Help-Catch 22--Sleeping Off Flares, But Then Migraine Type Headaches Of Ovesleeping

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Hi guys, this ones fairly new to me. Ive become very proficient at warding off flares, except especially when my diet spins out of control and I get a hold of an excitotoxin unaware, such as MSG hidden in some food, or I get exposed to too much heat in a day or my electrolytes spin out of balance.

The way I deal with it is to go to bed----I feel exhausted after all, extremely weak, and sleep comes naturally. And usually within 24 hours Im good to go again.......carefully and slowly. The problem is that too much sleep in a 24 hour period ................

such as 4 hours asleep, 2 hours awake, and repeat.............

gives me NASTY migrained type headaches that are worse than the flare itself. It feels like my head is made of glass. Any noise at all it feels like its reverberating in my skull. The sound of an abulance of something drives me nuts. And my lymph nodes seem to swell up and are tender and my hands feel pretty shaky.

Ive learned to try to fight sleep during this process but obviously my body is exhausted with the flare, and I drift off only to to go through the migraine again.

Anybody found a way to deal with this? I call it too much sleep syndrome, and its a nasty thing to deal with. Some gatorade helps a little as does light excercise. Im sure swimming would be the ultimate antigravity equalizer to those constricted small blood vessels in my head but ironically I dont have the strength to do my usual swim, Im just to weak.

Its a nasty catch 22. Im wondering if theres a really good hangover remedy that might help.

[blueskies]

Hi Spinner,

Is your head elevated when you sleep? I find if I can get my head elevated to 30 to 45% -- gradual elevation from waist up to those degree levels it helps with pain of migraine most of the time.

I don't know about the lymph nodes or shakey hands.

Just wondering if you are effected by naturally occurring msg in foods like tomatoes?

Swimming in salt water (at beach or ocean pool -- not a chlorinated pool) will often help ease a migraine if I have one but if you are too weak to swim it would seem unwise to try -- don't want you drowning. My migraines have grown much worse (as has my level of fitness) this past summer in Australia and I think part of it's because we've moved away from the ocean and swimming is not an option for me. I intend to move back by next summer. Fingers crossed.

Blue

[dpeeps]

Can you tolerate caffeine at all? (I realize most POTS patients can't)....

I too suffer from migraines and a disruption in sleep patterns is one of my triggers. If I drink a little caffeine (just a little bit, like one cup of "half-caff"), it seems to help.

Unfortunately, if I drink too much caffeine, it has the opposite effect and it GIVES me a headache.

[Katybug]

I have a few thoughts. First, get the lymph node issue checked out because I have had migraines for a long time and have never seen swollen lymph nodes related to migraine. Second, the elevated sleeping suggestion is good and along with that, making sure the curve in your neck is supported. Your neck being out of alignment can cause migraines. You can get a cervical pillow at pharmacies that sell medical equipment but you can also make your own by rolling a towel and putting rubber bands around each end to hold it in the rolled position. Third, I tend to get more migraines is I get broken sleep like what you describe. (4 asleep, 2 awake, repeat) as opposed to getting the same number of hours of sleep but straight through. Broken sleep interupts sleep cycles and you may be disturbing the "restorative" part of your sleep. If you can't sleep straight through even though you try, you might consider sleep studies.

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YES, the broken sleep chain messes us all up and too much sleep causes migraine symptoms.

I'll try the bed elevation.

I DO swim in salt water, my local pool is salt not chorine. I wont drown, LOL, but its rough forcing myself to move

during a flare.

With sleep its best to stay circadian, maybe with a shorter nap during the day, but we all know with flares

hitting the sack is the best way to ride them out.

[blueskies]

hi spinner,

Just float around in the water if you can. Get your head wet floating on your back, maybe. It's helped my migraines on days when I wasn't up to doing laps etc. I think it has to do with the cooling effects of the water but also the compression qualities that water has. It gets the blood pumping from toes to head.

blue

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Blue, thats for sure. Cold water is magical.

I think it lowers the inner core temp, which is under rated with neurological nervous sytem isssues.

Wouldnt surprise me either that the compression helps.

The problem is, when im flaring I just cant get the strength to move. And ill admit it, im afraid

of getting into a pool and not being able to drag myself out or passing out in there.

Might be embarassing being dragged out of there and making a big scene.

I usually just stay in bed, but i cannot stay awake in bed if im flaring.

[blueskies]

Spinner,

Totally understand the fear of passing out in the water. If you have syncope it is a real possibility apparently. There used to be an article on this site written by a doc who described the benefits of the compression qualities of water and I think he warned against swimming alone Or unwatched if fainting is a problem. They seemed to take the article down some years ago but maybe I just couldn't find it again or something. It was very instructive about how swimming was good for us (as long we are at no risk of passing out in the water)due to the compression qualities in the water.

Most of the time I'm overheated internally -- that's how it feels -- although taking my temp shows temp reading a degree or two below normal. Swimming does cool me down as well and I feel cooler for some hours afterwards. A cool to lukewarm shower often has the same effect only not as strong, and the cooler feeling doesn't last as long. A cool shower will often take a bit of the edge of a migraine. letting the cool (but not cold) water run over my head will sometimes help.

I do understand not being able to move when flaring. I must be in the middle of a slight flare now because I'm spending most days on the couch - with other symptoms such as increased frequency of breakthrough migraine. Although in the late afternoons and early evenings I seem to get more energy and am able to get a few things done. This morning I really wanted to stay in bed but made myself come downstairs as I knew it would be worse for my depression and migraine to stay there. The reason I was able to make myself get out of bed is because I'm not flaring anywhere near bad enough that I have no choice but to stay there. I still can get up and move around slowly when I have to. I know many people can't manage that. I've been there.

blue

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Luckily I feel vertigo coming on way ahead of time, so i wouldnt be in the pool if it was bad.

There doesnt seem to be a good answer to stayiiing awake during a flare for me because i cant

drink coffee.

The answer for most people is a caffeine jolt and getting up and moving.

But with this kind of neurology not possible often times. Luckily i have a hobby of studying theology

which keeps my interest during flares.