Skull-Crushing Migraines - One Of My Worst COVID-19 Symptoms

I recently came down with the COVID-19 virus for the second time. Both times, my experiences were quite similar in nature, with many of the symptoms the same and the severity of those symptoms.

Because of a plethora of medical reasons, I have been self-quarantined since the beginning of the pandemic because:

• It hit me hard the first time, resulting in long-term lung damage
• I no longer qualify for the vaccines or their boosters

My first experience with COVID

The first time, I had a lot of gastrointestinal distress and lost about 19 pounds in 2 weeks. The other major symptom aside from my respiratory distress was an unending migraine. The actual course of the virus the first time lasted long-term, more than 3-4 months. I had both lungs actually collapse and now have chronic damage due to how bad the respiratory part was. My first COVID experience truly terrified me. I thought I would not do well at all and feared losing my life if I acquired the virus again.

My second experience with COVID

When I say that I experienced many of the same symptoms this second time around more recently, I'm reminded of how bad the migraine I had for a minimum of one month was. Both rounds of having this virus showed me how bad pain could be, and both times I actually questioned if I had a brain bleed or a clot. Day and night, all I could do was try not to lose my composure and cry, as it would make the headaches and head pressure so much worse. Neither time that actually worked. It truly felt like if they went in to do surgery and remove part of my skull to relieve pressure, that would be the only way for the symptoms to resolve.

No relief from head pain

My migraines each time would worsen when my fevers would spike, which was every night and most of the days at least a few hours in. This second time experiencing all of the symptoms, there was actually no relief from the head/skull pain until the virus had almost left my body, which took more than 15 days. I don't think I slept for at least the first 7 days of my symptoms due to nausea, vomiting, and headaches. As the days went on, I would get more dehydrated, and things got worse. I couldn't take any oral medications, as they would almost immediately or within 20 minutes be thrown up, resulting in more head pain and crying. The dehydration was relentless.

It felt never-ending

Because of some medical diagnoses, I am currently tube-fed. Even when I was attempting to flush water through my intestines so that my colon would absorb (hopefully) at least some of the water, it never lasted long. The dehydration was now causing all of my symptoms to become severe and relentless. I didn't know if the pain would ever stop. My biggest fear is that it would end like the last time I tested positive, 3-4 months later. Furthermore, I was afraid of the virus invading my already damaged lungs from my first diagnosis of it.

How can the human body go through so much pain?

I honestly have a hard time coming to terms with how much pain the human body can go through, even those with the highest pain tolerance. I have explained to loved ones and friends that the migraines I've experienced with the COVID-19 virus have truly been suicide headaches. If my significant other didn't already know how much pain I experienced each day and night before, he does now. I feel like he was the only thing keeping me alive, as my nourishment was so very minimal, and my spirit would become weaker every day just as my body would. I am extremely thankful that my partner stayed with me each night, held back my hair while I vomited, held me, and tried to help prevent me from crying due to the pressure I felt within my skull and head. He must have stayed up with me for seven straight nights to make sure I wasn't alone; he knew I was scared and had the (irrational? but was it??) fear of a brain bleed or a blood clot - that's how much it hurt.

What have others in the migraine community experienced?

I've talked to several other migraine patients, and many of them also stated how badly they experienced severe, non-stop migraines that lasted most of the virus' course. Our Migraine.com team recently discussed it on a team call, and I was shocked by how many people told me about similar events in their symptom timelines.

So I'm curious...Have you been diagnosed with COVID-19 and experienced the skull-crushing, suicide headaches, suffered at all with migraine during its course, and how were you able to manage the pain? We'd love to hear feedback and help those who have felt isolated and alone during their time dealing with symptoms and how, hopefully, in the future, it could be better controlled.