r/migraine

I've had migraines for 11 years, you'd think I'd have learnt that lesson by now. 😩🤦‍♀️

So, I've had migraine disease for 30+ years, and I understand that it is a neurological disorder.

Also, I can not have children, and as such, I have never experienced the hormonal ups and downs of pregnancy and birthing.

My 20 year old stepdaughter gave birth 5 days ago and told me she just went to the emergency room by ambulance as she "felt really unwell and scared for her life." The ER said she was having a migraine attack and gave her a neurology referral. (Grateful for Canadian health care)

I was wondering if some women only get migraine attacks during pregnancy/birthing due to hormones and sleep schedule disruptions, or was giving birth the catalyst in getting migraine disease to rear it's ugly head?

Also, she was given a prescription for sumatriptan, and she is breastfeeding. Can women who are breastfeeding take this safely? I was always under the impression that pregnant/breastfeeding women couldn't take any medication.

I understand that any advice here is not medical advice, but I am out of my league.

Thanks

Hey guys. I am getting genuinely depressed in my life.

I have migraines and then I also have ADHD. Everything I’ve heard about having migraines thru my research has been emotionally draining.

Don’t skip meals?

My brain is dopamine deficient so I overeat sometimes thus not making room to have 3 meals in a day, and sometimes I just eat 1 big one, this is also because I can’t properly motivate myself to go grab food for myself or cook for myself. I only really cook for my girlfriend and I at dinner time since she’s working during the day and the only thing that motivates me enough is my love for her.

Dehydration?

I’ll get lost in my phone or on my Xbox for far too long, I forget to drink enough water or anything as well.

Depressed mood making it worse and when you have the migraine you are more likely to feel depressed?

Well I’m depressed because I can’t do enough to deal with my migraines and then I start to blame myself for it all and give myself a migraine with my depressive thoughts about my self worth. Even grabbing my relive pills is hard because it starts out not that painful but of course it almost always gets worse than I get mad at myself for not taking one.

Sticking to a proper sleep schedule?

Hahahaha good luck with that one, my mind is racing with different ideas on different things that I want to do

I also unfortunately enjoy cannabis and it’s making it really hard to quit because cannabis gives me that dopamine I need but taking it with some medicines I take for migraine increases your risk of getting migraines in the future or depressed mood.

I’m now taking adhd pills, that help me focus but causes sleep issues and increased risk of migraines…

Overall, I just been feeling quite shit about myself and I don’t know what to do about it. I’m struggling quite a bit with things. Keep self blaming myself for everything and not giving myself enough compassion. Does anyone else struggle with both? What do you think about what I’m saying?

The caption is a bit provocative, but my partner is going through a very stressfull time in his life, leaving him overworked and at an emotionally bad place. When he gets home he stays at work with his thoughts and basicly never gets a rest from it mentally. I would never want him to supress his feelings and he can always rant to me about it and I will always be there for him and listen and hold him when he needs it. But the stress, especially the catastrophically bad sleep is rubbing up on me and the amount of migraines I have atm has increased by a lot. Which obviously also puts me in a bad place. I simply dont know how to get a hold of it. We share a bed, but have our own blankets, I already wear ear plugs but he is turning and tossing around like crazy all night. He is just tired in the mornings but I wake up and can already tell I am getting yet another migraine. Sleep is simply a big trigger for me and I have a light sleep as well. We only have on bed and a small appartment so I also cant sleep elsewhere. I also already tried to go to bed before him to get some sleep in in advance but because he is also really tried he started to go to bed earlier as well.

Maybe I also simply need to rant somewhere and somebody to tell my this too will pass..

I’ve been dealing with migraines for almost 5 years now. I turn 20 in September. I do not want to turn 20 in September. I am so tired of these headaches. I’m becoming a nihilist who hates the concept of living at all.

I don’t want to be like this, I really don’t. I want to enjoy my life, I want to enjoy books and movies and my family and friends and the thoughts and experiences of growing older. I don’t want to leave my family and friendships behind but at the same time I am so ready to not wake up anymore.

To people who’ve been dealing with migraines, how do you find the strength to keep dealing with them? It’s ruining my life.

Curious if anyone else on days where it’s super stormy. Have you ever woken up and just felt off? It’s like you’re anxious but you just know something isn’t right internally. You also have a pressure near your eyes and tension spots in your body. Just curious if anyone else experiences this lol it’s a feeling that I’m just like a migraine is highly possible and I need to take it easy today.

I’ve had migraine issues for years, usually triggered by sunlight, but for the past 7–8 months I’ve noticed screens are becoming a major trigger too.

Even moderate screen use gives me headaches, and once it starts it can take almost a week for things to feel normal again. I’ve tried everything I can think of:

• consciously blinking more
• taking screen breaks
• not staring continuously
• getting my eyes tested again
• upgrading my glasses/lens quality

I already wear spectacles and my eye prescription hasn’t changed.

I also went to a neurologist. I was previously on Amitriptyline, and now I’ve been prescribed Propranolol, but I’m still getting these migraines/headaches.

Another issue is that I have gut problems, so I can’t take NSAIDs and some other medications frequently, which makes this even harder to manage.

I wanted to ask:

1. Does anyone else get severe headaches/migraines mainly from screen exposure? What actually helps you?
2. Does this sound like a migraine issue, or could it be something else?
3. My migraines usually do NOT go away on their own. I often have to take medication, but I can’t do that too often because of my stomach/gut issues. Sleeping is also difficult during an attack, and if I do sleep, I often wake up in the middle of the night with much worse pain.

Would really appreciate any suggestions or experiences from people dealing with something similar.

I'm having one of the worst attacks ever I took my meds ate food but I keep puking and puking it started yesterday night so I thought I'll sleep it off but my migraine started again as soon as I woke up. I've been up for 2 hours now and I have puked like three times already.

I have an important work meeting today that I can't skip+I just came back from a holiday yesterday so can't take the day off either. Any idea what I can do to subside so I can at least make it to the office and show my face

Edit: in the time I wrote this post I vomited twice again. I also have very bad stomach cramps which is something I usually don't have. I'll go see my doctor later sometime this week but I really do need to go to the office today so any quick fixes or anything would really help

I’ve had a migraine since April 28th, I’ve tried imitrex (usually works), nurtec, a toradol injection and a Medrol pack. Nothing is working. Idk what to do. I don’t have a neurologist right now.

The ADHD stimulant medication Vyvanse / lisdexamfetamine significantly helps my migraines.

I've dealt with migraines for 30 years. Six months ago, I got diagnosed with ADHD / VAST and started Vyvanse for that. Amazingly, Vyvanse seems to have significantly reduced the number of migraines and has helped quell nascent ones in lieu of a traditional rescue drug. This is unexpected and wonderful, and I wanted to share the info. The drug has made my life so much easier in so many ways.

I'm lead to understand that because the drug is a stimulant, it may help the migraines as it works as a vasoconstrictor.

Some thoughts: what worked for me might not work for you, and I am not offering Vyvanse up as a primary migraine treatment. Instead, I offer this as proof that relief can come from unexpected places and with hope that you will find you relief.

Second, there are probably a whole lot of migraineurs who are undiagnosed or untreated for their ADHD/VAST. If you think you have ADHD or if you are depressed,* it may be useful to pursue ADHD diagnostics to determine if you have ADHD and if Vyvanse may be helpful to you.

*Did you know that there is a phenomena where ADHD has been misdiagnosed as depression, and when the correct diagnosis and treatment for ADHD is provided the depression clears up? This particularly happens with adult women with late diagnosis of ADHD. If you have always been a little scatterbrained and you're depressed, it might be worth looking into.

Good luck out there, folks!

so I'm bipolar and am on lithium so like I understand it's hard to find a migraine medicine that won't interact with the lithium or make me manic, but it's been 3 weeks since my first neurology appointment and I still don't have any meds to help. He diagnosed me with migraines and put in an order for emgality, which insurance denied. I tried letting him know and I didn't hear anything back from him until yesterday when he called me and told me he was going to prescribe me naproxen to take every day for my headaches. When I told him I can't take NSAIDs every day because of my lithium, he told me he was going to put in an order for a different medication that's low risk that day. The pharmacy still doesn't have it and I can't find the name of it anywhere on the patient portal.

Then I had a primary care appointment today and apparently I'm having issues with my liver (I don't drink so this was a surprise), and now my primary care doctor told me I need to stop taking Tylenol. So now I can't take any NSAIDs because of my lithium, I can't take Tylenol because of my liver, and I'm still waiting on *anything* from my neurologist because now I just have to raw dog these stupid headaches every day 😭 and I'm also dealing with the aftermath of a mental health inpatient hospital visit a couple weeks ago, issues with my thyroid, and my IUD possibly shifting so this is just another blow health wise. My PCP is also worried about autoimmune issues and I now have to see a rheumatologist and God I'm so overwhelmed and over it all.

Hi! I recently had my first multi day long migraine. I was completely stuck for three days with partial blindness, vertigo, extreme stomach pain, and unable to move without throwing up. I usually get in to work earlier than everyone else, and I could barely even send a text to my boss since I couldn't see. I had to constantly ask my dad to bring me water, liquid food, medicine, etc. which I think he found tedious. Or maybe he thought I was exaggerating. I'm not sure.

I felt extremely vulnerable and neglected. I want to make sure if that ever happens again, I have everything I need to take care of myself. I'll be moving in with my partner soon and he has chronic debilitating headache migraines which are much worse than mine usually are. He has a better support system, and I want the transition to be as smooth as possible. Another thing I'm worried about is the possibility of both of us being incapacitated at the same time.

One thing I have figured out which has been helpful is the Speak out loud feature on my computer and phone.

Things I'm not sure about:

- Getting to and from the bathroom

- Easily digestible liquid food with minimal moving to get and long shelf life

- Hygiene like teeth brushing and days without showers

- men's clothes that don't require a lot of movement to put on and don't push on your organs at all

- automated ways to send preset messages to a bunch of groups (like a button that sends a bunch of emails to your coworkers that you're super sick or something?)

- good chairs or beds for putting yourself in multiple positions without moving much or at all (like maybe a recliner? or a pillow to move yourself to an angle?)

- any tools that might be more applicable to someone with headache migraines

I know there are so many different causes for migraines and this won’t work for everyone.

But I’ve been exploring the possibility of having MCAS for the past couple of months and since I’ve been taking antihistamines a bit more regularly my migraines have reduced.

I first started taking antihistamines because I had a cold and needed them and at that time I noticed that my PMDD symptoms improved.

I had heard that sometimes PMDD symptoms are misdiagnosed when someone actually has MCAS. I actually have some of the symptoms of MCAS too such as eczema/ rashes which flare up at times. Gastro symptoms. Brain fog. Fatigue.

Anyways, I’ve continued to take antihistamines at different phases of my menstrual cycle because apparently MCAS can worsen during ovulation and when your period comes. And I don’t know if it’s just a coincidence… but I’ve also not had any migraines since managing my PMDD in this way. My brain fog, mood and motivation have all improved a lot too.

Hope someone finds this interesting or helpful.

For context, I’ve been getting migraines since I was about 14. Frequency has varied but in recent years it’s been about continuous to 2 x per week (during bad periods) to 2 x per month (during better periods)

Btw I’m not doing this alone, I’ve been talking to my doctor about it as well who was also curious about MCAS.

I’m not asking for any help, just want to celebrate how far I’ve come with treatment.

I used to get migraines on and off for months on end. The severity would vary. I would have maybe 3 good days a month, and ab 5 where I could slightly move (wash myself/eat/etc). But most days, I would be locked inside, bedridden, with covers over the windows. I had to wear 2 sets of noise cancelling headphones, sunglasses (yes in complete darkness), and freezer head wraps that I constantly had to change out. I couldn’t do ANYTHING other than lay in bed and wait. There were so many times I genuinely thought that I was going to die.

I really never thought I’d be able to run, workout, be outside in the sun or when it’s groggy, eat sweets, drink anything other than cold water, stand for long periods of time, WORK, do field work and research (geosciences student!), or even be able to graduate without getting a weeks long migraine afterwards. But I can now. I want to cry at this point; it feels so good knowing that I’m getting to a place with my chronic health issues where they’re more or less under control.

With my treatments, I’ve actually been able to act like a normal person and do normal people things. I just got through my third round of injections, and have been on Qulipta and Ubrelvy (as needed) for 2 years now. I went from having 7 or less “normal” days a month, to having less than 5 (less than a day long) migraines a month. My mental health has gotten infinitely better, and I’m finally starting to live. I am not just my disability anymore, and it’s made life so much more worth living.

I don’t think people who haven’t dealt with it will ever truly be able to understand what we all go through. I’m truly glad that there are people who don’t suffer like us, but fuck does it make me mad that we all drew such a short stick.

Thank you science for trigeminal nerve blocks, Qulipta, and Ubrelvy. Thank you Reddit for this sub helping me seek treatment and trying Botox. And thank you 7-11 for chuggable Dr Pepper slushies.

I am suffering from chronic migraines and I am about to pursue a career but the school is 5 days a week 9-5 pm + 3 hrs of study a day, and it is a 2-year course. Does anyone have any advice or experiences with how to do this with my current health issue?

Since December I’ve been dealing with bad migraines and passing out. Finally saw a neurologist that put me on fludrocortisone in the morning and topiramate 25mg at night. So far the headaches have worsen. The passing out is bad as well even with compression socks and doubling my hydration like she said. I now have hardly any taste. My hands and feet tingle or go numb. And on top of it all I’m forgetting everything!!
I message the doctor her only suggestion was to break my morning medication in half and take that until I feel better.
I hate this so much!! I also have nooooo appetite despite me breastfeeding. I use to be constantly hungry and now I have to force myself to eat

I always used to find Coca Cola helped me sometimes reduce or even get rid of a migraines but I had a weird experience last year when I had two Coca Cola cans from the same pack that gave me the weird 'chemical' fuzzy feeling in my head I get when I have decaf coffee. I looked online and it said there could've been too high an amount of some chemical in that particular batch so it made me stop buying them.

I then moved onto regular Pepsi which seemed better but people online are saying even the regular one is now full of sweeteners. Here in the UK we have a 'sugar tax' which means they're taking out sugar and adding chemical sweeteners to more products.

I am thinking of trying some of those fancier colas you have to order online and I wondered if anyone here had tried any/can recommend any colas that have fewer or no chemical sweeteners? This has got me thinking that if a company created Migraineur Cola with no artificial sweeteners or weird chemicals then they'd probably have a popular product!

Hi! I recently had my first multi day long migraine. I was completely stuck for three days with partial blindness, vertigo, extreme stomach pain, and unable to move without throwing up. I usually get in to work earlier than everyone else, and I could barely even send a text to my boss since I couldn't see. I had to constantly ask my dad to bring me water, liquid food, medicine, etc. which I think he found tedious. Or maybe he thought I was exaggerating. I'm not sure.

I felt extremely vulnerable and neglected. I want to make sure if that ever happens again, I have everything I need to take care of myself. I'll be moving in with my partner soon and he has chronic debilitating headache migraines which are much worse than mine usually are. He has a better support system, and I want the transition to be as smooth as possible. Another thing I'm worried about is the possibility of both of us being incapacitated at the same time.

One thing I have figured out which has been helpful is the Speak out loud feature on my computer and phone.

Things I'm not sure about:

- Getting to and from the bathroom

- Easily digestible liquid food with minimal moving to get and long shelf life

- Hygiene like teeth brushing and days without showers

- men's clothes that don't require a lot of movement to put on and don't push on your organs at all

- automated ways to send preset messages to a bunch of groups (like a button that sends a bunch of emails to your coworkers that you're super sick or something?)

- good chairs or beds for putting yourself in multiple positions without moving much or at all (like maybe a recliner? or a pillow to move yourself to an angle?)

- any tools that might be more applicable to someone with headache migraines

After over a decade of pushing for one, the big day is finally tomorrow. The day I can receive some proper help for this condition.

Can any fellow migriane sufferers tell me what I should expect for tomorrow? The kind of questions they will ask, and potential treatments they might offer?

UK based.