Would someone kindly remove the butcher knife from my right eye? My first migraine

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Note- I am not asking for medical advice, just comments from those who have had migraines.

 I may have had my first experience with a migraine headache today.  I haven't been sleeping well for the last couple of weeks, and it sort of caught up with me today.  I felt tired and crappy all day, so I came home a little early hoping to get in a nap before dinner.  I had a pretty bad headache when I got home, so I took an 800 mg Motrin, which always knocks out any headache for me.  I went to sleep, thinking that by the time I woke up, the Motrin would have kicked in and I'd be feeling better.

 Instead, I woke up about an hour later with an absolutely searing pain behind my right eye all the way to the back of my head.  It hurt so much it made me nauseous.   I could barely walk to get to the bathroom, and when I turned on the light it made the pain worse.  I went back to bed and laid there immobile for a couple of hours.  I finally started to feel a bit better, and a short time ago I was able to get up and eat some soup.  Now it's just a dull ache in the back of my head, and I no longer feel compelled to cut of my head with a dull butter knife.

 Was this a migraine?  I always thought they were longer in duration, but the pain seems to be what I've heard described by people who suffer from them.  If it was, will I be more likely to get one in the future?   What do you do when you get one of these wretched things, besides lie in a dark room and wish for death?
2

Sounds exactly like a migraine, but please go to your doc to make sure. You may need neurological testing, prescription meds, etc. Any kind of debilitating pain shouldn’t be taken lightly, and may (MAY!) possibly be a sign of something worse. I’m not trying to be alarmist, just stating the facts.

In the meantime, try Excedrin. I haven’t needed a Rx for a while, just the Excedrin, then a lie-down in a nice dark place. 9/10, this does it for me, but I know I am in the minority on that one. YMMV, offer void where prohibited, etc.

3

Thank goodness I haven’t had one in years, but when I did a dark, quiet room was the only thing that helped. If I could go to sleep, it was usually gone when I woke up.

See your doctor and good luck.

4

Excedrin Migraine worked for awhile for me, then it stopped working. Granted, that seems to happen with all my migraine meds- works for awhile, then stops. You might want to give it a try- it can’t hurt, anyway.

5

Oh, yeah, sounds like a migraine. Just like the one I had earlier this evening, in fact. I’ve had these since I was a little kid, and the duration varies quite a bit - the longest was over a day, but most come and go in a few hours. IME, there is no over-the-counter medication that is effective for migraine (I envy The Sausage Creature in this regard).

See a doctor, for two reasons: (1) You don’t have a history of migraine, so you want to be very sure that it isn’t something else; (2) There are several very effective drugs available and you might want to keep some on hand.

If your doctor prescribes medication, bear in mind that all are most effective if taken as close as possible to the onset of migraine - don’t wait to see if you can tough it out. Some of them can also leave you feeling pretty worn out, although it’s still better than the pain.

6

I get them now and then. A dark quiet room and an ice pack seem to help me. My doctor prescribed Vicodin, but I don’t process it correctly, so it doesn’t do me any good. I’m currently using Migrin-A for medicine.

The OP’s symptoms sound like a migraine to me, those are classic migraine symptoms. However, IANAD, and the OP should certainly see a qualified medical professional. In the meantime, an ice pack can help.

7

I used to get them semi-frequently when I was younger (13?). Crying, puking, all that. Horrible. I never went to this doctor but luckily they went away. I also had a few other health problems around that time (weird stomach pains etc) that went away as well, so it may have been psychological in nature (IANAdoctor though). I get them maybe once a year now. Last time I had one a friend of mine gave me some of his prescription headache pills (yes I know you’re not supposed to do that) and they were awesome, haha. They worked. I didn’t feel my head (or anything else) and everything was really funny…

But yeah. Get it checked out. Better safe than sorry. Migraines are the worst. All you can do is lay down in a dark and silent room and pray it goes away.

8

Oooh… migraines. Sounds like that’s what it is, see your doctor, echo, echo all the good advice above.

I distinctly recall banging my head against the bedroom wall once because that seemed to make the pain lessen. :eek:

I recall stumbling into the bathroom, looking into my eye, convinced I would be able to see in my eye what was causing the pain.

Oh, the light hurt.

I used to get an aura before them; in my case it was like a lot of tiny silvery fish swimming across my vision. Then I’d notice it would be “too bright” everywhere. Then the pain would descend…

Luckily, oh so luckily, by my late twenties, they had disappeared for me. Thank Og! There is no misery quite like a migraine.

9

I echo all the other SDMB migraineurs in saying, “Yes, sounds like a classic migraine.” However (and this is a big however) always always always consult a doctor when you have a headache that is unusual for you. Sure, it probably is just a migraine. But no one can diagnose that for you without a full neurological workup. A one-time really bad headache, okay… you might want to take some Excedrin and deal. If it happens again, make an appointment pronto, and you might want to consider going straight to a neurologist who specializes in headaches if your insurance allows. Nothing but testing will tell you for sure that it isn’t something more serious.

10

I think I had a migraine once in 7th grade. I didn’t know what it was at the time and I thought I was starting to go crazy. I had lots of school stuff, and at the beginning of the day my vision started going all crazy, and then I got sick, and then I got better. All of this was accompanied by a massive headache. I don’t know if it was a migraine or not, but it wasn’t fun.

Now to the point of my post…

When I get really bad headaches, I sit down, close my eyes and imagine a picture of my brain. Everytime I breathe in, I imagine it getting bigger, when I breathe out, I imagine it getting smaller. Usually after 15-30 minutes of this, depending on how successful I am in ignoring outside noises etc, my headache has cured itself.

Sounds stupid, but it works. Good luck.

11

Oh, I forgot to add that there are a lot of new medications available for the treatment and even prevention of migraine that were not available ten, even five, years ago. I had been holding steady using Imitrex for migraine relief and was grateful for that, even though I had side effects that were bad enough that I found myself weighing if the migraine was “bad enough” to take the medicine. Well, circumstances conspired to have me see a new doctor, and come to find out that my old doc was rather behind the times… I’m thrilled the results I’m getting from Topamax as a preventative and Relpax for pain relief. I understand Topamax doesn’t work well for everyone, but I’m having great results with it.

12

I agree with the previous posts - sounds exactly like a migraine, but get it checked out.

I used to describe a bad migraine as feeling like “someone stuck a knitting needle in my eye and out my ear.” I say “bad migraine” because sometimes they are quite mild - just feel like pressure over one eye.

I have found 1 over-the-counter med that often works for me, but I’m not sure if it’s available in the US ( I live in Canada). It’s Advil (ibuprofen) liqui-gels. That’s not the same as gel caps - they’re transparent and slightly “squishy.” I imagine they work fast because they dissolve quickly. There are also a large number of prescription meds, but everyone reacts to them differently.

I needed to try some alternatives, because I was taking my Rx daily at one point, until I found out it was a barbituate. Yikes!

Ginger is the best thing for the nausea. It’s been clinically proven effective. You can get capsules or tea at a health food store, candied ginger at the supermarket or bulk food store, or you can just slice some fresh ginger and sttep it in boiling water for 30 minutes. I’ve read that steeping fresh basil leaves with the ginger can also help with the pain, but I didn’t find that particularly effective for me.

Things that help the pain for me are:

  • ice on the back of the neck. Try Googling "headache pillows - they’re horseshoe shaped pillows with a slot for a gel ice pack. Get an extra gel pack and keep them in the freezer.

-Put something warm on your hands and feet. I guess it helps the blood flow.

  • Cold compress on the forehead, covering the eyes.

-Quiet, dark room.

-A “Deep Cold” pain patch on the back of the neck. You can get them in a pharmacy, with the muscle rubs. It’s an adhesive backed patch that stays on for up to 8 hours. Gives me relief.

-Listen to a relaxation tape and let it put you to sleep.

-If you find you’re really plagued with frequent migraines, there’s a type of physical therapy/massage called cranio-sacral therapy. It’s a very gentle touch, more a holding and repositioning the body than a rubbing. I saw a therapist for a year, and she brought me down from 4-5 migraines a week to 1 every month or two - quite life-transforming.

-Finally, and this might raise some eyebrows, but it has worked for me… an orgasm. Yes, it’s sometimes very hard to achieve with a butcher knife in your eye, but it certainly takes your mind off things and the release of tension, combined with some of the other things above (quite, dark, ice, sleep, etc.) often does the trick without meds. A little hard to do if you’re on the subway, though…

13

Oh wow, I feel your pain. I used to get about a migraine a week during my adolescence (compounding what was already a socially excruciating time with physical agony :p), triggered mostly by exposure to light. One swimming session in the sunlight and boom! the light reflecting off the water would set off another torture session. Sometimes just sitting outside for a while, or watching someone in a white shirt, would be enough - that was bad.

My migraines usually started with a shimmering aura, at which point I knew I had about half an hour before the pain hit. About fifteen minutes of aura would be followed by a gradual darkening of my vision, like a gray film closing over my eyes from both directions. That was bloody scary the first time it happened; I thought I was going blind, but later I got quite blase. Nausea might or might not ensue at this point. About half my migraines would be accompanied by speech aphasia - I would know exactly what I wanted to say, but just couldn’t say it. That’s a very interesting feeling - the “I have this word on the tip of my tongue but it just won’t come out” feeling, but even for words like “tree” or “book” or names of friends I’d known for years.

When the pain finally arrived, it normally lodged behind one eye; exactly as if someone was driving a knife into my brain. The only cure I ever discovered was sleeping it off in a totally dark, silent room with a cold towel over my eyes. Painkillers did nothing; either over-the-counter ones or prescription. Most attacks lasted 12 hours, but a severe one could last 24, gradually dimishing in intensity. I took Inderal for several years, and while it seemed to reduce the frequency of attacks, it did nothing to reduce their intensity. The attacks gradually became more and more widely spaced, and stopped altogether when I was about 21.

I agree that this definitely seems like a migraine, but like everyone else, would advise seeing a doctor. Good luck! It might just be a one-off, or medication might help. My sympathies; migraines are hell. :slight_smile:

14

I started getting migraines about 7 years ago when I began to have to stare at a computer screen all day (no coincidence there). I remember my first one felt like every time I moved my eyes, they were jabbed from behind by a red-hot poker. If I closed my eyes, jab. If I tried to lie down, jab. Not fun.
I’ve found that those Advil Liqui-Gels for migraines are really fantastic. If you have another, maybe give one a try. I found they worked when even extra-strength Tylenol didn’t.

15

Another migraine sufferer checking in. I’ve been suffering with them off and on for 25 years, since I was 11. They were the worst when I was between the ages of 25 and 33. I would get 2-3 a month and they would last from 6-36 hrs depending on severity.

Some migraines are caused by allergies or food triggers. I had no particularly trigger, sometimes it was stress, but sometimes, more often than not, it was totally random.

Definitely go see your doctor when you can, and tell him what happened.Part of the problem with migraines is there are different types and it’s a hard to tell what kind you suffer from. Different migraine meds work in different ways. Some dialate the blood vessels in the brain, others actually constrict them. Others still are just basically pain killers. It’s trial and error what will work for you.

If your doctor prescribes something and it doesn’t work, call him and let him know. I’ve been on at least 6 different meds. I’ve had some that worked for 2-3 three years and then were suddenly useless.

As far as what you can do at home previous posters have given great advice. Cold packs or heating pads (again whatever works, you have to just try). Sometimes it helps for me to switch back and forth. Lavendar is very calming. It really helps me when I’m suffering. Just a dot of lavendar oil or a lavendar candle helps.

Good luck and I hope you never get another migraine. But if you do, hopefully you get some relief.

16

Actually, I was discussing migraines with some folks on another email list once and “orgasms and fenugreek tea” were recommended, to which someone else replied, “Don’t you spill the tea in the all the excitement?” Heh. I agree with your assessment of the former, but yeah, it’s rather difficult to implement on the go.

As mentioned, fenugreek tea can help some folks, especially if respiratory or sinus congestion is triggering or exacerbating a migraine. If you happen to be menstruating, be cautious about drinking fenugreek tea, as it can cause some women’s flow to increase. (I’ve never noticed a difference, but I offer the disclaimer just the same.) If you drink more than a cup or two, don’t be concerned if your armpits smell faintly of maple syrup, either. That’s just the fenugreek. It’s really quite pleasant.

A lot of women find that their migraines are triggered by their menstrual cycle. Mine are almost exclusively around my period. I’m experimenting right now with a very low dose estrogen patch to be worn two days before the start of my period through my “headache zone” which is usually 7 or so days after my period. Apparently, it’s the drop in estrogen which triggers menstruation that also triggers menstrual migraines. The thinking is that the low-dose estrogen patch will keep the drop from being so precipitous, and thus stave off any really bad headache. I don’t take oral contraceptives, and I don’t know if this therapy would be contraindicated for someone who was. I do know that some women get relief by changing to a different formulation of oral contraceptives, so that’s another avenue to explore.

Another really good recommendation is to taper off caffeine in your diet as much as possible and save it back for when a headache is threatening. Then you can take Excedrin (which contains caffeine) or drink a big cup of coffee, and the blast of caffeine will help knock out the headache. Many old style ergot-based migraine drugs contained caffeine for this purpose. It takes a lot of self-discipline to do this, though.

17

I agree with the previous posts - sounds exactly like a migraine, but get it checked out.

I used to describe a bad migraine as feeling like “someone stuck a knitting needle in my eye and out my ear.” I say “bad migraine” because sometimes they are quite mild - just feel like pressure over one eye.

I have found 1 over-the-counter med that often works for me, but I’m not sure if it’s available in the US ( I live in Canada). It’s Advil (ibuprofen) liqui-gels. That’s not the same as gel caps - they’re transparent and slightly “squishy.” I imagine they work fast because they dissolve quickly. There are also a large number of prescription meds, but everyone reacts to them differently.

I needed to try some alternatives, because I was taking my Rx daily at one point, until I found out it was a barbituate. Yikes!

Ginger is the best thing for the nausea. It’s been clinically proven effective. You can get capsules or tea at a health food store, candied ginger at the supermarket or bulk food store, or you can just slice some fresh ginger and sttep it in boiling water for 30 minutes. I’ve read that steeping fresh basil leaves with the ginger can also help with the pain, but I didn’t find that particularly effective for me.

Things that help the pain for me are:

  • ice on the back of the neck. Try Googling "headache pillows - they’re horseshoe shaped pillows with a slot for a gel ice pack. Get an extra gel pack and keep them in the freezer.

-Put something warm on your hands and feet. I guess it helps the blood flow.

  • Cold compress on the forehead, covering the eyes.

-Quiet, dark room.

-A “Deep Cold” pain patch on the back of the neck. You can get them in a pharmacy, with the muscle rubs. It’s an adhesive backed patch that stays on for up to 8 hours. Gives me relief.

-Listen to a relaxation tape and let it put you to sleep.

-If you find you’re really plagued with frequent migraines, there’s a type of physical therapy/massage called cranio-sacral therapy. It’s a very gentle touch, more a holding and repositioning the body than a rubbing. I saw a therapist for a year, and she brought me down from 4-5 migraines a week to 1 every month or two - quite life-transforming.

-Finally, and this might raise some eyebrows, but it has worked for me… an orgasm. Yes, it’s sometimes very hard to achieve with a butcher knife in your eye, but it certainly takes your mind off things and the release of tension, combined with some of the other things above (quite, dark, ice, sleep, etc.) often does the trick without meds. A little hard to do if you’re on the subway, though…

18

I once saw a program about migraines and the subject was filmed crawling on the floor and banging his head on stuff. He said that he once had a gun in his hand ready to blow his head off, but he couldn’t steady it long enough to squeeze off a shot.

Ever since I saw that, I’ve feared becoming a migraine person. I cannot imagine the pain.

Do you have to be in the throes of a migraine in order to diagnose one? Or does a migraine person have a different looking brain whether they’re having one or not?

19

In the interests of accuracy, “classic migraine” has a specific medical meaning which doesn’t appear to apply here. I realize you’re not trying to use the term in quite so narrow a fashion, and I don’t wish to make an argument, but this, I feel, needs to be made more clear. Particularly if Katie decides she wants to discuss this with a doctor or other qualified medical professional (which I, too, encourage her to do).

What the OP describes sounds more like commom migraine than classic migraine. Classic migraine is differentiated from common by the presence of migraine aura during the prodrome - and sometimes during the actual headache and less often in the postdrome phase. Migraine aura most often manifests itself as visual disturbances; hallucinations. See http://www.achenet.org/museum/ for art by migraineurs to get an idea of the range of visual disturbances a person might experience during a classic migraine episode - and some very disturbing representations of how a migraineur might experience the actual pain. Auditory disturbances simply means one might hear things that aren’t really there. And gustatory hallucinations are the weirdest (and least common); foods will taste entirely different than they normally do, or you taste things you haven’t even eaten.

Common migraine, on the other hand, is almost always accompanied only by nausea, photophobia and sometimes auditory-phobia. These extreme sensitivities, while often very severe and debilitating, to light and sound are quite different than actual hallucinations.

20

While I was never quite ready to shoot myself, there were times the pain in my head was so bad that I was physically pulling my hair out, as if some how that would make it better. Other times I think I was trying to transfer the pain to another part of my body by hitting myself in the leg or arm. I didn’t really know what I was doing. The pain is amazingly excrutiating. I would rather be in labor than have a migraine. Fortunately, I haven’t had one that bad in a few years.