General Chat

Gosh, peeps this is interesting reading - to a non-migraine sufferer - thank goodness.

Have often said I have got a migraine but after reading this must just be a bad headache.

Hope in the near future they can find something to iradicate it once and for all and come up with the right medication.

Tina xx

I suffer a mild migraine once a month and have actually connected it to my ovulation- obvioulsy hormone related!

I get the pain above my right eye developing into a crushing pain at the side of my head. I cant look at light and I cant tolerate louds sounds and if I let it go too far I cant speak. The only cure I have found is sleep in a darkened room. Occasionally painkillers if I catch it early enough.

I came home from work one afternoon because it was getting worse and I knew I wouldnt be able to drive if I left it longer. When I got through the door my OH said " what are you doing home?" I replied " Bed" because it was all i could say by then. His eyes lit up then he looked at my face and said "Migraine", I nodded and he said" Oh well, maybe next time"

Sad isnt it?

Thanks for the replies guys, so many similar symptoms, so many different, I should say my Gran used to have the take to bed for days type and my youngest sister had very bad and frequent ones, she was diagnosed (after a long time) with cluster headaches and migraines. So there is a hereditary element for me..
Mine first started at the onset of puberty...

My other main migraine trigger is strong smells, perfume etc. My biggest fear is sitting next to someone wearing strong perfume on a flight!
My hubby used to give his sister a lift in our car. The smell of the strong perfume on the seatbelt used to give me migraine. He had to politely ask her to sit in the back of the car...lol...

I have zigzags,blindspots,nausea.Have Zomig on prescription-headache gone in 10-20 minutes!

Never had zig zag lines, but sudden flashes like some one was taking flash photographs. Also had to survive hours of crushing, throbbing left sided headaches, a feeling that someone was trying to get my eye out with a red hot spoon, plus extreme sensitivity to light and sound.

They started early May and generally lasted through to July. Mercifully I grew out of them years ago.

My then doctor was less than helpful and insisted on prescribing paracetamol, which I am allergic to. Had to change doctors after I registered a complaint against her. That was a waste of time, she ended up head of practice!!

One thing to note, my neurologist insisted that my hormone levels were playing a huge part in my episodes. He wanted me to have a hysterectomy (as did I). Can you imagine my gynae consultant receiving a letter from my brain specialist insisting that an op on my uterus would improve my MH. I think not!!!

Anyway after I had thermal ablation in 2004 the episodes did decrease dramatically. When I stopped bleeding 20 days out of 30, that seemed to lessen the loss of blood to the brain stem....strange but true..

Sue xx

Funnily enough, it's not the obvious foods that trigger my migraines. I love cheese and chocolate and eating them never bothers me. I tends to be the silly things like flavoured crisps, gravy and some tinned soups, also dried things (that you have to add water to) like pasta in sauce. Have noticed in the last few years though that monosodium glutamate is slowly starting to disappear from some foods, so food manufacturers are starting to listen.

A food diary is worth a go as certain foods such as chocolate, cheese and caffine can affect some people.

Whilst the foods I ate made no difference to me I did find that I was more susceptible if I was tired.

The daftest thing I did was suffer for over 20 years before going to the doctor. The only reason I eventually went was that by then I had a small child & could no longer take to my bed

I have migraneous hemiplegia, I get paralysed instead of a headache (I like to be different)..lol

I get the dreaded zig zags which can last a few hours, only thing to do is lay down and shut eyes. Fortunately I don't feel very sick with that!

I cut out all caffeine when I was first diagnosed, no idea whether it helps but I prefer decaf tea and coffee anyway cos I am a dreadul sleeper!

I took a variety of meds for years but consultant was so concerned about a stomach bleed that I now have Sumatriptin Nasal spray. That means if I can't stick the thing up my nose someone else can do it for me :-)))

Sue xx

Just noticed the reply above mine. My migraines definately are food related. I once read a magazine article which said that they can be caused by artificial sweeteners (aspartame) and flavour enhancer (monosodium glutamate). I started taking note of what I had eaten when I had migraine, and suddenly I had an explanation. I tend to read labels on food now, and am down to probably 3 or 4 migraines a year.

Don't write it off, at least give it a try.

When I was younger the Dr changed my diet 3 or 4 times before he gave up and said the Migraines were not food related.

Awful things those migraines - I still get them and have sympathy to all who suffer with them.

Gill

I get the bright zig-zag lights , they follow the particial blind spot........if I get the migraleve down quickly enough I avoid the headache.

My youngest daughter gets migraines too.

I think they follow in some families.My Mum used to get awful ones , sometimes she couldn't speak properly when she was having one.

I discoved that red bull drink sparks them off in my case ( I got terriable clusters of them before I realised what was causeing them ).

It was never food related with me or my children either... in fact I would say that stress was closer to the mark with my children.
Deanna X

My migraines tend to start with a really bad headache behind my right eye and a general feeling of sickness. I don't have the flashing lights, but do have vision problems. The only way I can describe it is the effect you get after looking at a light-bulb. I also take Migraleve (and go to bed) which do help, but leave me with a feeling like a hangover. Strangely enough, when I am starting to feel better I find that I crave salty things such as crisps or salted peanuts!

The doctor said most migraines are food related (utter rubbish) he said no dairy( my son does like cheese etc any way) and that i was to keep a diary of everything he eats etc and when he gets a migraine. Well so far this week he hasnt eaten the same meal twice so how can it be food related?

I was never able to eat either Claire.
I remember once while in recovery, I said to my husband that I really fancied some chips, I had had nothing to eat for days. He ran up to the chip shop and bought me a fish supper. I leaned on my elbow and ate about three chips. Then lay back and said 'oh that was lovely' and went back to sleep.
I don't get them like that anymore. I had one this time when I was ill a couple of weeks ago, but NOTHING like the old ones. Thank goodness.
Deanna X

I was a sufferer for about 25 years.

Symptoms were completely different to those of you who have posted so far. A blinding headache rendering me useless to do anything but lay in a darkened room, it was so bad that I could even talk. I'd get irrational thoughts which built up over a period of about 15 mins whilst the headache got worse then I would throw up. This would be followed by few mins of partial relief before the whole process started again.

This would go on for 6 to 8 hours until eventually I would fall asleep & wake up on the road to recovery.

Migraleve didn't work neither did the anti sickness tablets although I did get some success with Imigran. I was also given some tablets which I took daily to prevent the onset of an attack. These did work although I was reluctate to take daily medication. There are also suppositories available but I could never face having to insert these whilst feeling as bad as I did.

Now for the good news, I outgrew Migraines in my early 40's so it seems there are some advantages to getting old!

when i used to get them (touch wood havent had 1 in ages) i used to see different coloured stars and black spots.

The doctor said that they will have to try different kinds of meds on my son as not everything works for everyone. but if he has more than 3 a month he will have to go on perminant meds 1 tab every morning even if he doesnt have a migraine.

Hes already had 2 migraines this week. Mondays was really bad he came home from school and was sick. he went to get bed and he woke me up at 2am being violenty sick poor mite he is only 13

I suffered for years with migraines. My eldest daughter and my youngest son also have them.
Everyone is different though.
I have had the zigzag coloured lines only three times in my life.
I have been sick a few times, but normally I just get a fever, drink excessively, don't pass water, and the pain can last for days.
I know that I am in recovery when I start going to the toilet... a lot!!
When I was in my 50's I was eventually diagnosed with 'Temporal Arteritis' the symptoms of which are so numerous and like migraine , everyone is different.
A headache would last for anything up to 9/10 days.... and bed is the only thing to do.... although it does not help all that much.
My heart goes out to anyone with migraines or TA... they take so much out of you.
Migralieve never worked on me!
Deanna X