Migraines: Symptoms, Triggers and Cures

Pin It I have been getting migraines since I was 15 years old.  Some of them are milder, but most are extremely violent.

What are my symptoms?

A very accurate description of the feeling is to say that it feels like my brain is pushing against my skull and trying to get out.  (see, even my own brain doesn't like being stuck in my head)

I once said this to a co-worker, and apologized in advance if he were to get hit by the pieces of flying brain when my head finally exploded.  Though the feeling's not amusing, the line was pretty funny... which leads me to this illustration of what I think that would look like.

Yeah, I think I'm pretty cute. ;)

Like other sufferers of this horrible affliction, my eyes become very sensitive to the light, causing a searing pain right behind them.  Also, all sound becomes unbearable.  My neck and jaw get really really sore.  Sometimes, the pain is so intense that it makes me throw up.  It honestly feels like I'm dying, as though I'm about to have an aneurysm.  On at least three occasions, I've wondered if I should call 911, as I thought this kind of pain just couldn't be normal.


What triggers my migraines?

• For some people, it's cheeses, wine and chocolate.
• For me, I don't really drink and cheese is fine, but once in a while, chocolate may be associated.
• A lack of sleep can be to blame as well.  When I'm having a hypo-mania episode, I tend to get migraines after several days of not sleeping more than 2-5 hours a night.  I feel that it's my body's way of saying "Hey! That's enough!  Lie down, damn you!!!"  
• The worse, most intense of my migraines are caused by high emotion.  If I have a screaming match with someone or cry too hard, it's pretty much a given that I will be paying for it for the rest of the day.

My official description for the this type of migraine is "Total System Shut-down"

How do I get migraine relief you ask?

Well, it's not easy.  In the worse cases, the only thing that will work is two Advil Liqui-Gels, two acetaminophen with codeine, a dark, silent room with my heating bag placed over my jaw bone and eyes on which ever side is killing me the most, and sleep.  I used to be able to take this miracle drug called Maxalt, but the doc says I shouldn't really mix them with my current meds, so I haven't been taking them.  They used to be able to get rid of a migraine in 30 minutes flat, at least 80% of the time.  It would make me feel very tired, but still, the pain would go away, and I swear, when I first discovered it, I wanted to find the scientist that created it and kiss him or her.

There have been many occasions when even that didn't work.  I have had migraines that have lasted up to 72 hours.  What I hate the most is the lost time.  Having to apologize to my kids, for not be able to play with them or spend time with them.  (Tyler is so loud, he kills me.)  Entire days wasted away, events I was looking forward to ruined by the onset of a searing headache.

Do You Suffer From Migraines?  How do you cope?  Or should I say survive?

Much Love,

Felicia