Have I been mistaking migraines for headaches my whole life?

[saveourtrees]

I often get headaches when I'm poorly. But they stop me doing anything. I can't have the light on or look at my phone. I can't move because it's just such a strong pain.

Every headache has been like this, but are they actually migraines? how do you know?

The only reason I'm asking is because my sister said she was given cocodomol (sp?) for her migraines and paracetamol doesn't even touch the sides.
paracetamol doesn't help me either. Does anyone know how you can tell?

sounds like a migraine. do you have pain in a specific area of your head?
do u have any lingering pain after the headache has gone. like when u bend over / stand up and the pressure changes in your head u can feel where the headache had been?

Buy migraleve extra with sumatriptan in it-of it helps, it’s a migraine.

I think the difference is migraines have other symptoms rather than just pain in the head. I'm a chronic migraine suffer of 13 years. When I get a migraine its head pain, strange kaleidoscope vision flashing stars in my eyes, pain behind my eyes, adversion to lights and vomiting.

Watching as I’m similar and have wondered. I often feel sick with them (never actually been sick) do you?

Ibuprofen does work for me if I take it quick enough at the start rather than waiting it’s really bad

Try cocodamol with a can of coke - it's the only thing I find works. I used to take migraleve but cocodamol is cheaper.

Do you have problems with your vision apart from sensitivity to light?
Do your headaches come with nausea?
If so speak to your gp and ask about sumatriptan

@Haggisfish3

Buy migraleve extra with sumatriptan in it-of it helps, it’s a migraine.

Not sure this is true - I get migraines but I also take sumatriptan if I have a hangover and it still works (brilliantly!)

I can tell. A headache is bareable. My migraines are centred around certain smells. And I can tell instantly if a smell will cause a migraine. It’s such an intense pain. I feel sick, and sore all over. I can’t open my eyes and have to basically just lie as still and quiet as possible. Migraines are horrendous

I get both I think, headaches more regularly. Occasionally my ‘headache’ makes me vomit, I can’t look at lights, and there’s no powering through with painkillers, the only solution is cocodamol and sleep in a dark room. I have a sort of hangover for a day or two after where I feel nauseous, exhausted and slightly headachy. I think that is a migraine. A more normal headache for me is solved with painkillers and I get on with my day.

@ShaneTheThird

I think the difference is migraines have other symptoms rather than just pain in the head. I'm a chronic migraine suffer of 13 years. When I get a migraine its head pain, strange kaleidoscope vision flashing stars in my eyes, pain behind my eyes, adversion to lights and vomiting.

All of these, sometimes the pain behind the eyes feels like pressure. The auras usually start before the headache for me and that’s when I know they’re coming- I do sometimes get silent migraines which is just the aura.

Migraine totally wipes you out as well, a headache is manageable. Co codamol is great but sumatriptan is even better!

Could be migraine but do check with GP I’ve had migraines since a teen but also
Had plenty of normal pain level headache that don’t cause sickness or extreme pain or visual problems that you can carry on as normal type. If you never get a “normal” headache it would be very uncommon suggest a Gp visit

I'd been suffering from bad headache and stomach/vomiting attacks every few weeks for a couple of years before I twigged that they were actually migraines. Aversion to any light, pain behind eyes, back of neck etc. I've worked out my trigger is headlights at night so avoid driving as much as possible. GP prescribed sumatriptan which really helps reduce or stop a migraine developing.

Headaches that aren’t migraines can be just as debilitating as a migraine. Migraines are usually one sided. Headaches are often both sides.

I get both migraine without aura and tension headaches, they are both shit but respond to different medications. Sometimes I can’t tell which it is going to be to start with.

I think I had a migraine recently. It was in a different league. It was one sided on my head and I just was completely incapacitated and felt sick and it was very visually disturbing.

Sounds like severe headache but not migraine

Migraine comes with a migraine hangover for me. Light aversion and being unable to move puts it in migraine rather than headache territory, I think: I have both those, and nausea, vomiting, general “not right”. Also can’t fend it off the way I can an incoming my headache.

Migraleve is brilliant. As is the dark, and salt, and sometimes caffeine but not always, and afterwards eating about 10 loaves of bread – the hangover is an absolute carb fest.

@Mavisisnotmyname I know you say your trigger is headlights, but you say every few weeks, could it also be hormone related? I get mine monthly and it’s entirely down to my cycle- I also thought mine was triggered by late night driving, then cheese and then I realised when I started writing down in my diary the days I got them that it was pretty much 4 days before my period, it became more manageable then. Glad sumatriptan helps 😊

I can tell a migraine from a headache like so:

1. I can feel a migraine coming on. No pain, but the world starts to look both washed out and sort of surreal. A couple of times I've had visual aura - wavy lights.
2. when it hits I genuinely can't string a sentence together or read. My eyes won't focus or process.
3. Light aversion and nausea. In my teens migraines announced themselves when I woke up and puked. 4)I often have a "hangover" the next day in which I feel... sort of scooped out and hollow. Like my own ghost.

Sometimes paracetamol takes the edge off and sometimes it does nothing. Caffeine helps. But mostly I just have to lie very still in a dark room with my eyes shut until it passes.

I spoke to a neurologist about this (when I was being treated for debilitating headaches). He said that whilst migraines can come with aura and sickness etc it doesnt always, and he classifies them by 'can you do anything else at all'. If yes it's a headache and if no then it's a migraine. But essentially the same muscles around the eyes and forehead cramping and the same type of pain

I had migraines for years. Had prescription painkillers but eventually found that the supermarket paracetamol plus worked. Have to contain paracetamol and aspirin. I think they are the same as migralieve just cheaper. Ordinary paracetamol didn't work. Important to take them as soon as your head starts hurting. Some foods trigger migraines. I could eat chocolate like Cadbury s but not good quality choc for example. Good luck finding a remedy that works for you.

he classifies them by 'can you do anything else at all'. If yes it's a headache and if no then it's a migraine.
It always makes me chuckle when I see people on social media posting “I’m having a migraine”. Dude, if you were you wouldn’t be looking at your phone, let alone able to post that. You’re having a headache, and possibly not that bad a headache because again, looking at a screen. I can’t even speak during a migraine!

I have migraine with aura. I’m lucky in that I can still function with them sometimes, but they are very intense pain, usually one side, involving the eye and feeling like someone is stabbing a knife into my brain. They can be quite debilitating even if I’m able to function (ie not having to lie in a darkened room). I had my most recent one at work, I noticed the aura and then I was having a conversation with a colleague and could barely get my words out. Felt like I was having a stroke (or what I imagine that would feel like).

For me there are certain triggers, and paracetamol does help dull the pain, if taken early enough.

I don’t tend to get other kinds of headache.

@ShaneTheThird

I think the difference is migraines have other symptoms rather than just pain in the head. I'm a chronic migraine suffer of 13 years. When I get a migraine its head pain, strange kaleidoscope vision flashing stars in my eyes, pain behind my eyes, adversion to lights and vomiting.

Well I don't vomit but I can't open my eyes and have to cover them. thankfully I am a sahm so I don't have to go to work. I haven't been able to take the children to school a couple of times because its so bad I just can't do it. DH thinks I'm taking the mick sometimes but genuinely cannot manage anything.

when I do stand up to go to the toilet or make the kids their lunch I have to hold my head and it just pounds like someone beating me around the head. tying a scarf around my head tight helps but only to make the pain go from a 10 to an 8

I thought for years my headaches were tension headache as I have pain on both sides of my head not just one sided. They've become more debilitating over the last year (struggling with work etc) and I finally went to GP who immediately diagnosed them as migraine. I get also get aura with them which can last up to a week afterwards.

I now take sumatriptan as it's the only thing that works (paracetamol does nothing)

Definitely recommend a visit to GP and hope you can get some relief from them OP.

I get both. The main differences being:

• migraine pain is predominantly one side of my face and seems to be more in the bones, especially my cheekbone.

• migraine is accompanied by nausea.

• regular painkillers don't touch a migraine, it needs heavy duty drugs and a big sleep.