Anatomy of a Migraine
I have been thinking about writing this entry for a while, gathering my thoughts. I have been experiencing migraines since, 1993. Wow, I didn't realize it was that long till I just wrote it. In college I would get them infrequently, once a month at best, at worst was once a week. Then they stopped for two years, very odd, maybe it was the accupressure that I was receiving for a while. And then they came back in 1997 and have been my bane ever since. I only went to the doctor again two and a half years ago, being a stay-at-home Dad is really difficult when you can't get out of bed. There were a lot more treatments out, as opposed to back in 1993 when I was first diagnosed ("Deal with them").
If you are squeamish, you might want to skip reading this one......
There is actually a perceptual difference as the "start" of the migraine process.....Michelle can usually tell a few hours earlier, she says that I slur my words (more then usual, just call me Mr. President). But my first noticeable symptom is usually neck pain. Typically it begins about halfway up my neck, slowly building in intensity. It takes a couple hours to progress in intensity, and as that is occurring the pain actually travels up my neck, up the back of my head and then settles over my eyes. Then the pain continues to build in depth, pressure,and any other form of describing the pain. The only place I can be, even to be considered more "comfortable" is in bed, with my hands over my eyes.
I get a couple other noteworthy symptoms while all this is happening, as well. First is photophobia, it isn't all that uncommon, but sensitivity to light can aggravate anything else that you might be feeling, especially when 99.99% of the time get migraines during the day. As I lie in bed, with my eyes squeezed shut, trying not to think about suicide, I typically get moving patterns of light. I watch them on my closed eyelids, I guess you could say that it is like driving backwards in a tunnel at night. Circles of light starting big and then getting smaller down to a point, then another large circle, and so on. Back in college it used to be like fireworks of light, but it is much different now.
I guess I also have some sound sensitivity, but that is a lot more boring then the rest of this.
Now, as the migraine progresses and tears me down, the nausea builds. If I am luck I have been trying to keep drinking water, especially with the increasing nausea. I can think of very few things that are worse then dry heaves, during a migraine. Possibly amputation of a limb, or maybe the permanent loss of one of the five senses. But it really depends on the circumstances. If I have been drinking water, then it is just regular throwing up.
Now you may find this hard to believe, but almost always it is 3 trips to the toilet. Very regular. After the trips to the bathroom there is always a bit of a reduction in the pain, but after the third throw-up fest the pain usually subsides rather rapidly.
Over the next hour or two there is a nearly complete dissipation of the pain, although there are some lasting effects. I'm usually weak from not having eaten anything in the last 8 or 9 hours, and yes that is the typical duration from start to finish, sometimes a bit longer. It take a whole day and makes it horrible. Also, typically, there is some muscle pain or fatigue from the dry heaving or vomiting.
One of the most frustrating things is that there is no sleeping during a migraine. People in the past have said: "Your just lying in bed, it must be nice. Enjoy the nap." I'm awake, conscious, bored, tired, frustrated, and more all through the event. It is not a vacation. It is not easy.
Thank all that is good, for medication. For years I only had tylenol to try and take the edge off, and I was probably taking way to much at any one time. Now as long as I get some of my prescription within the initial symptoms, I usually get a little nausea and fatigue (listed side effects of the drug), but it is so much of a relief to not have the fear of being crushed into pulp any day of the week. There have been a few other things that Michelle and I have found to be helpful in the prevention of the symptoms. Michelle read somewhere that there was a kind of pillow which more properly supports the neck at night. So I received the pillow for Christmas (actually I started using it a little before Christmas, don't tell Santa!) and I think it has made a noticeable reduction in frequency.
Another tip that I received was from a girl that I used to work with, she told me about some biofeedback ideas. In studies, it has been measured, that there are temperature changes in certain areas of the body before and during a migraine. Makes sense circulation changes are what causes a migraine, and they are what can cause a temperature change too. There is a decrease in temperature in the extremities, and an increase in temperature at the neck. So the biofeedback idea is to try and counter those symptoms to snap your body out of what is about to happen. I have used a pair of gloves on my hands, and an ice pack on my neck on more then one occasion. The results that I have gotten have been mixed, but it has worked, more then once.
I think that's about all that I can think of. I hope it was informative.
If you are squeamish, you might want to skip reading this one......
There is actually a perceptual difference as the "start" of the migraine process.....Michelle can usually tell a few hours earlier, she says that I slur my words (more then usual, just call me Mr. President). But my first noticeable symptom is usually neck pain. Typically it begins about halfway up my neck, slowly building in intensity. It takes a couple hours to progress in intensity, and as that is occurring the pain actually travels up my neck, up the back of my head and then settles over my eyes. Then the pain continues to build in depth, pressure,and any other form of describing the pain. The only place I can be, even to be considered more "comfortable" is in bed, with my hands over my eyes.
I get a couple other noteworthy symptoms while all this is happening, as well. First is photophobia, it isn't all that uncommon, but sensitivity to light can aggravate anything else that you might be feeling, especially when 99.99% of the time get migraines during the day. As I lie in bed, with my eyes squeezed shut, trying not to think about suicide, I typically get moving patterns of light. I watch them on my closed eyelids, I guess you could say that it is like driving backwards in a tunnel at night. Circles of light starting big and then getting smaller down to a point, then another large circle, and so on. Back in college it used to be like fireworks of light, but it is much different now.
I guess I also have some sound sensitivity, but that is a lot more boring then the rest of this.
Now, as the migraine progresses and tears me down, the nausea builds. If I am luck I have been trying to keep drinking water, especially with the increasing nausea. I can think of very few things that are worse then dry heaves, during a migraine. Possibly amputation of a limb, or maybe the permanent loss of one of the five senses. But it really depends on the circumstances. If I have been drinking water, then it is just regular throwing up.
Now you may find this hard to believe, but almost always it is 3 trips to the toilet. Very regular. After the trips to the bathroom there is always a bit of a reduction in the pain, but after the third throw-up fest the pain usually subsides rather rapidly.
Over the next hour or two there is a nearly complete dissipation of the pain, although there are some lasting effects. I'm usually weak from not having eaten anything in the last 8 or 9 hours, and yes that is the typical duration from start to finish, sometimes a bit longer. It take a whole day and makes it horrible. Also, typically, there is some muscle pain or fatigue from the dry heaving or vomiting.
One of the most frustrating things is that there is no sleeping during a migraine. People in the past have said: "Your just lying in bed, it must be nice. Enjoy the nap." I'm awake, conscious, bored, tired, frustrated, and more all through the event. It is not a vacation. It is not easy.
Thank all that is good, for medication. For years I only had tylenol to try and take the edge off, and I was probably taking way to much at any one time. Now as long as I get some of my prescription within the initial symptoms, I usually get a little nausea and fatigue (listed side effects of the drug), but it is so much of a relief to not have the fear of being crushed into pulp any day of the week. There have been a few other things that Michelle and I have found to be helpful in the prevention of the symptoms. Michelle read somewhere that there was a kind of pillow which more properly supports the neck at night. So I received the pillow for Christmas (actually I started using it a little before Christmas, don't tell Santa!) and I think it has made a noticeable reduction in frequency.
Another tip that I received was from a girl that I used to work with, she told me about some biofeedback ideas. In studies, it has been measured, that there are temperature changes in certain areas of the body before and during a migraine. Makes sense circulation changes are what causes a migraine, and they are what can cause a temperature change too. There is a decrease in temperature in the extremities, and an increase in temperature at the neck. So the biofeedback idea is to try and counter those symptoms to snap your body out of what is about to happen. I have used a pair of gloves on my hands, and an ice pack on my neck on more then one occasion. The results that I have gotten have been mixed, but it has worked, more then once.
I think that's about all that I can think of. I hope it was informative.
posted by Tim @ 1:25 PM
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