Diving and Migraine

[david.tolan]

I get migraine's now and then. Really quite mild, they typically last 4 hours or so, and I feel "hungover" for another 8-12 hours.

I get mild visual distortion that builds up to the point where I could not drive a car. This takes about 10-20 minutes from first signs. I can still read text, but I have to really look. That clears, then I'm fine for about 30 minutes then the headache kicks in.

Anyhow, I've never had a migraine during a dive. Is there anyone out there who has ? Was is any different from a migraine on the surface ?

BTW before anyone tells me I shouldn't dive... I've been dealing with this for many years. They are predictable I have LOTS of warning time, and I have every confidence that I can surface safely at first signs. I can be on the surface long long before it becomes a problem.

Yes DECO diving is OUT for me. As is Caves etc.

 

[diverberr]

david.tolan once bubbled...
I get migraine's now and then. Really quite mild, they typically last 4 hours or so, and I feel "hungover" for another 8-12 hours.

I get mild visual distortion that builds up to the point where I could not drive a car. This takes about 10-20 minutes from first signs. I can still read text, but I have to really look. That clears, then I'm fine for about 30 minutes then the headache kicks in.

Anyhow, I've never had a migraine during a dive. Is there anyone out there who has ? Was is any different from a migraine on the surface ?

BTW before anyone tells me I shouldn't dive... I've been dealing with this for many years. They are predictable I have LOTS of warning time, and I have every confidence that I can surface safely at first signs. I can be on the surface long long before it becomes a problem.

Yes DECO diving is OUT for me. As is Caves etc.

I've gotten headaches (sometimes migraines) underwater for two reasons. One is from CO2 retention, the other is sinus problems.

What you're experiencing sounds like a bad CO2 hit. If you're not nitrox certified, try nitrox, as it sometimes helps. And high performance regulators will definitely make a difference. Also, if you're swimming hard or working hard, it's easy to overbreathe a reg and retain CO2. And some people just retain more CO2 than others for no known reason.

Let me know if I've been any help,

Diverberr.

 

[Cave Diver]

When I was younger I used to get migraines frequently. Now my headaches are mostly sinus. I have gotten a few headaches from diving from CO2 retention, but those are nothing compared to a true migraine. They are just a minor annoyance. I did recently dive with a headache. I had a slight one prior to getting in the water and probably should have called the dive but didnt. It's not uncommon for me to have a slight sinus headache at times so I really thought nothing of it.

About the time we hit our turn pressure, it really started to kick in. Our plan was to dive the wall to about 110' until we hit our turn pressure, then come up to the mini wall at about 60' and run a reciprocal course back to our starting point. Then we would ascend to the top of the mini wall and finish the dive in the sand flat at our entry point in about 20' of water.

Needless to say, I blew that plan off. I was the team leader, and about the time I hit my turn pressure my minor headache was developing into a full blown pressure cooker. Instead of coming in to the mini wall then running a reciprocal, I cut an angle back towards shore and headed straight for the sand flats. Even by cutting out part of the dive, it still took about 15 minutes at 20' across the sand before we hit our exit point. Since we were diving NDL and I had already spent a lot of time at 20' I headed straight for the ladder, then the bathroom. By this time my headache was bad enough to cause me to become quite nauseous. I had someone else drive home and I sat in the back with my face and eyes covered with a towel the whole way, and I went straight tobed and slept for about 14 hours when I got there.

This is one of the worst headaches that I have had in quite a while. It is not often that one makes me naseous, but this one made me extremely so. I can't say for sure that diving intensified it, but it certainly didn't seem to help either.

My recommendation would be to abort a dive at the first sign you don't feel well. Take it slow and breathe deep to keep from building CO2 and adding to the problem. Then get to the surface where you aren't task loading yourself into a life or death situation.

 

[Green_Manelishi]

at the risk of being rude, noone "gets" a migraine. you suffer
from them or you do not. do you?

david.tolan described "classic migraine" to the "T" especially
with his reference to visual aura and feeling "hung over".

too many out there believe "Oh, I have a bad headache ... it
must be a migraine." ... NOT !!!

add to that not ALL migraine attacks include a (severe) headache
but the 'attack' is definate migraine.

 

[kcanty]

I actually know of one person who had debilitating
migranes to the point of having to go off work on
disability.

He tried diving about 5 years ago and found that
it seemed to help prevent his migraines. He's
now a divemaster on a boat and dives about
20 times a week!

He still has the occasional migraines but he says
if he doesn't dive for a while, they come back with
a vengance!

Kell

 

[Cave Diver]

Green_Manelishi once bubbled...
at the risk of being rude, noone "gets" a migraine. you suffer
from them or you do not. do you?

david.tolan described "classic migraine" to the "T" especially
with his reference to visual aura and feeling "hung over".

too many out there believe "Oh, I have a bad headache ... it
must be a migraine." ... NOT !!!

add to that not ALL migraine attacks include a (severe) headache
but the 'attack' is definate migraine.

I rarely suffer from them anymore, but yes I did used to get them, or suffer from them, or whatever you wish to call it. As I stated in my post:

"When I was younger I used to get migraines frequently. Now my headaches are mostly sinus. I have gotten a few headaches from diving from CO2 retention, but those are nothing compared to a true migraine. They are just a minor annoyance. I did recently dive with a headache."

At the risk of sounding rude, if you had read a little more closely you would note that I said I got them frequently when younger, now it is mostly sinus, and I recently dove with a headache, not a migraine.

I do indeed know the difference between a headache and a migraine. I was on medication for several years growing up and went through a battery of tests to try to determine a cause for my migraines. Thankfully, as I have gotten older they have subsided and it is very rare that I have one now.

My response in the post indicated that I had a headache (not a migraine) which intensified during the dive and due to that experience I would recommend anyone who doesn't feel well to abort the dive. Someone who is prone to migraines should feel even more compelled to end the dive at the first signs.

 

[SeaGypsy]

Actually the aura that he described doesn’t affect everyone. In fact I think it’s a part of the migraine attack for only about one quarter the people.

To answer the original question, I’ve never had one during a dive. I have however started dives with tension headache and found that it made them go away. Most likely this is due to relaxing and enjoying the dive. However there have been some studies indicating that hyperbaric oxygen can be a successful treatment for migraines.

A couple of studies:

http://hboevidence.com/Neurological/Migraine/hill.htm
http://www.strokedoctor.com/hbo22.htm


Obviously this isn’t a recommendation to dive with a migraine.

 

[scubadoc]

You might want to discuss with your doctor the possibility of you having a PFO (patent foramen ovale), a small opening between the right and left heart that can allow bubbles to cross and cause "undeserved" decompression sickness.

Migraine with aura has been found to be significantly associated with patent foramen ovale, thought to be a factor in the causation of undeserved decompression accidents. This can be found at the following reference:
Neurology 1999 May 12;52(8):1622-5
Potential source of cerebral embolism in migraine with aura: a transcranial Doppler study. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entr...ve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10331688&dopt=Abstract

 

[david.tolan]

scubadoc once bubbled...
You might want to discuss with your doctor the possibility of you having a PFO (patent foramen ovale), a small opening between the right and left heart that can allow bubbles to cross and cause "undeserved" decompression sickness.

Migraine with aura has been found to be significantly associated with patent foramen ovale, thought to be a factor in the causation of undeserved decompression accidents. This can be found at the following reference:
Neurology 1999 May 12;52(8):1622-5
Potential source of cerebral embolism in migraine with aura: a transcranial Doppler study. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entr...ve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10331688&dopt=Abstract

Thanks, I came across this (google). Is it difficult/dangerous to get tested for PFO. From what I understand the migraine itself is not so much the concern as the fact that it indicates a higher likelyhood that I have PFO. I know of a doctor who specialises in dive medicine here in dublin. I think he's due a visit.

Thanks,
Dave.

 

[david.tolan]

diverberr once bubbled...

What you're experiencing sounds like a bad CO2 hit.

Nah, not a CO2 hit.
But the bit about Anyhow, I've never had a migraine during a dive. Is there anyone out there who has ? should have given that away =-)


I'm just wondering about the day that I do....

Dave