"I'm very brave generally, he went on in a low voice: only today I happen to have a headache." - Lewis Carroll
I suffer the occasional migraine headache. It generally comes on in times of acute stress and manifests itself with the same symptoms. At onset, my vision is immediately impaired. I can't focus my eyes and I see halos, light flashes and spots. Then my vision starts to quaver; that is, the peripheral is blurry and pulsing. I can't focus my eyes and I can't read. This is usually my sign to act. A duet of Advil usually quiets the visual noise and stops the migraine in its path. I've learned from experience that to ignore these symptoms results in a vicious pounding headache, nausea and absolute fatigue.
I'm fortunate that a few over the counter tablets can quell the noise. In comparison to those of my associates who are also migraine sufferers, mine is a mild case. One woman I know is such an acute case that she carries a cache of Imitrex with her at all times. When struck, she's more likely to spend the day in a dark room, overcome with nausea and curled in a fetal position. The Imitrex is only a band-aid for her. She's suffered her entire life and the frequency of these migraines has only intensified as she's gotten older. She occasionally has resorted to steroids to stave off the crushing pain. She's forever looking for new and better treatment options and like most profound sufferers of a malady, she's as well informed about migraines and treatment options as any physician.
My friend is an editor and she and I recently attended The Diamond Headache Institute Meeting in Phoenix. We were there for work reasons yet it was interesting (given our own personal interest) to be surrounded by the very top specialists in headache medicine. The doctors are passionate about the specialty; the development of even more complex medicines and homeopathic treatment options is fascinating. Even Botox is being used to treat acute headache sufferers (albeit the use is considered off-label which means Botox is not FDA approved for this particular application but it has proven effective when applied).
On the plane home from this meeting I was reading the latest issue of New York Magazine. They have a regular feature called "The Approval Matrix." This matrix charts culture's current greatest and lamest news. The axis are marked with "highbrow" and "lowbrow;" "brilliant" and "despicable." Plotted high on the "highbrow" and "brilliant" axis was the following: "The New York Times' surprisingly readable migraine blog." How timely was this?
I told my editor friend about it and she immediately found it a compelling read. And while not an acute migraine victim as she is, I also found myself reading it. It's detailed enough to inform but it's written for the layman. If you're dealing with migraines and have an interest in learning more, check out the New York Times Migraine Blog. It IS surprisingly readable and offers a multitude of related sites and resources.
3 comments:
I've only had one migrane in my life and I can tell you I thought the only way I was going to feel better was if someone cut my head off.. Yikes, I feel for you that suffer with these horrible headaches. One of my dear friends also has migranes, usually every month around her cycle. She also has trouble with her vision and usually retreats to the dark bedroom with total silence. I know imitrex has helped, but not always does it work for her. Timing is an issue, she has to take the meds as soon as she notices the first sign of a headache. Thanks for posting the link, C&W.. I'm going to send it to my friend!
Let me tell you a bit about migraine
headaches. I had them from the time
I was 8 years of age until I was a
preteen. Mine would start with a loss
of half my vision. I could only see half of everything I would look at.
The other half was like salt and pepper on your TV. This would last
for 30 minutes then the headache would start and my vision would clear up.
The headache would last about one hour then I would become nauseas. Once
I threw up the headache would be gone and I would finally feel better. One day I was
reading a magazine. They had an article on migraines. The article said they happen
because the capillaries in your brain would be pinched and blood flow was not getting
through. They suggested that you do 20 minutes of vigorous exercise to open those
capillaries back up. Therefore, the next time I could feel a migraine coming on I tried it. One
day I was getting that salt and pepper vision so I started ran in place for twenty minutes.
It worked. When my vision cleared up I did not have a headache. I continued to do this
every time and never had another migraine. Finally after going through puberty I never
had another beginning of a migraine or migraine again. I figured it must be a hormonal thing. Since I
had just gone through puberty and that's when they stopped. Another term is chemical imbalance.
So I feel quite fortunate that I have never had another one. So if you get some kind of
warning that you will have a migraine like I did (the vision) do try that 20 minutes of
exercise before the headache starts and you will not have one.
Wow, this is interesting stuff. I suffer with migraines. I take DAILY medication which cuts the frequency and intensity of the episodes and I carry zomig with me always.
It sucks.
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