Birth Control And Migraines

I get an Aura, and it sounds like you do too, just a different type. I can't just "pop an imitrex" because you cannot get that without a prescription and being diagnosed with migraines.

The Aura migraines sounds like what i get.. I didnt know they were migraines though untill i read your post lol. I always thought i just had diff headaches than my fam ever has. I get blurred vision and numbness on one side of my body than 30 to an hour later i get a headach.

When you go to the Dr for it, do you just have to write down every time you get one in a year? Because i deff get them more than 4 times a year.. And does he just give you a better asprin for it? Nothing ive bought from the store seems to work on them.

Sorry i didnt want to make a new post if you guys were already talking about it, hope you dont mind

Yes, you should write up a detailed description of what time of day, which side of your head the numbness and blurriness starts, which side the pain starts on and how long after the aura it happens, how long you are in pain, what treatment you give... I'll post my migraine log if you like!

That would be really help full thank you!

Migraine Record of Eiri (insert real name lol):
Age at time of first migraine: 19
Current age: 22
Migraine Type: Aura Migraines

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Past Migraines:
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First Migraine:
September - October, 2004 (unsure as to exact month; it was early in school semester)
Development: Aura began in late afternoon around 4 pm. Right eye(?), involved a blind spot and spreading electrical colors. Took up most of right vision before fading, and pain reached the peak right after it faded. Can't remember which side of the head was in pain.

I did not know it was a migraine at the time and found the aura to be perplexing, if not entertaining and pretty, though it was causing me nausea.

Symptoms: Dizziness, 30 minute progressive aura, hemispheric pain, nausea, extreme aversion to light, lesser aversion to noise. Light always causes an increase in pain and nausea; noise does not but is still unpleasant. Walking/movement caused an increase in pain, vertigo and nausea.

Treatment: Tried to consume soda with caffine to ease pain; ineffective. Took an advil(?) or two, and then returned to dorm, taking 2 or 3 asprin as well. All completely ineffective. Asprin was expired; added to subsequent 4 hour hallucination and painful attempt to sleep through the migraine.

Resolution: About 4 hours later (around 8 pm) pain subsided fairly quickly and I was able to get up. Very dizzy still and weak overall feeling; rather "out of it" for the rest of the night.

Activities at the time of aura onset: Watching large-screen television, video-game being played by someone else. Not consuming any food. Menstruation unknown, most likely not happening. Not on any prescription medications at the time.
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Second Migraine:
January - March, 2006 (unsure as to exact month; there was snow)
Development: Aura began in mid afternoon. Right eye. Same MO as first migraine as far as aural development time and increase of pain. Believe the right side was in pain.

Symptoms: Dizziness, 30 minute progressive aura, hemispheric pain, nausea, extreme aversion to light, minor aversion to noise as described before. Walking/movement increased pain, vertigo and nausea.

Treatment: None; it didn't work the first time so I didn't bother the second time. Slept on a couch in a public building with coat over head. Noise was not unusually bothersome; friends were around chatting, and general traffic went through building.

Resolution: 3-4 hours later, pain subsided. Same weak/sick after-effect feeling.

Activities at time of onset / possible causation: Sitting in class; direct afternoon sunlight shining in through window onto right side of face. Eyes flickering back and forth from notes to professor who was standing in front of the windows. Not consuming any food. Menstruation unknown. On Orthotrycyclen-lo.
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Third Migraine:
March - May, 2006 (unsure as to month; it was after the second migraine)
Development: Aura began late at night, around 11:30 pm. Identical to previous migraines, though cannot remember aura location or location of pain.

Symptoms: Dizziness, 30 minute progressive aura, hemispheric pain, slight nausea, extreme aversion to light, lesser aversion to noise. Movement caused an increase in pain, vertigo and nausea.

Treatment: None. Went to bed as soon as aura began developing.

Resolution: No pain in the morning. Possible sickly feeling?

Activities at time of onset / possible causation: Working on computer for several hours, possibly listening to music. Not consuming any food to memory. Menstruation unknown. On Orthotrycyclen-lo.
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Recent Migraines:
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Fourth Migraine:
Wednesday Nov 14th 2007 approx. 3 AM
Development: Woke up in full aural phase with pain starting up. Aura obscuring most vision in right eye, pain also on right side.

Symptoms: Dizziness, full aura, hemispheric pain, nausea, extreme aversion to light, no chance for aversion to noise. Walking increased pain, vertigo and nausea.

Treatment: None. Went back to sleep after visiting restroom.

Resolution: Pain gone by 9 am. Had a sinus headache on right side of head from sleeping on the same side all night (presumably an effect of the migraine). Felt slightly odd rest of the day.

Activities at the time of aura onset / possible causation: Sleeping. Menstruating. On Depo Provera.
Previous activities / possible causation: Computer usage until approx. midnight (bed time), used for several hours previously listening to music. Did not consume any food to memory.
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Thank you! Do you have to write from the first migraine you ever got, or can u just start from the next migraine you get.. I started getting the aura headachs in 8th grade i beleave.. but it was so long ago i wouldnt beable to guess anything on them

No, I wrote this up just a few days ago. You can start whenever, just include as much as you can remember.

Reading through your migraine record, sounds like you almost starve yourself lol, none of them say you ate. jm, you probably dont remember what you ate, Thanks again for all your help.

I don't starve myself; "no food consumed" means no food within 30 minutes of the aura lol.

Lol i know, i didnt think you would starve yourself just found it funny lol

That's the best you can do is start making a log and bring it to you dr. You can look on the imatrex website they might have one you can print. I'm not sure but you can check. And yes write down everything including what you ate so on and so forth. I work in a pharmacy so I know you have to go through all that, we just finished a class on it. You don't have to wait to see you dr before logging 4 just write down what you can and maybe after you have even one more go in to see them and let them know how long it's been going on. They can prescribe something much better than asprin but might give you some other ideas to try first it just depends on the dr and how severe they beleive it is! Hope this helps!

Wow Eiri way to keep a log!!! That's exactly what you need when you go in!!

Yeah, I'm hoping to get something better than store bought painkillers, because asprin and advil did nothing at all.

Excedrin seems to help more than those for me, though don't bother getting "Excedrin migraine" because it cost more but it's the exact same thing.

The prescription drugs were always better though.