The 411 on my migraines....... Dedicated to supermom...

[calydu]

supermom... made a very good point when she replied to my lastest post about taking a day off from the site because of problems with my wrist and migraines.  She asked if I had seen a specialist and that she and many of you are concerned that I have them so much.  It was much appreciated!!!

So, I just wanted to post this for those of my new friends who might not know about my "migraine issue".

 

Migraines are a inherited health problem.  I am 1 of 6 kids and my mom was 1 of 6 kids.  Here is why we KNOW that they are inherited.  All 12 siblings and all but a handful of children have them.  There are many of us that don't talk about them or even tell the others that they even have migraines.  Both generations have dealt with the "not really a headache" "just want attention" "you are a hypochondriac" yadda yadda yadda  .... I am sure that you get the picture.

Here is some medical FYI that we have figured out, been told, and even some statements made and verified by members here:

A "trait" passed on is that our skulls sit a little too bluntly on our cervical spinces.  Sort of like those Rock-em Sock-em Robots.  Tension migraines in our necks are a torture from the 12 level of HELL!!!  It is like having whiplash.

The women have severe hormonal shifts during their cycle, which means that not only do I get a migraines when I am on my period, but I get one when I ovulate and some months  I double ovulate.

There is a little "sack" in the base of the skull that can be overloaded after sleeping, which causes a daily headache for many.

A migraine medication may work GREAT for preventing and/or stopping a migraine, but it can reek havoc on other parts of the body.

The depression for migraines has more aspects to it because not only do we deal with why do we have them, what we can't do because of them, and what we have to do or take to get rid of them BUT we pass them on to our children.  This causes a "they wouldn't have migraines if they had a different mother" kind of thing.

I could go on forever.  But I won't do that.  It just can be so confusin because there are so many types of headaches/migraines out there.  For me, this is what it amounts to.  I have a migraines from 3-5 days out of every week in my life.  Some days are better than others but there are a few that just wishes for God to put me out of misery.

There is only one good thing about me having these migraines.  That is that it allows me to share my own experiences and story with others and even if only 1 person benefits from it, that is worth it.

Thanks for letting me share this part of my life with you.

[Peggy1984]

Jul. 21, 2007 at 3:14 AM I suffer from debilitating migraines as well. You know the kind-where all you want to do is lie in a dark room for 3 days? As we know, that's not an option for us! Feel better.

[LifeAfterLisaJ]

Jul. 21, 2007 at 3:17 AM

I, too, am a long-time sufferer of migraines. I got my very first migraine in the 6th grade. My stepmother accused me of lying about it.

I just wanted to add... in addition to regular, everyday migraines, some medications that "help" for the primary migraine can actually cause rebound migraines. The only two times my migraines have slowed down was 1. I got an epidural in my neck at a pain clinic (lasted a few months) and 2. when I was getting bi-weekly Trigger Point injections (TPI's). The TPI's actually made the lumps of tense muscle tissue sitting atop my shoulders ease up. But I had to stop... the say it can cause muscle dystrophy... the muscles can collapse if you do it too often.

<Praying for a miracle migraine remedy!>

Lisa :)

[Momforhealth]

Jul. 21, 2007 at 7:19 AM Have any of you tried yoga for this problem? As a preventative? I am learning that it is so great for relaxation. For example a forward fold relaxes all the nerves in your spine. There are great moves for the neck. The deep breathing is so wonderful and relaxing. I feel like I have had a whole body message afterward and do not get headaches ever anymore. I used to get the blinding kind that made me sick to my stomach. I am not a pro at it but i know it has many healing qualities. Anyway..that is my suggestion. Headaches are the absolute worst thing in the world. I just think anything natural you can do is so much better for you than medications.. Take care...:)I hope you feel better soon Calydu

[grammabird]

Jul. 21, 2007 at 8:47 AM I thought I was the only one that had the "little sac in the base of skull missing" that makes sleeping damn near impossible. I do take a preventative or I would have a headache everyday,and for 27 years I got sick of it. Side effects are not to bad.The benefits far out-way the pain.

[calydu]

Jul. 21, 2007 at 10:01 AM

I am so glad that you replied, grammabird !!!

I put it in my post that I have learned thing from members herer as well.  I just couldn't remember who commentedabout it.

IT WAS YOU!!!!!

I always try to give credit where it is do. 

But I did ask my Neuro's staff to see if she can give me some good sites to go to for this health problem

(Original Poster)

[3kidsma]

Jul. 21, 2007 at 10:58 AM I'm so sorry that there are so many of you with this horrid condition, but I have to admit, I'm glad there are other people out there with these headaches that I'll be able to turn to.  My mother has this problem (not sure if it's caused by one of the reasons you listed or if it's another one entirely) and I'm pretty much sitting around waiting for them to start in me.  She was my age when she started getting them and for the last 20 years, she's had them every couple of weeks, two or more the week before her period started and she's figured out various food and drink items that will trigger one.  Her neuro doc has done millions of tests and can't find any reason for her to have these headaches.  They seem to be menopause related for her, she's on the downhill side of that and they have eased some.  She doesn't get them nearly as often.  Now it seems to be mostly the food/drink stuff and weather changes that affect her.  I've had a couple, one when I was starting puberty (a LONG time ago, but you don't forget that pain) and the other was during my last pregnancy.  That was bad, I couldn't take anything except Tylenol and as I'm sure you can all agree, that doesn't even come close.  You'd have better luck throwing a paper airplane to stop a missle.  I worry about the depression side of it like calydu mentioned, Gary Allan's (country singer) wife killed herself because she had migraines and her docs were trying to find the right treatment for the headaches and not treating the depression.  They told her the depression would end once they could cure the headaches and to just deal with it.  So, she dealt with it by shooting herself one night.So, finally getting to my point - I'm sure I'll be griling you ladies in the next few years to see if there are any new and improved preventatives/cures for these horrid headaches.  In the meantime, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that maybe that trait ended with Mom.  Not that I'd wish that on anyone, especially my Mommy, but I sure don't want them and I absolutely don't want my Princess to have to go through this.I'm thinking of you guys and praying something stops your headaces soon!  Take care of yourselves.

[clairehugs]

Jul. 21, 2007 at 11:18 AM I get a migraine about every other day lately.  I am so stubborn I refuse to give up breastfeeding because of it so no prescription meds for me.  On the worst days I can take Excedrin tension headache since it is aspirin free and it actually helps (to my surprise) except for some reason makes me sick to my stomach.  They are constant and much worse the few days before my period and at the start and the few days after my period.  The times I get depressed about it are when my husband says "what else is new" when I say I have a migraine or when he says I should just "get over it".  I am trying to examine my diet for "triggers" and I hope I figure something out.  Good luck to you all!  With so many so many migraine sufferers they are bound to come up with better treatments or even a cure sometime!

[Lb128f]

Jul. 21, 2007 at 11:25 AM Sorry you are dealing with this problem so often. I wish you could find something that would help with the pain! ;(

[3xamomma]

Jul. 21, 2007 at 12:01 PM I also have dibilitating migraines and because of the migraines i'm unable to work.  the harder part for me is that i hypermotaboulize medication. so dr's are always changing my meds.. i have to go in for another mri and catscan in a couple of weeks to make sure i'm not having silent seizures or mini strokes... after my dr told me this now i'm really scared. there is history of stroke in my family. i just want to be able to function for my kids and dh..... with out the pain ;(

[bluemonkey]

Jul. 21, 2007 at 1:03 PM

I wouldn`t say I have migranes, because i`m really not sure, but I have these bad headaches that just won`t stop, they`re not there all the time, but I did notice a pattern : during my periods, and when the weather changes, they last for hours, sometimes days, or come back every other day for weeks, and these are the ones that make me stop, just lye down in a dark silent room, and only exedrin helps, nothing else.

i`m so sorry all of you have to suffer like that, but I think momforhealth is right about the yoga, I`ve been going for about a year, and noticed I didn`t have so many of them when the sun came back, so it might help you guys

good luck