Migraines that are caused by exercise....

Yep...that's right I get migraines from exercise.  Sounds like a great excuse to avoid exercise but it really was awful to live with.  Just so you know it's not caused by high blood pressure or anything like that.  It's just the way I am wired. 

Here's an article about exercise induced migraines.  Not a lot of people have heard of this.   

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=51 909

I have had this problem for 20 years.  Really it's not just exercise...it's any kind of over exertion.  So when I was younger I would get it from moving out of my apartment, painting my house...anything that was lots of work.  As I got older and heavier it took less and less for me to get migraines.  I got a migraine once from doing groceries...I guess I circled around the grocery store one too many times.  I would avoid all activity.  My daughter knew I had this problem and would do what she could to help so I wouldn't get a migraine.  Unbelievably, I never went to the doctor for medicine.  I suffered needlessly for years and became more and more sedentary.  Last year I decided I wanted to start exercising but knew I couldn't just jump on a treadmill without pain afterward.  I went to my doctor.  He started me on Depakote (which is for the treatment of seizures but also helps migraines) the Depakote is a daily medication I take to keep migraines away.  Then I also have Maxalt for the migraines that actually develop. 

When I started to exercise I had to start slow and build up.  Pretty soon I was at a brisk walk for 45 minutes.  That's not to say there weren't times I ended up with a migraine because I pushed too hard.  See the medicine I take doesn't keep the migraines away indefinitely.  I can still do too much and give myself a migraine...I can feel it coming on and try to stop before that happens.  Which is a pain in the ass because my body wants to keep going but my head is saying "if you take one more step ***** I will blow your head off".  I have noticed that it's taking more and more activity to induce a migraine.  After 10 months of building slowly and working with my doctor for the correct dosages...I am able to run now.  I still have the aggravation of wanting to keep on running and having to stop because I know a migraine is coming on.  

I am determined to eventually run a 5K race.  Right now I am working out on the treadmill for 50 minutes.  I do intervals.  I am up to 14 minutes of continuous running before I have to slow down to a brisk walk.  I also lift weight too.  It's great to see that my hard work is paying off.  I do wish I didn't have this problem.  If I didn't I probably would be running marathons...hahaha.  But it makes me appreciate running more because I had to do a lot to work for it.  It's something I really wanted to do and I am getting closer to my goal of running a 5K!!! 

I'm sorry to hear that you suffer with this. But it's also nice to know that you have found a way to workout without the migraines. My migraines are heat induced. Anytime my body temperature rises I'm down for the count. It could be triggered from just being outside to exercising indoors. I'm now at a place where I don't like to go out in the summer. When the migraines comes it knocks for at least 12 hours or more. I love being outside and always on the go during the winter months. I want to be able be outside like that in the summer. If you have any advice I am open to hearing it.
Thanks
Val

I didn't get relief till I went to my doctor.  If your regular doctor can't help I have heard of some migraine suffers go to neurologists.  The medicines they have now and they are always coming out with new ones could help your migraines.  I also heard Eastern treatments can work...like acupuncture.  I was going to try that next if the medicine didn't help.  I read an herb called fever few is supposed to help...it's in the vitamin isle at your local grocery/drug store.  I would say try some medicine and start going out but do it little by little.  Maybe 15 minutes at first and then a little more each week.  I would do the same with the exercise.  This is what has helped me.  I can't believe I waited 20 years for treatment.  What was I thinking??? 

I hope you can get some relief with your medications!  I've been a migraine sufferer for 16 years and I'm to the point now where I get them pretty much daily.  So I have learned I just have to work through them.  If I did nothing when I had a migraine, then I'd live my life in bed!  Thank God for medication, which makes it bearable to function (most of the time).  I've been to the neurologists at Mayo Clinic and we've tried all the different drugs (even Botox) and nothing seems to help them.  My Dr & I are still waiting for my "miracle cure"!  We laugh when something new comes out that I can try.  But I am lucky I have a Dr that has been with me through the entire ordeal, understands me, and is willing to try even the most unlikely options.

I hope you can get a handle on them & enjoy life! 

Marion

I understand completely where all of you are coming from. I have suffered wih migraines since I was 13 years old. I am now 41 almost 42. For a long time they weren't very bad and then 2 years ago they not only got bad but got really bad. Last summer I began to get involved with my weight loss journey. The day after Thanksgiving was my last day worked. (I am a RN) I continued with my migraine and on December 14 I was admitted into the hospital. I was in for 1 week. It was then I was diagnosed with Pseudo tumor Cebri. This is a condition where the spinal fluid pressures increase in the brain and cause migraines. I had a million MRI, CT Scans, blood works, aspiration of the cebral spinal fluids lots of times and nothing showed until December. The Neurologist stated that it was caused by my obesity and because I was in child bearing years. So my elective Bariatric Surgery became a have to. The Neurologist wasn't going to release me back to wor****il they were under control again. I had my surgery 02/15/2011 and I have lost 30 lbs. Officially. I haven't begun my exercising yet. Even to do laundry would cause my head to hurt even today. I still haven't gone back to work yet. However, I had a talk with my husband and then with my neurologist and we decided that it would be best if I stayed off of wor****il Fall season. I had been receiving short term disability and now they are still trying to decided if they will continue the short term or change it to long term. I am hoping that by the fall I would have lost enough weight to help me feel better. I am currently on Verapamil, Maxalt, phernergan as needed, tizanidine (muscle relaxant) and now they have started me on the narcotics frequently. And the narcotics are new. But since December I have been in the hospital 3 times. 2 times for migraines that lasted longer than a week and then when I had my bariatric surgery. So hang in there sweetie. You can do it.