Odd One Out

By Kyky Knight

3 min read

I've said and done some pretty odd things while in the midst of a migraine - some of those things were embarrassing, and others were outright bewildering.

My odd migraine tendencies

I thought I would share some of my strangest moments and habits with migraine, because so often, I hear folks in the community share things like: "Oh, I thought I was the only one who did *insert quirky thing here* when having a migraine attack." It is so important to be constantly reminded that we aren’t alone in this struggle, even through some of our most ‘odd’ moments.

Biting down on a cold cloth

I often bite down on a cold cloth when I have a migraine that is concentrated to one side. For some reason, this helps me relieve some of the pressure I can feel built up in my head and teeth, and the cold temperature of the cloth feels soothing.

Running water over my temples and scalp

I massage my temples under running water at my sink, even in the middle of the day. Water is a golden elixir for me when it comes to migraines, drinking it and pouring it on my head can offer me a lot of relief. Sometimes I even like to take the sprayer faucet and run water over my scalp as pain therapy.

Putting down the window in the car

I have let down the window in a moving car as a passenger, and poured bottled water on my head while letting the wind blow on my exposed head. The brisk air and the water sometimes offer me relief. I know I look odd to the cars around, trying to massage away the migraine and pouring bottled water on my head---but in the middle of a migraine, I often am in too much pain to care about the surrounding car-inhabitants thoughts.

Putting my head in the freezer

I sometimes stick my head right into the freezer and just stay there for a few moments, particularly during the hot summer. For me, cold therapy works wonders, and what better cold environment than a freezer? Heh.

Squinting one eye

I talk to people with one eye squinted, especially when the pain is concentrated on one side of my face. I know I might look odd holding a continual squint when I am in pain. To be honest, I don't think this really serves any relief properties; I have just noticed I do a lot of squinting on the side of the pain.

Forgetting words

This one will be familiar to many migraineurs: the word mix-ups. Forgetting words altogether. Names. Places. Ideas. Sometimes the middle of a sentence becomes the end of the sentence with migraine. Oh, and calling people by the wrong name, that's a big one.

Having sudden bouts of anger

Being patient and calm while in pain is an active affair. I sometimes find myself 'slipping up' when I am in a lot of pain, where I become very impatient and my engagement with activities or in conversations will become short and sometimes eventually even angry at small things. I try to remember to offer the same patience and respect that is given to me and remember that being worked up and upset contributes to a worse migraine. It can be tough to stay calm and joyful when in pain, though.

Avoiding certain foods

I can’t take smell of certain foods at all when having a migraine. Developing nausea can also contribute quickly. There have been times when I have started cooking, only to wind up unable to continue because the smell is too nauseating, and my appetite is gone by the time the meal is finished.

Nausea followed by food cravings

Experiencing awful nausea, and them bam, ironically wanting something greasy and fried. This one is new for me, opposite my last 'quirk.' Depending on the day, my body can lean more towards one tendency than the other. I tend to want bland and unobtrusive things when in pain and nauseous, but recently I have found myself unable to get over the nausea, and I start craving an Impossible burger and fried onion rings.

Wearing sunglasses indoors

Okay, so this one isn't odd at all for many of us who live with migraine. It is often just a necessary part of our daily wear, though others might find it odd.

What are some of the things you experience that might be seen as a little odd that you would be glad to know you aren't the only one experiencing with migraine? Let's discuss in the comments!

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The Migraine.com team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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bobbyc Member
I've had migraines now for 30 years...got them from my mother (along with her "heart failure and other issues too). I will be 62 in March which is a lot longer than I expected to be around. My migraines always start the same way, at the base of the skull on the right side. It goes up and turns my vision on that side into blurrrrrry.....depending on how severe it is going to be, it will go "blackout" and then spread to the left side. Which does what the right side just did. I get what the wife and daughter call "popeye" when the migraine starts, and can judge fairly well now how advanced it is by my vision (or lack thereof) and my mood turns black to match the lack of vision. I've been on Disability since October 2005 when I had a major heart attack during a major migraine. The doctors were not sure I was going to make it or not. My heart is operating at 15% efficiency which basically means I can't do much of anything without it totally wiping me out physically. I've had Botox shots and had no relief whatsoever, and Humana Medicare wasn't happy about paying for it. I'm now taking the "Aimovig" injections as a trial. I took the first shot on 14 December 2018 during a migraine session. Nothing much happened but now the migraines I've gotten don't seem as strong. Maybe the shot worked, I won't know for a while, but fingers and toes crossed, it did work. One thing I learned many years ago, when a bad migraine hit, I could get into a bathtub full of hot water (112-115 degrees), sink down so my chest was covered and stay there until the "heat" was gone. I've been doing it for over 10 years, so I've gotten to where I can handle more heat...wife won't put her hands in the tub as she says it is way too hot. But it helps with the migraines and angina too. We shall see if this new drug will be effective or not. The Botox shots are extremely expensive, and Medicare has all types of rules you and your doctor has to follow to get them approved. Aimovig is also not cheap, but not as expensive as Botox. Maybe it will turn out to be a lifesaver or not.
1. grumpy Member
 Hi. I started aimovig in November. It seems to take the edge off of the pain. My head still hurts, but I do not find myself gritting my teeth as much. Good luck everyone. Leanne
2. robinfromca Member
 I just had my first Aimovig injection this week. Fingers crossed for all of us!
ninpridrob Member
Omg!! I thought it was just me forgetting words while I’m talking and having bouts of anger for no reason! Migraine pain and everything that goes along with the disease can make you feel like you’re losing your mind So good to come to this forum...
1. christievickers1975 Member
 ninpridrob, you are def not in that boat alone! Although everyone around me thinks I am unhinged sometimes.....I feel like I have dementia (at 44) at times, using mostly grunts and pointing at things. And I feel the need to take the highest dose of Prozac just to get thru the day and keep my cool.
2. Marci Kallick Moderator
 ninpridrob, You are definitely not alone in those feelings. We each have our own experience, yet we are all similar in the struggle it brings on. Please continue to stop by anytime for support or information, as there are so many people in this community that really "get" what you are going through. ~Marci
piplover Member
I hate the nausea/ craving cycle. For me, I usually feel better after I eat, but I have to force myself to start eating. Also, I usually crave Chinese food and a Pepsi. For my sister, it's McDonald's fries and a Coke. My neurologist thinks it has to do with the salt and sugar combo.
1. Kyky Knight Moderator
 Piplover, Hmm, that is interesting! I have heard from others in the community about craving either sweets of salts with migraine, and for some folks its both! You and your sister aren't alone in experiencing this. Migraine sure can be strange at times. Thank you for sharing, and have a wonderful rest of your week.
2. mcadwell Member
 I normally crave carbs. S'mores flavored Pop-tarts are what I currently crave. Prior cravings have been Cheetos, vegemite on buttered toast, and a permanent favorite is chicken congee. But seriously, any and all food on Hungry Hippo days.
bfmickl Member
Do those things too, cold water, forgetfulness sunglasses, nausea, smells, everything except biting on a cold cloth. I can go through a 10 pound bag of ice in about 2 days. I put it in an ice bag and lay with it on the side of my head, where the migraine is...for hours, upon hours. Had migraines since I was a small child.
1. Kyky Knight Moderator
 Bfmickl, I have also had migraines since childhood! It is so tough to live so long with them, know you are not alone! I go through a lot of ice as well, the cold therapy can be the only thing that helps at times. So sorry you have deal with these awful things, I hope you are having a wonderful week. Take care.
thisisendless Member
Does anybody have any of the "weird" symptoms when they are not having an active migraine? My migraines have been pretty well controlled with atenolol, but I still have so much trouble finding words and finishing sentences. I feel like my cognitive abilities have really deteriorated. I am only 46 so I don't think it is necessarily age.
1. mcadwell Member
 I do. It's called brain fog and I have it because of RA. It started immediately when I became sick 19 years ago and never fully went away. Sometimes it's worse, sometimes better, but always present. As I age it has become progressively worse though.
2. peinurse Member
 I have the word finding problem even when not in migraine, however, I have been a long time without some level of head pain. I am only 47 and I was worried about dementia at first. However, I test myself by consciously trying to recall events and I can recall then so I am not so worried now. There are so many unknowns with this disease. I have suffered for 36 years and up until 2 years ago, I was famous for saying " I am really healthy, my "only" problem is Migraines"....I never ever knew that things could get this bad as I had never met anyone like this before. For 2 years not, chronic intractable and I had to leave work July 20, 2018. So many losses. So many symptoms. I am grateful I found this community. It helps me to know that I am not alone. My family are so confused and just do not understand and that has been difficult as well.
elysianpark Member
I have word-finding problems, too, and unfortunately, they aren't limited just to migraine attacks. I really believe there are longer-lasting cognitive effects from migraines. A cold shower, then a hot one, then a cold one, etc., ending with a cold one sometimes is my last line of defense when my meds aren't entirely effective and I need to find a way to avert a trip to the ER. I have had migraines for over 30 years and have to wonder about the long-term effects of the triptans. Since blood vessels are constantly dilating and constricting with migraine attacks and the meds that target them, there has to be an impact on vessel strength and integrity. I firmly believe that a stroke is in my future because of it. I just took my second dose of Emgality two weeks ago. So far, there has been mild improvement. But it is way too early to tell overall. It is good to read about others' experiences--makes it seem less isolating. Thank you.
1. Emparra Member
 <inline-mention username="Holly Harding" user-id="3755969"/> Thanks! That was another instance where a word I use another a regular basis simply slips away. It seems like there’s no help for it, though. In the past, I’ve wondered if some of those brain games might help with this lack of cognition. 
2. Holly Harding Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="Emparra" user-id="4191553"/> Brain games- interesting thought. My sense is that those would be super challenging during a migraine when our brains are fighting through serious fog! But perhaps worth a try then or when we're not in the midst of an attack? Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! In the meantime, I thought you might be able to relate on this article: https://migraine.com/living-migraine/chronic-migraine-taxing-brain-power Warmly, Holly (migraine.com team).
shelrae Member
Be a good idea or a good thing or not I use Ace bandages I will wrap my head from my eyes temples all the way up around the top of my head not super tight but tighten up then around the back of my head all the way down to my neck because the constricting of the my head and having my eyes closed with the bandage over it really seems to help take most of the pressure away and I can lay down relax and start to fall asleep
john0427 Member
cant remember peoples names even my families names many times when i have a bad migraine what to call the sky or a wall or common names like a shirt or a blanket i know what they are and who they are my brain just wont tell me the names
1. justjames73 Member
 I notice this more when I have a mild migraine, the odd part is that I don't feel like I should have this problem at the mild stage.
2. mcadwell Member
 Lol, I have this problem daily due to RA brain fog. When I get a migraine on top of that I can speak gibberish. I let people know ahead of time that I may talk funny because I have a migraine. I speak slowly and exaggeratingly enunciate my words when I talk during a migraine. Even doing that doesn't mean it won't come out as gibberish. There was one time I couldn't remember the name of a kitchen appliance so I was calling it the dirty dishes garage. My son asked me if I meant the dishwasher. I told him that was exactly what I meant but I couldn't remember the word. (DISHWASHER. I couldn't remember that word even though I was in the process of putting the DISHES in the thingy that WASHES them.) sigh
nikita212 Member
I have found that fluorescent lights are one of my triggers, so I bought some specially tinted glasses. Those helped somewhat. I could withstand the lights for a longer period of time.
1. robinfromca Member
 Yes! Fluorescent lights are horrid and a huge trigger for me. Also those new headlights they put on cars these days. That bright white/blue light is like someone sticking a needle in my eye and swirling it around in my brain. I have special tinted sunglasses too but it's hard to drive at night anymore.
rtekell Member
The most bizzare thing I ever said, by far, was when I somehow managed to take my little 12 year old Yorkie to the vet during a bad migraine, last year, 2017. The vet, a much older, wise and wonderful man, asked me when I got my dog. And I said "1973." But he was great. So funny. He just scratched his head and said something like, "well, that's remarkable..." By then I realized what I had said and revised my answer. I told him I wasn't thinking straight because I had this migraine. He told me what his wife would do when she had them. She would try to make a sentence, but the words would be out of order. So everyone would help move them around like puzzle pieces until they figured out the sentence she wanted to say. This stuff would be much scarier if I didn't know others did it too! I'd think I was about to have a stroke. And maybe I am, but so far, not.
bella5 Member
Amazing how validating it is reading this. I have had migraines for 22 years, they started when I finished college and moved to a different state for employment. I keep telling everyone that cannabis has to have been working as a preventative treatment without even realizing it, that is until I had to stop for employment reasons (drug testing) and due to its status of illegal in my state. So I too have done odd things when I’m the midst of a migraine, and the more severe the migraine, the odder the actions have become. 1- HEAT THERAPY... I used to think that heat was the best thing at getting rid of migraines, and when I had one I would fill the tub with scalding water, while filling the tub I would take my migraine cocktail (Imitrex, 4-6 Ibuprofen, and a Coke) then submerge myself in the water until the only thing above water was my nose (for breathing purposes only). I would stay there for as long as possible, draining some water and adding back hot water until I could feel the heat in the water coming back. I would usually fall asleep while in the tub. After the migraine subsided enough to feel somewhat normal, I would have someone (whomever I could get in touch with) pick me up some McDonald’s (usually fries, chicken nuggets, and a large coke). I routinely crave salt the day before a migraine, so the sodium (and grease) will finish off the migraine. 2- COLD THERAPY... a new thing I have been doing when dealing with a migraine, is cold therapy (works better than heat therapy). Ice packs on the top of my head, side that has the migraine, and the back of my neck does wonders. 3- AROMATHERAPY... Vick’s vapor rub is an amazing help in easing the migraine pain. I will slathered it i my temples, back of my neck, base of my skull...and masssge it into the skin. Eucalyptus has to be the main releaver in the mix. Peppermint oil, and something called l'eudine herbal-35 (Some of the 35 different essential oils in Herbal 35 include: -> Mint Oil -> Eucalyptus Leaf Oil -> Oils Extracted From Citrus Fruits -> Aloe Vera Extract -> And oils from may different flowers such as Sunflowers. 4- LIGHT SENSITIVITY... I also do the squinting when talking to people...my boss can read my eyes pretty good, and knows when I’m not feeling well. I turn all the lights off that I can while maintaining enough to still do my job, people cannot figure out how I can work in total darkness...but I think the light receptors for the eyes are working in overdrive during a migraine, so I dong need much light to see what I’m doing. 5- BOUTS OF ANGER.. I too have had this one, edoebiallybwhen I get an odor induced migraine from the cleaning products use to clean the floors at work. I will get the start of a migraine before I detect the odor. When the odor hits me I start getting angry, usually while alone, and will verbally express my anger (others would think I was loosing it if they walked into the lab at that moment). 6- CHANGING SUBJECTS MID SENTANCE WITHOUT A BREAK IN SPEECH... this happens during normal conversation, and being that I talk fast anyhow, I’m not sure if the other person even notices. My brain moves quickly all the time, random thoughts, etc. so during conversation if something I say or see it think of, without warning or a break in speech, I will interject it into the conversation. I will also forget names, that will come to me later (sometimes a day later), and I will text whom I was speaking to at the time, letting them know that name. People who know me are not too baffled by my quirks, since that’s part of my personality to bring with...thank goodness. I also discovered a compound that helps with both preventing and eradicating (when added to other mixtures) after a recent visit to the ER. Being a chemist, I ask questions when being given medicine...so this last visit helped me discover another compound that helps erraticate (and aid in preventing) a migraine, Diphenhydramine (aka Benadryl). The ER uses a cocktail of diphenhydramine HCl, an anti nausea medicine, and Torodol (NSAID for mild to severe pain relief). It offers amazing relief, and then they complete the treatment with a shot of Imitrex and a mini IV bag of magnesium sulfate. So now when I have a slight headache, I take 2-Benadryl, 4-ibuprofen, and drink a Coke. If it’s migraine level I add an Imitrex. Hopefully this can help others, I noticed that I jumped subjects with this comment, so if it is easier deciphered it may aid in relief for others as well.
1. ouchie Member
 cannabis helps my migraines, bella5. i even told my neurologist. her shocked face was a poem!
2. mircalla148 Member
 Hey, I use the Benadryl thing, too! And there is more to it working than just making you sleep, which is ALWAYS good.
dinamay Member
I have the word salad business too, in the early part of a migraine. It may continue or I may eventually be unable to talk at all. Depends on which side of my head hurts. I don’t so much lose patience as I become convinced the End of the World is At Hand. At some point tho’ I realize it’s not the world that’s in danger, just my brain. I get squinty-eyed too, like the author. But I’m doing it on purpose. In the presence of a bright and/or flashing light, I’m closing the eye against the trigger. But when it comes to heat or cold, I don’t share the feeling. During a migraine I can’t stand either one. Can’t stand to lay anything over the hurting side of my head but a towel to block the light. Thanx for the article!
cocodog Member
I find the same with Amovig. Not as severe, but now my vertigo with migraines is back. I was bedriddden when all this started 10 years ago for 5 years. Yes, I feel like I have dementia. Losing words, names, thoughts, and sentences. But the weirdest thing of all was memory loss I had for two hours. I checked out of my hotel. The vertigo started. I went back in and checked back into my room, vomited, took a cocktail of meds, then went to sleep. Woke up at 12:45 pm. I thought I should check back in my room. I went out to the desk to renew my room. The clerks had very strange look on their faces. They said I had been out there twice to renew my room! I did not remember the occipital neuralgia shots I had the day before. I decided not to go back to my nursing career and not panic, because I knew they would, and went back to my room to call my husband. I ordered a burger, french fries, onion rings, and a desert. The food cravings are terrible. Slowly my memory returned. My husband drove from out of town to follow me home. I’m afraid to travel now!
1. mixtapexd Member
 again You should Talk to the people At McCutcheon's Health Products, Google it, They have products that can stop migraines and vertigo, it will change your life, thank me later 😀 NO BS
pradasmonne Member
I’m definitely going to try biting a cold cloth! Honestly, standing outside in the cold feels so good — otherwise, I have to immediately wash any make up off my face and then I walk (or lay) with one of those cartoonish ice packs on my forehead. Oh, and I always use a eye mask to protect against any light.
drea99 Member
I have a kimkoo eye compress that I heat up and put on my eyes. I get eye pain behind my left eye. The compress smells like natural grains and reminds me of fond memories of traveling to Thailand, Costa Rica or the beach somewhere. I imagine myself there and eventually fall asleep relieving me of the pain. I usually wake up feeling somewhat better.
djstolle Member
During some of my worst Migraines, I slurred my words and part of my face would droop. I would crawl into my tub full of water while still wearing my clothes. I pruned my roses by pulling the branches off with my hands. When my Migraine was over, I had a pile of rose branches 4 feet high and my hands and arms were embedded with thorns, deep cuts and no memory of it happening. I would answer the phone, and it was not ringing. I would answer the front door, with nobody there. One time, my husband found me passed out by the door, he put a pillow under my head, closed the door and waited for me to regain consciousness. I could not stand any noise, smells would make me nauseous. Whispers sounded like someone screaming. My co-workers, friends and family could not rely on me to be there for them. I could deal with the pain but not with the disappointment.
1. ds-cox Member
 Please tell me what brings you some comfort. My migraines of 25 years like you. Much appreciated. Dawn Cox
2. mixtapexd Member
 Hey You should Talk to the people At McCutcheon's Health Products, Google it, They have products that can stop migraines, it will change your life, thank me later 😀
dpasek Member
6: Aphasia; Yes, definitely. Word mixups, garbled speech, inability to bring up the word that I need... But it is more a part of my aura phenomenon which can include partial blind spots in the center of my vision in addition to the typical flickering phenomenon. Once the migraine pain comes on, I just don't talk much at all, and by that time, I should have already taken an Imitrex. 7: Mood disorders; Oh, yeah, big time!! I try to warn people out of courtesy. Impatience, irritibility, unsociability, Anger, sometimes to the point of hostility; OMG, time to just check out. I really try hard, but there is only so much I can do. I'm really *not* in control of my emotions during a migraine, and it's kind of scary sometimes. The way i describe it to others is that it feels like parts of my brain have just shut down and stopped working altogether, and there is nothing I can do about it but wait for it to pass. I have what I have seen called high frequency epsodic migraines as opposed to chronic. 2 or 3 days in a row, about once a week. Imitrex dissipates the migraine, but it comes back for the next day or two, then it is gone for a while. Another effect seems to be chronic fatigue, and that is my biggest limiting factor in what I am able to do for activities. The migraines and the effects of the Imitrex are both factors in my mood and energy levels, and my need for, and ability to sleep. I can hardy imagine what I could have done with my life if I didn't have to deal with the frequent migraines. It's a total thief.
jpaula Member
I too use a combination of ice and heat. An ice pack on my occiput and heat on my neck and shoulders. When the nausea kicks in, I can’t eat much - toast is my “go to”. And ginger ale or dried ginger. Definitely cranky - have to watch myself.
1. Kyky Knight Moderator
 JPaula, Yep! Using both hot and cold therapy seems to be a go to for many in the community--you certainly aren't alone there. As well, I usually go for something bland when the nausea kicks in, crackers or toast! Thank you for sharing, and take good care.
mircalla148 Member
One of the weird things that seems to help my migraines is listening to loud, percussive, electric guitar-heavy music, like Muse's "Hysteria" or ACDC's "Thunderstruck." I think it must be pain countering pain, somehow, like pulling your hair. Electronica and all those little pulses ABSOLUTELY does not work, though.
nadgazebo Member
Yes!! So glad you talked about the aphasia. I have it even when not in a terrible migraine state. It doesn’t take much for that to kick in. The nausea comes with some vertigo. And YES on the hot/cold. My favorite relief is called a Headache Hat you can get on amazon. I have one at work and one at home. It feels fantastic when the pressure starts building. And I know that they get very mixed reviews but I’ve had really good luck with the daith piercings in my ears. My migraine days have been cut down significantly.
deja3973 Member
I sit in my car and turn on the heat and sometimes it seems to help I get in a hot shower and let the water run over the side of my head that I'm having the migraine on. I find myself stuttering more when i'm about to have one. I have brain fog for several days after my migraine is gone. For some reason, I crave Chinese food or Mcdonald's french fries. When one is about to come on, I can't stand the taste of most foods, and my mouth tastes like metal or copper or something.
ld5townsend Member
Thank you for sharing your experiences. I don't mind looking strange when in a migraine. If others want the migraine to understand why I am doing something strange, that's fine, but don't judge me. The word problem is common to me, I know the word, and it is a common word I use, but I just can't think of it. Sometimes I will go through several other words, but don't know if they relate or not. Sometimes, cold helps, either directly on my head or on a pulse point to cool my blood. Other times, a hot shower works. I get queasy on some migraines, and was prescribed Fiorecet with a barbiturate for quesiness. I objected to that, as I didn't want to get hooked on it. And I don't get queasy all the time. Seven-Up and crackers fixes that.
ksiq5x Member
I crave McDonalds french fries too! No others hit the spot. I thought it was my weird thing, lol. I read a lot during migraines. Distracts me from the pain. Nothing deep or meaningful as I don't recall much of it later, haha.
robinfromca Member
Oh my goodness I can relate to so many of your "oddities" in this. I need cold! Cold rooms, cold drinks, cold compresses on my head, and a fan blowing right on me even if the AC is running. If it's over 85º outside I just can't go out. Sunglasses indoors a lot but I feel the strangest when I wear them at church. Sometimes I know a migraine is coming because I get uncontrollable irritability. I try to just remove myself from the irritant but if you're sitting at dinner and the way someone is picking at or cutting their food is making you crazy it's difficult. I just want to stand up and shout "Chew with your mouth closed!!" I also do the eye squint thing. As a matter of fact I have friends who can tell I've got a migraine because they say I'm "squinty." The aphasia. It's amazing how many times I stop and ask "What was I saying?" I'm a klutz. I trip, walk into things, whack my hands on things as I walk by, and bump my head getting out of the car. Sometimes I swear my head actually gets bigger when I have a migraine because I don't bang my head on the door at other times. No matter how bad the headache is I can always eat a piece of candy. You would think it would be too rich and make me sick but it doesn't.
rdw2 Member
I've had migraines going on 30 yrs now, due to a concussion and whiplash from being hit from behind in an auto accident. Being in my early 20's, and very committed to physical fitness, I shrugged it off. It took a few weeks before I started getting headaches, nothing too severe at the start, but my first severe migraine, I puked and passed out briefly. The first 3 yrs or so were bad, and I tried to hide my 'weakness', as much as I could. I learned to cope, enough to work somewhat. I am somewhat ashamed to admit that I lied to everyone about the intensity for many years. I would lie in job interviews, telling myself that it would stop soon, and go back to normal. I went through a LOT of jobs over 20 years or so, before I just felt too ashamed to lie about it anymore. Not to mention as I hit my 40's, it was harder to function competently, thus making my performance subpar. I would sometimes have conversations, and not have a clue what either of us said as soon as I walked away. I would offend some because I would close my eyes during conversations in bright rooms. When it was severe enough, I would walk carefully, putting my heel down gently to prevent any jarring sensation. Light and sound were some of my main triggers. Also, as I slowly lost my fitness level ( I was an avid circuit training and runner), when I pushed myself moderately, I would trigger one. Cold helps me at times, and I tried -if not hundreds- at least dozens of meds before imitrex was found to be helpful and not make me feel like a mental turtle. Now, with the legalization of cannabis, I take the edibles, and have some of the best results. nothing takes them away completely, but it's been the best help. Not a good day today, so forgive any spelling/spacing issues. I have had nothing but skepticism from family and friends, even to this day. I take anti depressants, and most definitely feel alone at all times. Finding this site, I can't convey how much it helps.
Carol 1955 Member
I have gotten to the point that daily tasks can sometimes be impossible. My migraines have been chronic for well over 20 years and I am still struggling to find relief. I have had to quit several jobs, I am constantly canceling appointments and plans and, if it weren't for spell check you would not know what I was trying to say. Have a safe place to talk things out is great but, I really need to find relief. I am on a new medication, but it doesn't seem to be doing much. I also have an abortive but, I only take it when I know that the attack is going to be particularly bad. It knocks me out but that's ok because I'm out of it anyway. At my next neurologist appointment, we are discussing Botox, I'm at the point where I will try anything to get some relief.
1. Cheryl Picerno Moderator
 <inline-mention username="Carol 1955" user-id="4173348"/> thanks for sharing what you ate experiencing with us. I understand how hard and challenging it can be to live with migraine disease. Being chronic only makes things a bit more challenging. I am so sorry you have been enduring this for so long. May I ask what therapy regimen are you currently on to help you try and manage your attacks? Also is your neurologist a headache specialist? For some people, Botox works great. I hope that if you decide to try it that it works well for you too! Please keep us informed! Warmly, Cheryl <a href='http://migraine.com' target='_blank'>migraine.com</a> team

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