Experience with migraines

[chell]

Do you take any birth control pills? Seasonique can make migraines worse if you have them. I have taken it two different times. The first time I had no problems. The second time I started having horrible migraines and had to switch to another migraine. This was just last year.

Hope you get some answers and relief soon.

 

[EMom]

I've had migraines since I was a small child. When I got on birth control pills, they decreased in quantity, but did not stop. (Seasonique does not bother me.) I've had many different symptoms. Dizziness, sensitivity to light and sound....that's putting it mildly..., passing out, lost my sight a few times, vomiting, you name it. The common denominator was that I could point to a specific PLACE on my head and say, "It hurts THERE." It was never an all over headache. I have those too, but the migraines are localized.

I once saw a movie in which the main character had migraines and eventually, he drilled a hole in his skull to alleviate the pain. I turned to DH during that scene and said, "I've wanted to do exactly that more times than I can count." I understood completely. I've left bruises on my head from pressing to temporarily take my concentration from the migraine pain. It is like no pain ever.

I took a lot of meds trying to control the migraines, but Topamax has worked best for me. In my case, it has been a miracle worker. I used to have headaches more days than not. I don't have them that often now.

I don't know if yours are migraines. Most people I know who have them say it is the worst pain in the world. Is your pain like that?

 

[LuvOrlando]

I've had migraines since I was a small child. When I got on birth control pills, they decreased in quantity, but did not stop. (Seasonique does not bother me.) I've had many different symptoms. Dizziness, sensitivity to light and sound....that's putting it mildly..., passing out, lost my sight a few times, vomiting, you name it. The common denominator was that I could point to a specific PLACE on my head and say, "It hurts THERE." It was never an all over headache. I have those too, but the migraines are localized.

I once saw a movie in which the main character had migraines and eventually, he drilled a hole in his skull to alleviate the pain. I turned to DH during that scene and said, "I've wanted to do exactly that more times than I can count." I understood completely. I've left bruises on my head from pressing to temporarily take my concentration from the migraine pain. It is like no pain ever.

I took a lot of meds trying to control the migraines, but Topamax has worked best for me. In my case, it has been a miracle worker. I used to have headaches more days than not. I don't have them that often now.

I don't know if yours are migraines. Most people I know who have them say it is the worst pain in the world. Is your pain like that?

Oh EMom that sounds terrible. But its interesting that we are all so different because my migraines were totally out of control on Birth Control. One of the worst ones I ever had when they put me on the Tri-cyclin after my DS was born... I was taking everything in my house and I still couldn't move (pain killers, injection Imitrex, it was a nightmare). But on the flip side I have friends who are treated with BC to stop the hormone fluctuations, one is on a patch and other DF is trying to find a Dr to take out her ovaries electively to stop them For them it helps.


You are right to bring up the pain level because that is the single thing that marks a migraine from anything else. Mine happen to respond to Fiorocet pain killer, which I discovered at 20. Before I discovered it, and if I let one go without pain killer the pain doubles by the minute until I am crawling on the floor like a snake to get to the bathroom because I simply can't move my head. It's a million times worse than anything I have ever felt so if it's really a migraine crippling is the only way to describe them.

 

[BCDisneyFanatic]

While some of my migraines have been absolutely debilitating, other times they pass quickly and with only moderate discomfort. I get two types - 'classic' migraines with visual disturbances, and others where the first symptom is a tightness in my neck muscles on the left side of my head. Strangely, the ones without the aura tend to be much worse, although this might be because the aura gives me time to get my meds into me preventing the worst of the migraine.

My doctor has prescribed a triptan for me to take (naratriptan) as soon as symptoms appear, and it is reasonably effective if I take it soon enough. The best medication for me, though, is tylenol cold and sinus. I found out about it by accident (it's all I had at work one day when I felt a migraine coming on), and it nipped the migraine in the bud with minimal side effects. I did some research afterwards, and found that there are studies that indicate that pseudoephedrine (found in tylenol cold and sinus), can be an effective treatment for migraines when combined with acetaminophen. I much prefer it to naratriptan, which can make me wiped out and irritable. It's also much, much cheaper.

 

[nkjzmom]

I'm so sorry for all of the suffering!!

I'm not on any sort of birth control so that's not a factor for me. As far as the headache pain...it's not uncontrollable. Tylenol and rest usually take care of it.

I found years ago that Aspartame gave me headaches...so I try to avoid it.

I hope that on Monday I can speak to the Doctors and find out more.