Is a severe headache with nausea a migraine

[MargoLovebutter]

I had what I think was my first migraine in mid November. I had such a severe headache that I couldn't shift with paracetamol and I felt dizzy and nauseous and eventually vomited. I am hardly ever sick, so was quite surprised. I felt very fragile for about two days afterwards.

Since then I've had two more blinding headaches that have again made me feel dizzy and nauseous but I've managed not to vomit because I haven't eaten anything. Have still felt fragile for 24-48 hours though.

I'm very definitely peri-menopausal (very late 40s) and wonder if this is hormone related or if I'm just falling apart.

Is there anything a GP can do / any point in seeing one?

Are there any OTC drugs I can take that are better than paracetamol or ibuprofen?

Sounds like a migraine to me. I've always found the pink migraleve tablets great and they're OTC. Sorry you're suffering with these - they're so debilitating

It does sound like migraine. I think a visit to your GP would be a good idea to confirm and check whether there's any underlying treatable cause (high blood pressure, stress etc). Also they might offer you better drugs! Sumatriptan is very good for migraine in my experience. You could also consider OTC co-codamol instead of paracetamol.

It does sound like a Nigerian.

Try writing a migraine diary- time they happen, possible triggers (foods you’ve eaten, what you were doing etc), how long they last.

Sounds like the migraines I get. I'm assuming they're migraines as my mother took me to the GP with them aged 12 and GP said 'sounds like migraine'. Not sure there's a more definitive test really? Mine are def hormonal, started at puberty, alway at same time of the month and improved a lot when I was on a pill that suited me. But then I've had some GPS say I really shouldn't have been taking the pill if I get migraines. They've been much less frequent lately (I'm 42) - just hoping they don't get worse during menopause now!

Sorry, but I just cackled out loud at 'sounds like a Nigerian'

Thank you all, really helpful.

I find I need caffeine and stodge at the start of a migraine. If I can have coke or a strong coffee, with sugary porridge or a bacon butty, then sleep for a couple of hours, I wake up feeling human.

Yes, sounds like a migraine and could well be a hormonal cause. I’ve suffered them for years and never found anything g funny about them until now - a Nigerian

See if the GP can prescribe sumatriptan. Or another triptan. They work on blood vessels in brain vs pain so indirectly reduce the pain as I understand.

Painkillers caffeine food all do nothing to help mine which are hormonal or illness triggers.

I need triptan and anti sickness meds taken as soon as possible. Hope you get help - it's awful having these

Nigerian

I'm peri-menopausal and it sounds like a hormone induced migraine.

I find if I take normally 1 soluble solpadeine and normally force myself to eat some butter toast to stop the nauseous feeling and it will get rid of the worse of headache but I can have a headache for a good couple of days after.

They differ from my 'normal' migraine as with a normal migraine I get some vision disturbance.

@Clutterbugsmum
Agree on the non aura thing. I never get that with hormonal PMT migraine.

Thank you all. So many useful tips and at Nigerian!

Soluble solpadeine would be good for me, as I can't take any tablets on an empty stomach on a good day, so I'll definitely get some of those.

You need to take the pain killers as soon as you feel it coming, don’t wait for the pain to kick in properly.

If you get them very regularly they might be able to prescribe you a preventative medication. Pre pregnancy I was taking propanalol (which is a beta blocker) and it did wonders for my migraines.

I would avoid all codeine baised painkillers, including migraleve (don't understand why they still sell this one).
It's now well known that codeine baised painkillers can increase the frequency of migraines. It's always wise to get any changes in headaches talked over by a GP. As others have said they could them offer a triptain which is often very effective at treating migraine.

Over the counter options are either 600mg of ibuprofen with caffeine or a large dose of aspirin with caffeine if you can take it. This is what most headache specialist recommend. The caffeine helps you absorb the drug. Fizzy drinks can help with this to.

Do take the painkillers as advised by other sufferers but do make an appointment to see the GP. Any new headaches need to be reported to the doctor especially if they first appear in middle age.

It's now well known that codeine baised painkillers can increase the frequency of migraines.

Do you have a link that recommends all migraine sufferers avoid codeine?

Migraleve or ibuprofen plus? They are ibuprofen and Codeine hybrid meds.
Or paramol? Paracetamol with dihydracodeine
Might need anti sickness like promethezine too

All migraine suffers shouldn't avoid Codeine, but long term regular codeine use can cause headaches and migraines

This is a really good article to read about it
www.nationalmigrainecentre.org.uk/migraine-and-headaches/migraine-and-headache-factsheets/medication-overuse-headche/

And while you may think it's k as you don't get them that often. What you have to remember is the way migraine works means taking asprian/ ibuprofen or a triptain means your trying to abort the whole attach taken at the right time means you can end up not having the rest of the migraine and carrying on with the rest of your day. Codeine will only treat the head pain so once the drug wears off if the migraine is longer lasting you'll still have the migraine. Note it doesn't always work but that is the ideal, triptains work well a lot of the time for me. It's not to often I end up.in bed.

I take Codeine when I have a migraine as I can not tolerate most pain killers.

If you take pain killers constantly then they can cause headache, not if you use them properly.

I have no idea where ‘Nigerian’ came from

FissionChip5 I have no idea where ‘Nigerian’ came from Err Nigeria .

^Boom boom!