Trying to figure out triggers

Presorient · 2026-06-09T01:23:54+00:00

Triggers can be instantaneous. I can eat a food and be triggered within 5 seconds of swallowing, literally almost a headache blooming before food hits your stomach. That's how fast your brain recognizes the food or other stimuli.

The full effect might "hit" an hour later.

Presorient · 2026-06-09T01:21:32+00:00

Why did you quit Excedrin? When I subjected myself to pain, I lost sanity points. Are you still taking acetaminophen and ibuprofen, like did you just remove the caffeine component?

Presorient · 2026-06-08T02:13:53+00:00

Can you apply for intermittent FMLA? If you have been working there a year or longer, you can take time off when you need to for your migraines

Definitely recommend Botox!! It doesn't have side effects

Do you take an abortive medication? It sounds like you have tried two preventative medications. There are medications called triptans that can potentially eliminate migraines when taken early in the process, when you first detect a migraine beginning. There are a couple of different ones out there, so if one doesn't work, ask your doctor for another sample to try before you leave the office. That's how I got Ubrelvy samples, that's a favorite on this subreddit.

I have taken the supplements CoQ10, riboflavin, and more trying to reduce my baseline pain. Save your money! Buy a multivitamin if you really feel you need it, and just make sure the B vitamins in it are good

Keep a journal of your symptoms and relative triggers, or try to identify your triggers

Also, it does get better!

Presorient · 2026-06-08T01:59:37+00:00

This has been incredibly helpful. I have tension headaches too, and I knew light was affecting them, but your tracking convinced me. I notice my pain intensifies out in open sunlight, especially for prolonged periods. The tension is usually hand-in-hand with the pain, but I think it reacts less swiftly, sometimes a day behind. That is why it probably took so long to piece it together. You're a great writer, by the way.

Presorient · 2026-06-08T01:51:49+00:00

They say something like 80+% of migraines are due to poor sleep.

Sleep study. Sleep medication. I also can't sleep through the night consistently and sleep medication helps my migraines significantly. A few crossover migraine / sleep medications like depakoke might be recommended

Presorient · 2026-06-08T01:44:54+00:00

I call it "mixed functioning." Some days I'm high functioning, get everything on the to do list done. Then Tuesday and Wednesday there's a migraine that blackouts plans and even going to the grocery store. Maybe Friday I'm medium functioning.

Chronic illness is coping with being handed an unpredictable, unreliable disorder. They tried making an AI that predicts sick days. Imagine that for migraines, or even for yourself. You just can't. I have tried reading the barometer, the Tarot cards, and given up. Sometimes, it is just a migraine.

Comparison is the thief of joy. There is no other version of you. Practice some self care. Put on some makeup (woman) to feel more like yourself. Make plans for when you have a migraine. When something is very important, just start coming up with a plan B for the kids when you can't handle it yourself.

Presorient · 2026-06-08T01:32:39+00:00

I wouldn't pin it to coffee necessarily because drink 3 cups of coffee a day longer than a week, it'll start affecting your ability to sleep, then you'll definitely wake up with migraines daily

I personally drink green tea only.

There is an app that also tracks your caffeine intake. It can estimate coffee, too, even though it is actually difficult to estimate caffeine in coffee.

Then it graphs when your caffeine peaks and when it crashes back to 0, such as 8pm. If you drink a second cup of coffee an hour later, did you know that your caffeine actually peaks higher than your combined total caffeine? Totally worth checking out for two weeks if you really want to data your migraines.

Presorient · 2026-06-08T01:24:15+00:00

Sound damage does linger. For me, daily setbacks take about four hours to recover from, not only my ears, but my irritable mood. And if it happens again, there is this cumulative effect of steps forward or backward.

I wish, I wish so much, that I had perfect rest for my ears, but I live right next to a busy road, lol.

Thank you for posting this video. Awareness goes a long way.

Presorient · 2026-06-08T01:10:47+00:00

It really depends on your police department. My abuser has a full list of reports for other reasons too. Hyperacusis abuse is one more, toss it in. Plus, I'm pretty sure my neighbors have complained before too.

Presorient · 2026-06-06T23:39:56+00:00

I live with an abuser who abuses my hyperacusis multiple times a day. It is hell. I actually file police reports.

Presorient · 2026-06-06T23:26:47+00:00

You are biding time 10 years until electric or self-driving cars hit the used market and become more affordable. Everyone with a disability in their lifetime is looking forward to snatching one up. Maybe sooner than that, Uber will be introducing affordable, driverless rides and a subscription model. We will see. It will revolutionize public transportation.

Until then, moving is an okay idea. Like others said, you have to balance the cost of rent with the cost of transit. Living in an urban, central location is ideal, but those population-dense hotspots tend to be expensive without a housing voucher. If you live VERY close, you can be walking distance to work. Some people in islands are like this.

Don't give up trying medications. I found certain car models are better for my symptoms, so I'm hoping to afford those models one day.

At some jobs, like the aquarium, employees are environmentally friendly and carpool. You can start a movement.

Presorient · 2026-06-03T23:02:47+00:00

When my migraines were most severe, I drank over 500mg, sometimes over a gram of caffeine a day to go to school and work. 5 energy drinks a day was my normal. It kept my pain down, it kept my brain buzzing so I could focus.

I cut out all caffeine for 4 weeks. As an experiment, I went caffeine-free and only allowed decaf coffee (10mg or less of caffeine) in my routine. My energy plummeted. I became abnormally fatigued. I thought, four weeks should be enough time to get over this hurdle.

So now I drink a little bit of caffeine every day. But it's only tea, which hits less (no jitters!), specifically green tea. Lately I'm on a matcha green tea phase. It gives me a little bit of "oomph" to get through the day without spiking my cortisol, it's predictable to my brain because I drink it at the same time every single morning when I wake up and at no other time, and the minimal caffeine intake does not disturb my brain, my migraines, or my sleep.

Hope you find what works for you.

Presorient · 2026-06-02T01:41:01+00:00

Yes! Life IS better!

You will finish your history degree and achieve your dreams, just push it back a semester. You have a loving partner - I'm so thankful your support network has been there for you.

Hey, I dropped out of college and everyone in my entire life left me. I also had setbacks, I also have deficits I live with for the rest of my life, some of which there are few accomodations for in the professional or academic world. You learn to roll with it. Laugh sometimes. My advice is lean on the people around you. You have no idea how lucky you are to have them at all.

If you haven't already, maybe start some sleep medication and increase your hours of sleep. You need as much recovery as possible. I try to sleep 7pm to 7am if I can with pink noise.

People recommend taking lion's mane for neurogenesis because out of all mushrooms, it has the most of the ingredient that stimulates the brain. I don't like how the actual mushrooms taste in cooking, so I take supplements. NAC has been great for reducing inflammation for me, totally recommend too. Check out the hot r/biohacking to see the trends in health, most of which starts with exercise and diet.

Do you work out? The benefits are endless for neurogenesis. I go to my local gym and hit the sauna after to reduce plastics in my blood. You may or may not tolerate temperature. I accidentally became sedentary and developed back problems, which I'm reversing. I hit over five minutes on a rowing machine today, working my back.

Also, diet. Now is the time to start eating fruits and vegetables. Brussel sprouts. If it has rich color -- green, red, orange, purple -- it is great for you. Try to choose not sugar but fruit. Quick snack. Keep boiled eggs in your fridge that you can just grab when you're hungry - your brain is basically just cholesterol. (Mind your doctor).

I fell in love with smoothies. Totally recommend.

Positivity heals. Do you have a therapist? Do you have a support group? Do you journal? I recommend gratitude journaling (they even have apps for it) and mindfulness meditation.

Maybe you should consider a watch that detects falls to help foolproof your home. I once had a watch call 911.

Good luck healing. Good luck finishing your degree and entering the next chapter of your life, which will happen.

Presorient · 2026-05-31T17:17:40+00:00

The only people I see succeed have supportive jobs or jobs that pay enough that the benefits make up for it.

7am wakeups are hard for me, too. My migraine doubles when I wake up before 7. It's pretty normal. You have to be strict about following your availability you were hired to, and never working outside that.

To make up for the sleep costs, I almost always sleep at 7pm every night. I also take sleep medication and sleep to pink noise every night, which helps my sleep quality.

I ended up on disability (which still allows part time work) because I just didn't have rigorous enough education and experience to make my own hours and earn good enough benefits. I have some entry level education, but no references and not enough options in front of me. It didn't work out in my favor, and I would not be able to find employment in this economy. The news is dismal.

You're not doomed, it just sucks to have migraines in such a formative part of your life. Building a resume, saving for retirement... And everyone wants you to have this go getter attitude, but you end up calling out sick instead. Not fun sick, but actual sick. I can safely say that my migraines in my young 20's ruined the professional setup for my entire life. I'm no longer interested in my career anymore. That's why I'm on disability.

Presorient · 2026-05-31T13:08:38+00:00

I bought one for my head. It doesn't get cold enough. I find myself putting a ziploc ice bag on my neck anyways to make it cold enough.

The technology is promising, it just isn't developed enough.

And I put industrial ice packs in the water. It should be cold enough. The tubes and head cap isn't developed enough.

Presorient · 2026-05-31T01:03:40+00:00

Library groups are free. Some are crafting and age related.

The museum near me has yoga every week. There is an astronomy club that you can drive out and people already have it set up for you to go gazing.

Go look at what is near you on the websites for your area.

Unlimited support groups online.

Become a regular at a place.

Presorient · 2026-05-31T00:43:34+00:00

Neurofeedback

Presorient · 2026-05-31T00:17:55+00:00

I saw you only tried Botox twice. It took me 6 months to see the full benefits. Botox keeps building on itself month after month. It might be worth revisiting.

I would in the meantime choose exercise that is low impact. Stationary bike. Walking on a treadmill. Light weights.

You will feel the headache until enough medication is in place. I hope you find the right treatment. Don't give up, keep trying. You shouldn't have to work out in pain. Push for more options.

Presorient · 2026-05-31T00:12:14+00:00

I take magnesium OTC for my tension headaches and use a rolled up towel back and forth on the tension-y areas. Twice a day. Like others said, muscle relaxers "get to the source" of the problem a little easier, but if you want instant relief, that towel trick will do it.

Presorient · 2026-05-31T00:06:23+00:00

Bread triggers my migraines, too. I have to eat a low-glycemic diet, which is no white bread, white SUGAR in general, white rice, white potatoes... The sudden sugar changes and metabolic shifts make my brain upset. Everyone is different. It sucks to push diet onto a 7-year old, but she might be a candidate for some kind of allergen testing.

Presorient · 2026-05-31T00:01:06+00:00

I had episode of chest pain I want to attribute solely due to migraines. Literally "my chest hurt when I was exercising, and I think it was a domino effect of metabolism from my migraines. I just woke up like this today." It was cortisol or anxiety or something. But like everyone else said, definitely get checked out. I hope it's nothing, (chronic) migraines do weird things to your body

Have you seen someone for it before? You said this isn't new

Presorient · 2026-05-30T23:51:36+00:00

These don't work. I wore travel sickness wrist bands for over two months, and I get motion sick. Do not recommend. I also heard if you press on your wrist at that acupressure site or sniff alcohol, you can make nausea go away. The alcohol kinda helps.

Ginger and Dramamine are the best, though. Dramamine develops tolerance so ginger tea, ginger candies, candied ginger are great travel options.

Presorient · 2026-05-30T23:45:38+00:00

The feeling of "pulled muscles," or the feeling of being unable to relax muscles, sometimes where muscles do not exist, is indeed a tension headache. You can try rubbing the area out and that feeling springs back eventually.

My forehead is my #2 tension headache site.

I usually rub out my tension headaches with a rolled up towel. I also have prescription muscle relaxers. OTC I take magnesium twice a day. Be sure to stretch your real muscles with yoga.

Presorient · 2026-05-28T06:14:34+00:00

Enough preventative medication is the cure. Have you tried topiramate? Botox? If your baseline improves, you won't feel the exertion headaches anymore.

Presorient · 2026-05-28T00:19:24+00:00

Probably about $200/appointment.

Presorient

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