"can't you just take some aspirin?"

[geordicat]

I missed work on Friday due to a migraine.  I finally got rid of my migraine yesterday on Wednesday.   That was 5 days of pain.  I managed to work Monday and Tuesday but was feeling so bad yesterday I went home.  I called a chiropractor who could see me right away and he took care of my migraine.  YAY!  I'm still a bit loopy and have a tad of a migraine hangover.  Those of you that suffer migraines understand "migraine hangover."

So.. about an hour ago one of the engineers came up to my desk asking about some computers.  Yes, I have some.  Yes, I can let him into the computer room when he comes back later.  He came back to my desk then just stood there.  Looking at me.  "Yes?  What do you need?"  He pointed and grunted.  I had completely forgotten what it was he wanted!!  He finally said "Can you let me into the computers?"

DO'H!!  "Oh yea!  Sorry, still a bit fuzzy from a 5 day migraine.  You know, that migraine hangover thing!"  I said this as I was walking down to unlock the door. 

He said he'd never heard of a migraine hangover.  He's never had a migraine, in fact he's never had a headache.  Migraines can't be THAT bad.  Why don't I just take some aspirin and get back to work?  Must I really miss that much work because of a migraine?  He was rather condescending about it.

I stopped dead in my tracks.  I slowly turned around.  "Excuse me?"

him:  "It can't be that bad, can it?"
me, with The Look:  "If you've never had a migraine, you wouldn't have any way of knowing now, would you?"
him:  "well... I'd think you can just take some aspirin....."
me:  "What an interesting assumption from someone who's never suffered that kind of debilitating pain."
him, sheepishly:  "Is it really that bad?  I mean... can't you just take something?"
me:  "Unless you've had one, you will never understand.  Here are your computers."

Then I walked away.

[amanda_tlg]

I endured ten years of chronic migraines. We're talking 2-3 bad ones a month. Thankfully, I haven't had one *that* bad in 2 years *\o/*  Taking an aspirin to get rid of one of my migraines would've been like throwing pebbles into a lake to try and fill it up.

I would combine "the look" with: "Aspirin just doesn't work for me, but thank you for taking an interest" This should be said with cloying sweetness. I like to kill 'em with kindness.

[seren]

My first migraine lasted six weeks.  This was the beginning of a pattern that lasted 15 years (sigh).  Nowadays I live in chronic pain, but my measuring scale for pain is STILL based on my worst ever migraine.

"It's a freaking ELEVEN!"

Seren

[geordicat]

I could have done that.. but still had a teeny bit of the migraine hanging on.  His whole demeanor while saying what he did just came across as rude.

The chiropractor used some new clicky device on me and my migraine was gone instantly.  I was scared to go because the last time I went to a chiropractor he broke my rib.  

I found the clicky tool online and will be ordering one.  

[geordicat]

My first migraine lasted six weeks.  This was the beginning of a pattern that lasted 15 years (sigh).  Nowadays I live in chronic pain, but my measuring scale for pain is STILL based on my worst ever migraine.

"It's a freaking ELEVEN!"

Seren

6 WEEKS!!!  Oh owie.  Until yesterday's migraine, my worst one was 2 days.

[Veronica]

He's never had a migraine, in fact he's never had a headache. 

That's because in order to have a headache you have to have a brain.   

[Aeris]

Oh my, I've never gotten mine for more than about 12-18 hours... I cannot IMAGINE having one for multiple days... how do you sleep? Trying to sleep during a migraine when I don't have any prescription meds is next to impossible!!

[Miss Vertigo]

As a 15-year veteran of the 5-day migraine (plus the hangover, plus the prodrome), I'm just coming out to offer some support and a hug.

You're right, as with most medical conditions, I guess, it's impossible to understand unless you've had one.

[geordicat]

Oh my, I've never gotten mine for more than about 12-18 hours... I cannot IMAGINE having one for multiple days... how do you sleep? Trying to sleep during a migraine when I don't have any prescription meds is next to impossible!!

Sleep?  what's that?  

No, I didn't sleep much for that time.  Pain meds barely scratch the surface of any pain.  Just try to sleep in a cold dark QUIET room.. and that didn't happen.  

[geordicat]

As a 15-year veteran of the 5-day migraine (plus the hangover, plus the prodrome), I'm just coming out to offer some support and a hug.

You're right, as with most medical conditions, I guess, it's impossible to understand unless you've had one.

What's the prodome?

The hangover part can be fun.. I get ravenously hungry.  I just inhale everything in my path.

[Miss Vertigo]

As a 15-year veteran of the 5-day migraine (plus the hangover, plus the prodrome), I'm just coming out to offer some support and a hug.

You're right, as with most medical conditions, I guess, it's impossible to understand unless you've had one.

What's the prodome?

The hangover part can be fun.. I get ravenously hungry.  I just inhale everything in my path.

Prodrome is the bit where you feel odd for a few hours or days beforehand, prior to the aura, when you know one's on the way. There's a really good post about it at The Daily Headache, called "The Many Symptoms of Migraine". I'm not sure if I'm allowed to link directly to it but if you Google it, you should find it fairly easily. It's a great blog, actually. Well worth a read for any migraineur

I crave carbs during the hangover. And I either feel like I've just gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson, or ridiculously energised and euphoric. It's really odd!

[One Goat to Rule Them All]

Oh my, I've never gotten mine for more than about 12-18 hours... I cannot IMAGINE having one for multiple days... how do you sleep? Trying to sleep during a migraine when I don't have any prescription meds is next to impossible!!

Sleeping was the only way to get rid of the migrane for me! I had a few in highschool, but they were mild in comparison to the OP! My doctor eventually gave me some pain medicine that would stop the pain from starting, but wouldn't get rid of the other symptoms- like blind spots and extreme nausa. I still had to go home to sleep before those symptoms would go away.

Even if you could take an aspirin to get rid of the pain, you would still be sitting at your desk vomiting into your garbage can, or unable to see half of your computer monitor!

[geordicat]

Oh my, I've never gotten mine for more than about 12-18 hours... I cannot IMAGINE having one for multiple days... how do you sleep? Trying to sleep during a migraine when I don't have any prescription meds is next to impossible!!

Sleeping was the only way to get rid of the migrane for me! I had a few in highschool, but they were mild in comparison to the OP! My doctor eventually gave me some pain medicine that would stop the pain from starting, but wouldn't get rid of the other symptoms- like blind spots and extreme nausa. I still had to go home to sleep before those symptoms would go away.

Even if you could take an aspirin to get rid of the pain, you would still be sitting at your desk vomiting into your garbage can, or unable to see half of your computer monitor!

Believe me I've gone to the doc.  I thought I was very clear.. "I.wake.up.with.a.blinding.migraine."  So she said "Here, take these pills before you get a migraine"

um...explain how this works again? 

as far as staying at work, does anybody else feel that the flourescent lighting makes it worse?

[amanda_tlg]

as far as staying at work, does anybody else feel that the flourescent lighting makes it worse?

Infinitely. Something about that strange flourescent pulse and the low hum. Doesn't bother me when I'm feeling fine. But when i have a migraine it's like having ice picks drilled into my head.

And I can relate to the nausea too. I swear I lost 5 pounds the last time I had a day-long migraine.

[MrsJWine]

A six week migraine?  That's horrifying.  I'm very curious to know how you coped with it.  I mean, that kind of pain for six weeks nonstop; I may have gone stark raving mad.  I'm not exaggerating.

It actually makes me thankful for my own.  I used to get them all the time when I was younger, starting around the age of 7, two or three times a week.  Eventually, they petered out and seemed to follow my cycle.  Now I get them once a year or even less.  Relatively speaking, my migraines are very mild; I don't get auras or throw up, and the headache part only lasts a few hours, but boy is it intense.  The hours before the headache strikes, I'm shaky and hungry but don't feel like eating anything.  After the pain is gone, I get this bizarre euphoria that lasts for hours.  And I eat like a cow.  The euphoria feels good, but it's also so intense that it, too, is almost painful.  I don't know if that makes any sense.  I get so happy that I don't know what to do with myself, and I'm prone to acting a little crazy.  I've learned not to go shopping in this state.  Does anyone else get this?