I'm not sure how to do this post. I know the reaction I don't want, but I don't know how to start off with a disclaimer that isn't offensive.
I'll just say: I'm open to suggestions about my possible migraine triggers, but know that there are different triggers out of hundreds for each individual, and what is your friend's trigger may not be mine. And it's hard not to be offended when you tell me it's because I'm stressed out at work (I really don't think I am, but others think they know better than me) or because I'm not having sex enough (Yes, this really was a suggestion. And after doing some research, I've found that sex relieves migraine symptoms for some people, and exacerbates them for others.) People are different, so offer your ideas but please don't follow up and ask me if I've seen your acupuncturist yet.
Okay, that's out of the way. I'm sorry. I'm disgruntled and tired of being in pain and the ups and downs of between migraines. Here is my story!
Around puberty, I suddenly got a fuzziness in my field of vision. At first it was weird - "Hey, I'm looking at you right now and you don't have a head!" and then it made me sick, and then it made me scared. Then suddenly it went away and was replaced by a headache that felt like some tiny screwdriver was messing up the base of my skull. I felt like I had to throw up, and everyone was too loud and the lights were too bright. I retreated to bed. All light, all sound, was painful. After a few hours' nap I felt a little better, but the migraine lasted several days.
I continued to get them sporadically, but they didn't significantly affect my quality of life. I didn't seek treatment. I got them till about age 20, when they started getting worse and I stopped drinking coffee to see if that would help. Amazingly, they went away - but returned if I drank even decaf coffee.
Gradually I started drinking coffee again, occasionally, without any migraines. For the last year, I've had what I thought was a sinus infection on the left side of my face. And six months ago, I stopped drinking coffee because I was getting "migraine-like" headaches and nausea, but I didn't think they were actual migraines because they weren't incapacitating and I had no aura. Quitting the coffee hasn't helped me at all this time.
I went to a GP a month ago, and she thought they were migraines, even though I didn't. She sent me to a neurologist who confirmed they were migraines according to my description, and sent me to a chiropractor, thinking that perhaps poor spinal alignment was my problem. Four x-rays later, the chiropractor said my bones were "within the normal range" of adjustment, but of course chiropractors can always find something to fix. The neurologist wanted me to get a sleep study, saying he thought I might have narcolepsy, perhaps entering REM immediately upon falling asleep, and maybe even remaining in REM. He had me go off all milk and all caffeine.
Meanwhile, I continually had to leave work early, and my migraines (and in between, what I thought were "regular" headaches) got worse. I started getting other symptoms too. I could hardly speak correctly or find the right word. I couldn't walk in a straight line or walk without holding onto things, or stand up for more than a minute. I was shaking and sweaty and dizzy, as if I had a fever.
Last week, the Chief Medical Officer (one of the main people I work for) saw me in the middle of the worst migraine I'd had till then. I told him I was calling Joe to pick me up because I couldn't drive. The CMO is a practicing physician and asked me what the neurologist had given me for controlling the migraines; he was horrified when I told him, "nothing." He asked if he could make an appointment for me with a neurologist that he refers his patients to - and he got me in for an appointment the next day on the doctor's lunch break!
The new neurologist explained that I've been in a constant state of migraine (something like status migrainous or something, is the medical term), probably for months. Looking for my triggers while I'm in the middle of a migraine isn't going to fix the problem; we have to manage the symptoms before we can find out the cause, especially since I can barely work, drive, or function. He gave me a shot of Toradol, an anti-inflammatory, which made me feel better after about half an hour (so much so that I went back to work after the appointment and was completely pain-free by the next day) and some steroids and an Imitrex prescription and anti-nausea prescription.
Thanks to the Toradol and the steroids, I enjoyed a few pain free days. I don't even know how I survived those months in the migraine; how did I even come in to work? How did I accomplish anything? How did I have myself convinced that that was normal and I'd just have to suck it up??
Unfortunately, last night I came home from work right as a migraine was started. Took Imitrex, felt great the next day...but today a migraine started at work, and this time I had an aura. Between the aura and the Imitrex, I knew I couldn't drive and had to get a ride home.
So where am I now? Frustrated but not despairing. I have an awesome, understanding boss, and a doctor who I know will pursue health with me, and an awesome husband who agreed to drive me to work tomorrow since I had to leave my car there overnight.
This isn't terribly interesting unless you have migraines, and it deviates from my normal "sin" topic (connection: Sin causes disease, and that's why we have terrible things like migraines.)
One other connection: Depression. My research is showing that depression and migraines are often linked. I don't know if it's a coincidence, but my pain-free days have felt 100% normal emotionally.
There you have it. If you got through this post, good job! I'll try to be a little more interesting some other time...
I'll just say: I'm open to suggestions about my possible migraine triggers, but know that there are different triggers out of hundreds for each individual, and what is your friend's trigger may not be mine. And it's hard not to be offended when you tell me it's because I'm stressed out at work (I really don't think I am, but others think they know better than me) or because I'm not having sex enough (Yes, this really was a suggestion. And after doing some research, I've found that sex relieves migraine symptoms for some people, and exacerbates them for others.) People are different, so offer your ideas but please don't follow up and ask me if I've seen your acupuncturist yet.
Okay, that's out of the way. I'm sorry. I'm disgruntled and tired of being in pain and the ups and downs of between migraines. Here is my story!
Around puberty, I suddenly got a fuzziness in my field of vision. At first it was weird - "Hey, I'm looking at you right now and you don't have a head!" and then it made me sick, and then it made me scared. Then suddenly it went away and was replaced by a headache that felt like some tiny screwdriver was messing up the base of my skull. I felt like I had to throw up, and everyone was too loud and the lights were too bright. I retreated to bed. All light, all sound, was painful. After a few hours' nap I felt a little better, but the migraine lasted several days.
I continued to get them sporadically, but they didn't significantly affect my quality of life. I didn't seek treatment. I got them till about age 20, when they started getting worse and I stopped drinking coffee to see if that would help. Amazingly, they went away - but returned if I drank even decaf coffee.
Gradually I started drinking coffee again, occasionally, without any migraines. For the last year, I've had what I thought was a sinus infection on the left side of my face. And six months ago, I stopped drinking coffee because I was getting "migraine-like" headaches and nausea, but I didn't think they were actual migraines because they weren't incapacitating and I had no aura. Quitting the coffee hasn't helped me at all this time.
I went to a GP a month ago, and she thought they were migraines, even though I didn't. She sent me to a neurologist who confirmed they were migraines according to my description, and sent me to a chiropractor, thinking that perhaps poor spinal alignment was my problem. Four x-rays later, the chiropractor said my bones were "within the normal range" of adjustment, but of course chiropractors can always find something to fix. The neurologist wanted me to get a sleep study, saying he thought I might have narcolepsy, perhaps entering REM immediately upon falling asleep, and maybe even remaining in REM. He had me go off all milk and all caffeine.
Meanwhile, I continually had to leave work early, and my migraines (and in between, what I thought were "regular" headaches) got worse. I started getting other symptoms too. I could hardly speak correctly or find the right word. I couldn't walk in a straight line or walk without holding onto things, or stand up for more than a minute. I was shaking and sweaty and dizzy, as if I had a fever.
Last week, the Chief Medical Officer (one of the main people I work for) saw me in the middle of the worst migraine I'd had till then. I told him I was calling Joe to pick me up because I couldn't drive. The CMO is a practicing physician and asked me what the neurologist had given me for controlling the migraines; he was horrified when I told him, "nothing." He asked if he could make an appointment for me with a neurologist that he refers his patients to - and he got me in for an appointment the next day on the doctor's lunch break!
The new neurologist explained that I've been in a constant state of migraine (something like status migrainous or something, is the medical term), probably for months. Looking for my triggers while I'm in the middle of a migraine isn't going to fix the problem; we have to manage the symptoms before we can find out the cause, especially since I can barely work, drive, or function. He gave me a shot of Toradol, an anti-inflammatory, which made me feel better after about half an hour (so much so that I went back to work after the appointment and was completely pain-free by the next day) and some steroids and an Imitrex prescription and anti-nausea prescription.
Thanks to the Toradol and the steroids, I enjoyed a few pain free days. I don't even know how I survived those months in the migraine; how did I even come in to work? How did I accomplish anything? How did I have myself convinced that that was normal and I'd just have to suck it up??
Unfortunately, last night I came home from work right as a migraine was started. Took Imitrex, felt great the next day...but today a migraine started at work, and this time I had an aura. Between the aura and the Imitrex, I knew I couldn't drive and had to get a ride home.
So where am I now? Frustrated but not despairing. I have an awesome, understanding boss, and a doctor who I know will pursue health with me, and an awesome husband who agreed to drive me to work tomorrow since I had to leave my car there overnight.
This isn't terribly interesting unless you have migraines, and it deviates from my normal "sin" topic (connection: Sin causes disease, and that's why we have terrible things like migraines.)
One other connection: Depression. My research is showing that depression and migraines are often linked. I don't know if it's a coincidence, but my pain-free days have felt 100% normal emotionally.
There you have it. If you got through this post, good job! I'll try to be a little more interesting some other time...
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