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Hey all... I'm 18, a sophomore in college, and have had atypical migraines my entire life. Definitely since I was over 2 years old. Yes, Mr. stick-in-an-unpleasant-place Doctor, children that young CAN have migraines! When I was very young, I would scream for hours on end although no one could figure out why. It certainly wasn't colic, either. But how many doctors were going to tell a mother "Hmm... maybe your baby has migraines". It wasn't until I started just falling face first into the floor (or concrete/grass outside)at any random moment that it was brought up. Still, they thought it was ear infections for quite a while.
Since most of mine are caused by a swelling of the blood vessels, caffeine can help. So I try to avoid drinking much with caffeine at other times. This can really suck when you are a college student!
In high school, I went through a spell where I got cluster headaches several times. I remember feeling like if I banged my head on the wall hard enough, the pain from that would be highly preferable to how the headache was causing me to feel. Mostly, I just thank god that they've been gone for several years now and that I don't have to live with them all the time. Those of you who have to... I don't know how you do it.
Because I have a narcoleptic disorder and a psychotic disorder as well(Who else here has other things going on? I'm SURE I'm not the only one!), I missed the majority of high school. Still not quite sure how I managed to graduate. College would have been out of the question had I not gone to a doctor in Nevada who was a lifesave. After going through what seems like every medication possible, and just about every neurologist in the area as well, I am now on Topamax (daily) and Axert (PRN)... prescribed through another doctor from out of state.
I have a service dog who is, well, very multifunctional. The medication I take prn for my migraines helps the most the sooner I take it. My sd can detect the migraines coming on long before I know it. Plus, once I have a migraine, I often wind up too confused to take my medication on my own. (probably from the prodrome) So she is there to help out with that. She also helps me with stability when I need it. And with her, college is no longer out of the question.
Truthfully, I'm at a point in my life where I am doing better than I have ever been before. But I'm hoping to get a chance to talk, share experiences, and offer any help I can around here.
The 4-legged migraine detector (while she's off work ^_^)
January 4 2006, 15:57:52 UTC 6 years ago
January 4 2006, 16:48:27 UTC 6 years ago
January 4 2006, 16:00:42 UTC 6 years ago
Right now I have a 7yr old border collie, since my female BC tries to kill my cat - even though she's much more in tune to how things work with me. But mcGreggor is learning. Sometime this year, late spring/early summer hopefully, I'll be getting a puppy to work with from scratch.
Mind if I add you as friend?
I'm glad you've gotten things under control - for the most part
January 4 2006, 16:18:18 UTC 6 years ago
And no, I wouldn't mind at all!
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January 4 2006, 16:24:39 UTC 6 years ago
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January 4 2006, 18:37:14 UTC 6 years ago
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6 years ago
January 4 2006, 17:07:15 UTC 6 years ago
January 4 2006, 17:08:01 UTC 6 years ago
Do you know of any schools that would train a migraine alert dog? You mentioned having a trainer near you... Any information you could give me would be great!
- Julie
January 4 2006, 18:21:06 UTC 6 years ago
January 4 2006, 19:58:56 UTC 6 years ago
Thanks.
January 4 2006, 20:26:34 UTC 6 years ago
Also check out http://www.psychdog.org/ it may be able to help you with something. Ask your doctor too. I'll send out the letter.
6 years ago
6 years ago
January 4 2006, 22:42:59 UTC 6 years ago
alert animals
You actually don't need a prescription for a service animal. You can do the training and then get your animal certified for public access through an organization called Pets and People. If you want training assistance, P&P offers it; but they will also certify a dog you have trained yourself. My alert animal is a cat, and she only works in my home; so I don't have her certified for public access but will be getting certification for housing.January 4 2006, 22:46:07 UTC 6 years ago
Re: alert animals
I wasn't aware of that. The prescription helps with housing and public access as well though. ThanksJanuary 6 2006, 20:04:05 UTC 6 years ago
Re: alert animals
Do you know if they would be willing to help someone who lives in Canada (Quebec)? I know some schools get a little particular about where their clients are from and will only help out if there's a field rep "in the area"...6 years ago
January 6 2006, 20:01:21 UTC 6 years ago
January 6 2006, 20:01:51 UTC 6 years ago
January 6 2006, 20:11:23 UTC 6 years ago Edited: July 6 2011, 22:24:18 UTC
SD letter
Deleted as I did not want this showing up in an internet search (which it did)January 4 2006, 22:43:19 UTC 6 years ago
She's precious. I can see what a light in your life she is, too. And in response to your comment: "Those of you who have to... I don't know how you do it." I have one perhaps less sardonic reply than I would like, (except I'm having one NOW): I honestly have no idea. But I think I do fairly okay. I hold down a full-time job, have a successful relationship with a wonderful man, we keep a fairly neat apartment, have a decent social life, and I have a loving, supportive family (who also suffers migraines and clusters, too -- mainly my mother, occasionally my father. Though he's definitely more of the cluster-sufferer. My mother? The works; poor thing.) If anything, I've learned all I can on just how to survive from her.
That's the key, really. Survival. And by that, I mean at least having a life you feel like you're living rather than suffering away.
Best of luck to you.
January 4 2006, 22:57:02 UTC 6 years ago
Oh, and as a quick addendum: I know what you mean by the confusion. I've only had three of those thus far in my life, but they are frightening. I was completely unprepared for the first -- felt as if I was going into an autistic fit, (and I'm not autistic). I remember vaguely, as this was while I was an office manager, hanging onto the edge of my desk as if I were going off of a cliff. I would just pull until I felt tired, and repeat the action indefinitely. I could mildly communicate with others around me, and tried to calm them. Somehow -- and I will to this day never know how -- one of my oldest and dearest friends with whom I've always had an eerie connection showed up at my office and talked me through it. He'd been through a few of his own, and until he made such unrelenting eye contact and steadied my breathing, I was on a downward spiral. Eventually, I wouldn't have been able to communicate with anyone and might've collapsed like I did during the second attack I'd had a couple of years later in a different job and location. They weren't as equipped, but did as they could -- taking me to the backroom, sitting me down, urging me to drink -- slowly, that was the key -- some ice cold water so that it kept me aware of my surroundings. The entire episode lasted about an hour.
My most recent attack, late November, I wasn't so lucky -- and they weren't understanding in the least. Eventually, it got to where my manager couldn't communicate with me at all because I was in an unremitting daze. She'd apparently called to me nearly eight times, drawing closer and closer before shaking me gently. On the second shake, she mildly got my attention. I at least looked at her, but didn't respond. You'd think this might've concerned someone. Nope. She just wanted to know if I'd go up on the ladder and hang a painting.
No, I'm not joking. I closed my eyes, tried to centre myself enough to tell her that I was going to the back to call my parents. I did so, and talking to them while drinking some cold water (like the time before) helped keep me aware of my surroundings once again, and alert enough to stay cognizant for the remainder of the attack -- which lasted about an hour and a half.
I've explained these symptoms to my neuro, and she said it's a combination of my headache pattern with hypoglycemia. (I end up going five or six hours without lunch at work because the co-worker ahead of me never seems to take her lunch, and I always have to wait for her to take hers first, so ... yeah.) The other lovely event I've gotten a few times (along with high anxiety) is my vision suddenly deciding to refuse to focus. Completely. I'll be fine one minute, and then I cannot focus on anything -- my pupil contracts wildly until it's concluded. And that's an aura.
Anyway. Those headaches are much more neurological than the standard. But they can be co-morbid with either migraines or clusters. I plan to up my research on them when I'm not feeling so crappy. Ugh. Here comes the nausea.
Good luck.
January 4 2006, 23:21:42 UTC 6 years ago
Who else here has other things going on? I'm SURE I'm not the only one!
Nope, I'm bipolar.
January 5 2006, 04:05:14 UTC 6 years ago
January 5 2006, 05:24:30 UTC 6 years ago
The migraines are still sucking. I'm on fentanyl now until I get my botox done in a few weeks--hoping that works, if not...there really isn't much more I can do.
I'll have to check into it. I really can be completely debilitated sometimes. I was in the grocery store the other day when one came on, and it went to an 8 within about 5 minutes complete with confusion, etc. Thank god I was with someone--I always worry about being alone at times like that. No way I could have even found the exit like that.
January 5 2006, 05:28:48 UTC 6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago