Quote:
Originally Posted by Commander Wallace
I'm sorry you have to deal with Migraines. I know a few others that suffer with that too. They tell me caffeine helps with the Migraine symptoms. Similarly, other over the counter Migraine medications like Excedrin Migraine have caffeine as an active component.
|
Thanks. Caffeine does help, especially when combined with pain relievers, like Excedrin does. I'm fortunate that it works for me. It's not enough for some people. The problem is when you start consuming too much caffeine. That can cause headaches - especially when you stop consuming it.
I'm also fortunate in that I get a warning. About 30 minutes before any pain starts, I get "auras". That's usually just enough time for the pills to kick in. For those that don't know: auras are commonly reported by migraine sufferers. They are typically some variation of partial or total vision loss due to blurry or "static-like" areas developing in one's vision.
Mine almost always start as a small area in my peripheral vision - although sometimes it will be in the center. It's hard to describe, but it's kind of like what you see after looking directly at a bright light. There's a sort of multi-colored spot there. Except it's shimmering very quickly in vague bands of color. Those small spots eventually grow until they are covering most of my field of view. I can still see light and basic shapes - but reading is out of the question, and something like driving would be ... dangerous. Then - suddenly - they disappear ... and the headache starts.
If I don't take Excedrin immediately upon seeing the first spot, I risk being essentially incapacitated. All I can do is lie in the fetal position and occasionally crawl to the w/c to be sick. And it may last a couple hours.
I have Excedrin in my pocket
at all times.
God help those miserable souls who get cluster headaches.
... And that's probably waaay more than you wanted to know about my headaches. Back to talking about caffeine!
