Running & Migraines

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nopogal
nopogal Posts: 162
in Fitness and Exercise
For all the runners out there...

I've been training for a half marathon and now that i'm getting into my longer runs, I've starting getting migraines the evening after my long runs. I got one yesterday after a 15k race and two weeks ago after an 8 mile run. Anyone else have problems with migraines? All I can do is go to bed...meds don't work. I don't think I'm dehydrated as I drink plenty of water. I've tried searching the internet, but just keep getting the same answer: "dehydration."

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  • nopogal
    nopogal Posts: 162
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    For all the runners out there...

    I've been training for a half marathon and now that i'm getting into my longer runs, I've starting getting migraines the evening after my long runs. I got one yesterday after a 15k race and two weeks ago after an 8 mile run. Anyone else have problems with migraines? All I can do is go to bed...meds don't work. I don't think I'm dehydrated as I drink plenty of water. I've tried searching the internet, but just keep getting the same answer: "dehydration."
  • kelpie06
    kelpie06 Posts: 93 Member
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    Wow, this just happened to me on Saturday! I am training for a half marathon too. I ran an hour and a half, more or less 15 k and that night I thought my head was going to explode. I was expecting my monthly visitor so I attributed it to that. I drank extra water, made sure I ate to make up for the calories I had burned, took two Advil and went to bed. The day after I was fine.

    We'll see this next weekend if the same think happens after my long run. But that's interesting you had the same experience.
  • auntkaren
    auntkaren Posts: 1,490 Member
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    :heart: I use to get Migraines all the time up until a year ago. Imitrex I believe is what I use to take for them and it would leave within seconds and go back to normal.... I would suggest one thing before taking any medication for your migraine is to check your blood pressure before and after your run. I bought a blood pressure monitor at wal mart pharmacy for around 25 dollars that you can take your pressure by yourself. I compared it to the doctors and it is right on the mark. That is one thing that I discovered for myself that was connected to my migraines. But it wouldn't hurt to check it.
  • rayneenie
    rayneenie Posts: 177 Member
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    I have to agree with auntkaren here. I think you should speak with your doctor. Headaches are nothing to mess with.
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
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    I used to get this after rugby practices for the 1st month after the off season (you do somewhere around 5 to 8 miles of running in a 2.5 to 3 hour rugby practice). For me it was a combination of dehydration and overheating. Not just dehydration, but also not giving your body a long enough ramp to get to the increased stress putting on it. I.E. instead of me working up to rugby workouts for a month before practice started, I just waited and then started practice. It's brutal and not very good for you, but it goes away after a few weeks (or it did for me.) I have since learned from my errors, and now start to ramp up my exercise atleast 3 weeks before I am going to start heavy physical activity (anything over 85% for more then 30 minutes at a time I would consider heavy activity.)
  • nopogal
    nopogal Posts: 162
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    I will definitely talk to my doctor about this since i know headaches are more than just a pain and nothing to take lightly. I haven't experienced these due to exercise since a couple weeks ago when I started doing longer runs. Up until my recent 8 mile+ runs (ranging anywhere from 2-7 miles), I've been fine. Odd that an extra mile will do the trick. I'll look into the blood pressure thing too.

    Thanks!
  • alyfin
    alyfin Posts: 103
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    If you think you are getting enough water it's possible that you have an electrolyte imbalance. When I do my long runs I sweat so much that I lose a ton of sodium. (I literally develop salt crystals on my skin. Yuck)

    I also started lifting the minimum amount of weights to strengthen my neck and shoulders. It made the headaches worse the first few weeks, but now I can do 15 miles before I get the evening headache.
  • iojoi
    iojoi Posts: 378 Member
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    i have this trouble if i exercise
    the doc told me plenty of water and too watch my blood sugar levels arent too low
  • elevans
    elevans Posts: 9
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    Go see a good neurologist. I have bad migraines too. Unfortunately, science doesn't understand them too well yet...

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