Migraine advice needed

[PeachyClair]

Does anyone else know much about migraines?

I ahd a few as a teenage, but have had 3 this week. All start with visual disturbance (severe- hate to think what would happen if I were out), nausea, severe pain and then always a period of 'lost' time: the first time I was in sole care of my youngest which scared me a lot!. I get loose bowel movements after (sorry TMI)

I've been unwell and on antibiotics latelya nd stressed, is there anything else I should be watching?

PC, there's another thread about migraine today, maybe that will be useful for you. You certainly sound as though you're suffering. If you're unwell, maybe you're not eating regularly - missing meals can be a trigger.

Sometimes an intolerance to food can trigger migraines. The best way to find out is to keep a food diary. Banana's bring on my MIL's, oddly enough. Alot of people its chocolate or cheese.

Always take 2 paracetamol as early on as you can ie when you get visual disturbance. If it progresses - try and lay down in a darkened room. If that doesnt stop it and the pain comes anyway, I find breathing into a paper bag for a few minutes helps (its to do with increasing the carbon dioxide level you are breathing in due to paper back, thus causing your blood vessels to expand to cope with the less oxygenated blood). I also swear by a hot flannel on my face (which needs regular topping up with hot water), or a hot water bottle made as hot as you can bear it on your face/head/neck or wherever you find it most soothing. Again, the heat helps to expand blood vessels.

It is constricting blood vessels that cause the problems.

HTH

Hi PeachyClair - first of all big hugs and poor you! Migraines are horrible and what you've described is a 'classic' migraine, or migraine with aura. The migraine association is a really good place to start and if you're having them this frequently it might be worth joining so you can use the helpline and get some support.

I've been getting migraines with aura since I was a teenager and unmedicated I can get them up to 3 times a week as you have. The first thing you really should do if they're becoming a problem is to keep a headache diary. The London Migraine Clinic actually refuse to see patients who don't so that should give you an idea how seriously it's taken. The idea is that you should be able to identify triggers and take step to control them.

Managing migraine is really complex and completely individual so do get some specialist help - the migraine association can put you in touch with specialist patients and groups in your area who can be really useful people to get to know. Also get your GP on board, modern migraine medication can be excellent but it can take a while to find the one that suits you. If you do try medication there are two types, preventer and acute. A preventer is one you take every day and an acute medication is something you tyake at the first sign of an attack (eg immigran, zomig are 2 popular ones).

Sorry if this is going on but there are 2 other really useful things I've learned which I can pass on. 1st is that migraine with aura starts with a phase even before the aura - you may suddenly feel excessively fatigued, start yawning or just feel odd - learn to recognise this and take action (rest, brisk walk outside, snack and a drink etc) and you can prevent an attack without meds. 2nd is that as a migraine sufferer you are more susceptible to medication overuse headache so go easy on the paracetamol/ibuprofen/nurofen - no more than 2 days out of each week. If the medication hasn't helped, don't keep taking it, just go to bed and rest (if you can) until it's over.

Really hope this helps but as I said, migraine action association are the people to talk to.

I have found this v helpful, as am suffering with more migraines than usual atm. I have got myself a book, and if I learn anything useful, I will pass it on

Thanks guys.

I will come back and read mroe carefully later (still feeling tired after the last one last night), but i can already see some useful stuff there.

there's a brilliant website from the Migraine Association

I started getting them in the last 18 months for the first time and I've been bowled over by how they affect my life.

That website has some really useful info and somewhere on it, is a migraine diary - I filled it in and it was absolutely critical in diagnosing what was causing mine (also helps when you go to the GP because they have an idea of how bad the problem is).

Many sympathies to you. Hope you feel better soon.

and I see now that I've read liquidclocks post that I've said exactly the same thing as she did!!