Do migraines make you feel generally unwell?

[Neonprint]

I've just been diagnosed with migraines, bruxism (teeth grinding/ jaw clenching) and tmj by a consultant.

I thought it was sinus pain/issues which is why I was refferd to ENT. Anyway it was quite a surprise as I when I get headaches (which he said ar migraines) and facial pain I will often have general body aches, feel exhausted and just run down so thought it was a virus / sinus issue. But the consultant said migraines can do this and then said something I've slightly forgotten about migraines causing a change in blood vessels which can effect the whole body. Obviously a consultant knows their stuff but after searching online about the blood vessel thing and effects on the body I still feel a bit unsure if this is the right diagnosis. I'm obviously not expecting anyone here to diagnose me!

But I'd really appreciate anyone who has experienced migraines sharing if they have this generally unwell feeling and if you know anything about migraines effect on blood vessels. Also anyone with similar issues caused by bruxism and tmj I'd live to hear your experience.

I do understand migraines aren't just headaches so I don't want to sound skeptical that they have an impact on people and their lives. I'm just trying to get my head around an unexpected diagnosis.

@CautiousOptimist11

On top of sometimes vomiting 10-20 times an episode, and severe head/rye pain that makes me want to bang my head on the floor, my migraines make me feel such a sense of general malaise, I just KNOW when they are coming (vs a mild regular old headache). I feel nauseous,weak, just... off. And I always have diarrhoea. I dont have the energy to move beyond the end of my bed, and I could sleep 20 hours in 24 ...its just terrible.

Interestingly, I started taking 500mg magnesium daily in jan and since then, I have had none of these symptoms,just mild to moderate one sided head pain. Its remarkable as I was getting them every 4 -6 weeks without fail, and it was really starting to affect me as I was anticipating them (and I have 2 very young kids, so extra disruptive to our days). This is a near miracle, I have had migraines my whole adult life.

But yes, it is SO much more than a bad headache

Do you feel agitated and want to pace around with attacks? This part of your post jumped out at me:

severe head/rye pain that makes me want to bang my head on the floor

as it's an indicator of cluster headache rather than migraine which could potentially influence how they're treated

@oldegg123 Thank you! I'm sure you also know how 'high stakes' a new treatment feels. You'd give your last pennies for it to just cut things down to half. Thanks for letting me know time scales of seeing a difference with it, I have all my fingers crossed it will help.

@diesse Thank you ❤

Mine begin with visual disturbances, I can only see in my periphery as the centre looks like flashy lights. This last for about 45 mins and I'll go a bit numb in the face or fingers and my speech is a bit off. Then the headache, really quite bad, similar to the hangovers from my youth!
I will be utterly washed out and a bit nauseous for the rest of the day. I hate migraines more than anything but fingers crossed and touch wood I only get one a year or so. I used to be tortured with them all through my teens and twenties. Dear help those of you who get them regularly, not many people fully understand how awful they are.

I'm glad you are on a new drug @Bustup. I wondered if you were ever put on riboflavin? My dd has been and it has helped her a bit, just a bit tricky getting the prescription though.

I used to get severe headaches with migraine and was highly sensitive to light and noise and felt very sick and ill. I'd have to go to bed in a dark room till it passed. Then I'd feel wiped for several days afterwards. I now get visual auras which last about half an hour, and feel a bit out of it afterwards and for a day or so. I don't get the pain so much but sometimes get tightness in my head an eyes before one occurs.

I get very cold with mine and my legs ache.

I get what I've always referred to as migraine hangovers the last through the next day.

I've been really lucky that beta blockers worked for me in treating my migraines (I think they target the blood vessel issue but not entirely sure how they work, just glad that they do). It got to the point where I was getting them almost daily, but thanks to beta blockers I think I've had maybe 3 in the last 5 years.

Migraines are awful, I'm sorry you're suffering with them.

@oldegg123 - hmmm no I wouldnt say agitated. I think it's just that it's the only way to detract temporarily from the pain, which is always high but sometimes peaks to such an intensity that I cannot bear it, I cannot find a place or position to be comfortable and want to leave my skin/body

Usually how I know one is coming on is that I cannot cope with the smell of milk and tea. I'll look at a cuppa and just think "No". Usually I'll drink 5 or 6 cups of tea a day (No coffee) but when I have a migraine coming on I can't stomach it (literally tmi )

Feeling rather weak down one side is also common with migraine, it is called hemiplegic migraine. NB: It doesn't mean you are going to have a stroke.

Migraine is awful.

Hi @Bustup ( and sorry pp to jump on your thread) I took my first Ajovy last Friday as like you was on at least 20+ migraine days per month, so far so good, hope you're doing good too!

Yes, I feel generally under the weather if I have one. I feel really wobbly afterwards, a bit like if you've cried a lot. That lasts a couple of days then suddenly switches off and I feel amazing!

I would say more like a hangover than flu for me after a migraine (I get aura/visual disturbances so can distinguish between when I have a migraine and when I've 'just' got a bad head).
Tired, fuzzy, fatigued, the ghost of a headache, a bit of nausea sometimes too. I'm definitely not right for 24 hours after but the gratitude that the migraine itself has gone means I'm generally ok to plod on with normal life, they don't knock me out for two days like I know some people get them.

Pain on one side , my eye & bridge of the nose plus nausea is normal for me. I can head it off with at least two lots of extra strength paracetamol taken every 3 hours but do feel really tired for 24 hours. Never actually been sick but did houseshare with someone who'd vomit for 2 days with them. That was before migraleve was a thing. I've never bought it, as I think mine are quite mild compared to some poor souls .

@CautiousOptimist11

On top of sometimes vomiting 10-20 times an episode, and severe head/rye pain that makes me want to bang my head on the floor, my migraines make me feel such a sense of general malaise, I just KNOW when they are coming (vs a mild regular old headache). I feel nauseous,weak, just... off. And I always have diarrhoea. I dont have the energy to move beyond the end of my bed, and I could sleep 20 hours in 24 ...its just terrible.

Interestingly, I started taking 500mg magnesium daily in jan and since then, I have had none of these symptoms,just mild to moderate one sided head pain. Its remarkable as I was getting them every 4 -6 weeks without fail, and it was really starting to affect me as I was anticipating them (and I have 2 very young kids, so extra disruptive to our days). This is a near miracle, I have had migraines my whole adult life.

But yes, it is SO much more than a bad headache

My neurologist recommends taking magnesium and a b vitamin. I can't take the magnesium due to ibs but I wish I could.

I used to get them a lot, nothing changed but get them very sporadically now. I used to feel like I was falling asleep at my desk, couldn’t keep my eyes open, before one came on, might sound silly but I think it was almost a defence mechanism of ‘go to sleep and then we can deal with it’. They made me feel hungover for the next couple of days, as PPs said, like flu. I was completely wiped out.

My migraines are agony, whole head pain. The phrase "migraine attack" is really apt, it is debilitating.

I do get migraines triggered by sinusitis so perhaps that is a possibility for you too. I can imagine the teeth clenching would have a similar effect.

I don't understand the vascular bit, but I know that when my head pain is very bad, if I apply pressure to my forehead and temples I get a bit of relief. Something about blood flow to the brain being reduced.

Typically I vomit, cannot stand any light or movement or noise at all, feel quite shaky, I go white as a sheet and need to lie down. Feel all over absolutely horrendous.

After a migraine is over I have about 24 hours of feeling hungover and really drained.

One weird thing: if I lie down eventually I fall asleep despite the pain, and when I wake up I will have a sense of a huge amount of time having passed - as of I've slept all night. But often i will only sleep for an hour or so.

After a nap like that, I usually feel less pain, vomit, and then sleep again.

I call that weird nap a "brain reboot" - it is like I need to turn my brain off and restart it.

I've got the same thing as you OP. It's really so bad that when I have an attack I can't do anything and just have to lie in bed. Migraines can get really bad. It used to wipe me out for several days. My tmj has been better now and the thing that helped was to go and see an osteopath, I learned some massaging techniques for her which I now do myself when I have an attack, the crucial thing is to catch it quickly. The doctor also gives me diazepam for when muscles are really tight and tmj is really bad. Also went to the dentist just to make sure it's not a dental problem. It can be stress related so try to reduce stress. With migraine, catching it early and taking Ibuprofen helps loads. Also I got one of those massage balls/spiky ball and just rolling them around my neck helps a lot and body parts which ache!!

I've found taking 2 dispersible aspirin in an inch of water stops my migraines in its tracks. My symptoms range from vomiting, diarrhoea, light sensitivity, eye pain, slurry speech, foggy head, facial paralysis & slow movements. Taking well woman supplements & starflower helps minimise perimenopause symptoms. This and migraines together are an absolute killer, leaves me completely exhausted.

I get migraines, for me alongside the headache they cause exhaustion, hunger, increased urination and stomach aches... very bizarre!

I lose the ability to string a sentence together, my sense of smell is heightened, I feel sick and sort of “dirty” inside. Like you feel when you’ve been eating rubbish food for a few days. Very odd!

Does anyone else get the constant yawning before their headache pain starts? Literally a yawn every minute until my jaw is aching - it drives me crazy. My prodrome also includes a one-sided runny nose.

@everythingbackbutyou yes I yawn a lot too bizarre !

Can relate to the yawning and constant urination as well. Aren't migraines bizarre.....definitely so much more than a headache. Feel for all of you who suffer with them as I do.

Migraines make me cognitively impaired in a way similar to being drunk. The impairment starts before the pain and I have done things like driving into a bollard whilst parking and then had the migraine pain come on an hour or two later.

I was diagnosed with hemaplegic migraines - stroke mimic. I get weakness at one side, unable to walk straight, visual and auditory problems. It also feels as if I'm drunk but also hungover at the same time, and I'm pretty much functioning at 20% throughout an attack which can last up to 3 days. I also have tmj and neuralgia which often flares up before a migraine and comes with an eye twitch. Great fun.