Migraines, what are yours like?

[Jux]

I have had a few migrainey days this week, yesterday and today being the worst.

I get the aura and pressure in my head, sometimes it's very quite painful. My eye also feels pressure. This can last about half an hour, and then I'm kind of OK, but left tired. Then it'll happen again a few hours later. This kind of sporadic migraine can go on for several days. These last two days the gaps between have been shorter -maybe an hour at most.

My doc has recently changed my medication and put me on propranolol, since when it's been worse. I spoke to him earlier today and he expressed astonishment that a migraine could be so short. He says that a migraine usually would make you lie in bed in a darkened room for at least an hour. Mine don't usually, for which I am grateful.

Do yours? Does anyone have migraines which behave like mine?

I don't thankfully get them nearly as bad as I used to, though it's still enough to mean I can't think straight all day.

When I first got them (mid-twenties) I couldn't get out of bed, couldn't bear any light and would have a job to keep any meds down. I'd be there 12-24h almost crying with pain and being sick. I rarely have aura warnings, usually I'd wake up with a head at 4am and be unable to shift it.

Nowadays (mid-40s) I still wake up with the wretched things, still get nausea but very rarely sick any more. I find that hyperventilating helps a lot (it constricts blood vessels which counteracts the uncontrolled dilation (widening) that causes the pain). I tend to get a vague sicky head followed by 3-4 hours when it's not particularly one-sided: have to decide whether to risk blowing a sumatriptan or not. If not, then paracetamol and codeine is needed. Just paracetamol might as well be a smartie. Trouble is, I seem totally unable to think straight even when they're just starting, and so I have to make myself get up and get a pill, especially in the night. I've learned finally to take the P+C and not dither about with anything else.

If definitely one-sided and a classic migraine, then I'll go for the sumatriptan, though this is a double-edged sword: they make me feel even more sick though the headache subsides in an hour.

If I've started with P+C, then after 2 hours I take 400mg ibuprofen. 2h after that, two more P+C. That usually does it, together with sleep, a dark room and an iceblock on my neck. (Again a vasoconstrictor)

Warnings I've learned to spot: crazy temperature control the day before; shivering when everyone else is hot and being hot when all others are freezing. Stiff neck at the same time (trigger?). Forgetting to drink properly.

Horrid things!

Jux My doctor is absolutely crap and has said that there is absolutely nothing you can do.
I can understand it, as I couldn't just continually take painkillers every 4-6 hours for however many weeks, but a bit of advice would still have been helpful. To be honest, I don't think any painkiller would even touch it.
I have heard about people, usually in USA, having oxygen when they go to sleep (through nose) which apparently works wonders. And also if they know they are having a 'cluster period' then they should have as much oxygen as possible. I don't think there is much chance of anything drastic happening to be honest!

Mine are like spiderlights but left sided. I get aura, which just looks like when you have looked at the sun or something.

The migraines last about 3 - 4 days, and hurt like Fuck. Along with nausea, dizyness etc.

Then I feel floaty and washed up for a day or so. Dh knows I'm getting one the day before because I get 'odd'

As for how I hold a job down, I get 1 or 2 migraines a month, I just grit my teeth and go in, take painkillers, wear sunglasses and vomit in the bogs. Sleep for 30 mins in the car park at lunch if I have to. Once or twice a year I get one I can't bully through, then I have to call in sick and lie in a dark room. I have had them come on whilst out and about, and had to get picked up by dh if I aren't fit to drive.

I am a lie down in a darkened room migrainer.
I always have fuzzy/whirling lights, then mostly mostly vomit then need sleep.

I have had CT scans as a teen due to relentless migraines. Think mine are very much hormone related. I had migraines and vomited regularly whilst pg.

My Nan can lose whole weekends/parts of weeks to migraine

This is really interesting reading about the variation you all experience.

Mine also vary. Before I had DC1, I used to lose a day a month to them and could predict and plan a day in the office. (I drive for work and have found myself in a place different to where I thought I was on a few occasions). I get very sensitive to noise, smell (boss's coffee was awful) and get what i can only describe as words rushing through my head when I think I'm about to throw up (and yet don't).

Between DC1 and 2 I had no migraines - maybe I should have stopped there!!

After DC2 I had a corker when I was shopping with him in a town 20 miles away from home when he was 11 weeks. I ended up crouching on the floor in Boots pleading with them to just give me migraleve (without worrying about my Boots card, which the woman was banging on about!). DH had to come and rescue us as I could not feel my arms up to my elbows (and was trying to breast feed). That one lasted 4 days. I was frightened by it.

These days I feel sick, have only a mild headache, sometimes get the aura but not always, get tingly lips/arms/legs (on both sides which the neurologist says is not possible), forget things. The worst thing has been the vertigo which has meant that I really can't work or look after the DCs when I have them as lifting my head off the pillow makes me feel like I'm about to throw up. I've found that a regular massage to help my stiff neck seems to ward them off at the mo, if I have it done before the tingling and numbness (which shows signs of developing in the days beforehand) get too severe.

I've tried various triptans but find the side effects problematic and always end up going back to pink migraleve and then co-codamol after 4 hours (and diet coke to enlarge my blood vessles). If I take them fast a migraine can take 1-2 days. If i leave it half an hour 3-4 days is the norm.

They run in my family and I hate them! Rant over...

Some of you really suffer badly. I've just lost another day to it. I don't think I've had a bout This remorseless before, so I'm thanking my stars they're nothing like as painful as some of yours.

Has anyone used Naramig? I bloody love that drug! Not allowed to have it any more

I get migraines couple of times a month, they are hormone related.
It starts at back of neck, if I can take tablet at this stage It may not escalate.

It progresses to front of head, vision is blurry, have to close eyes, i usually feel sick and throw up.
The only thing I can do is take tablets then sleep., i am unable to function at all.

I feel tender and a bit shaky after a sleep but migraine usually gone.

I get the aura. It starts as a small dot in my vision like when you've looked at a bright light, then it gradually spreads and takes up my left and usually some of my right eye. It usually has zig zag edges and flashes. That lasts for about 30min to 1 hour and then I get a headache, which these days is usually pretty mild. I used to get a lot worse headaches when I was younger. chocolate and coffee used to set me off but now I think it's more to do with hormones. Think I'm quite lucky with them really as they are not half as bad as some people's seem to be

Aura vision goes all wavy can only see half things.
Numbness on side face sometimes hands
Then pain usually worse behind one eye
Take my meds then
Have to lie down and close eyes for at least an hour
Pain usually subsides but if I move my head a ceratin way it hurts
Feel shattered like a hangover for a day afterwards
Hormonal related before and after periods and mid cycle
I am on suma triptan was on Maxalt before it was brill tried propanalol and one of the low dose anti depressant meds they were rubbish made me feel worse slowed me down gave me horrible nightmares.
Always get one when I am on holiday too.
DS has I think got abdominal migraine poor love...

My symptoms have mostly been like those of maryquant
started 15 years ago.
Drugs back then either didnt work,or made me feel groggy so couldnt work.
Have to minimise them by working out my personal triggers which were basically fatty foods and the cold or probably more accurately draughts.
It all got worse about 2 months ago.
Purposely saw a women doctor as thought she may be more sympathetic as women seem to get more headaches than men.
She was brill.
I had got diagnosed with cervical spondylosis about 13 years ago,which is arthritis in the neck.And she thought the two were probably related.She sent me to physio.They too were great.they gave me neck and shoulder exercises,and showed me how to have the correct posture.Also they advise me to use direct heat with a wheat bag onto the base of my neck.
I have found all of it great,particularly the posture advice.
It all has made a huge difference,though I am aware that the weather has been warmer,so things may not be quite so great later on.
I also looked up corrrect posture for sitting at the computer!

Abdominal migraine? I am completely ignorant, have never heard of it. It sounds ghastly.