Employers do not understand migraines.
Many employers do not understand the terrible effects of migraines and could do more to support staff with the condition, three UK charities say.
I can’t say that I am surprised. I’ve had people expect me to carry on because it’s just a headache. Indeed, many people use the term migraine to describe a headache in the same way that they use flu to describe a common cold. A migraine is not a headache. It is a suite of debilitating symptoms that will vary from one sufferer to another. Mine used to involve severe pain down one side of my head – and I mean severe – along with nausea, vomiting, photophobia and semi blindness (super enlarged blind spots).
Sometimes I would force myself to carry on, suppressing the symptoms as much as I could until I could lie down. Once I did that, I was out for around twelve hours with a two or three day postdrome. So, no, it is not a headache and it is debilitating.
That said, once I gave up coffee – completely, not just going decaff – I’ve not had one since. It’s been seven years now. I still get headaches. But they are not migraines.
You’re spot on with the reason; people misusing the description. I’ve never had one myself, so don’t know what it feels like, although I am aware that it’s far more severe than a headache and get annoyed with people who clearly only do have a headache.
I have had the flu though. That’s definately worse than a cold and I would call anyone off work for two days with the ‘flu’, a liar
Two weeks minimum for the flu. It wipes you out.
You loose weight though, so there’s that…
I too have never had a migraine but my sister suffers from them. Not nice and yes debilitating.
Absolutely true about the flu, I have had the flu once as a young boy of 12 / 13 it knocked me for 6. It was many weeks before fully recovered. 40 years in industry seeing people claiming to be sick with the flu but fully recovered in 2 days has made me cynical, I could predict the next flu attack by monitoring people’s annual leave balance and upcoming sporting events. One particular nasty strain was “Cheltenham Festival Flu” which lasted 4 days every March.
I’ve suffered from migraine all my life, but it’s very mild compared with what other people describe. But you and Bucko are right, the problem isn’t migraine, it’s people using the term as a synonym for headache. My migraine has become even milder as I’ve got older. Now I just tend to get the visual disturbance and rarely get a headache. (One of the few benefits of old age. :-))
Oddly enough, this seems to be common – people getting over them as they get older. My father did as I did in his seventies. Gave up coffee. Not had one since. He used to get them every six weeks or so as I did.
I have never suffered from migraine myself, but when my dad used to get it it wiped him out for days. Sickness, loss of balance and a pain I am glad I can’t imagine. I’ve had the odd headache, particularly when I used to drink, but I thank God I never had a migraine.
If the people claiming to suffer from it only knew they would be ashamed.
@LR
Spot on. I started having them age 11 or 12. Pain all down one sde of head, usually left – brain, eye, teeth. Light, sound & eating made it worse. Only cure was strong painkillers and sleep in a cool, quiet, dark room. Would wake up next day and be tired – even though I’d slept for 12+ hours. Was like migraine sleep didn’t count.
Thankfully, vomiting was rare.
I had one really bad one where I was begging my parents to kill me. On-call GP sedated me.
As with others, episodes have decreasd with age. However, I still always have painkillers in pocket to take at first signal.
Maybe I’ve been lucky, but school and employers have been understanding – possibly because there are signs such as face drained of colour and speech slurred.
I detest people using the term as a synonym for a headache and the cold is a flu whiners.
Triptans will work if you catch it early enough.
The poor employer suffers too. He hires people to work.
How many non functioning employees must he carry.
People get sick. Goes with the territory. Any employer that hasn’t got contingency arrangements really shouldn’t be in business.
As a teen I used to get migraines regularly. I also used to get sick a lot with stomach aches that couldn’t be explained. One time I got a migraine so bad I was temporarily paralysed, and parents rushed me to hospital. Luckily by the time I was seen the paralysis was wearing off. But the hospital doctor said that in some young people migraines can present as stomach pains, which was surprising. That form subsided after my exams, so I’m guessing was the result of migraine + stress. That and I stopped taking the drugs they were prescribing me for it all, which just made it worse.
These days most of my migraines present mainly as really bad headaches with swimming or spotty vision, hyper- or hypo-sensitive senses and nausea. I call it a mild migraine. I can function with it, barely, but only if it’s absolutely necessary. But full on ones, no way. It can get to the point I’m banging my head against the wall just to deaden everything, there is literally nothing I can do with myself and even lying in bed can make things worse.
My mum used to have to drive us to school with migraines. It was a regular thing to get in the car and be told “is now the time to tell you I can’t see?” said jokingly, but she was seeing black spots, or sometimes wavy lines. When that happened as soon as she got back home she was straight back to bed hoping to ease it just enough she could collect us in the afternoon. Fun times, those.
My missis gets one or two a year. It starts with visual disturbances and leads to debilitation, pain and nausea. On one occasion the onset was so sudden that she vomited into a box of Christmas presents she was wrapping and woke up several hours later with no memory of having done so. However she now carries a medicine called Migraleave and if she takes this at the instant the visual disturbance manifests itself then the episode is stopped in it’s tracks.
It’s a bad affliction but in her case it can be controlled. I never get them but it’s no joke for anyone who does.
I’ve used Migraleve. It’s a cocktail of painkillers and anti-nausea medication. You have to take it early or the stomach goes into stasis and that’s it, it stays there. Triptans are worth a try as they work directly at the root of the cause and can be taken alongside Migraleve.
@LR
Thanks for this thread. Good discussion & information (eg Triptans)
Cheers