Migraines?

[LARS929]

I have posted a few times lately about my struggles with Hypersomnia and OSA. More and more I am realizing that my tiredness is mixed with extreme migraines. I had thought that when the normal person is tired, they have a head ache. So because I am always tired, a constant head ache just made sense. But talking to some of my friends, they said they don't get head aches just from being tired. So my question is, is it normal for someone with OSA to have extreme migraines pretty much daily? Or is this something I should have looked at by a Neurologist?

[PolarBearDXB]

I had the same problem, and saw an ENT about it. The migraines turned out to be due to allergies, which often turned into sinus infections. Those infections would make the migraines even worse. The solution was to get a nasal septoplasty, which in combination with Allegra have worked GREAT. I used to have sinus infections and colds all the time, and after the surgery I have not had any of that. It's only been three months, but still very promising. In turn, my migraines have gone down significantly. I still get them from time to time, but not at all daily like they used to be.

I would suggest making sure your equipment is properly cleaned every day first, but if that does not help, seeing a doctor about the issue would certainly be the best way to go.

Good luck!

[Country4ever]

Hi Lars,
Are you male or female? What is your age? I had horrible daily migraines during perimenopause. But in retrospect, it might have been the severe sleep apnea I was having too. Also.....are you on any meds? I later discovered also that the Proton Pump Inhibitors (Aciphex, prilosec, nexium, etc.) give me really bad headaches. But.....I think its real possible that sleep apnea can give you headaches all the time.
Also.....just having migraines can make you exhausted, especially the next couple of days. So if you're having them daily.......you'll probably always feel exhausted.

[Pugsy]

Before Cpap I used to wake up in the AM with killer headaches.
After Cpap, less killer headaches but still had a few bad ones despite "good" AHI numbers.
I wondered if they were still related to OSA because of the carbon dioxide imbalance that occurs when Oxygen levels drop. I had a 3 night pulse ox but it didn't show anything. So couldn't blame OSA for those.
I have had a long history of cervical spine problems. Muscle tension headaches. They can mimic migraines in intensity but without the usual other migraine symptoms.

So I started working on neck problems. I don't have the killer headaches nearly as often but I still will wake with a minor "dull" headache fairly frequently. Most often goes away but sometimes will last the most part of the day.

Cluster headaches are more common in men. Google for information. Women can get them too but not as often.

Lots of causes for headaches. Sometimes just takes detective work to find the cause. Some causes are minor but some causes can be major and really need to rule out the major causes just to be extra safe.

If I fall asleep on my "large decorative only" foam neck pillow on my bed instead of my flat buckwheat pillow, I will have a massive headache for sure. The positioning puts a bind on my neck....

[BlackSpinner]

I have posted a few times lately about my struggles with Hypersomnia and OSA. More and more I am realizing that my tiredness is mixed with extreme migraines. I had thought that when the normal person is tired, they have a head ache. So because I am always tired, a constant head ache just made sense. But talking to some of my friends, they said they don't get head aches just from being tired. So my question is, is it normal for someone with OSA to have extreme migraines pretty much daily? Or is this something I should have looked at by a Neurologist?

It needs to be investigated by allergist, ENT and neurologist or by someone specializing in migraines. If your therapy is working well then you would not be waking with a headache from OSA. However migraines can be caused by many different things from hormones and allergies to brain tumours. It is best to have the actual causes figured out. Until you know the cause, you can only treat the pain.

[Drowsy Dancer]

I have posted a few times lately about my struggles with Hypersomnia and OSA. More and more I am realizing that my tiredness is mixed with extreme migraines. I had thought that when the normal person is tired, they have a head ache. So because I am always tired, a constant head ache just made sense. But talking to some of my friends, they said they don't get head aches just from being tired. So my question is, is it normal for someone with OSA to have extreme migraines pretty much daily? Or is this something I should have looked at by a Neurologist?

What do you mean by "extreme" migraines? A migraine is a really specific type of headache, not a loose term for "really severe headache." There is something called status migrainosis that is like a prolonged migraine and can be very hard to uproot.

Are your headaches centralized in one part of your head? Do you experience an "aura" (visual or sometimes auditory disturbances) in advance? Does the headache begin when the aura ends? Are you hypersensitive to light, sounds or smells before or after? Do you vomit from the pain? Does the pain wake you up in the night to vomit?

People who take painkillers (even the OTC stuff like tylenol) can get rebound headaches which are actually caused by the medication. Someone with a constant headache may be taking pain medication daily and thereby actually perpetuate the headache:http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/reboun ... es/DS00613 Someone with OSA and CPAP and constant headaches could be suffering from caffeine withdrawal if caffeine consumption goes down when meaningful rest goes up.

If you do in fact have actual migraines, there is a prescription nasal spray (great if you're throwing up your medicine) that can knock the headache out about ten minutes after taking it. Bliss.

Drowsy Dancer (migraineur)

[Wulfman...]

It seems odd that I should have to keep reminding people that there are (almost) no "new" subjects on this forum.......

Go up to the Search function and do a search on "migraine" (or "migraines") and start reading. It seems to me that I remember discussions years ago that mentioned that once the user got their therapy tweaked, their migraines subsided in varying degrees......if not disappeared.

The reason I remember this is because I have a friend in Calgary who has suffered from migraines for about the last 25 years and I wanted her to read some of the links and look into the possibility of talking to her doctor about this therapy as a possible relief option.


Den

[SleepingUgly]

I never had headaches in the morning (but I also don't have severe oxygen desaturations). But I would have headaches very frequently in the late afternoons and evenings on days when I was particularly tired, after the wake-promoting agents had offset. Anything that exacerbated my sleepiness exacerbated the headaches. When they are bad, they come with queasiness/nausea and sensitivity to light.

[BlackSpinner]

Are your headaches centralized in one part of your head? Do you experience an "aura" (visual or sometimes auditory disturbances) in advance? Does the headache begin when the aura ends? Are you hypersensitive to light, sounds or smells before or after? Do you vomit from the pain? Does the pain wake you up in the night to vomit?

Yes this. I should have mentioned that. So many people assume a bad headache is a migraine when it is not. In fact you , actually I, can have a migraine without any pain at all. All of those symptoms without the sledge hammer effect.

Which means it is even more important to have it checked by someone specializing in it

[chunkyfrog]

Before CPAP, I woke up many times a night--often with a splitting headache.
I would stay up the first time I woke up sans headache--no matter what time it was--even 3 or 4 A.M.
About a week ago, I took a short nap (30 min) without my machine, but with my new oximeter.
I woke with that same nasty headache--yep; Oxygen 90%, and a pulse rate pushing 100.
Who knows what it would have said had I set it on 'record', instead of checking it once I was awake.
This is an experiment I may repeat before the user group meeting in a couple of weeks.
My oximeter may make a neat 'show and tell'; and make some of the luddites think a little about their foolishness.

[Jaylee]

Before BiPap I averaged one migraine a week. There is a big difference between a migraine and a really bad headache, for me, anyway. After BiPap, I have only had a handful of migraines, and I have been able to trace the ones I have had directly to what I ate or hormones. I think BiPap had a huge roll to play in eliminating my weekly migraines.

[Slartybartfast]

[snip] is it normal for someone with OSA to have extreme migraines pretty much daily? Or is this something I should have looked at by a Neurologist?

Pet peeve:

A migraine is much more than a headache.

Try:
It's been, what? A week since my last one? It's about 10:00. They always come on around 10:00 a.m. If it doesn't happen by noon, then I'm safe for another day.
Oh is that a little twinkling I see? It's happening. I have to get to somewhere safe before I can't see.
I know you're there, but I can't see your face. Who are you?
I know I'm wearing dark glasses in a dark room. The light hurts my eyes.
Please talk softly. Sounds hurt my ears.
Don't expect me to be much company. I can't think straight right now.
Hand me that waste basket. I'm going to throw up again.
No, the doctors say nothing can be done for them. Maybe I'll be better tomorrow.

That was my life through college and graduate school. It was hell. And it took its toll on my performance.
Professors didn't understand, or concluded I was on something. GP-type MDs trivialized it, saying I'll grow out of it.
Psychologists said, "It's all in your head." Try biofeedback, or maybe quit college and get a non-stressful job.

Fortunately, time moderated their frequency and reduced their severity to the point where Tylenol Migraine takes care of the symptoms.

Please. Unless you have those symptoms, don't call a headache a migraine.

[SleepingUgly]

Please. Unless you have those symptoms, don't call a headache a migraine.

I read quite a bit on headaches during the time mine were at their worst, and severity does not define a migraine. In other words, a migraine doesn't have to be severe to be a migraine, and a headache that is not a migraine can be more severe than a migraine. Many headaches are migraines, including some of those that we call "sinus headaches", which rarely are.

[Drowsy Dancer]

Please. Unless you have those symptoms, don't call a headache a migraine.

I read quite a bit on headaches during the time mine were at their worst, and severity does not define a migraine. In other words, a migraine doesn't have to be severe to be a migraine, and a headache that is not a migraine can be more severe than a migraine. Many headaches are migraines, including some of those that we call "sinus headaches", which rarely are.

Yes, there are some migraines that are not severe, and some severe headaches that are not migraines. "Migraine" is a specific medical term....

DD

[BlackSpinner]

Please. Unless you have those symptoms, don't call a headache a migraine.

I read quite a bit on headaches during the time mine were at their worst, and severity does not define a migraine. In other words, a migraine doesn't have to be severe to be a migraine, and a headache that is not a migraine can be more severe than a migraine. Many headaches are migraines, including some of those that we call "sinus headaches", which rarely are.

Correct - most of the ones I get now are without the sledge hammer. Still disoriented and light sensitive and pretty sparkles in circles and if you cook bacon I will barf on you, can't think straight or walk well but no pain.