Migraine

I was just reading the symptoms poll and it made me curious about something. I get the one sided migraines without aura and tension migraines that make my whole head pound and hurt. With these ones I get the sensitivity to lights and sound and nausea. But I am very sensitive to movement. Is this a given with all migraines which is why it isn't in the pole - or are TTH sufferers more affected by this? Even small movements in my head amplify the pounding or having to get up to visit the washroom makes it so much worse.

Also - has anyone had a bad migraine and their neighbor decides to cut the grass???? There was something about the pulsing rhythm of his riding lawn mower that made me wish I had sniper training.

While I'm off topic - I wonder if many people that get migraines have for lack of a better word - daydreams. For example, I often find myself thinking of cutting out my eyeball or the parts of my brain that hurt the most - self lobotomies <gross I know - I'm sorry!!!!>. Thankfully I'm not a visual thinker and can't see these thoughts in images hehe.

Hi, ksikelly!

I have migraine with aura and movement is next to impossible for me when the pain is extreme! Just rolling over makes me feel like throwing up--the pain gets very intense with movement! I have crawled to the bathroom on many an occasion because the pain was too bad to actually stand up!

Funny you should mention the lawn mowing thing...My neighbor mows her lawn with a VERY old riding mower. The first time I saw her, I thought she was mowing in the nude: she always mows while wearing a flesh-colored bikini! When she starts that mower I feel like running out there and flattening all the tires!! It's possibly the loudest motorized vehicle I've ever heard!! And she runs back and forth just under my bedroom window about a bizillion times!!

And about the fantasy stuff...I think lots of us have had that experience! I have actually banged my head on things because the pain was so bad and I wanted it to stop so desperately! I've considered shaving my head a few times when even my hair was hurting!! Thought better of it, though. I just don't have one of those heads that would look good bald!

jenny

The movement is the worst. When I have the bad bad horrible migraines even breathing is hard, just easy, shallow breathing, is what I can do. I do not move, I pray I won't have to go to the bathroom, or sneeze.

The worsening with movement is one of the diagnostic criteria for migraine. (if I am not mistaken)

When it comes to classifying Migraines, there's technically no such thing as "tension Migraines." Am I remembering correctly that what you're talking about with these is that you have a tension headache first? That doesn't change the diagnosis of what type of Migraine you have. I can't diagnose, but if you're not having aura with these, it may be that you have both Migraine with aura and Migraine without aura.

I didn't put being sensitive to movement in the poll because the pain of a Migraine is usually made worse by activity.

On the poll, you can always check the "other" box and type it in.

Hope this helps!

quote:

Originally posted by ksikelly:
I was just reading the symptoms poll and it made me curious about something. I get the one sided migraines without aura and tension migraines that make my whole head pound and hurt. With these ones I get the sensitivity to lights and sound and nausea. But I am very sensitive to movement. Is this a given with all migraines which is why it isn't in the pole - or are TTH sufferers more affected by this? Even small movements in my head amplify the pounding or having to get up to visit the washroom makes it so much worse.

Also - has anyone had a bad migraine and their neighbor decides to cut the grass???? There was something about the pulsing rhythm of his riding lawn mower that made me wish I had sniper training.

While I'm off topic - I wonder if many people that get migraines have for lack of a better word - daydreams. For example, I often find myself thinking of cutting out my eyeball or the parts of my brain that hurt the most - self lobotomies <gross I know - I'm sorry!!!!>. Thankfully I'm not a visual thinker and can't see these thoughts in images hehe.

Oh my gosh - lawn mowing - weed wacking - yelling at their kids! My neighbors seem to have a "migraine timer" on me. It never fails, as soon as I need peace and quiet - it's like "let's mow the lawn and yell at the kids!!" The worst is when it's too hot and we are keeping the windows open - and you can smell the cut grass and gas smell from whatever device they are running at the moment. LOVE that!

Then there are my loving kitties and husband, they just want to come cuddle up - but the motion of them getting on and off the bed makes me want to take a hostage!!!!! Most of the time I just close the door and lock them all out! I'll come out if I need something......other then that DON'T bother me. I love them for trying though.

Eileen

Ah, yes, the lawnmowers under our windows! Even with earplugs in, I can still hear them! My bedroom is on the front corner of our house, so I not only hear ours and our next-door neighbor, but I also hear neighbors' across the street.

And, yes, I've banged me head against brick walls to change the pain!

And, I've daydreamed about removing my "naughty" left eye, especially when it felt like it was going to explode anyway.

Funny, though - summer of 1999, our A/C was out. The girls & I were running a horsemanship day camp. We were out in the heat all day long, & drinking water (literally) by the gallon. We had A/C only in the car. I don't remember a lot of mad migraines that summer.

I do remember a very clear complexion. I also remember that my crows feet never tanned - I was smiling that much!

Rebecca

Not medical advice, but the pounding sounds like migraine to me. It's hard for me to tell when a tension-type headache has morphed into a migraine. At some point, I'll have the brilliant idea to take a triptan and wonder why I didn't think about it hours before. Sometimes the triptan works; sometimes it doesn't.

I've never wanted to gouge my eyes, but I've often wished for a way to slip ice behind them, or just take them out and let them rest. Sometimes pulling big hanks of hair can release tension in my scalp. Really. I was surprised the first time my massage therapist did it, but it really can help.

Gretchen

Thanks again for the feedback (and the lawnmower stories ).

I'll throw that tension migraine thing out the window. I'll know with my next one whether the tension that starts at the base of the skull is the start of an actual migraine. Without fail its my whole head that becomes involved with the pounding/thumping (along with sensitivies to any movement/light/sound and the lovely nausea).

I'd like to know if this is common - the full head migraine? Do most of you get it only on one side or do you also get it all over?

I believe Migraine is only one sided. Unilateral. If it's both sides - I don't think it is a Migraine - Don't quote me though because I could very well be wrong. I know that a big thing when expaining it to the doctor was if it was unilateral in pain. From what I've read that is how you know (among other fun things!!! )

If I get a headache all over - it's usually TTH - started in my neck/shoulders and worked it's way up. If I let it go - it can/will become a Migraine which is when that all over ache turns into a unilateral ache in one eye. I can tell it's a Migraine usually because I can start to feel my eye "pull". If I look left to right and I feel strain behind one of them (usually my right) then I know it's going to be a long day.

Eileen

The neurologist is treating it for migraine also. I was curious if someone else experiences it like I do. I do notice the pain is more severe on the right side - most of the icepacks are for my right temple side and at the base of my skull. Going up the stairs increases the pain and throbbing and i've had one experience where I thought I was going to black out (actually saw black for a few seconds).

My migraines will usually start unilateral (never the same side), but will generally progress to being bilateral. I do get the "all over" kind where my entire head hurts front to back but typically my pain tends to situate itself in my temples, eyesockets, and the forehead. Sometimes it radiates down into the jaw. And lawnmowers drive me nuts too!

Hi again, everyone!

My migraines almost always start on my right side, in the forehead/temple area. I also often have jaw and face pain at the same side, too. The pain sometimes progresses across my forehead to my left temple, but doesn't ever seem to involve my entire head! (At most, it's about 2/3 of my head, with pain centered on the right in the front.)

One of my friends has migraine, too. Her migraines are unilateral at the start but the pain sometimes does engulf her whole head. She thinks it has some muscle involvement, too: When she's in pain, she holds her head and neck differently and this leads to muscle pain that radiates from her neck up through her head.

Guess we're all a bit different, huh?

jenny