tell me about your migraines and other superbad headaches please

[Alameda]

DEPRESSED to have had first one for about seven years plus it was completely different - no warning, went on for longer and I still feel shit (used to feel reborn once had slept it off) surely migraines cannot just reappear when they feel like it with a whole new set of rules?

and what do you take for them?

Does anyone get facial migraines?

I was diagnosed with this at our hospital about six months ago. I get appalling ear ache which spreads all over one side of my face and down my neck and lasts precisely three days. Sleep does not help - it continues even into my dreams.

I used to get aura and migraine headaches when I was on the pill so came off the pill and then suffered from these ear ache type migraines for the last nine years.

I have been given sumatriptan, which works, but I hate the way it completely knocks me out - I feel groggy for days after them.

I used to suffer really badly. I'd develop a hemianopia (lose my right field of vision) wich would clear after about 20 mins giving me about 30 mins before The Headache sets in. I then used to have to spend 2 days in bed, tip-toeing to the toilet to throw up whilst clutching my head as it would feel like my brain was trying to crawl out through my skull!
I ended up being admitted to hospital and investigated for brain tumours and the such like (didn't help my stress levels in the slightest). I was put on a Beta-Blocker to prevent them but that left my blood pressure in my boots and made me prone to passing out at work. On the advice of a neurologist I started taking feverfew capsules (from the health food shop). They did a pretty good job of reducing both the intensity and severity of the migraines.
Then I fell pregnant and have barely had one since (DD now 9). Don't take the feverfew anymore.
Unfortunately I've heard similar accounts of having babies stopping migraines but them then recurring around the time of menopause, I really hope not!

Libra,mine can start with a cold ear,or cold nose and quicly spread to cold face.But the actual migraine still goes to my head iyswim.
Sitting next to a radiator can stop it going to what I call a full blown migraine.Also,I have now been told to use direct heat using a wheatbag onto my neck,and been given neck and shoulder excercies to loosen the area up.
GP precribed me Domperidone to take with ibuprofen,which I have only had to use once,as the heat helps enormously.

Heat sounds like a good policy. Thanks Amillionyears.
I didn't even think that mine were migraines, but the ENT consultant assured me that they were and the sumatriptan does work, which my doctor tells me means that they are definitely migraines.

I am currently in the midst of a 6 dayer (so far) I get blurry vision, sickness, numbness/tingling and pressure behind my eyes. It usually eases off for a couple of hours then comes back in force. I've just been to get some migraleve and on way home on bus to puke and lie down.

I am currently in the midst of a 6 dayer (so far) I get blurry vision, sickness, numbness/tingling and pressure behind my eyes. It usually eases off for a couple of hours then comes back in force. I've just been to get some migraleve and on way home on bus to puke and lie down.

I suffer from migraines, but find that aspirin helps to take the edge off them (so maybe they're not migraines?)

I had one in South Africa once, on a game park and as I was closing the gate to the camp, I accidentally electrocuted myself. My migraine went instantly! Odd that.

migrane but with no aura although eyes or usually one eye hurts, all down one side - related to neck too and usually sickness.

if i catch early enough with anadin extra can avoid but once takes hold sometimes nothing can shift it - can be out for a whole day to three days and cant even sleep properly as pain wakes me up.

recently I tried a tramadol and that seemed to knock out an established migrane in 20 mins!

anyone else had tramadol?

triggers can be tiredness - but not always - muggy weather, straining neck in any way can trigger and hormones.

I accidentally electrocuted myself. My migraine went instantly! Odd that.

Id happily electrocute myself to get rid of them.

Things I found useful:
Keeping a food diary to try to work out triggers. Also useful to keep a note of your menstrual cycle, I definitely got them with PMS.
Immigran at the first sign of a migraine.
Soluble aspirin: gut motility is reduced in migraine, soluble aspirin is absorbed more easily.
If the pain is so bad you cannot sleep then a 30 mg of codeine phosphate.

fortunately, immigran, aspirin and codeine are all compatible so if required you can do all 3. You will need a prescription for the codeine I think.

I was offered a low dose AD which was meant to help (I do think I was a bit depressed too), but never took it as one of the possible side effects was weight gain.

Sunglasses when outside.

Depending on severity, I used to ride even when I had one, it took my mind off it and the fresh air helped. I keep an old riding hat where the padding is a bit squashed so the fit not so snug for these occasions.

I talk in the past tense because after my first pregnancy they basically disappeared. Actually they got much better when I split with my crappy ex!

codeine didnt touch mine nor co dydramol, and if you take too many you can evn get a codiene headache!

anyone tried tramadol?

i find things to relax my shoulder help the head enourmoulsy

I get migraines with aura (zigzags and flashes), any kind of light becomes unbearably bright (even white pieces of paper) and I get really bad nausea. Mostly goes along with headache, but not always. I used to get them most weeks and the headache would last 2-3 days. Eventually I worked out that they were being caused by citrus fruit and strong cheese (esp cheddar), and I hardly ever get them now.

Blue yes, i've been on cerazette for the past 5 years due to being advised to come off the combined one due to increased risk of stroke.

I had regular lost migraines from 2 to about 17 of the 'sleep it off and feel refreshed' variety.

Then I had about 10 years of very rare migraines but constant headaches.

Now the migraines are picking up again and whilst the pain is less severe they can last for days and the visual disturbances are severe. I don't puke my guts up like I used to though.

Thank god for neurofen plus is all I can say on the matter!

squoosh I thought the worst also, I've never had pain like it.
It started in the evening, no amount of painkillers had any effect.
I got an emergency appt the next morning and GP said if it ever happens again to phone an ambulance straight away.

I suffer with bike migraines. When I was younger (15/16) ibises to get visual disturbance, numb hands and slurred speech. Now I just get the worst headache and nausea imaginable. Went to docs about two years ago now, and he gave me sumitriptan. Not a painkiller- it regulates the blood vessels in the brain as this is thought to cause the migraine. I now call them my magic tablets. I can wake and tell I've got a migraine, take a tablet and then a couple of hours later I'm totally symptom free. If I'm not at work I take one and sleep for another hour or so and feel fine.

I used to take migraleve pink and then co-codamol but this didn't really touch the pain. Seriously can't believe how good triptan is. Dr also gave me a printout of other triggers/symptoms that I was unaware of. Exercise is a trigger- make sure you snack about an hour beforehand. Symptoms include severe hunger/thirst, feeling cold and having a runny nose.

Luckily since I've been pg (25 wks now) I've not had one. I was really worried about how I would cope without my magic tablets but touch wood things seem to be ok!

Oh, and I always found a battered sausage and chips from the chippy to be a good cure!! Once I was over the nausea that is.

Vile migraines. Not bike migraines.

was just having a small cry then read 'bike migraines' and you made me snigger

anyone else had naproxen prescribed for their migraines/superbad headaches?

I get the aura/loss of vision and unless I take pain killers ASAP a horrid throbbing headache. I also feel wiped out for a day or so. Light/tiredness and stress trigger mine. The first time it occurred was after doing microscope work at university. I'm in the middle of one now. They also make me quite anxious/jittery - I've been a barrell of laughs this evening.

I get allsorts!

Sometimes disturbed vision, wobbles, flashing lights, auras

Speech can be slurry, often nonsense, often I simply cannot say the word I need to say

Banging heads, vomiting, waves of hot and cold, very sensitive hearing or sometimes an odd sort of muffly deafness.

And sometimes I feel like I can see the back of my head, now that is weird!

I find mine are provoked by stress/overtiredness and bright lights. Also go through phases of identifying food triggers, only to find something different six months later!

sooooooooo to try and avoid them I wear sunglasses A LOT, decent ones if I am feeling sensitive, try and avoid flashy or bright lights, and I try to drink a lot of water

also I have started really attacking any headache, just in case. And tbh I am not a headachey sort of person so looking back I can see that having a bad head for a couple of days was the lead up to The Big One, so I throw all the painkillers in the house at the bad head and touchwood have not had a humdinger for a while.

Yep, tiredness and stress also a trigger here. Glad to cheer you up, Al!

So, are we all now part of a migraine quiche?! I've not tried tramsdol, but codeine helps when it's a 'bad' one. Generally an ibuprofen/paracetamol combo works for me. And lying down.

What's in tramadol?

Feel extra tired night before. wake up around 4-6 am and feel it coming on, headache followed by nausea. At this point take maxalt melt ( rizatriptan ) and lie quietly for up to an hour - if meds work I am groggy but can function.

If meds don't work ( If I take too late ) vomming bile approx every 15 mins with massive stabbing headache and freezing cold/hot flushes for the next for between 9 - 11 hours straight. Absolutely fucking horrendous

RightsaidFreud I get migraines regularly as do DD1 and DD2. DD3 is showing signs too, so definitely a family link.

BlueAndRedMakePurple The last time I took the combined pill I lost the sight in my left eye, the use of my left arm and the left half of my lips went numb