My Middle of the Night Migraine Kit
I don't know about you, but I know that the least ideal time for me to get a migraine is in the middle of the night.
How would I like these attacks to go?
Picture this - you're sleeping soundly, having gone to bed feeling fine, and you wake up somewhere between 2-4am with the throbbing, stabbing, pulsating pain in your head, the nausea, the dizziness, the whole thing.
What do you do?
In my dreams, this is when I hit the call button, and a nurse comes and gives me medication and I go back to sleep and wake up feeling fine.
Just kidding. That's not real life.
How do I prepare for middle of the night attacks?
Because I recently experienced this, I wanted to talk about how I prepare for and handle middle of the night migraine attacks.
I've put together a migraine kit - a small container where all of my migraine related treatments are (except my headache hat ice pack, which obviously lives in the freezer), and I have found this to be helpful regardless of what time of day a migraine hits. It also helps because I've familiarized my husband with everything in the kit and when it would be needed, which means that when I can't (or it's less than ideal) for me to care for myself, he can jump in and help too.
What's in my kit?
Here's a sampling of what's in my kit:
Item #1
My abortive medications. I have several options, and each has a reason/intention behind it: ketoralac and Benadryl injections usually go together, and are the line of medication for my most severe migraine attacks. Along with the vials from the pharmacy, I have needles and syringes, alcohol wipes, gauze pads, and band aids. Those are all grouped together in a small box that can be grabbed when needed. Next, I have Fioricet. Now, Fioricet only works for me when I catch the migraine early, and when I've not taken it in a long time, so it's not used very often. And recently, I was just prescribed a new medication, a nasal spray, which to be honest, I have yet to try but have medium to high hopes for.
Item #2
My comfort measures. From my eye shade to my ear plugs, my weighted blanket (kept under my bed and not in my kit) and my peppermint essential oil are kept in my kit. These are the things I find myself reaching for most often when I find my head throbbing.
Item #3
Anti-nausea medication. I have dissolvable Zofran pills to help with the nausea that comes with migraines.
Item #4
Anti-nausea over the counter remedies. From sea sickness bands to preggie pop drops, I have a variety of anti-emetic tips that I reach for when migraines cause severe, intractable nausea
Item #5
Benadryl. I often resort to this to help me fall back asleep after trying to treat the migraine with whatever items are listed above on this list. For me, migraines only truly go away with medication, enough sleep, hydration and a moderate amount of caffiene.
How does my kit help?
When a migraine hits during the night, I know where everything I need is to try to combat the monster, and again, if I have to wake my husband for help he's as well versed (almost) as I am!
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