Migraine Attack: Symptoms, Stages & Books to Help Heal
Hey girl!
Only about a month ago in late February, I went through the most horrifying experience. One so bad, it left me vomiting uncontrollably on the floor of my office at work and being whisked away in an ambulance to the Emergency Room. I’m talking about a severe migraine attack.
For obvious reasons, I hadn’t wanted to talk about the experience to anyone except my family and a few close friends. But having undergone the fiasco, I feel it’s important to talk about for those who are in shock and denial (and thus utter confusion and paranoia) the way I was. Apparently, migraines effect a lot of people, some of which get them chronically several times a month or week.
And did you know that it’s one of the leading causes of ER visits?! Well, I can personally vouch for that statistic now. And let me stress to you, undergoing a migraine attack is absolute hell with effects that lasted two weeks for me. What most people also don’t understand about migraine attacks is that they aren’t just really bad headaches. They can actually change your brain chemistry in different ways, leaving you confused and dizzy and somewhat depressed.
Table of Contents
My Migraine Attack Experience
To hear about my entire traumatic incident experience a migraine attack, watch the video below. I felt it would be more impactful to talk about the experience rather than write about all the details.
Note: This video was recorded a day after my symptoms had mostly gone away.
Timeline of Events
For those of you who prefer a shortened summary, here’s the timeline of my migraine, from the start to the end of my side effects.
Week 1
| Wednesday, February 22 | Migraine attack at work (loss of vision, uncontrollable vomiting, weakness, feeling paralyzed and unable to speak) and 5-hour hospital visit (throbbing headache came after being treated) |
| Thursday, February 23 | Worked from home (mentally shaken up but mostly felt fine) |
| Friday, February 24 | Felt extremely dizzy walking to work, only stayed for 4 hours |
| Saturday, February 25 | Felt sluggish in morning, stayed home but wanted to move around so deep-cleaned the entire apartment for like 6 hours (bad idea probably), attempted to do the Peloton bike and lasted 15 minutes before I felt like I would collapse (not a drop of sweat even formed on my forehead which is actually strange for me since I start sweating after 10 minutes on the bike) |
| Sunday, February 26 | The most awful day…felt like I was hit by a truck and slightly nauseous, mostly stayed in bed with blinds shut covered in ice packs, tried to watch my favorite movie Amadeus at one point (bad idea and just made me feel more dizzy), even lying down my head was spinning, even after 8 hours I didn’t feel safe enough to drive and pick up my boyfriend from the airport |
| Monday, February 27 | Could get out of bed but had to be driven to work since felt too dizzy walking far distances |
| Tuesday, February 28 | Driven to and from work again, attempted to do a Peloton bike again and had to give off after 15 minutes since I felt like I would collapse (still no sweat) |
Week 2
| Wednesday, March 1 | Walked to work and felt pretty dizzy but toughed it out and got a ride home |
| Thursday, March 2 | Walked to and from work feeling dizzy still but less so than before |
| Friday, March 3 | Same as Thursday, plus tried to lift weights thinking it would be better than cardio and managed to get through 20 minutes of a workout before feeling lightheaded, switched from weights to lower intensity core workouts and did that for another 20 minutes |
| Saturday, March 4 | Mostly had a chill day taking it easy, tried going for a walk in the neighborhood with my boyfriend but got pretty lightheaded still |
| Sunday, March 5 | Took it easy at home and didn’t try to workout |
| Monday, March 6 | Walked to and from work still feeling only a little bit dizzy |
| Tuesday, March 7 | Same as Monday, tried Peloton bike and managed to fight my vertigo feeling though a 30 minute workout (couldn’t look at the screen which would make me feel lightheaded and couldn’t lean back on the bike like I normally do to rest, and then when I did lifts on the bike I had to try really hard to stabilize my core to minimize bouncing, which would make me lightheaded, finally sweated!) |
| Wednesday, March 8 | Less dizzy walking to and from work |
| Thursday, March 9 | Same as Wednesday, lifted weights and was able to get through 40 whole minutes without feeling lightheaded! |
| Friday, March 10 | Started feeling completely back to normal, being able to workout without feeling dizzy and walking to and from work without feeling that way |
Causes of Migraine Attacks
Studies have found it hard to pinpoint one set cause for migraines since it varies per person. My attack was specifically because of something mindless I did. You know how they say “too much of a good thing can be a bad thing?” Well, I happened to take about ten different vitamins on an empty stomach before breakfast!
And to defend myself, I NEVER do this. I’m actually a huge health freak! I’ve been taking vitamins and supplements consistently over the last couple years since I also sell them through my online business. And in the last three years, not once have I taken my vitamins without food or in the morning like this. So, why did I do it?
What Had Happened was…
The only reason I chose to do it that morning had to do with all the stomach changes I was going through that week. Basically, I had been suffering from terrible acid reflux and GERD since moving to Chicago in September, so much that there were some days I had problems breathing and almost thought I needed to go to the hospital.
Stay tuned for a blog on my new Carnivore Code lifestyle that’s healed all my stomach problems.
So since January I had made an active change to my diet, eliminating problem foods and drinks. By February, I had healed my stomach so much that I could even drink coffee in the morning again! The morning of my incident, I was feeling so good that I just figured my stomach was in such a good place that surely, I could even take vitamins with my breakfast, right?
I had eaten two eggs, a slice of bacon, and a small protein pancake that I couldn’t finish, along with a small fruit smoothie. This all left me really full, but it just wasn’t enough to catch up to all the vitamins I had already swallowed.
Vitamins on an empty stomach: A Serious No-go, Here’s Why
Basically, my doctors at the hospital (and my own research) informed me that while critical for our overall health, consuming vitamins A, B, and C on an empty stomach can not only lead to upset stomach but also severe headaches like a migraine attack. Well on top of my multi-vitamin (with all of those), and my energy supplements (with vitamin Bs), I had taken THREE vitamin C tablets since I felt a sore throat coming on that morning and had noticed a lot of people coughing in the gym.
So yes, even if you think you’re being healthy, you could really be poisoning yourself if you don’t follow basic health rules like eating with your vitamins…
Did you know doing a Keto diet can lead to “Keto flu,” which can cause headaches? Read more in my blog, “Weight Loss & Keto — What They Don’t Tell You About This Low-Carb Diet.”
Four Stages of migraine
The stages of a migraine attack are the most interesting to me. Not everyone goes through all of these.
Warning Signs Leading Up to an Attack
- Prodrome
- A day or two leading up to a migraine where someone may suffer from constipation, mood changes, food cravings, neck stiffness, increased urination, fluid retention, and frequent yawning.
- I did not personally experience this phase since my attack came on very quickly.
- A day or two leading up to a migraine where someone may suffer from constipation, mood changes, food cravings, neck stiffness, increased urination, fluid retention, and frequent yawning.
- Aura
- Reversible symptoms of the nervous system such as visual phenomena (seeing shapes, bright spots or flashes of light), vision loss, pins and needles sensation in arms or legs, weakness or numbness in the face or side of the body, and difficulty speaking.
- I did experience most of these auras a couple hours after taking breakfast, including losing my vision, seeing flashes of light, and after I start vominating uncontrollably, I quickly found it difficult to speak as if I was paralyzed (I couldn’t even talk to the paramedics in the ER who were trying to figure out what happened to me, or the doctors until they injected me with medicine and fluids for a couple hours).
- Reversible symptoms of the nervous system such as visual phenomena (seeing shapes, bright spots or flashes of light), vision loss, pins and needles sensation in arms or legs, weakness or numbness in the face or side of the body, and difficulty speaking.
The Worst Stages
- Attack
- Can last from 4 to 72 hours if untreated and cause pain in the side of the head or both sides, throbbing pain in the body, sensitivity to light and sound, and nausea and vomiting.
- My headache didn’t actually come until 5 hours later after being treated in the hospital, but my vomiting was immediate and so uncontrollable that I even puked in the hallway of my workplace while being wheel-chaired out as well as in the middle of the hospital on the floor.
- Can last from 4 to 72 hours if untreated and cause pain in the side of the head or both sides, throbbing pain in the body, sensitivity to light and sound, and nausea and vomiting.
- Post-drome or Migraine “Hangover”
- Possibly the worst stage…the feeling of being drained, confused, and washed out. It’s typically known as a sort of hangover because it can leave you feeling just like that. Brain fog and “feeling like a zombie” are very typical during this stage.
- While most sources say this stage can last days for people, mine lasted two weeks due to the severity of my migraine (and pretty much poisoning myself on accident). Most people who get migraines, only have this stage last a day or two.
- Possibly the worst stage…the feeling of being drained, confused, and washed out. It’s typically known as a sort of hangover because it can leave you feeling just like that. Brain fog and “feeling like a zombie” are very typical during this stage.
Prevention of Migraines
Unfortunately, for those who get chronic migraines, there is no cure. But there are a couple ways to prevent migraines.
In my specific situation, the best prevention would have been to not take my vitamins on an empty stomach EVER! Many people that typically get migraines should pay close attention to their triggers, which could be bright lights, flickering screens, poor sleep, dehydration, alcohol, caffeine, or even stress and depression.
Treatment of migraines
There are also several ways to treat a migraine once they’ve occurred or if you think they’re about to occur to make them more manageable. Over-the-counter pain killers are a good start for most people, especially one with caffeine like Excedrin Migraine. During my migraine “hangover” I did take a couple of these to prevent getting another migraine since doctors warn it’s easiest to slip back into another migraine attack right after you have one.
Other treatment include prescribed anti-sickness medicine and triptans, which are specially for a migraine attack.
To get rid of pain:
- Retreat to a dark and silent room if possible
- Avoid screens and lights from phones or computers
- Use ice packs on your neck or head
- Use heating pads on your muscles depending on pain, or hot showers and baths
- Sip on a small amount of caffeine (except if taking a combination medicine that already has caffeine)
- Get a lot of rest
I highly recommend taking a few days off to fully rest if you experience a migraine early in the week and don’t have a weekend to recover properly. Trust me, if you experience a migraine hangover the way I did, you’ll absolutely need that time off.
A Life-Changing Two Weeks: Books to Help Heal
If you’re an ambitious or busy woman like I am, going through a migraine attack can leave you feeling completely defeated and held back. But at the same time, it was a healing period for me learning to appreciate my life for what it currently is and not being in a rush to quickly reach my goals.
One of my best friends and business partner recommended a book to me in this period of recovery that completely changed my life. I highly recommend it, whether suffering from migraines or not. It’s called The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer. Another incredible book that my business group is reading with similar (and less religious aspects if you prefer that) is Pivot to Purpose by Kristen Boss, who also discusses and exposes America’s toxic hustle culture.
Cheers to hopefully never experiencing a migraine ever again but taking away such powerful lessons! Have you ever experienced a migraine attack? Let me know about yours in the comments below.
Sincerely,
