Grief Triggering Migraine

We all experience some kind of grief and remorse at some point in our lives. No one escapes from this misery. This is usually unexpected also, which means you can not stop it from happening. Once it does occur, there is no telling the impact that it will have on your body at that moment.

Who was my most recent loss?

On Saturday, September 3, I was stricken with grief. This really took me by surprise. A good friend of mine was gone all of a sudden. He had apparently died the day before. Our online community, which we shared, was notified on September the third.

This was someone with which I shared many conversations. We had so much in common, including a stomach condition and immune system issues. We laughed, shared things that bothered us, and shared things that caused us great joy. He was one of my good online buddies. It did not matter that we had never met in person.

How did the loss impact me?

When I found out, I felt the same way I did when my father and stepmother died back in 2010. I thought it was a lie. I had just chatted with him the day before. Life was good, and then it wasn’t. I was crushed inside. All I could do was cry.

How did it make me feel physically?

This really caused my head, eyes, and nausea to kick into overdrive. The stress made me sick to my stomach. I could not stop thinking about our last conversation, and this feeling was unreal.

Hours went by, and I then had to vomit. I get nauseated daily but do not vomit too much. Even though I had taken my IV Zofran, it was not working. I guess that getting it out, is better than keeping it all in though. After that one emesis episode, at least that part was over.

Did it impact my migraine?

As that day went on, the right side of my head was getting worse and worse. I was feeling very dizzy also. I knew that the news had brought on a full migraine episode. I should have known, but I did not act until after I had gotten to this point.

Would medication help?

I then decided to take some Excedrin Migraine to see if that would stop it. It did, but the throbbing was still there. As thoughts of my friend kept coming, my eyes were still watering, and my nose was running. It seemed pointless to try to contain the physical pain, as I was a wreck that day physically and emotionally.

How long was the attack going to last?

Sunday came. It had sunk in, and I was in better shape. Finding out bad news is extremely hard at first. I knew they were gone, and I could not change that. The migraine was still there, though. I finally took stronger pain medication to stop all the migraine madness. It was Imitrex to the rescue.

It still took taking more Excedrin Migraine, along with timed doses of IV Zofran and IV Benadryl, to get stable again. It has been four days since the news, and the migraine is still not completely gone. I feel better and am able to manage, but the symptoms are not quite gone. I know that as I continue to doctor on myself, I will be back to my baseline soon.

What do I use for my attacks?

I do use a preventive and an abortive. Aimovig has been very helpful but does not stop all the migraines from occurring. When needed, I use nasal Imitrex also.

How did I manage the stress of the loss?

Stress truly brings out the worst in my medical conditions. I did not know that hearing that news would cause this to occur. Letting myself get the tears out, though, is better for my mental health. Keeping stress or feelings bottled inside is far worse in the long run.

What can you do?

If you are experiencing any stressors (emotional, financial, or physical), please seek guidance from a friend, a counselor, or a doctor. There is help out there, and you do not need to suffer in silence. Talking to someone can also prove beneficial to your physical health also. Do what you need to improve yourself overall.