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My sore brain.....migraine journal


Seraphim

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  • 1 month later...
Just been reading this as I also get migraine and do hope you are feeling better soon. I am not religious but I'm sending positive get well thoughts your way , it sounds nasty and I hope you got some meds at the walk in. X

 

Oh yeah, back in November I had a bacterial sinus infection . That is guaranteed always to give me a migraine. But a day or so of the antibiotic working and it went away.

 

Today I think it was just emotion that gave me a migraine.

 

Thanks a lot for your thoughts. It means a lot. Merry Christmas .

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  • 2 weeks later...

I really feel for you. I've had several attacks over the past 4 weeks, I've lost count as they have become so frequent. it feels never ending, like a punishment. Yesterday morning I started with a migraine and hoped to sleep it off last night but this morning it was truly horrendous. We were away visiting family and it was just the worst timing. It is finally starting to ease but I never feel like I'm in a 'safe' zone anymore because I had two last week aswell. I want to look into some more alternative treatments In the new year X

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This migraine will go on for about 14 hours and then I will get a break for a half an hour and then it will go for a few more hours and then I'll get a break for 15 minutes and then a few more hours and then it will stop for 10 minutes and start again..... God help me. It feels like my eye is absolutely on fire and dry and no tears whatsoever. I can actually see light through my eyelid and I need to cover that eye with my hand even in the dark. Thank God he got here with the Tylenol one.

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Cluster headaches are most common between adolescence and middle age, but can occur at any age.

There are two types of cluster headaches: episodic and chronic.

Avoiding certain foods and environments can prevent cluster headaches.

Cluster headaches are severely painful headaches that occur in clusters. You experience cycles of headache attacks, followed by headache-free periods.

 

The frequency of your headaches during these cycles may range from one headache every other day to several headaches per day. Pain from cluster headaches can be extremely severe.

 

Cluster headaches are most common between adolescence and middle age, but can occur at any age.

 

Older studies showed that cluster headaches were more commonly reported by men than women, such as a 1998 study published in Cephalagia, which shows that before 1960, men reported cluster headaches six times more often than women. Over time however, that gap has shrunk, and by the 1990s, cluster headaches were found in only twice as many men than women.

 

Part 2 of 7

Types of Cluster Headaches

 

There are two types of cluster headaches: episodic and chronic.

 

Episodic cluster headaches occur regularly between one week and one year, followed by a headache-free period of one month or more.

 

Chronic cluster headaches occur regularly for longer than one year, followed by a headache-free period that lasts for less than one month.

 

A person who has episodic cluster headaches may develop chronic cluster headaches, and vice versa.

 

Part 3 of 7

Distinguishing a Cluster Headache from Other Types of Headaches

 

Cluster headaches usually start suddenly. A small percentage of people experience aura-like visual disturbances, such as flashes of light, before headaches begin.

 

Most commonly, headaches begin a few hours after you fall asleep and are often painful enough to wake you, but they may also begin when you are awake.

 

Headache pain becomes severe 5-10 minutes after the headache starts. Each headache usually lasts for several hours, with the most intense pain lasting between 30 minutes and 2 hours.

 

Cluster headache pain occurs on one side of the head, but can switch sides in some people, and is generally located behind or around the eye. It is described as a constant and deep burning or piercing pain. The pain may spread to the forehead, temples, teeth, nose, neck, or shoulders on the same side.

 

Other signs and symptoms may be evident on the painful side of the head, including:

 

a droopy eyelid

a constricted pupil

excessive tearing from your eye

eye redness

sensitivity to light

swelling under or around one or both of your eyes

a runny nose or stuffy nose

facial redness or flushing

nausea

agitation or restlessness

Part 4 of 7

What Causes Cluster Headaches?

 

The pain from cluster headaches is caused by the dilation, or widening, of the blood vessels that supply blood to your brain and face. This dilation applies pressure to the trigeminal nerve, which transmits sensations from the face to the brain. It is unknown why this dilation occurs.

 

Researchers believe that abnormalities in the hypothalamus, a small area of the brain that regulates body temperature, blood pressure, sleep, and the release of hormones, may be responsible for cluster headaches.

 

Cluster headaches may also be caused by a sudden release of the chemicals histamine, which fight allergens, or serotonin, which regulates mood.

 

Part 5 of 7

How Are Cluster Headaches Diagnosed?

 

Your doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms and give you a physical and neurological exam. This may include an MRI or CT scan of your brain to rule out other causes of the headaches, such as a brain tumor.

 

Part 6 of 7

Treatment for Cluster Headaches

 

Treatment involves relieving and preventing your headache symptoms using medication. In rare cases, when pain relief and preventive treatment do not work, your doctor may recommend surgery.

 

Pain Medication

 

Pain medication relieves your headache pain once it has begun. Treatments include:

 

Oxygen: Breathing 100-percent pure oxygen when the headache begins can help relieve symptoms.

Triptan medications: A nasal spray medication called sumatriptan (Imitrex), or other tripitan medications constrict blood vessels, which can help ease your headache.

DHE: An injected medication called dihydroergotamine (DHE), can often relieve cluster headache pain within five minutes of use. Note: DHE can’t be taken with sumatriptan.

Capsaicin cream: Topical capsaicin cream can be applied to the painful area.

Preventive Medication

 

Preventive medications stop headaches before they start. These medications may not be 100-percent effective, but they can reduce the frequency of your headaches. These medications include:

 

blood pressure medications, such as propranolol (Inderal) or verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan), which relax your blood vessels

steroid medications, such as prednisone, which reduce nerve inflammation

a medication called ergotamine that keeps your blood vessels from dilating

antidepressant medications

anti-seizure medications, such as topiramate (Topamax) and valproic acid

lithium carbonate

muscle relaxants, such as baclofen

Surgery

 

As a last resort, a surgical procedure can be used to disable the trigeminal nerve. The surgery can cause permanent pain relief for some patients, but serious side effects, such as permanent facial numbness, can result.

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Thank you for this post, Vic! NOW I know why my migraines disappeared a few years ago. I was put on a mild dose of a BP med, Valsartan and I haven't had a single migraine or any kind of headache since. Great stuff, Valsartan.

 

That could be why! I am glad you don't get them anymore.

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