Have you tried exercising through a migraine?

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  • kimberly_grubbs
    kimberly_grubbs Posts: 70 Member
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    Best quick fix for a migraine if you're okay with taking something for it - 1000mg acetaminophen, 800mg ibuprofen, and a caffeinated drink. My sister in law is a nurse and can't take actual medication on shift, so this is what a doctor on staff told her to take in the meantime. It actually works really well.

    But, if I have a migraine that I'm not able to take anything for, I definitely do not work out - that just makes my head literally feel like it's throbbing/pulsing.
  • Gemini_1980
    Gemini_1980 Posts: 349 Member
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    Not me :sad: . MIgraines take me down for the count. Meds and dark, quiet room is what I need:grumble:
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
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    If someone told me they'd "exercised through a migraine" that would make me think "What a drama queen, sure she's got a migraine, same as that cold I had last week was influenza" :bigsmile:

    Thought the same thing.
  • floweringcurrant
    floweringcurrant Posts: 112 Member
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    I couldn't possibly exercise during a migraine, I can't see anything when I get them.
    Getting through a migraine, for me, means lying in a dark room with no/minimal sound, and drinking water occasionally for 6-10 hrs. Unfortunately, when I get one I'm out for the day. By taking something like Excedrin, it reduces them to 2-6 hours for some people, though.
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
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    Best quick fix for a migraine if you're okay with taking something for it - 1000mg acetaminophen, 800mg ibuprofen, and a caffeinated drink. My sister in law is a nurse and can't take actual medication on shift, so this is what a doctor on staff told her to take in the meantime. It actually works really well.

    But, if I have a migraine that I'm not able to take anything for, I definitely do not work out - that just makes my head literally feel like it's throbbing/pulsing.

    Caffeine is actually a trigger for some. Sometimes, but not always, it helps prevent mine, but I've known others that caffeine is a trigger for. And a lot of medical professionals say avoid caffeine, as does some literature. Problem is, a lot about migraines is still not understood even in the medical field, so each person is kind of on their own in determining what works for them and what is a trigger for them because it is not the same for everyone.That said, taking Natural Calm can *sometimes* prevent mine, and I've known a couple of people who it always works for. You just have to experiment. And try reading The Migraine Brain. LOADS of great information.
  • xMissy6x
    xMissy6x Posts: 347 Member
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    i wouldnt do it, for me it makies it worse. Id be more inclined to try work out where it has come from. If you dont normally get headaches or migranes its probably due to a change in diet.
  • BrooklynBeast
    BrooklynBeast Posts: 44
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    I used to suffer from migraines very frequently. If I didn't exercise through them, I would have exercised a whole lot less. Sometimes the exercise helps me get rid of them.

    My former cure for my headaches used to be to take Excedrin. I would take it at the first tingling of a headache. However, I discovered that by taking Calcium and Magnesium supplements, the frequency of my headaches is drastically reduced. In fact, the only times I get headaches now is if I have alcohol the night before.

    In any event, if you are suddenly getting migraines, where you never had them before, you should definitely get them checked out asap. It is probably nothing, but you never know and it is better to be safe than sorry.
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
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    The most I've ever done under those conditions was yoga. Otherwise, I am likely to get hurt if I am feeling dizzy and nauseated.

    When I have a migraine, that is a much more imminent health problem than any weight loss goals I may have.
  • SueGremlin
    SueGremlin Posts: 1,066 Member
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    Yeah, I was hit by one out on a hike and unusually for me I had no meds on me. By the time I managed to get home, I was so ill that I was a wreck for a couple of days.

    If someone told me they'd "exercised through a migraine" that would make me think "What a drama queen, sure she's got a migraine, same as that cold I had last week was influenza" :bigsmile:
    It is a common myth that all migraines are debilitating. Thank goodness for that because I get somewhere between 5 and 10 migraines a month. I would not be able to function were this the case.
  • holli_walker
    holli_walker Posts: 109 Member
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    SueGremlin- i agree i normally get 3+ a week. but now when i get (about the same amount) they aren't as bad since started watching what i eat and when. crazy how the human body works during the day if i haven't eaten a snack/meal in last 4 hrs a migraine starts. but other things trigger mine too :( wish was only eating on a schedule. lol
  • Sweetcheeks278
    Sweetcheeks278 Posts: 356
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    I've tried before but it only makes it worse for me personally.
  • Shell_7609
    Shell_7609 Posts: 786 Member
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    I've never tried exercising through a migraine, if I get one, I have to take my meds & go into a dark room & pass out
  • busterbluth
    busterbluth Posts: 115 Member
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    I have a feeling that those of you who said "yes" get headaches, not migraines.

    There is no way I could exercise or anything else through a migraine. I give myself an Imitrex injection and chill. If I'm out of them, I end up in the ER because I'm puking my guts out.
  • Stefanie7125
    Stefanie7125 Posts: 462 Member
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    true migraines are debilitating and you can't "work through them". If you can function then it is probably just a really bad headache. (I use the word just very loosely here. I know headaches are horrible.) Yes, back and neck problems can lead to migraines as well as certain foods. Good Chiropractors are wonderful, just be careful, there are some jokes out there. Keep yourself hydrated as well. I hope you figure out the cause soon! Good luck.
  • busterbluth
    busterbluth Posts: 115 Member
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    SueGremlin- i agree i normally get 3+ a week. but now when i get (about the same amount) they aren't as bad since started watching what i eat and when. crazy how the human body works during the day if i haven't eaten a snack/meal in last 4 hrs a migraine starts. but other things trigger mine too :( wish was only eating on a schedule. lol

    Interestingly, eating LESS has helped my migraines? I used to get them from low blood sugar, but I started reading about ketosis and migraines (and seizures, which I also get) so it makes sense. I need to talk to a nutritionist about it. I also want to get food allergy testing.
  • Stefanie7125
    Stefanie7125 Posts: 462 Member
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    I have a feeling that those of you who said "yes" get headaches, not migraines.

    There is no way I could exercise or anything else through a migraine. I give myself an Imitrex injection and chill. If I'm out of them, I end up in the ER because I'm puking my guts out.


    agree!!
  • KidP
    KidP Posts: 247 Member
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    If we're talking an actual migraine (as opposed to just a headache or bad headache), then no, absolutely not. For me, that would be ridiculous. I've had migraines so bad that i can't stand up or talk let alone lift a heavy weight up over my head. I cannot imagine trying to exercise under those conditions - it would be downright dangerous & foolhardy. I might as well just drop a kettlebell on my foot and get it over with.

    I've exercised through headaches before. Sometimes it goes away, sometimes it gets worse. I did it last Friday & by the end the headache was gone. It was no migraine, though.
  • Roni_M
    Roni_M Posts: 717 Member
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    I was dx with cluster migraines years ago. They are a series of migraines one right after another and can last 1-3 days. They are a little more resistant to medication from my understanding. Every step I take jolts my head like someone has hit me with a sledgehammer. I could never "workout" during one. In fact if it's a multi day one I tend to get dehydrated because I won't drink anything other than enough water to swallow my pain med every 4 hours. I do nothing but sleep in a dark quiet room. Luckily I don't get them as frequently because they are related to a bleeding disorder I have and it has improved some over the years along with the migraines. It's interesting to see the number of people who can work through them!!
  • cutie2b
    cutie2b Posts: 194 Member
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    I couldn't possibly exercise during a migraine, I can't see anything when I get them.
    Getting through a migraine, for me, means lying in a dark room with no/minimal sound, and drinking water occasionally for 6-10 hrs. Unfortunately, when I get one I'm out for the day. By taking something like Excedrin, it reduces them to 2-6 hours for some people, though.

    Migraines for me means that my vision goes out and I auras. You can't exercise if you can't see and your dizzy and nauseated.
  • SueGremlin
    SueGremlin Posts: 1,066 Member
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    true migraines are debilitating and you can't "work through them". If you can function then it is probably just a really bad headache.
    That is absolutely untrue. Migraines vary between individuals. I was diagnosed with migraine after a thorough workup. Sometimes they are debilitating, sometimes they are not.

    People should not assume anyone is a "drama queen" because their migraines aren't as bad as yours.

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