So... from time to time, I have "migraine season". But even when it's not that time, I get periodic migraines.
So last night, I could feel pressure on my right eye. This morning, it was a bit worse, and other than being stabbed in the right eye over and over again by the sun as I drove to the train station, it hasn't really changed much.
Now it's about 11:00, I'm at work, and I'm a programmer, so I have to be staring at this stupid monitor for the next several hours. I can't even keep my right eye open all the way, but this is far from a real migraine. I wouldn't even be typing this if it was a real one.
So... do I tough it out and try and make it through the day, or do I... actually, strike that. I have to stay. I've missed way too much work already for other things. So I guess what I'm asking is if there's anything I can do to reduce pre-migraine-like feelings without rendering myself unconscious.
The floor is open.
Posted by Stephan (Member # 7549) on :
Go see a doctor. Its exactly what my fiance has. They prescribed Topomax and imitrex. One of them is actually a seizure medication that was found to help migraines. I get the two mixed up, one she takes twice a day, the other she takes the moment symptons start occuring.
Only side effect is occasional forgetfulness.
Posted by Theaca (Member # 8325) on :
For right now, high dose nsaids would be the best choice. Like 600 mg ibuprofen, or 440mg aleve. Right now.
Imitrex type drugs are great, if you have it, and can work with it.
For long term, Stephen is right. The preventive drugs like topamax, certain blood pressure meds, and antidepressants can work very well at decreasing migraine frequency.
Posted by starLisa (Member # 8384) on :
I'm not sure what a nsaid is. And I'm allergic to ibuprofen. Big hives all over my body. I've been told to avoid naproxen as well. Tylenol is good, but not very useful.
Antidepressants? Damn... I just quit mine recently. Do you think that's why this is happening? I don't want to have to go back to the Zoloft if I don't need it for depression.
This bites.
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
I use advil and lots of coffee. (sleep well behooves me as well)
If it's particularly bad I find sudafed helps. Though I think more because it gives me a slight feeling of euphoria.
The past 2 migraines I took a claritin at the start, thinking they might be allergy triggered. It stopped them right off the bat. Though I don't know if they would have stopped on their own anyway. (I was CERTAIN the 2nd one was going to be the all-day crippling kind, but maybe not.)
I'm sorry you have a migrain. They're one of the most miserable things in the world =(
Pix
Posted by Theaca (Member # 8325) on :
nsaid = nonsteroidal antiinflammatory
Hmm, if you are allergic to one you may not be allergic to them all. YOu'd have to discuss that with your doctor. Tylenol is not an nsaid. It probably doesn't work too well. Caffeine is a good choice.
Yes, I was thinking antidepressants might work well in your case. Stress induced migraines are very very suppressible with antidepressants. Topamax is great, has side effects for 50% of patients. You could talk to your doctor about what preventive med might work best for you.
Posted by starLisa (Member # 8384) on :
quote:Originally posted by Theaca: nsaid = nonsteroidal antiinflammatory
What's the "d" for?
quote:Originally posted by Theaca: Hmm, if you are allergic to one you may not be allergic to them all. YOu'd have to discuss that with your doctor. Tylenol is not an nsaid. It probably doesn't work too well. Caffeine is a good choice.
Gah. I can do that. But... every time I go back to caffeine, I get hooked on it, and getting off of it is comparable to a migraine.
quote:Originally posted by Theaca: Yes, I was thinking antidepressants might work well in your case. Stress induced migraines are very very suppressible with antidepressants.
But I'm not stressed. Except a little about this eyeache. It's kind of recursive, in that way.
quote:Originally posted by Theaca: Topamax is great, has side effects for 50% of patients. You could talk to your doctor about what preventive med might work best for you.
I have zolmitriptan at home. Zomex, I think it's called. It totally knocks me out. What kind of side effects does Topamax have?
Posted by Stephan (Member # 7549) on :
I think my fiance has noticed some memory problem with it. I read the pamphlet, only things that stuck out at me were that, nipple bleeding in men, and increased libido. I like the last one. Though its probably just due to fewer migraines.
Posted by Theaca (Member # 8325) on :
Triptans all work the same. You get a migraine, you take the med asap. If you are having several migraines each month, or you can't function when you take zomig, then preventing the migraines is very useful.
Topamax is a prevention treatment. You take it every day, and hopefully notice fewer migraines. Side effects can include poorer memory, fatigue, feeling dopey, bad taste in your mouth, and other things. The migraine dose is fairly low so many people do very well with it. It also often causes weight loss. Most people are happy with that side effect.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Lisa, Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug.
The only thing I can think of (beside what has been mentioned already) is dunking your hands in freezing cold water for five minutes at a time. There is support for this in the medical literature; apparently, at least in some people, it induces reflex cerebrovascular changes that can break the migraine cycle.
There was also a successful trial of intraoral chilling vs. one of the triptans, but some people find cold in the mouth to be a trigger for migraines, too.
Hope you feel better soon.
--------
Edited to add: Sleep often helps, as well, but that just seems cruel to mention. Maybe you can dim the lights and shut the door to dampen noise?
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
What about aspirin? Like excedrin migraine or something, which I think is aspirin and caffeine?
-pH
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Aspirin is an NSAID as well, and as Theaca remarked, Lisa may or may not be allergic to that whole class of medications. She'd have to discuss that with her physician.
Posted by ludosti (Member # 1772) on :
Excedrin (or excedrin migraine - they're exactly the same - just different packaging) contains aspirin, acetemetaphin (Tylenol), and caffeine so that might not be a good choice for her (depending on her allergies).
I would second the idea to try some caffeine to see if it helps with the headache. Since I normally avoid caffeine, when I have a small migraine coming on (and no access to medicine) it helps to drink a caffeinated soda.
Posted by Valentine014 (Member # 5981) on :
I'm doing a study on topiramate (Topamax) and it does a lot of wonderful things for many people. If you don't mind not having a short-term memory, you're good to go! The study I am working on is actually about its side effects, primarily parathesias (tingling and numbness) throughout various areas of the body (mainly extremities). There is treatment for that. Vitmain C seems to be effective but I don't think there is a good treatment for the memory loss. Weight loss is another side effect but most people don't seem to mind that.
Posted by starLisa (Member # 8384) on :
One Mountain Dew later, the pressure is lighter, but now I'm exhausted. Although I did manage to enter their Free Ride promo. I hate promos where you have to enter a code in on a web page, and they have a character that's either 0 or O.
I've never had a reaction to aspirin (though I also haven't tried it since I had that allergic reaction to ibuprofen back in 1987), so maybe that'd be okay.
So this is an "Excedrin headache"? I always wondered about that...
Thanks for the freezing water suggestion, CT. I'll have to try that next time (if I'm at home).
Posted by Stephan (Member # 7549) on :
quote:Originally posted by Valentine014: I'm doing a study on topiramate (Topamax) and it does a lot of wonderful things for many people. If you don't mind not having a short-term memory, you're good to go! The study I am working on is actually about its side effects, primarily parathesias (tingling and numbness) throughout various areas of the body (mainly extremities). There is treatment for that. Vitmain C seems to be effective but I don't think there is a good treatment for the memory loss. Weight loss is another side effect but most people don't seem to mind that.
I gave my girl a palm pilot for the memory loss, works great.
Posted by starLisa (Member # 8384) on :
<blink> Stephan, tell me you're kidding.
Posted by Stephan (Member # 7549) on :
quote:Originally posted by starLisa: <blink> Stephan, tell me you're kidding.
Well she wanted one anyways, and I won it in a sales contest at work. The timing was just perfect.
I think I remember hearing her complain about tingling though, I'm going to have to ask her about that.
Posted by starLisa (Member # 8384) on :
Just out of curiosity, could that one bottle of Mountain Dew cause dizziness? I'm more or less okay while sitting, but if I move my head, the world swims. Walking is okay if I keep my head fixed and level (it's sort of like a posture exercise; maybe I should balance a book on my head). I turned a corner and almost passed out. Luckily, I take the train. Unluckily, I still have to drive from the train station home.
This should be interesting...
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
Maybe you shouldn't. Call your partner. Dizzy+driving=bad.
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
Sound like sinus trouble. That headache behind one eye, plus a stiff neck were the first signs of the nasty cold I am just now getting over. Other folks in the office had it, too, and they all started with that kind of a headache. I would try Advil, steam, and a face and neck massage to loosen stuff. And it feels good anyway. Drink lots of fluids.
Posted by starLisa (Member # 8384) on :
I'll try all that but the Advil. Hives aren't my idea of "feels good". <sigh>
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
quote:Originally posted by romanylass: Maybe you shouldn't. Call your partner. Dizzy+driving=bad.
Not to mention revoked license. Or is the revocation resolved?
A couple of Excedrin at the first signs of a migraine can often preempt an impending headache for me. Occasionally, I'll take them to prevent a headache in a situation that I know from experience will invariably start a migraine. Like going to a funeral. Standing in the sun and crying sets me up for a headache. So I take the Excedrin before I leave for the cemetery, and I'm OK.
But, if you wait for the migraine to become full-blown, the Excedrin won't be sufficient to overcome it.
Posted by JennaDean (Member # 8816) on :
I love Excedrin. Tylenol alone won't do it for me either, but Excedrin has helped me out of my most throbbing headaches and cheers up my mood too. Must be the caffeine.
I don't normally drink caffeine, so Excedrin by itself sometimes upsets my stomach, but if I eat something with it I'm fine. And with the caffeine it works twice as fast as anything else.
Posted by starLisa (Member # 8384) on :
quote:Originally posted by Tante Shvester:
quote:Originally posted by romanylass: Maybe you shouldn't. Call your partner. Dizzy+driving=bad.
Not to mention revoked license. Or is the revocation resolved?
Long since.
Posted by Chaeron (Member # 744) on :
Wow, it's been ages since I've posted on Hatrack.
Well, I suppose I should give some advice based on my personal experience with migraines.
Last year, I would get terrible migraines that would totally incapacitate me for hours or even all day. I went to the excellent clinic where I was living at the time (Whistler, BC). The doctor there suspected that the cause was an old injury to my 2nd cervical vertebrae, one I didn't even know was there until he examined me. He gave me a physio referral; the physiotherapist gave me exercises I could do to allow my neck to realign. The migraines started to get progressively less frequent and intense. I haven't had a migraine in two months now.
My doctor told me that most migraines are caused by an underlying problem with the cervical spine, usually the c2 vertebra, and I certainly believe it.
Posted by starLisa (Member # 8384) on :
quote:Originally posted by romanylass: Maybe you shouldn't. Call your partner. Dizzy+driving=bad.
It wasn't so bad. It's mostly a straight line from the garage to my house, and by the time I got there, the dizziness was gone. The headache is, too.
Thanks for the help, everyone. Hopefully, this will never happen again.
Posted by starLisa (Member # 8384) on :
Huh. Chaeron, I herniated two cervical vertabrae a couple of years ago. And I don't think I ever had a migraine before that. I definitely have to look into that.
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
Maybe you can dim the lights and shut the door to dampen noise?
![[Smile]](smile.gif)