This needs to be clear when you ask yourself this question! At a previous workplace i used to complain to a boss about my 10 year neurological condition and he would say to me yes i get migraines too, every few months or so. Or when i workout to hard in the evening or even he would say that he gets one after a night down the pub!!! 1st thing i want to clear up is they are not called migraines its called migraine. You don't get epilepsies you've got epilepsy right? when a friend or every body i know plays this down by saying its ok i get migraines sometime is like saying to a person with cancer (Don't worry sometimes i get cancer) Bottom line is you have it or you don't! Getting migraine after a night at the pub is like saying i get a bit of cancer every time i have a fag!! Having this problem now i understand that i never had migraine until i got migraine!
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I have had migraine since I was 14.I think that many people who have either never had one or seen someone with one thinks it's just a headache.Mine have become less severe as I have got older but used to last about 3 days from start to finish when I was younger.The vomiting was the worse, I couldn't really move without throwing up and used to walk around with a bucket while trying to see to my 3 children.I can't believe I did it when I think back.I looked and felt like I was dying and the pain at times did make me ask God to help me.Thank goodness I seem to be "growing out of them" at 56.Periods, pregnancy and the menopause are behind me now.Unfortunately I have now been diagnosed with graves disease which affects thyroid hormones so they have surfaced again.I wouldn't wish them on anyone.
I had my first episode when around 15 years old. It was a real shock - though I was well aware of migraine as my mother was a sufferer.
Luckily, only had a few episodes over the years until I was about 50. Since then, I have had numerous - but pretty much entirely visual. (Plus a bit of nausea and washed out feeling for a day or so.) That is pretty much exactly the same course my mother reported - diminished pain and other symptoms as she aged - but she suffered far, far more.
Thanks for your post. Can you just clarify what you are saying, please. I have had more than 1 migraine. In my life I have had many migraines (plural). Last week I had a migraine (singular). My nephew has epilepsy. He had his first seizure at 10 years old. He has now had many seizures since then.
Hi thnx for the reply I think what I'm trying to say is people cant get migraines without having the neurological condition(migraine) in the same way people cant have epileptic seizures without having the condition (epilepsy) pls correct me if I'm wrong! ps hope you nephew is doing well.
Thank you for your reply and well wishes to my nephew. I understand the message of your post now. 😊I’m not too sure as I’m not a doctor, but I do recall when my friends husband was very ill with a brain tumour, he was having seizures, but he didn’t have epilepsy. Similarly, he also got migraines for the first time ever.
It is entirely possible to experience epileptic episodes without actually being epileptic - brain scans do not always show a cause for the episodes or fits. This happened to my son - occasional episodes and 2 seizures over 25 years, no obvious cause, although a fancy new scanner has very recently revealed a scar on a particular part of the brain, finally. And no one says 'epileptics' to describe their episodes - they may use the term 'fits' or 'seizure' if their episode is bad enough, but people can say 'migraines' accurately because a migraine is a migraine and they have had more than one.
Migraine is also classed as a neurological disorder, usually without evidence of damage in the brain (though not always). It is a highly variable condition amongst people - all I ever had was aura/optical migraine which was repetitive and frequent down the years, for instance, and this has actually almost 100% resolved since I stopped eating cheese. So is that migraine, or is it allergy/hypersensitivity? I do still have a problem with closely spaced lines (think escalator stairs) and very bright, glinting light, so it seems I am a migraineur, just that my symptoms are significantly reduced by not eating dairy. But the dividing line is unclear, because many people have a trigger for their migraine, whether they know what the trigger is or not. Regardless, this trigger sets off migraine episodes, so they effectively have migraine which may or may not be life changing, severe, moderate, mild or occasional.
All that said, yes, people may casually refer to a severe headache as 'migraine' even if it's not actually migraine as a way to convey the severity of their headache rather than it actually being migraine. If you find that annoying, ask them precisely what the name of their form of migraine is - they won't have an answer. Neurological malfunctions are not always clear cut or fall readily into a strict diagnosis between one and the other - it's interesting to note that many drugs used for migraine are the same drugs used for epilepsy, and one or two of them may be used in people with psychiatric mood disorders such as bi-polar - these conditions can all be classed as neurological disorders. But yes, a headache can just be a headache, even if it is severe, and even migraineurs can get a 'normal' headache. The business of diagnosis of neurological disorders can be a difficult one, not always clear cut. My Consultant Neurologist, years ago, told me that, saying they really only know about 2% of what goes on in the brain for sure... I sometimes think a diagnosis of 'migraine' is made because they can't find any other explanation for what's going on...
I use the term "migraines". I don't tell people I have "migraine". I might have A migraine, but in general, I say I get migraines, I have migraines regularly, etc.. it's just the plural indicating its a recurring issue. If it were epilepsy, I would say "I have epilepsy", "I am epileptic", "I have seizures", or "I have a seizure disorder". Always depends on my audience and context.
For example, I am on day 3 of a migraine, so I would say, "I am having a migraine".
Sorry, I'm not a grammar nazi, just found the thread a little over critical.
I had acute episodic migraine a lot at age 20 and 48 and in pregnancy. Which i can see now was hormonal. When people had work said oh i have a migraine today, I always thought , No. you dont , because if you did you would be at home praying for an early death in a darkened room. At 48 I was hospitalised and put on prophylactic medication of propranolol and amitriptyline- these worked well for ten years. At 57 I started to get a lot of headaches (always been prone to them) at 58 headache came and never left its now 19-20 MONTHS . Nothings worked. My neuro diagnosed as chronic migraine. My face tingles constantly but i dont mind that. I had nausea for months and a Cefaly machine managed to chase that away. Ive had aversion to electric lights and any noise , television ,radio ,small children etc slowly getting worse for 15 years. So , outwardly, people like yourself (and me a few years ago) would look at me going about my daily business of swimming or shopping for elderly parents or going on holiday to sit quietly on a beach with a book as far away from people as I can. And theyd think she hasnt got migraine. My pain score runs at a 5/ out of ten. Light noise or children and stress exacerbate it to an 8-9 and then I cannot function. But am grateful Im not worse and plod on looking for new treatments. Currently on candesarten. All the usual suspects have failed miserably to help me. I wish everyone with it the best of luck it ruins lives.
Thanx for reply im not saying that you dont have the condition im just saying that alot of people misunderstand it and think they knw how it feels best of luck to you
I know and thanku. Id love an accurate diagnosis or treatment that worked . When the propranolol started to fail i assumed they would up the dose. I went from having a variety of painkillers in every pocket and handbag to nothing. Come off it all as nothing helps. Keto diet etc I’ve literally spent 4k plus as referrals were denied because of covid. Especially galling as worked for nhs 26 years. Ive had to retire because of it. I had no idea ((naively) that conditions existed that skilled itu docs like anethetists and neurologists cannot control the pain. Good luck to you .
How do you like the Cefaly? I've been thinking about getting one. I'm fortunate to finally be working from home so I can control my environment which has helped a lot. The Cube Shield was great when I was in the office, but being home is better.
My family jokes I'm part vampire. I don't use lights in my office unless it's my NorbRELIEF Migraine Relief Green Light Bulb. My ice hat and blackout curtains are my best friends. Even with Botox and Aimovig, I still have attacks.
Migraine is very debilitating, when i have an attack i cant look at light or stand up have to be in a darkened room for days throwing up. I get an immediate attack within 5 minutes of being ok with Aura. I have to have help as i get them so bad. Take medication nightly which does help. Runs in my family on my fathers side. All my sisters have it and my brother. Saw a neurologist who has written a plan if needed.
Hi i take 2 pizotifen at night which is working for me with less migraine attacks. I tried everything else. There are wafers you put on your tongue which melt on your tongue during an attack which is mentioned on my notes but not sure what they are called. My friend has them and they relax blood vessels in the brain during an attack.
Your right, people always say that very thing. I thought I was going to die when I had my first migraine around 20 years ago, the pain was unbearable the nausea was horrible and the light sensitivity was a surprise to me. The doctor made me wait a few days for an appointment and by this time the pain was going but he at least knew what it was “a migraine “ I thought I had a brain bleed or cancer omg I thought a migraine was a bad headache like a hangover lol.
I hope your suffering is short and you find the strength to deal with the ill informed, best of luck x
Please follow me as im male and most sufferers are female so it may be interesting to see what a 10 year male sufferer is posting and going through, to see when it comes to the migraine Brain are we all the same? as i will help in any way i can!
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