Day in the Life of a Migraine Flare

Last Updated on February 2, 2022 by melissanreynolds

I knew I was overdoing it. But with four kids and the expectations of life, there isn’t much I could do. I woke up smack in the middle of a migraine flare.

Trying to prioritise rest and sleep with Master nine months who prefers to sleep with me (but doesn’t sleep for long periods) is hard.

Even my daily yoga nidra (my best coping mechanism) is now 20 minutes maximum and is often interrupted.

So, on the 5th of January I woke with a migraine. I haven’t been so unwell I’ve needed my parents-in-law to come and take the children in a while, but it happened just five days into the new year.

I woke feeling dizzy and exhausted. The exhausted is usual for now. The dizzy is odd. After about 10 minutes trying to get breakfast and manage the children, I realised it was a migraine.

Sitting on the stool, retching into the toilet with a three year old and baby watching was not so fun.

I managed to get most of a glass of Panadol (acetaminophen) soluble down (I couldn’t swallow pills) and lie in bed with the baby nursing while the children watched a movie and we waited for grandma to arrive.

She did and took the three older ones. Thank goodness for helpful parents-in-law (on leave from work).

Baby napped for 30 minutes. I got 30 minutes of Yoga Nidra in the dark with the heat pack on.

Why Yoga Nidra for a Migraine Flare?

Because it is the most efficient way for me to rest (it is profound rest), it relieves tension and reduces blood pressure among other things. I share a whole post about it here. I cannot nap and even if I do, it takes a long time, is of poor quality sleep and I wake feeling awful. After Nidra I tend to feel refreshed.

Try your Yoga Nidra here

By this time the symptoms had receded enough for me to transfer to an upright position in the lounge (with the curtains closed) and nibble on a breakfast biscuit. With some fortification for my stomach, I took more medicine. And was able to use my peanut ball to relieve some tension in my neck and upper back (this often contributes to my migraines).

Usually my medicine, heat pack, Yoga Nidra combination will clear it. But this one lingered on for a couple of days. But at least I was able to manage after that worst day.

There is nothing like a good old flare to remind you that something has got to change. It’s hard not to worry that this might last longer than a day or how I will manage when work starts again in February (when the school year starts).

But we put one foot in front of the other. Here and now, what can I do? Rest, get food into my stomach, take the medicine, appreciate the help.

Then tackle the bigger problem of how to make a nine month old sleep.

For more about managing flare ups see this post.

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