Question Migraines

[mycenae]

I've never ever had a migraine. Never even had a headache that doesn't go away with nurofen or paracetamol (except when ill with things like flu.)

I woke up on Monday morning with a blinding headache, by the time it was monday evening I was photophobic (couldn't look at light) and had a stiff neck, so took myself off to A&E as I was quite concerned. They admitted me with suspected viral meningitis and I got a head CT and numerous attempts at a lumbar puncture into the bargain. On wednesday they decided that since they couldn't get the lumbar puncture and that I had got no worse, that I could go home on painkillers with what they said was either a 'tension headache' or a migraine. Apart from having a very bruised and sore back, I've still got sore eyes and my head is still intermittently pounding, though not as badly as before.

My question to you is this. Do any of you have migraines? If so, what are the symptoms that you get and does this sound like a migraine to you?

Might be worth mentioning that I had a kidney infection last week, so wasn't 100% well to start with.

 

[Edmond]

I have only had it once, and i got and killing pain across the eyebrows and forehead for about 2 days, tha same problem with light too, but i had just come out of a flu virus (no, not man flu) i was in bed for about 3 days, not being able to move, aching all over and so on

So i thought the headache was a side effect of that, but someone told me it was a mild migrane?

My old boss would get them and have to lock herself away in a darkened room for days at a time (which was great for us)

Hope you feel better soon

 

[Trem]

I am taking FeverFew and they have really helped without a doubt, I still get about 2 a month but its better than 1 a week.

They are crippling.

 

[Moriath]

glad the fever few helped

 

[old.user4556]

I have had an occular migraine before, with a blind spot appear in my vision which spreads to very disturbing zig-zag flashing patters which spread to the edge of my vision and disappear. I've never had a headache as bad as you've described.

My mother and my girlfriend get migraines.

In my mother's case, she's menopausal and instead of getting periods she gets migraine attacks with no set frequency. Usually she gets an "aura" of one about to start, which is usually predecessed by a good night's sleep. It starts as a pain which she then finds almost debilitating which then spreads from the back of her neck across her head to behind her eye. She feels sick and has to sit in a dark room with very little noise - she can't focus her eyes properly, her vision is disturbed. She's knocked out for 24 hours when this happens. She's been prescribed Almogran to help which work brilliantly, but I think you can only take two split by so many hours at one time which sometimes doesn't alwalys help.

When my missus was on the contraceptive jag, she got bad migraines like she did when she first started puberty (seems to be a hormone theme happening here with my mum and her?). The same shit as my mum, floored for the whole day, blurred vision, except she was in bed and would eventually need to be sick.

They are terrible, terrible headaches. Needless to say, it winds my mum up when someone says "ooooh, I have a migraine today!" all cheery - she says it's not like any headache you've ever had.

Not to be all doom and gloom, but serious headaches could also be other brain problems so absolutely worth getting checked out. I worked in the same department as a guy who went to bed with a terrible headache but actually had a massive bleeding of the brain in the night and died aged 27 in his sleep. Similarly, severe headaches every day on waking that don't go away can indicate a brain tumour (happened to my dad's best mate).

Hope you feel better.

 

[tris-]

Sounds similar to what happened to me. I ended up with a constant severe headache for about 3 months. I was on codeine, declofenac and beta blockers but not much worked except the codiene of course. Beta blockers worked for about a week and then became ineffective. I was told to ride it out basically, but I did have a CT, LP and brain MRI. They expected a ruptured aneurysm for me.

Declofenac is supposed to be the main one to give a whirl.

When it first started it was easily the worst pain I had ever experienced, like I was going to die or something!

Not much I can offer except bug the docs for declofenac and beta blockers and dont let the pain depress you.

Edit: some none drug related pain relivers were also using a sauna and steam room. Might be worth a shot.

 

[Damini]

When my missus was on the contraceptive jag

Men... Always discourage your women from having the contraceptive jab. Every single person I know who has been on it was turned crazy by the hormones. Scary, angry, shouty, tearful, paranoid, insane.

Tangent aside, never had a migraine, but Kenny's sister had them through both her pregnancies, but never before or since. Guess hormones have a big part to play.

 

[old.user4556]

Scary, angry, shouty, tearful, paranoid, insane.

Sounds like business as usual for women?

/runs from Yoni and Damini

Yes, I read some bad shit about that jag, but it was the doctor's advice so I wasn't going to argue.

 

[Marc]

I suffer from extreme migraines. However, i get a warning in that my little finger starts to tingle about 10 minutes before the syptoms start. Because I get severe ones, I have this little gun thing that is basically a needle that I shoot into my neck when the pain starts and withing 10 minutes, voila, pain free.

 

[Trem]

I feel it rising up from the base of my neck, I know when I feel that I am going to suffer within an hour.

I want a bloody migraine gun

 

[russell]

I suffer from Vascular migraines -hormone related, mostly before kids. Really nasty.

Feel wierd first (yes more so than usual), then get numbness and tingling in my right little finger, last 3 toes, tongue and right side of mouth- always the same places.

Light would affect me badly and I could get my speech mixed up and lose all sense of co-ordination. I would have a half hour window before the pain kicked in and then I would be hit by pain over one eye and one side of the head, then I would be sick, sleep and wake up better!

To be honest the 'aura' syptoms and numbness freaked me out more, the headache usually signalled it was nearly over. I got worried about early onset MS and thought that something was really wrong so have had all the MRI's and CAT's.

Got told that it was because the blood vesselsin my swelled that the numbness happened, the damage was done and it would always be in the same places and it has been for 15years. Not allowed to take oestrogen, HRT, pill etc higher risk of stroke etc. Baby doses of Asprin help (to thin the blood) as does Progesteron with me, for some wierd reason.

Get them rarely now, thank God -usually after times of bad stress when I burn myself out - like its some kind of stop valve in me. I reckon everyone has a weakness in their body, and this is mine.

Your symptoms do sound right Mycenae, the pain is real bad. Bit worrying that its only started now -however like hay fever maybe you can develop them anytime in your life- and if you were run down anyway... have you been under lots of stress, or flat out recently? Strip lighting is also meant to be a big trigger as PC screens can be. The symptoms can last for up to 2 weeks and some people take a long time to recover.

I would go see your doctor. Lets just hope its a one off as they are hideous to have to live with.
I wish you well lovely

 

[rynnor]

I woke up on Monday morning with a blinding headache, by the time it was monday evening I was photophobic (couldn't look at light) and had a stiff neck, so took myself off to A&E as I was quite concerned.

Were you out in the sun on Sunday? It could also be a side effect of your anti-biotics.

 

[mycenae]

i was out in the sun a bit, but not a lot....

 

[rynnor]

i was out in the sun a bit, but not a lot....

Not wearing a hat perhaps? I just thought it sounded like sunstroke - the UV was very high last weekend and if you dont go out in it regularly you can easily be affected - additionally if your recovering from a Kidney infection you may have been a tad dehydrated to begin with.

Sunstroke can give you a terrible headache but you recover in a day or so usually as long as you drink plenty of fluids and get your electrolytes back in balance (I reccomend salty crisps ).

 

[Chilly]

sun stroke in the UK, in May? You'd have to be a total pussy to manage that.

 

[mycenae]

I doubt it was sunstroke as I was under an unbrella the whole time, plus I have drunk shedloads since then, as well as having 2L IV whilst in hospital, and I am still getting intermittent poundy little headaches now.

 

[rynnor]

Did you have any fever?

 

[Trem]

After a migraine I can still feel the scar from it for a couple of days after, if that makes sense. It likes a normal headache when I move or bend down etc.

 

[mycenae]

I had a very vague one of 37.6c when first admitted but otherwise no

 

[Bugz]

If it persists, try slowly dropping things out of your diet, as a food/drink type could be responsible.

 

[Gumbo]

I used to get blinding headaches a few times a year which I usually put down to dehydration, and I got rid of them with a nights sleep, and then last year I had one which wouldn't go away. It was a massive pain sort of above and behind my right eye coupled with a sort of tunnel vision effect going on, also any kind of light was crippling. After a week or so of this I went to the doctors who on hearing the symptoms immediately said, well that's a migraine, here take this prescription. I can't recall what it was he gave me, but it did the job within a day or so, but that could have been it sorting itself on it's own...

Since then, I've really noticed when it's coming, and it has been more frequent. The first thing I notice is I lose my language. I'm normally very fluent with my speech, my job involves talking basically constantly all day, and often on quite technical subjects, and I start stretching for words instead of them flowing off my tongue. Then the pain starts behind my eye, the vision closes in, and it hurts to be out in the daylight. I normally kill it with migralieve, which the hardcore migraine veterans will tell you is the med for pussies, but at the moment, it's working fine. They are coming more frequently, which is a pisser, but if I catch it early, I seem to be able to make it go away. Just hope it stays that way.

 

[sayward]

Can't even read these symptoms without one starting so have given up!

 

[Trem]

Some good advice in here -

https://forums.freddyshouse.com/general-2/228816-migraine.html