I didn’t go to work today. I had to take a sick leave. I woke up with a severe headache. The pain was on the right side of the head; typical of a migraine. I’ve been having it since quite a few years now. Sometimes it’s really hectic.
The symptoms vary from nausea, anorexia, photophobia, phonophobia and unrest.
I’ve tried to take pain killers but that doesn’t work for me. What relieves me really is a nap. Sometimes I need a long sleep until mid-day, and when I wake up it’s completely gone. I feel relaxed. The episode usually starts during the early hours of the morning and may last until mid-day. On rare occasions it may persist for the whole day.
Today it was mild. Even then I decided to stay at home as I didn’t want to be at the office in a mood that would distract my fellow colleagues.
As I write it’s 3.00 pm and I’m OK and wish to say “Hi” to all of you, my readers and supporters. Any of you ever had such a feeling? Any experiences? I’d like to hear about it. Just talking about it and sharing experiences heals, they say.
Mauritian residing in Rodrigues, Amanoola Khayrattee (pen name Alfa King) is contributing writer and journalist to La Gazette Mag de l’océan indien and This Week News Mauritius.
Retired, former meteorological cadre, trade unionist and OSH consultant, Amanoola has written for in-house union and other journals, publications and magazines. He runs two blogs since 2007: “Alfa King Memories”, and “Le Journal d’Alfa King”. When he is not reading or writing, he is on a 10+ km daily hike in anticipation of his monthly trails.
Amanoola may be reached at [email protected].
Hi-
I’ve been having migraines since high school. I went to the Dr. about them and got meds, but I felt they didn’t really help sometimes they seemed to make it worse. Like you I feel the best thing is sleeping, however, I still have mine when I wake up in the morning, then I take excedrin migraine and it’s gone, if I take the meds at night it doesn’t help much.
I’m fortunate to never has suffered from migraines but my mother did during the menopause and my daughter does when she gets tired. She usually vomits, sleeps then wakes feeling much better.
I get migraines occasionally, but without the headache if you can believe it. I will get the visual disturbances, I can feel the blood vessel thing and usually after my brain will feel like it’s been through the wringer but I don’t usually have the accompanying heachache. Sleep is the best thing for me too. It’s sometimes triggered if my hormones are a bit out of balance. Not fun.
Renee: I have exactly similar symtoms and remedies.
Beccy and Carla: As you can see there are various triggers and in women it’s particularly due to hormonal disturbances.
In all cases I’ve noticed that sleeping is the best remedy.
I had two severe episodes when I travelled abroad. In 1989 when I went to Togo on trade union mission and in 2003 when I went to attend a conference in Malaysia. I noticed in both cases that I was overwhelmed by physiscal fatigue and lack of sleep. In both cases I couldn’t attend the opening ceremony of the functions. I had to sleep until a little past mid-day.