migraine

[melvin]

hi guys does does anyone get migraines i get a funny vision a bad headache and some i feel weird is this normal just wondered i seem to get it regular just lately

[NeverRelaxed]

mate I had a TERRIBLE one last night! I havent had one that bad since I was about 14/15 years old!

just to put you at ease. all those things that you describe are normal part of a migraine attack. Ive had them for over ten years now and I ive had every weird aura symptom in the book!

last night I had blind spot in my right side of vision. tingling/numb right hand. I couldnt speak properly/everything came out gibberish! and I had some troulble understanding things in general! and the actual headache was AWFUL!

What you describe def sounds like a migraine to me! try not to worry.

[kittykat]

I suffer loads from migraines with the above symptoms, the doctor put me on propranolol as a preventative measure as i just couldnt take them anymore...its been 19 days since my last one and counting , what your describing sounds like migraine has your doctor diagnosed them as tht ?

[melvin]

thanks for your replys guys

[Peter_Scott]

I suffer loads from migraines with the above symptoms, the doctor put me on propranolol as a preventative measure as i just couldnt take them anymore...its been 19 days since my last one and counting , what your describing sounds like migraine has your doctor diagnosed them as tht ?

Hi Kitty,

I am sorry to hear that you also get the dreaded M, but pleased that you have found a med that works for you.

I was also on Propranolol many years ago and it did help, my current GP thinks it is too old hat to try, the thing is I was happy to try it again.

I have been getting migraines at least once a week with daily headaches since Feb. I am now on Butterbur, this is widely prescribed in Europe for migraines but for some reason not much in the UK. I am happy to say I have had some success, also there are no reported side effects with it, :)

Peter

[blueangel]

Hi from another fellow sufferer.

I've had migraine with aura for most of my life, and I'm at least the third generation of women in my family to have it (so it's good job I never had any kids! :D)

Migraine is a really crappy affliction; people who don't suffer from it often don't appreciate how bad it can be and think it's "just a headache". In addition to the headaches, over the years I've had flashing lights, blind spots, what I can only describe as "split vision", numbness in face and hands, dizziness, disorientation, violent sickness and effects on my speech.

Needless to say, I find migraines deeply frightening and am always convinced that I'm having a stroke. My attacks got markedly worse about 12 years ago when my hormone levels started to change (as migraine can be badly affected by the perimenopause) and I went from having 3 or 4 attacks a year to one every 3 or 4 days! It made driving terrifying as I never knew when I was going to get an attack and not be able to see.

I tried exclusion diets for a while (as there are huge number of foods which can set them off) but my doctor also put me on beta-blockers, which although they don't completely prevent the attacks, they cut them down a lot (and deal with some of my anxiety symptoms as well, hurrah!).

There are also other medications which can be used as "preventers" if you get a lot of attacks, and also medication for the attacks themselves, such as sumatriptan, but I've never tried them myself.

Hope this helps!

[kittykat]

Well i spoke to soon took a migraine last night .....although it started of with my vision going first this time then the aura which wasnt as pronounced as it has been ,wonder if thts the propranolol then the splitting headache which i dont always get, blue a lot of what you say rings true with me , but its so hard knowing what the triggers are although bright sunshine is definately a no no for me. What age do you become peri menopausal at as my migraines have increased a lot recently , im 39 this october, and peter glad to hear tht this med is working so far for you was it difficult to get prescribed by your gp.
It just never matters how often i get migraine they still absolutely terrify me x

[blueangel]

Hi Kittykat,

I was about 38 when mine started to get really bad, so that sounds bang on for perimenopause. I eventually saw a neurologist who said he was so sure it was my hormone levels causing it he would have bet his house on it. My GP was fine about giving me beta blockers, which was very useful.

I did find one small shred of consolation for getting them though - on the BBC website recently there was an article which said that research showed that women who are regular migraine sufferers have a lower risk of getting breast cancer!

[kittykat]

Well that's something anyway lol x Think it could be my hormones as am due a period round about now and took a migraine last night so thats a possible cause x

[Kipepeo Girl]

last night I had blind spot in my right side of vision. tingling/numb right hand. I couldnt speak properly/everything came out gibberish! and I had some troulble understanding things in general! and the actual headache was AWFUL!
I get all these symptoms every time I have a migraine. It's very weird and sometimes quite scary.

I've suffered from them for about six years and when I stopped drinking alcohol I got them far less frequently. Though the alcohol was only one or two WKDs once a month or so, they were the main trigger. I still got the odd one every now and then though.

But then about two years ago I started getting a few a week and even had three attacks in two days. So my GP prescribed me Pizotifen, which I take every night, and have just had two migraines since - both of which during particularly stressful times. The only downside is that I put on two stone in less than a year.

[melvin]

do you guys have any idear what can set them off

[kittykat]

bright sunshine sets mine off, if i dont eat at regular intervals as well and also i think hormones in us ladies thts my known triggers the worse being the bright sunshine so sunglasses are a must x

[Kipepeo Girl]

I think the top triggers are alcohol, chocolate and cheese, but there are quite a few things that can set them off like stress, hormones, lack of sleep etc.

[NeverRelaxed]

I get all these symptoms every time I have a migraine. It's very weird and sometimes quite scary.

I've suffered from them for about six years and when I stopped drinking alcohol I got them far less frequently. Though the alcohol was only one or two WKDs once a month or so, they were the main trigger. I still got the odd one every now and then though.

But then about two years ago I started getting a few a week and even had three attacks in two days. So my GP prescribed me Pizotifen, which I take every night, and have just had two migraines since - both of which during particularly stressful times. The only downside is that I put on two stone in less than a year.


I was on pizotifen when I was younger. it was around the time of my GCSE exams and I must have been stressed as I was getting a lot of bad migraines around this time so I was given this medicine. It worked well for me..Although it didnt cure the migraines (no cure!!) they did become much less frequent and severe, like you say.

So I think ill ask to be put back on the pizotifen.

[NeverRelaxed]

Triggers for me include:

choco
cheese (although nowadays im less sensitive to these triggers)
excess amounts of alcohol
going to sleep with wet hair (USED TO BE A HUGE ONE FOR ME!!)
intense emotional situations
sudden change of sleep pattern
nuts (cashews)

--

[heather xx]

if im out all day in the sun its usually when im at a theme park (rollercoaster geek here) i will always finish the day with a really bad headache im not sure what thats about maybe its all the spinning or going upside down that doesnt help!

[maz55]

I've suffered from them for about six years and when I stopped drinking alcohol I got them far less frequently. Though the alcohol was only one or two WKDs once a month or so, they were the main trigger. I still got the odd one every now and then though.

[maz55]

I've suffered from them for about six years and when I stopped drinking alcohol I got them far less frequently. Though the alcohol was only one or two WKDs once a month or so, they were the main trigger. I still got the odd one every now and then though.
Had a migraine this morning, and had drunk WKD, last night maybe the colouring in it,though feel it is also related to the menopause,got loads better with propranolol, ie not so many & not so severe, but like blue the migraines really frighten me, having read that they increase the chance of strokes, asked thye doctor about this, and he quoted "you can read what you like into stastics, dont stress about it, " so trying to think positively, but big hugs to all out there with the big M as it is a real git, it is not just a headache

[_Psychocandy_]

Hi all,
I used to get really bad migraines when I was younger. I had them about once a month and they were a really frightening experience, having all the symptoms as already mentioned and they caused me almost temporary blindness when i had one.
When I was about 12 I decided to become a vegan (i was veggie beforehand) and the migranes stopped straight away. it was a complete coincidence as at that age I had no idea that diet was what was triggering the attacks.
I know its a bit radical, but it really worked for me!
I think the trigger foods are cheese, chocolate, red wine and some others...
They can also be triggered by stress.

Kate xx