Migraines when flying

[texaskj]

I've been getting migraines since my mid-20s. In the last three or four years, I've been getting them the day after I've been on a plane. I take hydrocodone for them and can still function at about 60%.
Does this happen to anyone else?
Does anyone have recommendations? This really puts a damper on vacations.

 

[mogster]

I get migraines when I am really stressed out or overstimulated (like after a few hours at the mall), and wonder if those are the same reasons that trigger your migraines. I would suggest stretching, keeping extremely hydrated as the cabin air is very dry, and wearing ear plugs to block out some of that jet engine whir.

 

[VRBeauty]

Hydration!

But - I'm not really prone to migraines. In fact I rarely get headaches at all, and when I do, it's usually when the weather warms up and I forget to drink enough water.

 

[natascha]

Have you mapped your triggers?

For example mine include low atmospheric pressure, low blood sugar, some red wines, hormonal fluctuations and most importantly stress. Not when I am stressed but after (thankfully otherwise I could never have the career I want). Since I know my triggers I can avoid and unavoidable manage them. For example I used to get horrific migraines after my exams but I learnt that what triggers me is the abrupt change from stressed to relived/calm. Therefore after something stressful I don't just sit down and chill, I have to gradually reduce my stress levels. I manage that through actively thinking or doing things that stress me and gradually over a couple of hours moving on to less stressful things.

Could it be that you are stressed about flying or the final things you need to do before going on vacation? Otherwise it could be due to hydration or if you are sensitive to abrupt changes in temperature, time, etc.

If I may ask, why are you taking hydrocodone? Unless you are one of the few that don't react to triptans or to ergotamines I don't understand why a doctor would prescribe opiates. If you are resistant, have you tried Neurontin (Gabapentin)?

 

[texaskj]

Why the hydrocodone? Probably because that's what they gave me in the emergency room 20 years ago and it still works. I don't get enough migraines to be on preventive stuff and I have pretty low blood pressure, so I can't take anything that will make it any lower.
On the hydration front; I probably don't drink enough water because I hate using airplane bathrooms.

 

[natascha]

Why the hydrocodone? Probably because that's what they gave me in the emergency room 20 years ago and it still works. I don't get enough migraines to be on preventive stuff and I have pretty low blood pressure, so I can't take anything that will make it any lower.
On the hydration front; I probably don't drink enough water because I hate using airplane bathrooms.

Ahh that would explain it . I was getting mad at your doctor for prescribing opiates when there are better options for migraines. I have really hideous ones and have moved around a lot so I have met some old school doctors .

Next time you see your doctor you should ask for Triptans. You only take them at the beginning of an attack, not as a preventive. They also don't affect your blood pressure, I too have have low blood pressure which used to be so bad that I had to be medicated for it. So I definitively understand that worry. Unlike opiates which just mask the pain, triptans work at aborting the migraine. Taking them as soon as you feel the onset of an attack will in some cases completely abort it and in others greatly reduce the intensity and length.

Also as soon as you feel it coming, take a triptan and try to get to a place where you can lay down in silence and darkness. Movement, light and sound will just make the migraine worse.

Over here at least the have now started to allow sumatriptan to be sold without prescription. So please check if that is available where you are. The reason you weren't given triptans in the ER was probably because they only came out in the 1990s.

Oh and ignore the Neurontine recommendation. That is a preventive treatment that will affect your blood pressure and you need to be under a neurologists supervision (preferably specialized in migraines). I had to be on that treatment when the migraines were extremely bad during puberty. Now I handle my triggers and use a couple of different triptans.

 

[LAJennifer]

Natascha, what amount is the usual dose of sumatriptan? Very interested.

 

[hoover]

On the hydration front; I probably don't drink enough water because I hate using airplane bathrooms.

I'm just like you. I hate airplane bathrooms, and train washrooms, outhouses, etc. I always try to refrain from using those washrooms even on long overseas flights!

I usually take a Zomig (zolmitriptan) at the onset of a migraine and I'll take one as a preventative measure on long flights or long rides (over 3 hours) because I need to sleep or I'll get a migraine and/or motion sickness if I don't do that. I don't know if it's bad for me, but I've also doubled my dosage (and sometimes combine it with ibuprofen) for the extra nasty migraines.

 

[texaskj]

Thanks so much everyone for the help.
Natascha and Hoover, fellow sufferers, I think it's time for me to try some triptans. The hydrocodone still works, but it's starting to take more than one or two. I'm due for a checkup with my primary doctor and I'm going to ask her about trying some generic form. (I'll have to start with generics with my insurance.)

 

[sonnyjane]

Sorry I'm a bit late to read this!

I'm in no way saying that this is what is causing your migraines as everything mentioned so far makes good sense - just something to ponder:

When I was in elementary school, fourth grade to be exact, we rotated desks every 9 weeks. During one of those rotations, I was seated directly next to the air conditioning vent for the room. I began getting debilitating migraines daily about an hour or two into the school day. I spent most afternoons in the nurse's office at school, and occasionally I was sent home. They were excruciating...I couldn't even see or stand. At the end of the 9 weeks, we switched desks again and I was put on the far side of the room, away from the air conditioning unit. I never had another migraine again. I can only guess that it had something to do with the air (and something in it) circulating through the unit. I wonder if there is any chance that something about the cabin's air flow might be triggering you in any way?

Since you seem to get them a day after, and also have a history of getting them in situations other than on planes, I'm not saying that's the only cause, but I've learned that anything is possible!