Ever had a migraine?

[Jake]

2nd night running. God, I wanted to shoot myself. I could hardly see. Been up for 2 hours now and it's finally wearing off. It's taking me ages to type ths as I keep making mistakes. Still feel all shaky. I'm typing like Supradibbs - you know you're in trouble when that happens.

Fuck knows why I'm even writing this, just something to do, thinking out loud. I've been sat outside for the last hour with a jack handle hoping the cunts that smashed my car window last week come back but it's freezing out there. I guess even the lowlife scum don't come out when it's this cold.

 

Ever had a migraine? It's like the worst headache ever, x100.

I would have quite happily of shot myself 2 hours ago. Everytime I have one I'm sure it's the worst I've ever had. Still can't see quite properly. Feels like I've got a metal spike though my right eye. All of my scalp feels hyper sensitive and I can actually feel my brain pulsing inside my head. The pulses of pain are amazing, it's like being tortured but there's no point in begging for it to stop....but you do anyway.

 

You know what really pisses me off? . . . .Everything. but one thing that really really gets me is when folks say "Ooo Ive got a migraine so I'll be in a bit late today"

Errrr no love, if you had a migraine you wouldn't even be able to hold a conversation.

 

Any other migraine sufferers out there? You must know where I'm coming from.

[Jake]

I'm just posting any old shit now. Feel free to ignore me.

 

Kiwano

ever had one?

[Terminator]

Hi Jake ,

 

 

 

I can only imaging your pain. However I have lived with someone who suffers as badly as you for many years. I have for many years recognised the signs of an impending migraine in her face. Sometimes if I spot it soon enough and she takes med we can prevent it being a crippling one. Sometimes the pain is so bad for her, it frightens the shit out of me. All I can do it make sure she keep her fluids up and keep the bedroom dark and silent until it passes. you just feel so helpless because the person you love is suffering so much and the is NOTHING you can do to ease their suffering. The worst she ever had was a 50 hour job a couple of years ago. It was so bad I called the doctor out, it was the worst I had ever seen and thought it was something worse, like a tumour or something. as you say it was like watching someone being tortured.

 

At work I know of one other "real sufferer" because I can see the signs before she has an attack. About three times over the past three years I have spotted it and told her she has taken her medication and prevented a full blown attack. I think she suffers worse than my partner, she has had loads of hospital investigations etc. When she gets one they are bad.

 

You are right about the "Lets pull a sicky" attacks, there is no way you could talk on the phone, when my partner has one it is hard to get her to say anything, let alone use a phone, as it just adds to the level of pain.

 

I hope the pain has gone by now and it is some time before the next.

 

Never had a Kiwano, but you can bet there will be a rush on them soon.

[JohnA]

I've found that aspirin helps a lot.

 

so does a mild massage on the temples with this chinese ointment, you know the smelly one in small containers with a red dragon or something outside.

[SupraStar 3000]

When I was 10yrs old I was knocked down by a car.

LONG story,.. but I stayed in intensive care for 3 weeks and was extremely lucky to survive.

Although no major permanent damage except a hole the size of a new 10 pence coin on the top of my skull that collects water when it rains (Kinda like my own personal fish pond in my head)

and I also get regular migraines

 

Its horrible.

Light hurts, sound hurts, movement hurts.

The only thing you can do is stay in bed and slowly go insane with the pain.

[JustGav]

Yeah, migraines are not funny.....

 

I'm very lucky to only get them once in a blue moon, but I can certainly agree with the 'shot myself' comment... It feels as tho someone has climbed in your brain and is thrashing it...

 

I'm lucky enough to have a slight allergic reaction to ibuprofen which causes me to fall asleep...

 

So for me it is, 3 nurofen and I then pass out oncouch for the 4 hours and wake up feeling like I've got a hangover, but not a migraine thank goodness....

 

Feel for you, really do..

 

Gav

[JohnA]

...Although no major permanent damage except a hole the size of a new 10 pence coin on the top of my skull that collects water when it rains (Kinda like my own personal fish pond in my head) .

Sounds weird to others with their skulls intact.

 

On the "plus" side, you've got a ready-made explanation for abnormal/strange behaviour, should you need one. What's my excuse, lol...

[CJ]

Never experienced migraine but "I'm typing like Supradibbs" had me spit my coffee out over the keyboard

[dangerous brain]

I had a couple of em when I was a kid. Yup they do hurt like hell. I used to get something that they called eyestrain which has alot of the migraine symptoms. When I got em I had to lie still in a very dark room with a damp cloth over my eyes til it went away. From memory it was about 2 hours or so. Movement of any kind sets it off a treat and so did light. Fortunately I think the last time I had one was when I was like 13 or thereabouts. I wouldn't want one now thats for sure.

 

I dig what you are saying about people crying off sick with a migraine. Same thing makes me laugh when people say they have the flu, seriously if you had the flu you'd be proper f*ck*d not phoning up work with a sniffle lol.

[Pete]

It really pisses me off when some gets a headache and says "oooh I've got a migraine coming on" and those people have NO idea what a real migraine is.

 

I've had a few, thank fully not many. They started to get bad a few months back and I worked out my glasses perscription was quite bad.

I have found that Migraleave DOES work for me. The first pill when you can tell you're getting one (sparkly lights, dizzy) seems to prevent it quite well for me.

 

When I get the full blown attack then that's me out for the count. Sick, slurring my words, dizzy and unbalanced, blind sensitivity to light, try to slip into a coma like sleep. I can't do anything and kid myself that I just want to die to end the torture.

 

My sincere sympathies dude.

[Pete]

When I was 10yrs old I was knocked down by a car.

LONG story,.. but I stayed in intensive care for 3 weeks and was extremely lucky to survive.

Although no major permanent damage except a hole the size of a new 10 pence coin on the top of my skull that collects water when it rains (Kinda like my own personal fish pond in my head)

Crikey - Tragic story man! Brings new meaning to "I needed that like a hole in the head" eh?

[Pete]

I'm just posting any old shit now. Feel free to ignore me.

What's new?

Tropical fruit doesn't do it for me. Always tastes odd.

[ivan]

Bad luck Jake, hope it goes soon. I've suffered from them since I was 16 (that's 34 years then ).

 

Tried alsorts of cures but the most effective I've found is to watch for the signs and catch it early.

 

Mine start with an ache in the right side of my neck and over my right temple. Two panadol plus there and then usually does the trick. If I miss the signs I'm stuffed until it goes.

 

The only painkiller I've found did any good when a migraine catches hold is something the hospital gave me once. Trouble is I can't remember the name, and it was a supository!

[SupraStar 3000]

in my experience 3 Nurofen caps, as much water as you can drink (dehydration doesn't help a migraine), and sleep will help.

 

If I wake up with a migraine I know the hole day is a write off and I don't even attempt to get-up.

 

Last time I tried to work through a migraine ended In me projectile vomiting at a petrol station and returning home driving home with one eye closed in a vain attempt to subside the pain

[Ewen]

Sorry to hear this guys...I dont suffer, but my late mother was a slave to them - nothing she was given helped, and (?) Mogadon made things worse....hope medical technology has come on since then

[Soonto_HAS_soop]

I get them occasionally, the ones that find you lying in bed with the duvet/pillow wrapped around your head with me writhing in pain until it relieves itself a little. I used to try anadin extra soluble, as they started to work pretty quickly, but they never got rid of the full pain. I now knock back some prescription pain killers that my old dear got me (she has them for her arthiritus(SP)). I tell you what though, these pain killers stop ALL pain, and about 75% of the feeling in your body - they are absolutely amazing, just have to make sure that they are used in moderation and also not to drink alcohol, or you go straight out......

[Jake]

Thanks for all the replies guys.

At least I'm not alone in having these migraines. In fact I feel like a bit of fraud now after reading about Phil's other half. I can't imagine what a 50 hour migraine must be like.

 

I'm up out of bed and feeling much better now. Still a bit shaky but the pain has gone.

I had no idea they are as common as they seem to be from reading all these replies.

[China Man]

there are lots of new drugs out there but you will need a prescription and they are not pain killer.

 

Is a class of drug call triptan and they can stop a migrain from getting full strength. You will need to keep the tablet or waffer handy because it needs to be taken when you know or feels that there may be a migrain coming.

 

I have very good feedback from patients and they all said that one dose will stop the migrain dead on track but it is expensive and the cost is the reason NHS won't give it on prescription and will give you cheap pain killers instead.

 

Talk to you GP and you must convince them that you need the expensive thing and not some cheap NSAID or codine to cope with the pain. There are side effects like any other drugs in the market would but the benefit of the use is far greater then the minor side effects.

 

Talk to your GP

 

China

[Jake]

Triptan! That's what I've got! You reckon they're really expensive, huh? That must be why the Doc willl only give me a prescription for 6 at a time. I had two of them last night. Sadly I didn't take the first one quick enough.

 

Here we are: Naratriptan Hydrochloride 2.5MG

 

Out of interest, how expensive is expensive?

[DamanC]

I know how you feel guys. I suffered badly and used to get 1 a week with out fail. Just couldnt stop them, and came on without warning. They hurt like fcuk and i would go almost blind when i had them. Really nasty bad boys.

 

I went to the doc who explained to avoid bright light, and simply just to sleep if i got them. I was prescribed Paramax (dont qoute me on it as ive just dug an 8 year old box of tablets out that i think were them) which contain Metoclopramide Hydrochloride. Anyways after suffering for a good 3 or 4 months........they went! not ever had one since (touch wood)

[Digsy]

My mum used to get them regular as clockwork every Sunday morning. The best her doc could come up with was that because she went out to the bingo on Saturday nights it was the change of routine that brought them on. I used to pull her leg and say they were hangovers Sometimes she couldn't get out of bed all day. She eventually grew out of them.

 

Hope you are feeling better soon, Jake.

[Lazarus]

Warning long post:

 

Seems there are a few sufferers on here, myself included, I've been prescribed "Immigram" which is a tablet the size of an elephant’s suppository but thankfully is taken orally.

 

I'm gonna post a description of the 'mechanics' of a migraine (for those that are interested) as explained to me by my Doctor.

 

(CAVEAT; I'm no Doctor, I'm only repeating what was said to me.)

 

There are 3 most common types of headache;

 

1) Dehydration (hangover typically)

 

2) Neurological (disorder of the nervous system usually due to over activity, 90% of headaches are these.)

 

3) Physiological (physical damage to the brain)

 

Migraine falls into category 3 and I'll explain why (and this is the long part);

 

There are 2 chemicals that are produced by glands with-in the brain that help to regulate the size of the brain cells and their ability to hold oxygen liberated from the blood, we'll call them chemicals A and B, A shrinks the cells and B enlarges them. Normally these chemicals are balanced.

 

Next we need to talk about the migraine inceptor, more commonly known as the trigger. The trigger is any signal sent through the nervous system to the brain usually coming from 1 of the 6 senses (but not always), hence why it is common to hear of chocolate or flashing lights as "being the trigger".

 

When the trigger signal is sent (from whatever source) it cause's the brain to create more chemical A and hence the brain cells to shrink, as they shrink the cells lose the ability to liberate oxygen from the blood and this is the point that you start to get the "Aura's" (tunnel vision, noises, colour blindness, etc) because the brain is starting to shut down (this usually lasts between 20 mins to a couple of hours).

 

It’s interesting to note that at this point you still don't have a migraine yet, it gets worse...

 

The brain is still savvy enough (obviously, else you wouldn't be conscious) to realise that if this goes on the brain will dye, however, it isn't savvy enough to calculate exactly how much of chemical B to create to bring the cells back into balance, so it makes too much of B.

 

Its at this point that the migraine hits, in addition to your brain cells going from a slowly shrinking condition to an accelerated growing condition (shock enough) the brain will grow in size by about 2% roughly, which doesn't sound a lot but is enough to make the brain rub on the rough inside of your skull, this is why the majority of sufferers have to be laying down while enduring the migraine so as to minimise the movement of the head.

 

At this point I will say that the brain damage that occurs at this point is very mild and the brain does recover completely.

 

Some medications (like mine) are designed to inhibit the production of chemical B (not stop it completely) but the results of this can be just as difficult to live with as the side effects are scary, in my case it also causes my heart to slow dramatically and to pulse harder like its trying to jump out of my chest, sometimes I've just decided to live with the migraine than take the medicine.

 

I've been getting migraines since I was 13 years old (20 years) and my "trigger" has never been found after quite a few years looking, some people find there trigger and control them that way others just have to suffer.

 

Another point for discussion, migraines are apparently non-hereditary, however my mother gets migraines and my grandmother used to get migraines, my brother also gets them, anybody else got a family history?

 

Finally, as said above, I am not a doctor I'm only repeating how it was explained to me, If anybody has any different explanation post it up as the only way any of us sufferers are gonna be able to get on top of it is to get this kind of info discussed.

[how_supra]

Cool. If thats the right word.........

 

I have only ever had one migraine. I was at school in a french lesson and it came on really suddenly. The worse part for me, was that I could only see half of everything [if that makes sense]. In otherwords I could see the whiteboard, but only could make out half the words, because one half of them were blacked out. It was really scary. I never want one again.

 

Hope you are feeling better soon Jake. I still remember mine, and I've never had one, I can't imagine what it would be like to have them regularly

[Ian R]

Jake it must be the 10k post syndrome too much looking at the screen switch to stealth mode

[Kopite]

I've had the odd one, hurt like hell! Get a lot of patients in with migraines as the GPs send a lot to us to get their vision checked etc too - few different types of migraines out there. You noticed any flashin lights etc? Best thing to do is sleep it off - lights off, head under pillow and pass out!