It's oh so quiet...

...where is everyone?

If you log in to the forum, drop in here and say hello.

Hi Sarah. I've been having a couple of "better than usual weeks" and have been trying to catch up on other tasks

On the few times I have dropped in here, I too have noticed it's more quite than normal.

It's early summer here, and while I find the summer glare very uncomfortable, it's very nice being able to get under the trees and shrubs in the shady parts of the garden

Hooray, there is someone here!

Glad to hear things have been a bit better for you. I'm very jealous of your summer, even if it does mean the sun is glaring. I have the heating on here and am still cold!

I'm much the same - a mixed bag really.

Hi, thought I'd drop in and say hello. It's really cold here!!! Going to Fort William next week for my birthday, so it will be even colder up there. Going with my boyfriend and holly the cocker spaniel. Had to buy her a few new jumpers!!! The weather in New Zealand is lovely I hear at this time of year. My boyfriend has friends in Christchurch, he works for the fire brigade and she's a nurse. They commented that it was about thirty degrees heat at the moment. Wouldn't mind a bit of that for Xmas!!!

I'm thinking of going into hibernation. Brr!!!

I got back from an 8-day Pacific cruise just a few days ago. Almost too warm for me. I did manage to get sunburnt after spending almost half a day floating on my back at a glorious beach at Isle of Pines.

Migraines stayed away most of the time - well serious ones anyway. Had one nasty episode on the third day, and the last 2 days of the holiday were horrific as the headache was much more intense than usual. Not the best state to be in when making several connecting flights and passing through customs in Australia and NZ. However made it back in one piece.

Now the wife is planning another cruise - a longer one.

I'm wincing on your behalf at the idea of a migraine whilst travelling. Not ideal at all. Hope you managed to have a good time. Your wife obviously thinks so!

Christmas went OK here. I always dread it a bit, as I feel I have to force myself to be OK on the day, no matter what. Yesterday was a bit dramatic, as I went out to the post Christmas sales, feeling OK, but by the time I got there I had a shocking migraine. I decided to not let it beat me, and battled my way round the shops, head throbbing, feeling sick, totally disorientated etc.

Out of desperation, I tried a couple of remedies: stuffing my face with a big meal, which helped a little. Also having a cup of tea. I've been fully decaff for about 3 weeks now, and I think the caffeine did help a bit too.

Hope everyone had a good Christmas. Here's to a better 2013!

I've given up trying to be a hero when it comes to migraines. I've learnt that battling it out only intensifies and lengthens the attack, and is counter-productive. For me, post Xmas sales would never be a reason to do battle with a migraine.

My wife dragged me into a nearby city yesterday to take advantage of the sales, but I insisted we avoid the shopping complexes with the worst acoustics. The noise and lighting in these seem to have been designed to deliberately bring on migraines in susceptible individuals.

A trend I have noticed with what here is known as "Boxing Day Sales" is that they are no longer a one day affair that happens on the first non-weekend day after Christmas, but extend from the 26th until New Year's Eve. I even noticed that Boxing Day sales started on Christmas day for on-line shops. By law, retail shops must be shut on Christmas Day, but that doesn't apply to on-line transactions.

I am back - sorry - had to take a break - so much going on.... how is everyone doing?

Well hello, stranger!

Sarah,
I noticed on the 29th you said "stuffing my face with a big meal, which helped a little." Do you generally find that eating helps? I find loading up on refined carbs helps the pain and weakness, but is so bad for my waistline. I wish it wasn't such a dependable way to feel a little better. I use it way too much.

It's the opposite that helps with me - it's fat and protein that help more than carbs. I could eat refined carbs forever, but they would never help. I think salt is helpful for me too.

I notice I sometimes get a craving for sweet foods shortly before an aura starts. If I do nothing about it, I can guarantee a full blown migraine within a few hours. If I obey the craving, I sometimes get just an aura or less severe symptoms when the migraine arrives.


Recently I've been drinking an isotonic drink whenever I feel a migraine coming on. It seems to be more effective than any of the prescription medications I've had in the past. So I thought maybe my migraines could be triggered by dehydration, but I have found drinking lots of water instead of the drink has no measurable effect. Looking at the drink label, I see it has caffeine, milk thistle extract, vitamins B3, B6 and B12 and a range of electrolytes.


I know that electrolytes help regulate hydration, and I'm beginning to wonder if some of my migraines could be due to poor regulation of my body's hydration, and the electrolytes in the drink rectify the situation. It's probably a wacky theory, but if it works for me, I'm not too concerned about how it works.

How interesting... I'm assuming the drink includes sodium? I do think that a salty meal helps me. Although I wonder if it is the caffeine in the drink, since I've found that, now I only drink decaff tea, a cup of strong tea really helps my head. It never did when I was regularly drinking caffeine.

Great to hear you've found something that helps!

Yes, there is quite a lot of sodium and potassium in the drink - 57 mg and 41 mg respectively per 100 ml. I'm hoping this won't go the same way as all the prescription meds have. If they worked at all they only worked for a month or two before becoming ineffective. At least the are no adverse side effects that I have noticed, and the drinks are unlikely to be as harmful as the medications I have tried.


I am a regular coffee drinker, and on several occasions in the past when I was searching for possible food triggers, I abstained from all forms of caffeine for up to 6 months. The only effect was an increase in migraine intensity and frequency for a few weeks before returning to the previous pattern.


Coffee is something I really enjoy and I'm unlikely to give it up unless there was very solid evidence that it had a negative influence on my migraines. One thing that I have changed over the last few months is to avoid instant coffee and purchase organic coffee beans in preference to non-organic beans.

I have to have coffee (which is just as important to my well being as those around me! LOL) , but since I was put on Topamax I find that anything carbinated is painful to drink. Like the bubbles are scrapping my throut. So I cut all sodas and such out. Helped my waist line, but last night we are having hamburgers for dinner and all I can think is DANG I want to steal someone's COKE! LOL!