Hi ya'll,

I've been getting migraine headaches my whole life. I remember being a little kid with this horrible pain. Since I've hit my 40's, I've been getting the aura that preceeds the migraine.

The last few months I've been getting them right before or during the first couple of days of my period.

There is really nothing any doctor can do for me other than prescribe migraine meds which I choose not to take for obvious reasons.

2 days ago I was hit fast and hard while driving. I get this crazy stobe light type aura that makes me dizzy and nauseous. I can see it when I close my eyes also. It last for about 20 minutes before the head pain comes. It's quite scary. I had to hurry home and luckily I was pretty close. I can't take the lights, sounds and sometimes I'll throw up.

I've tried enduring the pain but it will last hours and hours if I don't take 2 Advil for Migraines the moment I get the aura. I don't like taking any pills but I don't like the terrible indescribable pain either.

I was just wondering if any of you our there experience migraines like I've explained? If so, what do you do about it?

Bless your little hearts in advance but please don't tell me to get lots of exercise, sunshine and happiness in my life cuz I do )

I was just wondering if anyone else experiences the same thing?

mmmveg,

I had migraines occasionally as a child. These ceased when I got glasses. My mother, however, used to have sick days in with migraines many times a year, all my childhood long. It was awful, truly awful. She believed that it was due to some disruption of her cerebrospinal fluid in a fall from a swing at age twelve, in which her back was injured. It occurred to me that the onset coincided with her first menstruation, which she considered as being a factor. Significantly, my mother's migraines subsided around menopause; indeed she seldom had even a mild headache after that. Your issue may be hormonal. Have you noticed that certain things you eat worsen the symptoms? Are you getting enough rest? Is your spine in good health? If I were still experiencing migraines, I'd probably go to a chiropractor and/or an acupuncturist. I hope this is a temporary thing for you, and that you regain your health soon.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/22/2009 02:26AM by Tamukha.

Jennifer,

I've suffered migraines, related to my menstrual cycle, for some time.

I have PCOS, so when I first hit puberty and my periods were all over the shop, I was put on the contraceptive pill. I came off it about 4 years ago, managed to bring on my peiods by controlling my diet etc., and then started getting a 'attack' every time I had a period (which was about once every 6 weeks) - either 2 days before or 2 days afterwards.

For me, the 'attacks' centre on my balance. I loose all sense of balance and when it is very bad the entire room is seen as physically moving. I can't do anything other than sit up, completely still (can't lie down as that makes it worse) in bed and wait for sleep to solve the worst of it. If I attept moving I just feel unbelievably sick and come over in a cold sweat.

I didn't initially think these were migraines, but saw a neurotologist (dizziness specialist) who said that they were, and perscribed me the pill again! The pill controls hormones - by giving you false ones, obviously. The idea was that my oestrogen levels wouldn't drop so severly so I'd be less likely to suffer a migraine.

It did help. However, I decided to come off the pill again in 2008 (for another specific and also more general health reasons), and so far have only had around 4/5 periods. 2 of them have been accompanied by migraines of this sort.

I am trying to address the toxicity in my body, in order to get my cycle regular but also with the hope that the migraines will ease. Since last year I have gone vegan - with raw making up about 60% of my diet (and growing), don't take any drugs, try to not use anything with chemicals, and am in the process of simplifying my lifestyle to address my own values and not everyone else's.

We'll see how it goes...

Not sure whether any of this helps, but no, you are not the only one.

Alison

hi alison,

thanks for telling me i'm not in this alone. your migraines sound horrible as well and i'm sorry you suffer. i never had any PCOS symptoms like yourself thank goodness. but as i age i have added symptoms that go along with my migraines.

i'm pretty certain this is all hormonal and my only comfort is knowing that after menopause, my migraines should cease. it's a weird thing to wish for menopause but i do! i'm also looking forward to my senior discount too!

thanks again for writing and good luck with amny many migraine-less days )

Tamukha,

sorry i never responded to your feedback...i hardly ever check this section of the forum.

you know...i've been keeping a diary for 7 months cuz i thought the same thing. could there be triggers? i haven't had any commonalities from month to month. weird. but good suggestion. thank you. and thanks for the other suggestions too. i would love to see a chiropractor. i did a few years back and it was wonderful.

like i told alison, i'm 99% sure this is hormonal. hormones are a bitch! i know that a lot of times they are hereditary but no one in my family gets them but me. i just hope my 2 daughters don't ever get them.

thanks again.

Hello, I also sometimes get these. I get an aura, or lose some of my field of vision for 20 mins-1 hour or so, then have a sore head for a few days, and I feel that my vocabulary isn't as good during those days! Not fun. I think my triggers are emotional situations (good or bad), over exertion, and over-doing caffeine. The only external things that have helped me are homeopathy, acupuncture, and a healer. I suggest those all very highly, as well as taking life easy as possible (emotionally), and staying physically healthy. Easier said than done, to be sure. Good luck, I'm sorry you have these horrid things.