Only those who suffer from migraine attacks would understand what I mean when I say you feel extra productive once the throbbing pain from a migraine episode subsides.
Unfortunately for me, I started having migraines in my teenage years, and it’s now been over 20 years of enduring my on-and-off migraines. Usually, pain management was my only resort, as previous consultations and treatments from two separate neurologists couldn’t ‘cure’ my condition or offer alternatives that could help me cope with it better.
I had a CT scan done during one of those consults, and at least I had peace of mind that it wasn’t a brain tumour causing my migraines. This was over 10 years ago.
“We still don’t know a lot of the causes for migraines”
Said my doctor, and they proceeded to prescribe me drugs that have anti-depressant effects or to treat anxiety issues, such as Amitriptyline, Fluvoxamine, or Sibelium.
So far, those treatments haven’t been effective on me, and one of them even caused me to spiral into depression for a season of my life until I stopped taking it, and have its effects gradually wear off after a week or so.
Not fun times. Trust me.
A bad episode of a migraine attack would have me lying in bed, lights off and no sound, usually with my head under a pillow and lying on my right side to put pressure on the throbbing pain on my right temple.
As you can imagine, this is most inconvenient when it occurs while I’m at work, and a medical leave will follow with me riding out the 30-minute car ride home before I can throw cold water on my face and quickly lie down. Otherwise, nausea and the need to throw up follow after if I’m unable to subdue the pain.
Pain management will need to be fast with me requiring oral painkillers such as NSAIDs, usually Celecoxib or Etoricocib ( Arcoxia) when the pain intensity is high, or with milder forms like caffox and Panadol Extra ( apparently small doses of caffeine help with migraines). On a side note, NSAID medications and caffox are not to be used during pregnancy, so these are the seasons in my adult life that I had to endure the most severe migraines.
But when the pain eventually lifts, after hours in bed or by the next day, a boost of energy takes over me, and I feel the need to move and make up for the productivity lost during my downtime.
I would work even if I was on medical leave, do house chores, and start on small projects around the home, even stretching the remaining hours of the day to make the most of this high. My alertness increases, and a surge of motivation comes over me.
This feels like such a contrast to how I felt hours or half a day earlier when I was completely out of it.
Just 2 weeks ago I had a bad episode of migraine and I had to be in bed the whole morning, but after the pain subsided or when the painkiller kicked in, I took a shower, and turned on my laptop to get some work done, work I’d deferred due to my hours of migraine.
It makes me empathize with those who suffer from chronic illness, and how they would appreciate good days when they come.
A quick check with ChatGPT and it was termed as a ‘postdrom high’ or ‘migraine hangover rebound’, occurring after levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine surge back up after recovery, and some akin to a post stress high. Another reason is due to the feelings of relief that come after the pain phase of migraines are absent and we start to feel energized and emotionally gratefull, creating a mood boost.
One more concept is that the return of regular blood flow and electrical brain activity, which can trigger feelings or mental clarifty and increased energy.
There is also an increase in endorphins, which is on a temporary high after a migraine recovery, making one feel euphoric and light.
I also understand not every migraine sufferer feels this way, there are those who also reported feeing fatigue and foggy after pain recovery, as they have a different body chemistry compared to those of us who feel ‘good’ after a migraine subsides.
For long-term management, of course, I would prefer not to have any more frequent migraine episodes than what I have now, which is every week or so. But at least I know there is a duration I had to endure, and then the high and relief after recovery.
And hopefully, one day, I can find a permanent cure.