Arghhh migraine

I haven't had a full blown migraine for a while. I woke up at 3am this morning and my head was pounding. I managed to go back to sleep for a little bit, but woke up again not long after and I was in agony. I was pretty much writhing in pain until about 6:30am. I had already taken some painkillers before I realised it was a migraine, so I didn't want to take Excedrine Migraine since I'd already had some painkillers. So I just had some aspirin and a cup of tea (Excedrine Migraine is essentially ibuprofen, aspirin and caffeine), and I was finally able to go back to sleep for maybe an hour.

My head has finally stopped the agony, but it hurts when I move suddenly, or just move the wrong way.

I hate migraines. Normally my migraines are triggered by concentrating when I have the sun shining in my eyes - doing long drives with the sun in my eyes, studying/doing an assignment with either the sun in the corner of my eye, or glare off my computer screen. This one seemed to have no particular triggers. It was very weird.

that you feel better soon. I get nasty tension headaches that are migraine level, so I know it can be miserable. Snuggle up with a kitty or two and relax today!

Fortunately i've never had a migraine, but i know people who have had them

Lots of pain free

I'm so sorry, I had one this week too. It's like you're a whole different person when they are attacking.

Originally Posted by sarahp

Excedrine Migraine is essentially ibuprofen, aspirin and caffeine

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No it's not. It's acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine. Though different, aspirin is considered a type of NSAID and wouldn't be mixed with another NSAID - or at least not OTC in the US.
Two things for everyone to remember concerning OTCs, don't mix NSAIDs and don't take more acetaminophen containing products than what is recommended - your pharmacists and doctors will tell you the same thing.


I've had the ones that come one when I've been sleeping. They're generally a combination of tension (my neck is permanently tensed up - early DDD) and dehydration as a trigger. You could try making sure you drink plenty of fluids today, including some juices for potassium and magnesium, and see if that helps some. Or at the very least helps prevent another migraine/continuing after migraine headaches.

Do you take any magnesium? Some people are helped by regularly taking it.

*hugs*

I hope you feel better soon!

go away migraine

..... ... go away migraine

Go away migraine! I hate them! I do have to say that since I stopped the pill (after DH had the "snip") my migraines have really gone down - I barely get them now! So I think for me, it was related to taking the pill.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

No it's not. It's acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine. Though different, aspirin is considered a type of NSAID and wouldn't be mixed with another NSAID - or at least not OTC in the US.
Two things for everyone to remember concerning OTCs, don't mix NSAIDs and don't take more acetaminophen containing products than what is recommended - your pharmacists and doctors will tell you the same thing.

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Oh yeah Lucky I took the right thing then... Brain doesn't function so well post-migraine.

My head has pretty much cleared up now which is good. I can turn my head again, I'm still just a bit sensitive to noise.

Originally Posted by sarahp

Oh yeah

Lucky I took the right thing then...

Brain doesn't function so well post-migraine.

My head has pretty much cleared up now which is good. I can turn my head again, I'm still just a bit sensitive to noise.

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It is a good thing you didn't mix them up this morning!

I hope you keep feeling better. When I used to have a lot of migraines I'd get in that week long cycle of migraine, two days of headaches, then another migraine.
Take care of yourself.

Originally Posted by Kiwideus

Go away migraine! I hate them! I do have to say that since I stopped the pill (after DH had the "snip") my migraines have really gone down - I barely get them now! So I think for me, it was related to taking the pill.

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Considering that there's links between migraines, BC pills, and stroke - I'm glad you're off them!

It's kind of ironic that a thread like this would come up while I'm sitting in a hospital known worldwide for the treatment of headaches. (It's kinda the only place of its kind in the world).

I don't get the typical "migraine", actually no one knows exactly what I get. I get two different types of headaches- the ones that last forever and no one knows what to do with at this point, and then ice pick headaches. Now those are hell, lol. So I do know what you are going through, believe me. But it sounds like you're doing all you can do at this point. Hopefully you see a neurologist, and if not I strongly recommend it. Most of the people that are here in the inpatient part of the program do suffer from such severe migraines that they walk around all day wearing sunglasses indoors, even though most of the lights in this place are created for people with migraines (very low-key, no direct light). Luckily that's not me lol. But I can just imagine how debilitating a migraine can be, I'm seeing it firsthand. So I think I know how you are feeling. You mentioned that the lights do bug you- so all I can recommend is probably wearing sunglasses even in your own house. That's what they recommend here. Ummmm.... what else do they say here for migraines... Oh, when you get one, your body tenses up whether you know it or not, creating stress. So they tell us that when we have a headache to just try and breathe very calmly and focus on relaxing every part of your body, and for some of the people here it kinda works I guess (it's kinda like biofeedback, which is IMO kinda hoakey lol)

Sounds like you're doing the right thing thus far. Sending hoping that you will feel better soon. Just remember- it WILL go away, ya just gotta ride it out (easier said than done, I know )

Sounds like the worst is behind you already and it's tapering off already. Just keep thinking, it will all be over soon!!!!

Oh, I'm so sorry you (or anyone!) has to go through migraines too! They are so horrible.

I wish I could figure out what my triggers are, but they are so sporadic that there really doesn't seem to be any common threads. And sometimes I get migraines that are just auras and stroke-like symptoms (difficulty word finding, can't process information, bad memory...but I did get a CAT scan with the first episode and it was determined to be a migraine without the pain...still, scary as heck even knowing what it is!), some aura with pain but not blinding pain, and some "classic" migraines with the mind-numbing-writhing-with-no-relief-pain. Didn't used to get anything but the "classic" migraines so it must have changed with the MS.