I've suffered of migraines since I was 5. In fact, I didn't know there were any other types of headaches. But, because I was so little, I always just said my head hurt and my eyes felt funny. My parents, bless them, blamed everything under the sun for my constant headaches and eventually assumed I was making it up. It wasn't until I was 15 that a migraine left me incapacitated that they rushed me to the emergency room because half of my face felt tingly/numb and I was seeing shadowy spots out of one eye that they took me seriously. Everyone thought I was having a stroke. 5 hours and one head MRI later the doctor very casually and almost dismissively said "it's /just/ a migraine." Just a migraine. So my parents now blamed my poor sleeping patterns (the pain kept me up which in turn caused more migraines) for any and all headaches. And as always, told me to ignore the pain and do my work because it was "just a headache." I learned to keep quiet when my head hurt. I was in debilitating pain 15 days per month, had to deal with school and everything else in silence. Then a miracle happened. My mom got a migraine one day and she was laid out on the couch, crying and incapable of so much as standing up. I laughed and said "what do you mean you can't make dinner, it's just a headache." Terrible, I know. But now she knew how I felt.
I feel this one! My parents would think I was getting severely dehydrated (I get it... kids do tend to forget.) and then moved on to bad sleeping habits as a teen. It feels great when it finally clicks for them how much it sucks and that you can’t do anything to stop your migraines.
Bahaha oh no poor mom but like we all love a little real life justice now and then 😂 My mom is always like “oh it’s just a _____” even when it’s something she’s gone through too. It’s sooooo not helpful. I’m 25 and she’ll still doing it 🙄 stuff like “oh I’ve had an ovarian cyst burst, I didn’t have to go to the emergency room.” I’ve asked her why she does it and I think in some twisted way she thinks she’s helping??? Like it won’t hurt so much and I won’t take it so seriously if she tells me it doesn’t hurt and it isn’t serious...... 🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️
I was in my 30's when I realized that "the bad headaches" I got sometimes were actually migraines. (Believe it or not, it was a drug commercial on TV that described migraine symptoms that made me realize what it was.) This was after years of other migraine suffering people I knew telling me they had migraines and I only had headaches, bla, bla, bla. 🙄
I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I also had my first migraines at five and I was punished because my parents thought I must be lying about how bad the pain was. I still suffer from the emotional trauma of it.
Jessica: “Don’t you dare use that as a reason against universal healthcare *certain Americans* because I didn’t have to sell my house for it, and that’s pretty important too.” Me:*likes video*
I had a headache for three months straight. Idk if it was a migraine. But I remember basically never leaving my house or having people over. And that was just before covid. Really.... not great timing....
Yeah, my migraines often feel like a vise around my head while a hot poker is trying to make a hole between my eye and my nose just so my brains can leak out.
Don’t forget about Zeus who legit smashed his head into a table splitting it open and releasing Athena (goddess of wisdom) out of his head. -Greek mythology was weird don’t try this at home.
@@thereisalwaysmore4582 I've heard that Hephaestus drilled into Zeus's skull, but there are so many regional variations of Greek mythology that all three are likely true.
I get the smiling while distressed thing. I was severely abused as a child, a lot of it medical as well and if I cried or showed "negative" emotions in public I would be punished because no one could know about the abuse/neglect. So I was trained to smile no matter what I felt or how much pain I was in. It's really screwed up communication in my adult life and even though it's gotten better it's still my brain's go to so most people don't believe what I am feeling and it's infuriating. Anywho, thanks for giving me a place to share. Love and hugs.
Omg I haaaaate that! “Well you can’t be that upset...” “Well you don’t seem sick!” “You seemed fine with it!” *silently rages inside* My personal history isn’t that bad (I hope things are better in your life these days!!), but smiling, laughing, and seeming happy is definitely a defense mechanism but then it like also backfires a lot. But being ignored tends to be better than the alternative in the moment >.> I’ve been working on being more assertive and not hiding how I’m really feeling because it’s just led me into so many unhealthy inter-personal relationships where I let the other person walk all over me. It’s really hard though. People get angry when I stick up for myself and show that something they said or did upset me. AND NO ONE EVER APOLOGIZES! It’s really opened my eyes to how many of my friendships and other relationships are unhealthy. If someone doesn’t apologize to you after they upset you, even after they’ve had time to cool down, something is wrong! Now if only healthy friendships grew on trees.....
@@ohrats731 Exactly. I've been able to find some healthy relationships where they accept both what has come of the abuse and disabilities so I try to foster those and can better recognize and tell off people who treat me poorly (if it's worth the energy) and not let those reactions get to me quite as much. Baby steps. I hope you're able to have success in that, too! Love and hugs!
I know it made you uncomfortable, but I find your honesty and vulnerability to be incredibly brave. In a culture that over-values masking our personal struggles, every dose of authenticity is refreshing ❤
This! I nearly cried in sympathy toward the end with the lumbar puncture. It's clearly a trauma trigger, and seeing Jessica have such a reaction really hits home for me, as I react similarly to some of my own trauma triggers.
I’ve had a headache for two and a half years. People told me that my ponytail was the cause of my headache, but clearly not because the headache’s still there years after I cut my hair very short. People have told me that if I pierce my ears in the right spot I won’t get headaches anymore. I’ve tried meditation, acupuncture, massage, therapy, medications (many), and I have seen many doctors and gotten many different scans of my brain. Overall, I’m just tired and I want people who aren’t doctors to stop telling me what to do.
@@xRollermaniacx Thank you! I did! Turns out my headache was from a problem with my jaw (still unclear what’s going on) and when I got the swelling on my jaw to go down I got the headache to subside. I still get headaches frequently but pain-free days are so wonderful
I do the same thing. I have really poor venous access, so nurses will often have a difficult time placing an IV when I have to go to the ER for a bad migraine (which happens every 3-4 months). I don’t like drawing attention to myself but I can’t stop it. It gets worse if I even try to stop it. It’s not even a nice laugh, either. It sounds like someone kicking a hyena 😅
I’m one of the two people that my chiropractor sees who does this. The more it hurts, the harder I laugh, and there’s only a slight chance of me laughing so hard I throw up 😂😅
Jules Herbert I think it is a self defense mechanism of sorts. We smile and laugh because if we didn’t some part of us would break. At least I know that’s why I do it.
My god just thinking of it hurts, i can't see normally without sunglasses when i go outside unless it's really cloudy so just thinking of looking straight into the sun with bare eyes is just 😫😫😫
I do look at my wrist now, in case my headache or migraine is exacerbated by dehydration, but it’s not going to fix me - it just might make it a little less awful.
This is the worst, I hate when people ask things like “did you drink water” “how much sleep have you gotten” because it feels like they’re trying to blame your pain on you doing something wrong. I know that’s not their intention, but it feels like an insult.
The number of people in the comments section commenting on the coincidence between their migraine and Jessica's migraine video ( myself included) attests to how "common" migraines are and the lack of awareness about their prevalence . I'll be a millionaire if I had a penny for all the times someone was convinced I was jsut having a headache coz they believe migraines are more rare or have distinct characteristics.
@Mia Smith omg . You are right Its the mild one that are most irritating.because I feel too guilty over resting but i am also not well enough to be productive.
There's a difference between an occasional very bad headache that feels like the world will end for a few days (literally everyone has those...everyone), and an actual migraine disorder (they're not something that happens just on occasion). It's like the difference between being stressed over losing your job versus having a full-blown panic attack when things are actually all going very well, and calling them both anxiety, or having diarrhea and claiming that you know what colitis is like. In the moment, both suck horribly, but conflating them as the same thing hinders treatment of panic attacks as doctors will wonder if what someone's dealing with is a response to something. Not all very back headaches are migraines either. My mother used to get "migraines." Turns out she was chronically dehydrated from drinking vodka like water. Insisting to her doctor that she was having migraines is what results in doctors being slower to treat those of us who deal with them. My fucking insurance won't even cover my treatment. Not covering is justified as "everyone gets headaches sometimes" and telling me to try Tylenol for a few months (literally...Tylenol...). So I'm paying thousands a year out of pocket to get Botox in my scalp and neck, and consider myself very fortunate that I can do so. Since the shots I get help keep me from having more than the occasional mild migraine breakout (getting high as a kite can help that to an extend), I'm considered "cured" of something they say happens to everyone. But when they get full-blown, nothing but time will help, and it can take literally months to be able to function at all again. I go blind from them sometimes. Absolutely literally blind. If disorders versus normal this-fucking-SUCKS nightmare-headaches weren't conflated, we might actually get more treatment options, or any options, for disorders. Thankfully and fortunately, actual migraine disorders aren't common, but unfortunately, everyone has had a world-feelings-like-it-will-end headache on occasion.
@@Author.Noelle.Alexandria I am so sorry to hear about your troubles with treatment and I hope your journey moves towards recovery/better management. Unfortunately migraines diagnosis and treatment is nowhere near where it means to be esp for a condition that affects around 14.5% of the population ( estimates fluctuate widely from 3 to 26%) and being the 7th leading cause of disability ( in terms of DALY's) ( src - www.migrainetrust.org/about-migraine/migraine-what-is-it/facts-figures/ ) I so regret that you ( and me) and countless others have to be part of this club But I guess that's why migraine awareness week exists so we can build awareness and diagnose migraines better. Sending you positive vibes and best wishes
I have hormone and stress induced migraines. So if I'm keeping healthy and am not stressed, I will on average lose 6-8 days a month due to hormonal migraines twice a month. If I'm stressed, I'll lose half a month instead. I can't eat, I can't look at anything or listen to anything and at worst I Can't sleep or lie down without feeling really nauseous, so I sit in the bathroom with my eyes closed instead. There's very little that they can do for migraines, so I just have a stack of Naproxen and an understanding that my employer really wouldn't feel good with me missing so much work, so I have to continue as normal as much as I can instead.
It's the "essential oils!" or "try lavender" suggestions that get me, because mine are extremely sensitive to odors of almost all kinds, but especially anything floral. I'd eliminated scented products from my life (also chocolate, stripes and strong contrasting patterns, video games, anise/licorice, and campfires...) and about eliminated my migraines. ...and then I got vestibular migraine, which appears to be triggered by "having a body" or "existing in space", idk, I'll let you know if I ever narrow it down. Anyway, I'm always kind of shocked when I hear fellow migraineurs talk about using lavender, even though I know we all have different triggers. It's just such a strong one for me it's like my body doesn't believe it doesn't smell like pain to everyone.
Yes. It really doesn't make sense for everyone. Lavender is very polarizing and some hate it. Also, I adore lavender (as tea) but not in essential oil form. Floral essential oils of all kinds are heavy and strong and trigger my migraines when diffused and are horrible for those with scent sensitivities (I can use small amounts in sprays or cleaning where the scent soaks into something though and doesn't sit in the air). Mint oil is the only essential oil that never triggers my scent sensitivities and migraines.
As someone who suffers from migraines and also frequent nosebleeds (like, a frankly ridiculous amount), can confirm bloodletting doesn't help. You think they would have worked that one out sooner.
@@Jess-sb2nj I was told they don't offer that any more in the UK. Or if they do, it's only if they're really, really, really bad, and my 30 min long sessions somehow don't meet that requirement 🙄
My sinus headaches caused me to have sudden gushing nosebleeds for like two months two years ago. That was the worst ever and I'm so pleased they miraculously stopped
Haha my question isn't why do you wear false eyelashes, but rather what kind they are! They look really nice and delicate and fluttery, which I like more than some of the more dramatic styles.
I feel so called out on the 'working while having a migraine' thing. Luckily, my migraines are mostly just really annoying (and painful, which somehow always surprises me) and usually not 'need to keep my eyes closed in a dark room' kind of bad. I work through my migraines all the time. They happen at such a regular frequency that I can't take 1-2 weeks off work to deal with them. Plus, both my work and my hobbies all require my eyesight, so if I can do hobbies, I can work... I just get frustrated. Though, going out in the sun is a no-no with a migraine. And I wear sunglasses outside almost year round as soon as there's even a little bit of sun...
I've had chronic migraines for a while and then I got two! concussions! My neurology appointment is on Monday and I swear, if they don't get me on a prophylactic that actually works, I will bind a dead mole to my head. Don't test me.
I wonder if it has to be a mole? I mean, could any random roadkill work? I regularly see racoons, possums, birds, etc where I live. I could even catch a rat if put to it. It's one of the least harmless of what she talked about to try......and desperate times call for desperate measures. And if one more person tells me to drink more water to fix my migraine, I will have a handy dandy dead animal to stop their gob with!
I've read about the Tudor mole too... I cannot for the life of me work out the logic of that one?!? And would a taxidermied mole have the same effect as a live mole in your hat as a flattened roadkill mole thàt you have to replace every 3days as it rots and you wash your hair?!
sarahwithstars I'm not sure. But I've heard that in South America shamans use guinea pigs to diagnose illness. In some way, by waving the living rodent around the ill person the animal gets the symptoms. Now to the really mean part... the shaman opens the Guinea pig and knows the illness to treat. I couldn't do that! A more pet friendly way would be to let the moles alive and rise the head count to lower the burden for the sole mole. I would let my horde live in my garden, maybe I could fill a swimming pool with .... sometimes I wonder if I get migraines from thinking to much, to far.....🤔😑🤣😬 you could tinker a crown of living moles. They would be comfortable until they get their share of migraine....
@@MoreCoffeePlease. it's candestarten (I think I spelled it wrong lmao) It's commonly used as a blood pressure medication but it has worked wonders for my migraines!
God, hearing about the trauma that happened to you from your medical procedure going wrong, it makes me feel sick too. I’m so sorry you experienced that.
My mom has had migraines throughout my childhood. Many doctors just said she was stressed and had normal headaches. She could lay in bed for days, hating her kids for every sound they made. But it was just stress..... When she finally was diagnosed, she tried some special medication, that helped with the pain, but had heart-rythm-sideeffects. Through puberty and when I took the pill I suddenly got to know her pain. Thank god those hormones settled down afterwards.
I'm a huge lavender fan but it seriously never did anything for my migraines 😂 and now I'm scared of triggering migraines in other people by simply smelling like a witch's fav drawer 😱
Seeing as we’re talking about horrible treatments for migraines do any other suffers feel compelled to remove their eye with a Mellon baller when things get really bad. Totally not something anyone should actually do or think would actually solve the problem but in the heat of the moment removing your eye seems like it would hurt less
Yes!!! Last Saturday. I was at my parents with my boyfriend and her mom for lunch and i had a migraine. i sat at the table, closed my eyes and just started pushing my eyes back to relive the pressure.I even kinda held my left eye and thought about how yanking it out would solve everything. I also usually think about how shoving an icepick in my temple _just there_ would be nice. I wouldn't do it but i think about it. One time it was really bad and it lasted for days, this was years ago before i was getting proper medication. i sat on the floor next to my bed and was banging my temple against the edge. My mom had to stop me and it really scared her. I don't remember how i got through it but i remember the banging part and how it did relieved some of the pressure. I think yanking my eye out or shoving an icepick in my temple would feel similar. If i would tell this to someone who hasn't experienced a strong migraine they would think I'm insane. But pain is a very strong motivator, the strongest in my opinion, and exchanging excruciating pain to little less intense pain seems logical when you just feel like you can't take it anymore. Edit: sorry for the long comment
Imola Szilagyi I can completely relate to everything you just said. I don’t know about you but having these experiences makes me admire Jess so much for what she does here. This community has helped me see that I’m not alone in some of life’s challenges. Particularly when I interact all the time with people who cant imagine wanting to take out their own eye ball or skewer their head with something because it seems like it would make things feel better then the pain their currently experienced.
@@ozbolder yes, i just found her channel and she's so great. Also reading through the comments, something about other people dealing with chronic pain or something else even gives some sort of hope that we're all going through it, it's hard for everyone but we can get through it. Sometimes it's debilitating and sometimes it's better and we just have to carry on and we will be able to do that. Sometimes i want to shove an icepick in my temple and i lay in bed as soon as i finish work and sometimes i even forget i get migraines, and that's how it is. Jess talking about her experiences openly helps me and i think others too.
I've been really tempted and I don't own a melon baller. But I have been tempted by plastic knives, my partner's electric drill, and that bit of thatch I just walked by.
There are a ton of different meds that either help with migraine pain or help prevent/lower frequency. The newest of these is aimovig (but very few insurance companies cover it).
Ml Fett yeah, I’ve been prescribed multiple medications for it, Topiramate, propranolol, etc., but they don’t decrease very much when I’m on them, if at all. That being said, I should still probably take my meds when I’m supposed to lol
As someone that has been living with chronic migraines for the vast majority of my life...this video is the perfect expression of all the stupid crap people try to convince me to try to make the headaches stop. The craziest one I was told to try was to put one foot in ice water and the other foot in just under boiling water...
I've got that one too. Now I just stop them in their tracks and tell them to keep their (stupid) ideas to themselves while also acknowledging that I know they are "trying to help" but failing miserably.
Not a migraine cure but a concussion “cure” I was given while travelling. A boiled potato pressed on the head. That was... interesting 🤨 I was in an area with restricted water, I can’t exactly remember when I was able to wash the potato out of my hair 😂
I've had chronic migraines since 2003, and in all those years the only thing that has ever helped was cannabis, which doesn't really help when you need to get work done or have to drive somewhere
Cannabis is illegal where I am, but more than one doctor has recommended it for my migraines. Like "have you, perhaps, tried weed? Edible weed, specifically. Give yourself an epic buzz, drink tons of water and pass out. That'll cure it. But also...I am not encouraging you to break the law. Just...asking...if you've tried weed. And if you'd consider it."
It only worked the first time I used it. Then my body became tolerant and it did not stop the migraine anymore. Perhaps if my migraines were only once a fortnight it could have been useful.
@@kikoenjani7335 I definitely lucked when medical marijuana became legal in my state, and that I have the funds buy the edibles, because they're expensive and not covered by insurance.
@@pattheplanter I'm sorry that it doesn't help you. Tolerance build up is a pain, especially when you've got a chronic illness. I hope you are able to find something soon that does help
@@nyves104 As I wrote elsewhere, I found my main triggers were cardamoms or air freshener. I became really good at cooking curries and left any job where air freshener was still used after I had asked them to stop. It is surprising how difficult some people find it to believe that air freshener can be toxic to some other people. I had to leave 3 jobs. That changed my life. I am a much happier, more balanced person who only occasionally has migraines from extreme stress and stupid dehydration.
I’m allergic to garlic. Garlic gives me migraines. I know exactly which “doctor” I would have ended up with because that is how my life goes. I have friend who believes the only thing I need to do to relieve a migraine is to take three deep breaths through my nose. The fact that it doesn’t work and the neurologist has to order an IV at the hospital is because I am not trying hard enough.
I feel ya. Aspartame(which is the sugar in gum and diet drinks) gives me one hell of a migraine. I usually just have to ride it out which is horrible. Thank goodness I stopped consuming that stuff long ago, but just a little to this day will cause a migraine.
angelingray And yet the makers of aspartame say people aren’t allergic or sensitive to it, it’s just all in our minds. Aspartame gives me hives. I have had reactions even when I didn’t know I was consuming it. Yet, according to their website, that doesn’t happen.
Trepanning worked on certain headwounds, because there would be swelling on the brain from the injury, and the trepanning procedure would relieve the pressure. They actually do something similar these days- without the whole, like, hole in the head thing, and instead use catheters to drain excess fluid out via less invasive methods.
mackereltabbie Yeah. After a stroke this is sometimes done. Neat fact, they sometimes take the piece of skull, and put it under the skin near your hip to preserve it for the weeks it’s removed.
My dad suffers from awful migraines, it's heartbreaking seeing him in old age and in such pain. I really hope one day there will be some development in research for easy cures. My heart goes out to everyone who suffers from migraines and all else 💜
Same but it's been a while already, though considering its most likely going to last the rest of the day, might as well have been at the start (different timezone here)
I always thought I was being a huge baby about my migraines, until I found your videos. Don't get me wrong, I'm so sorry you have to deal with them, but I feel so much more valid and less alone :)
I have epilepsy and the seizures have really affected my memory. I’ve felt exactly how you described at the end of the video regarding social interactions but I’ve never heard anyone talk about it. Thank you so much for sharing that. Your channel has helped me find so much peace with myself 💗
If we were friends, and I know you have these memory problems, would you rather I stop you & mention that you've told me this story before, or just let you retell it? Which would you find less embarrassing/intrusive? I have some friends that I know have some memory issues, so I usually just let them retell it - do you think this is a good way to handle it? Does it depend on our relationship/degree of closeness? I also have memory issues (well, mine were more related to my 'inability to focus properly' issues, though now they seem to be genuine memory problems as my thyroid issues increase...~sigh~), so I generally preface every story with "I can't remember if I already told you this, but..." in order to give my companion a heads up that I don't mind being told to shut up. ;)
If you want to be amused, look up Pliny the Elder's recommendations for headaches (and really anything actually). Some of the stuff he recommended was weird things like drink water that's been left behind after an ox or a donkey drinks from the water first. Another piece of advice was to put vinegar on door hinges. So, Jessica, have you tried putting vinegar on your door hinges? lmao (Apologies if this isn't as funny as I think it is. I'm currently deeply exhausted after having some major mental health issues yesterday.)
As a long-term chronic migraine sufferer people keep recommending the Daith piercing to me X.X I do love how Claudia came and gave you a drink and then did the acupuncture thing on your hand for you. It IS always better when other people do it for you. Also, please don't feel so self-conscious about your eyes, they're lovely (even though I'm usually busy lip-reading)
The manic chaos barely masking pain and discomfort is super fucking relatable.... If I'm having a rough go (be it physically or emotionally) I'm exactly that mood until I'm at the point of completely non functional. Love you Jess, you show you're vulnerability as much as your strength and sass your way through it all ❤️
i know how horrible everything must feel on the inside, but i really hope you know how fantastic you look on the outside! your hair is gorgeous and that dress is a great color on you. even with a migraine you always kill it! and you have the most radiant smile as always, could light up a room and brings so much positivity to your viewers' days! love you, wishing the best recovery you can get💖
I was making a smoothie during the content warning and now I'm drinking a delightful tropical drink while listening to some of most horrifying medical stories I've ever heard But honestly I dont even mind because Jessica is so lovely💗
I had a migraine a few years ago that was so bad I had my husband take me to the ER (in the US), after giving me a CT scan (I assume to rule out a stroke - family history with them) and a slew of medicines that did jack all...they gave me morphine and life was worth living again. OH, I also found out migraines can be hereditary - thanks so much Dad and Mom for that genetic whammy. I also found over time that I am a weirdo in that when I get them I never know what is going to make me ill - i.e. light, sound, smell, or any combination...my sister has light issues when she gets hers, Dad is sound, and Mom was smell. So I feel like such an over achiever when I'm hiding in my dark room, wearing ear plugs, and a towel jammed under the door so I can't smell what ever that gruel is that is being scorched in the kitchen (sarcasm, it just translates to that mid-migraine). Hope your pain clinic can help you find relief and that you don't suffer many migraines until then. P.S. the bag clip can be replaced with a laundry peg or really anything that can apply pressure to the area for an extended period of time. Love and Blessings.
Your soft lovely voice saying 'venereal' and 'Wife!' is exactly the right treatment for this post-cry headache. It's not a migraine, but I sure do hate it almost as much as one!
Okay so I'm new and hearing about your struggle with spinal taps makes me feel so valid. I had one when I was nine years old and I had a similar problem and still have a similar problem with the memory loss part. And I felt so broken until recently because of it. So thank you for sharing your story.
I've had migraines since I was little. Of course, I didn't realize they were migraines until much more recently. I just thought I couldn't handle headaches as well as everyone else. I recall regularly having to go to the nurse's office in school, to the point she stuffed a bed in a dark closet and referred to it as "Ali's room." But yea, I've received a lot of odd advice over the years. Amazingly, I also have received the orgasm advice, though mine was luckily not from a teacher. I don't think I'd ever go to school again if it had. One I found online was peppermint. This was near Christmas, so i had a lot of candy canes readily available. Ended with me giving myself a stomach ache and my migraine went nowhere. I've also had too many people tell me to pray my migraine away, which is just on a whole other level of not helpful. Especially because it then becomes my fault that it inevitably doesn't work.
I absolutely love hearing my friend's stories again and again because I, too, forget things and it's like rewatching a movie you love, but haven't seen in a long time.
I've had seasonal migranes for a decade but now they're getting more frequent. Yall with chronic migraines are [superheros] (released warrior because she's quaker) The only non-medical official things thats helped me a little (read, not much but a little) is this roller that smells lovely because of lavender, but also has menthol so it leaves a cooling sensation like a cold rag without having to actually have a cold rag on your face and do absolutely nothing. ~not replacement for meds, just replacement for cool rag type relief. Essential oils won't cure me Deborah they just smell lovely while the menthol works.~
@@woobiefuntime sometimes I do that too! I like my roller for those times you don't want to lay in the dark even though it helps the pain. I feel like every headache/migrane is its own animal, and needs its own thing.
Menthol helps me a lot. Those little inhalers, i don't really know what you call them but you usually use it them you have cold, they are little bullet shaped plastic things with menthol and you put it up to your nose. I buy them in bulk, like 10 at a time, they help a lot with migraines and also with anxiety. They have a small container of menthol oil at the bottom and i rub that on my temple. But when i was a kid & teen and didn't get proper medication i would soak a bandana in cold water then tie it tightly across my forehead. The cold helped and also the pressure.
@@evelynkrull5268 hahaha 😂😂😂 that maid me laugh out loud. New migraine cure: wrap a wet banana around your head 🤣 Would be repinned all over pinterest :)))
When I'm at home, my go to is a loop of thick elastic around my head lol. It's not too tight, just enough to put a bit of pressure on my head to counteract the migraine. And, y'know, my migraine meds. Stay strong! And maybe have a lie down!
@@dees3179 When I first started getting migraines, I found that pressing my head into a firm pillow or putting a small pillow against the wall and leaning on it made things a lot more bearable. The only set back was I had stuff to do. So... elastic!
Interesting! Reminds me of my brother though lol he broke his glasses and went around with a big rubber band holding them to his face for days it was ridiculous! 😂❤️ Migraines are so funny though, like funny in a “I can’t figure this out it makes no sense” kind of way lol. I’ll start getting a precursor headache if I wear a tight hat but then pressure does help when I have the migraine 🤷♀️
Yes! Had a headache at yoga once and my teacher wrapped my head; covered my eyes and ears and had a nice amount of pressure. That, with my drugs and the hour of relaxation helped. She had me unwrap in a certain way... very slowly, gradually loosening the pressure. Felt good!
That makes a lot of sense. When I get one, I get my husband to push on the really painful points in my face where the migraine is hiding and it causes temporary relief- enough for me to kind of go into that weird partially comatose sleep you go into during a migraine
Last year I had the worst migraine of my life while home alone, nothing I did helped, finally passed out. Woke up at 4am thinking I was having a heart attack (Never check symptoms online!) and drove myself to the hospital while mostly blind with auras! Fun!
I love people that tell me I wouldn't have Fibromyalgia and unidentified Arthritic condition, neuropathy in my feet and legs, Reynauds sydrome if I just "exercised". Also it would "cure" my PTSD, Severe Depression, Anxiety and ADHD. 😑
Darkness and pressure against my forehead on the side of the pain is usually my go to for headaches though interestingly enough I also find eating a salty snack is often helpful as well. Last ditch effort is always fresh air for me, I'm lucky enough to live near a beach, so when it gets really bad I just go sit on the beach at night
Fresh air ... ie allergies causes more pain for me. All I want is a deep breath of clean air and all I get is a stabbing pain in the right side of my brain.... EVERYTIME!
It's very clear how traumatic that procedure and their complications was for you. It makes me angry that you had to suffer through that, and is still suffering some consequences from it. It was really brave of you to share what you shared. Before I was ready to talk about some of my trauma, I did similar deflecting and distracting strategies. Thank you for being an amazing role model and a lesbian goddess
You can definitely see how distressed that last bit made her and it's heartbreaking. I haven't been subscribed here very long but I absolutely adore these videos and most of all, Jessica's personality. Smiling through that kind of distress isn't easy, she's very strong.
When I get the super bad ones I'll lose vision in my right eye and those are the ones that last multiple days and don't respond to anything...so I just have to ride it out and take sleeping pills or I just won't sleep for several days
My boss was spooked out by this once when I walked into his office, took of my dark glasses and he saw my eye just tearing and drooping shut, and he recoiled looking at me. IM SUPER NOT FAKING
Suggestions for how people can ace being an ally to chronic pain sufferers: Reaction to “I have a migraine coming on”, or “I have a wicked headache” - I have ibuprofen/aspirin/acetaminophen (specifying is very helpful) IF you think that will help at all. (Acknowledges that they know what’s best, and that OTC painkillers may be insufficient) - Would you like me to bring you some water? (Demonstration that I am willing to help, and is in the gentlest most polite way asking them to consider if dehydration might be causing or exacerbating the issue. Or just that being thirsty isn’t a nice feeling) - Could I make/bring you a tea or coffee? (Caffeine helps some people, and I’m offering to do a thing because I want you to feel better) - That sucks. What do *you* need? - Unfortunately my magic wand is still in the shop, but is there anything non-magical that will help? (Some people will just be confused, others will really appreciate the acknowledgement that there is probably nothing on earth that will actually FIX it) When it’s a coworker who’s trying to get through their shift: - Is there a way we could rearrange how we’re doing this that would make things better for you? (Sometimes switching who does a standing/sitting task, vs who does the squatting, bending, lifting or whatever motion can make the difference in you having help for the rest of the shift, vs them having to leave, or calling in sick tomorrow.) - What parts are easiest or hardest for you right now? (It might be a particular movement, or looking at a computer screen, or trying to do simple math. And if you can rearrange accordingly, give that a shot.) - “Oh that’s no good” and leaving it at that. (Simply acknowledging them, and NOT inserting your anecdotes or suggestions, is being compassionate - and if it’s a person you don’t feel like going out of your way to help, or you’re slammed and there’s nothing you can offer, just acknowledging it sucks is a great response) People with chronic pain who are currently managing a job, are determined AF. (Not anyone is any less determined if they can’t currently hold a “job”). In my experience they’re coworkers who work hard and contribute ideas and solutions - because they’re used to finding ways of managing things. These people may have really useful ergonomic insights, or develop simplified organizational systems. Yeah, on their really bad days they might be a bit of a dead weight, but on the whole, they contribute equally or more to the rest of these people. If me doing the part of the job that involves bending over today, means you’ll handle the paperwork and calculations when my brain is fuzzy tomorrow - we’re making a good team.
You were so open in this video and it touched my soul a little bit. Trauma is like a shadow of a nightmare that follows you every day, and I admire your ability to open up about it even slightly. I hope one day that we both find true peace with our demons, and that you continue to spread your light with these wonderful videos 🤍
I had one last 10 months and joked with a nurse that I'd gladly sign a DNR. I was only half kidding. I can't imagine 12 years of that. Good luck to you.
Oh wow, i can't imagine 12 years. I've had migraines for as long as i remember, but not constantly. I get breaks sometimes, weeks without having one and then they come back. Buy when they are very bad i feel like an icepick shoved into my temple would relive it. I lay in bed in the dark sniffing menthol oil waiting for the medication to finally work and fantasize about how relieving it woul feel. I should probably talk to someone about that 😂
@@mmmmmmolly I have ice pick headaches which feel like an ice pick has been jammed into my temple. They last less than 30 seconds and are bad enough to drop me to the floor. So my personal recommendation would be to avoid ice picks 😉 Thankfully I don't typically get migraines and ice picks on the same day.
@@lajoyous1568 oh, those ice pick headaches! Just a blast of extremely intense pain for 30 or so seconds, but I’ll often get them in groups. So I’ll have one, then a minute or so later, another one, then another, then another. I don’t think I’ve gotten more than five in a row though. And I also usually get them about an hour before a really intense headache starts. I also get a LOT of headaches, especially because my spine doesn’t work properly, and headaches travel up the spine, especially when you’ve got neck pain.
Omg My neurologist told me I had to go off painkillers completely for a whole month! Lots of kool n soothe does help, but I didn’t last longer than a few weeks 😬 More power to you and I hope you manage well and have a surprise month of fewer migraines!!
Oh gorgeous. Watching the end broke my heart. I'm so sorry you went through all that trauma. Thank you for sharing such a open side of yourself it made me feel so much less alone. I hope you're feeling a bit better with your head 💖
Girl. I’m in America. I’ve had to wait 6 years to get an MRI of my brain for seizures and migraines. I also JUST SPENT 2 weeks in the hospital after numerous Er visits unable to swallow and with extreme blinding headaches. They never even swabbed my throat. A week after discharge I had to take myself to a walk in clinic where they swabbed my throat to tell me MY AIRWAY WAS CLOSING DUE TO RARE STREP TYPE C. We are now 4 weeks and a possible blood infection and meningitis away from my first symptoms. And I still don’t have antibiotics to prevent endocarditis from affecting my congenitally defective heart and killing me. I’ve lived and traveled in Europe. I always got prompt medical care there. For free. Or a “bill” of like 200 euros. My recent bills is a quarter million dollars. And they. DIDNT. Even. Swab. My. Throat. America is a third world wasteland.
Catastropheshe the antibiotics alone cost 1800$ out of pocket. The hospital bill is a quarter million. I DO NOT have money like that.... On account of I’m chronically ill.
I'm surprised there wasn't a mention of essential oil "cures". You mentioned the lavender bath salt, but Facebook moms would mention that in a heartbeat.
what helps me with my migraines is lay on my bed on the side that hurts, as you said, also have complete silence if possible and complete darkness. y alsoo have a pill that helps when the migraine is too horrible. i try to also relieve neck pain and tension bc this helps with the overall pain
Man, I felt this. I had a six month long migraine attack at 16, that improved to the status of chronic migraines ever since. There is so much I can't remember.......
I’ve been having migraines for 42 years. Nonmedicine things that help me are: headache puppies/frogs (animals stuffed with dried beans you sit on your head), Tiger Balm on the temples and back of neck (carefully as the stronger red not only stains but can hurt mucus membranes), peppermint tea, TENs unit (electricity, I put the pads on my shoulders as many of my migraines are stress induced)
Callie Higley Do your shoulder tighten like crazy? I had one of those massage things that slip over your shoulders at one point and it seemed to help stave them off if I used it. Of course I seemed to be using it all the time! I also make sure I have good silky sleep masks all the time too so that I can put them on when I do take my cocktail and try to sleep it off. When I’m out of the meds for the month (only 9 a month my eye) I can use the mask and a headache puppy and the Tiger’s Balm.
Yeeees! My shoulders always have the worst knots in history. Can a messager really help with stress headaches and migrains? It might be worth it to invest in one!
I've used Tiger balm and have found some relief, and I also find Vicks vaporub to be soothing in a similar way, but that could just be personal. Otherwise, I'm extremely sensitive to anything perfume-y so I don't know why those treatments have a positive effect
I am a chronic headache suffer, but with the occasional migraine. I gotten a migraine in the middle of marching band practice. That was fun, spite the 100 degree Fahrenheit weather, no shade, and of course music that is played very loudly.
I'm sure talking about all of that was really hard for you, but thank you for sharing and being so open. You're such a strong woman and I hope you continue to experience happy times. Sending lots of love x x x
I am so sorry to everyone who suffers from migraines. I have been lucky enough to never experience one (hoping I am not jinxing it now) but I have my own fair share of mental illness and pain so I feel for you. Sending everyone s lovely and pain free day 💖
You look exceptionally fetching Jessica.the dress and hairstyle combination is absolutely divine. Hope you feel better soon and the migraine clinic finally helps you better manage your migraines.
Salt is an electrolyte and not getting enough electrolytes will give lots of people a headache 🤷♀️ obviously that’s not going to be the reason for every headache but it’s definitely been the culprit in plenty of mine. My SIL gets migraines and even though her daily Powerade doesn’t always prevent them, she gets way more if she skips it.
ExhaustedMPH oh I don’t really have migraines during the winter. But it’s got here for 9 months a year so that’s not good for me. The cold feels amazing right?
When my migraines are at their worst, I genuinely feel like gouging out my own eyes. When I told that to my doctor they asked me not to do that. Duh. I won’t. Just help me? Haha.
After 16yrs of chronic migraine lasting from 6-36 hours at a time sometimes every day of the week during which I lived a life in which people didn't believe me even when I vomited on the floor in front of them...I finally have a migraine medication that has worked! So grateful. Prior to that various treatments I used were icepacks that I have frostbite scars from, heating pads that I have burn marks from, bathing in ice, cold showers, eating ice cream, putting a screwdriver through the back of my head, dry needling, chiropractic, massage, putting an earring through the back of my head...none of these worked particularly well and some obviously caused massive amounts of harm. I still use ice packs regularly but it is just to help the pain while my meds actually work.
this video couldn’t have come at a better time!! i recently started medication and it makes me feel so sick, nauseous, tired, and make me have migraines that last for hours and that happen multiple times a week. i will b steering clear of these 🥰
This is one of the reasons I am so glad TH-cam recommended your videos to me. I suffer from chronic migraines and know how hard it can be to make people believe that you can barley function when you have one. You are incredible, battling a migraine to make this video, and being so brutally honest about your expieriance. Thank you so much for just being you and making these videos!
To be fair though, while not working on HurtyBrains (sadness), electricity applied directly does work for *temporary* pain relief in muscle, so, TENS machines for us HurtyBody types. Disclaimer: Do not stick a fork in the outlet, that will not work. Get the machine if you want to try it.
Thank you for including the part at the end about the difficulties of memory loss. I also have pretty extensive memory loss (though for different reasons) and I relate so much to what you shared. The vulnerability you spoke about is so real and something I hadn't been able to put words to. Thank you so much for all of the advocacy you do and just generally being an amazing human 💜
5 minutes into the video and it has made me love all the modern idiotic cures recommended by my family a lot more . I have yet never appreciated the fact that they could have been recommending shoving a goose feather anywhere.
I did not realize how lovely it was, how relieving it was, how EUPHORIC it was to put a hard pillow under your neck. I once did it with someone's decorative pillow (I believe it was at my Oma's but I digress), and it literally made me feel like I was floating on some kind of wonderful cloud. I'm being quite literal here-- the relief of my tension headache made me feel so light. Like my head was buzzing happily. If you've ever been at that wonderful stage of tipsy wherein your body feels loose but you can still firmly hold onto your mind, it's much in the same. 100/10, would recommend.
Dark and quiet room and trying to black out while pain is on- works for me. For medication I use ibumetin or another... which I forgot how it’s called ʅ（◞‿◟）ʃ
I was put on caffeine pills for mine. Which sucks, because I’m allergic to caffeine. Too much triggers my vertigo and has me so sick I throw up to the point of tossing up stomach acid. So it’s that of feeling like my brain is going to melt and deep out of my ears.
Oh gosh, Jessica looks SOOOOO GOOOOOD in this video. I mean, she always looks beautiful, but this teal greenish dress colour, this ponytail... A GODDESS!!!
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I've suffered of migraines since I was 5. In fact, I didn't know there were any other types of headaches. But, because I was so little, I always just said my head hurt and my eyes felt funny. My parents, bless them, blamed everything under the sun for my constant headaches and eventually assumed I was making it up.
It wasn't until I was 15 that a migraine left me incapacitated that they rushed me to the emergency room because half of my face felt tingly/numb and I was seeing shadowy spots out of one eye that they took me seriously. Everyone thought I was having a stroke.
5 hours and one head MRI later the doctor very casually and almost dismissively said "it's /just/ a migraine."
Just a migraine.
So my parents now blamed my poor sleeping patterns (the pain kept me up which in turn caused more migraines) for any and all headaches. And as always, told me to ignore the pain and do my work because it was "just a headache." I learned to keep quiet when my head hurt. I was in debilitating pain 15 days per month, had to deal with school and everything else in silence.
Then a miracle happened. My mom got a migraine one day and she was laid out on the couch, crying and incapable of so much as standing up. I laughed and said "what do you mean you can't make dinner, it's just a headache."
Terrible, I know. But now she knew how I felt.
I feel this one! My parents would think I was getting severely dehydrated (I get it... kids do tend to forget.) and then moved on to bad sleeping habits as a teen. It feels great when it finally clicks for them how much it sucks and that you can’t do anything to stop your migraines.
I want to metaphorically hug younger you for going through that. Ahhhhhg.
Bahaha oh no poor mom but like we all love a little real life justice now and then 😂 My mom is always like “oh it’s just a _____” even when it’s something she’s gone through too. It’s sooooo not helpful. I’m 25 and she’ll still doing it 🙄 stuff like “oh I’ve had an ovarian cyst burst, I didn’t have to go to the emergency room.” I’ve asked her why she does it and I think in some twisted way she thinks she’s helping??? Like it won’t hurt so much and I won’t take it so seriously if she tells me it doesn’t hurt and it isn’t serious...... 🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️
I was in my 30's when I realized that "the bad headaches" I got sometimes were actually migraines. (Believe it or not, it was a drug commercial on TV that described migraine symptoms that made me realize what it was.) This was after years of other migraine suffering people I knew telling me they had migraines and I only had headaches, bla, bla, bla. 🙄
I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I also had my first migraines at five and I was punished because my parents thought I must be lying about how bad the pain was. I still suffer from the emotional trauma of it.
Jessica: “Don’t you dare use that as a reason against universal healthcare *certain Americans* because I didn’t have to sell my house for it, and that’s pretty important too.”
Me:*likes video*
I'm in the US and just give me the names of these crazy people!!
As far as electrical therapy for headaches, yes. There are times when I feel sticking a fork in an outlet would be a perfect cure.
Same
I was have ECT. After 1 particular treatment i woke up screaming. ECT never help my migraine but would make them worse
I had a headache for three months straight. Idk if it was a migraine. But I remember basically never leaving my house or having people over. And that was just before covid. Really.... not great timing....
Shoving a clove of garlic in my head? Sure man, do whatever im in too much pain to question anything
@@aderyn7600 I'm sorry to hear this. I hope you're doing better. Regardless of what type, prolonged headaches are just terrible.
'my brain is trying to abort mission and escape through my nose' THIS. THIS IS THE DESCRIPTION I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR.
This is how I feel. Every. Single. Time. :(
my personal favourite way of describing migraines is by saying "imagine a lumberjack axing your forehead for several hours or days. yeah."
Yeah, my migraines often feel like a vise around my head while a hot poker is trying to make a hole between my eye and my nose just so my brains can leak out.
My description of choice for onset of one of my atypical cluster migraines is "getting kicked in the temple by a crazed mule," so I hear Jessica here.
This is like a fabulous crossover between Horrible Histories and Jessica
Oh I like this!
@@jessicaoutofthecloset or overlysarcastic productions 😁
I'm more reminded of the Sawbones podcast: "A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine." Definitely recommend if you like gross ancient cures.
I'd LOVE to see this!!!
Seriously. She should do at least one video with Caitlyn Doughty. Maybe something on 19th century treatments.
Don’t forget about Zeus who legit smashed his head into a table splitting it open and releasing Athena (goddess of wisdom) out of his head. -Greek mythology was weird don’t try this at home.
Didn't Hephaestus helped?! Not that I expected valid data, but in my children's book he helped with some tools ...
@@thereisalwaysmore4582 I've heard that Hephaestus drilled into Zeus's skull, but there are so many regional variations of Greek mythology that all three are likely true.
counterpoint, what if it gives us more athenas?
@Mia Smith that why my mom say smart people always suffer and dumb one never once he got rid of his wisdom he felt better;)
I remember reading he split his skull with an axe. And out popped Athena
I get the smiling while distressed thing. I was severely abused as a child, a lot of it medical as well and if I cried or showed "negative" emotions in public I would be punished because no one could know about the abuse/neglect. So I was trained to smile no matter what I felt or how much pain I was in. It's really screwed up communication in my adult life and even though it's gotten better it's still my brain's go to so most people don't believe what I am feeling and it's infuriating. Anywho, thanks for giving me a place to share. Love and hugs.
Omg I haaaaate that! “Well you can’t be that upset...” “Well you don’t seem sick!” “You seemed fine with it!” *silently rages inside* My personal history isn’t that bad (I hope things are better in your life these days!!), but smiling, laughing, and seeming happy is definitely a defense mechanism but then it like also backfires a lot. But being ignored tends to be better than the alternative in the moment >.> I’ve been working on being more assertive and not hiding how I’m really feeling because it’s just led me into so many unhealthy inter-personal relationships where I let the other person walk all over me. It’s really hard though. People get angry when I stick up for myself and show that something they said or did upset me. AND NO ONE EVER APOLOGIZES! It’s really opened my eyes to how many of my friendships and other relationships are unhealthy. If someone doesn’t apologize to you after they upset you, even after they’ve had time to cool down, something is wrong! Now if only healthy friendships grew on trees.....
Love and hugs to you too, well done for sharing. xxx
I have similar issues. I’m sorry you experienced/experience that. Your feelings are valid no matter if you can show them in a ‘normal’ way or not.
@@ohrats731 Exactly. I've been able to find some healthy relationships where they accept both what has come of the abuse and disabilities so I try to foster those and can better recognize and tell off people who treat me poorly (if it's worth the energy) and not let those reactions get to me quite as much. Baby steps. I hope you're able to have success in that, too! Love and hugs!
@@Picklescape Thank you, your acknowledgement means a lot. :)
I know it made you uncomfortable, but I find your honesty and vulnerability to be incredibly brave. In a culture that over-values masking our personal struggles, every dose of authenticity is refreshing ❤
This! I nearly cried in sympathy toward the end with the lumbar puncture. It's clearly a trauma trigger, and seeing Jessica have such a reaction really hits home for me, as I react similarly to some of my own trauma triggers.
I agree completely.
“I’ve never claimed to be current.........Look at me!”
What an icon.
Indeed.
I’ve had a headache for two and a half years. People told me that my ponytail was the cause of my headache, but clearly not because the headache’s still there years after I cut my hair very short. People have told me that if I pierce my ears in the right spot I won’t get headaches anymore. I’ve tried meditation, acupuncture, massage, therapy, medications (many), and I have seen many doctors and gotten many different scans of my brain. Overall, I’m just tired and I want people who aren’t doctors to stop telling me what to do.
I'm so sorry. I've been there, too. I hope you find something that helps.
@@xRollermaniacx Thank you! I did! Turns out my headache was from a problem with my jaw (still unclear what’s going on) and when I got the swelling on my jaw to go down I got the headache to subside. I still get headaches frequently but pain-free days are so wonderful
Don’t feel bad. My dad laughs when he is in pain. The worse the pain, the louder the laugh.
I do this with emotional pain.
It gets really awkward.
I do the same thing. I have really poor venous access, so nurses will often have a difficult time placing an IV when I have to go to the ER for a bad migraine (which happens every 3-4 months). I don’t like drawing attention to myself but I can’t stop it. It gets worse if I even try to stop it. It’s not even a nice laugh, either. It sounds like someone kicking a hyena 😅
I laugh when panicking when driving not a good idea
I’m one of the two people that my chiropractor sees who does this. The more it hurts, the harder I laugh, and there’s only a slight chance of me laughing so hard I throw up 😂😅
Jules Herbert I think it is a self defense mechanism of sorts. We smile and laugh because if we didn’t some part of us would break. At least I know that’s why I do it.
“I never claimed to be current, look at me”
Crying 😂
Yes, that was witty for sure !! Perfect quip.
Not gonna lie sometimes I fantasize about drilling a hole in my head when I get migraines to relieve the pressure lmao
Same!
Same!
Oh my god, I thought it was just me who has wanted to do this
Same. Usually with the sense that if I don’t, my eyeball’s gonna fly out like the cork on a champagne bottle. Peeeeewwwwwww
same! a bit conflicted in that i'm so glad it's not just me but i hate that there are others who feel this way
When she said STARING INTO THE SUN my sensitive to light self passed out
My god just thinking of it hurts, i can't see normally without sunglasses when i go outside unless it's really cloudy so just thinking of looking straight into the sun with bare eyes is just 😫😫😫
Massively appreciate the medical treatment warning, I'll save this video for after work
My favorite is when everyone tells you to drink more water to get rid of chronic migraines!
🤦I drink 3+ liters of water a day to manage my POTS and, yes, I still have 20 migraines a month, thanks everyone
I'm over here peeing like every 30 minutes because I keep drinking water but the migraines just keep coming
Tbf, dehydration is one of my migraine triggers, but it's definitely not the only one.
I do look at my wrist now, in case my headache or migraine is exacerbated by dehydration, but it’s not going to fix me - it just might make it a little less awful.
This is the worst, I hate when people ask things like “did you drink water” “how much sleep have you gotten” because it feels like they’re trying to blame your pain on you doing something wrong. I know that’s not their intention, but it feels like an insult.
The number of people in the comments section commenting on the coincidence between their migraine and Jessica's migraine video ( myself included) attests to how "common" migraines are and the lack of awareness about their prevalence .
I'll be a millionaire if I had a penny for all the times someone was convinced I was jsut having a headache coz they believe migraines are more rare or have distinct characteristics.
@Mia Smith omg . You are right Its the mild one that are most irritating.because I feel too guilty over resting but i am also not well enough to be productive.
There's a difference between an occasional very bad headache that feels like the world will end for a few days (literally everyone has those...everyone), and an actual migraine disorder (they're not something that happens just on occasion). It's like the difference between being stressed over losing your job versus having a full-blown panic attack when things are actually all going very well, and calling them both anxiety, or having diarrhea and claiming that you know what colitis is like. In the moment, both suck horribly, but conflating them as the same thing hinders treatment of panic attacks as doctors will wonder if what someone's dealing with is a response to something. Not all very back headaches are migraines either.
My mother used to get "migraines." Turns out she was chronically dehydrated from drinking vodka like water. Insisting to her doctor that she was having migraines is what results in doctors being slower to treat those of us who deal with them.
My fucking insurance won't even cover my treatment. Not covering is justified as "everyone gets headaches sometimes" and telling me to try Tylenol for a few months (literally...Tylenol...). So I'm paying thousands a year out of pocket to get Botox in my scalp and neck, and consider myself very fortunate that I can do so. Since the shots I get help keep me from having more than the occasional mild migraine breakout (getting high as a kite can help that to an extend), I'm considered "cured" of something they say happens to everyone. But when they get full-blown, nothing but time will help, and it can take literally months to be able to function at all again. I go blind from them sometimes. Absolutely literally blind. If disorders versus normal this-fucking-SUCKS nightmare-headaches weren't conflated, we might actually get more treatment options, or any options, for disorders.
Thankfully and fortunately, actual migraine disorders aren't common, but unfortunately, everyone has had a world-feelings-like-it-will-end headache on occasion.
@@Author.Noelle.Alexandria I am so sorry to hear about your troubles with treatment and I hope your journey moves towards recovery/better management.
Unfortunately migraines diagnosis and treatment is nowhere near where it means to be esp for a condition that affects around 14.5% of the population ( estimates fluctuate widely from 3 to 26%) and being the 7th leading cause of disability ( in terms of DALY's) ( src - www.migrainetrust.org/about-migraine/migraine-what-is-it/facts-figures/ )
I so regret that you ( and me) and countless others have to be part of this club
But I guess that's why migraine awareness week exists so we can build awareness and diagnose migraines better.
Sending you positive vibes and best wishes
I have hormone and stress induced migraines. So if I'm keeping healthy and am not stressed, I will on average lose 6-8 days a month due to hormonal migraines twice a month. If I'm stressed, I'll lose half a month instead. I can't eat, I can't look at anything or listen to anything and at worst I Can't sleep or lie down without feeling really nauseous, so I sit in the bathroom with my eyes closed instead. There's very little that they can do for migraines, so I just have a stack of Naproxen and an understanding that my employer really wouldn't feel good with me missing so much work, so I have to continue as normal as much as I can instead.
Exactly this!
It's the "essential oils!" or "try lavender" suggestions that get me, because mine are extremely sensitive to odors of almost all kinds, but especially anything floral. I'd eliminated scented products from my life (also chocolate, stripes and strong contrasting patterns, video games, anise/licorice, and campfires...) and about eliminated my migraines. ...and then I got vestibular migraine, which appears to be triggered by "having a body" or "existing in space", idk, I'll let you know if I ever narrow it down.
Anyway, I'm always kind of shocked when I hear fellow migraineurs talk about using lavender, even though I know we all have different triggers. It's just such a strong one for me it's like my body doesn't believe it doesn't smell like pain to everyone.
I'm in the lavender gives me headaches club. I hate the stuff and it's in so many things for relaxing etc.
I'm allergic to lavender, so using to try to help my migraine causes sneezing and coughing. Both horrible for a migraine.
Yes. It really doesn't make sense for everyone. Lavender is very polarizing and some hate it. Also, I adore lavender (as tea) but not in essential oil form. Floral essential oils of all kinds are heavy and strong and trigger my migraines when diffused and are horrible for those with scent sensitivities (I can use small amounts in sprays or cleaning where the scent soaks into something though and doesn't sit in the air). Mint oil is the only essential oil that never triggers my scent sensitivities and migraines.
i used to smell lavender to get rid of headaches and now lavender gives me headaches. so. haha
As someone who suffers from migraines and also frequent nosebleeds (like, a frankly ridiculous amount), can confirm bloodletting doesn't help. You think they would have worked that one out sooner.
Lol! Me too! Insane nose bleeds and migraines. Yeah the bloodletting is a fail for me too.
Have you asked your drs about cauterisation? (Not painful dw)
@@Jess-sb2nj I was told they don't offer that any more in the UK. Or if they do, it's only if they're really, really, really bad, and my 30 min long sessions somehow don't meet that requirement 🙄
My sinus headaches caused me to have sudden gushing nosebleeds for like two months two years ago. That was the worst ever and I'm so pleased they miraculously stopped
Haha my question isn't why do you wear false eyelashes, but rather what kind they are! They look really nice and delicate and fluttery, which I like more than some of the more dramatic styles.
My husband usually calls out "Wife!" when he comes home, with a big smile! I love it, it's so cute ❤ so I love when Jessica calls Claudia that ❤
It is SO adorable!
They are a couple of cuties aren't they?!
I feel so called out on the 'working while having a migraine' thing. Luckily, my migraines are mostly just really annoying (and painful, which somehow always surprises me) and usually not 'need to keep my eyes closed in a dark room' kind of bad. I work through my migraines all the time. They happen at such a regular frequency that I can't take 1-2 weeks off work to deal with them. Plus, both my work and my hobbies all require my eyesight, so if I can do hobbies, I can work... I just get frustrated. Though, going out in the sun is a no-no with a migraine. And I wear sunglasses outside almost year round as soon as there's even a little bit of sun...
I like your title.
Imagine the poor guy that was told to stare into the sun 😫
So she is a british, vintage, lesbian??! I cried when I found out she was married 😭😭😭
She's also a Quaker. 😊
And smart and sexy and disabled and creative and funny and tall and friendly and etc.
When her wife brought her a can of Fanta, the way she said " Wife! ☺ " was the cutest thing ever
Shes also deaf!
With awesome red hair
I've had chronic migraines for a while and then I got two! concussions! My neurology appointment is on Monday and I swear, if they don't get me on a prophylactic that actually works, I will bind a dead mole to my head. Don't test me.
Tamar McMahon sorry, you're in so much pain! But I think the mole is favorite, too. I'm wondering where do we get one?
I wonder if it has to be a mole? I mean, could any random roadkill work? I regularly see racoons, possums, birds, etc where I live. I could even catch a rat if put to it. It's one of the least harmless of what she talked about to try......and desperate times call for desperate measures. And if one more person tells me to drink more water to fix my migraine, I will have a handy dandy dead animal to stop their gob with!
I've read about the Tudor mole too... I cannot for the life of me work out the logic of that one?!? And would a taxidermied mole have the same effect as a live mole in your hat as a flattened roadkill mole thàt you have to replace every 3days as it rots and you wash your hair?!
sarahwithstars
I'm not sure. But I've heard that in South America shamans use guinea pigs to diagnose illness. In some way, by waving the living rodent around the ill person the animal gets the symptoms. Now to the really mean part... the shaman opens the Guinea pig and knows the illness to treat. I couldn't do that! A more pet friendly way would be to let the moles alive and rise the head count to lower the burden for the sole mole. I would let my horde live in my garden, maybe I could fill a swimming pool with .... sometimes I wonder if I get migraines from thinking to much, to far.....🤔😑🤣😬
you could tinker a crown of living moles. They would be comfortable until they get their share of migraine....
I believe you! Best of luck with the appointment.
Chronic migraine gang💪
I started a new medication for mine a few months ago and THE RELIEF OMG. I'm so glad I'm doing better now
That makes me so happy for you, my meds have helped a lot, I’m so grateful for the assistance
Congratulations! It's hard to find a good medication.
@@emilynuttall4614 yep! Got lucky with this one
That’s fantastic! I know medications are complicated and don’t work the same for everyone but would you mind sharing which one is helping you? 💛
@@MoreCoffeePlease. it's candestarten (I think I spelled it wrong lmao)
It's commonly used as a blood pressure medication but it has worked wonders for my migraines!
Claudia squeezing your hand and being around is a billion times better than a chip clip! =)
The “wife! wife!~” was so wholesome 🥺😭 though, I will say, a chip clip is very convenient when you don’t have a Claudia of your own 😪
God, hearing about the trauma that happened to you from your medical procedure going wrong, it makes me feel sick too. I’m so sorry you experienced that.
Me too.
My mom has had migraines throughout my childhood. Many doctors just said she was stressed and had normal headaches.
She could lay in bed for days, hating her kids for every sound they made.
But it was just stress.....
When she finally was diagnosed, she tried some special medication, that helped with the pain, but had heart-rythm-sideeffects.
Through puberty and when I took the pill I suddenly got to know her pain.
Thank god those hormones settled down afterwards.
Heads up, it can get worse again in your 30s till menopause.
I'm allergic to lavender, so while other migraine sufferers swear by it, it just gives me some of the worst migraines of my life.
same, also those peppermint topical roll-on things
Lavender is probably my biggest migraine trigger.
I’m so with you!! Strong smells are a major migraine trigger.
@@nicoleallen3079 scent sensitive gang go off 🙌🏻
I'm a huge lavender fan but it seriously never did anything for my migraines 😂 and now I'm scared of triggering migraines in other people by simply smelling like a witch's fav drawer 😱
Seeing as we’re talking about horrible treatments for migraines do any other suffers feel compelled to remove their eye with a Mellon baller when things get really bad. Totally not something anyone should actually do or think would actually solve the problem but in the heat of the moment removing your eye seems like it would hurt less
Yes!!! Last Saturday. I was at my parents with my boyfriend and her mom for lunch and i had a migraine. i sat at the table, closed my eyes and just started pushing my eyes back to relive the pressure.I even kinda held my left eye and thought about how yanking it out would solve everything. I also usually think about how shoving an icepick in my temple _just there_ would be nice. I wouldn't do it but i think about it. One time it was really bad and it lasted for days, this was years ago before i was getting proper medication. i sat on the floor next to my bed and was banging my temple against the edge. My mom had to stop me and it really scared her. I don't remember how i got through it but i remember the banging part and how it did relieved some of the pressure. I think yanking my eye out or shoving an icepick in my temple would feel similar. If i would tell this to someone who hasn't experienced a strong migraine they would think I'm insane. But pain is a very strong motivator, the strongest in my opinion, and exchanging excruciating pain to little less intense pain seems logical when you just feel like you can't take it anymore. Edit: sorry for the long comment
Imola Szilagyi I can completely relate to everything you just said. I don’t know about you but having these experiences makes me admire Jess so much for what she does here. This community has helped me see that I’m not alone in some of life’s challenges. Particularly when I interact all the time with people who cant imagine wanting to take out their own eye ball or skewer their head with something because it seems like it would make things feel better then the pain their currently experienced.
@@ozbolder yes, i just found her channel and she's so great. Also reading through the comments, something about other people dealing with chronic pain or something else even gives some sort of hope that we're all going through it, it's hard for everyone but we can get through it. Sometimes it's debilitating and sometimes it's better and we just have to carry on and we will be able to do that. Sometimes i want to shove an icepick in my temple and i lay in bed as soon as i finish work and sometimes i even forget i get migraines, and that's how it is. Jess talking about her experiences openly helps me and i think others too.
I've been really tempted and I don't own a melon baller. But I have been tempted by plastic knives, my partner's electric drill, and that bit of thatch I just walked by.
Absolutely. Basically the reason I don't own a melon baller.
This notification reminded me that I should take my migraine meds...
it’s only been a few months (they don’t work very well anyway) 😬
There are a ton of different meds that either help with migraine pain or help prevent/lower frequency. The newest of these is aimovig (but very few insurance companies cover it).
Ml Fett yeah, I’ve been prescribed multiple medications for it, Topiramate, propranolol, etc., but they don’t decrease very much when I’m on them, if at all. That being said, I should still probably take my meds when I’m supposed to lol
I can never tell if I'm having a migraine or sensory overload, they both make my head kill and i have to lie in a dark room
could be a combination of both
As someone that has been living with chronic migraines for the vast majority of my life...this video is the perfect expression of all the stupid crap people try to convince me to try to make the headaches stop. The craziest one I was told to try was to put one foot in ice water and the other foot in just under boiling water...
Oh gosh, i got this one too! People love to give you..advice(?) for something they know nothing about to try to “fix” you.
I've got that one too. Now I just stop them in their tracks and tell them to keep their (stupid) ideas to themselves while also acknowledging that I know they are "trying to help" but failing miserably.
"Just under boiling water" being water approaching 100°C?! Wow; trading a migraine for a poached foot. No thank you.
@@SYH653 that was pretty much what I said...but I used much more colorful language.
Um. That's how you get two very different foot injuries that lead to doctors questioning your sanity when they have to treat you for them.
Not a migraine cure but a concussion “cure” I was given while travelling. A boiled potato pressed on the head. That was... interesting 🤨 I was in an area with restricted water, I can’t exactly remember when I was able to wash the potato out of my hair 😂
I've had chronic migraines since 2003, and in all those years the only thing that has ever helped was cannabis, which doesn't really help when you need to get work done or have to drive somewhere
Cannabis is illegal where I am, but more than one doctor has recommended it for my migraines. Like "have you, perhaps, tried weed? Edible weed, specifically. Give yourself an epic buzz, drink tons of water and pass out. That'll cure it. But also...I am not encouraging you to break the law. Just...asking...if you've tried weed. And if you'd consider it."
It only worked the first time I used it. Then my body became tolerant and it did not stop the migraine anymore. Perhaps if my migraines were only once a fortnight it could have been useful.
@@kikoenjani7335 I definitely lucked when medical marijuana became legal in my state, and that I have the funds buy the edibles, because they're expensive and not covered by insurance.
@@pattheplanter I'm sorry that it doesn't help you. Tolerance build up is a pain, especially when you've got a chronic illness. I hope you are able to find something soon that does help
@@nyves104 As I wrote elsewhere, I found my main triggers were cardamoms or air freshener. I became really good at cooking curries and left any job where air freshener was still used after I had asked them to stop. It is surprising how difficult some people find it to believe that air freshener can be toxic to some other people. I had to leave 3 jobs.
That changed my life. I am a much happier, more balanced person who only occasionally has migraines from extreme stress and stupid dehydration.
I’m allergic to garlic. Garlic gives me migraines. I know exactly which “doctor” I would have ended up with because that is how my life goes.
I have friend who believes the only thing I need to do to relieve a migraine is to take three deep breaths through my nose. The fact that it doesn’t work and the neurologist has to order an IV at the hospital is because I am not trying hard enough.
Some friend 😕
I feel ya. Aspartame(which is the sugar in gum and diet drinks) gives me one hell of a migraine. I usually just have to ride it out which is horrible. Thank goodness I stopped consuming that stuff long ago, but just a little to this day will cause a migraine.
angelingray And yet the makers of aspartame say people aren’t allergic or sensitive to it, it’s just all in our minds. Aspartame gives me hives. I have had reactions even when I didn’t know I was consuming it. Yet, according to their website, that doesn’t happen.
In another life that garlic thing is how you died.
(Kidding)
Also that is not a friend. Eeeeeeeh.
@@IJustWantToUseMyName you cna be allergic to SUNLIGHT WATER AND EXCERCISE. Of course you can be allergic to aspartame...
Trepanning worked on certain headwounds, because there would be swelling on the brain from the injury, and the trepanning procedure would relieve the pressure. They actually do something similar these days- without the whole, like, hole in the head thing, and instead use catheters to drain excess fluid out via less invasive methods.
They still sometimes saw in the skull. But for like tumors or when you have a broken skull to like rearrange and staple stuff. Together
or they temporarily remove part of the skull until the swelling goes down ...
mackereltabbie Yeah. After a stroke this is sometimes done. Neat fact, they sometimes take the piece of skull, and put it under the skin near your hip to preserve it for the weeks it’s removed.
@@lynn858 whaaaatt that is so cool!! Bodies are neat! ...and real weird, lol
Shunts technically do require a hole in the skull. Just a very tiny controlled device goes into the hole instead of it just being open.
My dad suffers from awful migraines, it's heartbreaking seeing him in old age and in such pain. I really hope one day there will be some development in research for easy cures. My heart goes out to everyone who suffers from migraines and all else 💜
Jessica: films a video while having a migraine
Me: watches this video at the start having a migraine
oh same here
Same... god let this summer end already
Same but it's been a while already, though considering its most likely going to last the rest of the day, might as well have been at the start (different timezone here)
I'm on day 2 of mine
developed one half way thru had to leave it.aaannnd screens and sound and light still a very bad idea
I always thought I was being a huge baby about my migraines, until I found your videos. Don't get me wrong, I'm so sorry you have to deal with them, but I feel so much more valid and less alone :)
I have epilepsy and the seizures have really affected my memory. I’ve felt exactly how you described at the end of the video regarding social interactions but I’ve never heard anyone talk about it. Thank you so much for sharing that. Your channel has helped me find so much peace with myself 💗
If we were friends, and I know you have these memory problems, would you rather I stop you & mention that you've told me this story before, or just let you retell it? Which would you find less embarrassing/intrusive? I have some friends that I know have some memory issues, so I usually just let them retell it - do you think this is a good way to handle it? Does it depend on our relationship/degree of closeness?
I also have memory issues (well, mine were more related to my 'inability to focus properly' issues, though now they seem to be genuine memory problems as my thyroid issues increase...~sigh~), so I generally preface every story with "I can't remember if I already told you this, but..." in order to give my companion a heads up that I don't mind being told to shut up. ;)
I never knew I was doing stuff with the vagus nerve and carotid artery when I dealt with migraines! That’s cool I will keep using it 👍
If you want to be amused, look up Pliny the Elder's recommendations for headaches (and really anything actually). Some of the stuff he recommended was weird things like drink water that's been left behind after an ox or a donkey drinks from the water first. Another piece of advice was to put vinegar on door hinges.
So, Jessica, have you tried putting vinegar on your door hinges? lmao
(Apologies if this isn't as funny as I think it is. I'm currently deeply exhausted after having some major mental health issues yesterday.)
Are you a fellow listener of the Sawbones podcast???
Vinegar on door hinges is definitely funny stuff!
I'll have to try the vinegar... I wonder if that was meant to reduce squeaking that is bad with phonophobia
@@kateamarlow Absolutely! I love the show so much. It's so good. It's one of my favorite podcasts.
It's hilarious, nisha.
The amount of times I've been told to 'go for a walk' despite the fact that increasing my heart rate hurts my swollen brain
As a long-term chronic migraine sufferer people keep recommending the Daith piercing to me X.X
I do love how Claudia came and gave you a drink and then did the acupuncture thing on your hand for you. It IS always better when other people do it for you.
Also, please don't feel so self-conscious about your eyes, they're lovely (even though I'm usually busy lip-reading)
The manic chaos barely masking pain and discomfort is super fucking relatable....
If I'm having a rough go (be it physically or emotionally) I'm exactly that mood until I'm at the point of completely non functional.
Love you Jess, you show you're vulnerability as much as your strength and sass your way through it all ❤️
i know how horrible everything must feel on the inside, but i really hope you know how fantastic you look on the outside! your hair is gorgeous and that dress is a great color on you. even with a migraine you always kill it! and you have the most radiant smile as always, could light up a room and brings so much positivity to your viewers' days! love you, wishing the best recovery you can get💖
That's the same thought I had. That dress is divine on her.
I was just admiring Jessica's hair! Has she ever done a video explaining how she colors it?
@@jackietardif she talked about colouring her hair the colour she uses etc on this video with clara. th-cam.com/video/xXV9G5CW4Vc/w-d-xo.html
@@jahalr6598 Awesome! Thanks!
I was making a smoothie during the content warning and now I'm drinking a delightful tropical drink while listening to some of most horrifying medical stories I've ever heard
But honestly I dont even mind because Jessica is so lovely💗
Mmm trepanation smoothie
I had a migraine a few years ago that was so bad I had my husband take me to the ER (in the US), after giving me a CT scan (I assume to rule out a stroke - family history with them) and a slew of medicines that did jack all...they gave me morphine and life was worth living again. OH, I also found out migraines can be hereditary - thanks so much Dad and Mom for that genetic whammy. I also found over time that I am a weirdo in that when I get them I never know what is going to make me ill - i.e. light, sound, smell, or any combination...my sister has light issues when she gets hers, Dad is sound, and Mom was smell. So I feel like such an over achiever when I'm hiding in my dark room, wearing ear plugs, and a towel jammed under the door so I can't smell what ever that gruel is that is being scorched in the kitchen (sarcasm, it just translates to that mid-migraine). Hope your pain clinic can help you find relief and that you don't suffer many migraines until then. P.S. the bag clip can be replaced with a laundry peg or really anything that can apply pressure to the area for an extended period of time. Love and Blessings.
Your soft lovely voice saying 'venereal' and 'Wife!' is exactly the right treatment for this post-cry headache. It's not a migraine, but I sure do hate it almost as much as one!
Okay so I'm new and hearing about your struggle with spinal taps makes me feel so valid. I had one when I was nine years old and I had a similar problem and still have a similar problem with the memory loss part. And I felt so broken until recently because of it. So thank you for sharing your story.
I've had migraines since I was little. Of course, I didn't realize they were migraines until much more recently. I just thought I couldn't handle headaches as well as everyone else. I recall regularly having to go to the nurse's office in school, to the point she stuffed a bed in a dark closet and referred to it as "Ali's room."
But yea, I've received a lot of odd advice over the years. Amazingly, I also have received the orgasm advice, though mine was luckily not from a teacher. I don't think I'd ever go to school again if it had.
One I found online was peppermint. This was near Christmas, so i had a lot of candy canes readily available. Ended with me giving myself a stomach ache and my migraine went nowhere.
I've also had too many people tell me to pray my migraine away, which is just on a whole other level of not helpful. Especially because it then becomes my fault that it inevitably doesn't work.
I absolutely love hearing my friend's stories again and again because I, too, forget things and it's like rewatching a movie you love, but haven't seen in a long time.
Yikes, with those "cures", I'd definitely never tell anyone I was feeling unwell ever again!
I've had seasonal migranes for a decade but now they're getting more frequent. Yall with chronic migraines are [superheros] (released warrior because she's quaker)
The only non-medical official things thats helped me a little (read, not much but a little) is this roller that smells lovely because of lavender, but also has menthol so it leaves a cooling sensation like a cold rag without having to actually have a cold rag on your face and do absolutely nothing.
~not replacement for meds, just replacement for cool rag type relief. Essential oils won't cure me Deborah they just smell lovely while the menthol works.~
I lay on my side and cover my eyes.
@@woobiefuntime sometimes I do that too! I like my roller for those times you don't want to lay in the dark even though it helps the pain. I feel like every headache/migrane is its own animal, and needs its own thing.
Menthol helps me a lot. Those little inhalers, i don't really know what you call them but you usually use it them you have cold, they are little bullet shaped plastic things with menthol and you put it up to your nose. I buy them in bulk, like 10 at a time, they help a lot with migraines and also with anxiety. They have a small container of menthol oil at the bottom and i rub that on my temple. But when i was a kid & teen and didn't get proper medication i would soak a bandana in cold water then tie it tightly across my forehead. The cold helped and also the pressure.
@@mmmmmmolly I read that as banana at first and was confused haha.
@@evelynkrull5268 hahaha 😂😂😂 that maid me laugh out loud. New migraine cure: wrap a wet banana around your head 🤣 Would be repinned all over pinterest :)))
"...that forced him to live in the dark"
"Been there"
Same, sis. Same.
When I'm at home, my go to is a loop of thick elastic around my head lol. It's not too tight, just enough to put a bit of pressure on my head to counteract the migraine. And, y'know, my migraine meds.
Stay strong! And maybe have a lie down!
Ooh, that’s an interesting one.
@@dees3179 When I first started getting migraines, I found that pressing my head into a firm pillow or putting a small pillow against the wall and leaning on it made things a lot more bearable. The only set back was I had stuff to do. So... elastic!
Interesting! Reminds me of my brother though lol he broke his glasses and went around with a big rubber band holding them to his face for days it was ridiculous! 😂❤️
Migraines are so funny though, like funny in a “I can’t figure this out it makes no sense” kind of way lol. I’ll start getting a precursor headache if I wear a tight hat but then pressure does help when I have the migraine 🤷♀️
Yes! Had a headache at yoga once and my teacher wrapped my head; covered my eyes and ears and had a nice amount of pressure. That, with my drugs and the hour of relaxation helped. She had me unwrap in a certain way... very slowly, gradually loosening the pressure. Felt good!
That makes a lot of sense. When I get one, I get my husband to push on the really painful points in my face where the migraine is hiding and it causes temporary relief- enough for me to kind of go into that weird partially comatose sleep you go into during a migraine
Last year I had the worst migraine of my life while home alone, nothing I did helped, finally passed out. Woke up at 4am thinking I was having a heart attack (Never check symptoms online!) and drove myself to the hospital while mostly blind with auras! Fun!
I love people that tell me I wouldn't have Fibromyalgia and unidentified Arthritic condition, neuropathy in my feet and legs, Reynauds sydrome if I just "exercised". Also it would "cure" my PTSD, Severe Depression, Anxiety and ADHD.
😑
Darkness and pressure against my forehead on the side of the pain is usually my go to for headaches though interestingly enough I also find eating a salty snack is often helpful as well. Last ditch effort is always fresh air for me, I'm lucky enough to live near a beach, so when it gets really bad I just go sit on the beach at night
Fresh air ... ie allergies causes more pain for me. All I want is a deep breath of clean air and all I get is a stabbing pain in the right side of my brain.... EVERYTIME!
Omg same! Give me all the salty snacks and a dark room
I hate migraines they are awful I know how you feel. Love you Jessica💕
It's very clear how traumatic that procedure and their complications was for you. It makes me angry that you had to suffer through that, and is still suffering some consequences from it. It was really brave of you to share what you shared. Before I was ready to talk about some of my trauma, I did similar deflecting and distracting strategies.
Thank you for being an amazing role model and a lesbian goddess
I felt that as you were trying to hold back tears at the end there. I hope you're a bit more okay now. Thank you for sharing. Truly.
You can definitely see how distressed that last bit made her and it's heartbreaking. I haven't been subscribed here very long but I absolutely adore these videos and most of all, Jessica's personality. Smiling through that kind of distress isn't easy, she's very strong.
Medical trauma is brutal.
I also get a "droopy eye" when I get s migraine
When I get the super bad ones I'll lose vision in my right eye and those are the ones that last multiple days and don't respond to anything...so I just have to ride it out and take sleeping pills or I just won't sleep for several days
My boss was spooked out by this once when I walked into his office, took of my dark glasses and he saw my eye just tearing and drooping shut, and he recoiled looking at me. IM SUPER NOT FAKING
Suggestions for how people can ace being an ally to chronic pain sufferers:
Reaction to “I have a migraine coming on”, or “I have a wicked headache”
- I have ibuprofen/aspirin/acetaminophen (specifying is very helpful) IF you think that will help at all. (Acknowledges that they know what’s best, and that OTC painkillers may be insufficient)
- Would you like me to bring you some water? (Demonstration that I am willing to help, and is in the gentlest most polite way asking them to consider if dehydration might be causing or exacerbating the issue. Or just that being thirsty isn’t a nice feeling)
- Could I make/bring you a tea or coffee? (Caffeine helps some people, and I’m offering to do a thing because I want you to feel better)
- That sucks. What do *you* need?
- Unfortunately my magic wand is still in the shop, but is there anything non-magical that will help? (Some people will just be confused, others will really appreciate the acknowledgement that there is probably nothing on earth that will actually FIX it)
When it’s a coworker who’s trying to get through their shift:
- Is there a way we could rearrange how we’re doing this that would make things better for you? (Sometimes switching who does a standing/sitting task, vs who does the squatting, bending, lifting or whatever motion can make the difference in you having help for the rest of the shift, vs them having to leave, or calling in sick tomorrow.)
- What parts are easiest or hardest for you right now? (It might be a particular movement, or looking at a computer screen, or trying to do simple math. And if you can rearrange accordingly, give that a shot.)
- “Oh that’s no good” and leaving it at that. (Simply acknowledging them, and NOT inserting your anecdotes or suggestions, is being compassionate - and if it’s a person you don’t feel like going out of your way to help, or you’re slammed and there’s nothing you can offer, just acknowledging it sucks is a great response)
People with chronic pain who are currently managing a job, are determined AF. (Not anyone is any less determined if they can’t currently hold a “job”). In my experience they’re coworkers who work hard and contribute ideas and solutions - because they’re used to finding ways of managing things. These people may have really useful ergonomic insights, or develop simplified organizational systems.
Yeah, on their really bad days they might be a bit of a dead weight, but on the whole, they contribute equally or more to the rest of these people. If me doing the part of the job that involves bending over today, means you’ll handle the paperwork and calculations when my brain is fuzzy tomorrow - we’re making a good team.
I wish I could spread this like the gospel. What a healthy work environment you must create for chronic pain sufferers.
“I am darn well allowed to inconvenience myself for my vanity” MOOD
You were so open in this video and it touched my soul a little bit. Trauma is like a shadow of a nightmare that follows you every day, and I admire your ability to open up about it even slightly. I hope one day that we both find true peace with our demons, and that you continue to spread your light with these wonderful videos 🤍
As someone who has had a constant migraine for about 12 years I have considered cutting my head open many times 😂
I had one last 10 months and joked with a nurse that I'd gladly sign a DNR. I was only half kidding.
I can't imagine 12 years of that. Good luck to you.
Oh wow, i can't imagine 12 years. I've had migraines for as long as i remember, but not constantly. I get breaks sometimes, weeks without having one and then they come back. Buy when they are very bad i feel like an icepick shoved into my temple would relive it. I lay in bed in the dark sniffing menthol oil waiting for the medication to finally work and fantasize about how relieving it woul feel. I should probably talk to someone about that 😂
@@mmmmmmolly I have ice pick headaches which feel like an ice pick has been jammed into my temple. They last less than 30 seconds and are bad enough to drop me to the floor. So my personal recommendation would be to avoid ice picks 😉
Thankfully I don't typically get migraines and ice picks on the same day.
@@lajoyous1568 oh, those ice pick headaches! Just a blast of extremely intense pain for 30 or so seconds, but I’ll often get them in groups. So I’ll have one, then a minute or so later, another one, then another, then another.
I don’t think I’ve gotten more than five in a row though. And I also usually get them about an hour before a really intense headache starts. I also get a LOT of headaches, especially because my spine doesn’t work properly, and headaches travel up the spine, especially when you’ve got neck pain.
Omg My neurologist told me I had to go off painkillers completely for a whole month! Lots of kool n soothe does help, but I didn’t last longer than a few weeks 😬 More power to you and I hope you manage well and have a surprise month of fewer migraines!!
Oh gorgeous. Watching the end broke my heart. I'm so sorry you went through all that trauma. Thank you for sharing such a open side of yourself it made me feel so much less alone. I hope you're feeling a bit better with your head 💖
Girl.
I’m in America.
I’ve had to wait 6 years to get an MRI of my brain for seizures and migraines.
I also JUST SPENT 2 weeks in the hospital after numerous Er visits unable to swallow and with extreme blinding headaches.
They never even swabbed my throat.
A week after discharge I had to take myself to a walk in clinic where they swabbed my throat to tell me MY AIRWAY WAS CLOSING DUE TO RARE STREP TYPE C.
We are now 4 weeks and a possible blood infection and meningitis away from my first symptoms.
And I still don’t have antibiotics to prevent endocarditis from affecting my congenitally defective heart and killing me.
I’ve lived and traveled in Europe.
I always got prompt medical care there.
For free. Or a “bill” of like 200 euros.
My recent bills is a quarter million dollars.
And they. DIDNT. Even. Swab. My. Throat.
America is a third world wasteland.
I'm surprised you cannot just go "privately" (pay for visit not taken by insurance) to Dr and get help... Hope they will finally help you 😔
Catastropheshe the antibiotics alone cost 1800$ out of pocket.
The hospital bill is a quarter million.
I DO NOT have money like that....
On account of I’m chronically ill.
I'm surprised there wasn't a mention of essential oil "cures". You mentioned the lavender bath salt, but Facebook moms would mention that in a heartbeat.
yes and crystals. Don't get me started ----
what helps me with my migraines is lay on my bed on the side that hurts, as you said, also have complete silence if possible and complete darkness. y alsoo have a pill that helps when the migraine is too horrible. i try to also relieve neck pain and tension bc this helps with the overall pain
I feel like you would love the podcast Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine. There are transcripts! It’s a medical history podcast.
Your honesty and openness is very much appreciated 💞 I hope your trip outside and the fresh air helped make you feel better
I literally just took my rescue migraine med and then sat down and opened youtube, and this popped up first 😅
Man, I felt this.
I had a six month long migraine attack at 16, that improved to the status of chronic migraines ever since. There is so much I can't remember.......
I’ve been having migraines for 42 years. Nonmedicine things that help me are: headache puppies/frogs (animals stuffed with dried beans you sit on your head), Tiger Balm on the temples and back of neck (carefully as the stronger red not only stains but can hurt mucus membranes), peppermint tea, TENs unit (electricity, I put the pads on my shoulders as many of my migraines are stress induced)
Thank you! Mine are stress induced too because of extreme anxiety so this really helps!
Callie Higley Do your shoulder tighten like crazy? I had one of those massage things that slip over your shoulders at one point and it seemed to help stave them off if I used it. Of course I seemed to be using it all the time! I also make sure I have good silky sleep masks all the time too so that I can put them on when I do take my cocktail and try to sleep it off. When I’m out of the meds for the month (only 9 a month my eye) I can use the mask and a headache puppy and the Tiger’s Balm.
Yeeees! My shoulders always have the worst knots in history. Can a messager really help with stress headaches and migrains? It might be worth it to invest in one!
Callie Higley Yes! I ended up getting one of the shiatsu ones. Really helps! I also use pressure points if I’m out.
I've used Tiger balm and have found some relief, and I also find Vicks vaporub to be soothing in a similar way, but that could just be personal. Otherwise, I'm extremely sensitive to anything perfume-y so I don't know why those treatments have a positive effect
I am a chronic headache suffer, but with the occasional migraine. I gotten a migraine in the middle of marching band practice. That was fun, spite the 100 degree Fahrenheit weather, no shade, and of course music that is played very loudly.
I'm sure talking about all of that was really hard for you, but thank you for sharing and being so open. You're such a strong woman and I hope you continue to experience happy times. Sending lots of love x x x
I am so sorry to everyone who suffers from migraines. I have been lucky enough to never experience one (hoping I am not jinxing it now) but I have my own fair share of mental illness and pain so I feel for you. Sending everyone s lovely and pain free day 💖
You look exceptionally fetching Jessica.the dress and hairstyle combination is absolutely divine.
Hope you feel better soon and the migraine clinic finally helps you better manage your migraines.
That dress is gorgeous, just like Jessica Kelgren Fozard !!
Salt is an electrolyte and not getting enough electrolytes will give lots of people a headache 🤷♀️ obviously that’s not going to be the reason for every headache but it’s definitely been the culprit in plenty of mine. My SIL gets migraines and even though her daily Powerade doesn’t always prevent them, she gets way more if she skips it.
Food water medicine and then sleeping in a dark cold room. That’s all I can do to fix my migraines
beanhill Sometimes caffeine helps me, but don’t most medicines include that anyway?
@@mxnjones no most medicine doesn't include caffeine since say you take it before bed. Etc
But you can buy paracetamol with caffeine
Cold’s a big one for me! Winter migraines tend to be easier because I can numb myself out in the cold lol
Nashay Jones my medicine doesn’t. Mine just lessens the pain enough that I can sleep. Or if it’s a low level one then work.
ExhaustedMPH oh I don’t really have migraines during the winter. But it’s got here for 9 months a year so that’s not good for me. The cold feels amazing right?
Ok. But why did I relate to that ENTIRE memory rant at the end like
Y
I
K
E
S
Hope your migraines go away and you feel better, Jessica! Thanks so much for this really informative video!
I’m a nursing student and love hearing about your medical experiences, so thank you!
When my migraines are at their worst, I genuinely feel like gouging out my own eyes. When I told that to my doctor they asked me not to do that. Duh. I won’t. Just help me? Haha.
After 16yrs of chronic migraine lasting from 6-36 hours at a time sometimes every day of the week during which I lived a life in which people didn't believe me even when I vomited on the floor in front of them...I finally have a migraine medication that has worked! So grateful. Prior to that various treatments I used were icepacks that I have frostbite scars from, heating pads that I have burn marks from, bathing in ice, cold showers, eating ice cream, putting a screwdriver through the back of my head, dry needling, chiropractic, massage, putting an earring through the back of my head...none of these worked particularly well and some obviously caused massive amounts of harm. I still use ice packs regularly but it is just to help the pain while my meds actually work.
this video couldn’t have come at a better time!! i recently started medication and it makes me feel so sick, nauseous, tired, and make me have migraines that last for hours and that happen multiple times a week. i will b steering clear of these 🥰
This is one of the reasons I am so glad TH-cam recommended your videos to me. I suffer from chronic migraines and know how hard it can be to make people believe that you can barley function when you have one. You are incredible, battling a migraine to make this video, and being so brutally honest about your expieriance. Thank you so much for just being you and making these videos!
Dr.Teals Epson Salts comes in Avocado oil as well! For those sensitive to Lavender.
Their matcha citrus soak is my favorite!
lemonpledge7093 their what now?!?! Matcha citrus??? I need that in my life pronto!! 🤩
The way you describe migraines while suffering from one is almost cathartic.
Thank you for sharing!
To be fair though, while not working on HurtyBrains (sadness), electricity applied directly does work for *temporary* pain relief in muscle, so, TENS machines for us HurtyBody types.
Disclaimer: Do not stick a fork in the outlet, that will not work. Get the machine if you want to try it.
Dude yes they're incredible. Never felt such relief for my scoliosis pain
Thank you for including the part at the end about the difficulties of memory loss. I also have pretty extensive memory loss (though for different reasons) and I relate so much to what you shared. The vulnerability you spoke about is so real and something I hadn't been able to put words to. Thank you so much for all of the advocacy you do and just generally being an amazing human 💜
5 minutes into the video and it has made me love all the modern idiotic cures recommended by my family a lot more .
I have yet never appreciated the fact that they could have been recommending shoving a goose feather anywhere.
and, where you gonna get a goose at any time. lol
I did not realize how lovely it was, how relieving it was, how EUPHORIC it was to put a hard pillow under your neck. I once did it with someone's decorative pillow (I believe it was at my Oma's but I digress), and it literally made me feel like I was floating on some kind of wonderful cloud. I'm being quite literal here-- the relief of my tension headache made me feel so light. Like my head was buzzing happily. If you've ever been at that wonderful stage of tipsy wherein your body feels loose but you can still firmly hold onto your mind, it's much in the same.
100/10, would recommend.
Wow the day after my first migraine. How did she know???
Tylenol did not help. Now I know.
Caffeine can help. Only for about half of the population, but it's a near miracle for me.
Try ibuprofen.
Paracetamol literally gives me headaches but somehow ibuprofen works. Sometimes anyways...
Dark and quiet room and trying to black out while pain is on- works for me.
For medication I use ibumetin or another... which I forgot how it’s called ʅ（◞‿◟）ʃ
drink some coffee, darling, it'll make it leave faster and keep it from coming back
I was put on caffeine pills for mine. Which sucks, because I’m allergic to caffeine. Too much triggers my vertigo and has me so sick I throw up to the point of tossing up stomach acid. So it’s that of feeling like my brain is going to melt and deep out of my ears.
Oh gosh, Jessica looks SOOOOO GOOOOOD in this video. I mean, she always looks beautiful, but this teal greenish dress colour, this ponytail... A GODDESS!!!