There are many types of migraine, and many types of headache. From Wikipedia:
[edit] Migraine without aura
This is the most commonly seen form of migraine; patients who primarily suffer from migraine without aura may also have attacks of migraine with aura. According to the International Classification of Headache Disorders[9] it is a recurrent headache disorder manifesting in attacks lasting 4–72 hours. Typical characteristics of the headache are unilateral location, pulsating quality, moderate or severe intensity, aggravation by routine physical activity and association with nausea and/or photophobia and hyperacusis. In order to diagnose migraine without aura, there must have been at least five attacks not attributable to another cause that fulfill the following criteria: 1. Headache attacks lasting 4–72 hours when untreated 2. At least two of the following characteristics:

• Unilateral location
• Pulsating quality
• Moderate or severe pain intensity
• Aggravation by or causing avoidance of routine physical activity

3. During the headache there must be at least one of the following associated symptom clusters:

• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Photophobia and hyperacusis

Where these criteria are not fully met, the problem may be classified as "probable migraine without aura" but other diagnoses such as "episodic tension type headache" must also be considered.


Hope this helps...

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Come crawling faster

Possibly. I get a lot of migraines. Before I was treated for migraines I was getting them 20-25 days a month. Taking some types of headache medicine can actullaly make them worse. When I have a bad migraine and use my treatment medication, once the medication wears off it comes back. Perhaps the vicadin was able to treat it but then it wore off and came back.

When I get them the pain gets so intense that I can't concentrate on anything else. The pain often starts in one place (sometimes the temple) and will wrap around my entire face or head.

If you continue to have them I would see a doctor to see what you can do. I left it untreated for a couple years, just thinking they were headaches until they kept gettting worse and worse and started significantly interfering with my life.

GhiaG, I think migraines come in all shapes and sizes. Mine, now blessfully infrequent, appear first with impaired vision (a growing blind spot), hearing/ light sensitivity, and sometimes issues with speech...depending on which area of the brain is getting deprived of blood flow to start the headache. After a bit, the vessels dilate again and a throbbing headache forms somewhere on my head, usually accompanied with nausea. If I get one during the night the pain wakes me up - bending over with one will make you say dirty words about your mom. it takes a couple hours for it to subside and i usually have a slight headache until the next day. Sometimes bending over the next day will cause the spot to throb a bit again for a few seconds.

if the headache keeps up you may want to give a doc a call just to rule some stuff out.

I was someone that rarely got headaches and when I did I would use preasure points to get rid of them. Then I had suddently developed migrains (what do they feel like? I wanted to cut my head off and I had to litterly crawl ~ 100 yards to my neighbor's house and have them drive me to ER). My route was to make sure I was properly hydrated, I then had my eyes checked (wanted to make sure I wasn't straining my brain via my eyes), I then went on to check my teeth and diet.

Nothing turned out and I was told that it was stress. In seven years I have only had a small one and I do think it was stress. There is so many things that can cause a migrain. All I can say is that I feel for you and please make sure that you take all steps to deal with the situation.

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"your horse is too high" - tigerchik

I'm fairly certain it's stress related. I've got a ton of things going on in my life (both good and bad) and haven't been able to work out regularly because I've been sick and injured.

But wow did it hurt. it still does, just a little less now. I used to think people who got migraines and couldn't do anything because of them were wimps and just couldn't deal with life. When they'd hand me a note from the doctor and go home I'd just think wimp/sickly person. This I am sure is payback for all of that. I am sorry to anyone I ever thought that about.

I don't know if it was a migraine, but it's what I imagined a migraine would feel like.

Shoot. I'm sorry Maggs. When I get one, my vision goes first and I go almost blind, with just wild movement in my eyes, can't see half of everyone's face etc. There is puking too.

Imitrex kills them for me. Any Docs you can get to prescribe it? If I had any left, I would drive one over to you, but I'm out. If you need help with anything, holler, I'm around. Feel better.

Rach

I've only been blessed with a migraine once in my life...about 17 years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday. It's the sole time in my life that I wouldn't have minded being dead ; ), because death had to be better than the pain I was experiencing (and I'm no pain wimp). I didn't know what it was as it started as me randomly vomiting when I knew I wasn't sick and as the day progressed, the pain progressed. Yuck! I think it came right at the end of a killer finals week in vet school, so definitely stress/relaxation related.

Ugh, I'm at the almost puking point now. every time I move it throbs more.

I'm taking the other half of the vicadin and going to bed. Hopefully I can sleep it off.

Used to get 'em. Pressure behind left eye, slight stuffy nose on same side, and nausea. Gave up artificial sweeteners, most caffeine, ALL soda pop, and switched to IUD from oral contraceptives, and I'm now pretty headache free (any type of headache). Got a mild one recently when I ate too much pickled Okra (probably some MSG type stuff in the pickling liquid)

Not all bad headaches are migraines! Don't forget about the bad stuff like an aneurysm in brain.... call your PCP! My next door neighbor died of that when she was in her 20's... ignored a bad headache and then, well.... call your PCP!! sorry to cause you to panic. Just please take care of yourself!

I like emedicine.com for my quick online info on dzs. Or Mayo Clinic's online stuff.
C

Used to get the nausea and vision impairing headaches myself about once a week. Someone suggested drinking between 16 and 32 oz of gatoraide. It worked for me. Talked to my family doc about that and he said that dehydration can cause that sort of thing.

Good luck... hope this helps eliminate one little misery.

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Jay

I had several of the migraines like you describe about 15 years ago. And they do knock you out. Mine were complete with light sensitivity and throwing up. I figured out mine were caused by eating certain foods,etc. Which I stay away from. And later stress....got rid of that man. hehe! Also, for me if I have any weird sinus trouble going on it can trigger them more often as well.

Now a days my sign to know one could be coming is the auros that start to narrow my vision. They look like little worms flashing across my line of vision or little lightning bolts or squigglies. I have found for mine that as soon as I have the auros I drink something with caffeine in it. Usually part of a cold coke. ( I normally stay away from caffeine so a couple sips of it starts to work) and I also take something like Aleve. My eyes become very light sensitive and sometimes one will be more dialated than the other. I usually turn out the lights just to help.

Anyway, luckily with staying away from things like cheap hot dogs, msg, some red wines, vinegar, and then following my little remedy I have had only a couple full on headaches over the past 15 years.

Good Luck figuring it out.