david2z4

These things suck.

Mine start with squiggly lines and starbursts in your vision with eyes open or shut. Followed by tunnel vision. Kind of looks like looking through wet glasses just after getting your picture taken about 20 times with a bright flash, just after holding your breath with your head between your legs then standing up quickly.

Then after about a half hour of that, the worst nauseating headache hits that can last for over 24 hours ending in feeling like the worst hangover you ever felt.

Anyone else have them like this?

david2z4

Oh God, that brings back a bad image.

I drank a whole bottle of Southern Comfort waiting in line for a Van Hallen concert back in the summer of 1980.

Just the thought of that sickening sweat crap makes me gag.

traction

iTrader: (2)

yeah i get em all the time too [well not all the time], same steps as yours......if you drink a bunch of caffiene it will make it a little better, trust me! the doctor told me that one. i used to have prescription pills for mine, but they were real gnarly, knocked me out real good.

bclee

iTrader: (1)

Yup, luckily I only get one about every other year. Hmm, the last one was almost exactly 2 years ago, maybe I'm due.

I don't get the light show so much, but first an intense sensitivity to light, and then it's like my blindspot just starts to grow until maybe a third of my field of view is gone. That's when it's time to find a quiet dark place and curl up in a ball. The worst part is usually over after a few hours but the headache that follows lasts about a day.

david2z4

I forgot the part about intense sensitivity to light. I get that too.

bclee

iTrader: (1)

I've heard the same thing, and a couple times I've had some luck if I take Excedrin (which has caffiene) when I first feel it starting. At least those didn't seem quite as bad.

I got a sample of something from the doc last time I had a checkup, but it's expired now. Given the choice I'd take knocked out over the alternative, I'm useless for about 24hours anyway.

david2z4

Thanks, you sure know how to make somebody feel better

meebs

Dave, I used to get them exactly as you describe when I was 13-14.... then they went away! My squigly lines though would start at the sides like tunnel vision, but then move to right in front of me so that I couldn't see anything. I would have to use my peripheral vision.

My dad gets them from time to time though, I hope they don't return down the road.

bclee

iTrader: (1)

For some reason it always annoys me when people compare headaches to migraines, they are just different things. I've known a few people who will occasionally walk up to me and say, "oh, I've got a migraine again today." I want to say, funny, it doesn't seem like you're too nausiated to walk/talk/move/open your eyes without puking, what miracle drug are you on? But I never say that. Still, it's sort of like someone with a stubbed toe telling you they think they just broke their leg. A headache is what I have for about a day after the migraine is over . . .

On the other hand, someone slammed a car door on my head once, by accident. When I woke up, now that was quite a headache. Completely different experience from a migrane, but probably equally unpleasant.