Migraine after Sun Exposure?

by James on 29 May 2012

No, you’re not the only one who gets a migraine attack after being out in the sun.  It’s actually pretty common.  But why?

There could be a number of reasons.  Here are common migraine after sun explanations:

Migraine after sun?
  • Migraineurs are simply more sensitive to light.  I don’t mean during an attack, although that may be true as well.  Migraineurs are often simply more sensitive all the time.  A study in the far north, for example, found that migraineurs were more likely to have attacks during the times of the year when there was more sunshine.
  • Change.  Migraineurs tend to be more sensitive to change.  If you’re suddenly going from dark to light, or if you’re spending time out in the heat, sudden changes in your body could trigger an attack.
  • Hydration!  Being out in the sun could mean you just need to drink more liquids.
  • Flickering.  Yes, the high contrast flicker between sunlight and shadows, such as flickering light through the trees as you drive by, could trigger an attack.
  • Weather patterns.  Some researchers believe that weather systems that are warm and humid (the passage of a warm front with low pressure) may trigger migraine attacks.  Often these weather systems have overcast skies, but not always.

What can I do about it?

Here are some tips to avoid the sun migraine trigger:

  • Stay hydrated – carry a bottle of water.
  • Slow down – warm up, cool off, especially if you’re exercising.  Avoid going from a dark room into bright sunlight.
  • Check with your optometrist – make sure it’s not an eye problem that’s making things worse.
  • Try a quality pair of sunglasses – suggestions here:  How Sunglasses are helping fight Migraine and Precision Tinted – Especially to Fight Migraine.
  • Avoid flickering - if you can, look away or close your eyes to avoid flickering light.

Also, consider the tips in the article and tips from our visitors (comments below) for headache after working out.

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What is a Migraine “worse than”?

by James on 26 May 2012

Today I thought I’d surf around a bit and see if I could find the answer to this question – fill in the blank – migraine is worse than __________.

The Attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor*

Now, we know that every migraine attack is different.  Some people do have "mild" attacks, some have migraine attacks with no headache, some people experience partial paralysis, some can’t speak or go blind, while others just feel a bit "off".

However, generally speaking in the medical world, migraine’s most well-known symptom is headache, and it tends to be a moderate to severe headache.

So what are migraine attacks worse than?  Here are the answers I’ve found – how would you answer?

Here it is, from various sources, online.  Migraine is worse than…

  • … a really bad brain freeze
  • … childbirth/labour pains
  • … a headache
  • … the attack on Pearl Harbor
  • … anything

* This is not intended to minimize the impact of almost 2500 people killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor.  There is no comparison between one migraine attack and the ongoing loss of friends and family after the attack of 1941.  However, the personal pain of migraine often does seem comparable to a battle being fought in your head – hence the comparison made by someone online!

So what’s your answer?  Migraine is worse than….?

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In case you missed them – here are the posts that have been most popular over the past 3 months.  The most popular ones come first…

Many of us with migraine wonder just how much cumulative damage is taking place with such a high level of pain and other symptoms.  There’s a great deal of discussion over just how migraine impacts us in the long term.

Like the rest of us, those with familial hemiplegic migraine wonder if the impact tends to get worse over time.  A small study of just 6 people (one family) attempted to find out if, in this case, there was a deterioration of things such as cognitive functions and quality of life overall.

Familial Hemiplegic Migraine (FHM) is a very rare type of migraine characterized by weakness or even paralysis usually on just one side of the body.

The study tested the family of 6 and then retested them after 7 years.  The study is generally good news.  Although the symptoms of FHM can be pretty severe, including dysphasia (trouble understanding words) and motor weakness (muscle weakness, usually on one side of the body), and sometimes headache, the cognitive problems generally did not become worse.

On the other hand, as you may have guessed, there was not a lot of improvement either.

The only impairment that got a little worse with some people was something called visuoconstructional function.  This has to do with the ability to understand spatial information and make designs – thing like copying drawings.

It should be good news to patients that disability may not get drastically worse – on the other hand, this study reminds us again that there is a lot of work to be done to better treat FHM.

Read more about familial hemiplegic migraine and its treatment here.

via Long-term Outcome of Cognitive Functions, Emotional Behavior, and Quality of Life in a Family With Familial Hemiplegic Migraine.

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Magnesium for Migraine 2 – Combos?

by James on 17 May 2012

Yesterday we talked about some of the things we’ve learned about magnesium supplements for migraine over the past few years.  Today I just want to briefly talk about one more topic – supplements that contain magnesium and something else.

Again, this is something you’ll need to talk to your doctor about.  But here are a few things that our visitors have said they are taking with magnesium.  The ones mentioned most often come first:

  1. CoQ10
  2. vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
  3. feverfew
  4. omega 3
  5. butterbur

Now that doesn’t include things like normal abortives and other medications.  Remember, magnesium will not always eliminate migraine, so usually you’ll use it to cut down on attacks/symptoms, and then compliment it with other treatments.

Now, sometimes these are taken as separate supplements.  But there are specially designed combinations of supplements that many have found useful for migraine.

Possibly the most popular is MigreLief, which is a combination of magnesium, riboflavin and feverfew.  I would say it’s the magnesium supplement most often mentioned by our visitors, and it has a lot of research behind it.

Another is actually not a preventative, but an abortive.  It’s called Migralex, and it contains magnesium and aspirin.  People have reported that taking magnesium supplements during an attack helps – and in fact, magnesium has long been given intravenously for migraine.

Now you can check some of the links above for more on these additional supplements, but here’s some of the things our visitors have said.  Note that I’m not always quoting their entire comment, just the relevant part.

Angela:  I was researching on your website, and came across the articles about magnesium, feverfew, and riboflavin.  I said to myself, why not try it??  Well, after only a week of taking the supplements, I was able to quit the daily headache powders, and now, after couple months, the headaches are non-existent most days, and just a dull ache that I can manage on one or two days a week!!

Laurie:  I have found after suffering from migraines since a child that taking the magnesium and 200 mg of co-enzyme Q 10 in the morning with breakfast is the golden ticket.  Would recommend taking a multi-vitamin and calcium with the evening meal.

okiegem:  Then, about two years ago, I read something somewhere about magnesium and coenzymeQ10, and tried them.  After a few weeks, I realized my migraines were GONE!  I take 400mg CoQ10 and 500mg magnesium oxide, which I get at the local Wal-Mart, and I really am migraine-free!  It has truly been life-altering.

Angie:  A friend from work told me that her Dr had told her about a Magnesium/Riboflavin (B2) combo that seemed to be helping her, I felt like I had nothing to lose by giving it a try.  IT WORKED!  The Mag Oxide was not overly helpful, but the Mag Citrate made all the difference in the world.

Liz:  I tried everything under the sun as well as multiple doctors and was at the end of my rope.  I too decided to take things into my own hands and weaned myself off topamax and zonisimide, then later depakote.  I now am ONLY taking supplements.  Magnesium, feverfew and CoQ10.

Dawn:  Magnesium, feverfew, butterbur, Vit. B and CoQ10 are what I’m using to control the migraines – doing much better and NO side effects!!

Does magnesium work for everyone?  Of course not.  Obviously I’m quoting from people who have found some success.  That way you can see what actually works in real life.

A note on Cluster Headaches

Before closing, one note about cluster headaches.  People with cluster have also responded to magnesium supplements, and intravenous magnesium.  Here’s an article about magnesium and Botox.  And here is what one website visitor had to say:

Terri:  I was very suspicious, after leaving the hospital, as to what affects the antibiotic was going to have on my body.  After leaning on YOUR SITE that, indeed, an antibiotic can deplete your system of magnesium (3 days ago), I started taking Magnesium 500 and B2 200 and noticed an immediate improvement.  We had some bad (rain) weather yesterday which increases my clusters so I can’t tell yet how much improvement I will ultimately have, but I’m thinking this may be the answer for me.

Thanks again for your emails and comments – they are a huge help to others!  Keep up the great commenting!

Speaking of commenting, if you have had success with a combo supplement with magnesium, now is your chance to leave a comment!

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