I used to wonder if the headaches I have had were migraines. Then I had the kind where you go blind for a few minutes, followed by a migrain. Was the worst headache I've ever had, but I was so glad to have my vision back.
Migraine is more than a headache – a rethink offers hope
131–140 of 246 posts
Re: Migraine is more than a headache – a rethink offers hope
#132I was diagnosed with migraine as a kid when I was 10. The doctor made me undergo a battery of tests including a contrast CT scan that consumed aj entire day, only to confirm at the end of the day that it was migraine. The migraines weren't even that debilitating but my mom was just being extra careful. After that, I still got headaches at a good frequency and tried all sorts of specialists from orthos to opthalmologi…
> I also do the bending while swallowing trick that was on HN sometime back
Could you share the link for this, if you can find it?
Re: Migraine is more than a headache – a rethink offers hope
#133I used to have very many (multiple a week) and was under specialist care for it in my 20s. Turned out to be stress though (doctors didn't buy this but couldn't find any other reason either, but once I stopped going to the office, I have had 0; I stopped going 25 years ago and had 0 for 25 years). I found what killed them almost immediately; 1 shot of vodka. When I saw the lines and the auras starting to come (usually tunnelvision and some vague jagged lines would announce an oncoming attack), I would immediately knock down 1 shot of vodka and it would go away while just causing a slight headache, but none of the rest of the very bad things I would otherwise have like double vision, splitting cluster headaches, auditory features, dizziness and tingling in my face, some of that lasting for days. I would all skip that with 1 shot. Just not having them is nicer though; whatever helped, I am very happy I discovered it relatively early on.
Re: Migraine is more than a headache – a rethink offers hope
#134I have been a migraineur for decades. Mine are classic aura, with the whole "looking through broken glass" thing for a half hour or so when they happen. This year one of my partner's doctors mentioned positive results from supplementing with Vitamin B-2 and Coenzyme Q10, and it has dramatcially lowered their frequency. Mine are especially bad when the air pressure is seesawing which it does a lot here in the spring a…
> "looking through broken glass" I think we have similar symptoms, but I have no headache, just the "broken glass" that passes over my vision. Usually takes about 15 mins to half an hour or so to pass. This is the best visual representation that I have found of it ove the years: https://imgur.com/gallery/kY0I0Ht
Ah yes, that visual is perfect. I showed something similar to a friend a long time ago and they said 'that's migraine? i have that every few weeks but not much else so never thought much of it; i thought migraines meant headaches'.
Re: Migraine is more than a headache – a rethink offers hope
#135I started having migraines in my late teens after drinking too much alcohol at parties, I used to think they were hangovers. It was only much later, after getting migraines in daily life, I found out after visiting a neurologist that those hangovers were migraines. Been having frequent migraines ever since, most of the time triggered by stress. Often I'd have attacks 3-4 times a week, fortunately the intensity is not crippling, more like a 6-7 out of 10. And now the good part, I have been supplementing Omega 3 and Magnesium during the last couple of months and haven't had a severe attack since. It's worth trying out if you suffer frequent attacks like I did.
edit: my experience with sumatriptan, is that it helps stave off an attack, but frequent use increased the frequency of my attacks, leading to almost daily attacks, so I stopped taking it.
Re: Migraine is more than a headache – a rethink offers hope
#136As someone who deals with migraines, this article really hits home. I'm glad there's progress being made, but it’s also a bit disheartening to see how much we still don't know
Re: Migraine is more than a headache – a rethink offers hope
#137I used to get frequent migraine attacks - there were times when I would be down 3 days in a week, just unable to be productive. A lot of it was induced by stress. I then tried something novel - I took some LSD. I had an intense psychedelic trip, dug deep into my psyche, realized I was a giant ball of anxiety. The anxiety's root cause was ultimately a fear of mortality (around the same time, my dad was going through a…
Stress is definitely a huge migraine trigger for me too, and it's really interesting how that trip helped you get to the root of it. I haven't tried psychedelics, but I can relate to the idea that learning to truly relax (not just surface-level relaxation) can make a big difference
Re: Migraine is more than a headache – a rethink offers hope
#138I've suffered from migraines all my life. It worsened as I've gotten older. One day long attacks turned into three day long attacks. Then turned into five day long attacks. I've taken various preventatives and abortives over the years to varying success. It runs in my family so I never thought to see a neurologist for them. A couple years ago I had a bad string of them and my medicine wasn't really touching it, so I…
Did you have any side effects from the medication, or was it pretty smooth sailing?
Re: Migraine is more than a headache – a rethink offers hope
#139I have been a migraineur for decades. Mine are classic aura, with the whole "looking through broken glass" thing for a half hour or so when they happen. This year one of my partner's doctors mentioned positive results from supplementing with Vitamin B-2 and Coenzyme Q10, and it has dramatcially lowered their frequency. Mine are especially bad when the air pressure is seesawing which it does a lot here in the spring a…
There seems to be a link between migraines and Mithocondrial Disease. If frequency/intensity of migraines diminishes with Vitamin B and Q10, it may be worth investigating. Especially if you have muscular fatigue or exhaustion.
Re: Migraine is more than a headache – a rethink offers hope
#140I tried to find this advice in the thread but couldn’t, and I’m surprised since it’s surprisingly common!
Some sweeteners such as aspartame can trigger migraines (also some gut issues) depending on the quantity and person. While most of the people can take them just fine in principle, others suffer migraines a while after taking them. In my case, this was a relative who suffered a lot until finding out by pure chance that certain sweeteners where the reason, but you can find countless cases.