My Migraine Life: My Worst Flare Up Since Starting Aimovig
Last night, I had the worst flare up that I've had since starting Aimovig. Ugh...it was horrible. I'm not in the clear yet, but am far better so I thought I would explain what I went through. I, also, like having a record for my docs. So let's break this down.
I've been on Aimovig injections for 4 months and have been very happy with my results. I will be sharing more on that at another time. I still get flare ups, as most users seem to, but they have been more manageable, or shorter, or less intense, etc. It's been amazing so far. This severe migraine was taking up residence on my left side. I usually get them on my right. I'm used to them on my right. Last night....that was like going back in time a bit. Going back to before the injections. NO This has nothing to do with the injections, but has everything to do with my broken brain.
I felt the migraine coming on all day. I didn't have the time for it, so I tried to ignore it as much as possible. I got home from vacation late Thursday night and have been trying to play catch up on orders, housework, and life in general, so being down and out with a horrible migraine was just not in the plans. I kept pushing and trying to get work and errands done all day. I made it worse. I should listen to my body, I know, I know. It's hard to give in to every pain and every migraine. If I did, I would be in bed every. single. second. That's the issue with CHRONIC migraines. There are just times when I need to push. Yesterday, I wanted and needed to push.
I used some of my strategies throughout the day. I was hoping to help eliminate, prevent, or shorten the oncoming beast. I drank a ton. Took breaks. Moved from contacts, to glasses, to contacts, to glasses. Sometimes the rim of the glasses bother me more than having contacts in and sometimes it doesn't matter what I use because my eyes will ache regardless. I used my oils. I ate simple foods and tried not to get a hunger migraine. I took my Naproxen. It didn't matter. Nothing worked.
The pain and symptoms increased all day.
At about 10 p.m., I couldn't take it anymore. My vision was quickly leaving, the pain was SO intense, my stomach was a disaster, and my skin and hair huuuuuuurt.
I got ready for bed which includes taking my daily meds. I grabbed my ice packs, towels, and my bucket. I took my Maxalt (it's the generic version but it's easier to say the brand).
I like ice packs during the high pain times. I pack my head with them, just like a severed limb or digit on the way to the hospital to be reattached. I put on a cold gel eye mask, and an ice pack on my forehead and temple. I put another ice pack on the base of my head and neck. I propped up some pillows to make getting up or throwing up a little easier. I had my bucket next to me and ready to go. Water and pills live on my nightstand, so they are there if needed. I don't know about other migraine sufferers but once I am settled, I don't move. I turn into an agonizing statue. This helps all the ice packs stay in place but it's more about how movement kills. Movement sends surges of pain through my body. It's like you can feel the liquids and blood move and shift in your body.
Then I laid there.
I can hear and feel my own heartbeat. It pulses and is so loud it makes my pain pulse.
I'm twitching. My muscles are yelling at me. I try not to be tense, but I am.
I can't feel my lips, fingers, or hands. I can feel my cheeks and toes tingling. This, like my vision, worsens throughout out the day.
I can see my pain. My eyes are shut but I can see the lightening bolts, the flashes of colors with every single pulse of the pain.
It's as if there is a meat hook, which was just removed from a fire, embedded in my brain. The meat hook is being hammered and every time the hammer strikes the hook a jolt is sent through my entire nervous system. Decapitation sounds like a reasonable option.
There's a point when a migraineur needs to sleep to help the pain dissipate, but can't sleep because the pain is so intense. I'm stuck in that cycle. I try my breathing techniques. I yell inside myself to sleep. I beg my Maxalt to kick in. I will myself to sleep. Finally.
I wake up at about 3 a.m. Most of my ice packs are now room temp and clammy and gross. I put them back in their containers (the smell of refrigerator/freezer makes me nauseous so I keep all my packs and masks in tupperware containers to eliminate smells but it also helps keep the ones still in the containers nice and cold). I am in less pain but I'm still not good. I try to drink a little water, bad idea. I run to the bathroom, bad idea. In the process of running, I hit my elbow on the wall. a new bruise is here today. I sit on the bathroom floor for a little bit. Then I splash cold water on my face and head back to the bed holding the wall the whole time. I get the fresh ice packs out of the container and settle back in.
Now today, I'm still in migraine mode and not yet in recovery. I probably shouldn't be looking at a computer screen, but I did turn down the brightness. The pain in the brain is down by a lot but the pain in my body is just starting. I will feel sore for a couple of days. It's like I worked out really hard for the first time in 9 years. My head hurts when I touch it and my hair is uncomfortable. My stomach is a wreck. I need to drink. I'm probably dehydrated, but I can't. This is another cycle migraineurs experience. You need water to recover and replenish, but if you drink you may vomit or get stomach cramps. I no longer have anything in my stomach to vomit, so I'm stuck with cramps. Dry toast and saltines are on my menu for today but not sure when I'll try to eat. Gourmet! Oh! and I can't drink Gatorade or anything like that due to an allergy.
I'm lightheaded and shaky. My focus is gone. I'm so tired. My migraine pain is there. Just waiting to jump to the forefront of my mind. It's like it's waving from a distance but ready to run forward with maniacal laughter. I'm not well but I'm better than last night so that means I work. Who knows if the pain will spike back up and I'll be down and out for who knows how long, so I have to work. I hope to improve all day. Fingers crossed.
So that's what it's like, at least some of the time. It's not what all migraineurs experience. We are all different and have unique symptoms. I've had flare ups in the 4 months that I've been on my injections but this one was by far the worst one I've had so far. These flare ups used to be all the time prior to Aimovig. All the time. I think my guard was down, which, really, is a good thing because that means the injections are helping. This was a bad bad bad one. Severe. But...it's my version of normal.
Love ya,
Janelle
I've been on Aimovig injections for 4 months and have been very happy with my results. I will be sharing more on that at another time. I still get flare ups, as most users seem to, but they have been more manageable, or shorter, or less intense, etc. It's been amazing so far. This severe migraine was taking up residence on my left side. I usually get them on my right. I'm used to them on my right. Last night....that was like going back in time a bit. Going back to before the injections. NO This has nothing to do with the injections, but has everything to do with my broken brain.
I felt the migraine coming on all day. I didn't have the time for it, so I tried to ignore it as much as possible. I got home from vacation late Thursday night and have been trying to play catch up on orders, housework, and life in general, so being down and out with a horrible migraine was just not in the plans. I kept pushing and trying to get work and errands done all day. I made it worse. I should listen to my body, I know, I know. It's hard to give in to every pain and every migraine. If I did, I would be in bed every. single. second. That's the issue with CHRONIC migraines. There are just times when I need to push. Yesterday, I wanted and needed to push.
I used some of my strategies throughout the day. I was hoping to help eliminate, prevent, or shorten the oncoming beast. I drank a ton. Took breaks. Moved from contacts, to glasses, to contacts, to glasses. Sometimes the rim of the glasses bother me more than having contacts in and sometimes it doesn't matter what I use because my eyes will ache regardless. I used my oils. I ate simple foods and tried not to get a hunger migraine. I took my Naproxen. It didn't matter. Nothing worked.
The pain and symptoms increased all day.
At about 10 p.m., I couldn't take it anymore. My vision was quickly leaving, the pain was SO intense, my stomach was a disaster, and my skin and hair huuuuuuurt.
I got ready for bed which includes taking my daily meds. I grabbed my ice packs, towels, and my bucket. I took my Maxalt (it's the generic version but it's easier to say the brand).
I like ice packs during the high pain times. I pack my head with them, just like a severed limb or digit on the way to the hospital to be reattached. I put on a cold gel eye mask, and an ice pack on my forehead and temple. I put another ice pack on the base of my head and neck. I propped up some pillows to make getting up or throwing up a little easier. I had my bucket next to me and ready to go. Water and pills live on my nightstand, so they are there if needed. I don't know about other migraine sufferers but once I am settled, I don't move. I turn into an agonizing statue. This helps all the ice packs stay in place but it's more about how movement kills. Movement sends surges of pain through my body. It's like you can feel the liquids and blood move and shift in your body.
Then I laid there.
I can hear and feel my own heartbeat. It pulses and is so loud it makes my pain pulse.
I'm twitching. My muscles are yelling at me. I try not to be tense, but I am.
I can't feel my lips, fingers, or hands. I can feel my cheeks and toes tingling. This, like my vision, worsens throughout out the day.
I can see my pain. My eyes are shut but I can see the lightening bolts, the flashes of colors with every single pulse of the pain.
It's as if there is a meat hook, which was just removed from a fire, embedded in my brain. The meat hook is being hammered and every time the hammer strikes the hook a jolt is sent through my entire nervous system. Decapitation sounds like a reasonable option.
There's a point when a migraineur needs to sleep to help the pain dissipate, but can't sleep because the pain is so intense. I'm stuck in that cycle. I try my breathing techniques. I yell inside myself to sleep. I beg my Maxalt to kick in. I will myself to sleep. Finally.
I wake up at about 3 a.m. Most of my ice packs are now room temp and clammy and gross. I put them back in their containers (the smell of refrigerator/freezer makes me nauseous so I keep all my packs and masks in tupperware containers to eliminate smells but it also helps keep the ones still in the containers nice and cold). I am in less pain but I'm still not good. I try to drink a little water, bad idea. I run to the bathroom, bad idea. In the process of running, I hit my elbow on the wall. a new bruise is here today. I sit on the bathroom floor for a little bit. Then I splash cold water on my face and head back to the bed holding the wall the whole time. I get the fresh ice packs out of the container and settle back in.
Now today, I'm still in migraine mode and not yet in recovery. I probably shouldn't be looking at a computer screen, but I did turn down the brightness. The pain in the brain is down by a lot but the pain in my body is just starting. I will feel sore for a couple of days. It's like I worked out really hard for the first time in 9 years. My head hurts when I touch it and my hair is uncomfortable. My stomach is a wreck. I need to drink. I'm probably dehydrated, but I can't. This is another cycle migraineurs experience. You need water to recover and replenish, but if you drink you may vomit or get stomach cramps. I no longer have anything in my stomach to vomit, so I'm stuck with cramps. Dry toast and saltines are on my menu for today but not sure when I'll try to eat. Gourmet! Oh! and I can't drink Gatorade or anything like that due to an allergy.
I'm lightheaded and shaky. My focus is gone. I'm so tired. My migraine pain is there. Just waiting to jump to the forefront of my mind. It's like it's waving from a distance but ready to run forward with maniacal laughter. I'm not well but I'm better than last night so that means I work. Who knows if the pain will spike back up and I'll be down and out for who knows how long, so I have to work. I hope to improve all day. Fingers crossed.
So that's what it's like, at least some of the time. It's not what all migraineurs experience. We are all different and have unique symptoms. I've had flare ups in the 4 months that I've been on my injections but this one was by far the worst one I've had so far. These flare ups used to be all the time prior to Aimovig. All the time. I think my guard was down, which, really, is a good thing because that means the injections are helping. This was a bad bad bad one. Severe. But...it's my version of normal.
Janelle
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