Migraines – 101 and my story

About two and a half years ago, I was diagnosed with cluster headaches after a horrible trip to the ER. I had it for about 6 months and I thought they were the worst. Little did I know that there was something that could be worse – Migraines.

If you have to ask what the difference between a migraine and a headache is, it is highly unlikely that you have ever had a migraine! Migraine is a headache disorder where a person has recurrent headaches, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, sound, and/or smell. These headaches may be preceded by an aura – that is a shimmering light around things that usually indicates a migraine is on its way.

A migraine is when switching the light on sounds like a nail being hammered and the floodlights being turned on in a sports arena, while your head throbs like someone is shaking it vigorously from the inside.

 If, on the other hand, you know what the differences are exactly, then you have probably researched endlessly about how to prevent or handle your migraine. I empathaise with you and know that you are not alone.

It is very hard to find out the root cause of a migraine and it is invariably the case that two or more causes are interlinked. For me, it is becoming increasingly clear that it is hormonal. My first serious migraine attack started about 10 days after I went on the birth control pill and lasted for almost 3 weeks. I kid you not! I had to be admitted to the hospital for a day and given morphine – absolutely nothing else worked!

Here is what I have learned from my horrible experience with migraine to prevent one, if I can:

• Avoiding caffeine. This is easy for me as I gave up coffee a long time ago on account of my GERD.
• Getting enough sleep. This is easier said than done! As someone with chronic pain and insomnia, I hardly get a good night’s sleep and even when I do, I rarely feel refreshed. Still, what I try to do is take cat naps throughout the day (but not later than 3 pm) to get some shut eye.
• Limiting screen time. Again, this is easier said than done. While I don’t practice law anymore, I still use my laptop to write (on this blog and elsewhere) and watching something on my phone (or the TV) is the best thing to do when I’m having a fibro flareup. What I’ve started to do is to listen to some mild music or podcast with gentle earphones when I cannot look at a screen. You can also try turning on the blue light filter in your device if that is possible.
• Proper posture.I’m horrible at this! I notice that if my posture is not right when I’m using my computer I get horrible migraines because of trigger point pain. So I now have an ergonomic set up in my home office (a standing/sitting desk) which I’m forcing myself to be the only place for computer work. Otherwise I’m doomed!
• Staying hydrated.This is relatively easy, although my insulin resistance makes my body think it is in an oasis in the sahara and must store as much water as it can. Drink around 2 litres of water a day if you can.
• Eat regularly. Again, pre-diabetes screws me up over and over again. Ensuring you are eating to maintain a good blood sugar balance is really important.
• Meditate, Exercise and be Mindful.A good walk in the part, a gentle or vigorous yoga session and a nice, calm mindful meditation can go a long way in keeping your body in balance and thereby prevent recurrent migraines.
• Medication. There are some medications, like Metoprolol, that can help prevent migraines. I already take that for my blood pressure so score! Do speak with your doctor if any of these can help you prevent migraines.

If, however, you are unlucky like me and have migraines no matter what, especially if it is hormonal, here are some tricks to help you get through them.

• Know your patterns an triggers. This is going to take time but will help you in the long run. If you know that a particular time or activity will trigger your migraine, you can either avoid, adapt or be prepared for the follow up. For me, it is around ovulation and menstruation, so I’m learning to be a bit more prepared – both in terms of handling the actual migraine and also to be more accepting of the fact that I may have to write those days off!
• Keep an ice pack and hot water bag. The minute I see an aura, I take an ice pack and put it on my head and the back of my neck (wrapped in a towel) and a hot water bag under my feet (or just put my feet in warm water). This is a trick that my friend Melissa (from melissavsfibromyalgia) taught me and it works wonders!
• Magnesium. This works like a charm every time, or at least reduces the impact of the migraine. Make sure you take the right type and ask you doctor beforehand. I take around 2000 mg daily and take an extra one on migraine days. Magnesium is essential for preventing muscle fatigue and relaxing the muscles basically, which is a great thing to do when you have migraines!
• Vitamin B6. This was a discovery for me! Vitamin B6 or a good combination of B2, B6 and B12 (or something in Ribomigran, which includes magnesium as well) does wonders for migraines.
• Homeopathy. I know this is not a universally believed or accepted form of medicine but it has always worked for me. Remedies like Iris, Lachesis, Natrum Muricum or Glonine, depending on which side of your head is hurting or what is the cause of your migraine, can be very helpful. At least there are no known side effects, so it may not be a bad idea to bring this up with your doctor!
• Pain medications. Sometimes, you need pain medications. For me, none of the usual ones work – the triptans and tramadol make my heart go too slow, diclofenac makes my already inflamed stomach get worse (and increases my blood pressure). Paracetamol helps sometimes but it also makes my migraines worse – so you really have to work with your doctor to create a good “migraine cocktail”.
• Rubbing stuff. Okay, that came off wrong. I have been reliably told that y ou could also rub a couple of drops of lavender essence or just tiger balm. In a different time and age, I would have jumped on this suggestion but hyper sensitivity to smell doesn’t allow me to do this anymore, sadly!

You should seek further medical advice if you experience any of the following. This is the advice I received from my nutritional therapist and it saved me big time!

• Headaches that are very sudden and intense, stopping you in your tracks.
• A very stiff neck, fever, mental confusion and migraine pains occurring at once.
• Headaches accompanying mild seizures, double vision or fainting.
• Severe headaches after trauma or an injury.
• Headaches that last more than several days and are unexplained

There is certainly a hormonal element to migraines. I’m tracking my patterns now and once I have a clear picture to share, I will. Now I’m off to inspect some Theraspecs and Migraine Hats. I’ll update the post if and when I use them!