Made some adjustments but now its something different

Hello everyone. Last migraine was Aug 29, 2009. Since that date I have cut out Chocolate and Caffeine completely from my diet. I have never been as strict as I have been for the last 6 months in cutting those triggers out. I also take Pamelor once a day as a preventative and have been doing so since 2008. The reason that I did this was that before the Aug 29th date I had 5 migraines in 3 weeks. Unfortunately for me, my migraines start with a nasty aura that leaves me blind for approximately 3-4 hours, which is the scaries tthing that I have ever had to experience in my life. I had to make a change, so I did. Aside from the chocolate and the caffeine being eliminated COMPLETELY from my diet, I also started taking migralief once a day. I feel that with the combination of migralief and the Pamelor and the elimintation of the chocolate and the caffeine I have somewhat curtailed these horrible horrible headaches. You have no idea how lucky I consider myself not to have had to deal with a migraine for over 6 months. I know the pain and hurt you are all going through and I consider myself extremely lucky having not had to deal with this misfortune. The anticiaption though of my next migraine has taken over my life. Every disturbance in my vision make me scared that one is coming. That only happens about 1000 times per day.

The reason for my post is that for the last 4-5 days I have been experiencing moderate headaches accompanied by nausea. The headache pain feels similar to a migraine, but I wouldnt even rate them above a 3-4 on the pain scale. When I get a typical migraine, the pain is unbearable. There is no aura involved in these though. I just have a lingering headache with moderate nausea. I havent taken anything in the way of medicine and am wondering what advice you would give. I have to make an appointment with my neurologists tomorrow.

I was wondering if anyone might think that due to my recent lack of migraines that this is a new type of headache that i am experiencing to compensate the lack thereof the old migraine. Are these headaches a manifestation of the old ones, but because I have eliminated my most severe triggers this is the way I will be affected moving forward?

I knew it was to good to be true thinking I might never have to deal with headaches again, but you cant fault me for wishing. Are there people on this forum that get headaches accompanied by nausea that last for almost a week or two? Has anyone changed their eating habits so drastically that it has curtailed the migraines, but caused a different kind of headache becasue they werent allowing the migraine to happen by avoiding the triggers?

Any comments, answers, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Anthony

Ditto Anthony, wondering same thing. Since trying so hard to do everything right have been constantly sick with headache, neusea, dizziness..... No wam bam migraines but feeling like the day after a bad migraine for over eighteen months.

If you get any clues please post - I'm doctored out at the moment.

That's great that eliminating caffeine and chocolate and getting the right meds seems to have worked for you. Hate to say it but I was relieved when caffeine didn't turn out to be one of my triggers...chocolate I can take or leave. Sometimes when I feel a migraine coming on and I take action, a headache of a lesser degree will linger...sometimes almost a week. If I get stupid and overdue things and/or get stressed out it will come back to kick my arse as a full blown migraine. That 'fear of getting one' can really mess with your head/life. When I was working and had young children I didn't know how to deal with my migraines, I'd get really nauseated and many nights end up hugging the toilet. There's another thread here that talked about trying Ginger to help with nausea: Ginger. Sounds like you've got a fairly good handle on your triggers if it's been that long since a full blown episode, hope you make some progress on those moderate headaches too.

Me with a handle on this - Oh I wish so much!!! No haven't the faintest clue on the triggers and if given a choice as to where I am now and where I was it would be a tough one.

Now on my third day off work in a row. Won't even guess how many off in last year or so. At least as many if not more than I used to.

Bit like choosing whether to have your head beaten in once a week or having your whole body given a thorough going over with an iron bar daily.

Eye specialists say constant snow and eye distruptions are still migraine. Pain in head isn't knife anymore, instead my eye ball is being twisted.

Sorry Anthony, this is your thread and I'm venting.

Actually really sorry everyone having a really bad day.

Can't help you Anthony with this one and hope you the best. This has nothing to do with the subject matter but I just had to comment on what a handsome guy you are--great picture!

Hi Anthony,

It may be that your migraines are manifesting differently. I've been in guinea pig trials and during the last 5-6 months, the M varied in symptoms. I know everyone is different but my level one M is just head pain, level 2 is stronger head pain and nausea (I can sometimes stop this but mostly no) and third level...well crying at home in the dark. I've had a chronic M since June 2009 and the level 1 days are my good days, level 2 - nausea can be the determining factor (mild or eat and I'm gonna puke). However my body responds to strong pain by nausea and vomiting - just how I'm wired. I've also gone extremely photophobic and sound sensitive to mildly - just depending on the drug at the time with a few other lovely surprises.

Good thing you've got an appointment with your neuro and hopefully he/she can help you with the new level of "fun".

Becky

Hi and welcome to the forum. Migraines change over time. I used to get a visual aura with every migraine and now I rarely get an aura, just the migraine. They range from mild pain and nausea to please take my head off pain. I also get neurological issues with attacks. I've had migraines for over 35 years and have been chronic for the last 21 and I have experienced a wide range in migraine attacks in that time.

I going to make an assumption that your migraines are changing and that you are getting milder pain and more nausea. About half my daughters migraines are like this.

We have cut out all processed foods and anything that contains nitrates and nitrites. This has helped in reducing the number of migraines but triggers are strange things. They "trigger" the headache, not cause them. So the analogy that I like to use is a glass of water full to the brim with things that may trigger a migraine, add one more "drop" and the glass overflows and you have an attack.

Triggers are more than food issues. They can be allergies, sensitivity to barometric pressure, sensitivity to smells, hormonal issues, etc. Anything that has an effect on the brain can be a trigger.

I hope that your neurologist can help you with this. You may need to change your preventative or add something to help with the nausea when you get this type of attack. Ginger can help a lot with nausea, you may want to try that. I've had migraine attacks that have lasted several months at a time so a long lasting mild migraine with nausea is not out of the realm of experience. They just suck.

Alli

I get moderate headaches a lot and from time to time I do have nausia. Matter of fact, I had nausia for 2 days last weekend on and off. For me, the nausia is usually on and off. It happens speraticaly. I have migraines with an arura and migraines that don`t accompany an arura. Mine now manifest in all different ways. Mine didn`t start out that way. So maybe yours is just starting to manifest differently now.

Hey Anthony.

I remember you posting on the old forum about your dots and how they haunted you on a constant basis. I'm so sorry. Did you ever go to the optomologist to get your retina checked? I really recommend you doing that. It is a good check to do anyways for us migraine sufferers, sometimes the eye problems can trigger migraines and the dots you see (since not all of them are auras) can definitely be a sign of a detatching retina. That can cause total and irreversable blindness. If you have insurance and even if you don't please just check it out. I have been thinking of you and worrying about you since I haven't seen you post until now.

First, I'm not saying that you are definitely having migraines but my neurologist told me that the 3-4 level "headaches" without aura ARE migraines. The way preventatives work are weird, they effect how your migraines come and can elimate auras sometimes. Preventatives are specifically made to reduce severity so if you were to stop the medication those 3-4 levels may turn into full blown migraines again. Not positive so please don't quote this.

I am happy to see you had a bit of a break in the miggies. I know that on my preventative it works stellar for the first two weeks of upping dosages, no migraines or very little migraines at all and then wham, migraines. They are of course less severe and much more manageable but still..I think it is what I have come to expect when preventatives are involved. I see a lot of people who have had the same experiences.

Also, I see nobody has talked about rebounds. I don't know if you are taking OTC medications (aleve, tylenol, ibuprofen, excedrin ect.) for your headaches or anything prescribed including narcotics/triptans/barbituate compounds more than a few times a week (even if they are for other conditions). If you are you may be getting rebounds which will leave you with a nasty headache. The only way to relieve the pain is by stopping all the medications except your preventatives.

Hope this helps and I really hope you feel better.

Thanks for your responses.

Lovegia, you are accurate in saying that I used to post on the old forum. The headaches are just less severe now with no aura at all. I do not take any over the counter medication. I do what I can to stay away from any pill i dont have to take. The only meds I do are a vitamin c in the morning along with migralief and my Pamelor at night before bed.

I have been a migraine sufferer for 30 years now and can rememeber my first one when I was playing basketball in grade school. Believe it or not, my M's werent diagnosed until i was 27 years old. I always used to be scared to talk to anyone about what i was going through.

I do hope that I am "outgrowing" them and that I am close to seeing the last of the aura. If you havent ever experienced an aura, it is almost impossible to describe the complete feelings you get when it start, not to menition the physical aspect of it that basically blinds you. I will NEVER again eat a piece of chocolate or have caffeine as long as I am alive if it keeps them at bay. The upside just doesnt outweigh the negatives. I feel like every time i have a M I am robbed 2 days of my life because from the time the aura sets in to the completion of the headache it last just about 2 full days. I am basically incapacitated for that time. M's have basically prevented me from doing things in my life like vacations or business trips. I am always concerned that if i get a M away from home I wouldnt be able to handle it because my "dark" room woudlnt be available. Its so damn controlling.

I do wonder though if someone can ourtgrow M's? Does anyone know of anyone on this forum or personally that used to get migraines and now doesn't?

Anthony, if you remember you and I talked and we had similar aura experiences. I too go completely blind during some of my auras. Mine differ time to time but I have chronic migraines, mine are not easily controlled and I get them about as often as you do off medication, maybe a bit less. I face a lot of other symptoms as well as the blindness during my aura stage as well, so trust me..I understand where you are coming at when you say auras scare the living daylights out of you and make life a PITA!

I replied describing the dots you experience as auras because it is my personal experience and it was told to me that it is a symptom of a detatching retina so that is why I was warning you about it.

I have heard quite a few people outgrow their migraines, in fact I have read more men than women. You may be in luck but you may have to keep trying different medications and treatments to see what works for you as well. Don't ever loose hope, there are always options and I like to believe there may be a day I wake up free of these things!

Hopefully someone will post their experiences for you. Feel better!