Migraine vs. models

[ErikB]

It looks like we have some common themes here, namely:
- Florescent light
- Computer screens
- Incorrect or insufficient prescription for glasses
- Hydration
- Eating

Here's what works for me (I'm a firmware engineer - I spend 10 hours/day in front of a computer screen, too):
- Add some natural lighting, just open some window shades somewhere in the building (LED if that's the only option)
- Turn down the computer's monitor
- Eat protein for breakfast (meat, cheese, eggs, milk, protein powder drink), not carbohydrates (no breads)
- Drink a lot of water
- Get the right glasses - not just the Rx but focused for up close as opposed to far away

I hope this helps.  Living like this keeps my migraines at bay.  I hope y'all feel better.

[Vanvlak]

It looks like we have some common themes here, namely:
- Florescent light
- Computer screens
- Incorrect or insufficient prescription for glasses
- Hydration
- Eating

Here's what works for me (I'm a firmware engineer - I spend 10 hours/day in front of a computer screen, too):
- Add some natural lighting, just open some window shades somewhere in the building (LED if that's the only option)
- Turn down the computer's monitor
- Eat protein for breakfast (meat, cheese, eggs, milk, protein powder drink), not carbohydrates (no breads)
- Drink a lot of water
- Get the right glasses - not just the Rx but focused for up close as opposed to far away

I hope this helps.  Living like this keeps my migraines at bay.  I hope y'all feel better.

Thanks Erik - 10 hours in front of a screen sounds bad. My working day varies from 8 to 12 hours, but I usually try to break away from the computer screen and do some reading or practical work or corrections. I didn't do that today, hence, guess what, the migraine score is up by one...

[boneio]

I get auras too, and for me it seems to be lack of water, too much sleep, and neck and shoulder tension.

I'm fairly fortunate that the pain now often barely registers, so I tend to have to sit through half an hour of not being able to see, after which it's usually just a mild to moderate headache for a few hours.

[Daeothar]

I used to suffer from migraines pretty badly when in high school, but they have been declining in frequency to about one or two a year, and the past couple of years, I've not had any attacks at all!

Mine last for an entire day (they usually start somewhere halfway the morning), but I always get a warning first; twinkling lights start in my peripheral vision (bright points of light that appear and disappear). These lights get more and more numerous until they fill my full field of vision (at that point it's impossible to see or do anything), all the while I'm feeling increasingly nauseous.

Then, all of a sudden it's all gone, and half an hour after, almost on the dot, the most debilitating headache one can imagine kicks in and lasts for a full day. It's so bad that falling asleep is impossible, so I have to be very alert for the leading symptoms, so I can get home as soon as possible (before I'm unable to drive), heavily medicate up and hope to fall asleep before the headache gets me.

Then for one or two days after, I'm so uncoordinated I sometimes can't even make a frickin' sandwich or remember even the simplest things and have to slowly get back into the world. It's like I've got my head stuck into a bale of wool; all inputs seem to be severely muffled and dampened to the point where I can sometimes appear unresponsive.

Like I said; I have not had one of these for a couple of years now (knock on wood), and I hope to never have them again.

But I've never been adverse to any painkillers, sleep medication or any other pharmaceutical means to keep those headaches at bay or suppressed, no matter how strong. At all.


Oh; and the list of factors to take into account is pretty comprehensive bar one major one; cafeïne...

I found that once I stopped drinking any heavily cafeineated beverages, the frequency of attacks dropped dramatically! But all kinds of allergies can be the cause of migraines and often we don't even have a suspicion of  what causes them. Apparently, with me, bananas can be a factor too...

Good luck on getting through those attacks. And kudo's to you for actually finishing miniatures this year already...

[Vanvlak]

I get auras too, and for me it seems to be lack of water, too much sleep, and neck and shoulder tension.

I'm fairly fortunate that the pain now often barely registers, so I tend to have to sit through half an hour of not being able to see, after which it's usually just a mild to moderate headache for a few hours.

Too much sleep - that's opposite to me; but then I don't have loss of vision.
Typical of migraines to effect people differently - in fact...

Oh; and the list of factors to take into account is pretty comprehensive bar one major one; cafeïne...

I found that once I stopped drinking any heavily cafeineated beverages, the frequency of attacks dropped dramatically! But all kinds of allergies can be the cause of migraines and often we don't even have a suspicion of  what causes them. Apparently, with me, bananas can be a factor too...

Good luck on getting through those attacks. And kudo's to you for actually finishing miniatures this year already...

In my case caffeine helps - in fact the Solpadeine I take include caffeine.

As for finished models - the score is now a shocking 8 - 5 (that's 5 migraines between 1 - 11 January!), and most of the models had been started in 2017.