Migraine and Covid Christmas

[Katya3]

Hi all, I just wondered how this quiet COVID Christmas has worked out for migraine sufferers everywhere. I would not wish COVID on anyone and I can see the lost freedoms but for me this quiet, no-travel, electronic socialising only version of Christmas was so much better than the noisy disruptive traditional variety. What was others experience? Are there aspects of covid lifestyle we will want to keep when this pandemic ends?

[Onthemove1971]

I have been ordered to do a sleep study. While I am having less headaces, I am waking up now with worse than ever headaces. Also, my schedule is way off because I am sleeping in later, which I love but it means I am taking my medication later.

Almost ready for real life again.

Thanks for asking.

[Hidden]

Hi Katya, This is the best Christmas I've had in 30 years. I didn't get any blinding headaches, I didn't have to explain why I don't drink or why I don't eat certain foods. I kept to my schedule and got a lot of sleep and exercise. And now I'm not getting the 2 to 3 weeks of migraines, post Holiday indulgence. Isolation has worked in my favour and I'm not apologizing for that. Happy New Year!

[Cat00 in reply to Hidden]

I've had fewer migraines, Christmas day itself was probably a bit tougher bc I had to cook the dinner ( didn't go well!!) and martial the little ones plus zoom calls which I find stressfull. But normally it's a week to ten days of going to my parents house, which is in a nearby village, with the kids so we can all spent time with their visiting cousins and my brother and sister. Lots of late nights for the kids etc always having to tear them away bc they dont want to leave so lots stroppy littleones. Lots of slightly awkard inbetween time etc. So yes fewer migraines! Missed the mealtimes though with so many of us all in one room and its the only time we get to my sister and her family.

[Katya3 in reply to Cat00]

Well I have just had my post Christmas migraine, but , touch wood, it was a lot less powerful than they normally are and I took my triptan and kept going in a low key way without letting anyone down. I don't like the boredom or the sense of panic about COVID Christmas - we went in to UK Tier 4 middle of last week and there was panic buying and a general air of unreality - I know that many people are desperately lonely but I do hope when COVID is gone and life gets back to normal us migraineurs can do more of our Christmas socialising by Zoom without the need for stressful travel and that booze and big meals are no longer compulsory parts of the celebrations. And a big thank you to everyone who put up Christmas decorations facing the street because the pleasure they gave was enormous. Happy Safe New Year Everyone and thanks for feeding back to me.

[Littlemisssunshine87]

Christmas time is becoming more of a bad time of year for my migraines. With severe photophobia I can’t even cope with bright led Christmas lights on trees etc without it making me unwell. Needless to say I’m starting to not enjoy or partake much in the holiday anymore and am better off staying at home in an environment I know I’m comfortable. Oh and this year due to COVID I found we did more rushing around door dropping off presents rather than seeing people gradually over December so it caused a flare up for me (Sjögren’s disease is the cause of my migraines/severe photophobia) because I did too much in the run up.

[milew]

I've not had fewer headaches over Christmas, or since the start of the lockdown in March either, but I've not had more. The big benefit has been that I've had fewer variables in my life, which has allowed me to understand some of the triggers better.

[Katya3 in reply to milew]

Looks like our Christmas/migraine reactions are as varied as our circumstances. The point about fewer variables is interesting. This can feel good or bad depending on what you are losing. I know people who are very pleased to lose the daily commute. Re rushing around I wonder if there are different pressures on those of us who have family close at hand and those who live far from family. My family is very dispersed (3 continents and no one within 100 miles of me) so we all had a solitary (and self indulgent) Christmas with no rushing about, boring but not migraine triggering, but several family members got very depressed. I can understand that if you have to buy presents for and rush to deliver to people you are not allowed to actually see you are going to feel much more stressed. And much more aware of what you are losing. I would not normally see my brother in Australia at Christmas anyway. This COVID thing affects everybody differently.