To wonder how Migraines can be harmless?

@Autumnleaves82 it's very common for migraines to change over the course of your lifetime. Women especially seem to suffer with changes in frequency of migraines even if they aren't directly linked to their hormonal cycle, changing hormones over years seems to effect the frequency of migraines unfortunately.

I would speak to your GP about using a triptain drug to treat them. If you don't get them very regularly you can now actually buy sumatriptain over the counter at the pharmacy now if you wanted to try it, you would need to speak to the pharmacist first. Other options neurologist recommend are 900mg aspirin and full fat coke. Or 600mg of ibuprofen and full fat coke, At the start of a migraine, don't repeat this dose. Don't take anything with codeine in.

@ChungKing you should really go see your GP whenever you have a change in your migraines. It's important to rule anything else out, especially with symptoms like that although they definitely can be migraine related.

Have they not prescribed preventative treatment for you at all?

If you can take/ inject sumatriptan at that stage it can stop the pain but not the aura.

Hi all. Just happened to stumble across this thread. I had migraines (similar to what lots of you are describing) in my teens and early 20s, but then not had them for a number of years. However, in the last 2 weeks I have had 3 awful migraines (aura, etc) and DH nearly called 999 when I had the first one as he thought I was having a stroke (he didn't know me when I had these when younger).

Has anyone else had this - where they come back? Any advice?

Also, my first signs are my vision going and numbness in my arm. Is there anything I can do when I get those first signs?

I read an article years ago that there was some research into migraines and a small percentage of people who have them show stroke like lesions in the brain.

Bit scary as I have them for years although not very often now.

I also might have a small brain aneurysm (unclear on scan and untreatable if I do), and the only symptom if it bursts is a thunderclap headache and then possible/probable brain injury/death.

But because I get migraines I might not realise it's anything different! I have had quite a few migraines that came on suddenly and hurt so much I thought I was dying but I was too ill to communicate or do anything about it apart from pass out.

So yes, it's weird they're so bad but leave no trace.

I was told that the more migraines you have, the more you will have as your brain gets more efficient at having them. So prevention is really important if at all possible.

Mine seem to be under control as I'm approaching 50, work entirely from home and have got much better at identifying triggers and early warnings.

DD (16) has them too though, I'm hoping she grows out of them but it's so hard to manage.

I'm a chronic migraine sufferer, but last night I had a really weird one where from my perspective I had blacked out, but my partner says I was acting like I was drunk, saying things that didn't make sense, slurring my speech, kind of rolling around on the couch. has anyone ever had this? Wondering if I need to go back to the GP (they haven't been particularly helpful thus far).

Ugh. Had another migraine last night that was awful. Stabbing pain in the right side of my head and I felt so sick. Still got a dull ache this morning

Sorry I almost forgot to add this.

Also I end up worrying when getting migraines. Especially after what happened to Bruce Lee

That's usually the posdrom phase of the migraine. They really have done a lot more research in recent years.

I see if I can link some more information for you.

Yep, salt sugar and fat as they are wearing off.

I used to get migraines terribly and am lucky now I just get visual ones with no pain.

I do however have seizures instead which apparently also mostly cause no lasting damage on the whole - unless they do - which isn’t reassuring at all.

my cravings are hormonal, as are my seizures, as were my migraines.

It's salt and sugar. I crave sweet tea and a cheese sandwich.

Totally agree about coke being a help. I read it was due to the sugar hit, as low blood sugar level often causes migraines.

Thinking back ( I'd forgotten) my worst ever was a week after having a lumbar puncture. I was alone at night with 3 kids and a new baby. All I could see was a big red number 4 from the display on the tv.
The pain was horrendous. I remember thinking that I couldn't get up the stairs to the children or look after the baby.
My husband was out at a sports club presentation evening. I rang there ,the bar man whom I knew answered. I heard him say " it's your missus ,she's got a headache. "
My mother would be ill for days wiyh migraine as was our neighbour. I wonder why it has never been taken seriously. It's really disabling for some of you. I think I got off lightly.

Thank you, @fashionqueen0123 - I'll look into it. I'll try anything at this point!

I used to have the Alice symptoms at times - feeling like I was very big and the world had become smaller? Weird sensation.

My migraines started in late teens but really got out of control during peri meno.
I was sick 3 weeks out of 4 - so I'd have one in the build up to period, one during the week of it and one after. Having just one week per month of function was not fun. They would last for 3 or 4 days and then I'd just be wiped out for days after.

Thankfully only once in a while now. Sorry for those of you still suffering, I hope the same happens for you and you find what helps or they go of their own accord.

Migraines! Mine were destroying my life. I was having them continously this time last year. They went from chronic to acute in a matter of weeks.
Luckily my GP is actually excellent and my other half is a nurse so I knew enough to ask to be referred to a specialist headache clinic who saw me immediately. I had the injections in my head which took them out for a few weeks and then I went private and got the new drug atogepant. Which worked immediately. Since then which is 8 months I have had 4 Migraines instead of 4 a week. And the intensity of them is less and the impact not as long lasting pretty much no post drome.
Also the atogepant takes the Migraine down with no side effects so I didn't have to take a triptan.
I think the new drugs will be available on the NHS but for me they are pricey plus the consultants fee. I am just lucky to be able to both pay and be in London where this is available.
The drug has changed my life. I wish it was more widely available.

I can’t remember the pp who said that at one point they were investigating whether migraines were a form of epilepsy. My migraine triggers tend to be the same as my friend who is epileptic. Mine tend to be (but aren’t always) visual triggers such as artificial lighting, strobe lighting, places with crap ventilation and enclosed places where people are rushing around in all directions.

They run in my family on my mum’s side and I’ve not heard the memory loss/dementia link before, but the ones that have suffered with migraines have ended up with dementia. I have shocking memory loss and face blindness but never even thought to put it down to migraines. There’s so much we don’t know about them. Although it makes me feel a bit better about being so forgetful. 😬

I’ve suffered from hemiplegic migraines since I was 6 years old. First one was a shock I can tell you.

I’m on topiramate and sumatriptan. It’s a whole body shutdown for me maybe twice a year. Cannot swallow, move, speak or think really. Ive lost count of the number of times I’ve vomited over the side of my bed because I can’t make it to the toilet or call for help.

I think worse than the actual migraine is the constant fear you’re going to get one (especially if it’s been a while), it’s embarrassing to miss days off work or have to call someone and be sent home. I have fond memories of vomiting on DHs jacket in the car as he had to pick me up from school one day.

Then to have someone say “oh I had a bit of a migraine this morning, I took two paracetamol and got on with it!”

I was reading the other day about a woman in a similar position. She’s had some kind of latest tech device inserted into her (maybe spine?) and it’s really helped. Maybe worth googling?!

Candesarten is regularly used to treat migraine in the UK, although most often only prescribed by neurologist. Some specialist GP'S may prescribe it as well. There is quite a list of drugs that cam be tried. (Hum I've tried most of them).

But there is a totally new class of drugs that have been specifically developed for migraine. These new CGRP'S drugs are only available to people who have failed traditional treatment. And are hard to access in some parts of the UK. But can really help some people. Most are take as a monthly injection, there are also two newer gepants which are tablets. One which is an alternative to triptains as an acute medicine Rigepemant, and Atogepant which is a preventative.

They are even developing an even newer class of drugs which look even more promising. But they have only just started human trials.

This is a thread to help anyone who needs it, why are you being so unpleasant telling me not to suggest gluten can be a trigger?

you said yourself...Whilst inflammatory responses in the body can trigger a migraine...

Read the coeliac website if you need to but please be more open minded. There are lots of reasons people get migraines and the fact that I know someone who was helped by removing gluten (using a dietician) could help someone else.

Just reading through everyone's symptoms is horrendous. This thread should be compulsory reading for GP's.

I get a really depressive low mood the night before a bad migraine.

I also sometimes get a burning hot ear.

I rarely get aura.

I get nausea but don't vomit although I do get diarrhoea sometimes during a bad attack.

Almost all my migraines are left sided but when I do get a right sided one the nausea is horrific. With left sided ones I get more pain and weird sensations (numbness etc) and it affects my jaw and my ear.

Migraines are NOT linked to gluten intolerance for most of us. Please don't suggest they are.

Whilst inflammatory responses in the body can trigger a migraine, your knowing one person for whom gluten creates such a response does not read across to the approx 10% of the world who live with migraine.