Migraine sufferers on cruises?

[fosse7]

I got my first migraine when I was 25. I am adopted and didn't have that part of my family history, so I didn't know what was happening to me. I thought maybe this was what an aneurysm feels like just before you die.

 

I get them maybe once or twice a year; I am one of the "blessed" few who gets a serious aura at the outset. This helps me get the meds in me more quickly although it took several tries to find one that works for me. Tried Imitrex, Butalbital, something else I forget- - what is working for me these days is Zomig. And I never leave home without it. As long as I take the meds at the very outset, I can at least not feel like death is coming. I still get a nasty "head breaking in two" feeling and the nausea and light/sound sensitivity, but I at least feel like I will live.

 

I have (knock on wood) never had one on a cruise... but I have my meds with me at all times if that should ever happen.

[Sea Island Lady]

My first migraine was the worst and I really didn't know what is was. I was older to start getting them. I lasted about a week!! One thing I did since then is take feverfew each day as a natural preventive. I have had a few migrines since but most have only lasted a day or two. Just a thought to help avoid them or at least the severe ones.

The first migraine that I had was two days before a cruise. Like you, I didn't know what it was. There was really no head pain (or what I thought migraine pain would be.) I thought that perhaps I had hurt my neck (changing a light bulb on the ceiling and then carrying my wet dog through the house) and it was causing neck pain, numbness and pressure all over the head region. My tongue was numb, my lower gum area was very painful. I felt like my left eye was going to pop out and my right arm and leg were feeling funny and weak. At one point, I thought I was having a stroke!

 

I went to the doctor and he couldn't find anything. I went to a chiropractor and he did an adjustment, popped my ears and gave me a muscle relaxer. That really didn't help, but he told me to take Advil...not Tylenol for the "pain." I was taking 2 pills every two hours, along with meclizine for dizziness and nausea. I went ahead and took off for the cruise, thinking that I might die while onboard. After about the second day, the syptoms started getting better, although I had that eye pain for weeks if I didn't continued to take low doses of Advil. I finally mentioned to my doctor that i was still having some slight pain. He told me about rebound pain from taking too much meds, so I quit. The pain subsided after a couple of days.

 

I had another recurrence and finally went to a neurologist, who ran all types of test. He kept saying that he thought I was having migraines, but I refused to believe him since I was not having THE head pain. he says that the migraines are menopausal symptoms. I have been post menopausal for 4 years. Never had much of headaches, cramps or anything else when I was younger.

 

After doing some research, I finally realized that I was having migraines and the head pain has finally made an appearance. :( I have had a couple of doozies - once when i hurt my back and was on the couch for several weeks. Like others, I awake with them, so I do think has has something to do with circulation and not sleeping correctly. I also get them if I spend too much time at the computer. I think it is the typing! I cannot type unless I look at the keyboard, thus straining my neck and cutting off blood circulation. :rolleyes: BTW - I had the apnea study, and could not sleep while I was there. Waste of money!

 

The best over the counter remedy is Advil Migraine. The Excedrin has caffeine in it and will often cause a re-bound migraine, plus it gives me heart palpitations. I take Zomig for sever times. Magnesium makes my headaches worse, and Immitrix gives me HP.

 

Does anyone else suffer numbness, tingling of extremities and mouth pain?

 

What is Feverfew?

 

PS - I was adopted too and don't have records!

[island284]

I modify this "Chef Card" to include the name of the ship, my name, cabin number, and table number. I turn it in the first day on the ship. Scroll down to the middle of the page. It is in PDF format.

 

http://health.yahoo.com/topic/nutrition/foodsafety/article/mayoclinic/FAF49013-E4F7-4BA9-A0AA86BE9388CFD0

[4merlurker]

Wow, it feels good to read about your pain - that didn't come out right but you know what I mean :rolleyes: I am not alone!!!!

 

I've been suffering forever! I still remember my first migrain I was about 16 and thought I was dying! I get them 2 or 3 times a month and they last a miniumum of 2 days! I've been caught a few times without my meds (inderal, which DH loving calls "end-it-all") and the only thing that helps: I put hot on my head and ice on my feet. I've been known to stand barefoot in the snow! No lie!

 

Unfortunetly Ive passed it on to my middle dd. She gets auras so we start to medicate early - the only thing that gets her over the hump is vomiting. Once she does that shes ok in an hour or so.

 

Miraculously, no migrains on the cruises but I've had them in the airport...ugh! I'm getting nauseous just thinking about it!

 

~Connie

[MtnBikerFallDown]

brn2cruz,

Have you ever asked your doctor if your symptoms could be panic attacks? My cousin had very similar problems, they ran a lot of neuro tests and finally thought maybe they were a type of panic attack. Not the kind you get from being upset or worried, but they kind that happens from either a spike of adrenaline (for no reason) or possibly from a lack of certain neurotransmitters. They put her on a trial dose of a type of antidepressant called an SSRI and she is down to having maybe 1 a year when she was having them several times a month.

 

Hers were the kind where she'd wake up at a certain time of night, as well. Isn't that wild? Might be worth a trip to the doc to ask. It'd be nice if a generic brand (read: cheap) drug could fix it!

 

Good luck!

[minnie00]

I am also a migraine sufferer. I have been lucky to not have one on either of my cruises...even the one day I was sea sick.

I have had them on vacations 2 times before....luckily 1 dayers.

most of mine are 2 dayers.

I have tried Midrin, Frova, Imitrex, and currently Relpax. Midrin is my old standby and always helps...but makes you loopy.

Yes the others have worked for me BUT the headache comes back that night or the next day...every time.

I noticed that the Relpax makes my nauseua/aura symptoms so enhanced that all I want to do is barf my brains out...then after the enhanced symptoms...the headache does break...then I go to bed that night and wake up with a fresh worse headache.

so I stick to the Midrin for now.

but...

I may try the Excedrin Migraine for something I can take when still at work.

I am a firm believer in rebound headaches...I don't over medicate ever or suffer the consequences.

I also used to get menstrual migraines every month and I now take the Pill continuously to help and it does !! and no periods to boot :)

I wish like some other people I had specific triggers...

yes SMELL is my biggest...any perfume or chemical scents do me in

Cheese, lunch meats, nuts, chocolate are triggers but not the trigger more than 50% of the time

Interrupted sleep is a killer for me. stress and being tired are my #1 triggers..can't always avoid those.

I do like to read about others and their experiences...I know that I am not alone in this pain and frustration. :)

[Missus Makkem]

its so interesting that a lot of you mention smells, particularly perfume in attacks, I cannot wear any sort of perfume and when my daughters were at home I would buy un scented hairspray, soap, deodorant etc,if they were near me specially in the car I would start a migaine for sure.

My husband knows better than to but me perfume.

Real scents do not have the same effect for example he can stiil buy me flowers!

Worst time....during pregnancy when I would end up vomiting even more tham usual and in bed for 2 or 3 days, nearly lost my job one time at least medications now keep it at bay.

[powelweb]

For me, my pregnancy was the only time my migraines were only non-existent- i only had 2 during the entire 9 months.

 

Mind you, I had other pregnancy complications that were severe enough for DH and I to say "one and done", but the lack of migraines during that time just confirmed for me that mine are hormonal.

 

Similar to Minnie00, I take the seasonale pill to help regulate hormones, although my OB is starting to push for me to come off the pill now that I'm in late 30s, and I'm like, no way, I just got my migraines to a managable point.

 

as someone else said, nice to know we're not alone.

[Sue L]

I used to wake up with migraines. Do you think it's the pressure of putting your head down? Has your doctor sent you to a neurologist? Mine did and they did an MRI. The neurologist told me he can tell I suffer from migraines from just looking at the nerve endings. Apparently, they show melting? I cannot remember how he described it.

 

He did tell me migraine sufferers are at a higher risk for strokes. Sending hugs to all sufferers. I feel your pain.

 

Lastly, Excedrin Migraine usually works. It's amazing!

 

 

Also have your doctor check for TMJ and or teeth clenching. I would wake up with them and it was from clenching my teeth while I slept. I now have a mouth guard to sleep in at night so never get morning ones. I do get them during the evenings mostly but the Relpax gets rid of them fast.

[pcur]

I almost always get a migraine by the time we board the ship, especially if we fly or drive to the ship the same day (drive to L.A., etc.).

 

I use Maxalt, which I respond to much better than Imitrex. One pill, a rest with an eyeshade, and 30 minutes later I'm raring to go!! Maxalt is great stuff.

 

My migraines, like many women, are hormone related. They started when I began peri-menopause, and lessened as I got older. But, I always keep Maxalt in my purse ALL the time, just in case.

[Sea Island Lady]

 

My migraines, like many women, are hormone related. They started when I began peri-menopause, and lessened as I got older. But, I always keep Maxalt in my purse ALL the time, just in case.

pcur - Good to hear that! About how many years did you go through that stage with the headaches?

[pcur]

pcur - Good to hear that! About how many years did you go through that stage with the headaches?

 

I was around 40, and they started about then. It took about 5 years before the doc and I figured out that they were hormone triggered, because I realized I was getting them around the same time every month. As I aged, they became more erratic, as the hormones fluctuated. This is one of the reasons I was a good candidate for estrogen only hormone replacement. All together it's been almost 20 years, but after the first 5 years I had the meds.

 

I learned not to wait and see if it was a "true" migraine. First sign of one, I took the Imitrex, now Maxalt, and tried to lay down. I would even wait until I could lay down and cover my eyes, because the med works much better if you rest. Usually, both meds make you sleepy, and a quick nap with an eyeshade, and you're ready to go. Sometimes, a second pill two hours later if the headache isn't completely gone.

 

Maxalt feels like someone is raising a window shade of pain in your head. You literally feel the pain go away up through your head and out the top. It's because the med works on the blood vessels in the head. Great stuff!!