Any Migraine Sufferers?

sarahlouise7

Im surprised by how many of us get that 'burning' smell!! I never even thought it was linked to my migraines until this thread. Im going to see when I get that smell in relation to the migraine now lol My kids thought i was going mad keep asking them 'whats burning' , 'can you smell burning' lol I used to hunt for it to start with then realised it was just me!! How weird eh!

Cherylllyn

Doctor said my migraines were stress related. It took me three days of having a bad headache and feeling nauseous before going to the doctors. When one is coming on I have a slight headache, feel nauseous, and can't focus on anything for long periods of time.

kcritter77

I also had 2-3 a week in high school. The doctor started me on beta blockers and it seemed to help. But school ended for the summer right when I started taking the meds. As soon as school started, they started back up in full force.
I started going to the chiropractor and found out that the way I'd carry my books/backpack caused my neck to get all out of whack and caused my migraines. It never made any sense, but I used to have to leave school and go home and sit in the dark with an ice pack and zero noise. Then once I figured out what was happening, I would leave school and have a friend drive me down the road, get cracked and go back to school. I do find that tension headaches can very easily turn into migraines with auras and nausea, but usually the ones caused by allergies are much worse. Just someone coming into the office with the wrong perfume on can send me into a tailspin that lasts for days.

Emaginesc

Like others, I could say the same things. My headaches vary. I have temple ones, clusters and rebounds. We realized in my labs I have a very sensitive C Reactive Protein that is high. We are unsure why. My sodium levels do not even chart they are so low, yet I go over Sodium levels by my Drs standards. I do not absorb multi vitamin well. I stager Vit D, B12, Magnesium, and a few others over the course of the day.

My headaches are brought on 2 ways. I have normal no reason ones. But I see squares prior. I almost always get one after working out. The harder the cardio the worst. We found out in Jan I have a murmur, low blood pressure and a high heart rate. I now have a HRM to keep me in range and to slow down. I also for these reasons can not do hardly anything that puts my head below my heart. I Zumba and Strength 5-6 times a week. Now I am on beta blockers and it has eased the headaches some. The more stubborn ones they put me on steroids for, which I hate. But I easily pass out and get sick from them.

Keep a diary, time, food, events, water etc intake.

scress0514

I have been getting migrains every since the birth of my children(25 yrs), I was getiing them 4-5 days a week with projectile vomiting. I was seeing the Dr. so much and went thru so many scripts that i finally ran into someone who told me to ask for Topomax and i did...works well for me!! I also carry with me Maxalt at all times just in case I feel one comming on. I have found that alot of food can trigger mine, so pretty much if it looks good and smells good I cant eat it. I also have the smokey smells and auras too.

Beachtreasures

My triggers are dark really expensive chocolate, sulphites (wine, beer, certain meds), and allergies. I am allergic to all "floral" scents. Whether it be a candle, real flowers, perfume, etc. If I smell one of these scents for more than a few seconds, the aura starts almost immediately and then the migraine and nausea and vomiting are close behind. Those caused by the smell take me the longest to recover from.
I take allergy medication every single day whether I feel I need to or not, and that definitely helps.

I also have sensitivities to scents and sulphites. I am also very sensitive to msg. I never purchase a product without checking labels. Mostly I try to eat natural.

Beachtreasures

Im surprised by how many of us get that 'burning' smell!! I never even thought it was linked to my migraines until this thread. Im going to see when I get that smell in relation to the migraine now lol My kids thought i was going mad keep asking them 'whats burning' , 'can you smell burning' lol I used to hunt for it to start with then realised it was just me!! How weird eh!

Yes, I also get the burning smell. It is like someone has an outdoor fire going, but the smell doesn't go away. Reading the threads is interesting. I hope we can all learn something:)

vkw1

I get them "at that time of the month" , pretty much every month but they have not been too bad lately.Mine seem to be hormone related perhaps yours are too.Sorry no advice or treatment just commisserations:(

Sondrasr

Hi all. I am hoping maybe you all could answer a question for me. Many of you said you get naseau but is anyone in the same boat as me that they end up throwing up everything in the stomach, including bile? Once I have thrown and gone through the sweats and a least 1 shower I end up going to sleep in a dark quiet room for several hours before. Can try to function again.

This post is very informative. Thanks for whoever started it. Sondra

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Hi all. I am hoping maybe you all could answer a question for me. Many of you said you get naseau but is anyone in the same boat as me that they end up throwing up everything in the stomach, including bile? Once I have thrown and gone through the sweats and a least 1 shower I end up going to sleep in a dark quiet room for several hours before. Can try to function again.

This post is very informative. Thanks for whoever started it. Sondra

Yes I get that too. That's exactly how every one of mine would go before I finally got some imitrex for them. Unfortunately they only give you 9 of those per month and I usually am out of them in a couple of weeks, but at least it's better than nothing.

I'm surprised by how many people are helped by over-the-counter meds. And a little jealous, I'll admit. None of those help me even a little.

cmriverside

Hi all. I am hoping maybe you all could answer a question for me. Many of you said you get naseau but is anyone in the same boat as me that they end up throwing up everything in the stomach, including bile? Once I have thrown and gone through the sweats and a least 1 shower I end up going to sleep in a dark quiet room for several hours before. Can try to function again.

This post is very informative. Thanks for whoever started it. Sondra

Yes I get that too. That's exactly how every one of mine would go before I finally got some imitrex for them. Unfortunately they only give you 9 of those per month and I usually am out of them in a couple of weeks, but at least it's better than nothing.

I'm surprised by how many people are helped by over-the-counter meds. And a little jealous, I'll admit. None of those help me even a little.

Angel, I never got any relief from OTC meds, either.

I wish I had known to try Magnesium supplements or wheat abstinence. I tried everything else listed in this thread.

Mine responded only to Triptans - and the one that worked best for me, with the fewest side-effects. was Maxalt. I tried Immitrex pills and injections. The pills took too long, and the injections made me feel like I was going to die (heart palpitations).

Triggers were mostly (to my knowledge) weather and hormonal.

Adrini

I had aura's and nausea. It sucks.

*knock on wood* Since working out I haven't gotten one, and I'm beginning to wonder of migraines are somehow tied to blood pressure or stress. I got one small headache a couple days ago but it didn't last as long as they used to.

Sondrasr

I wish I could use imatrex. Unfortunately I am allergic to something in it. I do find that I they seem to be better or not as many if I drink a lot more water. I try to drink 12+ glasses of water daily.

erinsueburns

I used to have severe migraines monthly. Then I went on standard triphasic birth control pills and migraines went to weekly but not quite as severe. I shifted my pill pack start day to thursday so I could "schedule" my migraines on friday through saturday. We tried low dose and high dose and different brands and hormone configurations. Finally, I went to a different gyno, and the migraines were causally mentioned as the reason for being a Thursday starter, and she said "I can fix that!". She switched me to a biphasic, where three weeks are all the same level, only three placebos and then the rest of period week is a partial dose. Turns out my migraines are caused by drops in hormone levels. Now I only get migraines about quarterly, which is much more manageable.

As for medications, the only thing I found that worked well for pain management without vomiting was fioracet. But that caused rebound headaches almost as severe as the migraines, generally just prolonging the experience. It was enough to get me through things if I needed to be functional, but not a real solution. Now, I just double up on the meds I take for my sleep disorder and sleep it out. Normally by the next morning I'm functional.

Robin_Bin

Wow, this reminds me of other symptoms I've had over the almost 30 years I've had migraines.
My first few migraines as a teen had the black floaters to the point where I couldn't see anything. Haven't had that in years!
No visual auras, but I'm usually very sensitive to high pitched sounds (could actually hear the refresh rate on TV and computer screens when I was younger), but when I have a migraine, sound doesn't bother me... I can sleep through things I can't normally. Sounds seem far away... like I'm hearing them through a tunnel.
Sensitivity to smells and desire for extreme temperatures (heat or cold and pressure on my head)... went outside to get some cold, fresh air once, when I was getting a migraine, but there were smokers at the no smoking building exit. Barely made it to the bathroom in time and had to get someone to drive me home that day.
My body temperature also drops. when I was a teen with my first migraines went to the clinic after losing my vision my temperature wouldn't even register on the thermometer. (It was years before I knew that pain was a migraine.)
Hot, steamy showers... sometimes I don't even get in... just steaming up the bathroom -- add citrus or mint scented products to the tub.
And oh yes, that post-stress and post-exam period with migraines, just as everyone else was enjoying the break.
I drink a lot more water now than I used to drink. I wonder if that along with the other things, like the supplement with B vitamins and magnesium is part of what's helping?
And luckily all the things I've learned have eased the symptoms so I rarely get to the point where I'm vomiting and shaking anymore.
Have any of you ever gotten a "painless" migraine? I got one, once. Weirdest thing... got the other effects, the weird audio, sensitivity to temperature and smell, and a sense of things being "off" or different that you all would probably recognize, but no actual pain.
Artificial sweeteners are a serious trigger for me. I can have MSG in small quantities, but try to avoid it because too much MSG especially in combination with salt, seems to be another trigger. Tunafish (not tuna, just the canned stuff) might be another trigger. I seem to be ok with the sulfites, but don't eat things with them much.
I don't have much caffeine anymore except to relieve a migraine. It's the one time caffeine won't keep me awake.
I'm lucky, I almost never have enough pain that it keeps me from sleeping, and depending on how early I catch it, anything from a 2 hour nap to a 20 hour sleep will get rid of it. I've only had a migraine last more than one day once or twice. But still when I think of the days of my life I've missed due to migraines... it's sad.
I can definitely understand the comment someone made about people gaining weight because they self-medicate with foods that help get rid of migraines. But between the nausea and sleeping through meals, even though it's almost the only time I still drink soda, on balance I usually lose some weight over the day I have a migraine, but part of it's just water loss/dehydration.
Also, I'm usually less hungry, but want those carbs the next day. How about you?

kcritter77

I can't take Imitrex as it actually makes the pain worse. The shots gave me such severe stomach pain it wasn't worth it. Now if I catch it early enough, I take 800 mg of advil and a relpax and try to get out of bright or flourescent light for a bit. If I can do that, I can usually get back to my day.
I remember my very first one. I was in middle school. I was reading in History class and I had to move my head to read the right side of each word. There was not any pain, just blackness over the half of the words. Then all of a sudden, I had to stand up and run to the bathroom. After I got sick I went to the nurse's office and told her what happened. But... since I didn't have a fever, she sent me back to class. I dealt with it for years before finally being properly diagnosed.

pplf2001

Being dehydrated and not getting enough salt; not getting enough sleep <--- my two big triggers.

Some meds have also triggered them in me... have you started any new meds? changed birth control?

blpnana

I had "headaches" with aura and vertigo for years and never knew it was migraines that I was having until I researched it myself - doctors were no help to me at all concerning these issues, they only wanted to give me a pill for the migraine that made me sick.

Have you looked into wheat and dairy? With the help of my acupuncturist.I found that eliminating wheat and dairy out of my diet has eliminated both my migraines and vertigo. I eat mainly a vegan type diet now and I feel better than I have felt in years. Sometimes I break down and have wheat or dairy, but not like I was eating it before and actually the less I have it the less I want it. I hope you find relief, it's horrible.

stefa711

Used to get migraines at least monthly, sometimes weekly.
I haven't had a single migraine since I began eating clean (knock on wood!)
I cut out junk, processed foods, and preservatives. I eat about 90% organic foods now. I don't know if it was the weight loss that helped me or the better food.

stefa711

I can't take Imitrex as it actually makes the pain worse.

Me, too!