Abi

hmm, that's a migraine. It might be exaccerbated by something sinus-related though, since you've got sinus cavities all around your eyes. Try treating the sinus issue as well as the migraine, and that might take it out for you. Also, do you generally drink caffinine? If so, avoid it and then when you do get a migraine, get a ridiculously caffinated beverage, like jolt, that should help a little bit.

*gentle hugs*

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yeah, that's what i thought. but the headache doctor disagreed.

i drink tea, no coffee.

they haven't been as bad as there were in 2002/2003, when they were quite unmanageable. i was able to work today, for example. but they are worse than they were a year ago, say.

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it was recently pointed out to me by a neurologist that often 'headache doctors' don't know very much about migraines, amazingly enough ;)

Could you switch to decaf tea? the caffeine in colas and that's in almost all migraine meds will be able to help more the more foreign it is to your system.

*thinks* I'd recommend keeping a diary of what you've eaten and been around as well, if you haven't tried so already. Red meat, mature cheese, and alcohol sometimes trigger migraines in me. (And cigarette smoke always.) Which doesn't mean I have to avoid them completely, I just have to be very mindful.

Also, meds that I think you take, are known to often cause migraines, because one of their side effects is how they restrict blood flow to the brain. Not sure, if that's it, there's much to be done :/

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i could but then i am not sure how well i would function in the mornings. i'm pretty sure its not dietary - did do the note-taking thing. milk may have been a factor before, but have stopped drinking it. i think sleep is probably the issue - have noticed a strong correlation with broken sleep and pain.

i generally take either ibuprofen (generic name) or migraleve (a brand, dunno what's in it). mainly ibp at the moment. today i have taken the maximum dosage and no real effect.

i did try going without any for a few weeks, a couple of years back, and i was generally better but it did mean i had to sacrifice entire days. i can function now, it just hurts.

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This is a Kabylian remedy and the only thing that works for my mum when she gets migraine.

Slice a raw potato, sprinkle black pepper on one side of the slices, lie down, put the slices on your forehead pepper side down and tie around your head with a scarf. Relax for a while in the dark.

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interesting. i find "relax for a while in the dark" sometimes works, the problem is my willpower - my boredom often overrides the pain. ;)

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Well the novelty of the potato thing might relieve the boredom somewhat ;)

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hehe. perhaps that's how it works. ;)

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it may just be triggered by broken sleep. i woke up this morning at 4am. i'm not sure if i was in my day clothes but certainly the light was on and so was my computer.

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Hope you feel better soon. You really should try the darkened room and resting for as long as you can if at all possible...

My migraines are triggered mostly by stress or the not-restful sleep that accompanies it (exponentially increasing stress only - like exams or a deadline that I have not left myself much time to meet), skipped meals combined with too much coffee and last, but not least, certain types of florescent lighting (the type that seems favoured in sports halls).

I can usually predict them now based on this knowledge - and I have fewer so I might be averting them.

Good luck with working out your triggers. By the way, some people are triggered not by stress but by the relief of stress and also by oversleeping - I think the word balance is key somewhere. ;)

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thanks. i just seem to go through rough patches every so often now, and have forgotten how to cope. i guess the fact that i individually get distressed by one, means i am getting fewer.

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I've had horribly painful light sensitive headaches placed behind my eyes.

And utterly incapacitating migraines.

Migraines are almost utterly untreatable, with strong drugs being really only any use for speeding recovering.

Really bad headaches are of course terrible and incapacitating, but having had both I can appreciate why a headache doctor distinguishes. (I certainly do).

I would love to have neither.

My migraines are triggered by a sudden drop in stress/increase in stress or general change in mood. (My first migraine being on a birthday as a child), mine are short-lived (I believe) at around 4 hours, when they then become an extremely painful light sensitive headache... but soooo much nicer than the migraine... for about the same amount of time.

One particular aspect of migraines I utterly hate, is that fact it also incapacitates me the following day, I end up in what I guess would be called a disassociated state (common in depressives I believe) for pretty much the whole day.

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How long do they last? Do you get "aura", i.e. wavy lines or zigzag patterns in your vision before they come on? Is the pain centred around one eye or generalised? Do you find you prefer a darkened room? Do you ever vomit when you get them? Does one cheek or nostril feel congested?

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depends. hours usually, occasionally days. i don't get auras. the pain is often centred behind one eye but the eye varies and not always. yes. no, but i do sometimes feel nauseous but rarely any vomit. no.

what does this mean? :)

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It most likely means that you suffer from "common" migraine as opposed to "classical" migraine which might have been what that doctor was referring to. If painkillers are not working then your GP should be able to give you a 5HT₁ agonist like sumatriptan. Don't suffer them until you've tried all the options.

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