My daughter has migraines and have had them since she was just a wee-one...

So I am familiar with migraines and how incompassitating that they can be. I'm VERY familiar with the, lights off, no noise, cool air blowing, dark environment that one with migraines must have. But...

Last week while at work I was totally overcome by some type of "pain" that I cannot describe. I saw flashing lights in my eyes or what I thought were my eyes. I felt overwelmed with visual stimuli and I could not concentrate on my work. Suddenly, I ran to the bathroom where I "chucked-up" my breakfast and lunch and felt too overwhelmed to go back to work.

Because my company requires a doctor's release before one can return to work, I got the "full gambit" and total medical work up and they stated I was having "menopausal migraines!" What the &*%$#*? Has anyone heard of this?

As a nurse I knew that children could have the onset or even dissolution of migraines while entering puberty but menopause? I don't need to tell you how this is Pi$$ing me off!!

My migraines started when I started puberty,then they went away when I had my first child.Then When my peri symptoms started the migraines came back.So yes migraines can be brought on by menopause.I have had episodes a bit like yours,but without the flashing lights,which is called an aura.I have only had one or two light auras and they can be so scary.My warning signs for migraine is hunger,tiredness,irritibility,sensitivity to light/,and sometimes facial numbness .I hope you do not have a lot of these headaches,because they can wear you out.Magnesium helps,if you take 500 mg at the onset.GOD-bless

Dear'Lady E'

I too have alittle knowledge of how very painful migaines can be having seen my sister-in-law lying in a dark room for two days on end. She found that HRT therapy helped and when she went off it had no reoccurance. I also remember telling me that she often had a worse attack after a glass of red wine,a piece of cheese or chocolate.

Hope you too get full relief soon

Warm Wishes
Elizabeth

Never had the pleasure of a migraine myself, but I'm pretty sure that it's on the list of peri symptoms.

Kissy, like one of those symptoms welcome to peri-menopause huh?

When I was 42 I was sitting on my daughter porch and notice flashes of lights on the left side of my vision. I turn my head thinking police car-ambulance>I saw NOTHING!
So I get up and felt such a wave of nausea I almost fell over> Then the stabbing pain hit>> because my Dad in his 40 had 10 years straight of migraines I knew what it was.
Still it was scary and I had nothing to take but couldn’t bring myself to go to the ER that night.

Yup Snow, this seems to be just another added "benefit" of peri-menopause. (I think next time I'll just take a bullet instead!)

I've always been very "relieved that I didn't have "sick headaches" as mum used to call them or the migraines my daughter has suffered all her life. They always seemed so debilitating.

I cannot say that the headache that I had kept me from doing the things I normally do, for instance, when my daughter gets a migraine, it's straight to bed until the headache eases, but this was more visual. I felt like I had fallen head first into a kaleidescope of sorts. The most vivid colors and the brightest lights. The nausea I could have lived without, but once the battery of tests came back I was already back on my feet and back to work.

I have heard however, (you know, from the "well meaners" who always have to tell you the worst) that this was my introduction into the migraine era and it's downhill from here.

I'll keep you posted.

Krissy I also have gotten those flashes of light in my vision but I never connected it to a migraine because I never had pain...

I worried more about my vision so I went to the eye doc who said he sees this stuff all the time.....always good to get it checked but you are so right - it is just another lovely part of this wild ride....

BTW - it has happened one or two time since but never as vivid as the first time - and never with any pain....

Krissy what you are describing sounds like Occular Migraines. If you google them you will see that they can come with pain, or not. I get them, the flashing lasts for about 20 minutes, and mine always come with a 24 hour headache. Fortunately I never get nausea from mine and with painkillers I can keep on with my life. It is interesting how everyone gets the flashing with an occular migraine, but other than that they are as individual as we are!!

I thought I was done with mine after an 18 month repreive, and menopause having happened in the meantime...but NO!! I got 2 of them in a month not so long ago. Now I am hoping for another 18 month repreive!!

I've experienced a few of these; fortunately with no pain attached. But they're scary, I agree. They come without any warning. I was concerned until my eye doctor told me they're nothing to be concerned about unless they became more frequent.