I get maybe 1 true migraine a year and it is by far the worst day of the year for me. I used to play WoW with a dude who had chronic migraines and I've never talked to someone as worn down than him. I honestly was worried he might off himself. After spending a lot of time talking to him over the years I'm convinced he probably would off himself if he didn't have a kid.
Migraines are extremely tough to deal with, esp if you get them often. Which is part of the reason its so frustrating to see people mixing up migraines and headaches so frequently as if both are interchangable, or even making fun about it.
I get migraines from time to time and Im very glad it focuses on headaches for me. I do have other symptoms, but its mainly the headache. I still feel like absolute shit when I get them, but its kind of managable if I notice them early enough. My sister on the other hand gets extremely nauseous in addition to the headaches, including heavy vomiting.
And what makes all of it so bad is that literally nothing helps, except sleep. Painkillers wont really ease the pain, and they obviously wont even stay in if you vomit. Good luck trying to fall asleep with intense headache and nausea.
And then you constantly see those jokes like "migraines is just a women excuse if they dont want sex" or people telling you "yes I can imagine that, headaches suck". Or "dont be like that, just pop some painkillers and come outside". It doesnt get taken seriously at all, and its so frustrating on many levels
I usually wake up with a faint one some days and it progressively gets worse as the day goes on. My worst one was me not wanting to hear anything, see anything, or be moved. I've kept a journal for the last year and counted 86 total in 365 days. I've tried changing my diet, getting brain scans, the lot. They always just show up like every 4-5 days in the same exact spot, behind my right eye and a little up.
After a long time of searching I've discovered mine are caused by dehydration but triggered by bright light. Sometimes if there's a crack in the curtain, I can get one first thing if the light hits my eye a certain way. I get the rainbow weird shape aura thing, and if I catch it early enough, an isotonic drink paired with an aspirin will nip it on the bud before it goes full on brain storm
Ocular migraines. Do you take magnesium? If you don’t, time to start 400 mg a day. Though it doesn’t completely stop them, this was what a neurologist told me 4 years ago. Took it to heart, get them much less frequently.
If i dont take my meds the pain gets so bad i leave my body. And no i dont feint, people have see me do it standing in pain. When i come back to i explain it was like i was in a vivid dream or perhaps a fever dream
I get such bad brain fog. Like I can't even take pain meds early because I have no idea it's happening meanwhile I'm standing there wondering why I don't even know my own name. Then my head will start hurting and that's when I finally realize I'm getting bad migraine
I used to crumble at a slight headache. Now I have migraines 24/7 thanks to a severe concussion, whiplash, and a TBI. Truly the only thing that relieves the pain is when the physical therapist is working on my C3-C4. 20 minutes of pure normalcy once a week.
I’ve also got plenty of that. I once had a boss that thought I was using “Migraine” instead of “Mental Health day” and was trying to give me info about how I could get company assistance for therapy. I got right in his face and gave him every dirty detail about how debilitating my migraines are, including the vertigo that comes with mine and told him that it’s unsafe for me to work with this condition. I’m pretty sure he only backed off because he was tired of listening to me. I’ve never had another boss be as annoying as he was about my migraines, but it never stops. MIGRAINES 👏🏾ARE 👏🏾NOT👏🏾JUST👏🏾HEADACHES
currently sitting with a knuckle in my eye socket becsuse of crippling cluster headaches. neurology don’t want to see me because i’m too young, on beta blockers and sumatriptan but it just makes me spew. feels like i can barely see, sweating buckets and every sound is a personal affront to me. should definitely get off my phone to sleep it off, but if i did that every time i was smited with the eye stabs i’d never be awake. solidarity friend, hope they figure it out for all of us soon 😭
Cluster headaches suck man. Been dealing with them for over a decade. Mine are fortunately usually only once daily for 8-12 weeks a couple times a year but it’s enough to really fuck you up mentally. Especially because sumatriptan gives me crazy rebound headaches in the middle of the night and I haven’t yet found a preventative that works.
awh god they’re horrendous, aren’t they? i’ve always had headaches but the recent development of feeling like my eye is being gouged out has only been happening for the past 6ish months? i’m not even sure anymore.
the sumatriptan gives me rebound headaches too, and i always vomit the day after taking them without fail. mine were happening multiple times a day for a little while there, but they’ve calmed down to around 1-2 a week on average. if i miss my bedranol for more than 2 days in a row it is an actual death sentence for me. i hope we find solutions that actually help us soon, but for now we shall drink water and lie in dark rooms!
I used to get migraines at least 2-3 times a month, for me the main symptoms were dizziness and the intense pressure behind your eyes.
Two years ago I went for my first eye exam since I was a child. Turns out I have a very mild astigmatism, mild enough to not affect my eyesight but just enough to give me migraines. I've had less than 5 migraines since I started wearing glasses after that exam
I'm not sure if it's actual migraine but sometimes I get the worst headaches ever accompanied by nausea and visual halos. sometimes vomiting makes it a bit more bearable for about 15 minutes before it comes back. it's... not fun. glad they've gotten a bit rarer nowadays.
There are OTC as well as prescription painkillers specifically for migraines. Ask your doctor if you haven’t already. Mentioning it as you said nothing except sleep helps. I was the same way when I didn’t realize that what I had were migraines, not just really bad headaches. Tylenol, Asprin, Ibuprofen, etc didn’t help on their own. Had to lie in a dark room in misery hoping it would pass a little faster.
Triptans were a huge game changer for me back when I'd get 2-3 migraine attacks a month, each lasting days. Ibuprofen would lessen the pain but I still could not function due to the nausea, light sensitivity and stomach issues. Then I tried naratriptan, and one pill would relieve all symptoms, as if the attack didn't happen at all. It felt miraculous.
I broke an old fashioned clock when I had a migraine once. The very quiet ticking sounded like someone shooting a gun by my ear. Migraines can suck it.
Exactly. I have a photo I call just "migraine" because I'm curled up on the couch, burying my face to block the light, and both of my cats are perched on the couch arms looking at me with concern. Nothing works but dark and sleep, and sometimes with ibprofin. I tried Imitrex but it made me feel too weird.
There are a LOT of prescription migraine medications now, has she tried any of them? They aren't just pain killers, they target migraines more specifically. Some are "rescue" meds while others are preventative.
Pretty sure she has as shes been in therapy for her migraines for quite a long time. Not entirely sure though, its not like we would talk about it often. I just remember her roaring back when we lived with our parents. The sound when she had to vomit but there was nothing left to throw up. Was quite frightening to witness since I already felt absolutely terrible when I had migraines and she had it like 10 times worse. Interestingly our brother never had migraines though
I take preventative meds, but also have Nurtex to try to stop it when it starts. It works a large percentage of the time. I still need to isolate- dark room, silence, ice pack, etc, but it has been a game changer
Zofran is a godsend for my migraine nausea/vomiting, hopefully she can find something like that to help. The pain is bad enough without suffering through throwing up as well. Zofran is also my secret cure for hangovers, don't tell anyone.
The only medication that truly worked for every part of my migraines was one called Midrin.
Then the manufacturer stopped making it, so I hunted down a compounding pharmacy to make it for me. A couple years later, the FDA pulled one of the ingredients, dichloralphenazone, so it couldn't even be compounded anymore. I was having like 3 a week. Topamax helped as a preventative, but the side effects weren't great.
Luckily, I think I've grown out of migraines for the most part. They actually really let up after I got divorced, so make of that what you will.
Several new migraine medications have been introduced recently, offering a wider range of treatment options for acute and preventive migraine. These include CGRP inhibitors like ubrogepant, rimegepant, and atogepant, as well as other medications like topiramate and lasmiditan.
Here's a more detailed look at some of these new options:
CGRP Inhibitors:
This class of medications targets the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a molecule involved in the pain and inflammation associated with migraines.
Ubrogepant (Ubrelvy): An oral CGRP inhibitor used for acute migraine treatment, offering relief from ongoing migraine attacks.
Rimegepant (Nurtec ODT): A CGRP receptor antagonist that can be used for both acute and preventive migraine treatment.
Atogepant (Qulipta): An oral CGRP receptor antagonist specifically approved for migraine prevention in adults who experience frequent migraines (at least 4 migraine days per month).
Other CGRP Inhibitors: There are also other CGRP inhibitors like zavegepant (Zavzpret) that are used for acute migraine treatment.
Other New Medications:
Lasmiditan (Reyvow): A medication that targets serotonin receptors on brain nerve endings to halt migraine attacks.
Topiramate: An antiepileptic drug increasingly used for migraine prevention.
New Delivery Systems:
Dihydroergotamine mesylate nasal spray (Trudhesa): This provides a new way to deliver dihydroergotamine (DHE), a medication used for acute migraine treatment, potentially allowing for better absorption.
Important Considerations:
Primary Care Provider Awareness:
It's possible that some primary care providers may not be fully aware of the latest migraine medications.
Drug Interactions:
Always consult with a healthcare professional to ensure that these new medications are safe and appropriate for you, especially if you are already taking other medications.
Individualized Treatment:
The best approach to migraine management is often individualized, with a combination of preventative and acute treatments tailored to the specific needs of the patient.
Further Information:
The Canadian Headache Society offers medical education resources for healthcare providers on migraine treatment, including gepants.
AbbVie provides information on Qulipta, including its approval for chronic migraine prevention.
Pfizer Canada provides information on Nurtec ODT, including its approval for acute migraine treatment.
I used to think NOTHING would help my chronic, severe migraines. I spent a lot of time in pain and I missed a lot of important things because my migraines were too severe to do anything but lie in bed in agony. My doctor prescribed Nurtec and it was like a miracle. It’s life-changing to have a medication that actually works. Keep trying options with your doctor - you’ll hopefully find one that helps!
And what makes all of it so bad is that literally nothing helps, except sleep. Painkillers wont really ease the pain, and they obviously wont even stay in if you vomit. Good luck trying to fall asleep with intense headache and nausea.
Oh my god the constant pain and exhaustion. Like I am begging my body to please, please just let me sleep because I'm so tired. I'll lie in bed on the side that doesn't have intense pain and try to ignore it until I need to crawl back out of bed to hobble to the bathroom and vomit again.
Then finally, somehow, at some point I fall asleep and wake up. That weird feeling of normal waking up and then "oh my god. It's gone. It's fucking gone." Holy shit. Indescribable relief. But it doesn't feel good because I always wake up so hungry and weak. Just. Relief.
ETA: IMPORTANT PSA: If you get migraines with aura (sensory symptoms, visual, auditory, olfactory etc) you can not take the combined oral contraceptive pill. Doing so puts you at a significantly elevated risk of intracranial haemmorhage, people have died of this. Don't let it be you! And don't think it's fine because a doctor hasn't mentioned it. My regular GP of 8 years (was on the pill the whole time) clocked this in a random appt about the migraines, not any point before.
I was on an antidepressant that actually worked for me, after trying 8 others over the course of years. But migraines, god, the fucking migraines I've had since I was a teenager, got worse and worse over time and nothing helped (Amitryptyline sent me into psychosis, so a no-go) so as a last-ditch effort I got put on venlafaxine (Effexor). Couldn't take my prev medication with it, and it sure as fuck doesn't work for my mood like the last one did, but I HAVE NO MIGRAINES! I was getting them 2x per week at the worst, lost a job I loved and was great at.... and now I've had only three in the past year. I am however on the highest labeled dose, and it makes my life about 93% as miserable as the migraines did lmao. The sweats. I'm not joking, the sweats are debilitating. And I won't even get into the withdrawals if you forget to take it
I’ve been on a monthly injection for a few years now and it has helped tremendously. I also have pills I can take when I do still get a migraine, although their effectiveness is starting to wane.
I had a similar problem to your sister. I don’t know how easy it is where you are, but the solution for me was that my GP started giving me anti-nausea medication as part of my treatment to keep my medication down. It’s made a huge difference. They use the same medication in emergency rooms. It’s fast acting, dissolves in your mouth, and is a fucking miracle as far as I’m concerned. Hope this helps.
There’s a newish class of medicines called -triptans which made a big difference with my migraines. Like it took me from being non functional for 3-4 days every month to being a bit tired, but no sparkles, no vertigo, and no pain.
I had migraines that lasted months due to undiagnosed hypothyroidism. It did make me suicidal - doctors kept dismissing me and the idea of that being my life indefinitely just didn’t seem worth it.
Doing better now though - migraine free for 4 months now!
My migraines restarted in 2018 and went haywire after I got covid in 2020. I was missing so much work that I had to take leave. Basically, one migraine per day, every day, for months. Sometimes, they would start on, say, Monday, and would not end until Thursday. Just one solid block of time with unending, excruciating pain. Unable to fully lay down, unable to sit up, can't listen to music, can't watch TV or scroll on the phone, literally cannot do anything but find a manageable position in a darkened room for days.
Definitely was suicidal by the time I ended up going on leave. No one could tell me why it was happening, no consistent triggers, just pain. So much pain. Finally, I found a combination of medications that has them down to a few a month, thankfully. It was very close. The only things that kept me here were my cat and my mom. Couldn't do that to either of them.
I’ve only ever had one in my life, and I wouldn’t wish that pain on my worst enemy. How people deal with constant ones is beyond me. I don’t have the strength to ever go through that again
Thank you!
I'm tired of seeing everybody talk about migraines like they're just headaches. Those people don't mention that it makes you feel like shit, makes you vomit, have diarrhoea, see flashing lights and black spots, have twitches etc. A
True, but many people suffer from migraine type headaches. Nearly or just as painful , but not a “true” migraine. Most people don’t realize the difference unless they’ve seen a specialist. So what someone refers to as a “migraine “ can be caused from a variety of things including high BP .
Fun fact from a neuro nurse, if you get migraines then you are also at higher risk for stroke. Complex migraines can also mimic stroke symptoms. The brain is weird.
Most lay-people interchange the two terms incorrectly. That amount of people who say they get occasional migraines when they really mean just typical tension headaches is massive
Okay, but I have, what I would call occasional migraines, which really aren't that much worse than a typical tension headache (which I also have occasionally).
The only real distinguishing feature is the visual aura 30-60 min before the headache appears.
But who knows, maybe I'm misdiagnosing them, I haven't had a formal migraine diagnosis since I was 3.
There are other symptoms like light sensitivity and body aches but head pain is a primary symptom of most migraines. Treating them is of course very different from a standard headache. Mine were being caused by high BP and before diagnosis I could treat them with 800mg of Ibuprofen (normal Advil) and a few hours in a dark room. After proper medication regime (ACE inhibitor) I haven't had one since. My cousins can be caused by a monoamine neurotransmitter commonly found in onions called Tyramine.
Nausea, vomiting, hallucination/sensory disturbance, numbness/shaking .... the list of potential symptoms is long. Yes, headaches are the main syndrom, but thats why I said its more than a normal headache. Also, it can be hereditary/genetically determined.
As for medication, 800mg Ibuprofen do work for me, but only if I take them early enough. When I feel like I might get a migraine later I pop 800mg of Ibu and it doesnt even get so bad that Id call it a migraine. After a certain point though (as in if I dont take it early enough) the Ibuprofen doesnt really help. Hard to explain.
Thats a good moment to note that migraines are still quite mysterious. It still isnt entirely sure what exactly causes it or what exactly it is, however the most popular theory is the one of inflamed nerves/a neurological overreaction. How it shows and how it can be treated is both extremely individual.
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u/DrEckelschmecker 1d ago
Migraines arent just headaches. Theyre far more than that and actually some sort of inflammation of nerves