[Miracle1986]

I decided to start posting in this section, becaues I suffer from really bad headaches on a daily basis.
My headaches can range anywhere from just a bad headache, to headache with nauseousness (sometimes they can actually make me physically ill) and sensitivity to light and sound, and/or blurred vision... to anywhere in between. Sometimes, I get the headache first, and then get all the other stuff (nauseousness, etc.), sometimes the other symptoms come before the headache and get progressively worse as my headache builds... and sometimes I can even get the other symptoms without my head even hurting. These headaches have been known to keep me bed-ridden for like 20 hours a day (ok maybe not quite that many, but it feels like forever), simply because if I move even the slightest little bit... I end up crying and/or screaming out in pain.

Like 2 months ago, I ended up going to the ER and then getting hospitalized for 5 days, and sent home with a diagnosis of "probable migraines" and a recommendation to see a headache specialist.

And recently, new symptoms have been showing up. I will get a really bad headache, and then my legs will just start jumping/moving involuntarily.
I have also started passing out. And like a week ago, I had a really really bad headache, and I lost my ability to speak!!!!! I was crying it hurt so bad, and my legs were jumping. My husband was trying to ask me where it hurt and stuff... and I was trying to tell him, but when I opened my mouth to talk, nothing happened. Then, he kept trying to get me to say BANANA BIRTHDAY, and no matter how hard I tried, all I could get out of my mouth was "BBBBBBBBBBBBBB...."

And today (10/20/2008) I went to see a headache specialist, and now if it is official... I am a migraine sufferer

[ECHOES]

Someone I know treats their chronic migraines with ice, using a plastic bottle like a dishsoap bottle that they fill with water and freeze, then place it on the back of the neck. It is apparently very effective. So many things are being treated with ice these days.

I hope you find whatever will bring relief for you.

[Simcha]

Originally Posted by Bound_by_Thoughts

I decided to start posting in this section, becaues I suffer from really bad headaches on a daily basis.
My headaches can range anywhere from just a bad headache, to headache with nauseousness (sometimes they can actually make me physically ill) and sensitivity to light and sound, and/or blurred vision... to anywhere in between. Sometimes, I get the headache first, and then get all the other stuff (nauseousness, etc.), sometimes the other symptoms come before the headache and get progressively worse as my headache builds... and sometimes I can even get the other symptoms without my head even hurting. These headaches have been known to keep me bed-ridden for like 20 hours a day (ok maybe not quite that many, but it feels like forever), simply because if I move even the slightest little bit... I end up crying and/or screaming out in pain.

Like 2 months ago, I ended up going to the ER and then getting hospitalized for 5 days, and sent home with a diagnosis of "probable migraines" and a recommendation to see a headache specialist.

And recently, new symptoms have been showing up. I will get a really bad headache, and then my legs will just start jumping/moving involuntarily.
I have also started passing out. And like a week ago, I had a really really bad headache, and I lost my ability to speak!!!!! I was crying it hurt so bad, and my legs were jumping. My husband was trying to ask me where it hurt and stuff... and I was trying to tell him, but when I opened my mouth to talk, nothing happened. Then, he kept trying to get me to say BANANA BIRTHDAY, and no matter how hard I tried, all I could get out of my mouth was "BBBBBBBBBBBBBB...."

And today (10/20/2008) I went to see a headache specialist, and now if it is official... I am a migraine sufferer

Why on earth would your husband try to get you to say "Banana Birthday"? That is really, really odd. Is there some significance to this statement?

The last thing anyone should do is bother someone who is in the midst of a migraine attack. You need a dark, silent place to sleep until it goes away. You can take antacids for the stomach upset (I get nauseous when I get a migraine too). A "headache specialist" is a neurologist, and I'm surprised that the hospital didn't have you see one while you were there for five days. Passing out isn't very common from a migraine... I wonder what brought that on?

Migraines can come and go. They are usually precipitated by high and/or chronic periods of unremitting stress. There are also certain triggers that can encourage a migraine to develop (such as sulfites in hotdogs for instance). The migraine tendency is genetically inherited. I saw a neurologist for years before I was an adult until age 17, but now I don't need one. I have had migraines since the age of four. I do not get them very often at all anymore--thankfully!!

Neurologists (and any MD for that matter) can prescribe medications you can take daily for migraine prevention (they allegedly help some people), and also medications specifically for migraine treatment that are taken as-needed (like Imitrex). There are many treatment options, so don't dispair. Make an appointment with a neurologist (didn't the hospital AT LEAST give you a referral?). There are a lot of lifestyle changes you can read about on sites like WebMD or MedicineNet. Self-education is the first step to recovery! Be proactive--you are a strong person.
Best wishes.

[Miracle1986]

Originally Posted by Simcha

Make an appointment with a neurologist (didn't the hospital AT LEAST give you a referral?)

The "headache specialist" I visited yesterday was the one that the hospital referred me to.