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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think she was exaggerating

92 replies

Bluebelleswood · 13/12/2012 12:43

I've just had coffee,in Costa, with a friend and my friends friend. I have never met this person before.

On her arrival, she announced that she had a terrible migraine.

It didn't prevent her drinking a large, sweet christmas special coffee with whipped cream. She also described her symptoms at length, and was generally very voluble and animated.

As a migraine sufferer myself I find the only way I can cope with migraine is to go to bed in a very dark room.

Aibu to think that she was exaggerating.

OP posts:

Fakebook · 13/12/2012 17:40

Yanbu. When I get migraines I feel sick, my left eye feels like its about to pop out and no paracetamol or ibuprofen touches it. I have to just lay very very still in the dark with a pillow fluffed up under my neck to get a bit of relief. It starts normally during the night and I wake up with it and it stays all day. The worse time it happened about 2 years ago I vomited twice and fainted whilst trying to get up the stairs.

I hate people trying to pass off a minor headache as a migraine. Arseholes.

FryOneFatChristmasTurkey · 14/12/2012 09:06

There's an anti depressant, Amytriptyline, that has been shown to reduce the number and severity of migraines. DP is on this one and it is working for him.

Fakebook migraines do not always involve headaches, but I agree that people with ordinary headaches should not call them migraines.

cory · 14/12/2012 09:17

Dd sometimes goes through a stage in her migraines (before she is sick and helpless) when she is completely hyper, in a very unhealthy way, but I imagine to people who don't know her she could come across as bright and chatty.

Later on, she gets speech confusion (as in being unable to remember any words at all) and excruciating pain.

Also worth remembering that some people react to pain and fear by bubbly chattiness. I do, it's a way of keeping yourself under control. I had 40 minutes surgery last year and the local anaesthetic didn't take, so felt every twinge: I somehow got into my head that it was my job to make cheerful conversation with the doctor throughout so she wouldn't get too tired.

neverputasockinatoaster · 14/12/2012 11:23

My mum gets migraines - hers make her feel sick and she feels like she needs to poke out her own eye.

If she doesn't take her meds when she feels one comimg on she is wiped out for about 3 days. However, if she takes her pills - Zomig I think they are called, as soon as she gets 'that' feeling then she is left with a headache and can function normally. Paracetemol etc don't touch hers as her stomach shuts down.

I've had one. I wanted to hide in a darkened room and not see anyone or anything.

ShamyFarrahCooper · 14/12/2012 11:29

QOD that's really unfair. We can't all just take off from work when we get a migraine. I've had 3 this week. I NEED to work. It's about managing the pain, doing what works.
People suffer all sorts of illnesses and go about their jobs/lives. It's not always possible to just take to bed.

QODRestYeMerryGentlemen · 14/12/2012 16:08

I'm not talking about you, I'm talking about her and how she calls every headache a migraine and also about how my mum and dad call every cold "the flu"

I was joining in on a thread, its not directed at you, calm down.

SamuelWestsMistress · 14/12/2012 16:21

I've suffered from silent migraines in the past. No pain at all just funny vision for about twenty minutes. No way would that stop me enjoying a fancy coffee if I'd been looking forward to it!

tunnocksteacake · 14/12/2012 16:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SledYuleCated · 14/12/2012 16:30

Sounds like my old housemate. I had flu and had just about managed to shuffle from my bed to the loo, had to stop for a rest on the settee on the way back. He came through and announced he had it too, but was going to go and play cricket because exercise is good for you when your ill.

Yes, when you have a cold

Crinkle77 · 14/12/2012 16:43

If she did have a migraine surely caffeine would be the last thing you would drink?

eslteacher · 14/12/2012 17:40

Until quite recently I thought migraine was just a word for a really bad headache. Until I met a regular migraine suffererer and realised that it is something else completely. So maybe your friend's friend is just confused re the terminology, like I was.

kerala · 14/12/2012 17:59

Oh its like the flu thing - "I had flu yesterday but feel fine today" you didnt have flu then did you you muppet. I had proper flu I actually thought I was going to die I couldnt move for a week getting to the loo was a huge effort and it took about a month until I felt normal again.

jinglebellyalltheway · 14/12/2012 18:06

I've read that if its early enough in the migrane, caffine can actually help, its regular caffine that makes them worse?

and QOD when I was first diagnosed with migranes it had nothing to do with headaches at all.. it was through going to the eye A&E because my eye wasn't working... which I went to at the end of my shift at work.. which I'd finished in artificial light! Migranes do all kinds of things to different parts of your body, maybe your arm, maybe your eye, maybe your digestive system (can stop peristalsis) etc. its not always a photosensitive headache for everyone

kiwigirl42 · 14/12/2012 18:06

I get 4 to 7 days of migraine per week - its destroyed my life. I've had to give up work and are virtually house bound. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I spend up to 6 days in bed with just one migraine sometimes, unable to lie down due to pain, then might have one day off recovering before the next one kicks in. I have anti sickness injections to use at home if I can't stop vomiting and have to take morphine the pain is so horrific. Its been 5 yrs now since my migraines went from monthly to almost daily. The saddest thing is that DS (13) can't remember me being well
I've tried almost every drug/ complementary therapy etc available and have had heart surgery among other things - on menopause inducing injections prior to hysterectomy to see if that helps now.
Saying that, I'm quite happy in myself! I'm used to my 'new life' and don't look further than tomorrow. I have my family, my pets and generally keep on top of things.

Migraine is not just a headache.

kerala · 14/12/2012 18:07

That sounds dreadful you poor thing.

kiwigirl42 · 14/12/2012 18:31

My main issue is boredom! Thank goodness for podcasts and my ipad (and my wonderful DH who does everything a lot of the time and never makes me feel guilty)

QODRestYeMerryGentlemen · 15/12/2012 15:45

I do know what a migraine is sigh ... I was stating about yawn woman at work who roll eyes says every head ache is a migraine.

I'm not implying that people who have migraines blah blah blah

I do "suffer" purely optical migraines myself, which thankfully don't even lead to a headache ... Just visual disturbance ...

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