Migraineurs Problems

warningstandbygo asked: Just wanted to say it's nice to see a blog like this! As someone who knows multiple people that are and lives with one, it's nice to see something like this. I try to be very aware, but this is a nice way to remind me that even what I may think are the smallest things can be a much bigger deal to someone else. To all of you out there who suffer - my sincerest condolences, sympathy, and well wishes!

To be honest, I didn’t start this blog with the purpose of “educating” non-migraineurs about migraines because I think it’s just like any health condition, if you don’t have it you can’t really understand the pain of people who suffer it… this is what I try to remember when  facing people with sicknesses I don’t know myself. ^^ It was just a place to rant about these moments and maybe show some folks they are not the only ones who want to literally smash their head against the wall sometimes.

Anyway, I think the problem is that society likes to represent migraines as a headache ignoring that it’s so much more, just like it talks about depression as a “big sadness” or, less glamorous, you know when some people say they have gastroenteritis when they just have a little diarrhea. We like to use “fancy words” to describe small pains when in the end it discredits important health conditions. This is why I don’t blame non-migraineurs who aren’t aware of the true effects of a migraine (but I tend to blame my boyfriend when he doesn’t understand it after eight long years… ^^”).

Thanks for your kind words, they’re really appreciated! I’m sure you’re trying your best, don’t worry.

vergilia asked: Awesome blog! I love everything aout it - didn't think one would exist for such a problem :> My migraines are genetic (kind of). My father's are controlled by his level of stress and my mother's are heavily influenced by the weather. Being their child, I kind of got both ends ;_; I hate having exam days on thundering weather... for obvious reasons. Haha. But keep up the awesome work you've done here. Thank you for your lovely posts. May your pain be lessened /U_U/

Hello, why thanks you very much! :) I’m glad you enjoy the blog -and as usual, not so glad for you you’re “one of us”.

As you say, migraines can be a tough heritage! I hope for you you live in a region where the weather is not too bad, neither too hot, too stormy or sunny. Thank you very much for the kind words, they’re a real good incentive.

May your pain be lessened too, and don’t hesitate to submit my dears, more brains equal more good ideas!

tigthered asked: Great post on the stroke style migraine. The first time I had one it scared the hell out of me as well.

Well, as I said I had never heard of it until yesterday but when I informed my migraineurs family about it, I learnt that my ex doctor’s wife had a variation of these migraines, except with trigeminal neuralgia. Her face would get half paralysed in a very impressive way.

Yet another way migraines are so much more than “just a headache”. It’s difficult to stay well informed but even when you don’t have any kind of neurological issue, the neurological symptoms are scary as hell, especially the first time. :/

Forget ocular migraines, stroke-like migraines are horrifying

Submitted via Coeurdelhistoire:

So last night I had a terrifying experience that started with a fairly typical ocular migraine, and turned into terror when my whole left arm and left side of my face started tingling and went numb. It turned out to be my second ever migraine with symptoms of tingling and numbness of one side of my body, which utterly convinced me I was having a stroke until I did some research, and found out that this was actually a fairly common symptom of migraines. 

According to Migraines.com:

Migraine numbness or tingling symptoms : an introduction

Migraine symptoms are not always confined to the head. Sometimes there are other parts of the body that are affected by migraines. As changes occur in the brain, different sensations may be felt throughout the body.

A common complaint is a feeling of numbness or tingling in a small or large area of the body. These symptoms are sometimes associated with sensory aura.

Migraine sufferers may experience:

• Numb fingers
• Numb face
• Arm numbness
• Head numbness
• Numbness in the lips, tongue or legs
• Numbness on one side of the body

These sensations of numbness, sometimes called sensory aura, can occur before, during or after the migraine pain begins. Most often the sensations occur on the same side of the body as the pain in the head.

About 15 percent of migraine sufferers experienced numbness in the face and 13 percent felt their leg or arm went numb, in a study of 740 migraine sufferers.

This makes me feel much better knowing that I really probably didn’t have a stroke, and I would like to spread the knowledge of this possible symptom, if only in hopes that it will keep other migraineurs from thinking they were having a stroke if/when they have this symptom. Know you are not alone. If it helps, know that there are others out there that suffer with you.

Migraineursproblems : Goodness! Thanks for sharing the information, now that was one kind of migraine I had never heard about, nor experienced and I’m glad I didn’t. If you guys have such stories to share, please do! If you ever had sensory aura, tell us what happened. The best way to stay informed is to share such knowledge. It is always so stressful not knowing what’s going on.

Chronic Migraines and post orgasmic headaches

fuckyeahsexeducation:

Migraines are more common than some people think. It’s a type of headache that usually also causes at least one other symptom, light sensitivity, nausea, or vomiting. There may be throbbing on one side of the head. Some people see light auras/vision disturbances before a migraine sets in. A chronic migraine is described as a migraine that occurs 15 or more days a month, with the headache lasting four hours or longer for at least three consecutive months. This is diagnosed after someone has already been diagnosed with migraines. This is a very under reported/diagnosed condition. For anyone who knows what it’s like to have a headache in general, especially a migraine one can definitely see why this would be debilitating. Most migraines are made worse by physical work, including just routine activity. Some migraines are so bad you can’t move or even think, you just have to lie down until it passes. Some include tension in the shoulders and back. It’s important to see a doctor if you have frequent headaches, not only to treat it if it’s chronic migraines, but also to make sure you catch if it’s anything more dangerous. It’s very common for people with chronic migraines to suffer from depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances or other physical illnesses. There are many things that can cause migraines, including caffeine, smoking or anything aged that contains tyramine (certain cheeses, wines, etc). Many people with chronic pain keep a journal of when they have flares, things they did that day, things they ate and other factors that may cause flares as well as any treatment you try. This way you figure out what works and what you need to avoid. As far as treatment goes, doctors try to stop the pain before it starts with medications like antidepressants, beta blockers, anti-seizure medication, anti inflammatories, and botox injections. However, sometimes those medications don’t work. People with chronic migraines may be helped by alternative medicine techniques like acupuncture, meditation, massage, biofeedback, certain herbs and vitamins, and electrical stimulation. As stated before, many people which chronic migraines suffer from depression and anxiety, which ultimately can make the condition worse, so therapy may be helpful.

Now, climax can provide relief from headaches, but for a lot of people with chronic migraines that’s un true. It’s still physical exertion and whenever you can barely move it’s difficult to feel sexy let alone be up to sex. Some people with chronic migraines become sensitive to touch as well, meaning that being touched can aggravate the head ache. It’s best to talk to your partner. Maybe come up with a signal for when you can’t be touched at all and just need to be left in a dark room for a while. Talk to your partner about what aggravates your migraines so that they will be aware of what not to do. Track when you have bad migraines. It may even coincide with specific times of your menstrual cycle as hormones can affect it. Find times when you are feeling good enough to have sex, or have lighter sex on the times you have a lighter head ache. Because both migraines and sexual desire has been linked to serotonin levels, many people who suffer from chronic migraines also have a very high libido. This can be frustrating if you’re in too much pain to have sex.Figure out what positions and actions aggravate the headache and which ones don’t. As always communicate with your partner how you’re feeling and what chronic migraines feel like.

Even for those who don’t have chronic migraines, some people get headaches during or after climax. Usually they don’t last long, only a few minutes, but they can be quite painful. They don’t always happen, and sometimes they don’t happen for a while and then come back. It’s important to see a doctor just in case, especially if you have other symptoms. This is more common in people prone to migraines. The treatment for this is almost identical to the treatment of chronic migraines. 

Interesting topic that is definitely not discussed enough. Migraines during climax -from what I’ve seen on the internet and, mostly, my own experience, feel free to complete and share- can be felt a bit before the end ; you feel more tensed than usual, orgasm can be a little bit harder to reach but you keep going and a little pain in the back of your head warns you that it’s coming… and not in a good way. However, you can also be completely surprised during climax and it explodes in the back of your head, causing an unbearable pain (and an intense frustration).

From what the docs say, it is more of a “male” problem, I do not know how they do define “male” in this case but I guess they had more men complaining about this issue than women in general. But these stats aren’t really appropriate, I’m a woman and however you identify doesn’t change the fact it might happen.

It can last only a few minutes -and personally it puts me really down anyway- or be the beginning of a longer migraine episode. I remember once when I still lived with my parents, my mother being impressed by a very long crisis I had, and me hiding the real reason why it had started.

Also, it might be a good idea not to “try again” too soon, since after a migrainous climax, you can have a few others during one or two days -making you even more tensed, angsty and annoyed, which is not good either-. Even when the laziest ever, sex is still a physical activity that requires efforts from the body and gets you tense so do not push your limits.

Most people have this kind of migraines only occasionally but some people have them very often ; it is strongly recommended to be careful when having sex, not being too tense, to relax, slow down and take short breaks not to put too much pressure on your neck and cervical vertebrae. For some people it becomes a kind of disability and a special attention is required during sex. For people who are receptive to that kind of stimulation, using vibrators who do half of the work for you might be a good option, the less effort you make, less risks you have to hurt your head.

(Also, people who follow this blog know it but I, personally, become very aggressive and sensitive when I have migraine and my partner knows he won’t get anything from me ; you should never agree for sex when you don’t really want it, especially when it might hurt you so badly and make your condition even worse.)

Have you ever noticed the giant migraine metaphor that is the Incredible Hulk?

I mean, he avoids triggers as much as he can. He feels it coming and most of time he can’t do anything about it, he gets green eyes when we get auras. The crises are unpleasant for himself as well as for others and make him want to smash walls, just like us. And the aftermath is rude, leaving him exhausted and vulnerable, hoping it won’t happen again.

Any other character, book, movie or TV show situation reminding you about your migraines?

• me: *steps outside*
• me: where can i lower the brightness