Early morning migraines

[Sketches_N_Scribbles]

So, my migraines sometimes trigger if I wake up early in the morning (like 5am), they are accompanied by nausea and dizziness, like a really bad hangover, minus the cotton mouth. If I even try to eat anything before noon, I throw up. It doesn't matter what I eat or what time I went to bed the night before, it always happens. This has been happening since I started middle school and up until now as an adult. Am I the only one with this problem?

[babs1234]

That's usually what happens to me. It can be any time between 3/6am ,if I wake up to go to the loo get back into bed and a couple of minutes later I feel it coming on. Lately though the cycle has changed and I'm staring to get them during the day round about the same time in the afternoon. Once I have had one I usually have them for up to 7 days. Then I might get a few days break. Like you I have tried giving up most usual triggers but nothing has stopped them. I have now started taking a 75 mg aspirin everyday day which I think has made them less intense. Going to try and get a referral for a Hugh's syndrome blood test now.

[Leeee]

I get one if I don't sleep properly. I've recently been making myself drink a pint of water before going to bed to make sure I don't get dehydrated during the night. Have to say I've felt quit a bit better in the mornings and have had far fewer morning migraines doing so.

[designer111 in reply to Leeee]

I have been doing this also, as a slight lifestyle change. Big drink of water before bed (or mint tea as good for digestive system) and a drink of water first thing in the morning.

> babs1234 - have you tried having a low GI snack before you go to bed too? Doctor at Migraine Centre recommended this. Having a low GI snack such as toast or turkey sandwich or banana etc. before bed will help keep the blood sugar levels up between that 10 hour-ish time of having dinner until breakfast the next morning. Just a thought!

[Gambit62]

I think my migraines generally start around 3-6am.

I responded well in general to triptans - though at somewhat smaller doses than the ones generally prescribed - 1/4 of a rizatriptan wafer - and now down to 1/8.

I think it is actually quite common for the migraine to start and then wake you up.

My migraines were hormonally triggered - both changes in hormones.

Probably worth looking at Hughes syndrome - as suggested below - and also at B12 deficiency

List of symptoms of B12D can be found here

pernicious-anaemia-society....

getting my B levels right for me has helped a lot.

taking up jogging also helped/helps a lot.

[Claudie4 in reply to Gambit62]

I have gone through the change of life, hormons, why w OK would I still get them?

[Gambit62 in reply to Claudie4]

May not be that they are hormonal.

Some conditions - including a B12 deficiency - can lead to periods appearing to stop, although the underlying hormonal changes may still be going on.

[Quito]

I've experienced this also - sometimes from disrupted sleep, jetlag, alcohol / dehydration, etc - but sometimes for no apparent reason at all. One of my doctors noted that dehydration is a common cause (as Leeee noted) and also, low blood sugar. My doc suggested eating something literally just before going to sleep (like slow release carbs - Ryvita, breakfast cereal for example) or even waking yourself up after 4 hours of sleep and having a snack!

Eating just before going to sleep helped me a bit... but not waking myself up in the middle of the night! That was a sure way to bring on a migraine. But apparently that really works for some people - clearly those whose migraines are triggered by low blood sugar during the day too...

The same doctor suggested always sleeping with the door or window open so there's more oxygenated air in the room - I do that now too but I don't know if it's had an effect.

The other trigger for me was looking at screens for too long on the preceding day / evening. Especially smart phone screens just before sleep (I know this seems obvious to many - but I had got so used to reading the news on my phone or playing a silly game). I now make sure there's no flickering lights going into my brain after 10pm! That's helped massively. So no computer, laptop, iPad, smart phone, light-emitting screens.... regular Kindles are ok they as they work differently. TV is also not so bad as you're sitting much further away from it and the screen refresh rates are different.

Good luck trying to figure out how to reduce these migraines.

[designer111 in reply to Quito]

Yes, sorry I just replied to a previous post before I read this re: bloody sugar levels at night. I have also read about having an airy room too. I now have the window open throughout the night inc. the middle of winter. I have read how important it is to breathe in heavy deep breathes to make sure your body gets enough oxygen in, and this of course goes in hand with the air into the room.

[Claudie4]

No, my migraines wake me up at 3:00am, its crazy. Been going on for 4 yrs, I am 65. I am told stay hydrated. So, I will try that now. I am giving myself shots...its a viscious cycle.

Good luck'

Claudia

[Copo]

It will be little comfort to some poor sufferers but I had morning-starting migraines with vomiting from my first starting work after qualifying as a vet till I retired at 58 (because I could and because they were getting so that I felt I wasn't pulling my weight in the partnership). I sometimes needed a couple of days off work to recover. I have never had them since I stopped work though there have been stressful occasions and periods in my life, but I quite frequently have visual migraines for half an hour with no headache for no apparent reason except tiredness. I am now over 80.