep still - as they wake you up from a, usually, deep sleep, you obviously can't just sleep through them - so you sit down or stand up, rock from side-to-side, bang your head against the wall, contemplate the Black and Decker... I've had them for almost 20 years now and have tried numerous preventative drugs, none of which worked - now I use 2 abortives, the first line of relief is 100% oxygen at the highest flow rate and, if that doesn't work, I use Imigran injections which, so far (touch wood), have worked for me - some people can't use Imigran for other health issues and I pity those people.

The longest cluster I've been in lasted about 18 months - that finished around April/May 2008 and I've been in "remission" ever since (and long may it last!). My form of CH is episodic, it comes and it goes - there are some sufferers classed as chronic - that's day-in, day-out attacks!

[tcj_jones]

Spencer, you have my sympathy and I hope that this remission of yours becomes something a bit more permanent over the coming years. The idea that I couldn't even sleep through mine is, well, if it were induced by somebody with some kind of machine - it would be a very effective form of torture.

Every time I get a migraine I take one positive from it: at least I don't get them in clusters. Well, for the most part anyway and certainly not to the extent that you do. I am a bit worried in that regard though, as I am increasingly finding myself getting one or two rebound migraines in the hours or days afterwards and am hoping that this won't lead to getting them in clusters. I don't suppose anybody knows about whether that is particularly likely, do they?

DP, I'd have to say my experience is quite similar to yours. When I'm relatively care free, I don't seem to get migraines very often. I can sometimes go six montsh without one, even though I might have late nights and drink alcohol. However, even when I'm so stressed that I can barely function, it doesn't always mean I'll get migraines. It seems to be a certain kind of stress, almost, that induced them.

For example, a few years ago when troubles with my ex were consuming me, I got something like 20 migraines of varying severity over the space of about five weeks. Then again, when I was doing all-nighters and working round the clock, all day, every day and panicking my bum off about uni work last summer, I didn't get a single one. They seem to surface more when it's a kind of 'emotional stress' - feelings of pain and sadness, rather than anxiety and being up-tight. Then again, I was worrying myself over a trip to see a mate on yesterday and that's when I got a migraine, so it can be a mixture of the two.

I read that every person who suffers from migraines has a certain threshold. After a migraine attacks, we kinda go back to normal. Then, several factors over the course of time accumulate and eventually rise above our threshold, producing a migraine. As such, one particular event might not cause a migraine and it is extremely difficult to pinpoint what factors are triggering them. The courses of my migraine on Monday are obvious: late night, alcohol and CHEESEBURGER Saturday followed by an early morning and strenuous activity (football) on Sunday and then by another early morning on Monday. The one on Wednesday was probably due to the fact that I was overly worrying about a trip to see my mate and because of another late night and early morning.

DE4LIfe: the gagging I get frequently from migraines - sometimes I'm sick twice or three times. Also, I do get the visual 'aura' most of the time. Sometimes it's so bad I can't focus more than a few feet in front of me, others it will be a little bit of blurred vision or it being not wuite 'right'. In fact, I've spent the last hour or so in front of my laptop thinking that my vision isn't right and that I'm going to get a migraine.

Ricky, I must say that Pork is a very odd one - not sure I've ever heard that before! Otherwise, coffee and caffeine in general don't appear to be triggers for me as I have a very strong cup in the morning every morning and have done for over a year now. Alcohol on its own isn't a trigger, but when combined with other factors certainly can be. Alcohol is the big trigger for my Mum.

Koi, that you needed hospital treatment really is an indication of the severity of your condition and I do sympathize. I've only once felt like I needed to go to hospital. A few years ago I got THREE rebound migraines over two days and spent something like fifteen hours in bed, followed by three hours awake and then another eight in bed. I was stupid enough to take too many immigran after my second attack and I'm pretty certain that was the cause of the third. Never again. Once you've slept for that long, it's difficult to stay asleep any longer. I was sick too many times to remember and I got the migraines on both sides of my head, so either way I lied down, it hurt that much more than normal. Out of interest, what did they do at the hospital to help you through it?

Your suggestion with the coke is ingenious. However, I'm not sure I could do it as I feel the caffeine would keep me awake and my only realy weapon against the migraine is herbal remedy sleeping tablets and managing to sleep through it. As for the cool strips, well I guess they're nice, but they just don't help enough for me to consider them worth the outlay TBH.

[tcj_jones]

Also, does anybody have any insights into natural remedies for migraines? Are there particular foods etc that can prevent them, for example?

I've recently had a lot of back problems with referred pain into my hamstrings and shoulders. I was taking so much ibuprofen that I began worrying about my general health. I've since researched natural alternatives - mostly fruit and vegetables - and combined them with vitamins and supplements and found that my body has responded well.

[benhben]

I used to get them all the time. I could always tell a migrane was on its way as i would get blind spots in my vision, like when you look into a bright light or a camera flashes in your eye. Hate migranes, people that dont get them think there just a headache, but its like someone crunching your eyeball from behind. The doc said a migrane is when blood vessels behind the eyes swell and put pressure on the optic nerve (hence visual problems). The pain comes when these blood vessels burst.

Again I found anti-migrane medicines pointless. I even got prescribed a inhaler like medicine, which you sprayed up your nose! Pointless, didnt do anything, just resulted in a foul tasting fluid dribbling down the back of my throat for ages. The best thing I found was to use the strong headache tablets (Solpadene?) which fiz when you drop them in water. Taste horrible so down in one and try not to vomit it back up. Also wear sunglasses lol.

Turned out it was my playstation that was triggering them, more specifically Gran Turismo and Pro evo. Must have been all the flasing lights etc. Get them pretty rarely now, about one a month and there not usually as bad, but still get then if I spend too long on the playstation or computer.

[Ricky]

I had the nasel spray as well Ben, it's called Zomig.

TCJJ - the pork one is an odd one. I must admit it does tend to be bacon so could be down to the saltiness or dehydration caused by the salt.

[benhben]

I had the nasel spray as well Ben, it's called Zomig.

Did it work for you?

[tcj_jones]

TCJJ - the pork one is an odd one. I must admit it does tend to be bacon so could be down to the saltiness or dehydration caused by the salt.

Funny you should mention that actually because I read something last night about certain fatty foods and how they can trigger migraines. I can't remember the science behind it, but I do remember bacon being mentioned.

[Spencer]

Every time I get a migraine I take one positive from it: at least I don't get them in clusters. Well, for the most part anyway and certainly not to the extent that you do. I am a bit worried in that regard though, as I am increasingly finding myself getting one or two rebound migraines in the hours or days afterwards and am hoping that this won't lead to getting them in clusters. I don't suppose anybody knows about whether that is particularly likely, do they?

TC, I don't think you need to worry about your migraines developing into clusters - they are, apparently, totally different beasts - I'm sure I've read of people who suffer from both conditions at the same time - can you imagine that?

[tcj_jones]

Spence, every time I hear or read the word migraine, my skin crawls. To think of having to suffer from both conditions simultaneously is bad enough!

One thing I didn't say before is how infuriated I become when people believe 'migraine' to just be another word for 'headache'. On the occasions I've had to call in sick to work in the past, they've never understood. I remember once, when my brother, seeing the sick bucket by my bed, sweat drenching the covers, a sock tied round my head, and a mask over my eyes, made out that I was some kind of wimp and that I was only in bed with a 'headache'.

For those who might be reading but don't suffer from migraines, they are the most painful experience I've ever had.

[DE.]

One thing I didn't say before is how infuriated I become when people believe 'migraine' to just be another word for 'headache'. On the occasions I've had to call in sick to work in the past, they've never understood. I remember once, when my brother, seeing the sick bucket by my bed, sweat drenching the covers, a sock tied round my head, and a mask over my eyes, made out that I was some kind of wimp and that I was only in bed with a 'headache'.

For those who might be reading but don't suffer from migraines, they are the most painful experience I've ever had.

For what it's worth, there are 3 different 'levels' of migraines recognised. Lighter ones which are annoying but don't stop you from doing anything, mid-level ones which stop you doing some things, and full-on ones which stop you doing anything.

I do agree that's it's annoying that some people don't realise how dehabilitating the condition can be, and others will choose the word 'migraine' when they actually mean 'headache'. Usually it's people you know don't have a clue what it's like to have a proper, full-on migraine. People using the word flippantly has definately led to migraines being taken less seriously, but there's not much anyone can do about it now. Luckily because my mum suffered and suffers from them she knew what I was going through when I had them and she recognised a lot of the symptoms early on if I was beginning to lapse into one. The pain is something you can't really comprehend until you've experienced it. I'm sure it's the same with Spencer's cluster headaches, I can't even begin to imagine.

[Tom]

Also, does anybody have any insights into natural remedies for migraines? Are there particular foods etc that can prevent them, for example?

I've recently had a lot of back problems with referred pain into my hamstrings and shoulders. I was taking so much ibuprofen that I began worrying about my general health. I've since researched natural alternatives - mostly fruit and vegetables - and combined them with vitamins and supplements and found that my body has responded well.

i used to be reliant on ibuprofen when I got bad headaches, problem was I had bad headaches so often I ended up with stomach problems from the ibuprofen. Bad times.

[tcj_jones]

For what it's worth, there are 3 different 'levels' of migraines recognised. Lighter ones which are annoying but don't stop you from doing anything, mid-level ones which stop you doing some things, and full-on ones which stop you doing anything.

I do agree that's it's annoying that some people don't realise how dehabilitating the condition can be, and others will choose the word 'migraine' when they actually mean 'headache'. Usually it's people you know don't have a clue what it's like to have a proper, full-on migraine. People using the word flippantly has definately led to migraines being taken less seriously, but there's not much anyone can do about it now. Luckily because my mum suffered and suffers from them she knew what I was going through when I had them and she recognised a lot of the symptoms early on if I was beginning to lapse into one. The pain is something you can't really comprehend until you've experienced it. I'm sure it's the same with Spencer's cluster headaches, I can't even begin to imagine.

Ah sorry, I didn't realize that there were different levels of migraine severity - I just kinda assumed that a migraine was a migraine and that it just depended upon how bad it was at the time. Hopefully I didn't come across as ignorant on the subject, I'd like to think I'm pretty open minded on most things.

i used to be reliant on ibuprofen when I got bad headaches, problem was I had bad headaches so often I ended up with stomach problems from the ibuprofen. Bad times.

TCO, I don't suppose you'd mind elaborating, or is it too personal an issue? I went through a spell of taking ibuprofen several times a day, as much as five times a week for several weeks on end. I now stick to purely natural remedies for my injuries. Of course, migraines are another matter!

[Cheeky Sidders]

I never used to believe migraines were anything more than headaches for middle-class people until I got one and I rapidly revised my opinion. Thankfully, I've only ever had five of them in something like 15 years but when I get them the only remedy is the old dark room treatment and regular nurofen. The nurofen barely takes the edge off and it's only darkness that seems to cure it. When I get them my vision goes all over the place (it's like whatever I'm looking at is all crumpled up with bits missing - hard to explain but that's the best I can do), I feel very sick (but rarely vomit) and have a general feeling of achiness that suddenly worsens when I move. The key feature though is a massively painful headcahe. The aggravating factors for me are being sat behind a computer screen a lot and strong lighting, although Skittles (those vile sweets) give off a smell that gives me a headache. Bloody hell, reading that last sentence again sounds bloody pitiful stuff.

A former girlfriend of mine would get migraines occasionally and she used to rub orange blossom oil on her temples to ease it. She swore by it and although it didn't touch my last migraine, it does ease simple headaches, as does a hankie soaked in malt vinegar placed on my head. The downside is you smell like a chippy for days. You can get orange blossom oil from poncey health shops and it's only a couple of quid.

A colleague at work used to get loads of migraines and would take fairly fierce medication to combat them. When she became pregnant she couldn't take the meds so she tried acupuncture and she swore by it. She had a few sessions with the needles and didn't have any migraines at all for about 18 months afterwards. She was previously having 9 or 10 a year. I'm a great fan of acupuncture and acupressure as it cured my whiplash in four sessions over four weeks when it had previously troubled me (on and off) for three years. Never had a twinge for 7 years. The downside to acupuncture is it's not cheap if you go to a decent place.

[Tom]

TCO, I don't suppose you'd mind elaborating, or is it too personal an issue? I went through a spell of taking ibuprofen several times a day, as much as five times a week for several weeks on end. I now stick to purely natural remedies for my injuries. Of course, migraines are another matter!

Nah I don't mind, my stomach is now extremely weak, i struggle to keep anything down a lot of the time.

Had a range of tests done including the camera down the throat jobby and barium swallows and no other cause was found so luckily no ulcer or anything.

The specialist thought it was due to over use of ibuprofen but couldn't be 100% sure.

I'm a lot better than I was now to be fair, any alcohol makes it a lot worse though. I'd just rather take the less effective paracetamol now when the headaches aren't too bad. The bad thing is I tend to get headaches a few days a week

[benhben]

Got a migrane today. Was driving into town when the dredded blind spots arrived. Had to just turn around and go home before it got too bad to drive. Take some pills, put some dark glasses on and try and sleep it off. Day written off! Too much time on my playstation I think

[tcj_jones]

A feeling I know all too well

Today I started to get slightly blurry vision, followed immediately b that horrible feeling of dread where you realise you're about to be in a huge amount of pain for the rest of the evening, that you'll probably throw your dinner back up and that you're gonna have to let down the mates you were meant to be meeting. Fortunately, it subsided - I guess I was just tired. Four in a week would have been taking the mick though!

[benhben]

Four in a week would have been taking the mick though!

Woahh I feel for you there! You should go get some professional advice if your getting that many

[tcj_jones]

Ta mate, I only ever tend to get three in the space of a week every year or eighteen months or so, so four would have been absolutely ridiculous! It's funny how migraines work - sometimes I won't get a single one for as long as six months, but others I'll get three in a week!