Migraine

Okay, well how many people have this? Synesthia actually seems to help with aura migraines. I've learned to notice the syn-signs for my headaches.

Syn is also a trigger! I'm a smell-sound-taste synee that when overwhelmed it triggers a migraine. It's one of those rarer triggers though.

I was talking to a friend about her migraines and she started telling me about how certain sound-tastes were causing her headaches. Of course, she though I would think she was nuts, but I knew what she was describing. Synesthia is an interesting neuro thing that is hard to dx. I truely love mine.....I have perfect pitch due to it!

Anyhow, does anyone else have syn triggered migraines? Or migraines that are signalled/helped by syn?

Hm, I do have very mild synesthia (compared to some people I have heard about and seen on TV - amazing). But to tell you the truth, I have never connected the two. So maybe I need some time to observe and will be able to look whether they are connected, but I think I would have noticed if they were. Interesting question.

Nope. But I have read a rather intriguing Young Adult novel on synesthesia by Wendy Mass called A Mango-Shaped Space. I found it fascinating, and passed my copy on to our school librarian, who also loved it. The book is one of those chosen for this year's Battle of the Books, too, because we loved it so much.

I suspect I have synesthia, but the numbers one. You should've seen the look on my best friend's face when I explained how a clock or calendar looked in my mind when it was sectioned off for daily or monthly activities.

I've never connected it with my migraines although I've done the number thing all my life.

Hey Deb..
Can you elaborate? Do you see them in a specific color, or ...?

By sheer coincidence, the "patient" on House last night presented with synesthesia as well. Apparently, synesthesia is droolie's Word of the Week or something. It's getting kind of creepy how something as rare as synesthesia is keeps popping up on my radar like that.

I know, I was talking to my mom before House about this question, and then the House started. But this happens quite often. I was reading Scientific American about rare diseases and then on one of those mystery diagnosis TV shows they featured the exact same one. I guessed the disease in the first 5 minutes and everyone was looking at me like yeah, right. And then I showed them the article, and I was right.

Both the clock face and calendar are in different shades of gray and are at different heights.

For example, a typical calendar day starts at 7:30 getting Nikoli up and ready for school. That would look normal. After he's at school, the clock faces raises up and turns gray until 2:30 till Kath gets home. Then it turns another shade of gray and goes to another height until 3:15 when I go pick up Nikoli. Between that and dinner is another shade of gray and height, etc. They don't always increase in height, they go up and down.

On the calendar, weekends always look different from weekdays; a three day weekend will look like a two day weekend. Holidays are gray also and raised up.

Clear as mud?

quote:

Originally posted by Neu(t)rino:
Hey Deb..
Can you elaborate? Do you see them in a specific color, or ...?

Wow, amazing.. I understand.. Can't imagine, but understand, plus what I have read about other poeple.

I didn't realize House was doing and episode on synesthia?! I will have to get it off iTunes or something to see it.

I syn similar to you Deb. To me...sounds are colored ages. The higher the pitch the younger and happier the age, the deeper the sound the older and grumpier the age.

My husband laughs because I hear the jets and planes and identify the type by the age. Fighter jets are orangey-yellow young bratty children.....C130s are bluish-grey happy old men.

I taste smells. When I'm around cleaning chemicals or someone opens food I taste it without going anywhere near what is causing the scent. Windex tastes like cotton candy (ewww) and bleach tastes like saltwater.

Color syns are interesting. Cingular's ringtone is bright blinding green and about 20yrs old.

You made me laugh, great description. I taste smells too. And feelings and smeels are interconnected in a weird way.

We knew something was off ever since I was a baby, when I tried to explain what was wrong with me to me doctor I used very unusual descriptions. Eventually, my doctors got used to it, sometimes mom "translated", ER doctors had some problems though.

quote:

Originally posted by Echo6Wife:
Okay, well how many people have this? Synesthia actually seems to help with aura migraines. I've learned to notice the syn-signs for my headaches.

Syn is also a trigger! I'm a smell-sound-taste synee that when overwhelmed it triggers a migraine. It's one of those rarer triggers though.

I was talking to a friend about her migraines and she started telling me about how certain sound-tastes were causing her headaches. Of course, she though I would think she was nuts, but I knew what she was describing. Synesthia is an interesting neuro thing that is hard to dx. I truely love mine.....I have perfect pitch due to it!

Anyhow, does anyone else have syn triggered migraines? Or migraines that are signalled/helped by syn?

Echo-

I also have perfect pitch, and have synesthesia. I hear colors, see smells. Strong smells absolutely trigger migraines, esp. chemical smells, chlorine, gasoline, smoke,et. Migraines run in my family, and so does perfect pitch, along with a certain problem with missing a specific incisor tooth. Don't know if there's any connection or not. I will often hear my migraines coming on, and I'll start to lose my balance. And sometimes things will taste funny before a migraine. Also, bright changes of color that occur in rapid succession can trigger my migraines, like what happens during commercials,movies or the middle of an optic migraine. Loud noises, depending on my threshold at that moment, will also trigger. My neurologist told me my main job is to minimize my stress and keep my triggers to a minimum . I rarely see a movie anymore, just find as many things to laugh about as possible! Hope that helps. CJ

I've always had synesthesia (days of the week have colors, numbers have personalities, Idaho was not allowed to be in my map puzzle for its bad attitude) but never connected it with migraine. I do remember episodes as a teenager experiencing a certain smell (totally indescribable but always the same) and thinking to myself, Oh, he's here again! Who "he" was, I don't know, but I was certain that that scent meant that he was here again.

Weird, I know.

Hey Ramona!

To me, that smell/scent which still visits me from time to time reminds me of the smell of hay that you can't wash off because it's inside of me. I always loved it, and thought of it as my special secret.

I have noticed, however, since having my hysterectomy, that it's less frequent, though my migraines are not. (they left one ovary in) Perhaps that smell/scent, which you referred to as "he", is hormonal in nature.

Either way, it sounds like we both enjoy having synesthia. I think it's a gift! Musical notes are colors to me, and frequently full-on scenarios. I love listening to good quality music although it can sometimes overwhelm my senses, thus triggering a migraine. I just have to be very careful of what I listen to.

I like how you described numbers having personalities-can you tell me about that?

CJ