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Migraine?

16 replies

NovemberRose90 · 19/09/2019 06:36

Does this sound like migraine? I've woken up at 3am with an awful headache on one side, blurry vision, feeling and being sick and it's very unusual for me because I never get headaches at all. I can't bear the light and I'm basically typing this one sentence at a time because I can't focus on a screen for more than about 30 seconds!

I've never had migraine (and I'm 28!) but is that what this sounds like? It's kind of scary!

OP posts:
AwdBovril · 19/09/2019 06:38

Yes, sounds like migraine. Are you on any new medication or tried a new food recently - could be a trigger.

Always wise to get it checked out though, especially if it doesn't start to improve after a few hours. Flowers

ShrimpingViolet · 19/09/2019 06:41

Definitely sounds like a migraine OP, you have my sympathies, they're awful.

Try and sleep for a few hours with no screens at all. Ibuprofen and paracetamol if you have no migraine meds and something cold on your forehead should help.

Only thing that works for me is to sleep it off Flowers

NovemberRose90 · 19/09/2019 06:49

Thanks. I'm going to put my phone away and try to sleep in a moment! The trouble is that I keep having to get up to go and be sick. Sad

Had painkillers, but the cold something on head idea is good. It feels like there are red-hot hammers inside my head!

OP posts:
Widowodiw · 19/09/2019 06:51

Having a shower helps
Me and going outside and deep breathing in the fresh air.

NovemberRose90 · 19/09/2019 09:26

I slept for a bit but woke up and was sick again. And the pain is sooo bad. God, I wish I could just make it stop!

OP posts:
makingwavesagain · 19/09/2019 09:29

When I had my first migraine I called nhs direct, they sent me to the walk in center and I got some sumatriptans which were amazing. If it doesn’t go away after some rest do get checked out, sometimes only special migraine medication will work.

Or it goes away, then comes back, and you wished you had gone for some medication the first time around.

It’s hard to get to the walk in center or docs with migraine I know, but worth it in the end.

NovemberRose90 · 19/09/2019 12:32

I might try to go to the urgent care centre if it's not any better in an hour or so. Luckily it's only like 10 minutes walk / 3 minutes drive!

I took paracetemol and ibuprofen together... and then I was sick again about 10 minutes later, so I'm not sure if they stayed in long enough to have any effect, if you know what I mean. I'm kind of trying to persuade myself that it's getting better, but it isn't really. I'm not very patient with any kind of illness!

OP posts:
Silvercatowner · 19/09/2019 13:28

If this is the first time you've had these symptoms you do need to seek medical help urgently. It probably is a migraine but there are other, rarer but more serious things it could be that would need treatment now.

ShrimpingViolet · 19/09/2019 13:33

Don't drive @NovemberRose90 if you do go to the walk in.

Migraines are so horrid. Get yourself to the GP when you're better and get them to give you some triptans on prescription. They're the best at stopping attacks in their tracks.

Hope you're feeling a little bit better this afternoon x

NovemberRose90 · 19/09/2019 22:40

I did go to the UCC (got DH to drive) and they said it sounds like classic migraine and basically said there is not much that you can do at this point but take pain relief and try to sleep it off.

I am feeling a little bit better now, not so sick and the headache seems to be easing off. Just tired!

Thx for all the good advice. I'm hoping it's a one-off. Surely this usually starts at a younger age?

OP posts:
1ToughCookie · 20/09/2019 03:59

Chronic migraine patient here.

To treat migraine you need to do it ASAP. The goal is to stop it before it gets big. Obviously if you've never had one you'll not know when it's coming on.

I recommend you get a GP appointment this week or next week to get some medicines lined up in case you get another one. Migraines are often treatable and they dramatically affect your quality of life so it's worth popping a couple pills for.

I suggest you ask about:
Triptans: you can ask for oral sumatriptan which will take an hour or two to work properly. Or you can get injection sumatriptan which works within 10 minutes but is less commonly prescribed and you might not like injecting yourself. You could also ask about nasal Zolmitriptan spray which works within 15 minutes, but wears off faster than oral sumatriptan. Depending how long your migraine lasts (longer or shorter than 12 hours) you can pick if you'd rather Sumatriptan or Zolmitriptan.

Ask about an anti nausea pill. Some will treat dizziness as well. Stemetil works wonders for many people but they might not want to prescribe this as a first course of action. There are milder drugs available and you might as well try what the doctor suggests. Take it as soon as you notice migraine, preferably with the Triptan.

Triptans will not work if your migraine is established. They're taken on onset in an effort to stop migraine in it's tracks.

You can take up to 2 Triptans in 24hrs according to the package instructions

If you take it as instructed and you don't benefit completely (as in your migraine goes away) then you need to go back to GP to tell them this. I wish I had.

Without a script or doctor appointment, you stand a good chance of aborting a migraine with:

3x normal strength ibuprofen
Or
3x normal strength aspirn

Taken straight away as soon as you notice you're getting migraine.

Paracetamol might help with pain, but it doesn't abort migraine to the best of my knowledge

Try to avoid any opiates. The doctors may suggest cocodamol. I hear people ask for opiates but they're a nasty class of drug. I mean if that's what works for you, ok. But be careful.

See The Migraine Trust.org for information. I believe they suggest basically everything I've said here, but in much more thorough detail.

Seeing your normal GP is essential. It's usually a condition that responds well to treatment and there's a fair deal that can be done for the occasional migraine.

Read up on triggers. Hormones, smoke, fragrances, alcohol, dehydration, too much or too little sleep, repetitive noises, flashing lights, stress--- all are well known triggers. Frankly I don't know why food is so often cited as a trigger. I don't know anyone with a food trigger but lots of people with alcohol or perfume or noise triggers. For me it's often light and dehydration.

1ToughCookie · 20/09/2019 04:03

And to answer your question about age:

No it's not necessarily that you develop it while younger. It's common to develop it as you age.

In children migraines are often presented as abdominal pain.
In adults, many people think IBS is actually abdominal migraine.
You can also get vestibular migraines which might not have head pain.

It's also very common for women to first get migraines about the menopause time (hormones!).

fuckwitseverywhere · 20/09/2019 04:56

Water will help if you can keep it down
Also a flannel wrung out in cold water and put on your forehead

NovemberRose90 · 20/09/2019 10:26

Thank you very much for all the amazing advice! I am feeling a lot better today - just headachey and tired.

Will definitely make an appointment with my GP. While I'm hoping it's not going to happen again, I feel like it's best to be prepared!

Cannot imagine what it's like to experience this regularly - it must be horrific and you have my utmost sympathies!!

OP posts:
Hatchimalla · 20/09/2019 10:44

There are lots of things that can randomly trigger a migraine. The flourescent lighting in some shops set mine off. I bought a new laptop a few years ago and the refresh rate was set very low, creating a flash effect. I suffered the worst migraine of my lufe after using the laptop for a couple of hours. After changing the refresh rate (which I didn't know was a thing until I googled "laptop migraine") it stopped giving me migraines.
I don't vomit with mine, but do get nausea the day before a migraine, so I see it as part of the migraine aura.

1ToughCookie · 20/09/2019 16:21

I get florescent triggers too! The biggest help I found was to wear a hat with a brim over my eyes.

@Hatchimalla I didn't know about the laptop refresh rate. That might explain why I've not been able to use them in ages.

It's also fairly rare that I vomit with mine, but I'm always nauseous and dizzy, and often Triptans add to the sick. Which is why I take stemetil with them. That and it reduces the pain.

@NovemberRose90 yes it's about as miserable as you'd imagine. But I've made do. Sometimes I can be helped and other times I can't. It's life now. Considering that migraines are the second most common cause of disability in people under 50, you'd be surprised how few disability organizations know it or accommodate it. But this thread is about you. :-) I hope you don't have to deal with migraines again! But if you do, here's hoping your next one will be better than your first

Oh and that headachy, weak, bleh feeling you've got? It's called a postdrome. Not fun but totally normal. Drink tons of water, take some normal pain meds, and take it easy. It's essentially a migraine induced hangover.

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