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I have had the misfortune of suffering from migraines from as long as I can remember... the classic aura followed by the thumping headache and finally feeling/being sick. I usually get these every few months...sometimes as long as one every 6 months .... until this week!
In 7 days I have had three migraines and it’s knocked me for six. I have booked to see my GP next week but I’m already spiralling and talking myself into having something bad.
Has any long term sufferers seen such drastic changes in the frequency of there migraines? I’m wondering whether age/hormones could be a trigger. I work all day on a PC so having these migraines so frequently is a nightmare.
Thanks for reading and hope there are others out there who can offer some words of wisdom before my Drs appointment!
Oh goodness yes! I went from having aura twice a year to at least weekly, and sometimes up to three times a day!
Have you tried quitting caffeine?
I have migraines and usually get "cluster attacks" where I'll have them day after day (this isn't actually uncommon).
Do you have any triggers? What medication do you take when they occur?
When I used to suffer with them, I found that they got much worse if I ignored the initial aura problem. So if I tried to carry on working and power through, I would then get the aura in the other eye and feel completely wiped out for the rest of the day. Does this sound familiar to you?
Oh goodness yes! I went from having aura twice a year to at least weekly, and sometimes up to three times a day!
Have you tried quitting caffeine?
Hi Blueirus
I only tend to have one cup of coffee in the morning, I may try giving that up to see if it makes a difference.
I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one in this boat!
Xx
I have migraines and usually get "cluster attacks" where I'll have them day after day (this isn't actually uncommon).
Do you have any triggers? What medication do you take when they occur?
Hi radioGaGa
This is a first for me having the cluster attacks, usually they are pretty sporadic and I will have one every few months.
One major trigger for me is sunlight or being caught off guard by someone closing a car door and it reflecting the sun. Stress is another one.
I have never been put on medication just given pointers on how to manage but I’m off to the docs next week because they seem to be changing in frequency.
Xx
When I used to suffer with them, I found that they got much worse if I ignored the initial aura problem. So if I tried to carry on working and power through, I would then get the aura in the other eye and feel completely wiped out for the rest of the day. Does this sound familiar to you?
Hi Scass, totally rings true with me! I ignore the aura at my own peril! I have learnt the hard way and now stop everything I’m doing including working when I get the aura and take myself into a dark room. Usually I can lessen the effects if I sleep for a little bit
Xx
Hi Scass, totally rings true with me! I ignore the aura at my own peril! I have learnt the hard way and now stop everything I’m doing including working when I get the aura and take myself into a dark room. Usually I can lessen the effects if I sleep for a little bit
Xx
Glare used to effect me too.
Cariad1
Interesting triggers you have - mine are mainly lack of sleep, dehydration and alcohol.
Don't worry yourself about the increasing frequency - it will definitely be nothing sinister. The only time a headache could be something to worry about is if its a type of headache you've never had before e.g. You suddenly start getting tension headaches when you've never had them before. And even at that, the chance of it being anything sinister is something like 1 in 500,000!
Aspirin usually works wonders for migraines
Thanks everyone for responding to me
I had yet another migraine attack this morning so decided to go to my walk in centre to see if they could prescribe something to help break them.
The dr was really good,looked in my eyes/strength test/ following her finger with my eyes and she said she found no concerns there. What she did find was high blood pressure..... high enough to cause concern so she wants to have it rechecked next week and if no improvement the next step would be medication. She thinks the blood pressure could be triggering the migraines.
She’s prescribed me sumatriptan for the migraines and at first sign I have to take one... hopefully this will help!
Xx
Well that’s good-ish! Luckily you’ve found a potential reason & will get some help.
Well that’s good-ish! Luckily you’ve found a potential reason & will get some help.
Thanks Scass
After a pretty ok weekend I have had another migraine today..... I’m trying to be rationale about it but I’m so worried.
I’m booked to see my GP on Wednesday but I’m utterly exhausted and now seem to be living in fear of when the next one will hit me.
I’m so scared I’m going to be told it’s something bad.
Cariad1 - Aside from their increased frequency, are these migraines the same as the ones you had previously?
Cariad1 - Aside from their increased frequency, are these migraines the same as the ones you had previously?
They don’t feel as intense, usually I have one every 4-6 months and they wipe me out for days but the latest ones seem to be not as intense. I still have the aura, headachey after aura and a sicky feeling but seems to be on a smaller scale.
Over the space of a week and a half now I have had 5 migraine episodes, it’s been a totally nightmare!
Xx
Please try not to panic? I've had similar and I was perfectly fine after.
Your GP will be able to reassure you (I feared brain tumours from 2012 right up until early this year. I'm a self-declared expert on them).
I assume you're worrying about a brain tumour, but when they cause a headache they're progressively worsening and constant. They don't come and go. They're accompanied by other more serious neurological signs. And I do remember reading a study about the features of a brain tumour headache - about 85% said these headaches were nothing like the headaches they'd experienced previously. The other 15%? They'd never experienced headaches before.
So by all means see your GP for reassurance/referral to a Headache clinic. The latter is not because it's a serious issue, but to better manage your migraines/treatment.
Godo luck
Your GP will be able to reassure you (I feared brain tumours from 2012 right up until early this year. I'm a self-declared expert on them).
I assume you're worrying about a brain tumour, but when they cause a headache they're progressively worsening and constant. They don't come and go. They're accompanied by other more serious neurological signs. And I do remember reading a study about the features of a brain tumour headache - about 85% said these headaches were nothing like the headaches they'd experienced previously. The other 15%? They'd never experienced headaches before.
So by all means see your GP for reassurance/referral to a Headache clinic. The latter is not because it's a serious issue, but to better manage your migraines/treatment.
Godo luck
Thanks so much Blueiris and Radiogaga
I was lucky enough for my walk in centre Gp to give me imigran last Friday so I took one of those and it seemed to work very quickly!
You are right about my fears, I watched my aunty go through a brain tumour.
I’m booked in to see my gp on Wednesday and think it may be time after years of self managing to see if they can put me on medication to manage them.
Thanks again, everyone who has responded have really have helped me to rationalise things.
Xx
Good luck. Hope you feel better and find what's causing this. I know how you feel, after having migraines almost everyday for the past few months I'm sick of it and every single worry has gone through my mind. All it was was tight muscles around my neck and jaw due to my wrong posture and my clenching due to stress. Try and do some meditation and wait and see what your GP says. Also, look at cutting out foods high in tyramine. The main thing that was causing my migraines were bananas, so I cut them out and they weren't as intense, even though I still have them.
Good luck. Hope you feel better and find what's causing this. I know how you feel, after having migraines almost everyday for the past few months I'm sick of it and every single worry has gone through my mind. All it was was tight muscles around my neck and jaw due to my wrong posture and my clenching due to stress. Try and do some meditation and wait and see what your GP says. Also, look at cutting out foods high in tyramine. The main thing that was causing my migraines were bananas, so I cut them out and they weren't as intense, even though I still have them.
Thanks Siffi
I actually work long hours on a computer and i have questioned before whether i have tight muscles or even trapped nerves in my neck as headaches/neck pain are with me to some degree more often than not.
I think i have got to the point now where i am actually stressing about getting one and may be causing them myself as ridiculous as that sounds.
Lots to try and work through at the GP tomorrow to see if she thinks its blood pressure related/hormones or even muscular.
Thanks so much for all the help given
xx
It's not ridiculous, Cariad. At my worst point I was getting them whenever I got angry, whenever I saw bright light, and sometimes from strong perfume or sudden loud noises.
Don't beat yourself up over this one.
I also suffer from Migraines, but fortunately have not had one for a couple of months.
My partner and her mum suffer from them and have also seen an increase in frequency over the past few weeks. Maybe weather is another trigger?
It's been changing a lot recently and our bodies take time to adjust (I normally get migraines a lot during the Winter).
Hope the meds work and you manage to get back on track :)
It's not ridiculous, Cariad. At my worst point I was getting them whenever I got angry, whenever I saw bright light, and sometimes from strong perfume or sudden loud noises.
Don't beat yourself up over this one.
Thanks BlueIris
It's an awful feeling, i can feel myself getting worked up just waiting for one to start then Bam its here! Hoping i can get a grip and sort it out sooner rather than later!
xx
Crossing fingers for you! It's been around a year since my last aura and I still get nervous when I see somebody in a stripy shirt ;)
I also suffer from Migraines, but fortunately have not had one for a couple of months.
My partner and her mum suffer from them and have also seen an increase in frequency over the past few weeks. Maybe weather is another trigger?
It's been changing a lot recently and our bodies take time to adjust (I normally get migraines a lot during the Winter).
Hope the meds work and you manage to get back on track :)
Thanks Ryan, The weather could certainly be a factor, i absolutely hate the heat! Hoping the GP can suggest something or give me something to try and control them tomorrow.
xx
Crossing fingers for you! It's been around a year since my last aura and I still get nervous when I see somebody in a stripy shirt ;)
Blue, that did make me laugh! I'm like a lunatic at the moment....we have those venetian blinds in the kitchen, they are coming down as i swear they are a trigger! Any light source needs to be blocked, im sat wearing migralens glasses ( i work on a computer so they have been essential recently!) I don't know about sorting these migraines but i feel like i should be in a straight jacket! :D:scared15:
xx
There, see, nobody else understands how scary stripy stuff is! I have a wonderful husband but he doesn't get them so he doesn't get how stripes can be frightening, or a chink of light through the curtains ;)
I'm 28; have had migraines since I was 11.
Migraines are trippy, they really are. They get into patterns of "usual" but I've found they can often change. I've had a couple that actually sent me to the ER - one was so bad I thought I was having a stroke! I was panicking, couldn't think straight, was having trouble talking, etc.
Now my migraines have always been tension related, lately they've been very focused on the neck. So I'll get them if I've been stressed, grinding my teeth, looking too long at a screen, etc. and more and more I've been getting them if I sleep in a funny position and then my neck will hurt and it will wrap around to the "migraine spot" right above my left eye.
After every major change I've gotten an MRI as per doctor's orders and never has anything been found.
I hope the sumatriptan helps - it used to work really well for me but I stopped taking it because it amplified my other symptoms. It was odd. I was then on Midrin which helped but even with insurance cost $150/bottle! So now I just take Excedrin. I wonder if they might put you on some sort of preventative migraine medication.
Good luck, and I hope you feel better and get a handle on these awful things!
I'm 28; have had migraines since I was 11.
Migraines are trippy, they really are. They get into patterns of "usual" but I've found they can often change. I've had a couple that actually sent me to the ER - one was so bad I thought I was having a stroke! I was panicking, couldn't think straight, was having trouble talking, etc.
Now my migraines have always been tension related, lately they've been very focused on the neck. So I'll get them if I've been stressed, grinding my teeth, looking too long at a screen, etc. and more and more I've been getting them if I sleep in a funny position and then my neck will hurt and it will wrap around to the "migraine spot" right above my left eye.
After every major change I've gotten an MRI as per doctor's orders and never has anything been found.
I hope the sumatriptan helps - it used to work really well for me but I stopped taking it because it amplified my other symptoms. It was odd. I was then on Midrin which helped but even with insurance cost $150/bottle! So now I just take Excedrin. I wonder if they might put you on some sort of preventative migraine medication.
Good luck, and I hope you feel better and get a handle on these awful things!
Thanks Poppy
I’m getting them literally every day at the moment which is certainly freaking me out... I think I have got myself into a cycle of panic/anxiety at this point and it may be triggering them more.
I work long hours on a computer so have booked to see a chiropractor on Thursday in case it’s tension or a trapped nerve that’s causing my issues.
Being in the UK I’m lucky in a sense that we do have the NHS for prescriptions but I have booked to see a chiropractor privately as I’m sure waiting times would be long and I am desperate to get things resolved.
It’s so nice to talk to people who have been in the same position xx
Glad you're getting some help!
Just a question, do you have a pair of computer glasses to do work with? I wear mine every day at work and, while I still get some eye strain and headaches, it's MUCH better with them.
Sorry to but in, but I am terrified of the headache I have at the moment, I've never suffered with tension headaches before and have had one for weeks now, should I be worried?
Probably no need to worry, but no harm in getting it checked out with the doctor, either.
I very been a few times now, he has given me amitriptyline which I took my first dose last night. Today I feel awful, ringing in my ears headache and pressure. I'm terrified its something worse.
Sorry to but in, but I am terrified of the headache I have at the moment, I've never suffered with tension headaches before and have had one for weeks now, should I be worried?
Hi Keaw
I totally understand how worrying it is!
Mine has been pretty ongoing for nearly three weeks now. My issue now is I think I have worried myself over them so much I have given myself anxiety and panic attacks.
Been to my doc who says she is sure it’s an acute episode that should pass but she’s booked me in to see her in a couple of weeks time and also sent me for blood tests.
I have had my first appointment with an osteopath too, she is convinced I have tension in my neck and shoulders that are triggering my migraines and daily headaches. I’m back for session two with her next week.
Try not to worry, easier said than done I know!
Thanks, Its so horrible isn't it, I can't think of anything else.
Thanks, Its so horrible isn't it, I can't think of anything else.
It’s horrible! It’s impacting my work as I’m self employed and work online.... working on a laptop seems to trigger mine.
I’m back to work tomorrow after taking last week off and I’m already anxious about it!
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