I suffer from occasional migraine headaches. My aura is flashing lights and within 12-24 hours I am incapacitated by a terrible headache that lasts about 12-24 hours. Then I am left with a hangover from the headache. Nothing seems to relieve the pain except a quiet, dark room. Anyone else get migraines? Do you get an aura? What do you do to manage the pain?
Anyone suffer from migraines?
- Thread starter Rusty Blade
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I've had migraine headaches for about the last twenty years. I can go a year or more without one, and I have had two in the same month. I've found my trigger to be mostly food related. Briefly I went on a hypoglycemic diet and that helped tremendously. The older I get, the more infrequent they become. I was on Imitrex for a while and I now take Maxalt as needed. I've had some very bad migraine headaches, which I have gone to the emergency room and my family doctor. My family doctor would give me a shot that would knock me out and help with the pain, I'm sorry I don't recall what that shot was called. My migraine will usually come with a tingling sensation in my arms or hands, tunnel vision, and mental and speech impairments.
I did when I was a kid. There was nothing I could do but hide away in a dark, quiet room and wait for the pain, blurred vision, and dry heaves to pass. Then they stopped, seemingly for no reason. Not much help here, but I wish you well. They're awful.
I used to get them maybe 6-10 times a year. Hit me like the worst flu. Light, sounds, smells, even the clothes touching my skin made me nauseous. I was pretty messed up for the next day. I started on blood pressure meds and the side effect was that I hardly ever had one again. When I do feel one coming on, it's so slow I can take ibuprofen, lay down for 30 minutes and pretty much be done.
I've heard Toradol can be pretty amazing for some migraines. I was in the middle of a kidney stone attack that Norco wasn't even touching. I went into the ER and they hit me with Toradol (an NSAID) and inside 30 minutes I could function and within an hour I was ready to go home (and I was probably at a 8-9 pain wise).
I know that won't work for everyone.
I've heard Toradol can be pretty amazing for some migraines. I was in the middle of a kidney stone attack that Norco wasn't even touching. I went into the ER and they hit me with Toradol (an NSAID) and inside 30 minutes I could function and within an hour I was ready to go home (and I was probably at a 8-9 pain wise).
I know that won't work for everyone.
I don't get them ... but I've been told I'm a carrier
Just kidding - I thankfully do not. But my wife gets them from time to time (thankfully pretty infrequent)
Just kidding - I thankfully do not. But my wife gets them from time to time (thankfully pretty infrequent)
My wife gets them. She would have vision problems before the on set of the migraine. She started taking 2 alleve (naproxin) tablets when her vision symptoms started and it stopped the migraine from coming on every time. Only naproxin works for her and she has some with her at all times.
I get two a year and have since I was 18 (I'm 48). I have an Aura about 3 hours before one hits. My wife gets them much, much more frequently. She will have one for a week or more and averages having them 15 to 20 days out of any given month. There are a few medications you can take to stave one off when you feel it and some that help when you have one already. It's good to have in case you are at work or somewhere. They don't do her any good anymore, but when I feel one coming on Sumatriptan keeps it at bay long enough to go somewhere with a steady supply of ice packs and quiet.
I get an occasional "ocular migraine" , centered in the left eye socket ,irritating,but not debilitating like some of the head types..
I get these as well. I never knew it was migraine. I had eye surgery as a child and chalked it up to that. There's not much that will help with it when I get one though.
going to sound weird but do the rubber band trick.
get those extra long rubber bands ( say for home trash bins) and get a gym head band, wrap the rubber band twice around your forehead.
the pressure from the bands eases the pressure in my head when i get my migs.
get those extra long rubber bands ( say for home trash bins) and get a gym head band, wrap the rubber band twice around your forehead.
the pressure from the bands eases the pressure in my head when i get my migs.
One doctor called mine migraines, and another vascular cluster. Fortunately, mine aren't that severe. What prompted the trip to the doctor was losing part of my field of vision. That's my typical aura. It starts off as a spot in my vision like I glanced at something intensely bright, then it both spreads and moves. Within half an hour my vision has recovered and the headache starts. I'm usually so glad I can see straight that I don't really mind the headache.
If I notice it in time, I sometimes have good results putting on dark glasses and moving my eyes rapidly back and forth for a second or two. It's not 100% effective, and once I woke on the tail end of the aura just as my head was about to hurt.
Even after the aura is gone, I'm sensitive to light - and sometimes a flash bulb can trigger it - and to sound. Haven't timed it, but 12 hours sounds about right.
For pain I just take acetaminophen.
Fortunately, I discovered some triggers, both allergy and diet related, and this has reduced them. Monosodium glutamate is a trigger, and some processed foods are worse than others. Some bring on a different type of aura, the crenelated lights, which is like a flash of crenelated lightning across the vision. Now I'm getting into a time of year when I need to exercise greater care, for most of the episodes seem to coincide with specific plants blooming.
If I notice it in time, I sometimes have good results putting on dark glasses and moving my eyes rapidly back and forth for a second or two. It's not 100% effective, and once I woke on the tail end of the aura just as my head was about to hurt.
Even after the aura is gone, I'm sensitive to light - and sometimes a flash bulb can trigger it - and to sound. Haven't timed it, but 12 hours sounds about right.
For pain I just take acetaminophen.
Fortunately, I discovered some triggers, both allergy and diet related, and this has reduced them. Monosodium glutamate is a trigger, and some processed foods are worse than others. Some bring on a different type of aura, the crenelated lights, which is like a flash of crenelated lightning across the vision. Now I'm getting into a time of year when I need to exercise greater care, for most of the episodes seem to coincide with specific plants blooming.
I get them occasionally.
I start off with a whitish spot right in the centre of my field of vision; when I get that, I know trouble is a-comin'. It used to be "feel like crap until you puke, and then slowly get better" (which made me initially think it was from eating bad food), but now I usually avoid the extreme stomach upset. I take "migraine" Advil at the first sign of symptoms, and thereafter as per the instructions until I'm getting better, and that helps.
I start off with a whitish spot right in the centre of my field of vision; when I get that, I know trouble is a-comin'. It used to be "feel like crap until you puke, and then slowly get better" (which made me initially think it was from eating bad food), but now I usually avoid the extreme stomach upset. I take "migraine" Advil at the first sign of symptoms, and thereafter as per the instructions until I'm getting better, and that helps.
My adult daughter gets them and they got worse and more frequent in her 30's. She finally resorted to Botox and had her first treatment two weeks ago. It seems to be helping, but too soon to really tell.
Used to get them. Two or three times a year.
Not since being on BP medicine though.
Didn't get an aura. Did usually vomit. Hungover the next day too.
Tried Imitrex, but usually didn't help or I didn't have it handy when I needed it because it happened so infrequently to me.
If it happened on a weekday I'd have to go home from work sick. Which is tough in itself when you are nauseous and can't tolerate the light but have to drive home to curl up into a ball in a dark quite spot. Usually would begin feeling better once I puked, but it took hours to subside and at least a day to recover.
My mother used to have them pretty bad but took iron supplements later in life and found relief. Unintentional, but welcomed relief she would say.
I usually kept a close eye on the barometric pressure, but I don't know if that was a real trigger for me or a coincidence. I tended to get them a day before a severe storm.
I realized about a year after being on BP medicine that I hadn't had a migraine since. Asked my family Dr who said it was a "feature" which I thought was funny. Been about three years now and I'm hoping I never have one again.
Not since being on BP medicine though.
Didn't get an aura. Did usually vomit. Hungover the next day too.
Tried Imitrex, but usually didn't help or I didn't have it handy when I needed it because it happened so infrequently to me.
If it happened on a weekday I'd have to go home from work sick. Which is tough in itself when you are nauseous and can't tolerate the light but have to drive home to curl up into a ball in a dark quite spot. Usually would begin feeling better once I puked, but it took hours to subside and at least a day to recover.
My mother used to have them pretty bad but took iron supplements later in life and found relief. Unintentional, but welcomed relief she would say.
I usually kept a close eye on the barometric pressure, but I don't know if that was a real trigger for me or a coincidence. I tended to get them a day before a severe storm.
I realized about a year after being on BP medicine that I hadn't had a migraine since. Asked my family Dr who said it was a "feature" which I thought was funny. Been about three years now and I'm hoping I never have one again.
Same here.. Almost lost my life when I pulled over to throw up and opened the door of my car. I leaned out of the door and did not realize that I was still in traffic and a semi missed me by inches.
One thing that has helped me is drinking more water, I think the hydrated you are the less the likely they are to happen. OTC Migraine Excedrin has been a lifesaver in the rare time that I have one.
The strange part for me about having one is that I smell oranges just before vomiting.
- Thread starter
- #16
Your visual aura and mine are very similar. I also take Tylenol to take the sharp edges off the pain, but it doesn't do much to take away the suffering. I can usually count on a three day event...I am just getting over one now and I am on day three.
I am considering doing a diet challenge to see if I can isolate any dietary triggers...because at this point I really don't know what brings on my migraines. My doctor says most of the time it is fatigue and dehydration. If that was the case I would have them every day....but I only get them now and again. Twice this month so far but none for the previous three months. It is a mystery....a painful mystery.
Talk to your doctor about medications that prevent migraine headaches. Angiotensin receptor agonists, beta blockers, anti-seizure medications taken at low dose can prevent migraines.
I would keep a journal of what I ate everday. That is what helped me narrow down my triggers.
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- #19
I am hesitant to take medications for something when I don't fully understand the cause. Especially taking a medication long term. My doctor today did discuss prophylactic medications, but we decided to try to identify the triggers first. Hopefully I can identify what is triggering my migraines and learn to manage them better that way.
I was a big fan of Imitrex for a long time, but the improved formulation.named Treximet is my standard now. Both are the same base chemical, but the Treximet combines Naproxen to reduce the flushing effect. I think they're awesome. But the cost is outrageous if you don't have coverage.
