Migraines! How do you deal with this?

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm currently a Pre-nursing student, and been suffering from migraines for about a year. They wont go away, unfortunately, but I'm not going to let them interfere with my daily life. Being that Nursing is a stressful job, how do you deal with these awful headaches? Does taking medication actually work? Even if you're working in a stressful environment? How did you deal with this during nursing school? I can't even study without taking my pill. It's awful!

Note: I'm not asking for medical advice, but would like to read your comments on how you got through this with school or work. Thanks!

I've suffered for years with migraines. They usually come on in the morning and can last from one day till three days. I get the migraines that come with the nausea and vomiting. I too am in nursing school, and did everything to get rid of them. I've tried every prescription drug out there, most make me so sleepy I can't function. One thing that I've found to work is 50mg of diphenhydramine in the morning and sometimes a second dose later on in the day if the bright lights of the hospital are getting to me. I know diphenhydramine can make some people sleepy, but lucky for me it doesn't.

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No advice being given...just my situation.

I have had migraines for years but over the last year or so it was out of control. After a full work up there isn't a known cause. It was so bad it got to the point I was popping relpax every other day and in the ER at least one every couple of weeks because of the pain related syncope. If I got a migraine at work I was done for the day. I tried a few different prophlactic meds before I discovered Verapamil. I just need to watch my blood pressure (don't need it to drop too low). I've actually been migraine free 3 mos now. See your doctor about the migraines. He/She can be a great help and resource. Wishing you the best!

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Does anyone here experience an 'aura' with their migraines? If so, how do you know that's what it is?

(I know I'm not making sense lol)

I have migraines, mostly when under stress and/or sleep deprived, and while I know that one is coming on, I haven't figured out how I know. It's more of a feeling of "uh oh, here it comes..." and then I try to curl up in a dark place and ride it out.

There's nothing that I've identified that I actually sense beyond that (see, smell, whatever). I'm just wondering if I'm missing it somehow.

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I see lights like static on a black and white TV. I used to know I was in for at least a day of pain and vomiting. Now I take Imitrex.

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Specializes in acute care.

I, too am a migrane sufferer...since 15 years of age...I would pop Advil on a daily basis and my mother thought I had a "problem" and no longer kept avdil in the house..she thought the headaches were in my head, and I even overheard her and my big sis talking about me abuse the pills...at the age of 26, finally diagnosed...Was given a perscription of a daily pill to prevent it from coming, along with a nasal spray...did not work for me....a doctor of mine prescribed imitrex...but so far with that, the headaches gets worse before it stops (a 2 hour process)....exedrin migraine is my best friend

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Specializes in ER/Trauma.

Spacenurse, I see static too, funny I was describing it to someone the other day and they were too young to remember "snow" on the TV screen!

Not medical advice, just relating my experience, I have suffered since I was 12. For me, it was stress related as a child, now it is hormonally related. I have been on the pill for almost 7 years with the exception of pregnancy. When I am on the pill, the placebo pill week, I guarantee I will have migraine on the Thursday, day before I start. Working with the NP at my GYNs office, she changed my pills to a low dose hormone, theory being the drop in hormones was too much too sudden for me. I wound up still getting the migraine, but it was less severe and treatable with meds. Before and it was darn near debilitating. She just started me skipping the placebo week and starting a new pack so I dont have a period. I have been migraine free for the last 3 months.

Morale to the story, work with a trusted medical professional. For me, it took the NP and gynecologists office to find a solution. I have been on all kinds of things and treatments over the years. Don't give up until you find what works for you.

Best of luck to you, I truly can sympathize with your pain.

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Here's my history:

I get the aura sensation at least once a month, streaming lights, eye floaters, ringing ears, the "whole 9 yards". Can't tell you how many ENT, Eye Dr, Neuro visits I have had since age 12 (I am now 41) only to be told there is no diagnosible reason for my migraines. I too have been told they are "all in my head" (if they only knew how all in my head they really are!!! :-)

My migraines started about the same time my menstral cycle started. Shortly there after I started having blurred vision, light flashes, black spots, narrowed peripheral vision, but no pain. The Neuro diagnosed me with Ophthalmic migraines on top of my regular migraines. These Oph. migraines are generally "silent" migraines with all the side effects, just no pain.

After many years of trying everything from Darvocet to VooDoo, I got pregnant. Guess what - - not 1 migraine for 9 months. As soon as I had my son (within a week) migraines were back. Once I got back on the pill, the migrianes were like clock work - every 25 days I was in bed for almost 2 days - NO RELIEF! Got my tubes tied to give me relief so I could get off the pill! (It was THAT BAD) Migraines were better, but not gone by far!

Then my family physician had me try a Maxalt-MLT in his office one day. Can't even begin to tell you how much I loved that man that day :1luvu:. I can now take my little pill at the onset of weird eye stuff happening and live migraine free for the most part. Still get stress migraines (I am a nursing student after all) but the meds get rid of them in 20 minutes!!

MORAL OF THE STORY: KEEP A MIGRAINE DIARY, SEE YOUR DR OFTEN, AND DON'T LET MIGRAINES RULE YOUR LIFE!!! There is help and you don't have to just learn to live through a migraine!!:nono:

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I got rid of my ex-husband and my migraine problem was literally solved. My b/p was so high when I got to ther er and the doc. kept saying thank God you came in because if I had not come,I would NOT have made it through the night. Then I started thanking the Lord I went in. No matter what meds. I was given for the migraines,it did not help. See your doctor immediately!!!

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MORAL OF THE STORY: KEEP A MIGRAINE DIARY, SEE YOUR DR OFTEN, AND DON'T LET MIGRAINES RULE YOUR LIFE!!! There is help and you don't have to just learn to live through a migraine!!:nono:

That's a good idea. I wish I'd done so when they were coming so frequently (up to 3 times a week...ugh).

Now, I know that lack of sleep, extreme stress bring them on; I seem to notice when I'm not eating right they occur more often. I really need to figure out the triggers.

I almost wish I had an aura of some kind. Maybe I have one I'm not recognizing as such because like I said, I do know when it's coming on (and this happens before any pain starts, sometimes up to a few hours before the actual headache). So at least subconsciously I'm aware of something.

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Specializes in I have an interest in Travel and OB/L&D.

To combat migraines...Drink More Water! Aim For A Gallon A Day! ;)

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Specializes in Infection Preventionist/ Occ Health.

The next time you feel a headache coming on, stop and evaluate how you're feeling. Are you more (or less) hungry than usual? Are you more fatigued than you should be given how much sleep you've gotten lately? Do your legs and arms feel unusually heavy? What about nasal congestion/ discharge? Not everyone has visual symptoms (the traditional aura), but there are usually signs. You are obviously picking up on something if you can tell that a migraine is coming on. Good luck and I hope that you are able to get your headaches under control.

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The next time you feel a headache coming on, stop and evaluate how you're feeling. Are you more (or less) hungry than usual? Are you more fatigued than you should be given how much sleep you've gotten lately? Do your legs and arms feel unusually heavy? What about nasal congestion/ discharge? Not everyone has visual symptoms (the traditional aura), but there are usually signs. You are obviously picking up on something if you can tell that a migraine is coming on. Good luck and I hope that you are able to get your headaches under control.
I do know that they occur more frequently with greater than average stress, and when I've not had enough sleep. During the migraine itself, my speech gets 'thick'... not necessarily slurred, but slower, more deliberate and thick (sorry, not sure how else to describe it). I've had problems with vision at times during the migraine, and I'm most certainly photophobic. But it's not flashing lights and the like.

Thanks for the tips. A diary would be a good idea, I think.

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