Hello my friends :)
I was going to write a nice post about my latest baking and Christmas cookies...but I have been completely conquered by a migraine. Those who have this affliction know how overwhelming the pain is...it robs you of your time, your appetite, your sleep and your precious moments with your family! That's the part I hate the most. It hit me last night around 9pm. I was so desperate to feel better, I took a long hot shower at 2am. Alex massaged my neck and head. Still though, that pounding...so I decided to just stay awake and wait it out. I did some research and did a few things that seemed to help me:
Firstly, knitting. Some very easy light knitting helps to keep me in the moment so I'm not focusing completely on the pain and blurred vision. I've often read that migraine sufferers do find relief doing hand crafts, something about hand to eye coordination...I know it helped to distract me and I got another pet stocking done! I hope it looks okay once I have the lights back on lol...
Pressure on the head is another one. I wasn't sure about it because anything touching my head, neck and face hurts, but this actually did help. I put my tighter hat on and within a few minutes, I felt a little better.
A long time ago, I went to a neurologist. All he did was whip out the prescription pad for some really heavy pain meds, morphine to be precise. I just can't take the side effects so I've been trying a safe combination of Tylenol and Advil. The pain seems to ease for about 15 minutes then comes back with a bang. Plus the Advil makes me sick to my stomach so...
I made myself a fennel tea, it always helps me with indigestion and nausea. We try to have this tea after our heavier meals and it's very good for the digestion. I was amazed though...not only was my nausea gone, but poof! Instant relief from my migraine! I was SHOCKED. The migraine is not gone by a long shot, but I can actually look at my computer screen without wincing now. The anise flavour isn't my favourite to have as a constant aftertaste, but I would do anything to ease this pain! Heck, if you told me to eat magic beans, I'd give it a whirl lol...Now I'm going back to bed, maybe I can lie down without the freight train banging on my skull and get some sleep!
I really wanted to share this because it works so well for me. Does anyone else suffer migraines and do you have any kind of relief measures that work for you?
I have used fennel tea for acid reflux. It works too. I only get migraines when I go without a great amount of sleep. My daughter used to get them, and I have made teas for her.
ReplyDeleteThe pounding, the sick feeling...yep, hard to really concentrate on a project because I always made more mistakes when I tried to do something while having a migraine. I went to the Nero doc for mine also....Topamax is what I was put on. A wicked drug. Finally when that was not helping anymore, during a talk with him I mentioned I went to sleep with a daily headache and woke with it. I had a headache daily for 1.5 yrs., some days better than others. I had what was called Common Migraines. But then a couple times a month I had the bad ones that put me down and out. When I mentioned the sleep thing a red flag went up....so I was tested for sleep apnea. I still have maybe one or two a yr., but that is way better than before. I sleep with a CPAP machine. I looked in my oil book just now. I read that Lavender, Wintergreen and German Chamomile is good for migraines. When I do get a headache I put Peppermint oil at the base of my skull then at the base of the neck....knocks it out. Hoping you are feeling better now.
ReplyDeleteI get headaches with auras and I find acupupressure works amazing! gone in 20 minutes
ReplyDeleteI have only had migraine-like headaches a few times in my life, that that was enough! I am so glad you were able to find relief without drugs - it still amazes me that doctors whip out the prescription pad for anything. I agree about knitting - it is very relaxing, as long as you're not knitting socks... Glad you're feeling better!
ReplyDeletehave you ever tried excedrine migraine? i had migraines for years and tried all kinds of drugs. nothing helped, some made them worse. then i tried excedrine migraine. omg...in 20 minutes i am fine. i might have a tiny bit of a headache but nothing that stops me from doing anything. most of the time it is totally gone. i hate medication but i live by these things when i get one.
ReplyDeleteMigraine is the absolute pits, worse than toothache and earache together. I suffered badly in Fy late teens then suddenly they were gone. I do hope that you fine some permanent help soon. fennel tea is amazing for lots of ailments, I drink it after dinner every day.
ReplyDeleteI hope the sweet fennel tea continues to help you! I don't have migraines but I have known people who do and they definitely do suck.
ReplyDeleteoh geez,,,, that's a bad one,,, I fell from quite a height a few years ago and along with some other injuries I sustain a head injury, its left me with a brain injury and head aches, they were really bad the first few years and I did two things that helped,, fill the tub with hot water, sit on the edge of the tube with your feet in it and put an ice pack on top of your head,, sounds silly but it did give me some relief,, the cold I also sometimes would put on my head neck where ever it gave comfort, a cup of coffee, the caffeine is suppose dilate blood vessels taking some pressure off and third was sniffing lavender,, I know how disabling head aches can be,, I was nauseous, dizzy, and miserable,, Joyce said Excedrine,, it has caffeine in it, they really do say it helps,, I couldn't use the medications because some are metabolized in our brains and that's a no no for me,,,, just make sure you eat something when you take it because it can be hard on the stomach,, feel better,,
ReplyDeleteI did hear about lying in a dark quiet room perhaps with an eye mask. Hope you feel better soon.
ReplyDeleteFennel. Who knew. Hope you feel better.
ReplyDeleteRain, I am sorry you have those things. My daughter has had them since she was a little girl, and they put her in the hospital when they get bad enough. We have tried everything, but I never heard of the fennel tea. I am going to send her the link to your blog and ask her to try it. I really appreciate the post.
ReplyDeleteHarry
I wrote a post about this a couple of years ago. :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.snoskred.org/2015/05/my-pain-plan.html
Since writing that post I have been relatively migraine free, but I realise now that I had also switched to low carb eating right around the time the headaches stopped and I wonder if those two things are related.
And now that I am typing this, the one migraine I did have - which was an ocular one with the kaleidoscopes - that happened right after I ate out and chose poorly.
Interesting! ;)
It sounds awful, Rain. I've only had one migraine in my life and it was one too many. I hope you got some rest and I hope you feel much better today.
ReplyDeleteI know about that pain; it has afflicted me for many years. I hope you feel better soon.
ReplyDeleteOh i am so sorry for your migraine dear Rain i can imagine your misery as i suffered with it in my youth for few years with gaps within .
ReplyDeletethis is really HORRIBLE and i am so happy that finally it is gone and how amazing that it is gone by something you did not expect !
your tight red beautiful hat looks great and you look more pretty in it .
i hope now you feeling free to share your heart dear.
Oh Rain, I am sorry you have such a bad migraine. I am a big baby when I have a little headache and can't imagine what a migraine would be like. I am glad you found something that helped ease the pain. A friend of mine gets botox to relieve her pain....seems pretty extreme to me but whatever works!
ReplyDeleteOh I hope that migraine has left you. Both my son and husband have severe migraines so I am fully aware of what you go through. My son's were so bad he would get sick to his stomach. Nasty. My son had to be put on medication due to it because he would get them so frequently and miss so much school that something had to be done. Anything with caffeine will help. A can of Coke or Pepsi along with a combo of Advil and Tylenol. Sleep is a must as well. And the after effects - called residua - can also play havoc as you think you may still have the migraine.
ReplyDeleteI am glad knitting helped with it and the tea! Maybe next year grow some fennel and dry it for tea! :)
I hope you are feeling better :)
Get better soon...
ReplyDeleteHi! I am glad that you found relief! And who would have thought it would be sweet fennel. I don't get regular headaches or migraines except for one years ago that I ended up in the hospital with. I told them I didn't get headaches! Ha What I didn't know is that I get ocular migraines which are considered headaches only I don't usually get headaches with mine. I just get a zigzag in my eye and can't see out of the center. I rest for about 20 minutes with my eyes closed and it goes away. Nancy
ReplyDeleteHi Kristina :) Yes, that fennel is great for acid reflux. Alex gets that once in a while so he has a fennel tea every night after dinner regardless. It's good prevention too, but I was really surprised that it helped the migraine pain.
ReplyDeleteHi Pam :) Thanks :) Oh, you know that feeling alright! Interesting about the sleep apnea, that sucks though that you have to wear a CPAP machine to sleep, but you must feel so relieved that you had a good doctor! Mine is a dispatcher and that's pretty much it. I read that about lavender too and I have some that I mix into the cleaners to take the strong smells out. I tried to inhale it and it actually had the opposite effect! Smells really get to me when I'm at my worst. Wintergreen is an option for me, thanks for the suggestions!
ReplyDeleteHi Nancy :) I'll have to look up acupressure, I remember a spot on my hands for regular headaches and I was working on that but it didn't work this time. I found a yoga routine for migraines and I'll try that next time too.
ReplyDeleteHi Susan :) Thanks :) I know, the doctors here particularly just don't seem to care anymore. It's a running joke that you go to the doctor for prescriptions and referrals only, they've become, like I said above, just dispatchers. I can't handle the morphine. And I don't think it's appropriate for a migraine, but that's just my opinion, it's habit forming...all around no-no for me! But yeah, the fennel surprised me a lot! Some very EASY light knitting was all I could handle!! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Joyce :) I've never actually seen Excedrine sold here in Quebec, but I'll take another look next time I'm out at the pharmacy. The pharmacist told me Tylenol and Advil combined would be the best option, but it's not really. I HATE taking meds, but when I'm desperate, I lose my philosophy lol...Thank you for suggesting it! I'm so happy that you found a solution, they are so debilitating and I hate losing all that time!
ReplyDeleteHi Pam :) I love the fennel tea! It's great and now I find it's a pain killer too, how amazing! :) I'm glad you don't have those migraines anymore and I agree, I used to say that tooth pain was the worst pain I've ever suffered, until I had a migraine.
ReplyDeleteHi Debra :) They absolutely suck. I hope the fennel tea continues to help too, but I'm going to check out Joyce's solution for when I am desperate!
ReplyDeleteHi Laurie :) Thanks :) Oh my goodness...I'm so sorry you go through that! And falling too, how horrible. I used to fill a little bowl with ice water and lie back into it for relief, so I know the ice helps, but I'll definitely try the feet in the hot bath too! If I can avoid pharmas I really want to! I tried a few cups of coffee, but that hurt my stomach too so I had to stop. I forgot to mention in my post, like you said, to eat something. I find the chewing motions eases the pain a little bit too.
ReplyDeleteHi Christine :) Thanks :) I can only sit during a migraine. If I lie down, the blood rushes to my head and it starts to really pound. I spent two nights sitting up trying to sleep, it wasn't very comfy. But dark, definitely is necessary. Even the light on the power bar next to our bed was burning right through my eyes so we had to turn off the power bar too.
ReplyDeleteHi TB :) Thanks, fennel, I agree, who knew!
ReplyDeleteHi Harry :) Thanks :) I do hope the fennel tea works for your daughter. I have such empathy for anyone going through migraines, they are horrible. That's awful that it gets so bad she has to go to the hospital! What works for one person doesn't for another, but I think it's safe to say, people who suffer migraines are willing to try anything. I'm so glad this was helpful!!
ReplyDeleteHi Snoskred :) Thanks for your link! Makes me want to find some of that Panadeine Forte but I don't want to feel like I'm floating lol...that's some strong stuff, but I agree, they lose their efficiency the more you take them. That's why I try for the natural approach, but I'm really open to anything at this point. And I read just last night that the caffeine does help the meds work better too. Hormones are the cause for mine this week, no doubt about that. But sometimes they just pop up out of nowhere too, very frustrating. And yes, mine sometimes become ocular, but after the pain starts. I've only had that happen twice in my life and it was terrifying, I had no clue what was happening. If I close my eyes, it takes about 20 minutes to cease. It is very interesting, because I used to get terrible headaches if I had certain types of beverages. I found out that hops in some beers brought a migraine on terribly. That has helped me to stop drinking those beers. I've gone on elimination diets with no results though, but I also suspected gluten.
ReplyDeleteHi Martha :) Thanks, I did get to sleep finally but it was broken up by knee pain, damn body of mine lol...today I seem to be okay, though I still feel like my head is swollen!
ReplyDeleteHi Starting Over :) Thanks :) Gosh, I hope you have a good pain solution, it's horrible.
ReplyDeleteHi Baili :) Thank you :) So many people suffer or have suffered with migraines at some point in their lives, that's crazy. It's such a horrible pain...and thank you so much :) I do love that red hat! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jenn :) Thanks :) I have heard that botox works for chronic migraines, and believe me, I'd probably consider it if I had these more often. I hate the disruption they cause! But yeah, that's extreme...plus you can't wrinkle your forehead when you're perplexed lol...
ReplyDeleteHi Dianna :) Thanks :) I actually read about the "Migraine Hangover" symptoms this morning, it never occurred to me. I think that's what I'm going through now because the pain is pretty much gone, but I still feel dopey and swollen, plus I'm a little nauseous and my vision is slightly blurry still. My gosh, what's next lol...GREAT IDEA...I should try to grow my own fennel! We use it enough...actually that is something for the future home, a medicinal herb garden. We use echinacea for colds, chamomile and passionflower for anxiety (for us and Marlene during thunderstorms) and now fennel which has become a daily habit. The knitting really did help, kept me busy while I was waiting things out!
ReplyDeleteThanks Theresa :)
ReplyDeleteHi Nancy :) Thank you :) I know, I was really surprised about the fennel. I should have videotaped my reaction as the pain just started to ease up. Oh gosh, I get those ocular migraines too, actually they started last summer. I get them during the migraines. I remember when I first started to see that jagged flashing, I panicked. I was doing yoga and I ran upstairs to Alex. I really thought I was about to lose consciousness or go blind or something. But you're right, after about 20 minutes in the dark lying down, it goes away, but it's scary when it happens. I hope you don't get them too often.
ReplyDeleteMy husband used to get them once a month. He stopped drinking coffee and consuming so much chocolate. One time he switched to green tea and that did him in so badly I had to take him to the ER. I'll look into that fennel tea. Does it have caffeine? He can't handle that.
ReplyDeleteOh and I'm sorry you suffered so. I'm glad that tea helped you. That's definitely a surprise from that tea. I haven't heard of that blend before.
ReplyDeleteHey Stefanie :) Thank you :) Yes, the fennel tea is caffeine free. Actually the lady at the health food store told me if I bought organic fennel (in the herb/spice aisle), it might be cheaper than the tea bags and work just as well. So far though, that particular sweet fennel worked wonders for me, so I don't want to try anything else! I hope you can find some, just make sure the tea bags are not bleached, usually the organic ones are not. Regular tea bags and coffee filters make both of our stomachs sick because of the bleaching. Once we learned about that, we switched and have no issues with tea or coffee anymore. I hate that companies put so many chemicals in everything. Why must a tea bag be bleached???
ReplyDeleteI've been off the internet all week for various reasons but so sorry to hear you've been ill! I don't get migraines and rarely get headaches of any kind. So glad you found some things to help. I can tell by that picture that you are in pain. I hope you have found a solution...at least for the severe pounding. It sounds like fennel tea might help a lot of things! Sweet dreams!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sam...as you can see I've been busy too, so much so that I can happily say the migraine is gone as I reply to your comment! :) I'm having trouble finding time to catch up! :)
ReplyDelete