Migraine- Stabbing In My Head

[persephone]

Hey ladies (and gents - I see there are more of you now).

I know migraine is a common symptom of POTS. I have noticed a very clear link between migraine and POTS for at least 3 months now. I'm going to see Prof Mathias about it on Wednesday.

But I just wondered- do any of you get SEVERE stabbing pains in the head with your migraines?

Mine are almost always left sided. In my temple. And I'm having one now that has me crying out when the pain comes. As if I'm in labour or something. It's unbearable.

My mum is worried because she gets these too...as part of her MS

These headaches are happening to me at least 3 days a week, EVERY WEEK for the past 12 weeks or more.

Before this, my POTs was fine.

BUT I can't tell which came first with this flare- the POTS or the migraine Chicken and egg. Whatever way round it is, both seem to be bouncing off of each other

I just wondered...has anyone else had this?

It's hard to get treatment for the migraines; I can't have triptans, epilim/sodium-valproate or calcium channel blockers, which rules out the first line treatments, really.

[firewatcher]

Persephone,

A constant, left-sided headache has been my worst ongoing symptom. There has not been a day in three years that I have not had this blasted headache! Klonopin actually suppresses it fairly well, unless I do something to spike it (exercise, bending over, straining, etc.) I used to get menstrual migraines, but my hormone levels are so low that they didn't happen for several years. Now that I am on HRT they are coming back, but frovatriptan seems to work for them. This other headache does not respond to migraine meds at all. On my pain scale it can easily reach an 8-9 (equal to labor, but just short of a migraine 10.) Lyrica worked, but it was too short-term and Klonopin had fewer side-effects for me. It is always left sided, in the back of my head, arching up over and deep into my ear and behind my eye. Good luck, it stinks. I hope you get some relief.

[mkoven]

Hi Persephone,

How miserable. I'm also limited in what I can take. I was rxed toradol, which worked pretty well. It's a very strong nsaid. You can't take it daily, though, as it's bad for the kidneys. Sadly, I became allergic

[Noreen]

Hi Persephone-

You have my sympathy. I just went through a five month patch of migraines 3 times a week. My pain is always on the right side in the temple to just over the ear. I could not do anything. I would get up for 20 minutes of housework andgh my join da back to bed. The major reason why I am still a newbie although my join date is 2 months old. I can'tuse the computer at all with a migraine and when you add the problems with focusing due to autonomic dysfunction it is all such a joy.

I take Topamax 100 mg daily as a preventive. That dose is very low but because I keep complaining about fatigue they do not wish to raise it until I am seen at the academic hospital for a neurological workup . this drug is a preventive. It helps with the duration of each migraine. I have had one last 5 days. I take Fiorinal for the migraine itserlf.

Best wishes for an end to this for you.

Noreen

[janiedelite]

I always have a headache of some variation, too. But since I came down with POTS, I've had migraines off and on. But usually NEVER for 3 days out of a week! Yikes! But my migraines are also left-sided and the pain is so severe that I cannot be touched anywhere and have to lie in the fetal position in my dark bedroom, crying and vomitting from pain. It's horrible. I usually get them when I push my body too hard.

[masumeh]

Persephone,

always good to see you in the forum

Yes, I noticed a link between migraines and my fainting episodes. Usually a migraine would hit just before an episode, in conjunction really. Several doctors told me that this is a neurological link between the two events, and that if I can prevent the migraine I may be able to prevent the entire chain of events including the fainting. I have taken that advice and it seems to work. Avoiding sugar, caffiene, stress, lights, and loud noise has been great for my head and my overall condition.

Btw, did you read about cluster headaches? It's a type of headache that lasts about 1/2 hour, feels like intense stabbing or drilling into your head just behind an eye, and is due to the position of the reaction near a major nerve to the eye. It is one of the most horrible pains, the worst type of headache in terms of pain intensity (though it's brief), and it's sometimes seasonal. I got them for a couple years in the spring season. It was really REALLY painful. One of the two times in my life I passed out from pure unadulterated pain. Some people actually bang their heads against walls when it strikes. Very sudden, very brief, but every minute feels like eternity. There's no cure or medication that works fast enough.

Normal migrane can also be very painful and nauseating too.

Good luck solving this!