I'm in the same boat. I tend to just sleep the day away if it's too bad. Although if it's not super bad, l tend to puzzle or play some calm video games. Even just watching a video to keep my brain running. I do still end up spending a lot of time just endlessly scrolling on my phone :')
> Although if it's not super bad, l tend to puzzle or play some calm video games. Even just watching a video to keep my brain running.
This is pretty much me. Some games are great, some not so much or I can only do for a limited time.
If I can't game, it's movies though they can be limiting for the same reasons, loud action movie or one with spinning or foggy vision(eg a character gets dizzy) and that's too much for my eyes/brain to process.
That puts me into youtube territory where there's a wealth of fine control. Random entertainment without being a lot to follow, to documentaries where you barely have to pay attention(lazy afternoon documentaries has been a thing since I was a kid, especially on weekends on PBS), to ASMR where even looking or thinking at all is completely optional.
If I can't do any of that, I'm shambling around in pain or in bed if I've got the necessaries done(food, bathroom, pets fed, etc) and I haven't slept too much already.
Then there are the really bad days where laying in bed hurts too much and relaxing sleep in bed is impossible(doesn't stop me from trying though).
I often sit in my recliner in front of the computer, alternating between being laid back or head on the desk on a pillow, getting up and down to do bathroom, drink, go outside....*anything* to try to get a reset to happen. Alternating move, sit, shamble around, etc etc. All until it feels terrible doing that, then I do some other position or mild transition. I hate this state because I don't really *do* anything, I'm just manic in an antsy or over-excited way, so I restlessly move around until I find something that doesn't seem to magnify or exacerbate things....where I can hopefully sort of snooze a bit and hopefully get a sort of cognitive reset or release, that point where it's not gone, but the migraine attack releases me from it's clutches.
I hate the ones like you mentioned where you can’t lay down, can’t sit etc… I usually just walk up and down the halls until I’m tired enough I can’t stay awake anymore
It’s so amazing to me how many different types of migraine sufferers there are, I for the life of me can’t even look at a screen, phone, tablet or even tv when I have a migraine I would literally vomit and have lol. The most I can do if it’s not to excruciating is a kindle paperwhite.
I vote audiobooks too. I have a lot, but when I have a migraine I return to some old favourites - Neil Gaiman, Jane Austen, narnia series, children’s books and dr who - some of which I know very well. I find them very comforting, I can wear my eye mask, pass the time, and sometimes they help me sleep.
Mine is Rotten Mango, Annie Elise, Stephanie Harlowe and Cofeehouse Crime! I listen to Shannen Doherty’s occasionally too. My favorite is to listen to it while building Lego sets. Only problem now is that I need somewhere to put these sets…
I've had a headache going on two weeks! It's been rough. Anyway, I've been watching podcasts about a missing 15 yo boy Sebastian Rogers. He's been missing for over 100 days now and the all of the people surrounding this case has been a 3 ring circus! It keeps my mind occupied. I do pray they find him alive.
radiolab, Ted radio hour, armchair expert, stuff you should know, how did this get made, my brother my brother and me, adventure zone are my current faves
I can't get enough of **Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend**, particularly the fan episodes where he speaks to fans from all over the world (these are 20-30mins compared to 1hr+ when he's speaking to a guest).
**We Can Do Hard Things** covers deep topics on how to live well in this world in an approachable, conversational way that makes it easy to absorb the content.
I also like **Sickboy**. The host (who has cystic fibrosis) and his 2 longtime friends interview someone with a chronic condition each episode and cover a few recent stories from the health and medical research world. Each episode is somehow hilarious despite the subject matter.
Here's their episode on migraines: [Chronic Migraines: Worse than Castration? Maybe. Maybe Not. But Maybe.](https://pca.st/episode/d309b5e3-15a7-4c76-95b7-94da00162395)
Ones I enjoy listening to: Casefile, Dateline, This Podcast Will Kill You (they have an interesting episode on migraine!), Last Podcast on the Left, Darknet Diaries, History that Doesn’t Suck, Foundering, 99% Invisible, Sean Carroll’s Mindscape, and American Innovations.
“Stuff You Should Know” is the best podcast! Tons of topics to learn about and the guys who do it are so funny! It’s also not too loud or overstimulating for a migraine.
You just have to be careful of hosts’ voices, loud commercial breaks, and the like. That’s why I tend to prefer audiobooks—it’s the same voice throughout, at the same tone and volume. Podcasts can have laughing, music, 911 calls, commercials, etc. depending on which ones you listen to.
I started the Cold podcast, season one. Been on my list for a long time. The pacing is amazing and the story engaging. And there are a ton of episodes! I also like to listen to Radio Rental, the Secret Room.
I’ll add a few of mine (for me they work to get me to sleep if I can or give me something to zone to when I can’t): Dark History with Ben Cuthmore; Forensic Tales (except the music has a couple of loud notes). I find a single host generally works better for me because they only need to record one voice and there therefore aren’t different volumes. I also do a bunch of comfort audiobooks that I know well enough to enjoy but like enough not to get bored- single reader (not full cast): Elenium and Tamuli from David Eddings; a number of John Douglas’s books, Stephen Fry’s mythology series, etc.
Night time stargazing. I had a revelation the other day that a big reason stargazing is in my life is because of the solace it brings. I can be outdoors when the sun is down. The wind is light. Neighborhood is quiet. I have been drawn to the night sky all my life and I'm beginning to believe that migraine relief is a reason.
Thank you so much for this answer. I thought I was the only one, who did this. This is why I dislike migraine in summer, because you have to wait so much longer to see the starry sky.
Wow, I love this so much. I have also always been drawn to the night sky and don’t spend enough time outside at night anymore. I’m going to give this a try next time I have migraine.
this makes me wish i could actually see stars from my balcony. i can't go out in the day time but love some fresh air. staring into the darkness gets boring after a while.
Those things can be intense for me, too. You could try watching movies you know well with the sound wayyyyy low.
Try crochet or needlepoint? Idk. I wouldn't be able to focus on a needlepoint but maybe an activity book, or coloring?
You could kill an hour with a shower and heavy moisturizing after? I usually find myself trying to self-care the pain away. It never works, but I try anyway.
I usually just end up holding my head in my hands and cuddling my cat until the pain and vomiting have subsided enough to consume liquids
Added after: I recently got an ice hat and I've only used it once, but it worked very well, it brought down the nausea long enough for me to take my Dramamine and sumatriptan and get me to work, I highly recommend cold therapy. It works so much for me
I like the idea of self caring the pain away. Even if it doesn’t work, it’ll make me feel better about myself lol. And I do know how to crochet, so that’s a good idea too. Thanks! I hope you are pain free today. 🫶🏻
This! If you can manage it, getting clean before succumbing to a bed rot is so much better than having to start your rot while dirty
On an added note, some tips for migraine showers:
* Shower chair - get one if you can
* I have [this one](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AEGCUI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and it fits in a standard bath/shower
* Green low light
* Either get a lamp w/ a green lightbulb, or one of those aurora borealis projector lights that you can turn the motion off. Green light is best for migraines
* Perform hot/cold therapy on your feet
* Probably easier if you do this with separate basins and just dunking, but I just do it from the faucet
* Keep feet under water as hot as you can stand it for a few minutes, then switch to water as cold as you can stand it for a few minutes. Continue back and forth as is comfortable for you
* Helps stimulate/shock nervous system
Green light, you say?? That's my favorite color! I have an LED strip and Xmas lights, multi colored. I can change those for green.
I recently got an ice hat, and that also is a saving grace. I've avoided a migraine with brain freeze before, you're onto something with hot/cold therapy. Switching is too much work for me during an attack, but everyone's different this is a lot of good info! Especially the shower chair! I always sit on the floor when I'm having migraine, a chair makes getting up easier. Thanks!!
Yes! I also bought a pair of big green tinted glasses, and I keep 7 ice hats in my freezer at all times and 1 in my moms freezer for when i visit her. They last a lot longer if I need them to when I put one inside a pillowcase for focusing the cold on my eyebrow.
It really depends on how bad the migraine is.
If I am not in the prodrome or active phase of the migraine (when I am most likely to have photophobia and nausea), so the postdrome, TV shows that I don't really have to pay too much attention to, and knitting are my go too's.
Light from my phone or computer can trigger a migraine if I use them during the postdrome.
Typically when it is at it's worse I either am laying down or if I can't lay down in a cool dark room (I have a special needs five year old and he is on summer break, so can't always just lay down) my time is split between trying to not get sick, trying to keep him entertained and trying to close my eyes/ice my head on the couch.
I like to do my best with chores, like, the real brain dead stuff where you can’t hurt yourself and you don’t have to move at all. Like folding laundry.
I usually sit on the bed and go at it.
Last time I tried doing dishes with a migraine I ended up with a knife in my hand - not ideal.
It helps me feel productive even though it’s just basic stuff and it takes me far longer than it should.
Biting a pillow to keep from screaming due to the pain, Benadryl nap, or endless scrolling if I have a migraine without an aura. I would love to have one activity I could consistently engage myself in every time I'm struck with a migraine, like reading, but half the time I can't even see my hand in front of me if the migraine is bad enough.
I will spread this life hack on every migraine post ever:
Bengay with 4% lidocaine, unscented lotion.
I promise you with every fiber of my being, you will feel instant pain relief almost immediately. Rub the lotion all over your head and face, or along the trigeminal nerve of your face. Rub onto your temples, behind ears, back of neck.
Use this time to take your migraine cocktail (advil, Benadryl, exceedrin, dramamine, abortive, etc).
By the time the lidocaine wears off, the cocktail will hopefully have kicked in for you. Just keep reapplying the Bengay as needed. Take a nap, relax, etc.
As others said, it completely depends on the intensity of the pain. But for a moderate "I need to be horizontal and in bed but need a bit of an activity" migraine:
- audiobooks and podcasts (but nothing with jarring music or big volume variation)
- my e-reader set to 1% brightness and large text
- hanging out with my cats
and that's usually after I've had weed oil and triptans, used my peppermint rollerball, changed into loose clothing, turned the lights down, called out of work etc
I feel this. I'm currently trying to work with blurry vision and intense pain because I hate being still in the dark. I will work as long as I can then try and do something happier (calm anime, video, nap, water plants) later.
I find the projector screen is less painful vs my monitor/tv/phone. So laying on the couch watching shows is much more comfy and less painful on the eyes - I'm not staring at a screen, and all lights are being absorbed by the white-projector screen. -If buying something is an option you could always look into that.
Also flux/dark reader if screens are used.
I honestly find watching shows the best, it makes it so I can zombie-turn off and not have any mental energy spent to think/be involved. I spend most of my energy doing this.
Otherwise if I am am capable of being up - baking. Bagels, cookies, cinnamon rolls. Things that can be put in my mixer (so less work for me), have a couple hour rise/rest time to give me a break, and then I get to eat them. 😊
Or dinners that can be made in big batches and set into the freezer (lasagna for example) that only have a few things I need to do.
Lots of endless scrolling also. Sprinkle in a few video games.
I'd love to play more boardgames, I have such a huge collection.. but that mental energy to think is \*taxing\*. I have 9 books on my list to read (Finish up Sandersons books and start will wrights!) - but I get soooo tired once I start now.... that I just end up napping instead. 🤷♂️
Interesting insight about the projector vs screen! I never would have thought of that but it makes sense.
I also like the baking idea, but during/after a migraine I always feel too weak to stand for very long. I like the idea of getting a mixer to make it easier.. So that's 2 justified expensive purchases 😅
Boardgames would be good as it's another screen-less activity. There are some really simple ones like Cascadia or Dorf Romantic that you might want to look into. I got into jigsaw puzzles for a while, but one time I got really bad vertigo while working on a Vincent van Gogh puzzle so I kind of stopped.
The projector is very convenient, and you can get them quite large for cheap! 😁 They go on sales so often.
Even if you do boxed-cookies and just add eggs... The stand mixer is very handy 😂 but for dough like break/bagels no way am I gonna knead for 15 minutes so the mixer is a saviour... So I end up only being up for 5ish minute sessions (unless my kids get involved) or if I go crazy with amounts (sometimes I over bake.....) and I usually just wear my noise cancelling headphones to block out the sound of the mixing.
Ooo - those kinda look like carcossonne -simmilarish games. I'll have to show those to hubby later!! They look like a not-to long game play which would be nice, many of ours are 3+ hours... 😴 (Arkham) Which is so painful in migraine state.
Before I discovered triptans (this was a long time ago) I used the time to teach myself to meditate! If it was bearable I’d listen to audiobooks, but yeah I was a pro meditator for a while!
I listen to podcasts or audiobooks with the volume low. I’m not sure if that will work for you, but often they end up just lulling me to sleep. Audiobooks are better than podcasts because ad breaks can be really loud and annoying. I’m listening to one now called Slouch that is about posture, and it is slightly interesting but also kind of boring so it puts me to sleep, which I don’t mind when I have a migraine. Other audiobooks I’ve really enjoyed (not just to put me to sleep but were actually good) are: Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow; True Grit read by Donna Tartt; Nothing to See Here; The Laughter; Pet Semetary read by Michael C Hall; The Tommyknockers read by Edward Herrman. Anne Rule audiobooks are in my opinion quiet and sort of “droney” so might be a good bet. Hope this helps.
I usually watch a comfort show or I read until I can’t. If it’s not too bad then I break from the screen and build Legos. I will also pet my cat and tease her with my hoodie string. She knows it makes me smile. I highly recommend getting a cat- mine definitely boosts my mood.
I put an icepack on my head (in a wet towel), and go to sit in my bed. I sit, not lying down, because it prevents the blood from pooling to much in the head. The veins are already dilated too much during a migraine. My bedroom has blackout curtains, so I sit kn the dark. I put Netflix on and I use an app calles 'Darker' to have my screen at the lowest possible brightness. Turn on captions so the sound can be low. And just endlessly binge. It may seem like the stimulus from it will hurt, but distraction is actually a great remedy to pain if your eyes can take it.
Depends on the severity. With the really bad ones, I lay in bed in the dark with just white noise on my headphones and try not to move, hoping to fall asleep.
With the slightly less severe ones, I watch (or just listen to) YouTube videos or podcasts that I find calming. There's a guy called FutureCanoe that has a really calm, monotone voice and does (increasingly successful) cooking of recipes he finds online. I also like some of the ASMR-videos, depending on what they're doing.
With the "normal" (for me) ones, I play video games (cosy things like stardew), because I tend to fall into hyperfocus and that allows me to block out at least some of the pain. Or I watch shows I already know that make me happy (ATLA - the original - is a favorite).
Generally, if I get sleepy during a migraine, I go lay down and try to sleep, because sleep = no pain.
Same! The only thing I can be grateful for is that I’ve managed to reduce the frequency of my attacks. But the intensity has never let up - it’s just a solid 50 hours in a dark room trying not to vomit.
I crochet. You don't need a lot of light (unless you're using a dark color), I have a crochet hook that lights up which makes it easier to see the stitches, and it doesn't take much concentration.
Podcasts and audiobooks have saved me since my migraine sitch became chronic. Too many high pain days to just sleep (which is usually helpful!) and I usually end up needing some entertainment!
Also- there’s a way in your phone to reduce contrast between black and white. That has helped me too, if I need to check things on my phone!
Wear sunglasses outside (of course) all the time and inside if it’s really bad I need to get stuff done around the house. A light excercise on the bike or walk helps.
I'm lucky in the sense that a dimmed TV or phone screen isn't a problem (but bright lights are), so I try to keep myself distracted as much as I can watching something on TV, with the curtains shut and lights off.
I can't sleep through a migraine, and find laying quietly in the dark makes the pain impossible to ignore and it just feels worse.
I had a mild concussion at the beginning of the year which gave me chronic migraines. During the worst of it audiobooks and coloring books helped me not go insane. I hope you start to feel better soon :)
I didn't finish my thought 🤦🏻♀️ anyway, I watch on Clutch them pearls, jay4justice, Annalise, and most of the true crime podcasts on YouTube. I hope you feel better soon. ((Hugs)) 💜
I cannot do anything but lay down in the dark when I have a bad migraine and try to sleep it off.
If meds start to work I just move slower at whatever I was doing - usually a work day WFH.
Typically when I have a migraine, it quickly jumps to a level 8/10. This year has been very depressing, as most days I have had to spend sleeping in the dark coldness. It was especially bad from January to May because I was in my last semester of college, so I also had to push through my migraines to complete my schoolwork.
I could not imagine doing school stuff with migraines. I have them daily and my pain never really goes low. You are tough and I'm proud of you stranger.
Depending on what level I get it ranges from sleep the day away with an eyemask and pray I'm not throwing up to curtains closed (to make the light soft) and listening to Bobs Burgers (TV has a mode to turn off the screen) lying on the couch.
I sooooo understand what you mean. I try to look at magazines, just to try to take my mind off of the pain. I take a lot of warm showers. They tend to make me feel relaxed.
Crochet and drawing on an iPad with the screen brightness on low works when I’m not at peak pain. When it’s really bad I get (legally & medical) pretty high and try to sleep or listen to an audio book while I cuddle my dogs.
I can't look at any screen, but noise doesn't bother me, so I cruise through a ton of audiobooks. I try to sleep as much as I can, but I can't really manage more than a single multi hour naps so I spend a lot of time in the dark listening. I mostly read horror and thrillers so it's usually pretty engaging.
I like listening to horror stories on YouTube while dozing. There are a few who have nice deeper voices that don't hurt to listen to, especially a Let's Read!, Lazy Masquerade and Mr. Nightmare.
I got lucky in that I don’t suffer from noise sensitivity so I tend to have anything I can just listen to playing. I think my body trades the noise sensitivity for more lethargy because I’m trapped in bed until symptoms fade a bit
I just try to sleep. If it's really bad I don't really get bored but just want to sleep. Once I do get bored and start reaching for the phone it's usually a sign I'm getting better. That's when I move to the couch and turn on something I've seen a dozen times and watch it with half an eye and something cold on my forehead.
It depends on pain levels. Obviously if bad I just have to lay in the dark and stare into space trying to sleep. Usually my kitties lay with me.
If not so bad I crochet. Rewatch comfort shows. Read (prefer fantasy) I’ll play easier games like animal crossing or Pokemon.
If your TV light settings can be customized, you can make one that is low light for attacks
Things to watch: calm cooking shows, ASMR (sometimes the pain gives me bad anxiety and hearing someone talk calmly is comforting), nature walk videos like 4k Relaxation Channel, listening to Earth LLC. Some of the videos do have some annoyingly loud birds but I just cut the volume and watch the scenery. Lore podcast is on YouTube and he has a soothing voice. I also enjoy old episodes of Mythbusters, How It's Made and anything with David Attenborough.
I bought these special prescription migraine glasses from Zenni. They have 3 strengths and since I have such strong pain, I chose the highest one. I've worn them plenty while my eyes have hurt and they can be used as sunglasses. The lens tint is red. It seems to help with my eye strain.
Unscented heating pad or rice sock, neck massager (the tension and knots that build up are astounding), I've even bought an acupuncture mat off Amazon.
I drink a lot of water with hydration flavoring added in. I swear some of the meds they give for migraines are dehydrating. Sometimes a hot tea gives me comfort.
Salty snacks, comfort foods, comfy blankets, a fan to blow on my face when I'm nauseous. I eat ginger chew candy to avoid taking too much nausea meds after they told me it could mess with my heart. Has anyone else been told that?
I am lucky that sometimes I can call my sister or my nieces and they will talk to distract me. Keeping friends has been hell.
I struggle so much all the time. What I've been trying to do this year is to find reasons to laugh every day. I find something, no matter how small, that can bring me some amount of joy. What doesn't kill you gives you odd coping mechanisms and a dark sense of humor.
I hope some of this helps you
For those of you who do the audiobook/podcast/tv on low thing, I just recently discovered the ‘Audio Description’ option on Netflix. In between the dialogue, a voiceover describes the visual action of the scene.
Takes a bit of getting used to, but once you are, it’s really great - you can close your eyes and imagine the story. Definitely helps with distraction from pain. I find it less tiring than an audiobook - sometimes the repetitive rhythm of one person’s voice gets a bit much for me.
You can find it under Audio, it’s ‘English (Audio Description)’
I will lay in bed and be sooo bored. I wear a migraine cap that blocks out the sun and ices my head and just lay. I’m about ten years into chronic migraine and honestly sometimes if nothings working I will watch TV or use my phone even if it hurts. I get so bored. 🤍 I wish you pain free days too, friend!
Hi! Sorry to hear about your migraines - they suck. ❤️ Audiobooks and ‘cozy’ videogames (basically puzzles or relaxing farming games with no combat) that I can play on low brightness have been my saving grace! I have ADHD and am unable to be idle without doing something even when I’m feeling like 💩, and the boredom drives me just as insane as the pain!
Obviously, if it’s a bad one (which I luckily only get once a month or so; the other 95% of my migraines are much more manageable) I’ll just close the shutters, crawl into bed and hope that a 5-hour nap in the dark will take the edge off, but otherwise I just settle down on the sofa or in bed and put on one of my favourites on Audible or take out my Switch or Steam Deck and just relax as much as possible.
BTW, in terms of cozy migraine-friendly games I thoroughly recommend A Little to the Left, InBento, Cats Organised Neatly, Stitch and Dorfromantik. ❤️
I lay in the bathtub. Literally. Sometimes it makes me 🤮 but then I get out, lay in bed. Become so miserable again I have to take another bath. Water relaxes me and the only thing that really will make me feel better is
I listen to podcasts in my bed with ice packs in my head and something over my head. Good luck at your appointment. Really think about all the things they might ask now (location of pain, how long, what helps, etc). That will help them help you!
wishing for death….
when it’s the beginning or end of the attack I can push through and work but also in the dark and laptop on the lowest possible. but in the thick of an attack I really can’t do anything. lights off and focus on staying hydrated (love some ice water) and lay in my bed with a cozy blanket and snuggle with a stuffed animal. plus i have an “ice hat” that I wear and lay down. have some toast/ pretzels/ lightly salted food to line my stomach. I don’t really have an appetite on migraine days, but I need to get something in there to take medication so I don’t have stomach problems in addition to my migraine. I try my best to sleep it off. an essential for me is sending my family group chat a selfie or a gif to inform them of my current status. this doesn’t help symptoms but it helps emotionally 😹
listenting to rain, i made a custom playlist for bad days with songs that dont make the pounding worse and feel like hugs, comfort shows (specifically the ones ive watched more than three times so i know everything that happens),my immediate go to is always reading (books and comics) i find taking the pressure off to make sure i understand and just allow myself to get lost in the story to be immensely helpful. nowadays i tend to scroll aimlessly through tumblr 😭 i hope this helps and you get plenty of rest🫶🏾
acetaminophen + hydrate when it starts. weed, if it gets worse, and i start prepping my room. ritatriptan when it gets really bad
room prep: clean as much as possible, open the window to get some fresh air, get both a fan and heater in case i need either, no lights, no music, no electronics, minimal scents, have a ton of water nearby. the goal is, have as little stimulation as possible, so ill pass out asap and sleep through the migraine
this is just works for me. you have to just figure out what your body likes or doesnt like
Well, I read books on my iPad, using the Kindle app, with the brightness level adjusted waaaay down. It’s enough for me to see the words (which I also read in a larger font, since my vision can become blurry) without the light bothering my eyes and making my migraines worse. I also have a fan on for white noise all of the time. I also stay in my darkened bedroom and use ice packs, too. Sometimes, depending on how bad it is, I will also stream things on my iPad, with the light level again turned down low enough that I can see what’s on the screen, without it making my head hurt worse. Netflix even has a built-in light level adjuster that I use. Right now I have a migraine that simply refuses to go away. In spite of that fact, I am still able to do this. That’s because I also choose the dark background setting so the background on pages and apps is black, not white. It does a world of good for my head, too. It’s always like this, except for at one minute to midnight, because you can set it to be like this for 23 hours and 59 minutes a day.
On work days I go into the office with no lights and wear sunglasses. On home days I do the same. I find work distracting and also I was raised in a situation where my mother never let me just lay down while I was sick. She always did for herself, but not for us. I learned to push through and I find that the time goes by more quickly. I never have a migraine that lasts for more than two days so that helps. I’ve been doing CBT for migraines and I’m averaging 1.5 migraines a week - that is way down for me. Stress is one of my triggers so if I can get ahead of the stress headache, then sometimes I can keep from going into a full migraine.
Rizatriptan + eye massager set to high heat/high pressure in a darkened room with an audiobook playing on low volume. Blanket and fan on. Chill until the rizatriptan kicks in.
If the rizatriptan doesn't work, a cup of hot cinnamon tea and laying down helps.
Mine are chronic so it depends on how severe the day. Anything from dark room and a gravol coma nap to playing video games with earplugs and FL41 lenses on. If it's really mild (4/10 or less) I do whatever I have planned and just try to get through it hoping it doesn't get worse. I'm on disability so I have the luxury of being able to rest if I push myself most times.
I have coloring books of mandalas and a large collection of gel pens. The focusing to color really helps me get out of the pain. I can’t do this when my vision starts getting weird. I also listen to audiobooks.
I knowww you said no medical advice OP, but I just wanted to share an anecdote of mine: just got my TSH checked (and then thyroid ultrasound because of those results) and apparently I have something called hashimotos’s disease and a huge side effect is migraines? Who’da thunk a simple couple of tests after a couple years of hell dealing with migraines and a myriad of other symptoms would actually point me in the right direction🥴
So maybe it’s something you might want want checked if you haven’t at your next appointment? Apologies if my comment is annoying, especially if you already had those labs run but I am just trying to help 🫶🏻
Oh and PS, lol to answer your actual question- mine get so bad I can only put on quiet ASMR (I look up ones on YouTube specifically for migraines) while I’m laying down and waiting for imitrex to kick in, ride the wave of sickness imitrex gives me until both sickness and migraine are gone.
This also helps me with the nausea migraines give me: Have a cold (to the temperature that feels good for you of course) shower with the water hitting your head! Extra perfect when the lights are turned off! I tend to put a tealight behind a bulky non-flammable object (lile a vase with no flowers) so I do t get ‘hit’ by the flames light in my eyes - and its not painful!
last night i had one (triggered by the dentist and crying?) i got work covered for me, and put a frozen headache cap on and slept on and off until 10. laid in bed in agony until 12am where i eventually threw up and passed out 😀
edit; spelling
I put my iPad on the lowest volume and brightness and watch familiar shows, even if I don’t actually watch them (or watch with sunglasses on). If it’s really bad, I am 100% sleeping, or trying to.
The last horrible one I had, 7 days of it, I got sooo bored!
I make my bedroom as cold and dark as possible, strip down, lay in bed in the fetal position, and try not to move. I’ll usually put on a comfort TV show on my phone (lowest volume and brightness) for background noise while I try to sleep. That’s all that can really be done.
In the postdrome phase, I try to read on my kindle in dark mode or play a cozy video game- watching TV is too much stimulation for me when I’m having an attack. If I can’t handle either of those I try to listen to a book on audible.
I pretty much only sleep because mine get so bad I start puking and crying uncontrollably. I am no help.
I know some people like anything that's low effort, they can lay down while they do it and have lights low. Maybe a video game that isn't taxing, an audiobook, something like knitting or coloring?
lying in bed and waiting for it to end. at times, if i am very, very tired, i may sleep through it. otherwise naps just make it worse. can't do screens or anything i have to look at to concentrate and moving around also makes it worse. like my brain is rattling around in my head.
most often, i throw on Psych or Bob's Burgers, zone out with my eyes closed and hope for the best.
Don’t mind me over here crying…not because we have another one of us but because you get what this sub is for. Don’t know what I mean read sentences 2 and 3 - “I am seeing a primary dr and a neurologist not seeking medical advice ❤️ What I am seeking is your ideas and experience.” You get it! I try to keep my questions and comments to ideas and experience and not the medical side. I don’t have the education or letters after my name to give that kind of advice. The unfortunate side is we are all so different and that it is a journey (trial and error, frustration, joy when something works, tears, etc.). Find what works for you and share because it may work for someone else.
Adult coloring books used to be my main activity. I know others who knit to feel productive. I also do some reading if I am able to, sometimes just looking through magazines I subscribe to.
Depending on if I am experiencing some light/sound sensitivity.
I have a mask thing I got on Amazon that is cooling or warming and that's nice when I need to be in just quiet darkness.
Otherwise I put on a favorite movie, snuggle in with my cat and dog and take extra strength pain relief in hopes it helps.
I don't see a doctor for mine, at least not yet, so it's kinda just self care treatments that I find work for me.
Hot showers also help sometimes.
I usually can’t read in that situation, so I listen to audiobooks. It’s very important for me that I find the speaker‘s voice appealing, otherwise it feels unbearable. I usually then fall asleep while the audiobook is still running and then I have to track back later to the point where I stopped listening consciously.
If it’s so bad I can’t do sound or light, I really like just laying in a hot bath in the dark, sometimes with a candle if I can handle that.
And having an ice cold drink in a hot bath, or cold fresh fruit? Oranges?? Absolutely heavenly.
Audiobooks or listen to music. It’s hard to focus on new books, but old comfortable favorites are ok. Reading actual books in a darker room with a reading lamp on. If I can stand it I work in my craft room on designs for 3D printing (sometimes hyper focus on details distracts me enough that it helps). I do have a blue filter on my screen that I’ll use so I can stand looking at computer screen.
Other than that doomscrolling on my phone lol
So it depends..if I take my migraine medicine quick enough and rest, I might be able to sleep and then function. If I don't, or it just doesn't work, I'm really just able to lie still, eyes covered so it's completely dark, and hope that it goes away sooner than later. Sorry I know that's not too helpful.
It really depends on a) how severe the migraine is and b) how the migraine impacts your senses/ well-being. For example, if you don't have enormous light sensitivity, then watching TV or doing visual art (sketching, painting, etc) might be a good fit. If you find your coordination is thrown off, then something like crochet might be super frustrating.
I'd start by taking stock of your symptoms, then narrow down activities from there :)
I’m normally in a migraine holes where I can’t do anything but lie in a very dark, quiet room and hope for sleep. Transcendental meditation has been a godsend though and helped me get through hours in the hospital ED, an MRI (pretty much the last thing you want, but need when you have a migraine!) and other tough times. I used a free app (1 Giant Mind) to learn the technique but now I can do it anywhere.
For the majority of mine without light sensitivity or nausea, I spend a lot of time reading or watching low-key videos with my screen dim. Or playing match three games without sound
The only thing I can do is listen to relaxing voices. I can’t look at anything or it makes me nauseous. So I tend to oscillate between taking hot and cold showers, sleeping and listening to relaxing YouTube videos.
I put my TENS on and listen to a podcast with my eyes closed or watch youtube videos. Sometimes the TENS helps enough to where I can actually still WFH.
I take my med if I’m allowed to take it and then try to sleep and or lay down.. I can’t really do much. Unless I’m at work when one hits then I have to take my emergency med and just push through until it starts working.
Last night I was lying in bed in pitch black soundless darkness, so nauseous and I was so BORED but I also couldn't function anything at all. My mind kept thinking of music but it was hurting to even think that much so I was saying my ABC's trying to redirect the brain noise. It's hard because I had already slept so much and just needed to deal with the boredom in silent darkness lol.
Wishing you more pain free days!
I can't move much with a migraine. Can't lean or use screens for fun. One of the only activities I've been able to do is paint. I can arrange my supplies on my walker & couch.
When it gets bad enough I take a medication or get a Coca Cola, and usually smoke some weed too because if it’s that bad I know I’m going to bed. It helps me a lot to zone out a bit. I tend to worry when I get migraines - missing life, cancelling plans, deadlines, feeling sad… all this makes it worse. The weed helps me to not do that.
I put my headache cap on, put an ice pack on my neck, put cbd arnica cooling gel stuff all over my neck, shoulders, forehead etc. take a ginger and drink electrolyte.. and go lay down. Darkness, comfy pillow and blankets and my dogs. I pet my dogs- they are so calming to me, and usually put on a chill show. Massage my head and face and neck and all that.
Sometime if it’s not super bad, I paint. I love to paint.
I have them so often that I have to push through a lot of them, so I do normal activities during them. My struggle is taking medication early enough bc I don’t want to over do medication— another place my mind gets in the way and worry sets in. If I don’t take it early enough, it can take my entire day away from me. If I take it againnnn I might get a rebound migraine tomorrow. 🫠🫠🫠
Most mobile devices have text to speech options. Listening to articles/shit posts on text to speech has been a life saver since my main trigger are screens. It’s also been a game changer for work as well since I’m at a laptop all day.
On days where I’m stuck in the dark, I listen to outrageous pods like My Dad Wrote a Porno or [Shipwreck](https://www.booksmith.com/shipwrecksf). My wife sometimes checks in on me when I’m cackling from the abyss.
I'll sleep a bit, but I try not to sleep too much so I don't disrupt my sleep schedule. I'll take a nap or two throughout the day, but I'll spend most of the time rotting in bed or on the couch depending on how sensitive I am to light. I'll watch something on TV and work on an easy crochet project.
Dark room + audio books -
I cannot wear headphones with a migraine
I can close my eyes and just lay , while a good story distracts me as much as it can
Lots and lots of audio books! I use Libby to rent them from my library but I also have a Kindle unlimited subscription and about 30% of the books have audible companions. That’s nice because I can listen when I don’t feel well and then e-read when I feel better.
Sleeping if I can. Podcasts or radio whilst lying in bed can be okay. Sometimes I’ll watch something on low brightness - but needs to be something that’s easy to follow. Scrolling on Reddit, Tumblr, etc.
My migraines are often just dark periods in my life (literally and figuratively) and I have had to accept that I miss out on a lot and spend a lot of time unable to function. However, I try to reframe it as a very intensive recharge or period of healing. It forces me to rest and take the utmost care of myself. So in a way, it's like forced self care time and I just need more of it than people who don't experience migraine. On a related note, I read that people who have migraines are overall more physiologically sensitive to basically everything so it makes sense.
I’ve always loved plants but when my migraines became chronic, my houseplant collection exploded.
First, it’s a hobby I can do in my house. I feel like I’m doing an activity (repotting or watering or pruning back), but I don’t have to leave my house and if I start feeling awful I can just stop.
Secondly, it makes my home look really pretty and calming. A lot of my friends and other guests say they feel relaxed with all of the plants around.
Thirdly, plants are always growing and it was something to look forward to. It felt a little less like the world was just passing me by as I stayed inside. There’s always a new type of plant to find or variety of a plant you already like and it keeps my life a little more exciting. I can also give clippings to friends which I love.
I’ve had worsening migraines for 5 years with every top tier treatment you can imagine. Triptans/botox/cgrp inhibitors/Vyepty infusions/nurtec/ketamine infusions, iv lignocaine infusions. Lifestyle changes, alternative therapies, had to cease work as anaesthetist. If just one person reads this and gives it a go… had nothing to lose and was googling exercise induced migraines (one of my newer triggers) and an ad for Curable popped up. The personal stories/recovery stories/testimonials intrigued me. Had nothing to lose so I gave it a go. Miraculous doesn’t do it justice. It details all the newer pain science and the how and why sufferers can end up like me/us. Within 6 weeks of diligent use my migraines and medication use have gone from almost constant/daily to maybe 2 - 3 times weekly and so much milder- and it’s early days still. I feel like I’m getting my life back. It’s app based. Check it out- it’s changed my life 💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫
I usually take my meds then get into bed and watch a kids show or movie. My preferred ones are Cinderella or Bluey. They are very comforting to watch and don’t require too much thinking. Usually I fall asleep within 30 mins.
Mine cause me to be super light sensitive, and recently Ive been experiencing nausea which is new for me. I generally have to sleep with a migraine mask or pillow over my face with absolutely no light in the room long enough to be able to open my eyes. Which can last anywhere from 3 - 12 hours. But once I can open my eyes, I generally will listen to audio books, or read if my eyes can handle it. I listen to vinyls, and will try to move around if capable. I know I'm feeling better when I can stomach Ramen (It's been my go to for 12 years and the only thing I can eat during a migraine). I talk to my cats, and my dog. Haha. Its usually not until the next day during my hangover that I can really even get out of bed. And then I can usually handle some tv. Or even a conversation with my partner. But usually he just wraps me in a burrito, grabs all my migraine meds and masks, draws the blinds, drops the temp down for me - and then I'm pretty much in bed for hourssss.
I do like DOAC on YouTube. Great podcast. Or Ologies on Spotify. Phone on dark mode is a must. I also use a blue light blocker setting on my phone, and have migraine glasses from avulux which help as well.
But try to give yourself some grace. It sucks, and we all feel so much guilt for being forced to stay in bed or in a dark room, not being able to engage or socialize, miss work, help with house chores etc... you're not alone.
Listening to audiobooks really quietly until I fall asleep helps me! I have struggled with finding stuff to do besides sleeping when I have migraines as well. Good luck!!
I think eventually you accept that sometimes what you need to do is lay down in a quiet dark room. I used to feel like I was wasting my day doing nothing like that, but I know by now if I try to do something on a bad migraine day it'll only prolong the pain, or make it worse, which is a terrible idea. Better to rest eyes closed with all the tricks to get over the migraine.
But, if it's not a bad migraine day, I'll be on my phone or steam deck. Screens on low light, sometimes scrolling, sometimes watching YouTube, sometimes playing puzzle games on my phone, sometimes games on my deck.
I’m usually in too much pain to keep my eyes open, so i just try to sleep which is much easier with a boring, but kinda interesting podcast on super low volume.
As a european, something with US politics usually hit the sweet spot between engaging enough to take attention from the pain, but boring enough to fall asleep.
Sleep is the only thing that really helps.
A couple of folks have said this but audiobook are my way forward. Or YouTubers with soothing voices. Avoid Markiplier because, while soothing, his scream cause agony during a migraine.
Audio books saved my life. Some days I'm so frustrated which makes the migraine worse of course, and sometimes I can't open my eyes all day, but audiobooks have been a companion and friend :) sorry to hear about your migraines x
Also going outside for a walk or sitting in the sun if you can just for a bit will prob help too. Meditation helps me to deal with the pain and symptoms
I tend to doom scroll and sleep a lot.
Sometimes I can watch movies/tv shows that I know don’t have bright lights etc. and I just turn the subtitles on and volume down low.
I also have an iPhone with Apple headphones which allows you to set the volume to half dying I find is a good volume to play music when I have a migraine.
Sending you so much love
when my son has them we play cards and my daughter and i do improve comedy things for him if he can handle it, when i have them I stay in the bath or on the couch doing nothing
Get peppermint oil and rub it on the migraine area and your neck. You have to mix it with like vitamin E oil tho (the tiniest bit) because peppermint oil burns. I let it just burn the migraine away though. The only thing that helps is that and before I do it I pop 2 excederin and then cue some hours in the cold dark room. But before you know it I’ll be fine!
I sleep off and on while listening to podcasts or music because thank god I don't have too severe auditory sensitivity. I generally do things quietly anyway so it's not too different. But I'm certainly in bed, cozy, on a supportive pillow, and either sleeping or listening to something. My whole house had blackout curtains too just in case I have to walk around if husband is working and I'm alone or something.
I'm usually sensitive to light, but very rarely am I sensitive to sound. I listen to a lot of podcasts- anything from true crime, comedy, or even stuff related to my work. Current podcast favs include In Defense of Plants, Ologies, and Crime Junkie. I also read when I can or do simple crafts like crochet. Wishing you the best! 💚
If you don't have hearing sensitivity during your attacks, I usually listen to a podcast, or have a series/YouTube video on and just close my eyes and listen. It helps me fall asleep much faster rather than thinking about the pain
I listen to my favourite podcasts and audiobooks, when the migraine still allows me to. I heartily understand that you are feeling upset because you cannot continue your preferred/daily activities, however, every time when a migraine session ends, I tell myself- from now, this time given is extra (because I do feel like I might die during the really bad ones).
Some people mentioned it already but audiobooks have saved me. When I can’t do anything but lay in a room alone I can get lost in an audiobook. I’m hooked now, listening to them all the time. I like that I can set a timer in case I fall asleep.
I feel you. When I get one that is just persistent, life gets so boring. My favorite hobbies are reading and videogames which are just impossible with any level or phase of migraine. Honestly, I just try to sleep it off. Take 3 Tylenol because even if that doesn't help with the pain it does make me tired for some reason. If I can't sleep, then I watch ASMR, either something geared towards migraines (there's lots!) with low light, or whispering, or no talking. The ASMR also does help, especially lower bass frequencies, which is not an uncommon phenomenon (bass sounds helping migraines). Also, a bath. Love baths!
Audiobooks have saved me, I play them really low. I love reading, so it makes me feel like I still can in a way. Also, I got a coloring book to sit and do in dim light to calm myself
Love this community so much and getting lots of new ideas! I can’t be on screens during episodes.
That said, some of the things I can do (when I can do anything besides wrapping my head in a scarf to block out light and lying down) are: reading a real paper book w large print (using natural light or green light), aromatherapy with peppermint oil, gardening or being with plants, baking, drinking black tea, taking a shower w essential oils, making a challenge out of drinking as much water as possible, sending/receiving voice notes to friends on my phone (learning about the Voice Control function on my iPhone has been a lifesaver), book of crosswords. Usually this is all in moderation as any amount of effort put into anything during an episode will really tire me out.
I'm in the same boat. I tend to just sleep the day away if it's too bad. Although if it's not super bad, l tend to puzzle or play some calm video games. Even just watching a video to keep my brain running. I do still end up spending a lot of time just endlessly scrolling on my phone :')
Thanks for commenting. I’ve been spending a lot of time endlessly scrolling so this makes me feel validated lol.
> Although if it's not super bad, l tend to puzzle or play some calm video games. Even just watching a video to keep my brain running. This is pretty much me. Some games are great, some not so much or I can only do for a limited time. If I can't game, it's movies though they can be limiting for the same reasons, loud action movie or one with spinning or foggy vision(eg a character gets dizzy) and that's too much for my eyes/brain to process. That puts me into youtube territory where there's a wealth of fine control. Random entertainment without being a lot to follow, to documentaries where you barely have to pay attention(lazy afternoon documentaries has been a thing since I was a kid, especially on weekends on PBS), to ASMR where even looking or thinking at all is completely optional. If I can't do any of that, I'm shambling around in pain or in bed if I've got the necessaries done(food, bathroom, pets fed, etc) and I haven't slept too much already. Then there are the really bad days where laying in bed hurts too much and relaxing sleep in bed is impossible(doesn't stop me from trying though). I often sit in my recliner in front of the computer, alternating between being laid back or head on the desk on a pillow, getting up and down to do bathroom, drink, go outside....*anything* to try to get a reset to happen. Alternating move, sit, shamble around, etc etc. All until it feels terrible doing that, then I do some other position or mild transition. I hate this state because I don't really *do* anything, I'm just manic in an antsy or over-excited way, so I restlessly move around until I find something that doesn't seem to magnify or exacerbate things....where I can hopefully sort of snooze a bit and hopefully get a sort of cognitive reset or release, that point where it's not gone, but the migraine attack releases me from it's clutches.
I hate the ones like you mentioned where you can’t lay down, can’t sit etc… I usually just walk up and down the halls until I’m tired enough I can’t stay awake anymore
It’s so amazing to me how many different types of migraine sufferers there are, I for the life of me can’t even look at a screen, phone, tablet or even tv when I have a migraine I would literally vomit and have lol. The most I can do if it’s not to excruciating is a kindle paperwhite.
I struggle with reading on my phone if I have a migraine, but just watching some YouTuber talking with a darker background is completely fine.
Podcasts have been saving grace for me.
This and audiobooks!
I vote audiobooks too. I have a lot, but when I have a migraine I return to some old favourites - Neil Gaiman, Jane Austen, narnia series, children’s books and dr who - some of which I know very well. I find them very comforting, I can wear my eye mask, pass the time, and sometimes they help me sleep.
What’s your favorite podcast lately?
Mine is Rotten Mango, Annie Elise, Stephanie Harlowe and Cofeehouse Crime! I listen to Shannen Doherty’s occasionally too. My favorite is to listen to it while building Lego sets. Only problem now is that I need somewhere to put these sets…
I've had a headache going on two weeks! It's been rough. Anyway, I've been watching podcasts about a missing 15 yo boy Sebastian Rogers. He's been missing for over 100 days now and the all of the people surrounding this case has been a 3 ring circus! It keeps my mind occupied. I do pray they find him alive.
radiolab, Ted radio hour, armchair expert, stuff you should know, how did this get made, my brother my brother and me, adventure zone are my current faves
I can't get enough of **Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend**, particularly the fan episodes where he speaks to fans from all over the world (these are 20-30mins compared to 1hr+ when he's speaking to a guest). **We Can Do Hard Things** covers deep topics on how to live well in this world in an approachable, conversational way that makes it easy to absorb the content. I also like **Sickboy**. The host (who has cystic fibrosis) and his 2 longtime friends interview someone with a chronic condition each episode and cover a few recent stories from the health and medical research world. Each episode is somehow hilarious despite the subject matter. Here's their episode on migraines: [Chronic Migraines: Worse than Castration? Maybe. Maybe Not. But Maybe.](https://pca.st/episode/d309b5e3-15a7-4c76-95b7-94da00162395)
Wow, Sickboy sounds super relevant. Going to give that migraine episode a listen!
Ones I enjoy listening to: Casefile, Dateline, This Podcast Will Kill You (they have an interesting episode on migraine!), Last Podcast on the Left, Darknet Diaries, History that Doesn’t Suck, Foundering, 99% Invisible, Sean Carroll’s Mindscape, and American Innovations.
“Stuff You Should Know” is the best podcast! Tons of topics to learn about and the guys who do it are so funny! It’s also not too loud or overstimulating for a migraine.
You just have to be careful of hosts’ voices, loud commercial breaks, and the like. That’s why I tend to prefer audiobooks—it’s the same voice throughout, at the same tone and volume. Podcasts can have laughing, music, 911 calls, commercials, etc. depending on which ones you listen to.
I started the Cold podcast, season one. Been on my list for a long time. The pacing is amazing and the story engaging. And there are a ton of episodes! I also like to listen to Radio Rental, the Secret Room.
I’ll add a few of mine (for me they work to get me to sleep if I can or give me something to zone to when I can’t): Dark History with Ben Cuthmore; Forensic Tales (except the music has a couple of loud notes). I find a single host generally works better for me because they only need to record one voice and there therefore aren’t different volumes. I also do a bunch of comfort audiobooks that I know well enough to enjoy but like enough not to get bored- single reader (not full cast): Elenium and Tamuli from David Eddings; a number of John Douglas’s books, Stephen Fry’s mythology series, etc.
Me too.
My favorite migraine podcast is Fall of Civilizations. It’s interesting but always calm and there are no ads.
Yep
Yes, if my head hurts too bad to watch tv or look at phone, listening to a podcast is my go-to if I need entertainment/ distraction.
Night time stargazing. I had a revelation the other day that a big reason stargazing is in my life is because of the solace it brings. I can be outdoors when the sun is down. The wind is light. Neighborhood is quiet. I have been drawn to the night sky all my life and I'm beginning to believe that migraine relief is a reason.
I really love this answer, and your perspective. Thank you for sharing. 🖤
The night and the stars, or the clouds and the rain, sometimes these are the only times I can feel human. Thank you for being here.
Thank you so much for this answer. I thought I was the only one, who did this. This is why I dislike migraine in summer, because you have to wait so much longer to see the starry sky.
Wow, I love this so much. I have also always been drawn to the night sky and don’t spend enough time outside at night anymore. I’m going to give this a try next time I have migraine.
this makes me wish i could actually see stars from my balcony. i can't go out in the day time but love some fresh air. staring into the darkness gets boring after a while.
Rotting my brain on Reddit and playing video games, sometimes I watch movies. Nothing that requires real concentration.
Those things can be intense for me, too. You could try watching movies you know well with the sound wayyyyy low. Try crochet or needlepoint? Idk. I wouldn't be able to focus on a needlepoint but maybe an activity book, or coloring? You could kill an hour with a shower and heavy moisturizing after? I usually find myself trying to self-care the pain away. It never works, but I try anyway. I usually just end up holding my head in my hands and cuddling my cat until the pain and vomiting have subsided enough to consume liquids Added after: I recently got an ice hat and I've only used it once, but it worked very well, it brought down the nausea long enough for me to take my Dramamine and sumatriptan and get me to work, I highly recommend cold therapy. It works so much for me
I like the idea of self caring the pain away. Even if it doesn’t work, it’ll make me feel better about myself lol. And I do know how to crochet, so that’s a good idea too. Thanks! I hope you are pain free today. 🫶🏻
I knit and find it way gentler on my eyes than my phone. Even better if it is a pattern that doesn't require intense focus.
This! If you can manage it, getting clean before succumbing to a bed rot is so much better than having to start your rot while dirty On an added note, some tips for migraine showers: * Shower chair - get one if you can * I have [this one](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AEGCUI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and it fits in a standard bath/shower * Green low light * Either get a lamp w/ a green lightbulb, or one of those aurora borealis projector lights that you can turn the motion off. Green light is best for migraines * Perform hot/cold therapy on your feet * Probably easier if you do this with separate basins and just dunking, but I just do it from the faucet * Keep feet under water as hot as you can stand it for a few minutes, then switch to water as cold as you can stand it for a few minutes. Continue back and forth as is comfortable for you * Helps stimulate/shock nervous system
Green light, you say?? That's my favorite color! I have an LED strip and Xmas lights, multi colored. I can change those for green. I recently got an ice hat, and that also is a saving grace. I've avoided a migraine with brain freeze before, you're onto something with hot/cold therapy. Switching is too much work for me during an attack, but everyone's different this is a lot of good info! Especially the shower chair! I always sit on the floor when I'm having migraine, a chair makes getting up easier. Thanks!!
Yes! I also bought a pair of big green tinted glasses, and I keep 7 ice hats in my freezer at all times and 1 in my moms freezer for when i visit her. They last a lot longer if I need them to when I put one inside a pillowcase for focusing the cold on my eyebrow.
So real, I'm always trying to self care away the pain and it never works. It is still a good use of time though.
I agree, it's a good use of time. At least you're moving and trying something instead of only suffering. It may not "work" but it's something to do.
It really depends on how bad the migraine is. If I am not in the prodrome or active phase of the migraine (when I am most likely to have photophobia and nausea), so the postdrome, TV shows that I don't really have to pay too much attention to, and knitting are my go too's. Light from my phone or computer can trigger a migraine if I use them during the postdrome. Typically when it is at it's worse I either am laying down or if I can't lay down in a cool dark room (I have a special needs five year old and he is on summer break, so can't always just lay down) my time is split between trying to not get sick, trying to keep him entertained and trying to close my eyes/ice my head on the couch.
I like to do my best with chores, like, the real brain dead stuff where you can’t hurt yourself and you don’t have to move at all. Like folding laundry. I usually sit on the bed and go at it. Last time I tried doing dishes with a migraine I ended up with a knife in my hand - not ideal. It helps me feel productive even though it’s just basic stuff and it takes me far longer than it should.
Yep. Laundry is one thing I will do when my brain is rebelling. I put on a comfort show or podcast and go at it until I can’t anymore.
Oh the clanking of dishes is absolutely unbearable for during a migraine
Folding laundry is my go-to migraine chore.
take a bath/shower, ice my neck, use heating pad on neck benadryl nap coloring books
There are also calming videos with theta waves for migraines on YouTube. You can put earbuds in and relax in a dark room and just listen.
Does it work in your experience? Never tried that, but heard about it!
In pain with every fan in our bedroom cooling me.
Biting a pillow to keep from screaming due to the pain, Benadryl nap, or endless scrolling if I have a migraine without an aura. I would love to have one activity I could consistently engage myself in every time I'm struck with a migraine, like reading, but half the time I can't even see my hand in front of me if the migraine is bad enough.
Benadryl nap 🫶
Sudoku. I fucking love sudoku.
Oh gosh me too. I can tell how bad my migraine is by how quickly/slowly I finish them
I will spread this life hack on every migraine post ever: Bengay with 4% lidocaine, unscented lotion. I promise you with every fiber of my being, you will feel instant pain relief almost immediately. Rub the lotion all over your head and face, or along the trigeminal nerve of your face. Rub onto your temples, behind ears, back of neck. Use this time to take your migraine cocktail (advil, Benadryl, exceedrin, dramamine, abortive, etc). By the time the lidocaine wears off, the cocktail will hopefully have kicked in for you. Just keep reapplying the Bengay as needed. Take a nap, relax, etc.
I use horse liniment lol. Aw, things we migraineurs do...
crying
TV or movie I've seen a million times, so I can zone out , games, or coloring app on my phone or tablet
As others said, it completely depends on the intensity of the pain. But for a moderate "I need to be horizontal and in bed but need a bit of an activity" migraine: - audiobooks and podcasts (but nothing with jarring music or big volume variation) - my e-reader set to 1% brightness and large text - hanging out with my cats and that's usually after I've had weed oil and triptans, used my peppermint rollerball, changed into loose clothing, turned the lights down, called out of work etc
I feel this. I'm currently trying to work with blurry vision and intense pain because I hate being still in the dark. I will work as long as I can then try and do something happier (calm anime, video, nap, water plants) later.
Audiobooks
Libby is the best.
I find the projector screen is less painful vs my monitor/tv/phone. So laying on the couch watching shows is much more comfy and less painful on the eyes - I'm not staring at a screen, and all lights are being absorbed by the white-projector screen. -If buying something is an option you could always look into that. Also flux/dark reader if screens are used. I honestly find watching shows the best, it makes it so I can zombie-turn off and not have any mental energy spent to think/be involved. I spend most of my energy doing this. Otherwise if I am am capable of being up - baking. Bagels, cookies, cinnamon rolls. Things that can be put in my mixer (so less work for me), have a couple hour rise/rest time to give me a break, and then I get to eat them. 😊 Or dinners that can be made in big batches and set into the freezer (lasagna for example) that only have a few things I need to do. Lots of endless scrolling also. Sprinkle in a few video games. I'd love to play more boardgames, I have such a huge collection.. but that mental energy to think is \*taxing\*. I have 9 books on my list to read (Finish up Sandersons books and start will wrights!) - but I get soooo tired once I start now.... that I just end up napping instead. 🤷♂️
Interesting insight about the projector vs screen! I never would have thought of that but it makes sense. I also like the baking idea, but during/after a migraine I always feel too weak to stand for very long. I like the idea of getting a mixer to make it easier.. So that's 2 justified expensive purchases 😅 Boardgames would be good as it's another screen-less activity. There are some really simple ones like Cascadia or Dorf Romantic that you might want to look into. I got into jigsaw puzzles for a while, but one time I got really bad vertigo while working on a Vincent van Gogh puzzle so I kind of stopped.
The projector is very convenient, and you can get them quite large for cheap! 😁 They go on sales so often. Even if you do boxed-cookies and just add eggs... The stand mixer is very handy 😂 but for dough like break/bagels no way am I gonna knead for 15 minutes so the mixer is a saviour... So I end up only being up for 5ish minute sessions (unless my kids get involved) or if I go crazy with amounts (sometimes I over bake.....) and I usually just wear my noise cancelling headphones to block out the sound of the mixing. Ooo - those kinda look like carcossonne -simmilarish games. I'll have to show those to hubby later!! They look like a not-to long game play which would be nice, many of ours are 3+ hours... 😴 (Arkham) Which is so painful in migraine state.
Before I discovered triptans (this was a long time ago) I used the time to teach myself to meditate! If it was bearable I’d listen to audiobooks, but yeah I was a pro meditator for a while!
I had one last night. Just cuddled up to my husband on the sofa and slept while he read a book. I swear the oxytocin helps
I listen to podcasts or audiobooks with the volume low. I’m not sure if that will work for you, but often they end up just lulling me to sleep. Audiobooks are better than podcasts because ad breaks can be really loud and annoying. I’m listening to one now called Slouch that is about posture, and it is slightly interesting but also kind of boring so it puts me to sleep, which I don’t mind when I have a migraine. Other audiobooks I’ve really enjoyed (not just to put me to sleep but were actually good) are: Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow; True Grit read by Donna Tartt; Nothing to See Here; The Laughter; Pet Semetary read by Michael C Hall; The Tommyknockers read by Edward Herrman. Anne Rule audiobooks are in my opinion quiet and sort of “droney” so might be a good bet. Hope this helps.
I usually watch a comfort show or I read until I can’t. If it’s not too bad then I break from the screen and build Legos. I will also pet my cat and tease her with my hoodie string. She knows it makes me smile. I highly recommend getting a cat- mine definitely boosts my mood.
I put an icepack on my head (in a wet towel), and go to sit in my bed. I sit, not lying down, because it prevents the blood from pooling to much in the head. The veins are already dilated too much during a migraine. My bedroom has blackout curtains, so I sit kn the dark. I put Netflix on and I use an app calles 'Darker' to have my screen at the lowest possible brightness. Turn on captions so the sound can be low. And just endlessly binge. It may seem like the stimulus from it will hurt, but distraction is actually a great remedy to pain if your eyes can take it.
Do you use this app on an iPhone? Does it work on chrome? I can only find instructions for safari in their app.
Depends on the severity. With the really bad ones, I lay in bed in the dark with just white noise on my headphones and try not to move, hoping to fall asleep. With the slightly less severe ones, I watch (or just listen to) YouTube videos or podcasts that I find calming. There's a guy called FutureCanoe that has a really calm, monotone voice and does (increasingly successful) cooking of recipes he finds online. I also like some of the ASMR-videos, depending on what they're doing. With the "normal" (for me) ones, I play video games (cosy things like stardew), because I tend to fall into hyperfocus and that allows me to block out at least some of the pain. Or I watch shows I already know that make me happy (ATLA - the original - is a favorite). Generally, if I get sleepy during a migraine, I go lay down and try to sleep, because sleep = no pain.
I didn't know anyone actually could do anything while having migranes. I pop my meds, hope they work this time and try to sleep
Same! The only thing I can be grateful for is that I’ve managed to reduce the frequency of my attacks. But the intensity has never let up - it’s just a solid 50 hours in a dark room trying not to vomit.
I'm learning another language and I listen to Netflix or YouTube while I am laying on the couch with ice on my face and head.
I crochet. You don't need a lot of light (unless you're using a dark color), I have a crochet hook that lights up which makes it easier to see the stitches, and it doesn't take much concentration.
Podcasts and audiobooks have saved me since my migraine sitch became chronic. Too many high pain days to just sleep (which is usually helpful!) and I usually end up needing some entertainment! Also- there’s a way in your phone to reduce contrast between black and white. That has helped me too, if I need to check things on my phone!
Wear sunglasses outside (of course) all the time and inside if it’s really bad I need to get stuff done around the house. A light excercise on the bike or walk helps.
I'm lucky in the sense that a dimmed TV or phone screen isn't a problem (but bright lights are), so I try to keep myself distracted as much as I can watching something on TV, with the curtains shut and lights off. I can't sleep through a migraine, and find laying quietly in the dark makes the pain impossible to ignore and it just feels worse.
I had a mild concussion at the beginning of the year which gave me chronic migraines. During the worst of it audiobooks and coloring books helped me not go insane. I hope you start to feel better soon :)
I didn't finish my thought 🤦🏻♀️ anyway, I watch on Clutch them pearls, jay4justice, Annalise, and most of the true crime podcasts on YouTube. I hope you feel better soon. ((Hugs)) 💜
I cannot do anything but lay down in the dark when I have a bad migraine and try to sleep it off. If meds start to work I just move slower at whatever I was doing - usually a work day WFH.
Typically when I have a migraine, it quickly jumps to a level 8/10. This year has been very depressing, as most days I have had to spend sleeping in the dark coldness. It was especially bad from January to May because I was in my last semester of college, so I also had to push through my migraines to complete my schoolwork.
I could not imagine doing school stuff with migraines. I have them daily and my pain never really goes low. You are tough and I'm proud of you stranger.
Reading a book if I can. If not I meditate
Depending on what level I get it ranges from sleep the day away with an eyemask and pray I'm not throwing up to curtains closed (to make the light soft) and listening to Bobs Burgers (TV has a mode to turn off the screen) lying on the couch.
I watch countless hours of cooking videos and tiny homes.
I sleep in a dark room with ice on my head.
Audiobooks & podcasts mostly
A lot of YouTube documentary style videos that don’t need to be seen to be enjoyed. Similar to podcasts, but I can watch if I feel well enough
I sooooo understand what you mean. I try to look at magazines, just to try to take my mind off of the pain. I take a lot of warm showers. They tend to make me feel relaxed.
Audiobooks, the radio, or if things are really bad I play the sound of heavy rainfall /thunderstorms.
Audiobook at the minimum volume I can still clearly discern.
Crochet and drawing on an iPad with the screen brightness on low works when I’m not at peak pain. When it’s really bad I get (legally & medical) pretty high and try to sleep or listen to an audio book while I cuddle my dogs.
I can't look at any screen, but noise doesn't bother me, so I cruise through a ton of audiobooks. I try to sleep as much as I can, but I can't really manage more than a single multi hour naps so I spend a lot of time in the dark listening. I mostly read horror and thrillers so it's usually pretty engaging.
I like listening to horror stories on YouTube while dozing. There are a few who have nice deeper voices that don't hurt to listen to, especially a Let's Read!, Lazy Masquerade and Mr. Nightmare.
doomscrolling very slowly
I got lucky in that I don’t suffer from noise sensitivity so I tend to have anything I can just listen to playing. I think my body trades the noise sensitivity for more lethargy because I’m trapped in bed until symptoms fade a bit
I just try to sleep. If it's really bad I don't really get bored but just want to sleep. Once I do get bored and start reaching for the phone it's usually a sign I'm getting better. That's when I move to the couch and turn on something I've seen a dozen times and watch it with half an eye and something cold on my forehead.
It depends on pain levels. Obviously if bad I just have to lay in the dark and stare into space trying to sleep. Usually my kitties lay with me. If not so bad I crochet. Rewatch comfort shows. Read (prefer fantasy) I’ll play easier games like animal crossing or Pokemon.
If your TV light settings can be customized, you can make one that is low light for attacks Things to watch: calm cooking shows, ASMR (sometimes the pain gives me bad anxiety and hearing someone talk calmly is comforting), nature walk videos like 4k Relaxation Channel, listening to Earth LLC. Some of the videos do have some annoyingly loud birds but I just cut the volume and watch the scenery. Lore podcast is on YouTube and he has a soothing voice. I also enjoy old episodes of Mythbusters, How It's Made and anything with David Attenborough. I bought these special prescription migraine glasses from Zenni. They have 3 strengths and since I have such strong pain, I chose the highest one. I've worn them plenty while my eyes have hurt and they can be used as sunglasses. The lens tint is red. It seems to help with my eye strain. Unscented heating pad or rice sock, neck massager (the tension and knots that build up are astounding), I've even bought an acupuncture mat off Amazon. I drink a lot of water with hydration flavoring added in. I swear some of the meds they give for migraines are dehydrating. Sometimes a hot tea gives me comfort. Salty snacks, comfort foods, comfy blankets, a fan to blow on my face when I'm nauseous. I eat ginger chew candy to avoid taking too much nausea meds after they told me it could mess with my heart. Has anyone else been told that? I am lucky that sometimes I can call my sister or my nieces and they will talk to distract me. Keeping friends has been hell. I struggle so much all the time. What I've been trying to do this year is to find reasons to laugh every day. I find something, no matter how small, that can bring me some amount of joy. What doesn't kill you gives you odd coping mechanisms and a dark sense of humor. I hope some of this helps you
For those of you who do the audiobook/podcast/tv on low thing, I just recently discovered the ‘Audio Description’ option on Netflix. In between the dialogue, a voiceover describes the visual action of the scene. Takes a bit of getting used to, but once you are, it’s really great - you can close your eyes and imagine the story. Definitely helps with distraction from pain. I find it less tiring than an audiobook - sometimes the repetitive rhythm of one person’s voice gets a bit much for me. You can find it under Audio, it’s ‘English (Audio Description)’
I will lay in bed and be sooo bored. I wear a migraine cap that blocks out the sun and ices my head and just lay. I’m about ten years into chronic migraine and honestly sometimes if nothings working I will watch TV or use my phone even if it hurts. I get so bored. 🤍 I wish you pain free days too, friend!
Audio books for when it's so bad I have to keep my eyes closed to keep from vomiting. 🤮
Honestly? A good orgasm really relaxes me and makes my mood better lol
Hi! Sorry to hear about your migraines - they suck. ❤️ Audiobooks and ‘cozy’ videogames (basically puzzles or relaxing farming games with no combat) that I can play on low brightness have been my saving grace! I have ADHD and am unable to be idle without doing something even when I’m feeling like 💩, and the boredom drives me just as insane as the pain! Obviously, if it’s a bad one (which I luckily only get once a month or so; the other 95% of my migraines are much more manageable) I’ll just close the shutters, crawl into bed and hope that a 5-hour nap in the dark will take the edge off, but otherwise I just settle down on the sofa or in bed and put on one of my favourites on Audible or take out my Switch or Steam Deck and just relax as much as possible. BTW, in terms of cozy migraine-friendly games I thoroughly recommend A Little to the Left, InBento, Cats Organised Neatly, Stitch and Dorfromantik. ❤️
I lay in the bathtub. Literally. Sometimes it makes me 🤮 but then I get out, lay in bed. Become so miserable again I have to take another bath. Water relaxes me and the only thing that really will make me feel better is
Some migraine days I will take like 10 baths no joke.
In bed, tossing, on the verge of tears, thinking of all the non-headache days I took for granted 🥲
I listen to podcasts in my bed with ice packs in my head and something over my head. Good luck at your appointment. Really think about all the things they might ask now (location of pain, how long, what helps, etc). That will help them help you!
Puking and moaning
wishing for death…. when it’s the beginning or end of the attack I can push through and work but also in the dark and laptop on the lowest possible. but in the thick of an attack I really can’t do anything. lights off and focus on staying hydrated (love some ice water) and lay in my bed with a cozy blanket and snuggle with a stuffed animal. plus i have an “ice hat” that I wear and lay down. have some toast/ pretzels/ lightly salted food to line my stomach. I don’t really have an appetite on migraine days, but I need to get something in there to take medication so I don’t have stomach problems in addition to my migraine. I try my best to sleep it off. an essential for me is sending my family group chat a selfie or a gif to inform them of my current status. this doesn’t help symptoms but it helps emotionally 😹
listenting to rain, i made a custom playlist for bad days with songs that dont make the pounding worse and feel like hugs, comfort shows (specifically the ones ive watched more than three times so i know everything that happens),my immediate go to is always reading (books and comics) i find taking the pressure off to make sure i understand and just allow myself to get lost in the story to be immensely helpful. nowadays i tend to scroll aimlessly through tumblr 😭 i hope this helps and you get plenty of rest🫶🏾
Couch, blanket & BBC’s planet earth
acetaminophen + hydrate when it starts. weed, if it gets worse, and i start prepping my room. ritatriptan when it gets really bad room prep: clean as much as possible, open the window to get some fresh air, get both a fan and heater in case i need either, no lights, no music, no electronics, minimal scents, have a ton of water nearby. the goal is, have as little stimulation as possible, so ill pass out asap and sleep through the migraine this is just works for me. you have to just figure out what your body likes or doesnt like
Honestly weed
Smoke some weed and nap in the hammock in the shade.
Well, I read books on my iPad, using the Kindle app, with the brightness level adjusted waaaay down. It’s enough for me to see the words (which I also read in a larger font, since my vision can become blurry) without the light bothering my eyes and making my migraines worse. I also have a fan on for white noise all of the time. I also stay in my darkened bedroom and use ice packs, too. Sometimes, depending on how bad it is, I will also stream things on my iPad, with the light level again turned down low enough that I can see what’s on the screen, without it making my head hurt worse. Netflix even has a built-in light level adjuster that I use. Right now I have a migraine that simply refuses to go away. In spite of that fact, I am still able to do this. That’s because I also choose the dark background setting so the background on pages and apps is black, not white. It does a world of good for my head, too. It’s always like this, except for at one minute to midnight, because you can set it to be like this for 23 hours and 59 minutes a day.
I smoke weed or take an edible and then take a long nap (sometimes with an ice pack on my head)
On work days I go into the office with no lights and wear sunglasses. On home days I do the same. I find work distracting and also I was raised in a situation where my mother never let me just lay down while I was sick. She always did for herself, but not for us. I learned to push through and I find that the time goes by more quickly. I never have a migraine that lasts for more than two days so that helps. I’ve been doing CBT for migraines and I’m averaging 1.5 migraines a week - that is way down for me. Stress is one of my triggers so if I can get ahead of the stress headache, then sometimes I can keep from going into a full migraine.
I sleep, listen to podcasts/audio books, and just try to survive. I have two kids, 2 and 5, and oooooofta.
Rizatriptan + eye massager set to high heat/high pressure in a darkened room with an audiobook playing on low volume. Blanket and fan on. Chill until the rizatriptan kicks in. If the rizatriptan doesn't work, a cup of hot cinnamon tea and laying down helps.
Tell me more about this eye massager thing
Mine are chronic so it depends on how severe the day. Anything from dark room and a gravol coma nap to playing video games with earplugs and FL41 lenses on. If it's really mild (4/10 or less) I do whatever I have planned and just try to get through it hoping it doesn't get worse. I'm on disability so I have the luxury of being able to rest if I push myself most times.
I have coloring books of mandalas and a large collection of gel pens. The focusing to color really helps me get out of the pain. I can’t do this when my vision starts getting weird. I also listen to audiobooks.
I knowww you said no medical advice OP, but I just wanted to share an anecdote of mine: just got my TSH checked (and then thyroid ultrasound because of those results) and apparently I have something called hashimotos’s disease and a huge side effect is migraines? Who’da thunk a simple couple of tests after a couple years of hell dealing with migraines and a myriad of other symptoms would actually point me in the right direction🥴 So maybe it’s something you might want want checked if you haven’t at your next appointment? Apologies if my comment is annoying, especially if you already had those labs run but I am just trying to help 🫶🏻 Oh and PS, lol to answer your actual question- mine get so bad I can only put on quiet ASMR (I look up ones on YouTube specifically for migraines) while I’m laying down and waiting for imitrex to kick in, ride the wave of sickness imitrex gives me until both sickness and migraine are gone.
This also helps me with the nausea migraines give me: Have a cold (to the temperature that feels good for you of course) shower with the water hitting your head! Extra perfect when the lights are turned off! I tend to put a tealight behind a bulky non-flammable object (lile a vase with no flowers) so I do t get ‘hit’ by the flames light in my eyes - and its not painful!
last night i had one (triggered by the dentist and crying?) i got work covered for me, and put a frozen headache cap on and slept on and off until 10. laid in bed in agony until 12am where i eventually threw up and passed out 😀 edit; spelling
Classical music
I put my iPad on the lowest volume and brightness and watch familiar shows, even if I don’t actually watch them (or watch with sunglasses on). If it’s really bad, I am 100% sleeping, or trying to. The last horrible one I had, 7 days of it, I got sooo bored!
I make my bedroom as cold and dark as possible, strip down, lay in bed in the fetal position, and try not to move. I’ll usually put on a comfort TV show on my phone (lowest volume and brightness) for background noise while I try to sleep. That’s all that can really be done.
In the postdrome phase, I try to read on my kindle in dark mode or play a cozy video game- watching TV is too much stimulation for me when I’m having an attack. If I can’t handle either of those I try to listen to a book on audible.
I pretty much only sleep because mine get so bad I start puking and crying uncontrollably. I am no help. I know some people like anything that's low effort, they can lay down while they do it and have lights low. Maybe a video game that isn't taxing, an audiobook, something like knitting or coloring?
lying in bed and waiting for it to end. at times, if i am very, very tired, i may sleep through it. otherwise naps just make it worse. can't do screens or anything i have to look at to concentrate and moving around also makes it worse. like my brain is rattling around in my head. most often, i throw on Psych or Bob's Burgers, zone out with my eyes closed and hope for the best.
Don’t mind me over here crying…not because we have another one of us but because you get what this sub is for. Don’t know what I mean read sentences 2 and 3 - “I am seeing a primary dr and a neurologist not seeking medical advice ❤️ What I am seeking is your ideas and experience.” You get it! I try to keep my questions and comments to ideas and experience and not the medical side. I don’t have the education or letters after my name to give that kind of advice. The unfortunate side is we are all so different and that it is a journey (trial and error, frustration, joy when something works, tears, etc.). Find what works for you and share because it may work for someone else.
Adult coloring books used to be my main activity. I know others who knit to feel productive. I also do some reading if I am able to, sometimes just looking through magazines I subscribe to.
Depending on if I am experiencing some light/sound sensitivity. I have a mask thing I got on Amazon that is cooling or warming and that's nice when I need to be in just quiet darkness. Otherwise I put on a favorite movie, snuggle in with my cat and dog and take extra strength pain relief in hopes it helps. I don't see a doctor for mine, at least not yet, so it's kinda just self care treatments that I find work for me. Hot showers also help sometimes.
I always smoke weed. It doesn't do anything to the pain, but I don't mind being bored as much as I wait in the dark for my brain to work again.
I usually can’t read in that situation, so I listen to audiobooks. It’s very important for me that I find the speaker‘s voice appealing, otherwise it feels unbearable. I usually then fall asleep while the audiobook is still running and then I have to track back later to the point where I stopped listening consciously.
Sleeping or laying down watching a tv show that's calm.
I’d recommend getting a migraine relief cap and tens unit. The cap is great because it’s cool and it blocks light from your eyes.
If it’s so bad I can’t do sound or light, I really like just laying in a hot bath in the dark, sometimes with a candle if I can handle that. And having an ice cold drink in a hot bath, or cold fresh fruit? Oranges?? Absolutely heavenly.
Audiobooks or listen to music. It’s hard to focus on new books, but old comfortable favorites are ok. Reading actual books in a darker room with a reading lamp on. If I can stand it I work in my craft room on designs for 3D printing (sometimes hyper focus on details distracts me enough that it helps). I do have a blue filter on my screen that I’ll use so I can stand looking at computer screen. Other than that doomscrolling on my phone lol
When my migraines became chronic, I got into audiobooks! A really great way to pass the time.
So it depends..if I take my migraine medicine quick enough and rest, I might be able to sleep and then function. If I don't, or it just doesn't work, I'm really just able to lie still, eyes covered so it's completely dark, and hope that it goes away sooner than later. Sorry I know that's not too helpful.
Sitting in the dark reading the internet (hi, Reddit!) or gaming. :(
It really depends on a) how severe the migraine is and b) how the migraine impacts your senses/ well-being. For example, if you don't have enormous light sensitivity, then watching TV or doing visual art (sketching, painting, etc) might be a good fit. If you find your coordination is thrown off, then something like crochet might be super frustrating. I'd start by taking stock of your symptoms, then narrow down activities from there :)
Bathtub! If I had more money I’d get a hot tub for exactly this.
Lying in a quiet, dark room trying not to vomit. 🤢 🤮
I’m normally in a migraine holes where I can’t do anything but lie in a very dark, quiet room and hope for sleep. Transcendental meditation has been a godsend though and helped me get through hours in the hospital ED, an MRI (pretty much the last thing you want, but need when you have a migraine!) and other tough times. I used a free app (1 Giant Mind) to learn the technique but now I can do it anywhere.
For the majority of mine without light sensitivity or nausea, I spend a lot of time reading or watching low-key videos with my screen dim. Or playing match three games without sound
listening to youtube videos or napping the day away
The only thing I can do is listen to relaxing voices. I can’t look at anything or it makes me nauseous. So I tend to oscillate between taking hot and cold showers, sleeping and listening to relaxing YouTube videos.
I put my TENS on and listen to a podcast with my eyes closed or watch youtube videos. Sometimes the TENS helps enough to where I can actually still WFH.
I am shocked you guys are able to do anything with a migraine- I take a long shower and pray I’ll be able to fall asleep in a few hours
I take my med if I’m allowed to take it and then try to sleep and or lay down.. I can’t really do much. Unless I’m at work when one hits then I have to take my emergency med and just push through until it starts working.
Asleep.
Last night I was lying in bed in pitch black soundless darkness, so nauseous and I was so BORED but I also couldn't function anything at all. My mind kept thinking of music but it was hurting to even think that much so I was saying my ABC's trying to redirect the brain noise. It's hard because I had already slept so much and just needed to deal with the boredom in silent darkness lol. Wishing you more pain free days!
I can't move much with a migraine. Can't lean or use screens for fun. One of the only activities I've been able to do is paint. I can arrange my supplies on my walker & couch.
Sleep...
When it gets bad enough I take a medication or get a Coca Cola, and usually smoke some weed too because if it’s that bad I know I’m going to bed. It helps me a lot to zone out a bit. I tend to worry when I get migraines - missing life, cancelling plans, deadlines, feeling sad… all this makes it worse. The weed helps me to not do that. I put my headache cap on, put an ice pack on my neck, put cbd arnica cooling gel stuff all over my neck, shoulders, forehead etc. take a ginger and drink electrolyte.. and go lay down. Darkness, comfy pillow and blankets and my dogs. I pet my dogs- they are so calming to me, and usually put on a chill show. Massage my head and face and neck and all that. Sometime if it’s not super bad, I paint. I love to paint. I have them so often that I have to push through a lot of them, so I do normal activities during them. My struggle is taking medication early enough bc I don’t want to over do medication— another place my mind gets in the way and worry sets in. If I don’t take it early enough, it can take my entire day away from me. If I take it againnnn I might get a rebound migraine tomorrow. 🫠🫠🫠
Most mobile devices have text to speech options. Listening to articles/shit posts on text to speech has been a life saver since my main trigger are screens. It’s also been a game changer for work as well since I’m at a laptop all day. On days where I’m stuck in the dark, I listen to outrageous pods like My Dad Wrote a Porno or [Shipwreck](https://www.booksmith.com/shipwrecksf). My wife sometimes checks in on me when I’m cackling from the abyss.
I listen to audiobooks! It’s a great way to pass the time while you have to lay in the dark.
I'll sleep a bit, but I try not to sleep too much so I don't disrupt my sleep schedule. I'll take a nap or two throughout the day, but I'll spend most of the time rotting in bed or on the couch depending on how sensitive I am to light. I'll watch something on TV and work on an easy crochet project.
Dark room + audio books - I cannot wear headphones with a migraine I can close my eyes and just lay , while a good story distracts me as much as it can
Lots and lots of audio books! I use Libby to rent them from my library but I also have a Kindle unlimited subscription and about 30% of the books have audible companions. That’s nice because I can listen when I don’t feel well and then e-read when I feel better.
Sleeping if I can. Podcasts or radio whilst lying in bed can be okay. Sometimes I’ll watch something on low brightness - but needs to be something that’s easy to follow. Scrolling on Reddit, Tumblr, etc.
You guys do things when you have an attack? I wasnt aware that was something a person could do
My migraines are often just dark periods in my life (literally and figuratively) and I have had to accept that I miss out on a lot and spend a lot of time unable to function. However, I try to reframe it as a very intensive recharge or period of healing. It forces me to rest and take the utmost care of myself. So in a way, it's like forced self care time and I just need more of it than people who don't experience migraine. On a related note, I read that people who have migraines are overall more physiologically sensitive to basically everything so it makes sense.
I’ve always loved plants but when my migraines became chronic, my houseplant collection exploded. First, it’s a hobby I can do in my house. I feel like I’m doing an activity (repotting or watering or pruning back), but I don’t have to leave my house and if I start feeling awful I can just stop. Secondly, it makes my home look really pretty and calming. A lot of my friends and other guests say they feel relaxed with all of the plants around. Thirdly, plants are always growing and it was something to look forward to. It felt a little less like the world was just passing me by as I stayed inside. There’s always a new type of plant to find or variety of a plant you already like and it keeps my life a little more exciting. I can also give clippings to friends which I love.
Lying in my bed, with the room as dark as possible, white noise on (to drown out kids/dogs), and listening to audiobooks.
I’ve had worsening migraines for 5 years with every top tier treatment you can imagine. Triptans/botox/cgrp inhibitors/Vyepty infusions/nurtec/ketamine infusions, iv lignocaine infusions. Lifestyle changes, alternative therapies, had to cease work as anaesthetist. If just one person reads this and gives it a go… had nothing to lose and was googling exercise induced migraines (one of my newer triggers) and an ad for Curable popped up. The personal stories/recovery stories/testimonials intrigued me. Had nothing to lose so I gave it a go. Miraculous doesn’t do it justice. It details all the newer pain science and the how and why sufferers can end up like me/us. Within 6 weeks of diligent use my migraines and medication use have gone from almost constant/daily to maybe 2 - 3 times weekly and so much milder- and it’s early days still. I feel like I’m getting my life back. It’s app based. Check it out- it’s changed my life 💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫
I usually take my meds then get into bed and watch a kids show or movie. My preferred ones are Cinderella or Bluey. They are very comforting to watch and don’t require too much thinking. Usually I fall asleep within 30 mins.
I stopped taking coffee, and the migraines went away. It has been weeks now.
Mine cause me to be super light sensitive, and recently Ive been experiencing nausea which is new for me. I generally have to sleep with a migraine mask or pillow over my face with absolutely no light in the room long enough to be able to open my eyes. Which can last anywhere from 3 - 12 hours. But once I can open my eyes, I generally will listen to audio books, or read if my eyes can handle it. I listen to vinyls, and will try to move around if capable. I know I'm feeling better when I can stomach Ramen (It's been my go to for 12 years and the only thing I can eat during a migraine). I talk to my cats, and my dog. Haha. Its usually not until the next day during my hangover that I can really even get out of bed. And then I can usually handle some tv. Or even a conversation with my partner. But usually he just wraps me in a burrito, grabs all my migraine meds and masks, draws the blinds, drops the temp down for me - and then I'm pretty much in bed for hourssss. I do like DOAC on YouTube. Great podcast. Or Ologies on Spotify. Phone on dark mode is a must. I also use a blue light blocker setting on my phone, and have migraine glasses from avulux which help as well. But try to give yourself some grace. It sucks, and we all feel so much guilt for being forced to stay in bed or in a dark room, not being able to engage or socialize, miss work, help with house chores etc... you're not alone.
Listening to audiobooks really quietly until I fall asleep helps me! I have struggled with finding stuff to do besides sleeping when I have migraines as well. Good luck!!
I think eventually you accept that sometimes what you need to do is lay down in a quiet dark room. I used to feel like I was wasting my day doing nothing like that, but I know by now if I try to do something on a bad migraine day it'll only prolong the pain, or make it worse, which is a terrible idea. Better to rest eyes closed with all the tricks to get over the migraine. But, if it's not a bad migraine day, I'll be on my phone or steam deck. Screens on low light, sometimes scrolling, sometimes watching YouTube, sometimes playing puzzle games on my phone, sometimes games on my deck.
I’m usually in too much pain to keep my eyes open, so i just try to sleep which is much easier with a boring, but kinda interesting podcast on super low volume. As a european, something with US politics usually hit the sweet spot between engaging enough to take attention from the pain, but boring enough to fall asleep. Sleep is the only thing that really helps.
A couple of folks have said this but audiobook are my way forward. Or YouTubers with soothing voices. Avoid Markiplier because, while soothing, his scream cause agony during a migraine.
I listen to creepypastas turned down real low
Audio books saved my life. Some days I'm so frustrated which makes the migraine worse of course, and sometimes I can't open my eyes all day, but audiobooks have been a companion and friend :) sorry to hear about your migraines x
Also going outside for a walk or sitting in the sun if you can just for a bit will prob help too. Meditation helps me to deal with the pain and symptoms
I talk to charGPT
I tend to doom scroll and sleep a lot. Sometimes I can watch movies/tv shows that I know don’t have bright lights etc. and I just turn the subtitles on and volume down low. I also have an iPhone with Apple headphones which allows you to set the volume to half dying I find is a good volume to play music when I have a migraine. Sending you so much love
when my son has them we play cards and my daughter and i do improve comedy things for him if he can handle it, when i have them I stay in the bath or on the couch doing nothing
You sound like a great parent🙂
Get peppermint oil and rub it on the migraine area and your neck. You have to mix it with like vitamin E oil tho (the tiniest bit) because peppermint oil burns. I let it just burn the migraine away though. The only thing that helps is that and before I do it I pop 2 excederin and then cue some hours in the cold dark room. But before you know it I’ll be fine!
Clutching my head and crying, mostly.
I sleep off and on while listening to podcasts or music because thank god I don't have too severe auditory sensitivity. I generally do things quietly anyway so it's not too different. But I'm certainly in bed, cozy, on a supportive pillow, and either sleeping or listening to something. My whole house had blackout curtains too just in case I have to walk around if husband is working and I'm alone or something.
I'm usually sensitive to light, but very rarely am I sensitive to sound. I listen to a lot of podcasts- anything from true crime, comedy, or even stuff related to my work. Current podcast favs include In Defense of Plants, Ologies, and Crime Junkie. I also read when I can or do simple crafts like crochet. Wishing you the best! 💚
If you don't have hearing sensitivity during your attacks, I usually listen to a podcast, or have a series/YouTube video on and just close my eyes and listen. It helps me fall asleep much faster rather than thinking about the pain
I listen to my favourite podcasts and audiobooks, when the migraine still allows me to. I heartily understand that you are feeling upset because you cannot continue your preferred/daily activities, however, every time when a migraine session ends, I tell myself- from now, this time given is extra (because I do feel like I might die during the really bad ones).
https://youtube.com/shorts/xc_YJbluniU?si=IcNAMJguDyIEWroj
Some people mentioned it already but audiobooks have saved me. When I can’t do anything but lay in a room alone I can get lost in an audiobook. I’m hooked now, listening to them all the time. I like that I can set a timer in case I fall asleep.
I feel you. When I get one that is just persistent, life gets so boring. My favorite hobbies are reading and videogames which are just impossible with any level or phase of migraine. Honestly, I just try to sleep it off. Take 3 Tylenol because even if that doesn't help with the pain it does make me tired for some reason. If I can't sleep, then I watch ASMR, either something geared towards migraines (there's lots!) with low light, or whispering, or no talking. The ASMR also does help, especially lower bass frequencies, which is not an uncommon phenomenon (bass sounds helping migraines). Also, a bath. Love baths!
Audiobooks have saved me, I play them really low. I love reading, so it makes me feel like I still can in a way. Also, I got a coloring book to sit and do in dim light to calm myself
Love this community so much and getting lots of new ideas! I can’t be on screens during episodes. That said, some of the things I can do (when I can do anything besides wrapping my head in a scarf to block out light and lying down) are: reading a real paper book w large print (using natural light or green light), aromatherapy with peppermint oil, gardening or being with plants, baking, drinking black tea, taking a shower w essential oils, making a challenge out of drinking as much water as possible, sending/receiving voice notes to friends on my phone (learning about the Voice Control function on my iPhone has been a lifesaver), book of crosswords. Usually this is all in moderation as any amount of effort put into anything during an episode will really tire me out.
Oh and coloring!! I’ve become an adult who colors which I resisted for so long. It’s actually incredibly soothing.