Suspect a migraine - never happened before....

[Legend83]

On Wednesday afternoon at work my eyes starting aching a bit. I just thought they were tired due to staring at a screen all day.

A bit later I started struggling to see in my peripheral vision - tunnel vision was kicking in. I carefully drove myself home while trying not to be sick (windows down, heavy breathing).

Got home and head was like I had an axe in it and someone was tapping it with a hammer.

Went to bed and managed not to be sick (despite waves and waves of nausea).

Couple of hours sleep and I was feeling better and managed some tea.

No repeat since, but my head has had a dull ache ever since.

Symptoms seem to be like a migraine - should I get it checked out by GP as it has never happened before? Tunnel vision freaked me out!

[Geoff Stilwell]

OK..i suffer from migraines. You certainly would not have been able to eat that soon in my experience. The signs of a migraine can be....spots before the eyes, sensitive to smells and noise. Usually the pain would be 1 side of the head..mine are always on the upper right. My worst migraine lasted 2 weeks with me having injections everyday because i couldn't keep pills down. What triggers them? It can be sitting in front of a computer screens, Florescent lights (I have had special bulbs installed at my office) Red Wine, Cheese...and certain other foods. For me its cheese and chocolate. I can more often than not recognise the symptoms and always carry with me my Anti sick pills (1 under the tongue) plus my migraine tabs. But you have to rest, sleep as best you can in a dark room. I find that normally sorts it. But you should get yourself checked out by the doctor. Good luck.

[Lemmonie]

Sounds like it. Oddly when I get mine I get no aura or vision problems but nearly always need to have food in me to deal with it as otherwise when the sickness comes its awful if there is nothing to dispose of.

[Brother D]

Sounds like a migraine. - Only when you've had a migraine can you full appreciate the difference between that and a "head-ache" that those who have never had a migraine confuse with...

[Legend83]

Uranus said:

Get yourself to the docs and get checked out! I started with a spate of 'bad headaches' a few years ago and presumed I was starting with migraines, turned out it was a brain tumour! Quite painful it was.....

Cheers!

[BlackVanDyke]

Erp!

I'll second the suggestion to go and see a doctor, any new and unpleasant/intrusive thing really can't be ignored. Hopefully it was a one off, set off by a virus or something and you'll never have to put up with it again.

But I do also need to say this, as nobody else has: please for fk's sake don't drive in that condition. There's no way you'd be as alert/safe as you normally are while suffering from tunnel vision, massively bad nausea etc. Get a cab, get someone to drive you home in your car... kip in the car even if you're feeling that ropey.

[ali_kat]

Sounds to me like migraine - they come in all shapes & sizes. The most common symptoms of a migraine attack include throbbing headache, loss of balance, sensitivity to light and noise, nausea (feeling sick), vomiting (being sick) and lethargy (lack of energy). Mine is hereditary, I have some triggers but mostly it is hormonal. You'd think that I would follow the pattern of my Nan, Mum & Brother, but no! I get a lot of aura & loss of vision & it lasting for a day to a week or so they get very little & only for a couple of hours; drugs that work for them don't for me etc.

Sip lots of room temperature water. Rubbing ice on the 'spot' or back of your neck helps. Dark room, lie down, have a bucket nearby.

If you haven't eaten yet, eat - something, anything - it will most likely come back up. In fact migraine is also known as the sickness headache.

I'm going to echo BVD - please, do not drive with this again! To try & make you aware fo the danger - Research has been done that has found links between Epilepsy & Migraine, in my own family, if you don't have epilepsy then you get migraines.

Hopefully this is a one off, but if it is not then you will learn symptoms/warnings.

The pre-headache, or warning phase
Aura (not always present)
The headache
Resolution
Recovery

Recognising the different phases of a migraine attack can be useful. You might suffer from one, all, or a combination of these stages, and the combination of stages may vary from attack to attack. Also, taking medication before the symptoms have fully developed may reduce the effect of an attack.

Recovery I always refer to as a hangover, because that is exactly how I feel the day after.

[TheEnd]

I've got almost the exact opposite, twice now I've had the aura (scintillating scotoma) but no other effects or feelings at all.

All the fun of a migraine with non of the draw backs.

[Slyjoe]

Holy crap - I had this for the first time last night - I'm 43 and rarely am ever ill. I stood up from the computer at about 10.30 and suddenly felt like i'd been shot. I lost balance, made it up to bed, and within about 10 minutes had been violently sick in the loo. The pain of the headache was something so bad I'd never before experienced.
Still feel ropey today after spending the day in bed.
How long does this last? How do I know if it'll ever happen again?

[Geoff Stilwell]

Try taking neurofen migraine tabs in the purple packet. Most pharmacies sell them. But you need to rest and sleep. Avoid flashing lights such as the TV. If I have a bad one I can feel bad for about a week or so.

[The Beaver King]

Slyjoe said:

Holy crap - I had this for the first time last night - I'm 43 and rarely am ever ill. I stood up from the computer at about 10.30 and suddenly felt like i'd been shot. I lost balance, made it up to bed, and within about 10 minutes had been violently sick in the loo. The pain of the headache was something so bad I'd never before experienced.
Still feel ropey today after spending the day in bed.
How long does this last? How do I know if it'll ever happen again?

From speaking to others who have had migraines, I think the intensity/duration/frequency varies greatly.

I had migraines for about 4 years, from 11 to 15 years old. They were completely horrific and I'd have them at least once a month. To give you an idea of my experience;

• Initial feeling of tiredness and loss of appetite
• Within 2/3 hours a dull headache would start
• Over the next 2/3 hours the headache would become extremely painful, followed by vomiting, pain from bright lights and loud noises, becoming very hot
• This would last for 24 to 48 hours. I would literally have to lock myself in my room and sleep (if possible).
• Recovery period was around 2 days, similiar to recovering from flu or a really bad sickness bug.

I haven't had one in nearly 15 years, but I still fear a recurrence.

My aunty had similar, although hers would last nearly a week....

[Brother D]

Slyjoe said:

Holy crap - I had this for the first time last night - I'm 43 and rarely am ever ill. I stood up from the computer at about 10.30 and suddenly felt like i'd been shot. I lost balance, made it up to bed, and within about 10 minutes had been violently sick in the loo. The pain of the headache was something so bad I'd never before experienced.
Still feel ropey today after spending the day in bed.
How long does this last? How do I know if it'll ever happen again?

I had one 10/15 years ago where there was no symptoms apart from loss of vision/bit of balance, then another one about a year later after that. I had symptoms of loss of vision so headed home from work, but that one unfortunately turned into a head crushing, almost passing out from the pain, laying in pool of my own vomit on the bathroom floor unable to move type one. Luckily (touch wood) I've never had one since...

Speaking to an elderly (pretty clued-up) doctor he said there are often triggers to migrains such as chocolate, cheese, chinese foods, caffine and best to avoid (Note my second migrain co-incidently occured after pigging out on TWO bags of cabury's mini-eggs, and a couple of rounds of cheese on toast) - so essentially self inflicted in my case!

[Catz]

Sounds like a migraine to me.

I get the "weird vision" thing first which usually warns me it's time to take some ibuprofen and try to lie down in a dark room. That normally sorts it out for me otherwise the major headache will kick in!
Oddly I never feel nauseous or sick.

[bga]

Geoff Stilwell said:

Try taking neurofen migraine tabs in the purple packet. Most pharmacies sell them. But you need to rest and sleep. Avoid flashing lights such as the TV. If I have a bad one I can feel bad for about a week or so.

Those work for me. I get a "tell tale" headache for a couple of hours before a migraine kicks in and a couple of tablets in the early stages knock it on the head.

[lemonslap]

Catz said:

Sounds like a migraine to me.

I get the "weird vision" thing first which usually warns me it's time to take some ibuprofen and try to lie down in a dark room. That normally sorts it out for me otherwise the major headache will kick in!
Oddly I never feel nauseous or sick.

Same happens to me, vision goes first and if I am quick to lay down with ibuprofen then it will go. The worst attack I had was a couple of years ago, it had lasted for 3 day's my eye lids had turned black/purple from my blood vessels bursting due to the pain. I was then hospitalised and given sumotriptine and if I have an attack this medication takes the pain away but not the symptoms.

[Mr GrimNasty]

If anyone thinks they are having a migraine, and you've never had one before, you really should be seeing a doctor immediately.

[oilandwater]

Must go to the doctors first, sounds like a migrain to me though.
My first one was when I was 21, I still get them and I'm now 60.
Mine start as blind spots that grow bigger until it covers half of my vision, then the vivid bright zigzag colours. Beautiful really if they weren't accomanied by an horrendous one sided head ache.
If I close either eye the zigzags are in the same place, proving its an electrical impulse in the brain, not eye problems, or so I'm told.

BUT GET CHECKED OUT FIRST!

[Slyjoe]

So one week on I still have a dull headache which can be dealt with paracetamol and 'brufens.
I guess this is normal?
I will go to the doctors if its still bothering me tomorrow.

[King Herald]

Uranus said:

Get yourself to the docs and get checked out! I started with a spate of 'bad headaches' a few years ago and presumed I was starting with migraines, turned out it was a brain tumour! Quite painful it was.....

Call me Mr Negative, but I'm sure if you went to the average GP with the above described symptoms he'd probably refer you to an optician for a check up!

I've been down that road a couple of times in the past with ailments. The general consensus seems to be 'fob off the punter as quickly as possible, as they are not really sick'.

[Mr GrimNasty]

Slyjoe said:

So one week on I still have a dull headache which can be dealt with paracetamol and 'brufens.
I guess this is normal?
I will go to the doctors if its still bothering me tomorrow.

There's no such thing as normal for migraines, but I would say that is unusual, and if it were me I would get a check up.

The trouble is migraine symptoms can be mistaken for far more serious issues, that is why if you have not suffered previously, and you have a sudden very severe headache with or without nausea, visual disturbances, weakness, etc. you should get to A&E pronto. Yes they will probably confirm it is a migraine and make you feel like a time waster, but it's not worth the risk.