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Migraine Symptoms: Fatigue
Fatigue is a common and often debilitating symptom that can happen at all stages of a migraine attack. In the prodrome phase, it may signal that an attack is coming and can be a good reminder to listen to your body, to slow down, rest and practice self-care. Fatigue can continue through the aura and attack stages and is often at its worse during the postdrome stage, sometimes lasting for several days. Many people with migraine report feeling tired and low-energy most of the time, regardless of where they fall in an attack cycle. Fatigue is a difficult and invisible symptom that impacts all aspects of life.
Read MoreMigraine Symptoms: The Aura Phase
Aura symptoms are sensory disturbances that generally signal an attack is coming. They typically last 5-60 minutes and precede the onset of head pain, though they may be ongoing for some. It’s also possible to experience aura symptoms and never get head pain at all. Like all migraine symptoms, aura symptoms and their intensity vary from attack to attack, and some people never experience them at all.
Read MoreAttack-based Care: Responsibilities
Throughout our Attack-Based Care series we have looked at several different approaches to treating different migraine attacks. We started off by looking at what the “Stoplight Theory” is (how to rate our pain) and the Migraine Toolbox we need to build to better manage this disease. Then we looked at different aspects that might guide us in deciding how to treat each migraine attack focusing on timing, pain level, symptoms and triggers. Today we are going to wrap up the series by looking at the tough topic of responsibility. This asks the difficult question about what treatments are actually FEASIBLE to take based on our responsibilities during any given attack.
Read MoreThe Four Phases of Migraine Attacks
Did you know there are four phases to migraine attacks? Did you know that each “phase” comes with its own sweet set of symptoms? It’s not just nausea, vomiting and head pain—as if that isn’t enough by itself! We’re going to look at vision distortion, cravings, emotional changes, energy levels, and much more! And, we’re going to look at when each of these MIGHT occur during a migraine attack. Then of course, there’s the sweet “interictal period.” That time in between attacks when theoretically you are symptom-free, but in reality… that is often far from the truth! That’s a topic for another blog, but in short —migraine attacks are complex, unpredictable and debilitating, but being armed with information can help!
Read MoreAttack-Based Care: Triggers
Migraine triggers are that all elusive aspect of life with migraine. They’re something we have all heard of, and something we tend to talk a lot about. However, did you know that some triggers can result in more treatment resistant, faster escalating, or more debilitating attacks, while others seem to result in less severe attacks? So, how can we approach treating a migraine attack based on what triggered it? Knowing this can help you come up with an attack-based plan where you can quickly decide how to treat. For example, you will have a better idea of whether to start with an FDA-cleared medical device, rest and OTC medication, or jump straight into your full-strength rescue medication, a dark room, and the need to cancel all appointments or work.
Read MoreAttack-Based Care: Symptoms
Nausea? Head pain ? Vision distortion? What are your SYMPTOMS when a migraine attack hits? We know that no two people have the same migraine experience but did you know that even with the same person, attacks can have different symptoms. It’s really important to know what your symptoms are and how they affect you, because that will help you figure out what options you will use to treat different attacks!
Read MoreAttack-Based Care: Pain Level
Did you know some people who live with migraine disease experience attacks that go from level 1-10 in just minutes? What can you do when the pain level is already debilitating? What about those attacks that you can catch quickly while the pain level is very low – should there be a different approach to them? There are many abortive treatment options available, and knowing ahead of time which route to take when a migraine hits can be really difficult, but so important. Add in quantity limitations, and wanting to save certain medications for more severe attacks or special occasions you can’t miss, you may end up with a problematic delay in pain relief. Sadly, this sometimes results in more intense pain, or an attack that lasts longer and is more resistant to treatment. So, how can you plan ahead to know how best to treat an attack based on the level of pain experienced?
Read MoreAttack-Based Care: Timing
Have you ever woken up with a full-blown migraine attack? Sometimes I even dream that I am having a migraine, and then the pain gets so bad that it wakes me up and – voila! Sadly, it wasn’t a dream at all! Figuring out how to treat that monster, compared to treating an attack that you catch in the first few minutes, is a whole different animal. It’s a situation made more challenging by all the other symptoms that often go along with a full-blown attack such as vision impairment, dizziness, vertigo, vomiting, and more!
Read MoreMigraine Symptoms: Visual Disturbances
Many people with migraine experience visual disturbances. As is true with other migraine symptoms, visual disturbances vary from person to person and attack to attack. Visual disturbances can greatly impact your sensory system and cause an increase in anxiety. In addition, they can make it difficult, or even impossible, to go about normal activities.
Read MoreAttack-Based Care and the Migraine Toolbox
Effective and comprehensive migraine treatment means individualized treatment planning, and there are no “one-size-fits-all” recipes. Having multiple treatment options in your migraine toolbox helps you better manage life with migraine, but figuring out how to treat each individual attack takes it one step further. That is where Attack-Based Care comes into the picture! As you are deciding how to treat your migraine attacks, there are a few questions you should ask yourself and your doctor. The answers you come up with, and the information in the coming blogs, will help support you with what you need to develop your attack-based care plan.
Read MoreThe Stoplight Theory and Migraine Attacks
How many times have you been asked to rate your pain on a scale of 0 – 10? If you’re like me, more times than you can count. But does it really convey the amount of pain AND discomfort we are experiencing? Our migraine treatment plan is often based on the number we assign to our pain, so we need to have a method of communicating that pain and discomfort, as well as how our quality of life is being affected.
Read MoreMigraine Symptoms: A Closer Look at GI Issues
Gastrointestinal symptoms commonly accompany migraine attacks. Although they do not necessarily come along with every attack, these symptoms can be quite debilitating and difficult to treat when they do. They can also add to the already intense pain of an attack and leave you feeling drained for days.
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