Gliding and migraines?

[K6Chris]

Having suffered my first ever migraine last night and specifically the visual disturbance (aura) that came with it, I am keen to discover how gliders pilots who are prone to migraines cope? Although sufferers are allowed to drive and indeed fly, the advice for coping of 'pull over' seems less than helpful!

Any advice and experiences most welcome!

Chris

[Walt Connelly]

Having suffered my first ever migraine last night and specifically the visual disturbance (aura) that came with it, I am keen to discover how gliders pilots who are prone to migraines cope? Although sufferers are allowed to drive and indeed fly, the advice for coping of 'pull over' seems less than helpful!

Any advice and experiences most welcome!

Chris

Has this been confirmed by a competent medical practitioner? I am not a doctor nor have I played on one TV but I did play one with a cute blue eyed blond once but that's a story for another time. Since you said you experienced your first one last night I would question if you have had time to insure that this is what you actually experience.

Since you said you had the headache in association with the aura I might tend to agree with you but again this needs to be confirmed. That being said, there are many TRIGGERS to a migraine. Stress, certain foods, changes in sleep patterns and a plethora of other things can bring this on. Are you on any medication for BP such as a vasodilator?

I have seen how debilitating a migraine can be, not sure I would want to experience something like that while flying. There are a couple of fast acting medications for migraine available on the market, just not sure how convenient some of them might be to administer while strapped in.

Walt

[qflyer1]

I had a migraine once - and only once - in 20 years of flying. It was
April, I was up to 9000' in wave in Tennessee. I don't know if it was
altitude / temperature fluctuations or what.
The headache came on, no vision issues, just pain, and I had to land
in 25knt x-wind. Broke the tail boom. Not fun. There was another more
suitable strip nearby, but I didn't take it.
Did it affect my judgement? Maybe. I just wanted to get down...

If migraines were a reoccurring issue, I would be concerned...
Flight-capable meds?

Cheers,
Tim


On Jul 19, 7:52*am, K6Chris <k6chris(AT)live(DOT)co(DOT)UK> wrote:
> Having suffered my first ever migraine last night and specifically the
> visual disturbance (aura) that came with it, I am keen to discover how
> gliders pilots who are prone to migraines cope? *Although sufferers are
> allowed to drive and indeed fly, the advice for coping of 'pull over'
> seems less than helpful!
>
> Any advice and experiences most welcome!
>
> Chris
>
> --
> K6Chris

[SF]

On Jul 20, 9:24*am, qflyer1 > wrote:
> I had a migraine once - and only once - in 20 years of flying. *It was
> April, I was up to 9000' in wave in Tennessee. I don't know if it was
> altitude / temperature fluctuations or what.
> The headache came on, no vision issues, just pain, and I had to land
> in 25knt x-wind. Broke the tail boom. Not fun. There was another more
> suitable strip nearby, but I didn't take it.
> Did it affect my judgement? Maybe. I just wanted to get down...
>
> If migraines were a reoccurring issue, I would be concerned...
> Flight-capable meds?
>
> Cheers,
> Tim
>
> On Jul 19, 7:52*am, K6Chris <k6chris(AT)live(DOT)co(DOT)UK> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Having suffered my first ever migraine last night and specifically the
> > visual disturbance (aura) that came with it, I am keen to discover how
> > gliders pilots who are prone to migraines cope? *Although sufferers are
> > allowed to drive and indeed fly, the advice for coping of 'pull over'
> > seems less than helpful!
>
> > Any advice and experiences most welcome!
>
> > Chris
>
> > --
> > K6Chris- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Chris
Admiting that you suffer from migraines seems to disqualify you from
being president. To keep from limiting your possible career choices,
you might want to start using an alias online. On real hot days
taking a couple of Potassium tablets in the morning seems to cut down
on headaches in the air that afternoon. I Don't know if this will do
any thing for migraines. Using Oxygen might be another thing to
contemplate. I'm not a doctor and its been a long time since I stayed
at a Holiday Inn.

SF

[Uri]

>
> My daughter started flying last year but developed frequent migraines
> and and had to go on medications that aren't allowable, although the
> dosages are much lower than for the medication's normal use. *Once
> they are under control, we may start lessons again, but I won't allow
> her to solo unless there is medical clearance.

Just in case your daughter's headaches turn out to be actually
"cluster headaches" and not migraines (those two maladies have
confused many a doctor): the most effective treatment for some (like
me) is 100% O2. And guess where I can hook up to it the fastest ...
convinced the local authorities' aviation doctor!

Uri

[Uri]

On Jul 21, 5:36*pm, chipsoars > wrote:
> On Jul 21, 3:46*am, Uri > wrote:
>
> > > My daughter started flying last year but developed frequent migraines
> > > and and had to go on medications that aren't allowable, although the
> > > dosages are much lower than for the medication's normal use. *Once
> > > they are under control, we may start lessons again, but I won't allow
> > > her to solo unless there is medical clearance.
>
> > Just in case your daughter's headaches turn out to be actually
> > "cluster headaches" and not migraines (those two maladies have
> > confused many a doctor): the most effective treatment for some (like
> > me) is 100% O2. And guess where I can hook up to it the fastest ...
> > convinced the local authorities' aviation doctor!
>
> > Uri
>
> We have her under treatment at Thomas Jefferson Medical Center's
> Headache clinic. *The approach seems to be helping, but it is early.

Probably folks who know their business :-)
I don't wish anybody (friend or foe) the agony of cluster
headaches....in comparison, a migraine is a good thing :-(
Yes, the common wisdom has cluster headaches as the most painful
possible - way more than bearing a child...as reported by women who
had both.

[Bruce Hoult]

On Jul 22, 2:50*am, Uri > wrote:
> I don't wish anybody (friend or foe) the agony of cluster
> headaches....in comparison, a migraine is a good thing :-(
> Yes, the common wisdom has cluster headaches as the most painful
> possible - way more than bearing a child...as reported by women who
> had both.

Pretty hard to compare experiences.

I've had people tell me that dislocated shoulders and kidney stones
are the worst, and certainly worse than childbirth.

I've had both the former but don't have the equipment for the latter.
And I fortunately don't get headaches that are even remotely
comparable.

[Jim Meade]

The FAA takes a dim view of migraines. I'd be cautious about self-
diagnosing anything that the FAA doesn't like.

[Steve Freeman]

On Jul 22, 8:16*am, Jim Meade > wrote:
> The FAA takes a dim view of migraines. *I'd be cautious about self-
> diagnosing anything that the FAA doesn't like.

I believe that in power planes migraines are a disqualifying
condition. Maybe someone with more knowledge can confirm that.

[Morgans[_2_]]

"Steve Freeman" wrote in message
...

On Jul 22, 8:16 am, Jim Meade > wrote:
> The FAA takes a dim view of migraines. I'd be cautious about self-
> diagnosing anything that the FAA doesn't like.

I believe that in power planes migraines are a disqualifying
condition. Maybe someone with more knowledge can confirm that.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They are indeed.

-- Jim in NC

[danlj]

On Jul 19, 6:52*am, K6Chris <k6chris(AT)live(DOT)co(DOT)UK> wrote:
> Having suffered my first ever migraine last night and specifically the
> visual disturbance (aura) that came with it, I am keen to discover how
> gliders pilots who are prone to migraines cope? *Although sufferers are
> allowed to drive and indeed fly, the advice for coping of 'pull over'
> seems less than helpful!
>
> Any advice and experiences most welcome!
>
> Chris
>
> --
> K6Chris

One of the things that keeps me from paying close attention to this
forum is the high volume of chaff from ignorant, opinionated typists
that cannot suppress the urge to make a response to a post that
strikes a chord, whether or not they have anything factual to offer.
Years ago, when email was new, two colleagues had a "conversation"
that began with a single post-it note from one to the other, and ended
with a concatenation of post-its from the lintel to the floor of one's
door. They called it "virtual email." It was pretty entertaining, like
the stream-of-consciousness replies to Chris's question.

(I am a general internist and a senior AME.)

1: Headaches (of which vascular headaches are the most common, and
migraine a particular type of "vascular" headache) -- headaches of all
types come in the broadest spectrum from trivial to annoying to
disabling.
2: It's the disabling ones that are disqualifying to the FAA, as
unanticipated abrupt in-flight incapacitation is of intense interest
to the passengers, the pilot's mom and spouse (et al) and to the folks
on the ground under the aircraft.
3: The FAA (and NTSB) understand that piloting an aircraft safely
involves the brain -- whose proper operation not only involves clear
thinking, but also motor coordination and spatial orientation -- both
of which, you may have noticed, are important in safe flight and
landing. Either headaches or the medications used to treat them may
impair the brain's coordination / perception / reasoning / judgment
functions. ANYTHING that has been shown scientifically to impair brain
function is not a good idea to combine with piloting, and as a general
rule is not permitted by the FAA (how could they responsibly *approve*
an impairing substance?)
4: Vascular headaches, in general, are best treated (best prevented)
with LIFESTYLE rather than with medications, though medications are
very, very useful.
A: the most important migraine prevention is DAILY, pleasantly
vigorous exercise. Yes. Exercise. Consistently.
B: another very important prevention is a CONSISTENT diurnal
schedule: awaken at the same time every day; go to bed as soon as
tired, about the same time every day. Eat meals in consistent amounts
and at consistent times. I know it sounds boring, but it really helps.
C: Drugs in your life:
1: caffeine and theobromine (chocolate) -- Either avoid these, or
take them in the same amount every day. Variation seems to be a
problem
2: alcohol is metabolized to aldehyde: alcohol is a vasodilator;
aldehyde is a vasoconstrictor -- either may cause or exacerbate
headache. Again, avoid or be consistent.
3: Other substances in foods: capsaicin (pepper), glutamate,
sodium, and many other things, either directly or through allergy, may
play a role. Your mileage will differ, and all you can do is to
exclude and re-introduce suspect foods one by one as a personal
experiment
4: acetaminophen (paracetamol), aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen and
ALL other pain relievers frequently worsen the headache cycle by being
taken erratically. This causes analgesic withdrawal headache, that can
be worse than the migraines were to start with. The only thing to do
is to first take these on a schedule, and then rapidly (over a few
days) taper the doses and times gradually.
5: barbiturates. These are the worst drugs for headache, as they
consistently cause persistent medication-withdrawal headaches that may
continue for life.
D: Altitude. People who are susceptible to headache often get them
at surprisingly low altitudes -- I've seen a change of 3000 ft / 1000
m precipitate headache, and I really don't know to what extent it's a
change in barometric pressure and to what extent hypoxia, except that
I've seen a person consistently develop hypoxic headache at 6000 msl
and above, completely prevented by supplemental O2 (I've seen this
often because we're married).
E: Stress. Interpersonal stress is of course important, but
sometimes the greatest stress we experience is from our own
expectations for ourselves.
5: Prescription medications are often very helpful, but are an ADJUNCT
to the other stuff, and are almost always medically disqualifying.

Self-"certification": Since 1997, we glider pilots don't have to self-
certify, but if we know we have a condition that might subject us to
in-flight incapacitation, we are required by FAR not to fly. (How
could the rule be otherwise?) In my own limited observation, I am
amazed at the sorts of impairments pilots choose to fly with. But
then, very few pilots have medical training, and even those of us who
do consistently indulge in self-deception...

I hope, Chris, that this is of some help.