Lucybird Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Sounds like a migraine for me too Chrissy. I occasionally get tension headaches and don't find them too bad. They last longer than migraines I find but they don't completely floor me, I can usually put up with them, just find them a bit annoying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 I wasn't told, it's just that they would always start early evening, but be done with if I slept, ate and stayed in the dark, by the early hours. Most migraine sufferers I have chatted to have them lasting for days! I would feel a fraud calling them migraines, having only had mini bouts of hell-in-a-head! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilde Lily Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 I wasn't told, it's just that they would always start early evening, but be done with if I slept, ate and stayed in the dark, by the early hours. Most migraine sufferers I have chatted to have them lasting for days! I would feel a fraud calling them migraines, having only had mini bouts of hell-in-a-head! A headache doesn't have to long to be a migraine. Usually people whose headaches last for a day or longer are not taking medication or else they need to get something new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted March 9, 2009 Author Share Posted March 9, 2009 (edited) Chrissy, I'm sure the 'official diagnosis' of migraines is that they can last anywhere from 4 to 72 hours. Added: It was only a few years ago that I realised that I had migraines. As I said before, the nausea part is usually not that bad for me, so I tended to think that they couldn't be. But everything else fits, and I do get some nausea.. and the Neurologist felt that they were migraines. For me, there's a marked difference.. my tension headaches come on slowly, are felt all over, and I can carry on with my usual day/routine, albeit a bit grumpy! When I get a migraine, I can often notice the moment it starts, it's a much more severe pain, nearly always on the right hand side, and they basically stop me in my tracks! Edited March 9, 2009 by Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilywhite Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 I suffer with headaches frequently and to my knowledge have only had three migraines in my life. Unfortunatley, two of them have been in the last year. They both started with a blurred patch in my vision that went away after 10 minutes. As soon as it was gone, I start shaking, hot and cold sweats and nausea. The only real remedy I've found is 2 Anadin Extras (if not, Ibruprofen) and bed. My headaches are different and are triggered by several things. Mainly stress, dehydration, sunlight or direct light for any period of time. I always carry painkillers with me and can generally carry on with my day after taking a couple. Sometimes it does get past that stage and I have to go to bed for a few hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcow Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 I have suffered with headaches and migraines for most of my life. Just a normal headache I can take painkillers and carry on with everyday things but if it's a migraine I know I have to get home and go to bed. My vision is fuzzy with black bits, I can't concentrate and know I can't take any sort of medication till I've thrown up. More than once hubby has had to pull over to the side of the road for me to be sick. Once the sickness has passed its tablets and bed again. I usually feel like s**t the day after all light headed and woozy. My triggers are stress, sunlight, certain additives, dehydration, tiredness and getting too excited i.e. like knowing I'm going away I will get a migraine whilst travelling and be really ill the first night also if I have just a headaches I have to aviod cheese, chocolate and caffiene and sunlight or it will turn into migraine. I've tried various tablets including the mini pill, migralieve and dixarit but nothing prevents them. I've also been told I suffer from 'cluster' headaches which move to different parts of my head during the course of the headache. When recovering from a migraine for some reason I crave carbohydrates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 I never let myself throw up because I HATE throwing up. When I get my pseudo-migraine (I'm not sure what they are) I concentrate as much as I can on not getting sick. But that usually means I have to sit quietly in the dark with my eyes closed. Now I'm not so sure...maybe I do get migraines. I get them usually on one side of my head, usually the left, but sometimes the right. The pain is intense, making it hard to concentrate, read, or really do anything. I feel sick and dizzy, and most of the time my painkillers are not enough. I have to exceed the maximum daily dose in order to get any kind of relief. They can also last for days. Do I have migraines? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 I've never had a migraine, but I've had a headache on and off for the last two weeks due to being sick. I thought I was over it, but no. Tonight the coughing has started back, and my head is killing me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Sounds like you do Echo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephanie2008 Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 I don't think I've ever had a migrane. I do get headaches which vary in strength. I worry because I do get them quite regularly but I put it down to stress or not drinking enough. They get worse after a long day or when I wake up in the morning. I find the best thing to do is just lie my head down, and take some nurofen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted March 10, 2009 Author Share Posted March 10, 2009 I think this is a good guide.. http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23068789/ What is migraine? Migraine is a condition that causes episodes ('attacks') of headaches. Other symptoms such as feeling sick (nausea) or vomiting are also common. Between migraine attacks, the symptoms go completely. There are two main types of migraine: Migraine without aura - sometimes called common migraine. Migraine with aura - sometimes called classic migraine. Who gets migraine? Migraine is common. About 1 in 4 women, and about 1 in 12 men, develop migraine at some point in their life. It most commonly first starts in childhood or as a young adult. Some people have frequent attacks - sometimes several a week. Others have attacks only now and then. Some people may go for years between attacks. In some cases, the migraine attacks stop in later adult life. However, in some cases the attacks persist throughout life. What are the symptoms of a migraine attack? Migraine without aura This is the most common type of migraine. Symptoms include the following. The headache is usually on one side of the head, typically at the front or side. Sometimes it is on both sides of the head. Sometimes it starts on one side, and then spreads all over the head. The pain is moderate or severe and is often described as 'throbing' or 'pulsating'. Movements of the head may make it worse. It often begins in the morning, but may begin at any time of day or night. Typically, it gradually gets worse and peaks after 2-12 hours, then gradually eases off. However, it can last from 4 to 72 hours. Other symptoms that are common include: feeling sick (nausea), vomiting, you may not like bright lights or loud noises, and you may just want to lie in a dark room. Other symptoms that sometimes occur include: being off food, blurred vision, poor concentration, stuffy nose, hunger, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, passing lots of urine, going pale, sweating, scalp tenderness, and sensations of heat or cold. Migraine with aura About 1 in 4 people with migraine have migraine with aura. The symptoms are the same as those described above (migraine without aura), but also include an aura (warning sign) before the headache begins. Visual aura is the most common type of aura. Examples of visual aura are: a temporary loss of part of vision, flashes of light, objects may seem to rotate, shake, or 'boil'. Numbness and 'pins and needles' are the second most common type of aura. Numbness usually starts in the hand, travels up the arm, then involves the face, lips, and tongue. The leg is sometimes involved. Problems with speech are the third most common type of aura. Other types of aura include: an odd smell, food cravings, a feeling of well-being, other odd sensations. One of the above auras may develop, or several may occur one after each other. Each aura usually lasts just a few minutes before going, but can last up to 60 minutes. The headache usually develops within 60 minutes of the end of the aura, but it may develop whilst the aura is still present. Sometimes, just the aura occurs and no headache follows. Most people who have migraine with aura also have episodes of migraine without aura. Phases of a migraine attack A migraine attack can be divided into four phases: A 'premonitory' phase occurs in up to half of people with migraine. You may feel irritable, depressed, tired, have food cravings, or 'just know' that a migraine is going to occur. You may have these feelings for hours or even days before the onset of the headache. The aura phase (if it occurs). The headache phase. The resolution phase when the headache gradually fades. During this time you may feel tired, irritable, depressed, and may have difficulty concentrating. Do I need any tests? Usually not. There is no test to confirm migraine. A doctor can be confident that you have migraine if you have the typical symptoms. However, some people with migraine have non-typical headaches. Sometimes tests are done to rule out other causes of headaches. Remember, if you have migraine, you do not have symptoms between attacks. A headache that does not go, or other symptoms that do not go, are not due to migraine. Tension headaches are sometimes confused with migraine. These are the common headaches that most people have from time too time. Note: if you have migraine, you can also have tension headaches at different times to migraine attacks. What causes migraine? The cause is not clear. One theory is that blood vessels in parts of the brain go into spasm (become narrower) which may account for the aura. The blood vessels may then dilate (open wide) soon after, which may account for the headache. The blood vessels then gradually return to normal. This is not the whole story, and it is now thought that some chemicals in the brain increase in activity in addition to any blood vessel changes. It is not clear why people with migraine should develop these changes. However, something may 'trigger' a change in your brain to set off a migraine attack. Migraine is not a strictly inherited condition. However, it often occurs in several members of the same family. So, there may be some genetic factor involved which makes you more prone to developing migraine. What are the treatment options for migraine? A separate leaflet called 'Medicines to Treat Migraine Attacks' provides details of the various treatment options. A brief summary is given here. Painkillers Paracetamol or aspirin work well for many migraine attacks. (Children under 16 should not take aspirin.) Take a dose as early as possible after symptoms begin. If you take painkillers early enough, they often reduce the severity of the headache, or stop it completely. A lot of people do not take a painkiller until a headache becomes really bad. This is often too late for the painkiller to work well. The only solution may then be to find a a quiet, dark room to 'sleep it off'. Take the full dose of painkiller. For an adult this means 900 mg aspirin (usually three tablets) or 1000 mg of paracetamol (usually two 500 mg tablets). Repeat the dose in four hours if necessary. Soluble tablets are probably best as they are absorbed more quickly than solid tablets. Anti-inflammatory painkillers Anti-inflammatory painkillers probably work better than paracetamol or aspirin to ease a migraine. (Although, strictly speaking aspirin is an anti-inflammatory painkiller.) They include ibuprofen which you can buy at pharmacies or get on prescription. Other types such as diclofenac, naproxen, or tolfenamic acid need a prescription. Dealing with nausea and sickness Migraine attacks may cause nausea (feeling sick) or vomiting. The nausea causes poor absorption of tablets into your body. If you take painkillers, they may remain in your stomach and not work well if you feel sick. You may even vomit the tablets back. Tips that may help include: Use soluble (dissolvable) painkillers. These are absorbed more quickly from your stomach and are likely to work better. You can take an anti-sickness medicine with painkillers. A doctor may prescribe one. Like painkillers, they work best if you take them as soon as possible after symptoms begin. An anti-sickness medicine is available as a suppository if you feel very sick or vomit during migraine attacks. A painkiller suppository is also available. Combinations of medicines Some tablets contain both a painkiller and an anti-sickness medicine. For example, Migraleve, Paramax, Migramax, and Domperamol. They may be convenient. However, the dose of each constituent may not suit everyone, or be strong enough. You may prefer to take painkillers and anti-sickness medicines separately so that you can control the dose of each. Triptan medicines A triptan is an alternative if painkillers do not help. These include: almotriptan, eletriptan, frovatriptan, naratriptan, rizatriptan, sumatriptan, and zolmitriptan. They are not painkillers. They work by interfering with a brain chemical called 5HT. An alteration in this chemical is thought to be involved in migraine. Some triptans work in some people and not in others. Therefore, if one triptan does not work, a different one may well do so. Most people who have migraine can usually find a triptan that works well for most migraines, and where side-effects are not too troublesome. Do not take a triptan too early in an attack of migraine. (This is unlike painkillers described above which should be taken as early as possible.) You should take the first dose when the headache (pain) is just beginning to develop, but not before this stage. (For example, do not take it during the premonitory or aura phase until the headache begins.) Preventing migraine attacks A medicine to prevent migraine attacks is an option if you have frequent or severe attacks. It may not stop all attacks, but the number and severity are often reduced. Medicines to prevent migraine are not painkillers, and are different to those used to treat each migraine attack. A doctor can advise on the various medicines available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilywhite Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 Hmm, according to that, I actually get migraines (without aura) two to three times a week. I just considered these to be headaches. I've never really considered getting treatment for them because it's just a headache. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted March 10, 2009 Author Share Posted March 10, 2009 The headache is usually on one side of the head, typically at the front or side. Sometimes it is on both sides of the head. Sometimes it starts on one side, and then spreads all over the head. The pain is moderate or severe and is often described as 'throbing' or 'pulsating'. Movements of the head may make it worse. It often begins in the morning, but may begin at any time of day or night. Typically, it gradually gets worse and peaks after 2-12 hours, then gradually eases off. However, it can last from 4 to 72 hours.Other symptoms that are common include: feeling sick (nausea), vomiting, you may not like bright lights or loud noises, and you may just want to lie in a dark room. Other symptoms that sometimes occur include: being off food, blurred vision, poor concentration, stuffy nose, hunger, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, passing lots of urine, going pale, sweating, scalp tenderness, and sensations of heat or cold. You get this 2-3 times a week? For me, as I may have said previously, I get lots of headaches, but my migraines are differentiated by the fact that they affect whatever I'm doing.. it's as if my brain stops working, as I simply can't concentrate.. and usually I end up having to lie down. The 'joy' is when I go back to almost normal after an hour of my triptan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilywhite Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 Yes, I get the throbbing, pulsating pain usually on the right side of my head. It musn't be as bad as others get it though, as I said, I can usually cope if I take painkillers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcow Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 I never let myself throw up because I HATE throwing up. Oh I wish...I can't stop it happening its part of the course my migraines go through. Like Kat I get the pulsating, throbbing pain and again it is usually the right side but occaisionally it moves over to the other side once or twice a week and taking painkillers in time gets me through the day till I can sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilywhite Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 I knew there would be someone to blame Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcow Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I knew there would be someone to blame I'm not blaming anyone inparticular although the word 'hubby' springs to mind quite often Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Jacobs Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Not drinking enough water and the cold wind sets me off. It normally starts with a niggle in the right side of my head. then a three day migrane that no painkiller will cure, I need another three days to recover and three days to recover from the recovery. A flash of lightening in front of my eyes is another sign. My migranes are now rare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I never let myself throw up because I HATE throwing up. I wish I could do that - for me, throwing-up seems to be part of the healing process and I hate being sick too (mind you, I don't know anyone who doesn't). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovelygirl18 Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 this is a lot later than most of your posts cause I am newer to the forum, but i get AWFUL migraines, although odd enough I am not sensitive to sound and light or get an "aura" before they are coming. but when they start i can tell whether it is going to be dull pain or awful pain. (its how i categorize mine) i am on treximet, the new imatrex. WORKS AMAZINGLY! i strongly suggest it. it reduces inflammation as well as stopping the pain receptors from recieving the signals of pain whereas imatrex doesn't stop inflammation. mine started around 9th grade and progressively became more frquent. i get around 8 or 9 awful pain migraines a month... but not anymore due to treximet, my savior Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronwen Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 My OH used to get migraines all the time before he met me. Anything could trigger it, and they used to last for ages. Now he hasn't had one in probably over a year if not longer. He's maybe had a couple in the whole time I've known him and they have never been as bad as when he lived down south. It's weird how they've just gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 How many people get an aura? I don't usually, but I may have had a couple of weeks ago.. at first it was as if I'd stared at some bright lights, but it wasn't going away. Then it developed into a kinda semi circle of zig zag lines, which started flashing, then went off. I did get a migraine after, but it was about 24 hours after, and not particularly severe, but I'm not sure if they were connected. I did find out, however, that it is possible to experience an aura without a migraine! It certainly is a strange condition. (Or, maybe it was just my strange mind! lol) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronwen Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I've read websites where it says if you look at someone hard enough you can determine their aura, and it said what all the different colours meant. Never had a migraine myself, although my mum used to get them when she was my age. They sound horrid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 Different types of aura Bronwen.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 That sounds like a migraine aura Michelle. Mine are just like that, start of just in the corner of my eye then get bigger until I can barely see, I don't drive but I worry that if I did I wouldn't be able to get home my migraines hit that suddenly. I can cope with taking the bus although it's not pleasent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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