AIBU to want this migraine to F off?

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Ok I know I’m not BU but I do need advice...

I’ve had the flu and as a result I’ve had my first migraine. Age 44.

GP prescribed sumatriptan and I’m now on day 4 but I don’t know what to expect from the medication.

Should it stop the migraine? If so for how long?

I’m finding it dulls it for around 8 hours but then it comes back. Is this how it works?

Is 4 days an average length for a migraine?

Anyone want to be a migraine mentor?

Are you absolutely certain it's not your sinuses?

The reason I ask is that I suffer from migraines (with aura) but they would never be caused by a flu or last longer than a day. I also suffer from sinus headaches and they often accompany a cold or flu and they can last ages!

I had a migraine once, for about 5 days! Turns out it wasn't a migraine, but a virus of the nerve behind my eye. Bloody painful and I convinced myself it was a tumour but it has never come back

Poor you :-(

I get a lot of migraines, unfortunately with triptans (like sumitriptan) unless you take them at the first onset of the migraine they don't tend to work all that well.

Mine never have last longer than 3 days but your body will be compromised by the flu infection.

Still, I would try and get a telephone appointment with your gp to see if you can try another triptans like zomig (I've tried sumitriptan and it doesn't work for me but it must work for some people I guess).

Other than that try and eat and drink regularly if you can and rest in a dark room. Audio books are some distraction.

Ouch- it could be I suppose. I don’t have a blocked nose but I’ve never had sinus pain before so I have no idea what it feels like.

@Teddy ouch! My eyeballs hurt as in a can’t rub my eyes. How was that diagnosed?

My migraines tend to last 3 days two days full migraine 3rd day migraine hangover.

Nothing works for my migraines though pretty much out of options.

My migraines never dull though ever.

Clueless- thank you. I started the migraine on Tuesday afternoon but didn’t see the go until 10.30 weds morning - I didn’t know it was a migraine and had been up most of the night. So the triptan probably hasn’t got a chance. I took one at 3am this morning which gave me a few hours sleep but I’m led on the sofa again with a pressure filled head. I don’t want to just keep taking them.

I can try gp again to ask them for something else

You don't need to have a blocked nose to have sinus pain. Sore eyes can be part of it, or pain in the area between and above your eyes, or below your eyes. I get horrific pain in my upper teeth with sinusitis.

If it feels like pressure I'm also inclined to say it's not a migraine.

Would you be able to steam your face? I know that's a lot when your head is pounding

Sounds awful @dipping You have my sympathies. It must floor you

I’ll try anything @dipping!
It’s definitely a pressure feeling so perhaps it isn’t a migraine after all

@puffin the pressure feeling is in my forehead so could well be sinuses...
My teeth are the only things in my head not hurting at the moment

Or sit/lay with a warm towel on your face, that can help relieve sinus pressure .. if it is sinuses.

It doesn't sound like a migraine - do you have any nausea? Does the light hurt your eyes?

Whatever it is, sounds horrible! I'd go back to the GP and get them to take another look.

I agree that it sounds like sinus too (although obviously not diagnosing you). I also suffer from migraines and take sumatriptan. As others have said, they are only effective if taken at the outset and after four days you definitely should not still be taking them. If they are not effective then they will actually make your headache worse. If you have not historically suffered with migraines I think it is more likely to be connected with your flu and hence more likely to be sinus. I would recommend stopping the sumatriptan and try and drink lots of water which is the best way to clear sinus's.

Poor you OP - the longest I had a migraine was for 3 days and the GP nearly sent me for a CT scan (sorry, not wanting to scare you!) I just wanted to sympathise completely. Sumatriptan is very good, as are any anti inflammatory drugs.

I hope you feel better soon. Having suffered for migraines for years, I really do sympathise. Get lots of sleep, rest in a dark quiet room and drink lots. These are my tried and tested methods to get rid of a migraine.

Poor you, sounds like sinus. My mum used to get migraines for a week (less severe the last couple of days) so it can happen but if you're feeling pressure, eye pain etc that sounds like sinus. Both can be awful!

On the other hand I have had many meh migraines where I get the aura and sometimes nausea but no pain at all. I've had far more of these than the painful ones.

Yy to pp saying drink a lot of fluids. I wonder if you got dehydrated w your virus and that brought on the pain. Dehydration can provoke migraine and sinus troubles.

Any chance it is caffeine withdrawal?

One of the tests for sinuses is to bend over. If the pain gets much worse it's a strong sign of sinus infection. I've had secondary bacterial sinus infections after a flu virus and have needed antibiotics to clear it

Thanks everyone. I do think it’s sinus now after all tour advice. The hot flannel eased it a bit. But I’ve also just been for an acupuncture session that has really helped.

Glad you feel a bit better!

I feel your pain op. I get migraines but at the moment I have sinus issues. Pain in top teeth/gums, swelling, sore cheekbone, stabby pains in ear. Even the skin on my head is sore if touched. Nose is neither blocked or runny.

Make sure you drink enough and don't have the heating on in bedroom as this dries the air out, or leave window open.

The longest I've ever had a migraine last is 3 days. Is it just the pain, or do you have other symptoms eg nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, light sensitivity, numbness or tingling anywhere?

If you think it might be sinus pain, try an over the counter decongestant and a really strong painkiller like codydramol. If that works, it's almost certainly not migraine.

I could be an all-round headache mentor, not just migraine. I suffer from chronic sinus problems and had trigeminal neuralgia for about a year. I'd often have 3 distinct and separate headaches all going on at once. At my lowest moments, I genuinely wanted to die rather than go through another day of such bad pain.

If it's both your eyeballs - so both sides of your head - it's not going to be a migraine.

Migraines are a unilateral headache - so while mine can go on for 4 days it's one side of the head only.

Seeing as yours came on at the tail end of flu, my vote is for sinuses as well.