Pattern of early morning onset
Has anyone else experienced a pattern of the onset of a migraine early morning- like around 3:00 am? I've changed my pillow, my mattress. Could this be diet related?
Hello Waubaushene, thank you for reaching out! I hear how disconcerting this new pattern of migraine beginning in the early morning hours feels for you. You are not alone experiencing symptoms such as this. While we cannot offer specific diagnostics or medical advice over the internet (for your safety) I thought these articles might be of interest:
https://migraine.com/living-migraine/nighttime-headaches-after-age-50/
https://migraine.com/blog/hypnic-headache-alarm-clock-headache/
https://migraine.com/expert/three-causes-early-morning-headache/
I would encourage you to speak with your doctor about these new symptoms (if you haven't already) to gain her/his perspective on what this might mean for you. Please keep us posted on what you learn! Wishing you a gentle evening. ~Allyson (Migraine.com team)
Hi Waubaushene,
Thank you for that question. There are many who are woken in the middle of the night with debilitating head pain. As Allyson mentioned, it could be a number of things and best to check with your doctor. You also may want to have a conversation with your doctor regarding a sleep study to rule out a sleep issue.
Please keep me posted!
Wishing you a low pain day,
NancyYes! I have migraines for years, but have noticed that now they are beginning early morning. I decided I am going to try to change my diet and eat only unprocessed foods, nothing artificial, and as natural as possible. This mornings headache was one of the worst. I'm at a loss also.
Hi 4jene4,
Thank you for sharing that. Have you found this change to be beneficial?
Is it time to discuss having a sleep study with the doctor? As I mentioned above, sleep issues can trigger nasty morning migraine attacks.
Also, here are some tips and tricks to get a good nights sleep, it's a three part series and here is the first one. There are links for the other two parts in this as well; https://migraine.com/blog/migraine-triggers-sleep-1/.
Keep us posted on how you are doing,
NancyJust started with the diet change. I see my doctor this Wednesday. I'm frustrated with continuingly looking for a solution. I wish I knew why I was getting these migraines, then I could try to find a solution instead of just taking medication all of the time. It is exhausting.
Hi 4jene4,
I hear you! It is frustrating dealing with a chronic issue. Please keep me posted on how your appointment goes.
I did want to mention that migraine is thought to be a genetic, neurological disease, not just a headache! The thing is we're not sure why this happens, but do know there is a strong genetic component. On the other hand many people with migraine don't seem to have any relatives (that they know of) with recurrent "headache." It;s helpful to think about migraine disease like asthma, an obstructive lung disease. People with this don't always have an asthma attack, but still have asthma. Similarly, we may always have migraine, but not always have an attack. I hope that makes sense.
It's taken me a long time to accept that fact that migraine is a disease, one I have to manage, not get rid of seeing as there currently is no cure. It can be VERY frustrating to manage! Migraine can fall on a spectrum; migraine attacks can range in severity from mild to severely debilitating and everywhere in between. Then there are some of us who have chronic migraine, meaning 15 or more days a month of head pain. I experience pain every day which I've adapted to it in part thanks to Botox.
I'll stop my rambling for now!
Good luck Wednesday!
Nancy
