Worst migraine ever - what happened to me?

[Saffrondoormouse]

Woke up today with a migraine that was like nothing I have ever experienced before. Labour was actually significantly less painful. It lasted about 6 hours in total and has left me exhausted, shaky and terrified in case I get another one.

I do get migraines occasionally but usually they are just a bad headache proceeded by some aura. With this one I had aura for much longer, the pain was really sharp and pounding in my eye and on the right side of my head. I was very hot and I vomited several times and was dizzy. My fingers went numb and when I tried to speak I couid not get the right words out. I was literally howling with pain.

For back ground I’m in my late 40’s, quite overweight but exercise regularly. I don’t drink.
Any advice or help from anyone who had experienced this. I took paracetamol ( couldn’t take stronger as I’m bfing toddler) but it didn’t touch the sides of the pain.

I'd speak with your GP, it's a significant change to your usual migraine and might need checking.

I'd be ringing 111 right away.

Yes, I agree with the pp - get it checked out ASAP.

It might just be due to hormonal changes, but it's best to be on the safe side. You might be able to get medication to prevent/treat your migraines in future.

Whilst it's worth getting checked out I get one or two of these a year, can't find words, Java go numb and I go blind first.

GP just added it to long list of peri menopause related issues.

I would get that checked out, I have something similar to that for my migraines, but I've always been told to contact if any dramatic changes and as that is a dramatic change for you I would.

Omg matching - going blind must be so, so terrifying! I suspect peri might be at play for me too. I still have fairly reg periods but I’m getting a lot of other peri symptoms lately including anxiety, body aches and stress incontinence.

You can take sumatriptan when BFing - you really need to see the GP about any significant change in presentation of migraine like this.

Take asprin I used to suffer so bad I couldn't move without being sick.
Turns out I have super high blood pressure!

Really you should have gone to hospital. You probably still should.

My A&E consultant friend says loads of people are having unusual migraines as the first symptom of covid, so be wary.

I am in no way making a diagnosis, I’m not a doctor. But, this sounds similar to a hemiplegic migraine, I get them pretty regularly. The sharp pain, I often feel very hot, I experience odd sensations in my face/arm/leg (tingling, shooting pains, numbness, twitching, burning paralysis etc). Loss of speech. Sometimes partial vision loss. Vomiting. The head pain is absolutely horrendous. Very dizzy, sometimes I faint.

I definitely agree with PPs who recommend that any change in migraine symptoms needs a doctors visit ASAP. Hopefully it is just a migraine, hopefully it was just a one-off. If you find they recur there are treatments. You need to see a doctor ASAP to get a diagnosis either way. If you are driving & get another one it’s not good - I don’t drive.

I have partial vision loss too (temporary) with an attack.

Do you take the combined pill if so you may need to stop. I can't take it because it makes me have migraines that are like strokes.

This is the kind of migraine I get. I was told it's a hemaplegic migraine (stroke mimic), and it's absolutely terrifying. I'd get a GP appointment.

HRT has done wonders for a friend of mine whose migraines were getting worse and worse. She can't believe it's sorted them.

I was on the combined pill when mine first start, apparently that was the trigger but unfortunately they didn’t stop when I stopped taking it. I was warned never to take anything with oestrogen or any drug that mimics it.

I'd get it checked but it sounds like a Hemiplegic migraine. I had one last year that presented like a stroke so I was blue lighted to hospital and thrombolised. It was terrifying.

Definitely speak to your GP.

Hope you feel better, it took me 2-3 weeks to get over mine so make sure you take the time to heal properly.

There seems to be a virus going round where people get a terrible headache, temperature and vomiting and it feels ike the worlds worst migraine, I know 4 people (2 different geographical areas) now who have had this, 3 dont normally get migraines

Im not saying thats what happened here, and you should get it checked out but fingers crossed it was a virus

I'd see a GP

Thank you everyone- I’m
Not on an oestrogen type contraceptive due to the aura I get with my normal migraines. I guess this rules out hrt? (which sucks!)
I have always wondered what I’d do if I got the aura coming on while driving somewhere I could not easily stop. Would be terrifying.

Agree with others that it sounds like a hemiplegic migraine. I lost vision in one eye, my hearing felt like I was underwater and I was paralysed down one side. My work colleague had to drive me to hospital in my car as I couldnt drive. Spent about 4 hours in a&e ruling out stroke. The pain on one side was excruciating. I ended up sleeping it off for a couple of days. That was 10
Years ago and never happened since but I can't take hormonal medication.

Interesting about the virus that’s doing the rounds.

@Saffrondoormouse No, it DEFINITELY does not exclude you from HRT. Don't let a GP fob you off with that as an excuse, it's nonsense.

migrainetrust.org/live-with-migraine/self-management/migraine-and-hormones/

Obviously, we can't diagnose you OP. We can only tell you if the symptoms you've described sound similar to the symptoms we have experienced. Hopefully it was a one-off. I have heard, anecdotally, that people who suffer with one type of migraine are more likely (that the average person) to suffer from additional types of migraine, either regularly, occasionally, or as a rare one-in-a-decade type of event.

Have you contacted your GP yet to request an appointment? I wouldn't wait, personally.

I am on hrt and am more migrainey when I've got the dual hormone patches on (but common or garden migraines not these monsters).

I've started cutting these patches in half and it's made a big difference, and I could never tolerate hormonal contraceptives so there is hope for you yet.

I ended up in A&E with my first hemiplegic migraine as 111 ordered an ambulance. It was horrific, was left for hours in bright lights, no pain relief or checks and kept having to be sick into an already used sick bowl as no one came and changed it. Whilst you do need to be seen I would strongly recommend GP, if they think you need to see a specialist they may be able to get you seen directly.

Be warned you may feel rough for a few days yet, I end up with pain like bruising where the migraine was. And normally loads of sugar cravings.