General comments

Hello all. Its just a general comment, and probably says more about me than anything, but I find this all quite fascinating. I have migraine since i was six years old, about 40 years. My understanding was that the cause of migraine is very poorly understood. Since that first diagnosis, I think I have only contacted a GP once about them, and that was to try a different drug, when I had a spell of my usual not working very well. I normally use Migraleave, as I get lots of visual warning usually, and if i catch with 10-20 seconds I can usually stop it or at least make it less vile. On the occasions that it comes in too big, or I don't get the pills down quickly enough, then it's a full-on whopper, and I'm out of commission for days. It has never occurred to me that i should pursue a scan or other treatment, as I thought this was pointless! Food for thought.

[Charlotte_NMC Partner National Migraine Centre]

Migraine research and treatment has come a long way in the last 5-10 years with increased investment. The introduction of Triptan drugs being a big part of this. I would suggest seeing either you GP or us at National MIgraine Centre if you feel its worth re-assessing your current treatment so that you don't end up 'out of commission' for days at a time. Catching it early though is always the most effective way of managing migraine, as is preventing them in the first place by recognising trigger factors.

National MIgraine Centre 0207 251 3322.

[VictoriaS]

Hello, my Granny used to get migraines and we all thought she was 'just making' a fuss! Advances in migraine treatment and understanding have radically changed, as Rebecca says in the last ten years. We all feel terribly guilty now - especially as I've now had complex migraines for the last 14 years - and my mum too - so we realise Granny wasn't just being tricky! whoops! But I CAN NOT imagine how I would cope with life without Triptans, acute migraine drugs (which came onto the market in the 1990s) which can stop a migraine in its track if taken in time. Migraleve doesn't touch my migraines. t think you're incredibly brave that you've managed for so long without them. I remember the sheer bliss of discovering my first Sumatriptan injections and then Zomig Nasal sprays, there are about 7 types of Triptans now, all in different formations and they work differently for different people. I honestly can't imagine coping without them and would really encourage you to go and chat to someone at the Nat Migraine Centre or your GP about the newer migraine remedies that are now available - as I'm sure a lot of your days in pain could be stopped! It makes me so sad that so many people don't realise how much can now be done! Ok, sorry for the rant!

[Hidden]

Thanks for the thoughts. I'm lucky that I usually get an aura, so I have some warning, and Migraleave usually DO work for me, if i get them down in time - I've even perfected taking them without water if necessary!! The one time I tried something else (see above) it didn't work, then I couldn't take anything else and felt like jumping out of the window to stop the pain! i can't remember what it was, it was about 10 years ago.

HOWEVER, what i do get, even with a small or stopped migraine, is a feeling of 'brainlessness', as if there's a hole in my brain which the thinking can't get to. Feels like imagine a stroke would feel. This seems to be getting more pronounced. I also sometimes get numbness - face, hand, thigh, which moves around, and a thing where I can't talk (gobbledegook comes out). perhaps i SHOULD see the doc - this sounds dreadful now!!!!!! LOL! Do the Triptans help with this sort of thing?

[mazzzy]

I get an aura too before the headache hits. When I was younger I always got the numbness in my face and arm, which moved about just like yours did. I also had several incidents of not being able to find the right words to say. For example I was looking for my keys and I just could not get the word for keys and I said fridge instead! It was very frightening when it happened the first time. I then had a brain scan and all was normal. So as bad as those symptoms sound they CAN happen during a migraine.

I am now taking Amitriptyline as a preventative and it has cut down the number of migraines from 2 or 3 a week to 1 every couple of months or so. The ones I do get are not nearly as bad as they used to be either.

[Hidden]

That's interesting, Mazzzy. And yes, it is frightening, especially at first, but even now, as well. thanks for the reply, and the reassurance.

[Puzzled]

I too have trouble with words either just before a migraine attack or during, i can never get the word out that I want, i will also sometimes slur my words, it's nice to know that other migraine sufferers know what is meant by a hole in my brain when i try to think or part of my brain doesn't work, i often say that it's like part of my brain has gone to sleep and no amount of 'shouting' or getting cross with it makes it work.

It is very frightening when it happens, i have also had the numb right hand side of my face with tingling and down my arm too. My right eye will sometimes 'squint' at people, each migraine is different and i don't always seem to get an aura, which makes it hard to know when they are heading my way. Not sure if anyone else has the problem where when someone's holding a conversation with them during an attack, it's very hard to understand the other person, remember what they said and then try to formulate a reply without taking what feels like hours to reply.

[Hidden]

LOL Puzzled, yes i know what you mean about being in a conversation! You're that busy working out 'am I having one?', plus everything's gone a bit weird and you can't understand them anymore and you must look odd, because they start frowning at you! Also nice to know you understand about the 'hole' in your brain! I wonder if this is similar to how stroke patients feel - I always think it's like a mini-stroke for a while.