Migraine Anxiety

I have been fighting what are called complex migraines since i was 12. They start with an aura that leaves me unable to see, followed by complete numbness of the right side of my body, a crazy headache, vomiting, and loss of motor skills. Ever since I started having these migraines I live in constant fear of them because they are so debilitating! Anyone else deal with this anxiety? Any light or flash or abnormal moment in my vision leads to major anxiety attacks.

Another side note: four years ago I was put on Zoloft 50mg. For four whole years I didn't have a single migraine an I thought they were behind me, but in June I started a new job in a building with very little windows and fluorescent lights everywhere. Now I've been having migraines about every three weeks! They moved me to a desk with no fluorescent light directly above me, but there are some behind me and I'm still getting them. The lights are in the elevator and the conference room as well. Any ideas on how to solve this? I can't afford to not work'

I think it is a fairly common response to be anxious when we encounter a migraine trigger........I also have lights, flashing lights as a trigger and I do my best to avoid them but sometimes I just can't. I try not to stoke the fire of anxiety as best I can - take deep breaths, find a dark place to chill out for a few minutes and let someone close by know that I may have a migraine coming on and may need some help. There is no perfect solution to "trigger anxiety" so please don't be too hard on yourself when the anxiety happens.

I am sorry that your migraines are in full bloom. It does seem from what you said that your work environment may be the issue. I always wear my sunglasses when I am around fluorescent lights and I also have my regular glasses tinted a grey/pink color which I think helps along with an anti-reflective coating.

Oh man! I used to have that fear. Before Imitrex was available in the US, I used fiornal all the time. I once mentioned to the nurse in my doctor's office that I was afraid to be without it. I knew it was a mistake to say that the minute it was out of my mouth and later found out she put it in my file. It made me look like I was addicted to the stuff as it contains a barbiturate. I was certainly not addicted but did fear a migraine and having no medicine that would help.

I am experiencing this now. After a life of managing my mostly food related migraines, I have a headache constantly and a migraine several time a week, lasting days. I am afraid to eat ANYTHING.

I found this interesting.  Apparently the "fear" of migraine, can actually cause a migraine.

http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/123/164268/migraines-cephalalgiaphobia/

Great...like we all needed another reason to have triggers....

  

I have thought that my fear makes mine worse sometimes. I have actually talked myself into calming down before.

Yes, this happens to me.

I have thought for many years that the anxiety we get anticipating another mig attack probably causes many of them.

But how do you stop that anxiety from happening?

I have no idea.

The other night my granddaughter turned on some toy that she brought from home that had a strobe light in it and "Boom" instant headache for me.

Sometimes someone can pass me in a store with alot of cologne or perfume on and the same thing happens.

Instant pain for me.

But what do you do?

You can't stop living.

One day someone is going to figure this out. (hopefully in my lifetime!)

Cindy

it is just a thought but I have found that in buildings where there are a variety of different lights, not just the flickering ones, the non flickering ones balance things out for me, and I'm really sensitive to lighting at the moment which is why I can't work.

If you have a desk could you try putting a lamp on it that gives a constant, non flickering light to see if it helps?

I know it doesn't help in the rest of the building but I know it helps me beat the computer screen flicker.

best wishes

Di

Wow, that is interesting! It seems like a vicious cycle doesn't it, but it stands to reason that anyone who gets chronic migraine, will live in fear of the next one.
The problem is how to prevent the fear   I mean how do you retrain your mind do that? The thought that we may be perpetuating our migraines is quite disturbing- many of us have become SO accustomed to tuning in to our bodies and analyzing everything.

I sometimes get a weird pressure feeling above my eyebrows on the left side (which is the side I get almost all migraines on) and a feeling of "numbness" on that side of my head and face before I get a migraine, that now whenever I feel that feeling I get very paranoid and upset, because I feel like "Oh no, here we go again" and I am torn between trying to ignore the feeling - hoping that it will go away, and toying with the idea of taking something to try to ward it off.

Now that I'm close to menopause, I feel like I'm super sensitive to all my potential triggers, so any change of weather, routine, food, emotions, will set me off!
I have even noticed that sometimes the way that sunlight filters through window blinds can trigger one for me- so I've started to feel like a walking timebomb  

That article is actually saying, that people who get migraines all the time sometimes take their pills when they don't really need them. It's not saying that fearing a migraine causes a migraine. Just wanted to put all your minds at ease, lol...