[Rosemary]

Two questions:

1) Are these migraines? What do you think?

I have been diagnosed with migraines for 2 or 3 years. Mine are not classic. I get a headache, often felt as a painful "line" across and above my brow. Other times I only get a generalized headache. What is most peculiar to me is that the only common symptom I have is that the headache is debilitating. Without Imitrex, I get "flu" like symptoms - ache all over, nausea and vomiting, a miserable ache down the back of my neck, and oddly, an intense sleepiness with which I can sleep most of the day. I have only mild light sensitivity. The headache aspect of this is the least uncomfortable. What makes me miserable is not the headache itself. That only serves me warning to take my medication, Imitrex. I do respond very well to Imitrex and the sooner I take it, the milder my symptoms will be. With quick Imitrex, generally I'll only get the bad ache down my neck muscles and a general "not feeling good". I can go to work and manage with this degree of symptoms and they will disappear in a few hours.

So: is this a migraine? My neurologist says yes, and I do indeed respond to the Imitrex. My father had classic migraines But my symptoms are pretty different from those described on the internet and don't fit some of the criteria for diagnosis of them.

2) Now they're very frequent. Why?

I've gone as long as a year without these headaches. Last March, I began having 3-4 a month. Then, starting 8/18, I've had 8 of them. So what's that about? My new neurologist, without asking me single question about the quality of my headaches said I have cluster headaches. Now I've done a web search and my clusters of headaches don't fit the description at all. (Thank heavens!)

So what about that? Anyone have this happen but without the horrible pain associated with cluster headaches?

Thank you for any responses. I don't know what to think.

[storyteller]

Get another opinion...are you keeping a daily diary....bring whatever info you have to this doctor discuss it...then go do the same with a second opinion and see if that yields any results.

[skurtz6109]

I have been getting migraines since I was about 3 years old. Recently they have changed though. I have always had severe pain on one side of my head followed by severe vomitting. Now on top of those symptoms, I get extremely tired. I have been at work and have gotten a migraine and had to go out to my car and sleep before I could safely drive home. There have been days where I have slept all day with a migraine and then continued to sleep through the night. This is very frustrating. I feel like I miss out on so much of life when I have to go to bed. My three year old does not really understand either. Over the past year, I have started getting them more often as well. I used to get one every couple of months. Now I get 10-12 a month. Also, I have found that they last longer (some lasting for a couple of days). This being said, I do think migraines change as we age. Maybe it is due to hormonal changes or maybe to changes in our daily stresses or what we are exposing ourselves to on a daily basis. I am still trying to get mine under control. Imitrex used to work very well for me, but know it does not do anything. I hope this atleast helps you to feel as if you are not alone.

Sandi

[vfalsgraf]

I know my neurologist told me that taking an abortive agent (like imitrex or Amerge, or even aspirin or ibuprofen) more that 2 times per week can put me into a rebound headache situation.

My headaches are different from yours so don't really have any advice. But I agree that start keeping a log, and reading all you can about migraines. I'm going to the Michigan headache & neurological institute next month because of frequency, duration, and intensity of the headaches.

Don't give up!