Migraines

Sarahsaver

I would just like to add a little known symptom of possible stroke or TIA (transient ischaemic attack) which is like a temporary stroke. HEADACHES
Even a lot of doctors do not seem to be aware of this
How do i know?
Started to get bad headaches which i thought were migraines in August of 2001. Before that i hardly eveh had headaches. I was hospitalised a couple of times and tested for meningitis, but it wasnt until Oct 2001 after i collapsed in my gps surgery, and spending a week in hospital, that they discovered id had a stroke, at the age of 31. If id had a scan earlier in the year it probably would have detected a blood clot in my neck, which would cause headaches and stiff neck thinking it was meningitis - i thought i was getting migraines - and i could have started on the aspirin or other clot-busting drugs.
My advice to EVERYONE would be to take the lowest possible dose of aspirin daily as a preventative measure. Its cheap and it is worth it.
I dont get headaches or migraines anymore unless i have a cold or have overindulged :-[ on the bargain Laithwaites wine!

Fran

diaretics.

As for the difference between migrane and a headache.  Is it possible that migrane is simply a stress related trapping of nerves and muscles in the neck and back of head, brought on by stress from headaches caused by some of the factors I mentioned before?  Lots of people describe "feeling migranes coming on".  Could it be that this is because you are stressed and so get a headache, which makes you more stressed, which in turn guarantees the migrane?

Spelling. Did you mean "diuretics", the word being derived from "urine"?

                                                                             

From reading about migraine and speaking to doctor re my son who gets occasional ones and other people I know who get them, yes, some migraines can be explained by stress, but it is a very complicated subject area and is often food related also bright or flashing lights (may get migraine after travelling at night or on a sunny day). The thing is it could be a combination that triggers it, they are very hard to pin down. Some people feel "strange" beforehand and don't necessarily put it down to migraine, others have flashing lights in their vision or other visual things like zig-zags or blank bits.

Glad

some good points from pal
I suffer from migraines occasionally and headaches a lot
and have discovered the following things

1. found a wonderful treatment for headaches which included codeine, always worked and I was really grateful because was getting them more and more often.
Eventually I spoke to a medical colleague who thought I was probably addicted to the codeine and the headaches were becoming more frequent as my body craved it more. He advised me to cut down gradually although I just stopped taking it immediately and the extra frequent headaches I was getting have stopped

2. orange food colouring does induce my headaches and this includes cheap cheddar cheese which has added food colouring to make it that nice orange colour

3. also got headaches when going for too long without food, which were always nearly instantly resolved by eating stodge, since I have started cutting down on carbs and eating small amounts often, these headaches have also eased

4. alcohol, tea and coffee are all diuretics as Pal says, which is why you get such a bad head night after a binge, the frontal lobe of the brain becomes dehydrated 1st.
this lobe controls among other things parts of balance and morality ;D ;D
best way to deal with these headaches is lots of water, preferably before you pass out

Glads hangover cure

2 pints of water
bottle lucozade
2 paracetomol
2 evening primrose oil capsules

caileag

I've been reading this thread with interest - I was recently diagnosed as suffering from occular migranes, which has cheered me up no end as I was worried it was something much more sinister!

The only symptom I got, apart from a general sense of dizziness, was a loss of peripheral vision and flashy zig-zag shapes moving around in front of me. Scary, at the time, though now I know what it is and how to deal with it, I will just sit back and enjoy the light-show!

I have found flashing lights (such as are found on my electric "flame-effect" fire with flickering flames) seem to set it off, though I will try to see if I can spot any food triggers.

Thanks, C.

caileag

Glads hangover cure

2 pints of water
bottle lucozade
2 paracetomol
2 evening primrose oil capsules

Nonononononono!

You should try Irn-Bru, not Lucozade! I have no idea why but nothing comes closer to dispelling a hangover than this Nectar of the Gods!

We used to have some Danish colleagues and would experiment on them, feeding them various Scottish foodstuffs and observing the results - haggis was good, tripe fair and Irn-Bru made them wince! However, the morning after our "Which beer is best - a analysis of 20 contenders" experiment, they consumed at least a litre each.

Seriously, it must work in the same way as Lucozade - rehydrating, lots of sugar, useful vitamins and minerals and a strong enough flavour to cut through the badgers-sett type taste in your mouth. ::)


C.

Pal

Glad's post is interesting because one of the things I realised I missed out from my list was headaches induced by people not eating enough. Again, something that women suffer from more than men?

Might another cause be lack of sleep? No doubt we all know that ache you can get behind your eyes when you are overtired, and perhaps that, combined with bright or flashing lights could induce a migrane headache? Combine that with stress (which is why you might not be sleeping)....

I did forget to mention that I occasionally get very bad headaches from alcohol, the cure for which is sleep and never drinking again, ever. I also get really bad headaches from eating too much ice cream too quickly.

The cure for that is too horrific to contemplate.

I knew when I typed it that I had spelt "diuretics" wrong, however I couldn't be arsed to spell check it. Luckily no-one was picky enought to bother pointing it out eh?

Glad

well done pal
a whoole poste with no speling misteaks

wirm

Firstly I would just like to say thanks! I never thought that so many people would respond (I should have known better )

I don't know where to even start replying because so many people have added their post!

I know this is helping me and I can only hope that it will help everyone else!

I know that the first time I lost vision to the left and right and then finally took a migraine, was scary, its hard to describe, but when your young (15 at the time) it can be scary when this strange thing is happening to you and you have no idea why, it can be very scary!

I know thanks to you all that i have Migraine with Aura (classic migraine). I can "feel" when a migraine is coming on, it is hard to describe so I won't do it here, but it is the strangest feeling....

I am going to try the sun-glasses suggestion..anyone know where I can get cheap/good one's on the net?

Thanks everyone!

Glad

there is a thread about sunglasses here ip
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=Wanna;action=display;num=1082846574

trafalgar_2

OH great , just reminded me I broke mine and since we are gonna have a belting summer , I'd better get some new ones ;D ;D