Keeping Ice Packs Cold
When I’m in the throes of a migraine attack, I want my dark, quiet bedroom, rescue medication and a super cold ice pack.
Just as I am comforted by laying down in my bed and stilling the world around me, I am comforted by the cold ice packs. It’s not going to take the migraine away, but it brings me comfort and helps to ease the intensity of the migraine.
What are the problems with ice packs?
But therein lies the problem. It does bring me comfort, but it feels a bit like a tease because I find the relief to be so short lived. I don’t know if I’m alone in this, but I tend to run hot during a migraine. My overall body temperature is warmer, and my head is definitely warm – I often have the bright pink cheeks to prove it. In fact, it’s often one of the dead giveaways to my family that a migraine is looming or has arrived. They can see it in the complexion on my face.
What ice packs do I use for my migraine?
Nonetheless, the ice pack brings such tremendous comfort. I especially love the gel packs because they’re soft to lay against. I can lay it right on top of my pillow, rest my head down and pray that I can sleep until the pain subsides. But it feels like in just a few minutes – really it’s about 20 minutes but if feels so much faster – the ice pack is warm and I’m wishing that I could simply teleport a fresh ice pack from the freezer up to my room. My family is kind enough to get me a fresh one when I ask, but I’m certainly not going to ask them to run to the freezer every 20 minutes. That’s outrageous. So I’m starting to think outside of the box here.
What options have I considered?
Do I get a cooler in my room that I can keep within reach of my bed to have some ice packs handy. But is a cooler really going to keep an ice pack cold? I’m thinking not, or at least not for very long. I even considered getting a mini freezer to have by my bed. Could I have it in place of my nightstand? It would be a far greater use and function. I remember I had a mini fridge in my college dorm room that had a freezer slot that would be the perfect size for my ice packs. It seems a bit extreme though, and quite an expense. So, I dismiss the idea as being “extra” and go about my day. Then when the next migraine strikes, I’m wondering why I haven’t done something different to change this experience yet.
Do you have any suggestions?
Clearly, I don’t have a solution to this dilemma yet. So that’s why I wanted to reach out to this community here for some suggestions.
How can we make this cooling relief during a migraine attack last longer? If you’re an ice pack lover like me, how do you keep cold ice packs handy during a migraine? Have you found specific ice packs that last longer? Do you have something near your bed like a cooler or mini fridge/freezer that helps? Have you found an ice pack hat or wrap to me more effective? Please share below so we can learn from you too!
Join the conversation