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I’ve been having migraines since I was about 12 years old.
When I was younger, they always followed a very specific pattern. They would always come on at the same time in the morning – just after nine o’clock – when I was at school, going between registration and assembly.
Writing that now, it feels like it can’t actually be true – how many people really get migraines at exactly the same minute every single time? I swear it happened like that though. Every memory I have of them coming on at school is on that walk between my tutor room and the school hall, through the courtyard that sat in the middle of the school.
They would start with a weird sensation that things didn’t look quite as they were meant to look – bright lights and blind spots are always common with my migraines. The next couple of hours where then always the worst; knowing that the headache was coming, but unable to do anything about it, presenting myself at the nurse’s office, for her to look suspiciously at me for a while until I threw up with the pain and she was convinced. I’d then have to spend an unpredictable amount of time lying on the bed in the sick room while I waited for my mum to be at home to answer the phone and then come and collect me.
Nowadays they are a bit more haphazard. They don’t start at a predictable time of the day, and they are far less frequent – the trigger now seems to be stress rather than hormones – but the sense of dread that comes with the onset of the disturbed vision remains the same.
Last year I remember a particularly nasty experience when I was in Manchester, delivering some training to a group of about 25 people. During the break, an hour and a half into a three hour session, I realised that I couldn’t see people’s faces when I looked directly at them. I had no painkillers, no one to take over, and I was a three hour train journey away from home. Not cool.
“I’m really sorry,” I said to the group when we reconvened after the interval, “if I look a bit odd or like I’m not looking at you properly, but I’m about to have a migraine.”
Everyone was very nice about it, and the adrenalin carried me through, but by the end of the session I was about ready to slam my head in a door.
Where am I going with this? You may well wonder. To be honest, I’ve given myself a bit of a headache just thinking about it.
The point I am trying to reach, is that when you have a migraine, you want anything and everything that is going to take the edge off it, and you want it quick. You know what’s coming before the pain even kicks in, and so anything that can bring some immediate relief before the painkillers get to work has to be a good thing.
Kool ‘n’ Soothe is designed to plug that gap.
It’s tricky obviously for me to review a product like this on demand – I’m not about to put myself under more stress than I am already, just in the hope that it induces a migraine so I can carry out a fair test.
(Sorry if you feel that shows a lack of commitment to the blog.)
What I can say though, as a migraine sufferer, is that Kool ‘n’ Soothe is definitely a product I would try, and I can see it being incredibly useful. It’s non-medicinal, so isn’t a painkiller in that sense, but it can bring cooling relief, and doesn’t need to be kept in the fridge.
So how does it work then?
Well, it’s a little bit sciency for me, but basically the Kool ‘n’ Soothe gel sheets contain water, and the heat from your skin makes this water evaporate, creating a cooling sensation. It’s the same sort of feeling as pressing a cold flannel against your head, but without the kerfuffle of actually having to press a cold flannel against your head, because let’s face it, who carries a flannel and stands near a tap at all times just in case?
The Kool ‘n’ Soothe strips can be kept in your bag and used straight from the packet. They simply stick on your head and the cooling sensation lasts for up to eight hours. They’re brilliant for pregnant women who want to avoid painkillers and pretty handy for a hangover too, should you have one too many gins over the festive period, which I’ve heard is very easily done.
So there you go – they sound brilliant don’t they? I’ll definitely be giving them a try the next time I have a headache.
Do you suffer with headaches and how do you deal with them?
Sponsored post. Photo credit – Piotr Marcinski/shutterstock
Gosh yes, Migraines. Bleurgh!
I Hate them and can definitely relate to the blurred vision thing and the inability to do anything about the impending brain ache! I’ll be trying these out for sure! Thanks for sharing x
I’ve used Kool n Soothe a few times, and they really do work, exactly as they describe. I had a spate of very predictable migraines when the NHS were giving me my Happy Fun Free Trial Menopause injections – I had exactly 20 minutes from the time of the jab to get home, find painkillers & a darkened room before crying for the next two days, and these meant I was at least able to achieve that, and get the necessities into my pitch dark bedroom.
And if you get more than 20 minutes warning, you can wander around with the patch on, looking like a complete numpty, but who cares, when they work?
Author
Haha! Yes, you do have to look a bit silly – it’s not like casually popping some pills! That 20 minutes is the awful bit isn’t it, when you know what’s coming and it’s a rush to get to a safe place!
Yep, have had them since I was a baby apparently, although when you are a baby you get them in your stomach (go figure lol) and me and my husband have to number them marks out of ten to see what treatment I need. If they are a ten (god forbid!) it means I am about to smash my head through a window with pain, I might pass out, and I can’t see nor hear properly so I get upstairs for a lie-down, usually to cry meself to sleep!. I used to get the visual disturbances, but that seems to have stopped. (yay!)
Any other lower migraine (which are still killers) I get to lay on the sofa, cold compress, and I mean ICE COLD, I have to have a tea-towel drenched in water put in the freezer, because sadly things like these kool n soothe do nothing for me, they don;t even touch the pain. I have tried them on my son too when he has had a headache, and he said it was a nice cool sensation, but unless you’re out and about and you need something desperately, I would stick to a cold flannel. These are a great idea, but just not strong about for the types of migraines that I have. xxxx,
Author
God, the ten sounds awful! I’m not sure I’ve ever quite got to a ten on your scale – when they get really bad I’m normally sick, and that seems to take the edge off and then I can go to sleep. I had never thought about babies getting them. That must be so horrible for the baby – knowing something is horribly wrong and not being able to tell anyone :-(
Three Free and Low Tech Treatments for Migraines
While I have not discovered a permanent cure for migraines I have come up with both a treatment that stops an attack almost immediately, one to alleviate the pain, and one that makes them fun to have. There is also one that alleviates pain, and can be done when there is no one to help you.
To stop a migraine attack one need only have the Kadir-Buxton Method used on the patient. It is a simple technique to use, and provided that a partner, friend, neighbour, and work colleague are trained by the patient on how to do the Kadir-Buxton Method the patient need no longer suffer protracted pain again.
On alleviation of pain, it has been found that orgasm cuts pain by 80%, if you are on your own, or have no one nearby that you have trained in the Kadir-Buxton Method or ‘Post Sex’ then you can alleviate the pain at a stroke of the nose once you have an Orgasmic Nose.
And the fun way of treating migraine is to use the ‘Post Sex’ method to turn pain into pleasure. The effect on a migraine sufferer is more fun than sexual intercourse and this makes a nice break from the usual agony of migraine.
Migraines are widespread in the population and are a nasty experience for those who suffer from them. 16-17% of the population will experience one migraine during their lifetime and there are some 303 million migraineurs in the world according to a WHO report in 2003. A free and fast relief to the problem is what is needed, and what we have.
Author
Well, that’s something I’ve not tried! I’m intrigued by the orgasmic nose…
Argh hate migraines have beta blockers for mine but dont find they do anything! Will give these a go – thanks for sharing. Have been trying 4head!
I’ve had migraines since I was 7 and I’m always looking for new ways to treat them. I’m always one step away from a panic attack if I find I’m without my nasal sprays. And lately I’ve not been able to take any medication at all do something like this would be worth a try! Thanks :) xx
Author
I’ve never tried a nasal spray, but touch wood mine aren’t as bad now as when I was younger – I always used to throw up, but I never do that any more.
I tend to wake up with them so don’t always have triggers or auras. Maybe tired day before.
I use pain killers and put a cold flannel on my head or neck which does help.
Author
That’s interested Theresa because I never used to, and then suddenly in my 20s I went through this period of waking in the middle of the night and feeling awful and it taking me a little while to figure out what was going on.
Luckily I have had very few migraines in my life but when they have come it’s been awful. I never knew that people can get them at the same time of the day – thats really interesting.
Laura x
Author
No, I have no idea if there’s an actual medical reason behind it, but they were regular as clockwork!
I’ve been having loads of bad headaches recently and although they’re not migraines I’m definitely going to try this and see if it helps! thanks for sharing. x