Migraine Postdrome

I never had migraines until adulthood. About five years ago, my doctor had me go for an MRI because of them, and we paid way too much to hear, "Yep, you're having migraines." In doing a little research, though, that reaction does seem to be the consensus; no one knows what causes migraines!

I decided to read up on mine in particular because they seem atypical. Only twenty percent of sufferers experience the aura, or spots, at the onset of a migraine. To me, it starts as if I've just had my photo taken with a flash and can still see the green glowing remnant. I know it's a migraine because that green dot won't go away, and within minutes I can see only half of the face of a person in front of me. 

If I can quickly grab some Tylenol or Advil and a strong cup of coffee, the aura disappears after about fifteen minutes. At this point, most sufferers would describe intense pain. My migraines involve almost no pain at all, but something known in the medical world as the "postdrome." Instead of the searing headache most people experience, I feel wiped out, as if I had the flu. It's as if I've been hit with a wave of intense fatigue, one that lasts for hours, during which I can barely keep my eyes open. I feel cotton-headed, unable to focus. My limbs grow weak, and I can barely move. My thoughts are jumbled and irrational.

Yesterday around 4pm I was hit with the tiniest aura, and in less than five minutes, the lady standing in front of me looked like she had only half a face! I was quick with the ibuprofen and coffee, then all I could do was lie on the sofa with my eyes closed. The light doesn't bother me as it does most migraine sufferers; some even experience vomiting. By about 6pm, I had entered into the postdrome, and my only option was to lie sideways on my bed. 

This morning, after being so bone-tired I slept all night, I was still mentally worn out. I couldn't read anything, not because it hurt, but because I just couldn't focus. I scraped by almost half the day in a mental fog, with a dull headache and unable to fully concentrate on anything without feeling like I'd run a marathon. I recalled waking in a fog during the night, desiring to turn over, but taking probably twenty or more minutes to work up the energy!

Is this part of a migraine, I wondered? When I went for the MRI, my migraines were more textbook: aura, intense pain, light sensitivity. I admit that if I have to suffer from them, I'll take the extreme fatigue over the blinding pain! But I couldn't help but wonder about this exhaustion that has begun accompanying my migraines. 

Here is a succinct article from Scicurious entitled "The Postdrome: Migraine's Silent Sister." (Click on title). It has shed light on my symptoms and further shows that migraines can look very different depending on the individual. I invite any readers to share your experiences with migraines.