Migraine

Hi gang -

I just posted this in the wrong place - still finding my way around.

This is going to start as venting, but I also have a question... bear with me... My 12 y/o son's best friend is visiting for a few days - he moved away last summer, big tragedy in my son's life! So far, my house has been wall-to-wall 12 y/o boys for 2 days, as all their other buddies have come over. They asked (begged, pleaded, pestered, insisted, etc.) if a second friend could stay over tonight - one did last night - I said no, it's too much now. I haven't had a migraine since right before Christmas but I'm afraid if I push myself I'll get one!

At the same time, my 17 y/o daughter, never too tolerant of her brother in the 1st place, has had a bad cold and has been holed up in her room. And very grumpy. Husband and I have taken a few days off work but are straightening & organizing the house. Best friend leaves tomorrow and tomorrow night family starts coming - we'll have 14 to dinner on Saturday night, and 10 extra people staying the house 'til Sunday night.

I'm worried about getting another migraine with this crowd coming - we've done this a couple of times before and I have had migraines both times. I know stress is not a trigger in itself, but can aggravate triggers - I guess this over-stimulation might be a form of stress.

So - I've been wondering if overwhelm or over-stimulation is a known trigger? Does anyone have info on this? I know that many people talking at the same time, or many noises at the same time, seems to trigger me - it's not just the volume of noise, but the number of sources. Also being in a crowd of people even if it's not noisy - I lead some seminars and I love doing it and I tend to get a migraine afterwards, every time! It seems to me there's a shut-down point where my brain just can't handle any more input - where I need to back down, relax, get away, get some quiet. Same thing happens if I push to finish my work up after 5:30 or sit down and pay the bills right after work. Am I making this up?

- Megan


Free our brains from migraine pain

Hi,

Well, it's not that overstimulation is a trigger, but more lights, more sound, more smells all can be Migraine triggers. If our bodies are stressed to begin with, overtired, getting a cold, we may be more susceptible to our triggers. These will then trigger a Migraine attack. Does that help?

HERE is information on Migraine triggers.

Hi there.

I am in the same boat. I feel over-stimulated all the time. If too many plans are scheduled for one day, too many people around me, lots of shoppers in the store, lots of music playing and people talking, dishes clanging, dog running around sniffing, washing machine humming, it all adds up. My family is visiting for the holidays and it is totally "TOO MUCH" for my brain to handle.

I know that stress is not a true trigger, but the over-stimulation, however it aggrevates you, can be, such as the noise, lights, too much activity, too much brain stimulation.

I feel for you. My sister is here with her 17 & 14 y/o boys. Add to that, my parents, with mom always telling us how to do everything and what's wrong with our own kids, it is a big headache/migraine waiting to happen.

Nancy

Nancy - You make me laugh! I'm about to have Mom telling me how to do everything I already know how to do and 6 teenagers and two toddlers in the house (oh, two of the teens are mine), among others. Right now it's my 17 y/o daughter who's telling me how to do everything and what's wrong with my kids! ;-) I totally identify with what you just said - I often say - "my head's going to explode" and usually that's not pain but this feeling of tightness and confusion and a huge desire to run away!
- Meg

I'd say that the overstimulating environment is a stressor, and sets you up to be vulnerable to triggers.

I think the best thing for this kind of thing is to make sure you find some "idle down" time in the midst of everything. You deserve some time to hole up and regroup. I know that's not easy to find this time of year, and sometimes we have to just put some stuff off in order to make the time, but I find that if you do that, then the stuff you put off is even easier to retackle after a recharge.

Meg,

I am laughing now that it is over, the holidays that is. You see, I love my family and the wonderful memories I have from my own childhood and want to get together with everyone to try to have this "PERFET" Christmas. Every year, I somehow manage to make myself believe that this will be the year that we all can work out all of our differences and get along with one another to make PEACE a priority in our lives.

Oh well, another year of attempts, but I am tired and I am glad that today is Jan. 2nd. Tomorrow, my child goes back to school and I can get back to my own routine. I fantasize about how nice it will be when everyone gets together, but forget how HARD it is.

I live in Georgia and a big cold front came down with lots of rain and low pressure. Thankfully, the change in weather migraine is over, but it was rough for three days straight. I hope you survived your family Christmas.

Nancy W

Thanks Nancy - I had a nice time, though I did have a migraine on Sunday - the day we did our gift exchange and "Christmas" dinner. But I think that was from not sleeping the night before. Everyone behaved pretty well, my sister held back on her perfectionism, my Mom didn't boss me around too much, my sister-in-law got on my nerves for a minute or two, but my good news is I took it all with a grain of salt and didn't react.
I do get to that point, though, where it's just all too much - noise, people, demands on my attention. I enjoyed the family and I was glad when they left.

Happy new year!

- Megan

I was just talking to my neurologist about this today! It is one of the biggest triggers I have. To much STIMULI!! Too loud, too hot, too cold, too bright, too noisy, too busy....and on and on!!!!

Some of us are wired differently and our nervous systems overload easily. It is very genetic...and it is EXACTLY how I am. Even driving to the my appt. today in traffic, bright sky and rushing to pick up my son at prechool, brought on a migraine....and I knew it would happen.

I try to simplify my life as much as I can, because I know I will be in pain more often if I don't. My cousin who is 43 is the same. She says she feel like a "hothouse orchid!" She needs the temp, humidity, sunlight and everything to be just right or else she gets a migraine.

Hi Miriam -

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one! I used to think I just got cranky after awhile in a big crowd, and didn't notice that it triggered a migraine later. Now it can trigger a migraine right away!

- Megs

I've always been very easily over-stimulated. I've always been very careful to avoid it as much as possible, too. For example, in my college dorms, I avoided reading bulletin boards. If there was something really vital on the bulletin board, my roommate told me, because she knew I wouldn't have looked at it. I always avoided loud music or loud sounds of any kind, and I've always preferred austere, undecorated environments. Again in my college dorm, I was well-known for not putting anything on my walls except a calendar.

I always assumed these things were simply matters of temperament and preference, until I found out that I had this disease, and the characteristics of the disease. Now I know that I was instinctively protecting myself from things that could have led to attacks.

I have a lot of trouble shopping for this exact reason - fluorescent lights, too many people, too much to look at, then the anxiety builds and POW migraine. I can't tell you how many times I've gone into a store and, um, suddenly needed to find a bathroom because all of the stimuli resulted in some soupy poopies. Blech.

Yes, this definitely happens to me. Too many bright or flashing lights, too many people talking at once, too much activity going on around me, etc. often results in a migraine or just a normal headache if I'm lucky. A lot of times it keeps me from doing activities I would like to do with other people because I can almost guarantee it will lead to head pain and sickness later. I'm sure this is a common tale.

On the other hand, under-stimulation seems to have the same effect for me. If I sleep in or sleep too much, stay at my computer too long, or go for several hours without moving much I also often end up in bed later with a migraine. So the goal is...exactly the right amount of activity/stimulation?

Weird how so many little things can trigger so much pain, eh? ...like the tiniest little pebble can tip the scale into pain and oblivion.

Sometimes we do get stuck no matter how you slice it. Too little activity, leading to fatigue, goofs up sleep and regroup patterns, I think, which is probably why it's a potential buildup to being more susceptible to triggers. I know if I have a lazy, veg around the house day, where I didn't do much at all, it can be even harder to fall asleep when I go to bed. Suddenly I'm disrupted because I'm not tired, like usual.