Migraine Journal

The on-line migraine journal is intended to be an area for migraine sufferers to post their migraine histories and experiences.

The journal is intended to be a place to accumulate experiences and information, which can be used as a reference to those who wish to learn more about what it is like to be a migraine sufferer.

Please note: Posts are no longer being added to this journal. Please use the discussion forum for question/response types of entries.





I was wondering if anyone has experienced any after affects of their migraines. As in my case, just 1 1/2 weeks ago I had one of my two day episodes, afterwards, on the left side of my body, behind my shoulder blade and along my left arm and leg I felt this lingering pain that lasted for a week. Initially, the pain behind my shouldblade was very intense. If someone touched it, like my husband did, it was like poking me with a knife. Eventually the pain subsided, but then my lower calf felt like it was weighted. I've noticed all this before, however, I've never really paid attention to how long it lasted and how much of my body it affected. I've also noticed a lot of post-nasal drip, gross I know, but knowing that others have experienced what only a few select of us have (i.e. migraines) has been oddly comforting to me. I too have suffered from people who don't know any better, but feel obligated to offer a remedy, as if we haven't already tried the things that typically are supposed to suppress a headache! If you're already feeling nauseous, coffee and aspirin certainly don't help you feel any better, much less help.

Best to all,

Chris

Chris
Monday, July 1, 2002 at 12:08:23



Hi Friends, I last wrote when my friend was on life support. I was under a lot of stress. My friend is going to be fine. Thank the Goddess and Gods. I am still getting almost daily headaches. I went to one ER 2 days ago and waited from 1:00 am and was seen at 5:30 am. I did get a shot but I felt like I was going to die. The one thing that happened was I met a new friend, she also has Pseudotumor Cerebri. We talked for a long time. It was a thrill to meet her and we are now good friends. She and I have so much in common. Last night I went to the ER and had a very long wait.I signed in at 11:40pm and was seen at 3:00 am. My hubby is so tired of driving. We spend all night in the ER and have to drive home about 2 or 3 hours, and have to be up during the day. He deserves a medal. He will take me where ever I need to go to get my headache taken care of. Any Er within 200 miles is fair game. The ER here in town will not give me anything. It is so frustrating. Painfree days, hours or minutes, my friends. Tay Hodges

Tay Hodges <tayhodges59@hotmail.com>
Friday, June 28, 2002 at 16:43:11



Hi...I hope that everyone is having a pain-free day. For Jeannie: I get the exact same "aura" that you described. I am glad that you do not get the pain afterwards. For me, the aura is actually worse than the migraine, because of the partial blindness. You are right--patience is best. I used to get really tense after I saw the "spot" and that really made it worse. But I still hate it.
I don't know if you get the aura frequently enough where it begins to interfere with your life on a grand scale, but I wanted to let you know that 3 years ago I took Zoloft, and I did not have an aura for 5 months (down from 3-4/mo.). Although they began again, possibly it might be an option for you? And although I have heard horror stories about anti-depressants, I did not notice any negative mood changes. The only negative was that it cannot be discontinued abruptly. Also, it was pretty expensive (that was just my particular insurance). Of course, everyone is different. Now I am on Nortriptyline, and I am hoping that my auras will stop (at least for the summer). I have noticed that the heat seems to bring them on more frenquently--is that the case for you? I used to wait for summer to arrive--now I wait for it to leave!
Lastly, MSG, some cheeses, peanuts, and spikes in blood pressure can bring on the aura. Possibly it might help in your case to note your activities (eating, etc.) after getting one. That helped me. I started to get them when I was 15 and I am 27 now. I think that they are hormonally related, too.
Hope this helped a little bit. I sometimes post in the "Discussion" section, and there are several people who have posted recently in regards to auras. You might find something else there that helps, too.
Take care~

KateH
Thursday, June 27, 2002 at 17:57:23



Hi, I have been suffering from migraines since an early age. Not until I was 21, that I saw my father rubbing something all
along his forehead, that I ask what was that? and what is it for? that I learn to treat my migraines successfully. My father was rubbing "Tiger Balm" on his forehead and it was to relief the symptoms of a hangover that he had. For a moment I thought that my migraines were slightly worse than an hangover, so I kept it in mind to use "Tiger Balm" the next time I'll get a migraine. I did, the result was incredible, the
moment I felt my eyes going towards...... I immediately rubbed some Tiger Balm, lay down for no more than 10 minutes, got up , cleaned my forehead, and brand new I felt. I have learned to live with a side effect that the Tiger Balm has, It leaves a mark in my forehead as if I had been in the hot sun for several hours, which usually causes peeling, but I admit it is not painful when I administer the Tiger Balm, on the contrary, it is soothing. This has been my remedy for the past 18 years,
I have yet to find any pill that can do what this miracle balm can do, and best of all it takes place outside of my body, I can live with the suntan mark on my forehead for a couple of days, but I couldn't live with the naussiating feeling that the magraine caused me. I hope this can help anyone outthere, as it did Me. Thank you,

lino sosa <linososa@optonline.net>
Thursday, June 27, 2002 at 08:36:03



I had migraines in my teens and early twenty's and sprinkled into my thirties.. Some in the forties and none in the fifties. I felt that hormone levels played a big part. Has that been noted anywhere?

I now get occular migraines i am told. I have episodes lasting 15 or so minutes in my visual field. Beginning with a small scintillating dot which then grows into a doughnut shape. Good vision in the middle scintillating prismatic beveled diamond like shapes in a doughnut shape which grows slowly and distorts my vision but only in the flashing areas and it finally grows large enough to grow out of my field of vision and I can finally rest and I feel worn out and tired. No matter if I close my eyes or open them. the visual distortion is there. No escape. Patience is the only choice.

Is this familiar to anyone. I do not get a headache after nor before this event.

Let me know. Thanks//
Jeannie

jeannie <jeanniecr1@aol.com>
Wednesday, June 26, 2002 at 14:05:27



ok well iv written on here before. i and 13 and my friends call me missy. well for those who read my last one the medication that he gave me works. it was imetrex but not in the nasal from but in a shot. i got my migrian on the bus on the way home. the bus driver was nice enough to drive domn to my house and then drop me off. she could have lost her job but she did it anyways. she shot reall hurt but like 3 minutes after my mother gave me the shot i felt like i was on cloude 99. i had an instant relief of pain. so maybe you all might want to try the medications in a shot form. trust me for as much pian the shot adds for the extra three minutes ... its truely worth it. now i just have to wait three more years until until i am "supposed" to grow out of them. well until next time all of you take care and i hope you all find things that work for you.

missy


missy aka melissa <blindechika1313>
Wednesday, June 26, 2002 at 07:49:22



Thanks Marilyn for the "chocolate" receipe. Yes, chocolate, coffee, tea, soda (caffeine) are definately culprits in the migrine world. Add in alcohol, hard cheese and MSG and it's no wonder there's so many migraine sufferers. Try eliminating these sources from your diet for a few weeks -- sometimes makes a world of difference. It did for me (and I was a non-believer for a long, long time). Feel well, people.

Susan
Tuesday, June 25, 2002 at 19:25:15



Hi all,

I'm 22 and I'm new to this page and as I was reading everyone
else's entries in the journal, I felt relief that someone else
in this world totally understands my pain. It saddens me to know
that other people suffer as I do and that some suffer so much worse
that I have.

I've been dealing with clusters since I was 13 years old. My
first cluster lasted for 4 months and landed me almost a week
in the hospital. I was on a first-name basis with my ER crew for
a long time there. They'd see my name and pretty much know
exactly what to do for me..that's how often I visited them. I
have a headache every day of my life. People just don't
understand what it's like to have constant pain in your head.
The pain is bearable most days but some days it comes to haunt
me. I have four types of migraines: bearable, noticeable,
jack-hammer, and time-for-the-hospital. I've tried to learn to
"just deal with it" as those of the human race without migraines
like to tell us to do, but we all know we can't "just deal with
it".

In highschool, I missed so many days each semester that I had to
fight the school to be advanced to the next grade. Somehow, I
graduated third in my class.

My freshman year of college, I got mono but it took me 3 months
for it to be diagnosed b/c I had constant migraines with it.
Then this past November-January, I ended up with scarlet fever.
I had been suffering from a migraine with flu symptoms since
Thanksgiving, but never knew it was more than migraine until I
almost died from the scarlet fever in the hospital where I went
to have my migraine treated. It took me years for my doctor to
admit that I had migraines and for him to do anything about it
and now I hate the fact that he just assumes that everything is
a migraine.

Anywayz, I said all that to say this, we're more than our
migraines. I've been labeled "the girl with the migraines"
since I was 13 yrs old. Granted, migraines try to run our
lives...and most times they succeed in doing so.....but I'm so
tired of this. They only succeed in running our lives because
we don't have the proper controls, medications and cures and
even understanding for us to truly fight them. Too many of us
suffer from these horribly debilitating body killers. Our bodies
are suffering horribly from these migraines. Constant fatigue
being a real sign of our bodies' cries for a cure.

I take the imitrex injections....but really, sometimes I'd
rather suffer with the migraine than EVER EVER give myself that
injection again. I feel like my body is on fire and like my
head is going to implode. Can't we fight these things with
something better than this?

In highschool, I used to get the aura...it felt like two car
headlights coming at me over and over again, followed by a
swirling feeling that I couldn't control. I also had this
feeling in my nose that wasn't exactly painful but it was
horrible. As soon as that "funny feeling" in my nose came, I
knew that I was in for a long rough few weeks.

In college, I now experience a dull roar in my ears, fuzzy
eyesight, loss of concentration, a feeling of chaos in my head
and then utter despair, like I can't do anything right.
And then I usually end up missing a few days of class, but b/c
my school isn't too keen on absences, I usually drag myself to
class fully knowing that I'll have no recollection of anything
done from the time I leave my dorm room until the time my
migraine is gone. My grades have suffered even more in college....
highschool was easy to slide through, college isn't so easy.

Honestly, I can say that my migraines are most likely due to
over stressing myself about school AND BAD EATING HABITS. Have
you seen cafeteria foods these days?????? UGH.

Recently, I started a factory job. I wanted to quit after my
first couple of days there....but my mother wouldn't let me b/c
how many college kids get good paying jobs and a 40 hr a week
schedule. Unfortunately, I've missed the past three days of work
b/c of a migraine. I went on Thursday for an hour b/c I needed
the money, but my boss sent me home b/c he could see how badly I
was feeling. Thank God for him!!!!! However, this job isn't
"migraine-friendly" so now I'm off looking for another job..

But....I'm a chemistry pre-med major right now. I'm hoping to
be a doctor someday...migraines permitting, of course. If I
ever do make it to the "world of medicine", there will be a
doctor out there that totally understands your pain. And if I
cancel your future doctor's apt with me b/c of a "headache", do
be kind and understanding. :)

Peace, Love, and total Understanding,
Lacey

Lacey <wolfy1654@hotmail.com>
Saturday, June 22, 2002 at 23:22:44



I've been getting migraines now for 6 years. I've narrowed down the triggers (caffeine, raw garlic, cologne) but sometimes I get one regardless of how careful I am.

Craig Davison <cdavison@microsoft.com>
Saturday, June 22, 2002 at 20:50:44



hi,i am new to this planet. my space ship landed a couple of weeks ago.boy i did not know what had ran into but i QUICKLY found out. all i could do was cry and i kept thinking i got my tubes tied after 1 child so that i would not have to ever endure that much pain again......... anyway i now have learn how to live with this SLEEPING GIANT in my house.

marjie <percoop2069@yahoo.com>
Friday, June 21, 2002 at 15:13:00



My name is Katie Poe and my husband, Jeff is a migraine sufferer. I do not get migraines, but, I see how much pain he goes through. Some days are better than others. He's finally found a good neurologist who really cares and tries to help. He's only 27 and has already had 2 strokes. He has gone into the hospital (for days at a time) twice due to migraines. He currently takes the following meds: Stadol, Axert, Phenergan, Amitryptline, Celexa, and Percaset. He has cut out all dairy of his diet as that seemed to be a trigger. The Axert seems to be working pretty well. He takes this at the first onset of the migraine and it helps him. Axert only comes 6 to a box and it costs @ $20 after insurance. The Stadol used to work really well, but, the longer he takes the more used his body gets to it and it's losing its effectiveness. When the meds run out before the RX is due again (which they always do) - you're screwed. Just have to live w/ the pain and count the days until you get it filled again. These meds only work to mask the pain once it has started - no one can figure out why he gets the migraines or how to prevent them for good. He can hardly function when he gets a really bad one - he's in so much pain. His left side goes numb, his left eye swells up, he gets nauseous, etc. Needless to say - it's hard for him to work when he has a migraine. I signed the petition from the website - hopefully it will do some good. Everybody hang in there.....

Katie Poe <kpoe@cdc.gov>
Wednesday, June 19, 2002 at 15:04:41



Hello friends, I have had a very long hard couple of months. My best friend is on life support and in critical condition, I am haveing a hard time with my financial state and so my headaches are out of control. I can't afford to get my Stadol Nasal spray as SSI cut my check in half because my husband went on disabilty for open heart surgery this year. I know other people are in the same boat I am, so I know I am not alone. I am getting my headaches almost daily now and I know alot is from stress. I can't sleep untill I am exhausted about 4 or 5 am most times. I am going to try to get my Doc to see me tomorrow, and maybe give me some more Stadol and some sleeping pills. I am so glad to know there are others out there with severe migraines, maybe we can get the doctors to do more for us. I hope so any way. I have recieved many e-mails from people on this site and I really appreciate them, they do help me feel some better. Thanks all of you who go through this and understand what we are up against. Pain free days all, Tay Hodges

Tay Hodges <tayhodges59@hotmail.com>
Wednesday, June 19, 2002 at 04:30:33



I can see that I'm not the only one who gets "skull-busters" from chocolate. Since I am a firm believer than nobody should have to live his/her life without chocolate, I've found and/or created the following recipes that make carob much more palatable: (the secret is to use a highly flavored sweetener like honey or maple syrup)

Marilyn's Guaranteed Migraine-Proof chocolate sauce

1 cup carob chips (bland, I know)
1/2 cup honey
1 15-oz can evaporated milk

In a double boiler, melt together chips and honey until smooth. Add evaporated milk. Tastes really great over ice cream. For a chocolate malt, blend together 2 cups vanilla ice cream, 1 cup milk, 1/4 cup plain malt powder and 2 tbsps of the above sauce. To die for!

If anyone wants any more recipes (free), e-mail me with a return address. Marilyn.jess@pressenter.com.

Marilyn Jess <Marilyn.jess@pressenter.com>
Tuesday, June 18, 2002 at 06:27:36



Emma, it sounds like you've had another knock-down-drag-out fight with the beast. By the sounds of it, it seems like you were in hospital. How terrible. I avoid hospitals like the plague.

Ellen L., nice to have you here as a new contributor to the migraine journal. But I must say that I wish my headache was simple enough so that something OTC would be effective for me 75 percent of the time---to bring my pain down to a level that would allow me to be at least functional and able to work AT LEAST even part-time. You noted to us that at the first onset of symptoms you would take this OTC elixer. First of all, since my headache is an unbearable 24/7, being pretty much the same from day to day, I have no prodome of symptoms. You stated as follows: "I take one extra-strength Tylenol, 2 ginger root capsules, and an over-the-counter antihistamine (the one I use contains 4 mg chlorpheniramine) every 4 hours, excluding overnights.

The other day a woman in a bank said to me, "Sometimes I think the old wives tale remedies are just as effective as allot of modern medicine. I thought to myself, "Boy, how I wish that were true." I am all for alternative and gentle alla naturale remedies, but to date, none of these has significantly ameliorated my headache. Still, I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt and try the remedy which has helped you so much, not wanting to become a total cynic. Problem is, everybody's chemistry is different, especially brain chemistry which is so key in migraine headache treatment. If we were all exactly the same neurochemically, how much easier it would be to treat the beasts called migraine and cluster. One question in closing: What is the brand name for chlorpheniramine? Are you referring for benadryl? Benadryl has always been helpful for me, bringing my pain down a notch, but I had never thought to combine it with ginger root capsules. Also, I would need to know the exact amount of the giner root that you take in this combination.

Regards,

Franco

Franco <Rigogatto@cs.com>
Friday, June 14, 2002 at 16:41:59



Hi, I'm Shelley from Cleveland, OH.

I have been getting migraines for the past 5 years. They run in my family. Now that I have done some extensive research on the topic, I realize that it could be that I don't workout very much anymore. I used to be a workout-aholic!, then slowly got lazy. Excuse my typing because I am at work with a migraine right now, on 600 mg Motrin and 100 mg Imitrex. I feel horrible. I get these headaches all the time in the summer, or when I get stressed, when it's humid, when I don't get enough sleep, when I get too much sleep, when it's really sunny (go figure), or if I even go within 1500 ft. of an alcoholic beverage (slight exaggeration). I had an MRI done. It came back good. I don't know where to go from here. I do have TMJ and grind my teeth nightly. I am so sick of complaining about these outrageous nuisances. SOme people laugh, or think they can help you when all I want to do is tell them to mind their own business because they have no idea what they are talking about. I love when they ask "Do you want some aspirin with caffeine?" Unfortunately, I'm addicted to Excedrin, so that will not help when I have a migraine. My head hurts too much to continue. Write if you would like to respond: savahnnauh@aol.com

Thanks for listening,

Shelley

Shelley <Savahnnauh@aol.com>
Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 14:31:57


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