Stress as a trigger

I don't think stress is a trigger for me. As I have mentioned I don't seem to have any apparent triggers.
Do you all find it a problem?? I mean life is full of it these days, how do you quantify it?

Yesterday was a wind up. My 90 yr old blind and almost deaf father in law had a fall (he has an aortic valve problem)
He cut his head and the ambulance took him to hospital.

It took us 2 hours to find which hospital.
Meanwhile his wife who is 87 and housebound, was going crazy with worry.
This all occurred at 1pm. At 10pm having seen the doctor at 5pm he was still waiting for transport to take him home.

Long story short. In the end my husband had to do the 70 mile round trip to take him home (they live about 5 minutes from the hospital)
He finally got him home, very shaken, but otherwise only bruised and cut head, at 11pm.
When he got home my husband said his father could have been there until the early hours, as they have no control over transport, it comes when it comes.....National Health Service....hmmm.

As I am totally useless, all I could do was make some of the calls trying to find him and then find when he might get transport, and to placate my mother in law who was by then frantic with worry. She thought he had died and we weren't telling her....

Anyway, sorry that turned into a vent. I digress.
This morning I woke with a migraine. I shouldn't have had one, and it has been severe and the Triptan took 3 hours to hit it at all.
I can imagine more stressful scenarios. but what would you guys think.
Is this the kind of stress that might effect those like me who don't usually seem to react to it? Could this be the cause of this "extra" migraine??

I should add that when we spoke with the doctor that treated him we learned that he probably only has months to live.
I guess that could be counted as stress too.

Thanks for reading, sorry its long....but needed the vent too I think.

sorry to hear about your father in law pen, i am thinking of you and your hubby.


i do think that stress is a big trigger for me, and as the years have gone on things that never used to bother me much seem to stress me out more and i can actually feel a migraine, not a biggy maybe but a migraine non the less build up as the stress continues, i am not aware of doing anything to make it happen on purpose, it just creeps up as i get flustered or worn down by whatever it is that is causing me stress or irratation,

when i say stress it maynot be anything huge, but just something that makes my day uncomfortable, irritating, or angry, on top of an already busy day,

as the migraines have become more frequent, and have become more easily triggered, my ability to cope with things and take it in my stride has deminished.

This is weird but when I go the longest without a migraine, it is when I am experiencing stressful situations. I seem to get them more when everything is normal and I'm doing everything right. ???

I think maybe when we're stressed, we're more likely to skip meals, or not eat sensibly, not drink enough and not get enough sleep, which are more likely to trigger M than the stress itself.

Apart from caffeine (for me) I'm not a firm believer in single triggers, more a culmination of factors, and I've often read about people getting a migraine as soon as they 'stop'. First day of holiday is usually a stinker for me (but then, is that because I've travelled, changed time zones, eaten differently etc)??

LHx

Hi Pen,
I am so terribly sorry for you father in law. I hope that the rest of his days will be better than yesterday.

That type of emotional stress is like poison for me. Even when it's a positive emotion; if it's too strong, I get migraine.

I think that it's impossible to avoid certain situations, though...

Take care

Thank you for your comments. I am sorry to write such a long and personal post, but I feel among friends, and it was cathartic to write it, even though it hurt my stupid head.

My husband said perhaps it is the mixture of different kinds of stresses. physical emotional?
Also I feel so damn useless in a crisis, that I cant help more....
Actually I am good in a crisis, but no use with migraine...grrr!!!

It took us 2 hours to find which hospital.

It's hard to say, it also depends what do you mean by 'stress' specifically..

For me, the two hr car ride is enough to give me HA which can be prelude to a M episode, and often is.
Add to this the ride back, probably the constant moving to and fro in the hospital the lights there, the smells,
the talking, the phone calls, and everything else out of your regular rhythm - and these physical factors can be a huge M triggers alone.

Risa

Risa is right, anything that she mentioned is a huge trigger for me. I'd be dying in an hour.

But to answer your question, stress is a huge factor in the frequency of migraines I get. Anger, frustration, hugemongous money problems, marital issues, housework, migraine stress and kid stress exasterbate my migraines and when they pile up and I avoid them I know I am asking for a big ol' 10.

On another more personal note, I am sorry for what you and your family have been going through. I hope the situation looks up soon. Please don't be afraid to come here to talk about personal things, Pen. I take to reading them because sometimes it is a break from hearing and thinking about the constant pain in my head, although once again I am sorry for the bad news. We still care about you on a deeper level than migraines though and I can't speak for everyone but I'd like to believe we would love to get to know the funny, day-to-day, more personal side of you than just the migraine side. We are friends.

I'm sorry to hear about your father in law, and yes I would definitely blame that much stress for your migraine. it's such a double whammy for us too ....when we want to be strong for others , if we are at all connected, we end up being not near as helpful as we'd like cuz the M monster shows up. Ughhh!

Like LG said, I enjoyed hearing you open up on a more personal level. You don't have to apologize for venting. We all take our turn!!!

I'll keep you and your family in my thoughts.

All of you who kindly replied to my post. Thank you so much.
I get so down when I get an extra migraine. I have them every 4th day as it is so another one is a downer.
But your explanations made so much sense to me and my family. It is the difference stress. The measure of it.
This morning I have woken with just my usual head pain (neck and back of head) So far...noon, no medication.
I am trying to clear my sinuses as I do feel they are exacerbating the current situation. Boy thats hard.

My father in law is recovering. He has these falls because of a fault in his aorta. He is 90. There is a surgical procedure, but none of us are keen, given his age and the fact there is a 10% risk (apparently deemed high) among the lower aged people....60+.
This increases with age. The surgeon said she would not recommend it. So he falls over, just drops like a stone. This time he hurt himself. Thankfully the head injury was not bad.

Laurence is registered blind (macular degeneration (my mum was the same..both sides of the family...my kids need to watch it). He has done so well, but the last year or two he has become frail. We are trying to stop him going out on his own at all.
When this fall happened he was just taking the garbage out.

We tried to get them to move nearer to us, but they wouldn't come, we even had a little bungalow for them which they wanted, and then they baulked. Anyway they are in Wembley and we are in Bedfordshire. Only 35 miles away, but as our English posters will know, its time in England, not distance. Our roads are so congested. Those 35 miles can take 90 minutes at the wrong time of day.
I am only telling you all this so that it might explain some of the stress, which when I read it back seems a bit lame....

I think the last blow was the dr telling my husband his father has months to live without the surgery. Of course he is 90 and that tells it's own story, but....There is nothing we can do except what we already do.

Thank you all again, and apologies once more for the long post. I promise I will exercise brevity in future posts...
What a great bunch of friends you are. I have no siblings, no parents, no friends, so good to share.

Thanks a lot,
Pennie

Hi Pen,

I always enjoy your posts and you can write as much as you want

I am sorry to hear that you're alone. Friends are very important, so I'm glad that our little community here is helping us all.

I wish I can visit England one day. I have seen most of European countries but not (yet) UK.
And the funny thing is that I work for a British Company

Bye

Come over when the weather improves Ivy. We have a lot of weather here...Ha!!
If you ever do decide to come, we can all give you some advice.
A British company....wow most of us seem to work for American companies.
And now you have CADBURYS, we are NOT happy about that.

I am going to post a private message to you, have a look at your inbox.
Bye

pen wrote:I think the last blow was the dr telling my husband his father has months to live without the surgery. Of course he is 90 and that tells it's own story, but....There is nothing we can do except what we already do.

I'm so sorry, Pen. This is hard no matter their age.

I find emotional stress almost a worse trigger than physical stress. The hard part is there is some of it every single day.

Take care and hang in there.

Becky

I agree that it is hard no matter the age.

I also want to chime in and say that a lot of times doctors give you certain "time limits" but I don't believe in that cr*p. I have seen a couple of people blow right past their supposed expiration dates by months if not years. Do not loose hope because of what a doctor tells you. As we have learned in our own medical situations, they aren't always right. 90 is a wonderful age, yet you've still got 91 and 92 and so on and so forth!

Best wishes to you and your family Pen.

Stress is definitly a trigger for me.

I dont know if it was the stress or not. I struggled through yesterday desperate not to take another triptan.
Today has been a hell day. Axe man by 8am. Spent morning in tears trying to make sense of it to my daughters.
The "stress" was wednesday.....still pushing it....I doubt it. Friday I actually left the house and didnt take any medication at all.
I am so confused, I have no idea what causes these monsters.

Pen,

I hope he proves the doctors wrong! I don't think it happens all that often, but I do believe in miracles. I just love those WWII guys. Will he talk about his experiences in the war or is he close-mouthed about it like most men of his generation? Speaking of miracles, I wish I had the power to eliminate migraines entirely. Wouldn't it be great for all of us to wake up tomorrow with no migraine? Then Ronda's could be a celebration of life, love, good health, and happiness! Actually, you folks do a pretty great job of celebrating life anyway, in spite of all your problems.

Chris

Thats sweet Chris thanks. And include your self in that. Where would we all be without each other?
My father in law is a lot better for now. The surgery doesnt really sound very safe or helpful
I guess its nature take it course now.

p
Ok we are trying to place the plane....Lockheed....Typhoon, Tempest...what is it...

Pen,

Are you referring to my avatar plane? If you are I'll give you a few hints. It's an American plane, which you can probably tell. There is something unusual about the wings although you can't really see that feature in this small image. Tempest and Typhoon were yours, from Hawker Aircraft Limited. Hawker produced a wonderful array of aircraft, including the famous Hurricane which along with the superb Supermarine Spitfire (my favorite British fighter of all time) were in large part responsible for winning the Battle of Britain. Of course, I'm not discounting the pilots! They were amazing.

Chris

Ok, is it a Corsair then?? USN plane??
Near to us when have the Duxford imperial war museum.
It is the airfield used in the film Battle of Britain (you may have seen)
It has a whole hall set aside for American planes.
Havent been well enough to go for about 5 years, but when and if I get a break from these horrors
(back on topic) I will return.
We also have the Cardington hangers up the road a piece where they kept the R101 airship.
I better stop now.
So ttell us what the plane is...please.

pen wrote:Ok, is it a Corsair then?? USN plane??

Yes! You win the virtual prize. I wish I had a real prize to send you.

pen wrote:Near to us when have the Duxford imperial war museum.
It is the airfield used in the film Battle of Britain (you may have seen)
It has a whole hall set aside for American planes.

I've seen the movie many times. Great flying scenes! You live near Duxford?!!! I visit their website often. I dream of being able to visit Duxford. If I ever get over your way, that is the first place I want to visit. I know about the American portion. I think the official name is the American War Museum in Britain. Although I have little money I manage to send them a small donation every year. Wow, you live by Duxford! I'd be there every weekend. From their website it sounds like they have wonderful air shows often. I hope you get to see several of them.

I love the sound of large aircraft piston engines but I know they are hard to listen to with a migraine. By the way, are you close enough to Duxford to sometimes see some of their airplanes flying over your house? There isn't all that much that gets me super excited, by aircraft and flying will do it.

Chris

We are about an hour away Chris. Occasionally we get planes over this way but mostly we get them from the nearby airport (where we saw the Spit take off) or the gliding club just up the road. We used got to the ASAF base nearby every 4th July and they always had planes, and the Battle of Britain flight. Last time we saw that was at Bletchley Park, Station X, where they did the enigma code breaking. What a rush that Lancaster, Spit and Hurricane. Those Merlin engines...wow...

We also have just up the motorway Hendon RAF museum. And guess what it is free....amazing value.
Duxford is expensive $26. But well worth a visit. Lets both get well Chris and my husband and I will take you there some day...
Wouldn't that be fun....

P

Pen,

I would love to visit the air museums with you and your husband. Right now that seems like an impossible dream but I'm not giving up hope. I will look up the Hendon RAF museum. You're so fortunate to have TWO air museums so close to you. Indeed there is nothing like the sweet sound of a V-12 Merlin.

Chris

I know for me, when I first developed chronic migraines, if people asked about or suggested stress as a trigger, I quickly denied it. "Nope, not a trigger for me." This was b/c I felt like it held some hidden underlying meaning, like....."you get your headaches b/c you can't properly deal with Stress."

I know now that it is a much more complex thing....with brain chemicals and nerve endings and things (..hope I didn't lose anyone with my big medical vocab...lol) )

But I think that reaction came from that general misunderstanding about Migraine that 90% of people have. I now am open and say yes, sometimes, and especially when paired with another trigger, Stress CAN be a trigger for me.

Anyone else go through anything like this??