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Dont know what to do

Hello. Sometimes I wake up with a migraine. Sometimes, they just start, just like that. Light bothers me badly. Wear sunglasses alot. I can tell when Im going to get a migraine every so often, because I see little dots shooting around before my eyes. My migraines last anywhere from a few days to over a week. Ive tried everything. Nothing works.

  1. Hi Sandraben51,

    Thank you for your question and being part of the Migraine.com discussion forum - we're glad you're here!

    Waking with migraine pain may be an indication of a sleep disorder, and not just sleep apnea. If you haven't had a sleep study you may want to discuss
    having one with your doctor. In the meantime, this link has lots of articles about how to get a good night sleep; https://migraine.com/?s=sleep&submit=Go.

    Wearing sunglasses frequently may not be the best option for people with migraine who have light sensitivity. The good news is there are glasses specifically designed for this. TheraSpecs and Axon Optics. I've spoken with a number of patients who are thrilled with there glasses. Here is their information; https://migraine.com/sponsored/sponsored-proven-migraine-relief-with-new-theraspecs-glasses/ and https://migraine.com/sponsored/are-you-ignoring-one-of-the-top-migraine-triggers/.

    I know if can feel like you've tried everything available for migraine, but that would be hard to do! Let me explain. There are over 100 medications that can be used to treat migraine and headache disorders. If we were to add up the various combinations of medications, that number would go up dramatically. When you get a moment, take a look at this article; https://migraine.com/blog/migraine-preventives-start/.

    Do you know what any of your triggers are? If we can identify our triggers and learn to avoid the ones we can we may be able to reduce our attack frequency and severity. Triggers include but are not limited to certain foods, irregular sleeping patterns, skipping meals, dehydration, changes in the barometric pressure and many others. Here is information on triggers;https://migraine.com/blog/migraine-management-essential-trigger-management/.

    I'll stop now so I don't completely overwhelm you! Let me know what you think
    Nancy

    1. Hi Nancy. My sleep patterns are very irregular. I skip alot of meals, because I wont eat if Im not hungry. My headaches mostly come on when Im at work or when I wake up from the little sleep tthat I get. I work in a convenience store under horrible lighting.

      1. Hi Sandraben51,

        I understand not eating when we're not hungry, but for those of us with migraine, it's important not to skip meals. Can you eat a snack instead of a full meal?

        I would encourage you to discuss getting a sleep study done with your doctor, and trying to maintain a regular sleep schedule. You'll be surprised how much better you will feel when you get adequate sleep.

        And check out those links for the glasses made for people with light sensitivity, they can make a big difference.

        Nancy

        1. Hi Sandra,

          Have you had panels done to see some overall health snapshots? Do you understand that increasing cerebral blood flow may help reduce or eliminate these episodes?

          db

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