last week on thursday, I started to feel a dull headache starting, by tea time this had become a humdinger, I was feeling sick and it felt like someone was sqeezing my head with a vice, the pressure behind my eyes was terrible. I have had a bit of stress the last few weeks and was wondering if this is my body reacting to this. it had started to go by the morning but I still felt a little sick and by evening it had gone. it was by far the worse headache I had ever had.
Well it sounds like a migraine although obviously I can't be 100% sure. A migraine is far, far worse than just a bad headache - in fact you can feel unwell afterwards or spaced out for a few days. Usually there are 2 types of migraine - one where a person has an aura and the second (which i used to have) that causes vomiting and the pain is usually down one side of the head/face. What confuses the issue is that migraines themsleves (like headaches) can vary in severity - but even the "less severe" ones are really really bad (if that makes sense).
Certain foods, stress, hormones can all cause migraine attacks and yes - it does feel like a vice or that someone is drilling into your head. I had to go to A+E once with a very bad attack as i couldn't breathe properly with the pain and had to be injected.
Hopefully it won't happen again but if it does - perhaps visit your GP as "normal" painkillers like paracetamol on their own won't do anything much - so a GP would be worth consulting as I know some painkillers that work in high doses or combined together or a re specific to migraines do help. You acn also buy migraleve over the counter. I didn't want to take too much medication for mine (even though I was having them every other day) - so I had to go down the alternative route trying things from acupuncture, meditation etc. The problem i had was that my neck muscles were tensing up with stress and weren't releasing after the stress had passed - so they were pressing on the nerves all the time. The only thing that stopped this happening (for a significant length of time) was meditation.
Try cutting down on the stress as well if you can.
i had what i believe was a migraine last week....ouch 🙁
i googled cures for a migraine and found pressure points you can touch on your hand and skull to help ease the pain....i massaged my neck and scalp, had some painkillers and tea (i read caffeine speeds up the painkillers! - don't know how true that is) after doing all this my migraine left...
you could also try getting indian head massages when you don't have a migraine .
Hi Beautystudent - long time no see.
Yes - you may be right about the painkillers and caffeine. Remember taking paracetamol and a fizzy drink once.
One thing i do want to mention is that if anyone thinks they are suffering from migraines is to get a medical diagnosis, as headaches and migraines are 2 very different things. It's also important to get advice and even medication if necessary. I read a magazine article once and the writer (who was an interior designer) mentioned that she had a migraine and whilst lying down she noticed how much she needed to change the decor in her room and decided what new colours to choose. Obviously she wasn't having a migraine. From my own personal experience and seeing family members/friends having migraines, normal activities are impossible during an attack - such as watching telly, making a cup of tea, reading, talking or thinking coherently (or thinking about room decor !!). I've seen family/friends writhing on the floor in pain, vomiting violently and even banging their heads against the wall in agony or even having to lie down in a quiet, dark room for a few days. One close family member had to sit upright for 2 days as they were unable to lie down. I was "fortunate" in that when i had my 3rd migraine in my early twenties I was in a surgery and the doctor/nurse saw me having one. A bad headache isn't a migraine and that's why it's kinda important to make that distinction. Often controlling the initial triggers (like stress) helps.
Hi Happygirl, how are you?
I change my mind - i must have just had a bad headache...your poor family/friends having to suffer so much with migraines...my heart goes out to them
Without wanting to scare anyone....
I had what was diagnosed as a migraine when I was 19, I ended up being rushed to hospital with meningitis.
Therefore if you get a headache that's different to what you're used, get it checked out either by phoning NHS direct or visiting your GP.
Myarka
Of course not everyone who gets a bad headache has meningitis - There are other telltale symptoms to watch out for with Meningitis such as a rash, neck stiffness and photophobia. Meningitis is a very serious condition and needs immediate hospital treatment. I agree with the bit about if it is a different type of headache as there are other conditions that need prompt attention - such as CVA.
If there is any doubt check it out with your GP - it is always better to have an examination as NHS Direct only rely upon info given to them over the phone and when I had to phone them up last year they didn't advise me to get immediate help (which I needed) as I ended up in hospital the next day.
Binah
x
Hi again (to all previous posters),
I only mentioned about seeeking a proper diagnosis if possible - is so that a GP can prescribe specific medication for migraines as well as obviously discounting something else. As the digestive system closes down during a migraine - painkillers are of little use unless you manage to take them before this happens - hence many migraine specific medications on prescription are often the "melt in the mouth" type. Migraine sufferers are more prone to other ailments which is another reason why your GP may want to have it on medical record that a patient has migraines.
I think I "inherited" my tendency to have migraines from my Dad who used to have the same type as I do and he used to feel kinda bad when i had one - like he blamed himself for my pain - even though it obviously isn't his fault.
Myarka - bizarrely enough I had meningitis when I was 14 and when I was in Canada. Like you my symptoms were very similar to a migraine. Although I didn't have a rash nor many of the symptoms associated with it. Saying that there are different types of meningitis.
I''ll send you a PM soon Beautystudent. I don't honestly know if you had a migraine or not. I didn't know I had them until I had one in my surgery and the nurse and GP diagnosed it straight away. Best thing to do is see what happens in the future.
the pain i had last week i had never had before, when i did get to bed i just wanted to close my eyes. i keep getting a dull ache this week but i am trying not to get worked up this week, i am taking more time out just sitting watching the granchildren play, but even as i type this i can feel pressure around the temples and eyes. i will mention it to the doc when i go for a checkup.
Hiya crystal rose, hope your head feeling better hun, have you had your eyes tested recently? could possibly be that,what about your blood pressure? headaches can be a sign of elevated blood pressure too,hope am not panicking you,but my bp was borderline high a couple of years ago & really bad headaches were a sign of it,I have had borderline bp recently(as have been v stressed with work) and the headaches came back. Just worth a check maybe,take care & I hope they ease off & disappear soon xx
Firstly, nobody on HP can diagnose a medical condition in another member, not even if they are medically qualified, so advise to consult a GP or other medical professional is sound, and really the only way to go.
If flashing lights in peripheral vision are experienced, yes it's a good idea to get this checked out medically as well, because there could be a cause other than migraine.
Secondly, I have experienced migraines, and most unpleasant they are, so I have every sympathy for anyone who has suffered. I haven't had one in years now, because I recognise the stress symptoms that forego a migraine attack and take appropriate avoidance action. When I did have them, they left me with defective vision for up to a week, so driving was something to be avoided - inconvenient! 🙁
A remedy of cider vinegar, honey and hot water was once recommended at the onset of an attack, and it did work for me, but may not for everyone.
Holistic
Hello crystal_rose. I hope you are feeling better today. I remember when I used to get migraines I could not even take sunlight and also experienced terrible pressure behind the eyes and around the temples. The dull ache used to get so bad sometimes I was bed ridden. After trying numerous treatments and medications, it was a change in eating habits that finally resolved it for me. I also found ATTI's Tachyonized Headache & Migraine Remedy and DHA really helped.